Alice Cooper,Underrated?????

[Dave's Bitch]

So I have been listening to a whole lotta Alice Cooper lately.It seem's everywhere I turn I see people bitching about how underrated he is,How he never gets paid his dues and how nobody recognises his talent.So I find myself wondering exactly how in the hell is Alice Cooper underrated?.There really is little in his 4 decades in music he has not achieved, platinum albums, sold-out tours and any number of honors and career achievement awards.Without Alice Cooper there may not have been Kiss,The New York Doll's,Motley Crue.Not my taste but also Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and Rob Zombie.I simply can't understand how people could think he is constantly underrated and overlooked.

Is anyone here of the opinion he is underrated?

[vandeleur]

Not in my house he ain't , he is still good live and billion dollar babies is always in my top ten fav non vh records

[Dave's Bitch]

Exactly.I simply cannot fathom why people say otherwise.If you dare mention Alice it seems you will be pummelled into the ground by shouts of underrated underrated underrated.The only reason i can possibly think of is for so long he has been overlooked by the Rock n Roll hall of fame,Pretty pathetic reasoning if you ask me.I have tried numerous times with many people to explain EVERYONE recognises he is an innovator,Pioneer and unique talent but to no avail.All I get told is "oh no rock and roll hall of fame",as if somehow that is the only thing that validates a musicians careers.I find it infuriating

[Mr Walker]

I think 'under-appreciated' might be a better term.
Alice did finally make it into the Hall of Fame last year.

Funny that you started this thread because I was looking for a place to talk about Alice. During the weekend I found some dude out on the interweb who started a project of transferring the entire Alice Cooper catalog from vinyl. Not sure how far he is going, but as of today he has done all the studio releases up to 'Along Came A Spider'. So I've been listening to a lot of Alice over the past few days.
You're only 22... but when I was a kid in the early 70s... Alice was public enemy #1 (or public animal #9, if you will)... he was like Satan, Charles Manson and The Boogeyman all rolled up into one. I'd have nightmares about Alice and the horrible things we all thought he was doing. It wasn't till the later 70s when he pulled back the curtain with stuff like The Muppet Show and Hollywood Squares that he started to kinda wink at us and let us in on the joke. I could talk about Alice all day if you wanted to.

[binnie]

He is underrated in the sense that whilst his commercial success/longevity and showmanship are recognized, the brilliance of his early work is often overlooked - people remember 'Poison' more than 'Dead Babies'.

In a sense, at least as far as the general public is concerned, the theatrics come before the music. Those of us actually familiar with the music know that that's not the case.

[Zing!]

Seen a lot bands, a lot of rock shows in my time. Alice Cooper is top five, for sure. Saw him with Rob Zombie a few years back. Seriously killer show - had a lot of "Dude, I totally forgot about THIS song" moments. As an added bonus, his backing band was tight as hell - gave John 5 and the rest of Zombie's band a run for their money! I would go see Alice again in a heartbeat!

[Mr Walker]

Seen a lot bands, a lot of rock shows in my time. Alice Cooper is top five, for sure. Saw him with Rob Zombie a few years back. Seriously killer show - had a lot of "Dude, I totally forgot about THIS song" moments. As an added bonus, his backing band was tight as hell - gave John 5 and the rest of Zombie's band a run for their money! I would go see Alice again in a heartbeat!

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've been an Alice fan since I was in the second grade and I've never seen him live.
Finally crossing that off my bucket list when I see him with Maiden in June.

[vandeleur]

Maiden and Alice that's some gig !!!

[ThrillsNSpills]

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've been an Alice fan since I was in the second grade and I've never seen him live.
Finally crossing that off my bucket list when I see him with Maiden in June.

I got in trouble in 5th grade for singing School's Out on the last day of school.
So I'd say Alice was underappreciated by my 5th grade teacher.








couldn't have been my performance, which was impeccable but you knew that.

[Nitro Express]

Remember those milk cartons full of BB's you could buy? I took one to school the last day and dumped the whole thing on hall floor hoping when the kids ran out when the last bell of the year rang they would slip on the BB's and fall on their asses. It's didn't work. I never got caught. I'm sure the janitor had fun cleaning them up because they scattered all over the place. Thousands of them.

[lesfunk]

Marbles would have worked...

[Zing!]

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've been an Alice fan since I was in the second grade and I've never seen him live.
Finally crossing that off my bucket list when I see him with Maiden in June.

