"Special Forces" is an album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in September 1981 by Warner Bros. Records. The album marked a return of Cooper after a hiatus from the music industry because of his alcoholism. The album's touring showcased some of the musical stylings from the album being a departure from the hard rock sound Cooper was known for.
"Special Forces" was produced by Richard Podolor and is noted for its stylistic change towards New Wave and sounds considerably different from Cooper's previous works. The sound is less dark and heavy and is characterized by shorter, more upbeat rock songs with a steady rhythm. Alice Cooper stated that the album was heavily influenced by his recovery from alcoholism during that time, which can be seen in introspective songs like "Who Do You Think We Are".
The album did not chart very high, reaching only No. 122 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Despite the mixed reviews, some of the album's tracks, like "You Want It, You Got It," gained moderate airplay.
The "Special Forces" tour featured a spectacular stage setting and drew inspiration from the military concept of the album's title. After the release of this album, Cooper continued his music career, but faltered a bit in the mid-1980s before making a strong return in the late '80s. Despite its mixed critical and commercial reactions, "Special Forces" stands as a fascinating snapshot of Alice Cooper's career during one of its most tumultuous periods.
