Monday, June 23, 2008

Vince! Dead Babies?


It was May 13th, 1973. We had just got out of high school the year before... well my wife to be just got out of high school. I had quit HS and was playing rock n' roll! We were concert goers! The year before we had gone to see Alice Cooper at the San Diego Sports Arena. We were back and we followed the group to their hotel that night after the concert. The year before they played with Captain Beyond, one of the best concerts I ever went to. This year they played with Flo and Eddie, formerly of The Turtles fame.

Alice introduced his new show - guillotine and new boaconstricter. I think most people under state the effect that Alice Cooper had on the rock scene and rock music. After all, Rock n' Roll is half music and half show! Behind the silliness of his show, was some great musicianship. Alice is an incredibly talented musician. His melodies and songs are advanced as any in the field. The show was a blast! One tune after the next - better than the opera!

After the show we went to their hotel to do a little party-ing with the guys. It was awesome. They were all normal fellas and very cool. There was no pretension and no looking down their nose at us. They invited us in to Alice's room and we sat around and talked. What do you talk about? I don't even recall! I was so stoked at just being able to hang out with them. They were of course exhausted, but still we had a great time.

As for their music. I've kind of lost track over the years. But I still crank up the old stuff now and then. I still get a kick! from "Love It To Death", to "Killer", to "School's Out" to "Billion Dollar Babies", these are my favorite! I have to laugh even now when I think of Donovan singing on Billion Dollar Babies! What a hoot!But still great music! (That's my wife behind Michael Bruce!)

And if known for nothing else, Alice Cooper was the first group to wear dresses! When I first saw that first album with them all dressed up, I thought, "What? A bunch of faggots?" I have no idea what their gender preference is or was, and I really don't care. They blew apart all of the fears! And created greater fears for parents than any other group did. Who cared if Black Sabbath made your kids worship the devil, when Alice was getting them to wear dresses!!!! And not only dresses, but some of the scariest makeup ever. Boy George? Marilyn Manson? They're nobodies! The original was Alice Cooper! And unlike those two losers, his music was... IS awesome! Thanx Vince!