Does Alice Need a Definitive Autobiography?

[cooperrocks]

I am just throwing this out for discussion. Over the past year or so, I have been on a big Rock Biography kick. I have read several really good rock biographies and a few that weren't so good but I have thoroughly enjoyed all of it. While it certainly isn't a bad book, I never thought his biography, "Alice Cooper: Golf Monster" was anywhere near a definitive biography. It wasn't bad and he told a few stories but to me (and I am a golf fan) it was as much a book for a golf fan as it was a rock fan. I will put it this way and I am not trying to be critical here, but if I was to compile my Top 10 Rock Biography list it wouldn't even be considered. I would imagine, and this is pure speculation on my part, but I don't think Alice ever really considered it to be his complete life story in the world of rock n roll.

It got to me thinking since many artists have released their autobiographies in the last few years, does Alice need to consider doing one? Or perhaps the better question is would the fans like to read a really thorough biography written by Alice? Your thoughts?

[A_MichaelUK]

From cooperrocks:
"but I don't think Alice ever really considered it to be his complete life story in the world of rock n roll."

It was never intended to be that.

>Or perhaps the better question is would the fans like to read a really thorough biography written by Alice? Your thoughts?

You are assuming he would would want to do it. Having given up so much of his time to talk about his past during the making of the documentary, I doubt he wants to do anything like that so soon after the documentary. On the other hand, if someone gave him an insane amount of money to do it, it could happen but that isn't likely either.

[Toronto Bob]

I don't see the need. Between the copious interviews, books and a fairly thorough bio pic, most topics have been covered at length and frankly Alice's personal life is i) his own and ii) doesn't seem particularly compelling.

The DD book will likely shed some light on some old war stories and give us some previously unknown details of the early days, so I think with that release, all that relly needs to be known, will be.

[pitkin88]

Short answer NO. I think only the real story behind the addiction warts and all is unknown to many.

[recoop]

The real story behind the addiction is probably not known by anyone including Alice. If it was as bad as it seems, much will have been lost to memory and others around would not know everything(they were not living it directly). So I am happy for Alice to keep all that personal stuff to himself and retain some dignity. I don't think an autobiography is needed now but some might want one.

[A_MichaelUK]

From Toronto Bob:
"I don't see the need. Between the copious interviews, books and a fairly thorough bio pic, most topics have been covered at length and frankly Alice's personal life is i) his own and ii) doesn't seem particularly compelling."

I still think there is space for one last book that ties together all the different sources (to make it as near to the last word that you can get) and which, more importantly, explains why Alice and the band were so significant. I don't think any of the biographies, the Bob Greene book or many of the thousands of articles ever written about Alice, have ever come close to explaining the cultural impact of Alice's image and persona at that time, which is why you would need a pop - culture historian rather than Alice to put something like that together. As I think I may have said before, Jeffrey Morgan who wrote the essays for "The Life And Crimes Of Alice Cooper" and the re - issue of "Billion Dollar Babies" (and who also wrote a really great article in "Creem" in 1980) would be perfect. Also, as terrible as his book was, Dave Thompson wrote very well about the actual music in his book. However, despite all that, I'm not sure the world is screaming out for the kind of book being referred to, especially so soon after the documentary.

[While Heaven Wept]

I enjoyed reading Mick Wall's book on Black Sabbath 'Sympton of the Universe'. He didn't pull any punches in terms of his opinions on the music and didn't gloss over any of the lost 80s period.

I reckon he could do a good book on AC.

[Keith1980]

I just find it funny how someone can say they wrote, recorded and toured those records but i dont remember any of it and them go on to say i have never cheeted on my wife. To me that seems silly. If you cant remeber special forces to dada how can u be certain u mever had an affair. She did leave him and file for devorce at one point.

I guess what i find interesting about it is its called his black out peiord. Im wording if its more of a block out not a black out. If he can be so sure he didnt cheat on his wife and i cant believe he would have then this period is really a block out lets forget it and blame dope lol.

[pitkin88]

I'm sure it is a bit of both Keith. It has never been established if Alice dated during the split but I think the split was pretty short. Cocaine was his mistress.

[mr.barlow]

I just find it funny how someone can say they wrote, recorded and toured those records but i dont remember any of it and them go on to say i have never cheeted on my wife. To me that seems silly. If you cant remeber special forces to dada how can u be certain u mever had an affair. She did leave him and file for devorce at one point.

I guess what i find interesting about it is its called his black out peiord. Im wording if its more of a block out not a black out. If he can be so sure he didnt cheat on his wife and i cant believe he would have then this period is really a block out lets forget it and blame dope lol.

I'm sure Alice remembers quite a bit about this period and a lot of it he wishes to forget. It was the low point of his life and career. Bringing himself to the point of death with cocaine in 1982 is something that one would not want talk about--or remember.

NOW---it would be wise to know a little about that time before questioning Alice's fidelity to Sheryl.The only thing that kept Alice alive and the ONLY thing that got him to stop using drugs was Sheryl. It was Sheryl that SAVED his life.

Sheryl filed for divorce for one reason--to scare Alice into ending his cocaine use. There was no infidelity, affairs, etc. Alice worships Sheryl. Speak to anybody involved with Alice at that time and the one thing they will tell you is that through this horrible rough strtch it was Sheryl that was the one bright spot in Alice's life. Dick Wagner speaks about it in the interview about the recording of Dada. I've been told about it personally by many around Alice at that time.

At any rate--it's my opinion that the reason Alice does not talk about this period is that it was a very painful time for him. When you have a career as long and successful as Alice's why would he want to talk about the three worst years of his life? Do you dwell on the low points of your life? Alice moved on from that period and went on to another round of great success. Alice has never been a cry-baby or a victim. He's never been one to be a "tortured artist". He conquesred his demons and moved on and he focusese on his successes both professionally and personally.

