Armed Forces.......

[evil syd]

First of all, I loved his "new wave" period, this stuff was very much
Cooper, in terms of, that you still had the creative, unique, funny, dark, sometimes even his tragic side, would come out, and even more, in some ways.
They were great time pieces. I liked it better than his hair metal days which I even find even less Cooperish, except for some classic tracks.I'm not comparing them to the "billion dollar, welcome to my nghtmare" period, but they deserve the respect. I know it was during his blackout years, but that's even more interesting because you're actually examining Coop's even darker psyche. I really hate when people say they are not Cooper. Oh yes, they are, and it's just that it's a little more out there and kind of more creepier. The proof is in the pudding, meaning that the Coop seems even afraid to touch base with this music. It's like he's blocking it out and not because it sucks. No, I'm sure some of this stuff would still be great live.
Anyway, why I picked armed forces? Well, it seems like it's his least fave. I think it's great. I loved zipper,da da, and flush, too.

By the way, "Skeletons in my closet", I have to tell you, this excellent song is all about Cooper, it's funny, tragic, dark, it gives you goosebumps, I love it!



Anyway, Coop rules!

[steven_crayn]

you mean Special Forces

some good songs on there and the first Alice gigs I saw where on that tour so will always be special as it had been 7 years since his last UK gigs and was starting to worry he would never come back.

Scary to think how time flies, but Birmingham 82 will always be special.
London and Manchester on that tour were great too but always something special about your first Alice gig. Who was at Brighton and/or Glasgow on those UK shows?
The For Britain Only release live tracks from Glasgow sounded great, and loved that studio track what a line "and lovely England my little kitten deliriously Black Widow Bitten"!

[evil syd]

cool!! I'm jealous, I wish I saw him during that tour..

Is there anyway of obtaining those live tracks here in usa, what was on it?

..armed forces? I had brain freeze

[Gunner]

I went to the entire UK Special Forces tour - even bunked off school for it!

I thought the electronic/new wave phase was excellent and probably his most creative era - certainly as a solo artist. I love Flush The Fashion and Dada more than anything that followed.

[Railwayman]

Special Forces shows at the Hammersmith were my first Alice shows and although the excitement of finally seeing him live will never be surpassed it was the next tour with the Nightmare Returns show which was the Alice "show" I had always wanted to see.

As a result Special Forces will always be somewhere in my play list especially the tracks from Skeletons.... onwards which are excellent. As with Evil, the hair metal stuff really didn't float my boat.

[scotty]

Gunner-the ENTIRE UK tour? you're my new hero.period.

[Gunner]

Aye Scotty. I was desperate to see Alice after spending the 70's trying to get glimpses of Cooper. I was very excited.

[SickThings]

Special Forces is one of my most-favorite Alice albums. I also love Zipper. There's a sense of humor running through both albums that I love.

The U.S. Special Forces tour never came close to me---I didn't even know there was a 1981 tour until many years after the fact. I did get to see a Flush show, though.

Hunter

[grim fact]

Anyway, why I picked armed forces? Well, it seems like it's his least fave. I think it's great. I loved zipper,da da, and flush, too.

All four of these albums in the car at the moment.

Lovin' them all.

[James1981]

I love flush the fasion special forces and dada. Cant seem to get into zipper tho. I know its similar in style to the other three but for me it just seems to have something missing.

[evil syd]

Take a look at my face, I am the future,,,,,,,,,

[recoop]

I was at Glasgow gig..early 1982 i think it was...the crowd were wild shouting Alice continually at some points..also recall being on balcony as most people including me were standing on the back of the chairs..people were literally rocking back and forward..lots of Iron Maiden fans there..interesting when I went to MK bowl gig in 2006??, some iron maiden fans and many AC/DC fans there to watch AC...(based on tshirts/patches).. Like Gunner I was excited to see Alice at last as didnt go in 75...7 year wait..can't say objectively how good Alice was voice wise but band great and overall spectacle great even although my view wasnt close up.. Re Glasgow two tough looking blokes asked to see my tickets outside.. I said no, you'll try and nick them..the bloke said you're right we'll try somebody else..Glasgow humour or potential loss of tickets?.. I used to live in central Scotland and was pretty clued up/cynical from visiting Glasgow for football matches/occasional gig at time..always exciting!

[dadascot]

I was also at that Glasgow gig, was fifteen at the time and the magical atmosphere has lasted with me through out my life. One of the reviews said that the atmosphere was so powerful it was more like a religious event than a gig. Radio Clyde recorded the gig and it is still available in bootleg vinyl, sadly my copy was lost somewhere along the way of divorces and baillifs. You can also see the paris special that is available on youtube. My girlfriend bought me a turntable last week and i have spent all week listning to the albums from that period. For Britain only (I am sure that is a photograph of me and my mate at the Glasgow gig on the back cover) Halcyon days.

[recoop]

Glad you enjoyed Glasgow Apollo gig dadascot...i can understand the religious event reference..I have the vinyl still..pretty good memory jogger..you mentioning being 15 at time triggered me to start a new topic re first gigs in off topic session..be interested to hear your first gig experience(might be apollo of course)..sorry abut the divorce/bailliff stuff..glad you shared..wish I had done a gunner and gone to all SF shows but money was in short supply then(had got divorced myself in early 82)..shit happens but Alice carries on

[dadascot]

cheers recoop

Yep, the old Glasgow appollo was some venue, first gig was Sammy Hagar there. I remember when the Special forces gig was announced, me and two mates debated about whether to dog school to get the tickets or to wait til the saturday, after all he hadn't had a hit in years and hadnt played Scotland since '72, but in the end we dogged off school and trotted in. Lucky we did as the concert sold out in a couple of hours, the next day we all got pulled up in front of the headmaster and detention but we didn't care and it started a life long obsession.