rtllUt? I 1 alio
Review by Jim Gray
The album cover is a cilossv reoroduction of a
green snakeskin in the shape of a wallet, studded with
a gold and rhinestone medallion. Attached to the
inside right spread of the cover is a giant reproduction
of a billion dollar bill, covered with snakes, Medusa,
status symbols and military artillery.
It, obviously, is Alice Cooper's new album, biihon
Dollar Babies. And its trappings are spectaculai ly
f 'ashy all the way- but well done and clever.
What's inside the grooves of the recording isn't bad
either. Even compared to Alice's former
triumphs-School's Out and Killer not
withstandmg-5a;e5 is solidly within the Cooper
tradition of Weird Rock. And it manages to bring the
whole thing off with a modicrum of style, something
David Bowie and other camp-followers haven't
managed.
To beq n with, the a'bum is probably the gioup's
oest attempt at a concept abum. It starts with a
groups s sudden and tumultous rise to
e ana i icnes tnrouqn oepravitv. Alice ana
company take this theme and expioie various aspects
of rich depiavity, never abandoning its central
premise.
Side one stai ts with a solid Top 40 Hollywood and
Broadway style rocker "Hello Hooray". It's the
group's success story complete with circus beaks and
hula hoops, as Alice screams "I've been waiting so
long to sing my song."
The Bioadway style continues through the second
cut, "Raped and Freevin", the story 'of a young
hitchiket picked up and taped in the Mexican deseit.
The ultimate in depravity screams at the listener in
"Elected," a second hit single, following Alice's
imaginary quest for the presidency, acting the
American wonderland
theme-tht
fmt) And
"yankee doortlo dndy in a gold Roils I Joyce."
Strong gaiter work ,ind mon,.e!' J.i.il vocals by-
Alice and Donovan l.citc'' hi,!-..' ins.
Dollar Bab.es" a dasvc, dtinnint
images of cogs inter uo! with :djirs j
off.
Fo'lowmj :
:'l I'
:-ul "Billion
:.id .ihastly
thai fall
d die fit st
'3 !i
, . JH
V? " I ,
if.1
4
T'
t i, . iivoir
d v.
v
- V ; V
-W"
aw n'--.m, j,v - v.
(if ' W
4
Alia Co.
i f r iords
cuts, Cooper then throws a curve in "Unfinished
Sweet", a detailed chronicle of a trip to the dentist's
chair. A pseudo-James Bond spy riff in the middle of
this cni dearly displays the versatility of the
Coopeis' lead guitar and bass work. Sound effects
end side one with a humorous tone and the Rotten
Tooth Fairy satisfied.
Side two comes back to direct treatment Of the
band's rise in "No More Mister Nice Guy" and
"Generation Lanslide". Both are important for the
album's thematic development, but are of doubtful
individual worth. The former because of vindictive
shallow lyrics and pretentious treatment. The latter
because it catalogues images much like a bad Bizarro
Don MacLean, confusing the issue to say the least.
"S i. k Things" brings side two back up to par,
!;o.-..vv.;r, heaping well-deserved blame on the
Cnopets' audience in a Bela Lugosi snarl.
Coopei then throws in a shocker-"Mary Ann" is a
r.ic ouiet 1890 ish ballad in melodic style, quite
apai t horn the macabre images of the rest of the
album. But even here there's a touch of the odd, as
masculine Alice laments "I thought you were my
man."
Finally Alice adds the piece de resistance, the
final gross out. "I Love the Dead" is about . . . well,
it's about necrophilia. Enough said.
In total impact the album is less-tr an-comfortable.
it makes an almost too close touch to the perversity
of middle america, which is partly what makes Alice
popular- and B illon Dollar Babies, a success.
B'liiun Dollar B.iiiies is the Amei ican Dream gone
pel verse. It makes no bones about it depravity it is.
Dt'piav-ty at its best. It wouldn't be a bad album to
in ! -even it it means making Loopei and company
two billion Joliar babies,
Shaneyfelt: CSL
evades political arena
Expiessing concern that the Council on Student Life (CS! )
might be moving into the political arena, Chairman Jon
Shaneyfelt cost a tie-break mg vote against a motion which
would have sent three CSL representatives to talk with state
legislators about the UNL financial aids situation.
The motion was made by CSL member Chris Harper at the
March 22 meeting.