That was pretty much how I felt back then - a fan all these years and had never seen him. When he announced he was playing here in MN, I drove into the city and waited outside the box office window for them to open to make sure I got a ticket. There were a few other Alice die-hards there as well - each reminiscing about all the shows they've seen. I had to admit I had never seen him live. Feels good to have that one checked off my list - but once you experience it, you want to go again and again...

P.S. Seeing Alice come back out to do 'School's Out' with Zombie was bad ass!

[guwapo_rocker]

Used to listen to his records all the time with other kids in grade school, sitting around

a record player with our headphones on.

Loved the Welcome To My Nightmare movie. That album was recorded in a studio

right behind my school. I think most of the kids you hear on Department of Youth were from

my school.

[chefcraig]

Marbles would have worked...

[katina]

I´ve been an Alice fan siince I was 13 years old, I recieved an used imported album for gift "Love it to Death", it blew my mind. Even my mother asked me "what is that music ?" and then we listened to Alice together!!!! Alice was unknown down here at that time.
I remember while listening to "I´m eighteen", thinking: well, I am 13 now, how it will be being 18!!!! I bought a lot of his music, still have some CDs, and a VHS "Alice Cooper Prime Cuts".
I´ve never seen him live, I tried 20 years ago in Holland, but the concert was Sold Out, I was so sad....
For me his music is first to the theatrics, he is a pioneer, great musician and always thought that behind all his horror show, he is a very "Nice Guy".

[Dave's Bitch]

Never seen Alice live either.I guess it make's sense his work being under appreciated in term's of it's actual content.Perhaps the name of the thread should be changed to The Alice Cooper Appreciation thread

[katina]

Never seen Alice live either.I guess it make's sense his work being under appreciated in term's of it's actual content.Perhaps the name of the thread should be changed to The Alice Cooper Appreciation thread

That´s a great idea !!! The Alice Cooper Appreciation thread.
Even my mother, she is 77 years now, will have some nice words to Alice (I will translate them from spanish)

[rocking ron]

Have seen Alice live almost 10 years ago in Amsterdam and it was a good show!! He's such and still a great entertainer!!!!!!!!!

I saw lately a 'rock'-dvd with all kinds of 'video-clips' and Alice was introducing a video-clip of David Lee Roth with the words......"and here is good old Dave...etc....

It sounded that funny to him hear saying that because he's much older himself...........I think about 6 or 7 years........but doesn't matter 'cause he's real R'n'R and will go

on till' he die on stage...........I respect this kind of true rockers very very much just like Lemmy (Motorhead) Kiss, Stones ..etc

[Angel]

He sucked first time I saw him. Pissed out of his tree, falling everywhere.... It was brutal.

Caught him about 20 years ago and he was great, but his guitarist drove me up the fucking wall...

[sadaist]

Saw him once around 1986. Megadeth opening up on the very beginning of the Peace Sells tour. I went for Megadeth and because Alice was a show that I had to see once. Don't especially care for his music much. But the stage show was a lot of fun to watch. He put himself in a guillotine. CHOP!

[Yount]

Alice Cooper is very underrated, especially on the back nine.

[fifth element]

Saw him do a television gig w/ one of the talk show hosts in years gone by.....even in that limited arena, he put on one hell of a show....made me sit up and take notice, for sure.

[FORD]

Alice Cooper is very underrated, especially on the back nine.

Well, the golf thing probably isn't doing a lot for his rock star image. Not that he probably gives a shit anymore, at his age. But seriously, someone needs to help him with his golfing fashion......



...just because you are a senior citizen playing golf doesn't mean you have to LOOK like one, Vince!

[tommyv]

My relationship with Alice goes back to the early days. I still have my original albums with the Killer calendar, the B$B bill, School's Out panties and the Muscle of Love book cover.

I saw the original band in Dec 73 on the B$B Holiday Tour. They'd had a spot of trouble in Toledo the night before and equipment trucks had broken down on the way to Toronto. A very sparse stage and Alice was beheaded with a sword, rather than the guillotine. One of the best rock n roll books ever written was Bob Green's "Billion Dollar Baby". He was on the tour as Santa Claus and the book is ostensibly his tour diary. Some little old band from Texas had the opening slot on the tour.

I saw Alice when he visited Toronto on the Nightmare tour, but he didn't play here again until Nov 81. I saw him twice on that tour and both shows were terrible. Alice was a shadow of his former self.

