Along came Alice's best album in years

steven_crayn · Post by **steven_crayn** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:43 pm

GNDM wrote:
Baz wrote:No one can deny Alice`s role in the ACG, he was the figurehead, the face the press saw, but the ACG was much more than that.

It was five guys who were something very, very special. Their albums were a thing of beauty, the band had a mystique about them, they were never the greatest musicians , but they wrote some of the greatest rock songs ever put to vinyl.

ACG, were five guys, not a singer plus four, though the `plus` four never got the credit they deserved. They chose to let Alice face the press, to do the interviews, to be the face of the ACG, so I suppose it was no good complaining about the fact later.

To be a fan at that time was a magical time, we didn`t have internet back then, and we had to glean all the snippets of news we could from the music press of the day, but when they contained news of ACG, oh what joy.

Mssrs, Cooper, Buxton, Dunaway, Bruce and Smith were the greatest band ever, and IMO, nothing has ever come close since.

RIP. GB.

No use trying to get certain solo-Alice people to ever understand the point of view you just expressed Baz. It really is one of those "you had to be there" things. We just have to learn to accept that Glen, Neal, Dennis, and Michael will be no more than side-men to those born after after the time that Alice Cooper was a band. In fact, it took me awhile to remember to not mention the word reunion in certain places.

Well put gentlemen.

We can help educate those that deny the importance of the ACG though.

Love It To Death, Killer, School's Out and Billion Dollar Babies is a flawless period of albums and shows as far as I'm concerned.

Bob Ezrin I feel was vital and Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner, Mick Mashbir and Reggie Vincent important session players during that period.

The most important people though were Alice, Michael, Dennis, Neal and Glen.

I also think Muscle Of Love was a great album even though Bob Ezrin wasn't involved I thought Jack Richardson and Jack Douglas did a great co production job and it is in my Top 7 Alice albums of all time.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:50 pm

I suppose 1969-1974, is a short time in a career that has spanned from 1969-2008, and it is understandable that those fans who were not around at that time do not realise the insignificence of the ACG.

It`s hard to express the love that was felt for the band by some of us, and still is I suppose.
GailsFriend in an earlier post, said that she never cared about the other musicians in the band, and only cared for Alice, now I wouldn`t go as far as to say I don`t care about the musicians Alice has used since 1975, but I`ve never had the same attachment to them, I find it impossible to think about them in the same context as the ACG. I admire them greatly for the role they have played in Alice`s career, but admiration and love are not the same thing.

As much as I love the Coop and his music, theres been 20 albums released sinced Muscle Of Love and none of them match up to anything released by the ACG.
Thats not a put down on the work Alice has done as a solo artist, just a benchmark of how highly the ACG is regarded by myself.

Those of you who were around then will understand what I mean, those of you who were not, please forgive the ramblings of an old man, who is looking forward to Thursday night as much as ever.

GailsFriend · Post by **GailsFriend** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:18 pm

Don't get me wrong. I love those albums as much as anyone....but, I got into Alice Cooper in 1975....the ACG had already broken up. Bob Ezrin and the ACG were an amazing combination....but, the quirky arrangements of PFY and EA are definitely original and unmatched in style by any band....PFY and EA remind me of today's "alternative" rock, especially when I listen to System Of A Down or The Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is a compliment to Alice and the ACG because, they were "alternative" before it existed. No wonder Frank Zappa took notice of their music and presentation....

I couldn't imagine what the problem could have been for a bunch of High School friends to form a band, and become as popular as they did.....Only to break up and never get together again. The division between theatrics seems trivial...

Parish · Post by **Parish** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:47 pm

Baz wrote:
As much as I love the Coop and his music, theres been 20 albums released sinced Muscle Of Love and none of them match up to anything released by the ACG.
Thats not a put down on the work Alice has done as a solo artist, just a benchmark of how highly the ACG is regarded by myself.

Those of you who were around then will understand what I mean, those of you who were not, please forgive the ramblings of an old man, who is looking forward to Thursday night as much as ever.

I was around and agree with you one Billion percent Baz

glamprincess · Post by **glamprincess** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:53 pm

While I enjoy Alice's solo career, my favourite AC albums are still Love it to Death, Killer, School's Out and Billion Dollar Babies. Those albums were rock masterpieces and the ACG seemed like they could do no wrong during that period. Unfortunately, they seemed overtired after B$B and they seemed to lose their way during Muscle of Love. A real shame. I was very sad when the band broke up and I sensed that things would never be the same. The ACG were scary and dangerous in a way that no rock act has ever been since. They really had something special.

