Are There Any Fans That Prefer Alice's Solo Career

[cooperrocks]

I heard an interesting discussion where two Alice fans were debating each other on which was better the original Alice Cooper Group or Alice as a solo artist. As a lifelong Alice fan, I was interested in hearing what both had to say and both had valid points. It is all a matter of personal preference. It got me to thinking about where I stood and I realized that I don't have much of a preference. I love the original band's work, but I love Alice's solo work as well. The majority of fans on this board are likely to see the original band's work, but that is not my intention for this thread. I want to know if there are any of you out there that actually prefer Alice's solo work (as a whole) to the original band. I know this is a bit of a controversial thread and let's respect people's opinion.

[thenightmare92]

My absolute favorite era of Alice Cooper's career is '75-'79 due to his huge stage shows. 1977 is a much criticized year in Cooper's career and the stage show from that year is the one I'm most interested in (although I know you're probably referring to album releases), and obviously the Welcome to my Nightmare album and tour were phenomenal. So I can say without hesitation I prefer his early solo years over anything else

[wind_up_toy]

As someone born after the original band split, I was initially raised on Alice's solo work. Given the choice, this is what I would say I preferred although I also have huge respect and admiration for the group material (especially Love It To Death).

I know quantity isn't always the be-all-and-end all but the solo career is bordering 7 times the length of the group years. There's been less average quality in that period but the overall pool is better in my opinion.

[concolz]

I don't have a preference. As someone who 'got into' Alice Cooper in 1971, it's all been one continuous roller coaster ride. For me, the group's Ezrin-produced quartet is unbeatable, but a number of Alice's solo albums - 'WTMN', 'FTI', 'Dada' and 'Brutal Planet' - come within touching distance, whilst some individual tracks are on a par with the band's best.

IMO, post-millennium Alice has been seriously underrated. I think the majority of those studio albums have ranged from pretty good to excellent, producing a clutch of tracks - 'Wicked Young Man', 'Pick Up The Bones', 'Dirty Diamonds', 'The Saga Of Jesse Jane' and 'I Am Made Of You' - which could be deemed all-time AC classics. His commitment to touring has been admirable plus - especially in the light of the current unfolding Motley Crue debacle - Alice's utmost professionalism deserves a lot of kudos.

[mr.barlow]

I look at them as two seperate entities entirely. I never judge one against the other. The original band can never be replicated. It was a group of musicians/friends that for a brief period of time produced some of the best music in the history of rock n roll. You can never recapture that chemistry. It was unique and stands on it's own.

The same can be said for Alice as a solo artist. Alice has always relied on top notch writers and musicians in his solo career. Those that he had chemistry with produced the best material--namely Dick Wagner. Also, he was best when trying new ground--FTF, SF & ZCS are some of his best albums--namely because he wasn't recycling the same horror/concept cliches over and over again. Especially in an era when those concepts became a subject of ridicule. Alice stayed fresh. It wasn't successful at the time but now with the passing of time those albums hold up better and still sound fresh compared to most of his hair metal output--even some of his late 1970s output. Then you have Dada which is in a world all of it's own. Dada beats everything--group or solo.

As fans we have been lucky to enjoy many eras/versions of Alice. We got to taste a variety of musical flavors and characters. We all have our favorite albums and eras. Each one has it highlights and it's low points but each one has always been uniquely Alice.

[HORRORHOLIC]

I don't know, but my two favorite Alice albums (Raise Your Fist And Yell/Welcome To My Nightmare) are from his solo career!

[darkmenace]

A lot of people that would've said they prefer the group are no longer with us, having moved on long ago.

I consider AC group and AC solo totally separate both musically and stage performance. I like the group era better but having said that I think Alice retained some strong points on his own. For example I think his story-based albums (WTMN, FTI, Dada, TLT etc) are very unique and underrated.

Alice's solo career is much longer and as a result he has more lows than the group did, but still strong overall. I'd have to say I like both.

[pitkin88]

I think if you are a heavy metal fan then you might like from Constrictor on. The original band were a hard rock band.

[pitkin88]

Judging by the Motley Crue tour set Alice seems to prefer the band material.

[Toronto Bob]

Judging by the Motley Crue tour set Alice seems to prefer the band material.

Game Set and Match

end of thread

[I'm Pain]

Judging by the Motley Crue tour set Alice seems to prefer the band material.

Game Set and Match

end of thread

This is where there's an issue with fans of the original band.. When the majority of your setlist comes from that particular era, it would just seem proper (and logical) to perform it with the musicians who wrote it.

[mestreech]

My preference is the original group so to answer the question : NO

[SickThings]

Judging by the Motley Crue tour set Alice seems to prefer the band material.

