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Clearing the Decks for '74 Album Flood

Author: Robert Hilburn

With only three weeks left in 1973, we've got to hurry to catch up with some of the year's remaining albums that deserve comment — either pro or con — before turning attention to the flurry of next year's offerings. As usual, the YES/NO test is designed to separate special merit albums from routine (or less) efforts.

Alice Cooper's "Muscle of Love" (Warner Bros. BS 2748) — If Alice Cooper's last flash-with-no-substance tour wasn't enough to convince you this band isn't something that is better left to the Saturday morning television cartoon set, this largely spiritless collection should erase all doubts. Except for the early rock innocence of "Teenage Lament" (with some flavorful background vocals by Liza Minnelli, Ronnie Spector and the Pointer Sisters), the album's other tunes, despite the implications of the title, are decidedly sterile. Wait for the single. NO.