How Alice Cooper Survived The 80s

[Paul]

From Ultimate Classic Rock Magazine

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/alice-co ... vived-80s/

I think the 80s were Alice's most interesting decade. By 1980 his career was in decline, by the mid 80s it was dead in the water but by the end of the decade he was back on top and possibly as popular as he ever was.

We had the complete image change for Special Forces before the return to the 'Classic Alice' look. I love both images. The SF look was scarier than the classic Alice.

There were also some changes in music style - synth pop, new wave, Hair Metal, with Da Da incorporating 3 or 4 different styles on the one album.

I was 16 in 1980 and saw Alice live in 1982, 1986, 1987, and 1989 and you never knew what you were going to get on each tour or with each album.

[rtbuck]

I seen the Special Forces Tour(about a month before the album came out). I was 4th row & boy was I shocked when he came out looking like he did back then! I'll tell you though...that was a kick ass show & I really liked the band. Spyder (Anton Fig) opened the show.

I also seen the Live in the Flesh Tour in November of 1987 with Faster Pussycat & Frehley's Comet opening. I enjoyed the theatrics a lot (I prefer the Hanging to the guillotine so that was a plus for that tour) & I would love to see a good color pro-shot DVD of that tour & the Special Forces Tour.

I did see The Nightmare Returns on MTV that Halloween around 1986 at a Halloween Party which was so cool to watch as it was kind of a comeback. Of course I bought the video when it came out & now have the DVD. I also enjoyed the Trashes the World tour video when it came out(I thought the bass player was really good) even though I actually wasn't a huge fan of the album(I like it but other than about 4 songs it wasn't up there for me)

[Mr.Bluelegs]

Rtbuck, I, too, saw those three tours. The '86 & '87 tours were great with Alice looking good and presenting a new, metal Alice. Alice was playing the part of Alice. BUT, the '81 tour was phenomenal. Great, raw band with Alice actually being Alice. He was scary instead trying to appear scary. We all know the backstory, but he really looked on the edge. His performance was excellent, and as he said, he was a high-functioning alcoholic, and at this point, drug addict. He wasn't slurring or stumbling. He looked as subversive as he did in the '71-73 era, and maybe more so. Like many here, I love that '80-'83 period. As the ensuing years have shown and will show, this period will be viewed with more credibility and importance in his overall career.

[nicnic]

"Im machinery,With a semi-automatic heart,Im unclassified(i thought he always said im a crucified),I terminate,I tear apart,who do you think we are". This song was kind of like his first metal song of the early 80's, hes in good Alice vocal form, and For britain only being his 2nd metal song of early 80's. Pretty well my fav 80s coop albums are, Special forces, Dada, Constricter and Flush the fashion. I remember i saw Alice live i think in 81 in niagara falls USA or buffalo. Anyways the whole show was on a rotating stage, he had his long hair back. There was a strange moment, i was sitting on the farthest highest back row seat and as the stage turned and Alice was in perfect line with me, he quickly looked up looking at me very startled and shocked for a few seconds as if he saw something. I wonder if he remembered that moment.(maby our brain waves met or something, haha).Then right at the very end of the show, men walked to the stage holding a big box and Alice jumped in as they carried him to exit the show.