Special Forces, the sixth Alice Cooper solo album, was released in 1981. It is the first of three LPs that Alice has coined the “blackout” albums – records he doesn’t remember much about. Another concept album, this one finds Alice playing the role of a decorated war general – an arrogant persona gloating about his military career and record. The cover art finds…

During the drive home, it occurred that this week would be a great week to discuss Alice’s 2007 autobiography, “Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock ‘n’ Roller’s Life and 12 Steps To Becoming A Golf Addict”. I had read this book many years ago (probably back when it first came out). I owned the hardcover version and remembered enjoying it. However, I have to be…

“The Eyes of Alice Cooper” was released on September 30, 2003, in the U.S. As the album turns 16, it seems fitting to revisit that LP this week. Alice was ready to move past the doom and gloom of industrial metal found on “Brutal Planet” and “Dragontown.” This album finds him returning instead to his roots. A mixture of humor, reality, and pure untainted Rock…

This week we take another look at the “Welcome To My Nightmare” album. Released in 1975, Alice’s 1st solo album brings excitement and flare back to the stage. A record and stage show with a stated goal and concept, the “Welcome To My Nightmare” experience is one that many fans, critics, and music historians remember fondly. An intense mixture of songs…

Released in late 1971, “Killer” is the Alice Cooper band’s fourth studio album. Reaching #21 on the Billboard 200, the record continued to propel the group forward into the limelight of the music industry. With songs like “Under My Wheels,” “Be My Lover,” “Desperado,” “Halo of Flies,” and “Dead Babies,” the LP dishes up classics which are still often performed some 45+…

This week, we take a look at another Alice interview. In this one, he sits down with Greg Laurie, Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, and discusses a large number of topics. As the conversation unfolds, it becomes evident that who Alice is matters. Not just who he is now, but who he was in the past. In fact, this is a question we’ve been asked from…

Alice’s 8th solo album, “DaDa,” was released in 1983. The last of three albums referred to as the “blackout” albums – it winds up being his final album for Warner Bros. Records. The cover art is based on a painting by surrealist artist Salvador Dali, and the album’s name references Dadaism, an early 20th century, European avant-garde art movement. However…

“Pretties For You,” the Alice Cooper Group (ACG) debut album, was released in 1969. After ACG moves to L.A., they are introduced to Frank Zappa, producer and co-founder of Straight Records. With minimal direction, the band records the album and Zappa uses Edward Beardsley’s painting entitled Pretties for You as the cover art. The music on the record is loosely…

“Muscle of Love,” released on November 20, 1973, was the last album recorded by the Alice Cooper Group (ACG). An album stripped of theatrical flair – it returned to the basics of Rock & Roll. Receiving mixed reviews, it managed to hit #10 on the U.S. charts. With Bob Ezrin out, the production duties were split between Jack Richardson (The Guess Who & others)…

This week we once again travel back to 1976. Revisiting ‘Alice Cooper Goes To Hell,’ we find ‘Going Home’ as the final track on the LP. The song is beautifully written and offers a peaceful ending to the nightmarish ordeals that precede it. The listener finds Steven, the beloved character of many Alice albums, back in his room – happy to be home even amongst his ‘dirty…

This week’s post focuses on another track from the ‘Brutal Planet (2000)’ LP. ‘Cold Machines’ lines up perfectly with humanity and, believe it or not, the current state of the Body of Christ. Keep in mind this track was written before the age of smartphones. Before those glowing rectangles controlled us. Before we all walked around with our hands…

This week we take another look at ‘From The Inside’ released in 1978. The tracks and album are met with mixed reviews, yet the album is invaluable to Alice’s catalog. His heart is poured out in a way that fuses honesty, comedy, and raw emotion into a finely recorded piece. One that celebrates his journey to sobriety (and the characters he met along the way).