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Mar. 14, 2025
Love It To Death Out Now on Rhino High Fidelity
Rising up out of Motor City, Alice Cooper broke into the mainstream on their own terms with Love It To Death. The record made waves after landing on March 9, 1971. It received a Platinum certification from the RIAA fueled by staples such as “Caught In A Dream,” “Sun Arise,” and “I’m Eighteen.” Rolling Stone named it one of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” and Classic Rock graded it 4.5-out-of-5 stars, proceeding to proclaim, “Irrefutably progressive yet seductively steeped in garage swagger, this is the Alice album that most appreciates with age.”
Not to mention, “I’m Eighteen” has generated 52 million Spotify streams and inspired a cover by Anthrax, while Sonic Youth famously cut their own renditions of “Hallowed Be My Name” and “Is It My Body.” As a whole, Love It Death showcased the musicians—Alice Cooper [vocals, harmonica], Glen Buxton [lead guitar], Michael Bruce [rhythm guitar, keys], Dennis Dunaway [bass], and Neal Smith [drums]—firing on all cylinders.
The accompanying new liner notes feature a conversation between album co-producer Bob Ezrin and Jaan Uhelszki. The producer recounts the sessions, working on the songs with the band and shaping the vision of what became a key creative milestone. It also established the foundation for a longstanding relationship between Alice Cooper and Ezrin in addition to marking his first proper production gig as co-producer alongside Jack Richardson.
Ultimately, immense passion for Alice Cooper’s music underscored Ezrin’s approach. He notes, “I went in as a fan. I’d seen them and loved them, so I went in wanting that feeling but knowing we’d have to get it without any other people in the room. The people who were going to be listening to this record would be listening by themselves, usually in their bedroom. So that means it’s a very special job, to re-create the excitement of their show just by the songs and the sound of the record.”
Alice Cooper left quite the imprint on Ezrin as well, “They changed me by giving me confidence,” he admits. “I’ve always been really confident and a little bit brash. But underneath it all is a healthy level of anxiety. By us succeeding together at such an early point, they helped me to believe in myself in a big way, because they believed in me.”