CFNN Rock Correspondent Dana Murray

For my final album review of this school year, I’ve decided to do the quintessential end of the school year anthem: School’s Out by Alice Cooper. This album (and song) is a classic. It was released in June of 1972, which was perfect timing for the end of the school year. It reached #1 on the Canadian chart RPM 100 Top Albums and #2 on the Billboard Top 200. It also achieved platinum status in the U.S. and gold in Australia. The title track, “School’s Out,” hit #7 in the U.S, #3 in Canada, and #1 on the UK Singles Chart.

One thing I find cool about the original vinyl release is the way the album opens. It opens up like an old school desk, which adds a cool element to the aesthetic of the album. I like that it has the initials of the members of the band as carved graffiti, which makes it feel like an authentic school desk. The original desk that was used to create the album art is on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas. Alice Cooper never fails when it comes to making an awesome album cover. 

“School’s Out” is an anthem for students everywhere. It’s a popular song for seniors because of the line “school’s out forever.” It was also used in my favorite 70’s cult classic film: Rock ‘N’ Roll High School. Alice Cooper wanted to capture the excitement of the last three minutes of the last day of school in a song, which he executes well. It worked so well that some radio stations banned the song because they thought it would encourage kids to rebel against their education! The organ intro is awesome; it pairs well with the fuzzy guitar tone. I love the grit of Cooper’s voice here. It fits with the emotions of the song quite well. I love the double meaning of the line “we’ve got no class / and we’ve got no principles.”  Overall, it’s a solid hard rock piece. If you want to see a spectacular live performance of this song, I recommend the one from the concert film Alice Cooper: Trashes the World. 

“Luney Tune” brings down the energy from the first track, but it keeps the rebellious feel. I absolutely love that it sounds like classic 60’s garage rock. I find the insane asylum imagery interesting since it plays into how some people may feel like school is more of a prison than a place to learn. This imagery is constantly used in hard rock and Alice Cooper may be the reason for that. The folksy sound at the 1:21 minute mark is a nice touch. I love that later in the song, it incorporates a violin without being any less heavy.

“Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets” has a moody bass line. This song reminds me of West Side Story, but that may just be because of the mention of “The Jets”. It compares a rebellious group of teenagers to alley cats, which is fitting. The section from 3:52 onward is my favorite part of the song. It has a great rhythm. This song is a cool one and it’s sad that it isn’t performed live regularly. 

“Street Fight” reminds me of the cover of “Viva Las Vegas” that the San Francisco punk group Dead Kennedys did. It’s a short instrumental piece. It adds on to the smaller concept found in “Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets.” I wish this song had lyrics or was longer so the story could be developed more.

“Blue Turk” keeps up the groovy bass line from “Street Fight.” It has a great vibe to it. I like the moodiness of the song as a whole. It differs from most of the band’s other catalogue, but in a great way. The clean guitar tone is a nice contrast from the distortion used on most of the album prior. Cooper’s vocals here remind me of “The Passenger” by Iggy Pop. The saxophone is a great touch.

“My Stars” is a lovely mix of classic hard rock and a ballad. It sounds like a faster version of one of my favorite songs that the band would later release (“Only Women Bleed” on their 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare). The piano is gorgeous. I like that despite the softer elements, it stays heavy. As a whole, this song reminds me of “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock And Roll Band)” by The Moody Blues. It’s a contender for my favorite on the album.  

“Public Animal #9” has a jazzy piano and a great beat! It feels a bit like “Young Americans” by David Bowie, but heavier. The continued use of prison imagery is interesting. I love the line “she wanted an Einstein, but she got a Frankenstein.” Towards the end, at about the 2:53 minute mark, it is evident that this song influenced Nikki Sixx when he wrote “Public Enemy #1;” they have a similar sound and structure. The only clear difference in that section is the lyrics. 

“Alma Mater” has a balladic quality to it. I love the rain effects and the slight distortion on the vocals. It sounds like it’s playing through an old radio. The acoustic guitar gives it a folksy side. It speaks to the sorrow of leaving high school and the friends that you’ve made there along the way. It gets more upbeat as the song goes on, which represents that initial sorrow, but eventual elation of being free from school. The call and response section is awesome. I wish this song was more widely recognized; it’s a wonderful song. I like how the ending incorporates usual messages written in yearbooks, such as “don’t make a stranger of yourself” and “remember the Coop.”

The closing instrumental track, “Grande Finale,” has some awesome synthesizer lines. I like how it ties everything together by combining elements from all of the songs on the album. It feels like the ending credits of the album. It reminds me of the opening of old detective shows like Charlie’s Angels or T.J. Hooker. It has a great feel to it and it’s an awesome way to close the album. 
School’s Out has become a symbol of the freedom of youth and leaving behind what you once knew. Depending on your perspective, this can either be a sad affair, or a liberating one. This album showcases both, but it shows the liberating side more than the sad. As a whole, the album centers around the loose concept of a group of rebellious students leaving school, which shows through in songs like the title track, “Public Animal #9,” and “Alma Mater.” It’s a fitting way to close an awesome school year. Have a great summer and congrats Class of 2025!