This 24kt gold CD is a must-own for any Cooper collector or fan, or one who's keen to hear the best fidelity of a killer '70s rock 'n' roll record. It's incredibly well-manufactured, minus all the dynamic-killing compression common to new remasters of albums. The mastering engineer here is Steve Hoffman, whose own very large cult following regularly fellates his work on albums.
On "You Drive Me Nervous," you can hear Alice at his profligate best, all the knowing winks, all the airborne spittle, all the cans of Budweiser. And the lo-fi, glitter-twin guitars — and self-referential Detroit-city strut — of "Be My Lover" just can't sound any better (er, uglier?). How strange to hear Killer, which is hardly the most pristine recording to begin with, so detailed, with real separation between the instruments and voices. To (re)hear an album that's so assimilated into the Cooper mythology, so anti-celebrity in its celebrity, and one of the greatest rock 'n' roll albums ever, is to hear a new album that just kills. This numbered, limited edition stunner (along with School's Out, released earlier this year, and Love it to Death, which drops Dec. 10) will sell out. Available locally at Dearborn Music, Rock-a-billy's and Flipside Records.
Rock/Pop
Sonic supreme
Last-word versions of classic Motor City related albums
By Brian Smith
