Alice Cooper: Don't call it rock 'n' roll

westen44 · July 18, 2013, 12:01:41 AM

Quote from: CAR-54 on July 17, 2013, 11:52:39 PM
It isn't certain Denis will 100% hate you...

I still have my 1974 Golden Earring/Lynyrd Skynyrd tour shirt...

If I do go, I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about what it was like if Denis or anyone else is interested.

I've heard vintage rock concert shirts are considered more desirable than ever now. That 74 shirt should be just the thing.

uwe · July 18, 2013, 12:35:06 PM

Vincent Furnier, I want to make love with you and have your (billion dollar) babies!!!

How right the ole Republican is.

Alice has never been the greatest singer (though he does credible John Lennon impersonations), but he's no musical idiot and does not embarrass himself with the limits of his voice. From Pretties for You to Killer to Welcome to my Nightmare to Dada to Poison (experimental, glam, hard, new wave, AOR and unfortunately also mindless heavy metal rock) he has covered a musical range in his career the Loonytears and Mum's Ford San never will. And as for ecological awareness, you can't beat Cold Ethyl for bringing the concept of sustainable recycling to America's youth.

If it's too loud, you're too cold.

Denis · July 18, 2013, 01:33:00 PM

Quote from: westen on July 17, 2013, 06:21:54 PM
It isn't 100% certain, but I have a very good chance.

Well, since I can't go I sure hope you get to but if you do, you'll need to report!

Quote from: CAR-54 on July 17, 2013, 11:52:39 PM
It isn't certain Denis will 100% hate you...
I still have my 1974 Golden Earring/Lynyrd Skynyrd tour shirt...

Sweet! Pic!

westen44 · July 18, 2013, 01:55:09 PM

Denis, the only thing that would stop me from going is if it gets sold out. There are several other bands there besides Golden Earring. So, I have no idea about the availability of tickets. If I do go, I'm sure my description will be a detailed one from the perspective of a loyal fan. I doubt if there would be much of anything that might escape my eyes and ears.

Psycho Bass Guy · July 19, 2013, 12:53:02 AM

Quote from: uwe on July 18, 2013, 12:35:06 PM
Alice has never been the greatest singer (though he does credible John Lennon impersonations), but he's no musical idiot and does not embarrass himself with the limits of his voice. From Pretties for You to Killer to Welcome to my Nightmare to Dada to Poison (experimental, glam, hard, new wave, AOR and unfortunately also mindless heavy metal rock) he has covered a musical range in his career the Loonytears and Mum's Ford San never will.

"Poison" is my favorite Alice Cooper song. It's the quintessential mixture of sex, domination, and rock with more intelligence than you give it credit for. Never has obsession been so masculine. Where Sting whined plaintively through "Every Breath You Take," Alice said, 'Baby, you're one hell of a lay, but I know trouble when I see it.'

Highlander · July 19, 2013, 03:09:26 AM

Quote from: Denis on July 18, 2013, 01:33:00 PM... Sweet! Pic!

... to follow, post bathroom completion... it's what I call well worn... a holey relic...?

Michael... if you were this side of the Pond I'd loan it to you for the gig...

There are a number of old shirts I'm probably going to try and off-load on ebay (not this one) but there is a minty pale (baby) blue long sleeve Welcome To My Nightmare tour shirt I'll be putting up for trade here prior... it's a small, unfortunately (bought for sis who wore it once and folded it away - was into the Bay City Rollers at the time

- not me... her...

), but near perfect... there is one on ebay at present... silly money but the seller has sold more than one of them over the last few years...

