Old School Uncool

Anything Alice Cooper or AC band related goes here

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Ted Sallis
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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by Ted Sallis » Sat Jun 13, 2020 2:01 pm

mr.barlow wrote:
Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:18 pm
The reason there is such a difference in the writing from these guys from the original group and after is Bob Ezrin.
I too agree to a certain degree re. Bob's influence on the ACG in terms of songwriting and production. He wasn't involved with the Battle Axe album which I consider to be great in quality overall, and great Original Group songs like Caught in a Dream and No More Mr. Nice Guy apparently were altered very little by Bob prior to release. Not to mention MOL, an album with several stellar songs that Mr. Ezrin had almost no involvement with.

Ted

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by revinkevin » Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:52 pm

Neal’s release is embarrassing bad. Dennis and Suzy’s collaboration was way off. I expected better. Michael’s is another miss. Although Alice has sometimes missed the mark on his solo stuff compared to the original group, he’s remained relevant in rock music. He has surrounded himself with exceptional musicians and road warriors and his association with Ezrin still holds. The original group success might be a example of the whole being better than its parts. Being young, hungry for success and having a pulse on the times contributed greatly too. After the breakup I actually preferred the Billion Dollar Babies route than that of Alice. But Alice is still a gifted songwriter and seems to have avoided the no fool like a old fool tag. He has aged gracefully.

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by Swinger » Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:46 pm

That album cover is uncomfortably bad. Just scrolling through the news page here it first looked like someone hacked the site with a porn ad.
Even if you wanted to make that stupid choice and have a woman in bikini on the cover that's the picture you choose? A random stock softcore porn image? The album cover for "Sexual Saviour" is also embarrising but at least they tried to make it stylized.

Maaki wrote:
Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:23 am
I simply meant that for _some_ older rockers it might not be quite that easy to realize how sleezy and borderline criminal it sounds when they sing about sweet sixteens. They have been doing that all their lives. Sex and the other thing and rock'n'roll, after all. The guys mentioned here are not the only ones, by far. We all get older with the baggage we are picking up along the way.

It doesn't make it any less gringe worthy. I just think it is almost inevitable that some people will keep going there, no matter their age. The age they might not be completely ok with either, by the way. Not all rockers have Alice's qualities including but not limited to iq, wisdom, manners and general level headedness and being in peace with themselves and the World.
I think, for me at least, with someone like Neal Smith it was hard to notice that sleezyness until he more regluraly started releasing solo albums in the 00s. And when his new albums press release includes stuff like "The songs and album concept are totally sexy and politically incorrect." it just comes across like he's actively wants to be sleezy rather than being behind his times.
"You, sir, are a demented, sick, degenerate, barbaric, naughty freako."

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by mr.barlow » Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:38 pm

Political correctness has destroyed the arts. The problem with this album cover is that it's just purely awful.

I can think of ten million ways to be politically incorrect, shocking and sleazy all at the same time and to do it with style.

This looks like it was made by a sixteen year old boy in 1982. Reminded me of 2 Live Crew for some reason.

Luke knew how to do it right...stole a page from Alice and brought it to rap.

Also when you think this was conceived by a 70 + year old man makes it all that more of an embarrassment.

One thing about Alice...he is very aware on how to age gracefully. The character also helps him in that department as he grows old and decrepit it only enhances the character.

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by rgallie » Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:22 pm

I have not bothered with any of the OG solo stuff (outside Alice) other than Battle Axe which everyone seems to agree is decent enough. In fact for me it was a must to complete the AC album collection.

This thread has had me going on YT and confirming that I have not missed anything, Bones From The Yard sounds listenable. Playing it now, in fact some of it is not far from the sound I wish Aerosmith had went with after Nine Lives.

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by JasonC » Mon Jun 15, 2020 1:01 pm

i really like the cover and the press text is interesting :D

the music is pretty amateurish though
but you must be aware that those are just demos
even if maybe be seen in a different light by the people involved :D

but i listened through it and i can tell you there are 3 good/ potentical good songs on
there if youre interested

1. I Wanna Be Good, But I Don't Know How
2. Secret Eyes
3. If i only had you

these could easly fit on an 80s bowie or billy idol album if tweaked
or if we talk about alice i could see them as trash b-sides if tweaked

its really not that far away from rained all night or something in my opinion



the best song for me is "I Wanna Be Good, But I Don't Know How"

mostly for the chorus, especially in the last part of the song


if we swapped neals vocals with billy idol and released it in the 80s that couldve been a
praised song


check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NrZSgt ... oWyfPQVdyE


heres what i think about the song:

im a fan of the 80s/90s
i already like the beverly hills 90210 like lead guitar in the beginning

the vocals in the verse are the weakest part of the song and symbolise the amateur nature of the album


but the chorus man


like i said especially on the end of the song

just imagine billy idol, its so fitting with the lyrics and all :D



another cool part is the instrumental part 2.22 min - with the chorus guitar lead and the drums

in the press text he states that he was partly inspired by phil collins
well that could have inspired that part

i really like it when the toms come in and it harmonises with the chorus effect guitar
its a cool beat

i mean this is neal smith, the drummer that wrote the billion dollar babies drumpart and
was praised in the past for his performances - its not some totally untalented slob

even if most people maybe think this when first confronted with this


so yeah

it all has potential and i wouldnt trash neal for this
and im always happy for archival releases
even if 80% are maybe throwaway stuff there is almost always something good to find within

its basically the same with alice and with if 4th street could talk outtakes and so on

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by pitkin88 » Mon Jun 15, 2020 7:38 pm

I actually hadn t heard any of this until I clicked on that link. Congrats Neal the music equals the dreadful cover. Seriously this should have remained buried.

JasonC
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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by JasonC » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:15 pm

you just have to see it as demos
and think about what could have been
its an archive release
for that im glad it was released

its at least interesting to hear
also because of the era

the 60s neal stuff would also be very interesting
what i heard of it was amazing

a whole other level
on par with the spiders stuff and beyond
really cool produced

maybe that would find more fans
especially among the 60s circles who already release this kind of stuff

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by padre_sliprat » Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:17 am

Their best days are far behind them...and Neal is creepy.
"He's old, the snake's got gray hair..."

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Re: Old School Uncool

Post by pitkin88 » Thu Jun 18, 2020 5:32 am

mr.barlow wrote:
Thu Jun 11, 2020 2:32 am
Alice is the same age and from the same original group and he gave us Paranormal (which by the way I now find to be a damn good album).

This album might beat the movie he appeared in----just beyond awful!

That movie, what I have seen of it, is abysmal. It is the type of movie that you would expect to be found in Sadam Hussein's bunker. I think Neal is oblivious that it is complete shite.

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