Harper's motion would have established a three-member
committee to discuss UNL financial aids with the Unicameral
committee considering LB396. The bill would encourage state
investment officers to reinvest funds in federally insured loan
programs.
"I see a real justification for CSL to become involved
(directly with the state legislature) Financial aids probably
affects more students than does any other matter CSL dea s
with," Hai per said.
Ely Meyerson, another CSL member and Student Affairs
dean of administration, disapproved of Harper's motion
because "the council doesn't want to walk into a buzz saw."
According to Meyerson, CSL is not qualified to lobby on
the matter because th? level of federal funding and the cute' ia
for administering the funds for next year remains unknown.
The council, however, did pass a motion to send letters of
concern about financial aid to University lobbyist Ann
Camp bull and ASUN's Legislative Liason Committee. In th
letters, CSL asked Campbell and the committee to lobby fo
financial aid.
"Legislative liason is the logical group to ask if ycu warn
students to talk with senators," CSL member Sam Brovver
said. 'They (liason committee members) are registered
lobbyists and have some expertise."
In other business, CSL appio;ed a proposal to estab
coeducational floors next fall in Abel Hall.
I he proposal, p-epared by members of the Abe
Sandoz Halls' governments and staffs, would establish
living units on the seventh and eighth floors of Abel.
would lie in the north wings and women in the south.
The original proposal included a 24-hour visitation period
in floor lounges and corridors. However, members of the
housing office staff refused to support the visitation policy,
according to Michale Whye, one of the proposal's authors.
'The housing staff said that Schiamm (Hall) and CeotennMi
(Educational Program) have been trying for years to gel
extended visitation periods," Whe said. "They (housing of bo.
personnel) said it would look strange if two floors in Abel just
suddenly got 24 hour visitation."
Authors of the pmposal have changed the propr.ed
visitation period to conform with current RHA visitation
policies, he said.
According to Whye, the modified proposal still offers
advantages over the current dormitory living situation. Men
and women would share the same floor government and
"would have to interact. By introducing the opposite sex to
these floors you're making them more liveable."
Meyerson said: "I'm not against this proposal per se, but I
J I two
a i in
j y '.
Men
question whether all of the supportive reason
ng (included hi
the proposal) is sound. To the lx;st of my knowledge, hard
data has proven very little about coed living."
The report cited evaluations of coed dormitories at the
University of Maryland, Kansas State University, UNL ..nd
other schools.
"I don't think the data itself is bad," CSL member Mike
Berns said, "but you have to be careful about choosing fads to
back up your point when coming before the regents. You t.m'l
have anything they'll be able to knock down."
page 6
m
Jt
r
0
ft'
it
41
(&
W
r
.'
.
5
MMEM
v.. it tit 1
I si
fciro ri i&v:.7Tii-tiatsnru
ti5 M-S .UL V RmjfAH
o
o
(J
u
(4
it
a
9
o
o
o
o
o
o
J
it
6
ti
V
it
m
9
o
w
srrkinci SAL tS ENGINEERS for the
nus; k'diii( uf the industry's leading line
ut fwitchos ui'id aircraft relays. Appli
i nits should, have BSEE, BSMA or MBA
v. sth trchiticai under-graduate degrees. Will
,;i .o onsidt-i candidates for Bachelors
tj'Tjt'v, in Business Administration (market
ni; or oconotnics).
As.si(jnmr;nti are nation wide; positions
iiie salaried with company car and many
other irifuje benefits. Our company is
oxpandiiu; rapidly and opportunities in
I '.'irl oti'uj management may develop for
r)u,'ild: tn-jn. interviewers will be on
'...n.-vii., April 4, 1973.
ii viVr To Piacenient
For !Siri-lJj Sheets,
MML rx$Ciit lfAn exejuisite Swedish film! Max 8
fm mW&iVl gVon Sydow and Liv Ullmann
ZiA:rtf& flare outstandinq
With ' 'Vi' ni , i4
b 1 'f ' "c , Wr ',
- Judith Crist, New York yffo
WHJ - ifS''so -
'$'. u '!' yw I
If a AM) 9 ;f i M
f f . . ' "
V'
1-, .
i
V" p;-'
r '
r
' ' &
i. ' A?
( 1 -7 '';
V
B" clow-Liiv Ullmanni
W.
Ai nit-. i-i;!Vr
: : Wednesday, april 4, 1973