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  #1441  
Old 20th February 2021, 08:56 PM
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A taster of the Paris live DVD

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  #1442  
Old 22nd February 2021, 06:43 AM
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As much as I love Toyah, this must go down as one of the worst cover versions ever recorded!

'Poison'

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  #1443  
Old 23rd February 2021, 06:29 AM
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New interview at American Songwriter

"Alice Cooper Returns to His Roots on New Album, ‘Detroit Stories’

The artist, who rose to prominence in Detroit in the ‘70s, has a new album, Detroit Stories, set for release February 26. This is the first new release for Cooper—who will likely have many fans these days saying that they’re not worthy —since the 2017 record, Paranormal, which hit number 32 on the Billboard 200 chart. On the new 15-track album, Cooper and company channel the Motor City, which, of course, is known for hard-pumping, piston-pounding rock ‘n’ roll, as much as it is for hip-swaying Motown R&B.

Cooper growls about the golden era of the radio, changing the world through rock and much more. Listening to the record, it feels as if he’s been reinvigorated, as if he’s fallen in love with music and recording all over again. For the album, Cooper also reunited with longtime producer, Bob Ezrin, and brought in several Detroit all-stars for the sessions.

American Songwriter caught up with Cooper to ask him about his early days in the Motor City, what he loves about music today and when he first put on makeup to play the theatrical rock ‘n’ roll character, Alice Cooper.

American Songwriter: When did music first enter your world as a young person?

Alice Cooper: Well, I was born in Detroit. That’s why this album is dedicated to Detroit. I think this is my thirtieth album, I’m not sure. But I was born in Detroit and Detroit was always the rock ‘n’ roll city. I mean, it was always the hard rock city. Los Angeles was The Doors and Love and bands like that. San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane and New York had the Rascals—all totally different sounds. And then Detroit was Alice Cooper, Iggy and the Stooges, the MC5—all really show bands but really hard rock bands. Guitar-driven hard rock. And I remember when I was seven-years-old, my uncle brought over a Chuck Berry record and said, ‘Listen to this!’ That right there was the first time I ever heard rock ‘n’ roll that wasn’t driven by piano or horns. It was guitar. And I went, ‘Oh!’ That really gave it another edge, you know?

AS: What drew you towards taking that to the more extreme, the darker and more provocative side of things—was it subversion, rebellion?

AC: I just kind of looked at it and said, ‘What’s missing in rock ‘n’ roll?’ And, to me, what was missing was a villain. We had all these heroes, rock ‘n’ roll heroes. All these Peter Pans and no villain, no Captain Hook. And I just went, ‘Well, I would gladly take that part.’ We were just naturally theatrical anyway. So, when you put that idea about horror, comedy and hard rock in once place, it created Alice Cooper. I said I just can’t be a lead singer. I’ve got to be a character. So, I created this character named Alice Cooper and even to this day, Alice is my favorite rock star. I mean, I talk about him in the third-person all the time.


AS: Do you remember the first time you put on makeup for Alice?

AC: Yeah, it was way back. Probably in 1969, just messing around with it. I said, ‘if this guy’s going to be a villain, he can’t just look like a rock singer. He’s got to have some sort of theatrical signature. A look that every time you see him, you know it’s Alice.’ That’s when I started doing the eyes. And it wasn’t done feminine at all. It was done in the band—I’d be wearing a pair of black leather pants and black boots, but then I’d be wearing my girlfriend’s slip that was all torn with blood all over it. And immediately the audience goes, ‘What happened?’ [Laughs]. They’re already in the middle of some sort of a story, they’re going, ‘Wait, what?’ And all the guys in the band are all guys and there’s no girl, but the name of the band is Alice Cooper? So, the lead singer is Alice Cooper, but he’s not gay and he’s not a transvestite—what’s going on here? Because everything else, you have to remember at that time is “peace and love” and everything’s wonderful and good. And we’re on stage doing parts of West Side Story where we’re actually bleeding on stage. It scared the hell out of everybody.