[A_MichaelUK]

From mr.barlow:
"Sheryl filed for divorce for one reason--to scare Alice into ending his cocaine use."

Actually, if you want to be totally accurate, she left him after he had stopped using all substances but it's an easy narrative for journalists and makers of documentaries to create and follow. It also doesn't help that most people's memories of that time are impaired.

> Alice has never been a cry-baby or a victim.

That is absolutely one hundred per cent correct.

[Robbie]

Mr Barlow wrote: The only thing that kept Alice alive and the ONLY thing that got him to stop using drugs was Sheryl. It was Sheryl that SAVED his life.

I think this is perhaps an oversimplification. I also believe that his Christian faith helped too-something that was acknowledged by Sheryl in a television interview (can't remember the programme or unfortunately her exact words but I am sure she suggested that God had saved Alice). Although discussion of religion is rightly discouraged by the moderators of the board I think it's fair to say that Alice's beliefs and strong Christian values were also to some degree instrumental in his subsequent recovery too.

[MrD Returns]

From Toronto Bob:
"I don't see the need. Between the copious interviews, books and a fairly thorough bio pic, most topics have been covered at length and frankly Alice's personal life is i) his own and ii) doesn't seem particularly compelling."

I still think there is space for one last book that ties together all the different sources (to make it as near to the last word that you can get) and which, more importantly, explains why Alice and the band were so significant. I don't think any of the biographies, the Bob Greene book or many of the thousands of articles ever written about Alice, have ever come close to explaining the cultural impact of Alice's image and persona at that time, which is why you would need a pop - culture historian rather than Alice to put something like that together. As I think I may have said before, Jeffrey Morgan who wrote the essays for "The Life And Crimes Of Alice Cooper" and the re - issue of "Billion Dollar Babies" (and who also wrote a really great article in "Creem" in 1980) would be perfect. Also, as terrible as his book was, Dave Thompson wrote very well about the actual music in his book. However, despite all that, I'm not sure the world is screaming out for the kind of book being referred to, especially so soon after the documentary.

Concur here. I don't see any need for an autobiography but something independent of Alice and others that examines the cultural, musical and social impact of the
artist, particularly the early era and not so much the personal stories.
Not only that but as we all know Alice rarely tells the same story the same way twice so pretty much anything he says is suspect anyway. Or at least subject to embellishment.
I'm personally of the opinion, and I'm sure most would agree, that the emergence of Alice Cooper in the early 70's was a watershed event and has never really been examined deeply and critically the way it should. This is a book I would read.

[pitkin88]

I'd be more interested in something focusing on the music or the live shows. At this point I could care less about who they influenced or the cultural aspect.

[Toronto Bob]

I'd be more interested in something focusing on the music or the live shows. At this point I could care less about who they influenced or the cultural aspect.

Agreed.

The band is in the RARHOF, SDAC is out and was essentially pretty good and comprehensive enough even with the glaring omissions and we ave a DD book that looks very promising. Enough talk, bring on full EA, LITD, SO and MoL shows please and thank you.

[A_MichaelUK]

From Toronto Bob:
"Enough talk, bring on full EA, LITD, SO and MoL shows please and thank you."

You do realise that pitkin88 (following the topic of this thread) is referring to a book, I assume.

[MrD Returns]

I'd be more interested in something focusing on the music or the live shows. At this point I could care less about who they influenced or the cultural aspect.

Well it kinda goes hand in hand that the music and the shows is what had the impact. What I would be interested in is showing how the music, the shows and the image made such an impact.
I believe that AC actually changed everything much the same way Elvis and the Beatles did.
I think there's a rock time line that starts with the blues and comes to Elvis who changed everything. Everything that followed was derivative of him. Then along come the Beatles and that's another point in the timeline. After that everything is pretty much derivative of them. Even though rock was getting harder i.e. Sabbath, Zepplin, Grand Funk and others it was the Alice Cooper phenomenon that had the most impact as far as time rock timeline is concerned. I don't really think anything had as much influence in rock or society after AC until hip-hop comes along.
I don't count the disco craze because that's what I consider dance music. And there has been popular dance music since the early days of sound recording. Such as ragtime, to jazz to the big band era of the 40's.

[A_MichaelUK]

From MrD Returns:
"I believe that AC actually changed everything much the same way Elvis and the Beatles did."

Well, "everything" is quite an exaggeration but I understand and broadly agree with your point.

>Even though rock was getting harder i.e. Sabbath, Zepplin, Grand Funk and others it was the Alice Cooper phenomenon that had the most impact as far as time rock timeline is concerned.

Yes, in the sense that it wasn't so much just that they took things further or just that Alice's persona became so over - powering but that there was a kind of quantum leap (beyond what had happened before) in the way rock music, live concerts, hype, sensationalism and moral outrage were merged.

>I don't really think anything had as much influence in rock or society after AC until hip-hop comes along.

Actually, there was punk rock which was the first and last great cultural upheaval after Alice's rise to prominence.

[MrD Returns]

From MrD Returns:


>I don't really think anything had as much influence in rock or society after AC until hip-hop comes along.

Actually, there was punk rock which was the first and last great cultural upheaval after Alice's rise to prominence.

It's my opinion that Alice was the link between rock and punk and therefore punk was an extension of the Cooper impact. The major difference being Alice was "mainstream mayhem" and punk was fairly limited in it's overall appeal.

[darkmenace]

I think a definitive and penetrating biography (as contrasted with autobiography) would be nice. Alice and Shep have been giving us their spin for years on the conflict between Vince and Alice, but I think there's more than just the Jekyll and Hyde metaphor that was used in Super Duper. Alice's need to put a character between himself and the audience is very interesting and could be explored more deeply by the right author.