Alice Coopers - why don't I like him?

[BassTractor]

Another possible answer might be that the music tends to have a certain "plodding" capacity. It's not as if the music is sensational in any way,
It's what made me not buy any album at the time, and now checking my later bought copy of Billion Dollar Babies because of this thread, I still feel that.
Mind ya, I can like plodding music, and did buy AC stuff eventually.

Recognise something here?

[Cat Burrito]

[quote name='megallica' timestamp='1390133179' post='2341723']I always had a soft spot for the album 'from the inside' - kind of a concept album writen about a mental institute.
[/quote]

Probably my favourite AC album too

[mentalextra]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1390072233' post='2341215']
There is always going to be artistes from your chosen genre that you just don't connect with, I love most things old school punk but could never connect with Siouxsie and the Banshees, don't know why it just has never happened. I wouldn't worry about it
[/quote]

Interesting, I wouldnt have described siouxsie as punk, more punk poser, but I know what you mean. I used to have regular arguments with a guy who lusted after her; he also lusted after Deborah Harry who does nothing for me and who also somehow got caught up in the punk thing. I couldnt help remember when I was on a school trip, walking into a record shop (remember those) around '77 and bought [i]Rezillo's Can't stand my baby![/i] - great days! Still got it too

Edited January 19, 2014 by mentalextra

[Woodinblack]

My wife who does like alice cooper saw that show on the other day as was very uninpressed with how 'by the numbers' and lifeless it was. I have never been bothered either way about him, but I suspect that show isn't a good one to judge him by.

[odysseus]

I was never a huge fan, but I went to a show about 20 years ago just for shits and giggles..... and gee-whizz, what a show. One of the best I've ever seen.

[seashell]

I've heard Alice Cooper describe himself as a 'vaudevillian'. He's putting on a show rather than trying to be a legitimate heavy rock musician, and he does that very effectively (I believe, although I've never been to a gig myself).

I found his music OK, but it never grabbed me enough to buy any of his albums. Not that long ago, I heard some Alice Cooper on the radio and it really struck me how good the bass playing was! I had no idea who it was, so it is interesting to read the info about Dennis Dunaway in some of the posts above.

I'm not that keen on him as a DJ. He plays some good stuff but his comments in between can be a bit banal and cringey.

IMHO and all that.

Edited January 20, 2014 by seashell

[KevB]

He became the blueprint for the likes of Kiss turning it into a merchandising exercise as much as a musical one. As Bassassin pointed out the original band was interesting and musically very savvy. Becoming essentially a solo artist with a backing band has its plus and negative aspects. I suspect he runs a pretty tight ship on tour and comes across in general interviews as a pretty shrewd customer. I'm pretty mixed as far as the music is concerned, some stuff is worth a listen and some is quite avoidable, he's a prime target for knocking your own 'favourite tracks playlist' together for rather than whole albums. It's all about live shows these days so he's always been a bit ahead of the game, seen him a couple of times live and it's always a bit of an experience though some sections get heavily recycled. There were sections of the gig that was on TV recently which I saw in on completely different tour a good few years later. Some of those props don't come cheap, gotta keep recycling them Good to see him still rocking out at 65...

[jacko]

First off, I'll stick my hand up and admit that, although I've been a huge fan since the early 70's, some of the later stuff (e.g. brutal planet) I find to be too far away from his usual stuff and not to my taste. His live shows on the other hand a brilliant - great music, always great musicians and above all else ... FUN!
Dennis Dunaway was one of my earliest influences alongside Squire and Entwhistle. His bass lines are always melodic and inventive - unusual considering the era they come from. Check out Gutter cat vs the Jets for a masterclass in double stopping. The aforementioned Halo of Flies should be on most bass players 'to learn' list.

[megallica]

[quote name='jacko' timestamp='1390225213' post='2342750']
First off, I'll stick my hand up and admit that, although I've been a huge fan since the early 70's, some of the later stuff (e.g. brutal planet) I find to be too far away from his usual stuff and not to my taste. His live shows on the other hand a brilliant - great music, always great musicians and above all else ... FUN!
Dennis Dunaway was one of my earliest influences alongside Squire and Entwhistle. His bass lines are always melodic and inventive - unusual considering the era they come from. Check out Gutter cat vs the Jets for a masterclass in double stopping. The aforementioned Halo of Flies should be on most bass players 'to learn' list.
[/quote]

I think gutter cats vs the jets was the first song I sat down and figured out the bass part to.
Out of the more recent AC albums I've heard I quite enjoyed Dirty Diamonds.
Some of the late 70's and early 80's albums are a bit eclectic but Alice's alchoholism was getting out of control which explains why.