From the Inside (Alice Cooper album)
| From the Inside | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Alice Cooper | ||||
| Released | November 17, 1978 | |||
| Genre | Rock, hard rock, pop rock, art rock | |||
| Length | 39:08 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer | David Foster | |||
| Alice Cooper chronology | ||||
| ||||
From the Inside is the tenth studio album by Alice Cooper, released in 1978. It is a concept album about Cooper’s stay in a New York sanitarium due to his alcoholism. Each of the characters in the songs were based on actual people Cooper met in the sanitarium. With this album, he saw the addition of three former members of the Elton John band: lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Davey Johnstone and bassist Dee Murray.
The lead single from the album was “How You Gonna See Me Now”, an early example of a power ballad, which reached #12 in the US' Hot 100 chart. A music video was also created for it. The ‘Madhouse Rocks Tour’ in support of From the Inside lasted from February to April 1979 and saw all songs from the album as regular parts of the setlist except “Millie and Billie”, “For Veronica’s Sake” and “Jackknife Johnny”.[1] Since 1980, however, songs from From the Inside have rarely been performed live, with the only cases being “Serious” on the 2003 ‘Bare Bones’ tour,[2] “Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills” on the 2005–2006 Dirty Diamonds Tour,[3] “Nurse Rozetta” on the ‘Descent into Dragontown’ and ‘Theatre of Death’ tours,[4] and “From the Inside” between 1997 and 1999 and on the late 2000s ‘Theatre of Death’ tour.[5]
The album is also notable for having been used to form the characters and storyline when Alice Cooper was featured in a comic book, Marvel Premiere #50.
Artwork and packaging
The album cover is a centre parting gatefold with Alice Coopers face on the front, that opens up onto a triple page image of a mental asylum, In the top left corner of the picture there is a door with a sign above that reads "the quiet room", this is a hidden flap that opens to reveal Alice, sat in a padded cell wearing a straitjacket, on the inside of the flap there is a message that reads "Inmates! In memory of Moonie", a nod to Alice's old drinking buddy Keith Moon. The picture of Alice in the cell is printed on the inner sleeve along with the song lyrics. On the rear of the album, it shows a picture of the back of an asylum building with the track listing on the double doors there, these double doors both open to show an image of all the inmates stampeding down the corridor towards the back doors you've just opened, waving papers in the air stating their release.
Like the other image seen through a flap, this one is also printed on the inner sleeve.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [6] |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed)[7] |
Track listing
All lyrics written by Alice Cooper and Bernie Taupin; all music composed by Cooper and Dick Wagner, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "From the Inside" | Cooper, Wagner, David Foster | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills" | 3:38 | |
| 3. | "The Quiet Room" | 3:52 | |
| 4. | "Nurse Rozetta" | Cooper, Steve Lukather, Foster | 4:15 |
| 5. | "Millie and Billie" (performed by Cooper and Marcy Levy) | Cooper, Bruce Roberts | 4:15 |
| 6. | "Serious" | Cooper, Taupin, Foster, Lukather | 2:44 |
| 7. | "How You Gonna See Me Now" | 3:57 | |
| 8. | "For Veronica’s Sake" | 3:37 | |
| 9. | "Jackknife Johnny" | 3:45 | |
| 10. | "Inmates (We’re All Crazy)" | 5:03 |
This was one of three Alice Cooper albums to be reissued in 1990 by Metal Blade Records on CD and cassette. The other two were Muscle of Love and Lace and Whiskey. All three albums are now out of print.
Personnel
- Alice Cooper – Vocals
- Dick Wagner – Lead guitar
- Davey Johnstone – Lead guitar
- Dee Murray – Bass
- Dennis Conway – drums
- Additional personnel
- Steve Lukather – guitar
- Jay Graydon – guitar, synthesizer programming
- David Hungate – bass
- Rick Shlosser – drums
- Michael Ricciardella – drums
- Rick Neilsen – guitar
Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Pop Albums | 60 |
Singles – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | "How You Gonna See Me Now" | Pop Singles | 12 |
| 1979 | "From The Inside" | Pop Singles | - |
"How You Gonna See Me Now" was released as a single worldwide in late-1978 with a B-side called "No Tricks", a non-album track, which was later included in the 1999 box set The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper.
"From the Inside" was released as a single in the US in early-1979 as a remixed edited version, with "Nurse Rozetta" as its B-side. The remix is also included in The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper.
References
- ↑ Alice Cooper setlists
- ↑ ‘Serious’ in setlists
- ↑ ‘Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills’ in setlists
- ↑ ‘Nurse Rozetta’ in setlists
- ↑ ‘From the Inside’ in setlists
- ↑ Henderson, Alex. "From the Inside – Alice Cooper". Allmusic. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ↑ Carson, Tom (February 8, 1979). "Alice Cooper From The Inside Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
