Muscle of Love Album: 2024

A Hard Hearted 50th Anniversary Glam Assault

Alice Cooper Group’s Muscle Of Love — their seventh and final original-band studio album (at the time of release) — received multiple deluxe reissues for its 50th anniversary. Produced by Jack Richardson & Jack Douglas, this raw hard rock swan song featured 11 previously unreleased early versions/alternate mixes. Liner notes by Jaan Uhelszki include track-by-track interviews with Cooper, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith, and Mick Mashbir. The definitive glam-metal resurrection in four variants.

Album Overview

Release Details

Label: Rhino / Warner Records.

Formats: Vinyl LP (black/pink/signed pink), 2CD+Blu-ray Quadio, digital deluxe.

2×LP Pink Deluxe Limited (2024) – RCV1 726985 / 081227813949

Side A

Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo) 5:10

Never Been Sold Before 4:20

Hard Hearted Alice 4:50

Crazy Little Child 4:58

Side B

Working Up A Sweat 3:31

Muscle Of Love 3:42

Man With The Golden Gun 4:12

Teenage Lament '74 3:51

Woman Machine 4:29

Side C

Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo) (Early Version) 4:03

Never Been Sold Before (Early Version) 4:42

Hard Hearted Alice (Alternate Mix) 4:49

Crazy Little Child (Early Version) 4:58

Side D

Working Up A Sweat (Alternate Mix) 3:32

Muscle Of Love (Alternate Mix) 3:46

Man With The Golden Gun (Early Version) 4:02

Teenage Lament ’74 (Acoustic Diversion) 3:07

Woman Machine (Alternate Mix) 4:23

2×LP Pink Deluxe Signed Limited (2024) – same catalogue

Identical track listing to the unsigned pink 2×LP above (signed edition differs only in autographs).

2CD + Blu-ray Quadio Deluxe Box Set (2024) – R2 726986 / 081227813956

CD 1 – Original Album (2024 Remaster)

Big Apple Dreamin' (Hippo) 5:11

Never Been Sold Before 4:29

Hard Hearted Alice 4:51

Crazy Little Child 5:00

Working Up A Sweat 3:32

Muscle Of Love 3:46

Man With The Golden Gun 4:11

Teenage Lament ’74 3:52

Woman Machine 4:34

CD 2 – Bonus Tracks

Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo) (Early Version) 4:03

Never Been Sold Before (Early Version) 4:42

Hard Hearted Alice (Alternate Mix) 4:49

Crazy Little Child (Early Version) 5:00

Working Up A Sweat (Alternate Mix) 3:36

Muscle Of Love (Alternate Mix) 3:46

Man With The Golden Gun (Early Version) 4:02

Teenage Lament ’74 (Acoustic Diversion) 3:06

Woman Machine (Alternate Mix) 4:22

Teenage Lament ’74 (Single Version) 3:20

Muscle Of Love (Single Version) 3:25

Blu-ray – Quadraphonic Mixes + High-Res Stereo

Original 1973 quadraphonic mixes of the full album in high-resolution (exact tracklist matches CD 1).

20 x File, MP3 Deluxe Digital (2024) – VBR

1–9. Original Album (2024 Remaster) – same as CD 1

10–20. Bonus Tracks – same as CD 2 (including single versions)

All formats share the same core content; differences are only in bonus tracks, mastering, and physical/digital presentation. Enjoy the muscle! 💪

Reissues & Global Variants

- LP Black Vinyl – Rhino R1 695502 – US/UK – 9 Jun / Jul 2023

- 2×LP Pink Deluxe Limited – Rhino RCV1 726985 – US – 2024

- 2×LP Pink Deluxe Signed Limited – Rhino RCV1 726985 – US – 2024

- 2CD+Blu-ray Quadio Box Set – Rhino R2 726986 – US – 25 Oct 2024

- 20 x File MP3 VBR Deluxe – Rhino/Warner none – Worldwide – 20 Nov 2024

Production and Context

Original production: Jack Richardson & Jack Douglas (1973). Deluxe supervision: Steve Woolard. Last original Alice Cooper Group album before breakup.

Singles Released and Chart Performance

No new singles from reissues.

Album Chart Performance (original 1973)

- USA (Billboard 200): 10

- UK: 35

Legacy and Collectibility

Muscle Of Love is the original Alice Cooper Group’s raw hard rock finale — now in deluxe glory. Verify catalogues R1 695502 / RCV1 726985 / R2 726986. These reissues are must-haves for Alice Cooper Group collectors.

Do you have Muscle Of Love in your vinyl stack? Is the muscle still pumping? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube

Official Press Release:

Alice Cooper Group’s Muscle of Love, the original band's seventh and final full-length album, was reissued as an LP album in the US by Rhino/Warner Bros. Records (catalog number R1 695502) on June 9, 2023, with a UK release in July 2023. It was reissued in deluxe formats through Rhino/Warner Bros. Records on October 25, 2024 (catalog number R1 781395 for 2CD/Blu-ray).

Encompassing 11 previously unreleased tracks including early versions and alternate mixes of staples like “Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo)” and “Muscle of Love.” The 2CD/Blu-ray set features the original 192/24 resolution quadraphonic mixes debuting on Blu-ray, while the liner notes include an in-depth track-by-track account by music journalist Jaan Uhelszki, drawing from interviews with Cooper, guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith, and additional guitarist Mick Mashbir. Noted in an October 2024 Ultimate Classic Rock feature for its raw hard rock revival, the reissue celebrates the album’s 50th anniversary with a pink 2-LP vinyl edition exclusive to Rhino.com.

Tracklist (Disc 1 - Original Album):

Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo) – 5:06

Never Been Sold Before – 4:30

Hard Hearted Alice – 4:05

Crazy Little Child – 5:12

Working Up a Sweat – 4:30

Muscle of Love – 3:42

Man with the Golden Gun – 4:10

Teenage Lament ’74 – 3:55

Woman Machine – 5:35

Tracklist (Disc 2 - Bonus Tracks):

Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo) (Early Version) – 4:59

Never Been Sold Before (Early Version) – 4:24

Hard Hearted Alice (Alternate Mix) – 4:03

Crazy Little Child (Early Version) – 5:06

Working Up a Sweat (Alternate Mix) – 4:28

Muscle of Love (Alternate Mix) – 3:40

Man with the Golden Gun (Early Version) – 4:04

Teenage Lament ’74 (Early Version) – 3:52

Woman Machine (Early Version) – 5:32

Never Been Sold Before (Alternate Mix) – 4:26

Hard Hearted Alice (Early Version) – 3:58

Blu-ray (Quadraphonic Mixes): Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo)

Never Been Sold Before

Hard Hearted Alice

Crazy Little Child

Working Up a Sweat

Muscle of Love

Man with the Golden Gun

Teenage Lament ’74

Woman Machine

Note: The tracklist is based on the standard 2024 2CD/Blu-ray deluxe edition (Rhino/Warner Bros. Records). Durations are approximate from official sources; the pink 2-LP vinyl includes the original album plus select bonuses.