Alice for me was from Love it through to Welcome and then the occasional dip in... saw the Welcome tour (still jealous you saw Billions tour, Mark) Special Forces tour, Nightmare Returns tour, but not seen since then... Agree with PBG over Poison though... excellent and highly catchy number...

uwe · July 19, 2013, 05:08:13 AM

With "mindless heavy metal rock" I wasn't alluding to "Poison" (the Desmond Child-penned song). "Poison" isn't mindless (the chord changes, which don't follow traditional harmony rules in the middle of the verse, but shift the whole thing by two half-steps, are quite clever) and not heavy metal, it's AOR with a goth tinge. I like it if Alice does AOR because he is essentially a pop singer, not a metal or even heavy rock belter (he'd die a death singing Zep, Sabbath or Deep Purple songs, he's not a "my voice is an instrument"-type singer). I was alluding to his Kane Roberts/Rambo phase that preceded his Kip Winger/Desmond Child/Poison-phase, "Feed my Frankenstein" and stuff like that. I found that his most mindless phase of all.

If "Poison" is heavy metal, then Nightranger is death metal.

gweimer · July 19, 2013, 06:20:41 AM

Quote from: uwe on July 19, 2013, 05:08:13 AM
With "mindless heavy metal rock" I wasn't alluding to "Poison" (the Desmond Child-penned song). "Poison" isn't mindless (the chord changes, which don't follow traditional harmony rules in the middle of the verse, but shift the whole thing by two half-steps, are quite clever) and not heavy metal, it's AOR with a goth tinge. I like it if Alice does AOR because he is essentially a pop singer, not a metal or even heavy rock belter (he'd die a death singing Zep, Sabbath or Deep Purple songs, he's not a "my voice is an instrument"-type singer). I was alluding to his Kane Roberts/Rambo phase that preceded his Kip Winger/Desmond Child/Poison-phase, "Feed my Frankenstein" and stuff like that. I found that his most mindless phase of all.

If "Poison" is heavy metal, then Nightranger is death metal.

I absolutely agree with you on "Poison". It was an instant classic, and one of my favorite Alice Cooper songs, and I'm one of those who thinks the original band was the best. I honestly never got into much of his early "solo" stuff, despite having Wagner/Hunter onboard. He was one of the best live shows I ever saw, though, and that was with Davey Johnstone.

I do, however, enjoy this song from the Kane Roberts era. Try to ignore the video...

Highlander · July 19, 2013, 06:41:46 PM

Always the showman, throughout all the eras, even the Kane Roberts shows...

Hörnisse · July 19, 2013, 09:07:36 PM

Quote from: gweimer on July 19, 2013, 06:20:41 AM
He was one of the best live shows I ever saw, though, and that was with Davey Johnstone.

Wasn't Dee Murray in the band at the same time as Johnstone? I've heard a live recording where they were both in the band.

Highlander · July 20, 2013, 01:40:23 AM

From what I recall they worked with AC around the time of From The Inside... the album was musically Cooper/Wagner and lyrics were Cooper/Taupin ... that was '78 or so ... I don't know how much they gigged it though ...

Now, I had (have? in the loft?) the video of The Strange Case Of Alice Cooper... Hunter and Johnston are the guitarists on the video but I had to look up and it was the WTMN drummer and bassist team of Whitey Glan and Prakash John for that one ...

clankenstein · July 20, 2013, 01:54:45 AM

QuoteHunter and Johnston are the guitarists on the video but I had to look up and it was the WTMN drummer and bassist team of Whitey Glan and Prakash John for that one ...

most of the rock and roll animal band right there...

fur85 · July 20, 2013, 07:35:22 AM

One more era of Alice

gweimer · July 20, 2013, 08:31:35 AM

Cool stuff, Mark! It's always interesting to see how far back famous musicians really go. The early years of Jimmy Page and Ronnie James Dio are up on YouTube, and very different from what we know of them now.

As far as Alice Cooper, this is a song that made me really listen to Dennis Dunaway. He was a big influence on my playing. There's a surprising number of shots of Dennis on the video, over the guitarists.

Highlander · July 21, 2013, 03:14:09 AM

Quote from: clankenstein on July 20, 2013, 01:54:45 AM
most of the rock and roll animal band right there...

That was the Nightmare tour band, indeed... with Josef Chirowski (ex Crowbar) on keys ...