I should mention that he was supposed to appear in Aug 80 at the CNE Grandstand, an outdoor venue. I had great centre floor seats and was looking forward to seeing him after 5 years. Billy Squier was supposed to open, but didn't show. We were subjected to Zon, a local prog band that were atrocious. They set up the stage for Alice and, after what seemed like forever, I noticed that we were being joined by a good number of mounted police. I mentioned to my date that it seemed rather curious. Once the cops were in position, someone finally announced that Alice was ill and would not be appearing. The crowd did not take that well. All kinds of stuff started flying over my head towards the stage. Then the chairs started flying. Took out the drum kit and more. Ever been in a riot? Not a lot of fun. Lots of youtube footage of this evening.

After the 1981 disappointment, I stayed away from Alice shows until 2004. I've seen him 4 times since then, one of which was a stinker. The rest were fine evenings. He has always had a great band behind him, last year's tour with Orianthi on guitar was no exception.

Lots of other Alice books around. I see there's a new biography being released this year. Golf Monster was okay, but you can skip the golf and God chapters. Mike Bruce's book, No More Mister Nice Guy, was a light read and I'm not sure why it commands such a premium.

Musically, Love It To Death, Killer and B$B are still in regular rotation and take a back seat to nothing.

[katina]

An old black and white photo.

[FORD]

Without Alice Cooper there may not have been Kiss,The New York Doll's,Motley Crue.Not my taste but also Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, and Rob Zombie.I simply can't understand how people could think he is constantly underrated and overlooked.

You can add the Sex Pistols to that list. Johnny Rotten was an Alice Cooper fan, and actually auditioned for the band by singing "Eighteen".

[katina]

You can add the Sex Pistols to that list. Johnny Rotten was an Alice Cooper fan, and actually auditioned for the band by singing "Eighteen".

You are right about Jonny Rotten (Lydon)

"In 2002 Lydon presented his own tribute program to Cooper on BBC radio. Lydon told the BBC that "I know the words to every Alice Cooper song. The fact is, if you can call what I have a musical career, it all started with me miming to I'm Eighteen on a jukebox".

[gbranton]

I have tickets to see him open for Iron Maiden June 23rd in Atlanta, GA. It will be my first time to see him. I like him as a person from what I've seen in interviews but I am a child of the 1980's and my favorite song by him is "Poison". If he plays that I'll be happy. Regardless, I will report back to this thread afterwards.

[Dave's Bitch]

You can add the Sex Pistols to that list. Johnny Rotten was an Alice Cooper fan, and actually auditioned for the band by singing "Eighteen".

Well I did not know that.That is one thing i love about this place,I learn something new most days

[Dave's Bitch]

I have tickets to see him open for Iron Maiden June 23rd in Atlanta, GA. It will be my first time to see him. I like him as a person from what I've seen in interviews but I am a child of the 1980's and my favorite song by him is "Poison". If he plays that I'll be happy. Regardless, I will report back to this thread afterwards.

That will be a killer show,I expect a full review

I like poison too,I also have trash and hey stoopid in regular rotation.His poppier more commercial stuff is still pretty cool but sounds so dated.I like his straight up rock stuff from the band more,But I have found myself really into the more industrial sounding albums.One of my favourites is Catch me if you can from Along came a spider .Also been giving Welcome 2 my nightmare some serious play time.That is a great album

[Hardrock69]

Schools Out was the first song I heard by Alice that reinforced something I had realized when I first heard The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise" in 1967.
You know, where the song Good Morning ends with the sound of a fox hunt....then a lonesome chicken clucking, which turns into an electric guitar lick...then the count off "ONE....TWO..THRE....FOUR.....BLAM!" What I call "Heavy Metal Beatles".

Anyway, the opening riff of "School's Out" sounds so ELECTRIC. I have always loved that guitar sound.

Yes, he WAS viewed by society as Satan, Charles Manson and the Boogeyman all rolled up into one......because in the early days his stage shows were EXTREMELY psychotic.....

Sure....eventually he went mainstream...but he was frightening to mainstream America back then....songs like "I Love The Dead"...and "Dead Babies".

Check out some early performances on Youtube. I mean, from 1969-1970.

I have a DVD of the Cincinnati Pop Fest from 1970....had Mountain, Grand Funk, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, and Alice. He was fucking WEIRD, man!

I would say he is a bit underappreciated by Mainstream America....but the music world, especially the rock music world, knows his true value.

