Classicks

Personnel: Alice Cooper, Chris Cornell (vocals); Joe Satriani, Stef Burns (guitar, background vocals); John McCurry, Joe Perry, Slash, Steve Vai, Dan Wexler, Al Pitrelli, Pete Freezin' (guitar); Derek Sherinian (keyboards, background vocals); Alan St. John, John Webster, Robert Bailey (keyboards); Steve Croes (Synclavier); Greg Smith (bass, background vocals); Hugh McDonald, Nikki Sixx, T-Bone Caradonna (bass); Bobby Chouinard, Mickey Curry, David Uosikkinen, Johnathan Mover (drums); Ozzy Osbourne, Zachary Nevel, East Coast Gang, West Coast Gang, British Gang (background vocals).
Producers include: Desmond Child, Peter Collins, Andy Wallace, Don Fleming, Duane Baron.
Compilation producers: Frankie LaRocka, Brian Lima, Tom "Smitty" Smith.
When he signed with Epic Records in the late '80s, Alice Cooper scored his biggest hit in years, 1989's platinum TRASH (which spawned the top-ten hit single "Poison"). While his next two releases (1991's HEY STOOPID and 1994's LAST TEMPTATION) didn't match the success of his Epic debut, Cooper retained his core audience and remained one of heavy metal's perennial concert attractions. With material from three albums to choose from, Epic assembled a greatest-hits package, 1995's CLASSICKS, which also includes live performances of his vintage '70s hits, recorded at a concert in Birmingham, England in December of 1989.
Highlights include the latter-day material like "Hey Stoopid," "Poison," "Lost in America," "Love's a Loaded Gun," and "It's Me." But the live renditions of Cooper's vintage material show why many consider Cooper one of the godfathers of metal and glam--"No More Mr. Nice Guy," "School's Out," and "I'm Eighteen" still hold up magnificently all these years later. And as a bonus, a previously unreleased cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" is included.