Parish · Post by **Parish** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 3:56 pm

glamprincess wrote: The ACG were scary and dangerous in a way that no rock act has ever been since. They really had something special.

I totally agree but I loved Muscle of Love... Big Apple, Hard Hearted, Muscle of Love are some of my all time fav ACG songs.

Shoesalesman · Post by **Shoesalesman** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:06 pm

GailsFriend wrote:I couldn't imagine what the problem could have been for a bunch of High School friends to form a band, and become as popular as they did.....Only to break up and never get together again. The division between theatrics seems trivial...

I hear what you're saying, but as discussed many times throughout this forum... many things affect a band; five different points of view, five different ways of handling stress/fatigue.

And the band (minus Glen Buxton, RIP man) have gotten together over the last few years to play in front of an audience.

Parish · Post by **Parish** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:18 pm

The "division on theatrics" angle/spin has been refuted many times as well..

RemarkablyInsincere · Post by **RemarkablyInsincere** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:50 pm

GailsFriend wrote:Don't get me wrong. I love those albums as much as anyone....but, I got into Alice Cooper in 1975....the ACG had already broken up.

I got into Alice in 1987.... but I completely realize the significance of the original line-up.

Nothing touches what the original line-up did from LITD to MOL... absolutely nothing.... I'm not sure Alice himself would deny this.

All you need to look at to confirm this is the setlist from any show of the last 15 years.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:51 pm

Just read an interview in CR with Nashville Pussy.
When asked about their new album they say, and I quote..

"It`s basic classic rock for the 21st century. It sounds like the southern album that Alice Cooper should`ve made "

Alice Cooper to add a third guitarist and write songs about being proud to be from Arizona, and eating cornbread on his way to the eighth hole.
No stage set to argue over, just the rebel flag flying behind the stage, could it happen ? Should it happen.
The new album would be called , Green Grass and Deep Bunkers

Shit, i`m going light headed at the thought of it, where`s my Old N0 7 shirt.

MacQueen · Post by **MacQueen** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 9:55 pm

Baz wrote:
Mssrs, Cooper, Buxton, Dunaway, Bruce and Smith were the greatest band ever, and IMO, nothing has ever come close since.

RIP. GB.

Iron Maiden

Seriously, I loved you're whole post and let me get one thing straight:

I love the ACG, but some people here are just TOO heartfelt and gung ho about the Original Band. I may have missed seeing them live but I do respect what they've done together.

However, I do not live and breathe the ACG. I love all eras of Alice's music and career (excluding 1977 and 2005) but it just seems like that certain folks just can't see past the ACG and think that everything Alice has done since then hasn't lived up to the band.

There IS a generation gap here and perhaps someday the gap can be bridged peacefully.

Baz · Post by **Baz** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:01 pm

I never saw them either

I listen to the solo stuff as much as the original band, but I have to be more selective and find myself skipping a lot of stuff, where as the old stuff I can just put on and leave.

I hope i didn`t sound gung ho, just putting my feelings forward thats all.

The South will rise again, in the shape of Alice Cooper, boy.

WickedYoungMan · Post by **WickedYoungMan** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:14 pm

I'm 21 and I am a huge ACG fan myself. I may not have been there, but my family & their friends were and while it may sound cheesy, but I feel a lot of times I can live those times through them, which of course doesn't match actually being there. We have newspaper articles and old B$B/FTI live photographs my dad took at the shows. His very first concert was the Billion Dollar Babies tour show that is mentioned at the beginning of Bob Greene's book.

My father talked about some other guys at school heard a radio report that Alice Cooper had just broken up, and how it sucked that they thought there wouldn't be anymore Alice Cooper. So perhaps it is a case of "having to have been there" to fully embrace it.

Now, this isn't to say that I'm a fan of the ACG only because of outside influence like my parents or their friends, etc, though I will admit it doesn't hurt, but as Baz said, I can just listen to those albums without skipping through. I enjoy the solo stuff as well obviously. It's not a bad thing. If people are gung ho about the band, more power to them. It shouldn't be questioned really because those people may have a special reason to be. There are some that are gung-ho about solo, same thing applies. That only shows how strong both entities are and should be embraced.

GNDM · Post by **GNDM** » Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:17 pm

MacQueen wrote:
..... that everything Alice has done since then hasn't lived up to the band.

You are correct with that part of your statement.

Not saying Alice hasn't done very well....but IMO, his solo material falls a little short. I don't know why that bothers "some"....but it seems too.

