Alice Cooper probably belongs more in the classic rock genre. But he is always (especially since the 80's) lumped into the Metal genre, so we'll put him here. actually starting out in the late sixties and signed by Frank Zappa to his straight records label. The band released three albums on that label, the third one "Love it to Death" featuring I'm Eighteen would be their break through album. And the Classic Alice Cooper band lineup of Alice, Glen Buxton (guitar), Michael Bruce (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass), and Neil Smith (drums) would go on to produce the iconic albums "Love it to death", "Killer", "Schools Out", "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Muscle of Love" before the disbanding of that classic lineup. All of these albums are worth having and contain some really good material. In 1975 Alice returned as a solo act with a new band and released 'Welcome To My Nightmare" featuring Lou Reed's backing band members Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter on guitars, the personnel list for this band from there on out is extensive. But after the huge success of Welcome to my nightmare came the albums "Goes to Hell" and "Lace and Whiskey". After a stint in a rehab center in 1977 he rebounded with "From the Inside" in 1978 followed by "Flush the fashion", "Special Forces", "Zipper catches skin" and "dada". Much of the material from Lace and Whiskey through Dada is very inconsistent and often pretty mellow, even on a few of the later ones very early 80's poppy sounding, I have most of these and they have their moments but are far from the material which his reputation was built upon. But if you have extra cash or can pick them up cheap, they are worth hearing. My favorite of that bunch would no doubt be Special Forces.
1986's Constrictor album would bring a return to a more metal sound, heavy rotation and appearances on MTV and a return to the full blown stage shows of the past and resurrect Alice's career. "Raise your fist and yell" would follow with a heavier sound, followed by "Trash" in 1989 and Alice was again on top. "Hey Stoopid" and "The Last Temptation" were released in the 90's with various lineup configurations through the years Alice continued recording and touring. 2000 saw the release of "Brutal Planet", he has released six albums since 2000's Brutal Planet, the most notable being "Welcome 2 my Nightmare" (the sequel to Welcome to my Nightmare) in 2011.
Alice Cooper has just as many great softer ballady songs as he does rockers, and with an extensive catalog as his you have to navigate your way through it and find what appeals to you.
Some of my favorites would be:
Ballad of Dwight Fry: Really cool footage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-WZK4s0hbYSteven (live 1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBpNtmanZ1YI Love the Dead (live 1990)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v3VZ-kQn4sI'm Eighteen (1970) video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ6mcc-LwIUGo to hell (76) cool video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcFFQNII06sOne of the mellower ones, REALLY MELLOW, a lot of the late 70's stuff sounded like this.
You and me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XFjWvLYKGkCold Ethyl (75)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzsQKj_DTGoA wild one from the earliest days;
Lay down and die, goodbye (1970) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6gQ-twlgr0Not that kind of love (raise your fist and yell)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxm6a_3YBnI
Topic: Alice Cooper (Read 1931 times)