Game Set and Match

end of thread

The title of the thread is not "which is better," so that has nothing to do with the thread.

And a "hits" set list for this tour doesn't necessarily have anything to do with what Alice prefers and has everything to do with knowing what Motley Crüe fans are likely to know.

Hunter

[pitkin88]

Judging by the Motley Crue tour set Alice seems to prefer the band material.

Game Set and Match

end of thread

The title of the thread is not "which is better," so that has nothing to do with the thread.

And a "hits" set list for this tour doesn't necessarily have anything to do with what Alice prefers and has everything to do with knowing what Motley Crüe fans are likely to know.

Hunter

So Motley Crue fans like the band stuff better then? I never knew they would have such good taste.

[wind_up_toy]

It's not a question of what they LIKE the most, it's a case of what they KNOW the most. How can you prefer a well known song like Poison over something you've never heard before? You never know, if Motley Crüe fans all knew Brutal Planet well then you might here Alice playing the whole thing on these opening slots!

If in doubt, roll out the hits.

[The son of Don Quijote]

I have always preferred his early solo career over the original group. Welcome To My Nightmare, Goes To Hell, From The Inside and Dada are all five star releases and I rate Lace And Whiskey as a four star album(I know i'm in a very small minority in this case).

Love It To Death, Killer and School's Out are fantastic albums but for some strange reason I'm still not crazy about Billion Dollar Babies. I have more distant relationship with that album than most of the discography and I don't play it that often. In my opinion those songs have always sounded much better live.

That being said the worst album in an entire Alice Cooper discography is the solo album and it is called Special Forces. That album is so weak that it makes even Constrictor sound cool and I even prefer Trash over Special Forces.

Before Constrictor came out Alice was a very good and quite even lyricist. After that point he became much more uneven but still released some lyrically great albums like The Last Temptation and Brutal Planet.

[evil syd]

It's not a question of what they LIKE the most, it's a case of what they KNOW the most. How can you prefer a well known song like Poison over something you've never heard before? You never know, if Motley Crüe fans all knew Brutal Planet well then you might here Alice playing the whole thing on these opening slots!

If in doubt, roll out the hits.

Game set and match!
btw, if it wasn't for the popularity of the original band's incredible career there wouldn't be an Alice Cooper. I don't even see a comparison, two different food groups. In my opinion, with the exception of WTMN, the original band's material is far more superior. Real Classics in every sense of the word.

[Swinger]

Judging by the Motley Crue tour set Alice seems to prefer the band material.

Given that through the regular Raise the Dead tour they actually played more solo songs than band song I wouldn't say that's anything to go by. In the end he mostly plays band songs during a smaller "greatest hits" set due to the fact that that's what most casual fans will recognize (due to rock radio for example not playing that many newer songs).

[tuneylune]

I have always preferred his early solo career over the original group. Welcome To My Nightmare, Goes To Hell, From The Inside and Dada are all five star releases and I rate Lace And Whiskey as a four star album(I know i'm in a very small minority in this case).

Love It To Death, Killer and School's Out are fantastic albums but for some strange reason I'm still not crazy about Billion Dollar Babies. I have more distant relationship with that album than most of the discography and I don't play it that often. In my opinion those songs have always sounded much better live.

That being said the worst album in an entire Alice Cooper discography is the solo album and it is called Special Forces. That album is so weak that it makes even Constrictor sound cool and I even prefer Trash over Special Forces.

Before Constrictor came out Alice was a very good and quite even lyricist. After that point he became much more uneven but still released some lyrically great albums like The Last Temptation and Brutal Planet.

Was listening to LACE AND WHISKEY over the weekend and while I would not give it your **** (*** for me), think it's an album that improves with age and SPECIAL FORCES has grown over the years also.
While I think Alice has had a great solo career with some stellar work (WTMN, FTI,FTF, ZCS, D, TLT, BP. DD, W2MN ), NOTHING will ever take the spot of those magnificent albums he made with the original band...perhaps it's because it's what I heard first and set me on this path.
Regardless of what era you prefer, let's be glad he's still turning out decent albums which cannot be said for all his peers.

[Lucius Morthem]

I prefer Alice's solo career due to his shows and lyrics, I Think the music indeed was better in the ACG but the lyrics evolved to something more conceptual and I love that from Alice. WTMN, Goes to Hell, From The Inside, The Last Temptation (Raise your fist trilogy too). Brutal PLanet and Dragontown, Along came a Spider (I like that album although it lacks production and it lacks of musical cleverness IMO).

So, Yeah, I Do prefer Alice's solo career!