Call it living in the past if you want....I'm happy with it.

Shoesalesman · Post by **Shoesalesman** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:07 am

Baz wrote:I hope i didn`t sound gung ho, just putting my feelings forward thats all.

You're a sensitive man, bub.

ACG or solo-Alice? Depends on the mood and what I want to get from the day's listen. Generally, I don't prefer one to the other.

steven15322 · Post by **steven15322** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:32 am

I'm a fan of both. My sisters boyfriend at the time introduced me to the BDB album when I was like 8 lol I remember the first time hearing I love the dead and sick things. I didn't quite get it then of course through the years I had known schools out, eighteen, nmmng etc. In about 81 I discovered Alice on my own with a cut out of From the Inside in the cutout bin for $2.50 man I was hooked totally from that point on and got Lace And Whisky from another cut out bin for .99 ..I then got my first new Alice album for full price in 81 and that was Special Forces and it never stopped till I had all the albums. and then it started all over again and I had to get them on CD. I love both ACG and solo Alice ..I have eagerly awaited each new release since the Special Forces album I was there waiting Zipper, DADA, Constrictor , RYFAY, Poison, Hey Stooped ect ect

NotSoPerfect · Post by **NotSoPerfect** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:06 am

Well, DD was my first album so I will admit, I"m much more used to Alice as a solo act...but I do love the stuff the ACG did. And while in my head, when I think of "Alice Cooper" I most often think of one man, the ACG was amazing. They accomplished one helluva lot, and I was more than impressed to see them together (minus Glen) at the 2006 Pudding--they were fantastic!, and to meet them all beforehand. I met Neil extreeeeeemely briefly as he walked in with Alice and they were swamped quickly. But Dennis and Michael were really great guys, and the group I was with all decided Dennis was a SAINT for signing the HUUUUGE stack of memorabilia one lady brought. Seriously.....it was a foot thick of albums, magazines, photos etc. His hand must have seriously hurt after that!

Jumping Jack · Post by **Jumping Jack** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 10:00 am

At the risk of being flamed:

Studio - ACG by far
Live - Close, but for energy and sound (not theatrics) AC/Roxie/Johnson or AC/Johnson/Kelly gets my vote if only because they were sober for the shows.

alicespoisonuk · Post by **alicespoisonuk** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:21 pm

GNDM wrote:
Baz wrote:No one can deny Alice`s role in the ACG, he was the figurehead, the face the press saw, but the ACG was much more than that.

It was five guys who were something very, very special. Their albums were a thing of beauty, the band had a mystique about them, they were never the greatest musicians , but they wrote some of the greatest rock songs ever put to vinyl.

ACG, were five guys, not a singer plus four, though the `plus` four never got the credit they deserved. They chose to let Alice face the press, to do the interviews, to be the face of the ACG, so I suppose it was no good complaining about the fact later.

To be a fan at that time was a magical time, we didn`t have internet back then, and we had to glean all the snippets of news we could from the music press of the day, but when they contained news of ACG, oh what joy.

Mssrs, Cooper, Buxton, Dunaway, Bruce and Smith were the greatest band ever, and IMO, nothing has ever come close since.

RIP. GB.
No use trying to get certain solo-Alice people to ever understand the point of view you just expressed Baz. It really is one of those "you had to be there" things. We just have to learn to accept that Glen, Neal, Dennis, and Michael will be no more than side-men to those born after after the time that Alice Cooper was a band. In fact, it took me awhile to remember to not mention the word reunion in certain places.

Here here Baz. I have to admit that although I am old enough to have been a fan in the 70's I was not, (preferring Marc Bolan and Slade for my sins). I got into solo Alice in 1988 but since then have amassed a large collection and have always had great respect for the guys from the original band and made it my mission to find out everthing about Alice and that included his past. Plus some of my favourite Alice songs were written by the other members of the band! It was an honour to meet them at the Sickcon and a dream that I never thought would come through. They were a truly amazing band.

D

alicespoisonuk · Post by **alicespoisonuk** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:37 pm

Parish wrote:
glamprincess wrote: The ACG were scary and dangerous in a way that no rock act has ever been since. They really had something special.
I totally agree but I loved Muscle of Love... Big Apple, Hard Hearted, Muscle of Love are some of my all time fav ACG songs.

I agree - I love Muscle of Love for all those reasons plus Never Been Sold, Teenage Lament, Working up a Sweat! I even love Crazy Little Child!! Some of my all time favs!

D