AS: Let’s talk about the new record. There’s a ton of tracks, you have your signature growl on it. What was the origin of the album and were there any favorite discoveries along the way?

AC: Well, the thing about it is, we’ve always done hard rock. That’s always going to be us. So, to take the home city where we came out of—when we actually broke out with [the 1971 hit song], ‘I’m Eighteen,’ it was out of Detroit. So, Detroit is our home even though we are from Phoenix. Detroit was our creative home. And I was actually from Detroit, so I fit right in. But the whole idea was to tip our hat to that city, because it’s always been the home of hard rock. So, I said, ‘Let’s not just do a thing about Detroit. Let’s do it in Detroit. Let’s do it with all Detroit players. Let’s keep everything purely Detroit on this.’ That’s why the band was all—one guy’s from MC5 [Wayne Kramer], one guy’s Mark Farner [from Grand Funk Railroad], and Johnny Bee was from Mitch Ryder [& the Detroit Wheels]. You put all these guys together and, man, they are a great rock ‘n’ roll band. Then I brought in Steve Hunter, too, and [Joe] Bonamassa— he’s such a good guitar player.

AS: The album is terrific. You must have been very proud of the result. Was there anything that came from the process that you found yourself surprised at?

AC: Well, I was surprised at one thing. If it had been any other album— when you’re a Detroit player and you’ve lived there all your life, it’s in your DNA, right? So, you’re a hard rocker. But there is also a certain amount of R&B in the way that these guys play. I didn’t really notice it until I started listening back. If it were [done] in California, it would have been a different sound. But Detroit, I think it’s in the DNA. So, I allowed that, which is something Bob [Ezrin] and I normally would never have done. I love the idea that we had girls from Motown singing the background, the Black girls. We also had the horn section [the Motor City Horns] come in. To me, that was really cool. We kept it in Detroit and we kept it pure.

AS: Do you still work with Shep? I saw the movie, Supermensch, about him a few years ago and I always associate you two together now.

AC: Shep and I have been together 52 years. Yeah, I can’t imagine ever working with anybody else but Shep. I mean, he’s like my best friend. He’s been my manager. We still don’t have a contract with each other, 50 years later. We don’t have anything except, we both just try to do the right thing by each other. Yeah, I would never use anybody but Shep.

AS: What do you love most about music?

AC: Well, the thing about it is, I’ve never outgrown it. Most people get to a point—I’m 72 now and I’m doing more shows now then when I was 25 at the peak of my career. I’m doing actually more shows now —well, not now. But before the pandemic hit, I was doing 190 shows a year, full out Alice Cooper extravaganzas. And I’ve never lost my love for that moment when you hit the stage. My band—I have the best touring band of anybody out there. And when you see the audience’s reaction to the Alice Cooper show, nobody ever leaves disappointed. That’s the thing that I love about it. Everybody goes, ‘Oh my God, that’s the greatest thing I ever saw!” To me, the quality of the show is always going to keep me coming back. "
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  #1444  
Old 23rd February 2021, 09:19 AM
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The original UK press release for the 'Dragontown' album, which is described as the completion of "the trilogy of albums which begun with The Last Temptation back in 1994"
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File Type: jpg Dragontown press release 1.jpg (94.6 KB, 1 views)
File Type: jpg Dragontown press release 2.jpg (92.0 KB, 0 views)
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  #1445  
Old 24th February 2021, 06:00 PM
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'Detroit Stories' reviews

Alice Cooper's Detroit Stories is a musical masterpiece, homage to the city that produced him / First Post - "Who says you can’t go home? Alice Cooper, one of Detroit’s most famous sons, does it on the new album Detroit Stories, producing a masterpiece of classic rock, soul and R&B in homage to the city that produced him."

