What other music did Alice get you into?

steven_crayn · Post by **steven_crayn** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:40 am

What other music did Alice get you into?

The first thing that springs to mind for me is a piece of classical music that I first heard on the first Alice live tape I got, the Boston Gardens gig from 1973.

During that concert there was this music that totally blew me away which I later found out to be a tone poem called 'Night On A Bare Mountain' (sometimes called 'Night On A Bald Mountain') by the Russian composer Mussorgsky.

I went to see the Moscow Philharmonic play this when the came to England and it was totally awesome.

If you haven't heard Night On A Bare Mountain you haven't lived, it is the 'Killer' of classical music!

It is inspired by the witches sabbath of Russian legend taking place on St. John's Night and was never performed during the composers lifetime and was arranged after his death by Rimsky-Korsakov.

It was used in the Disney film 'Fantasia' but of all the recorded versions nothing can touch The New York Philharmonic recording when Leonard Bernstein was their conductor.

Some of you may remember a TV Ad for Maxell tapes featuring the Bauhaus frontman Pete Murphy that used the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZUIxGJ-ykI

Mussorgsky's 'Night On A Bare Mountain' made me get hold of the music score and take up violin again (I had been kicked out of violin class at school for turning it up the other way and plucking it like a guitar!) only to end up doing a guitar arrangement.

Through Alice Cooper I first got to hear this piece of music and it still blows me away.

There is a version on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl_t3xjxrrA

ElectedPlus · Post by **ElectedPlus** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:03 am

Nice, never heard Alice introducing a fan to classical music before, might have to stick the Boston Gardens recording back on to reacquaint myself. But he so rarely uses classical music or orchestral bits, but it sounds brilliant when he does.

Is Anyone Home, for instance.

Alice was pretty much the first rocker I got into, so all the other artists I'm into kinda stems from my first interest in Coop in some way. However the artist that he introduced me to that had the most resonance was Marilyn Manson - I remember a printed interview (or was it a review) of Alice's, around 2000 that ended with 'Marilyn who?' . That's where my interest in Manson started.

I really like Slash's Snakepit too, didn't know they existed until Eric Dover joined Alice's band for a while and I got to know about him a bit more. And then got suprised about how many musicians where involved in Snakepit that I would normally associate with Alice.

Kinda got into Twisted Sister a bit when they opened for Alice in '05, but nothing as strong as my enjoyment of the Snakepit or Manson.

Has anyone become a major fan of Xzibit since 'Stand'? Have yet to hear any of that happening.

glamprincess · Post by **glamprincess** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:22 pm

This is an interesting thread, Steven.
When I first got into Alice Cooper back in the early 70s, I was too young to be aware of a lot of the great 60s bands. Back in the early 70s, Alice used to talk a lot about Jim Morrison and the Doors, before I really had heard much about them. So I initially became aware of Jim Morrison and the Doors because of Alice.

Maurice · Post by **Maurice** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 2:28 pm

Love it to Death re awakened my dormant interest in Rolf Harris, and so - as a result - I took up 'Wobble Board' lessons at evening classes, until I could find a Didgeridoo Class.

But as soon as I heard the album Schools' Out; I knew parts of it were familiar to me, and so then 'borrowed' on a permanent basis, my Dads' copy of the West Side story Soundtrack. My favourite track off that was "Gee, Officer Krupke (Krup you!)", and the Soundtrack also provided a bit of insight to their second album title "Easy Action".

As far as Classical music goes - my inspiration for actually 'buying into' Classical was the film Clockwork Orange, and then of course getting the Soundtrack album.

Special Forces (Seven and Seven is) prompted my curiosity in Arthur Lee and Love.

Shoesalesman · Post by **Shoesalesman** » Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:03 pm

With the first listen of Welcome To My Nightmare I became an instant fan of showtunes and broadway music. Nothing particular, big band productions mostly. Knee-deep in the rumblings of heavy metal in the mid 80s, where I discovered the classic rock sounds of Alice, I found a yearning for some french horns and strings. Kind of weird really.

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:43 am

When I first discovered Alice, it was in 86/87 and it was Constrictor and soon to be RYFAY. I was young, mullet flowing in the wind, so needless to say it was metal or nothing for me. However, upon discovering Alice's past I was able to open my mind to a lot of musical styles, (as you all know) Alice has done that came before Constrictor.

I can't think of anyone or any band that has done as many genres in music as Alice and has been successful as he.

Shoesalesman · Post by **Shoesalesman** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:10 am

Darren wrote:I can't think of anyone or any band that has done as many genres in music as Alice and has been successful as he.

Bravo!