I did not see him until 1985. Then saw him in 1991, then I did not see him again until I moved to Nashville....he played at The Ryman Auditorium about 5 years ago and I had a seat like 4th or 5th row on the floor...and he KICKED FUCKING ASS!

Then saw him again last year opening for Rob Zombie at the Municipal Auditorium here. Still great.

I true icon in the music world.

[DLR Bridge]

Caught him about 20 years ago and he was great, but his guitarist drove me up the fucking wall...

I saw the "Raise Your Fist & Yell" tour too if that's what you're talking about. Back when his guitarist was that roided-out Kane Roberts. The only thing worse than an Eddie rip off is an Eddie rip off that looks like a professional wrestler.

[Angel]

I saw the "Raise Your Fist & Yell" tour too if that's what you're talking about. Back when his guitarist was that roided-out Kane Roberts. The only thing worse than an Eddie rip off is an Eddie rip off that looks like a professional wrestler.

Yup, that would be the one.

[Mr Walker]

Muscle of Love book cover.

I remember a teacher confiscating this from me when I put it on one of my books... it had a funny picture of the band peeling potatoes (or maybe that was the sleeve inside the cardboard box... I cun't remember).

I should mention that he was supposed to appear in Aug 80 at the CNE Grandstand, an outdoor venue. I had great centre floor seats and was looking forward to seeing him after 5 years. Billy Squier was supposed to open, but didn't show. We were subjected to Zon, a local prog band that were atrocious. They set up the stage for Alice and, after what seemed like forever, I noticed that we were being joined by a good number of mounted police. I mentioned to my date that it seemed rather curious. Once the cops were in position, someone finally announced that Alice was ill and would not be appearing. The crowd did not take that well. All kinds of stuff started flying over my head towards the stage. Then the chairs started flying. Took out the drum kit and more. Ever been in a riot? Not a lot of fun. Lots of youtube footage of this evening.

I remember seeing a news report on this the night it happened.

One of the best rock n roll books ever written was Bob Green's "Billion Dollar Baby". He was on the tour as Santa Claus and the book is ostensibly his tour diary. Some little old band from Texas had the opening slot on the tour.

I first read this book in college... they had it in the library along with 'Me, Alice' (made infamous by Alice's claim that he beat off into a donut that his sister wound up eating... a story he later recanted). Looking back, I should have stole both books based on what they fetch on Amazon. I wound up buying Green's book, but had to pay out the ass for it.

[Mr Walker]

Dick Wagner has a kindle book available for $9.99. I'll wind up buying it one day. Alice wrote the forward... reviews are good and he was a big part of Alice's post Alice Cooper Band career.

http://www.amazon.com/WOMEN-BLEED-Vi...5527549&sr=1-1

[Mr Walker]

Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I just listened to 'Living Next Door to Alice' by the band Smokie.

[Mr Walker]

I always thought the song 'Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' was a loose song about Alice Cooper?

'The Spiders' and 'The Nazz' were both old names for The Alice Cooper Band.

This verse pretty much sums up early Alice...
"Ziggy really sang, screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdo
Like some cat from Japan, he could lick 'em by smiling
He could leave 'em to hang
Came on so loaded man, well hung and snow white tan"

Also foreshadowed the end of the Alice Cooper Band...
"Became the special man, then we were Ziggy's band"

[guwapo_rocker]

All kinds of stuff started flying over my head towards the stage. Then the chairs started flying.

Sorry

I was right behind you.

I had to hide in some bushes near the Shopsy's stand to avoid being clubbed by the

cops on horseback.

[VHscraps]

Alice was such a character back in the earl-to-mid 70s. When 'School's Out' went to No. 1 in the UK I was a kid at school, and man we wanted to burn the damn place down! That song was fuel for the fire. 'School's been blown to pieces ...'.

That whole album is one of my all-time favourite albums. I never get tired of it. There were a lot of great tunes from that period, 'Elected', 'No More Mr. Nice Guy', 'Eighteen'. I stuck with Alice until about 1980-81 and the Special Forces album, but kinda lost interest.

If you have a few pennies to shell out at eBay, you could do worse than pick up a copy of this, which has a bunch of reprinted interviews, album reviews and other stuff from the early-to-mid 70s period, when Alice was a media darling. No one gave an interview like Alice, maybe until DLR came along. A very smart dude, and very funny at that time.

[katina]

Alice was such a character back in the earl-to-mid 70s. No one gave an interview like Alice, maybe until DLR came along. A very smart dude, and very funny at that time.

Totally agree.