Alice Cooper’s Detroit Stories is a love letter to rock’n’roll’s spiritual home / Metal Hammer - "Detroit-born Alice Cooper has remained on rock’s radar for more than 50 years. At his best, he spins a catchy blend of classic rock, pop and witty, incisive lyrics. In less-inspired moments, he is guilty of churning out campy, formulaic filler. His latest album, Detroit Stories, is a largely strong effort that ultimately delivers both...While the album has its misses, Alice and legendary producer Bob Ezrin have convened the right musicians for some of his best material in years. A mature, ambitious and overall satisfying album, Detroit Stories sees Alice Cooper doing what he does best and having a hell of a good time along the way."

Alice Cooper: Detroit Stories – Review / Vinyl Chapters - "On the whole, this album does not disappoint. It’s varied, it’s exciting, and it’s just what we need at the moment. Score: 3.5/5"

ALBUM REVIEW: Alice Cooper revisits his hard rock impetus on ‘Detroit Stories’ / Riff Magazine - "But at 50 minutes across 15 songs, the record is a bit long on tracks for its shortage of immediate standouts. Still, nuances emerge upon repeated listening, and the result is a solid, utilitarian collection of hard rock. Throughout the record, Alice Cooper retains his senses of both fun and purpose. There’s a defiant innocence to songs like “I Hate You,” where the band members trade playground jabs like a pack of bratty kids. Combining that youthful spirit with decades of rock expertise, the group recreates the wayward ethos of a gaggle of greasy-haired teenagers, bursting forth upon Detroit’s golden age of rock and roll."

Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories (Album Review) / Wall Of Sound - "I have no doubt diehard fans of Alice Cooper will embrace this album for what it is, back to his roots mix of blues, jazz, soul, hard rock, humour and heart. Casual fans may be surprised at the rockers versatility, but Alice has never been one dimensional, he’s pushed barriers, broken down walls and is above all, always entertaining. Rating: 10/10"

ALBUM REVIEW: Alice Cooper – Detroit Stories / Ghost Cult - "With their combined songwriting talents and the Canadian producer’s skill in the studio, Detroit Stories possesses all the hallmarks of a classic 1970s Ezrin/Cooper collaboration with a modern yet nostalgic flavour to the lyrics. And while it’s true the album features a number of covers and previously released tracks, it still never feels anything other than cohesive and natural. Even when presenting the more modern sound of ‘Don’t Give Up’, a heart and soul of pure 1970s is reflected in the Alice Cooper of 2021. Rating 8 / 10"
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  #1446  
Old 25th February 2021, 03:21 PM
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"Set aside whatever you were going to do this Saturday, February 27th (8PM UK/3PM EST), as the entire Alice Cooper Band invites you to sit in on their live-stream 'Band Meeting' as they catch up on what each of them have been up to, and quite possibly drop some 'Easter eggs' of what's coming up in 2021. And by "entire" we mean Ryan, Tommy, Nita, Glen, Chuck AND Alice and Sheryl Cooper! This promises to be a real "one off" event and you can watch it free on YouTube. "

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  #1447  
Old 26th February 2021, 02:28 AM
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Amazon are delivering the cd/dvd Detroit Stories set on release day (I really couldn't justify the high cost of the blu-ray set) which pleases me as I only used their free shipping option. Will save my listen for the late evening after I finish work. I never got around to picking up the Breadcrumbs EP so I'm pleased that four of the six tracks are on this new album.
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  #1448  
Old 26th February 2021, 02:20 PM
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I look forward to watching live renditions of Woman of Mass Distraction, Paranoiac Personality, Pain, Feed My Frankenstein and The World Needs Guts. on the new dvd.
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  #1449  
Old 26th February 2021, 02:58 PM
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February 26th, 1988 - 33 years ago today, the infamous and highly controversial 'Live In The Flesh' tour visits the Long Beach Arena in California

Support comes from Motorhead and Faster Pussycat, while Axl Rose, Slash and Izzy Stradlin join Alice on stage for a version of Under My Wheels

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  #1450  
Old 26th February 2021, 03:04 PM
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Haha! Long Beach Arena.

Forever immortalized for me on the W.A.S.P. Live in the Raw live album which opens with this PA announcement -

"Long Beach Arena, they have returned For the final night of the 1986/87 world tour The most outrageous band in the world...W.A.S.P.!"
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