This Week's Post:
Fridays With Alice... ARCHIVE
Posts from The Past“Fridays with Alice” is a blog that looks at God’s Word from a fresh, new perspective. It is a scripture-based endeavor. One that will take the songs and interviews of Alice Cooper and apply them to what God says about who we are in Him and who He wants us to be. We celebrate in knowing Alice as a Brother in Christ and are excited to share with you this project called, “Fridays with Alice… The Gospel according to Alice Cooper”.
Go Man Go (The Breadcrumbs EP, 2019)
This week we look at Alice’s most recent work – The Breadcrumbs EP. Released last September, the record has a hard-hitting Detroit-based theme. The EP includes two original Alice songs, a re-write of “Detroit City” found on The Eyes of Alice Cooper and a new track titled “Go Man Go.” The rest of the EP features the following skillfully covered tracks…
My God (Lace & Whiskey, 1977)
“Lace and Whiskey” was released in 1977. The LP finds Alice playing the role of a new character, “Maurice Escargot.” Escargot is a heavy-drinking detective from the 1940s. This persona has its flaws but seems much less sinister in nature. The live show during this era was entitled “The King of The Silver Screen” and lasted nearly two years with a three-month intermission in the middle for time spent rehabilitating from his bouts with alcoholism. This week’s song is “My God.”
The Today Show Interview with Alice & Sheryl Cooper (December 17, 2019)
For the final post of 2019, we will be discussing Alice and Sheryl’s appearance on “The Today Show,” which aired last week on December 17th. The interview, entitled “Alice Cooper Opens Up About His Journey To Finding Faith,” is only about 5 minutes long but is packed full of insight and discovery. The folks at “The Today Show” did a marvelous job of allowing the couple to share their testimony without watering it down for mainstream media. While the segment is about Faith, I was honestly a bit shocked that the editors left in so much discussion…
Sun Arise (Love It To Death, 1971)
This week we travel back to 1971 and the release of the breakthrough album, Love It To Death. The post focuses on the song “Sun Arise”, and the album has become one of the greatest of all-time – a quintessential Classic Rock record. Songs such as “I’m Eighteen,” “The Ballad of Dwight Fry,” “Second Coming,” “Hallowed Be My Name,” and “Caught In A Dream” are masterpieces that would not only help them…
It’s The Little Things (Brutal Planet, 2000)
This week we discuss “It’s The Little Things” from the Brutal Planet LP. The album takes a dark, somewhat sarcastic approach to raw, thought-provoking topics such as racism, terrorism, gluttony, greed, abuse, and the fall of humanity. Each track throws the listener deeper and deeper into the dimmer side of humanity. What’s most interesting is the timing…
Lost In America (The Last Temptation, 1994)
This week we discuss “Lost In America” from the 1994 album, “The Last Temptation.” Interestingly enough, this album was not only a mainstream record but found its way into Christian bookstores as well. With many songs focusing on choice, temptation, and deliverance, it was easy to see why Christian teens and stores connected to the theme and message of the LP. At this point in Alice’s career, he admits that “the things that I used to make fun of are real now.” This album was the beginning of what would be a 3-part morality play that would dissect the progression (or maybe regression) of society, the world, and humanity.
We Are The Rock, Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock (12 Days of Solid Rock Christmas Fundraiser 2019)
This week we focus on the passion of Alice & Sheryl Cooper. In this post, we find a place where they both find purpose and meaning. Where they can give back to their community and help make “everlasting differences” in the lives of teens. This week we discuss ‘The Rock’ – a teen center in Phoenix, Arizona, and the video, “We Are The Rock.” A building that provides a “landing place for…
I Love The Dead (Billion Dollar Babies, 1973)
Released on February 25th, 1973, Billion Dollar Babies was the Alice Cooper band’s 6th studio album. Overall, the record is very tongue-in-cheek – a dark comedy of sorts. Songs like “I Love The Dead,” “No More Mr. Nice Guy,” “Sick Things,” “Elected,” “Generation Landslide,” and the title track either poke fun at or call attention to the ironic, darker truths of reality. Cautionary…
Salvation (Along Came A Spider, 2008)
Released on July 29, 2008, “Along Came A Spider” is Alice Cooper’s 18th solo album. The LP, like many others, is a concept album, this time dealing with the life of a sociopath. Cooper’s timeless character, Steven, has become a serial killer. Much like the characters in “Silence of the Lambs” and “Red Dragon,” Steven believes he’s the manifestation of something…
Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back (Melbourne, FL, 11/5/19)
This week we switch gears a little bit – focusing on Alice’s latest tour – “Ol’ Black Eyes Is Back.” After covering Alice Cooper songs, interviews, and a good portion of his biographical content, let’s focus on his show. Honestly, this is the hang-up for many believers and critics of Alice and his faith. The show is just too dark, too violent, etc…
Might As Well Be On Mars (Hey Stoopid, 1991)
Hey Stoopid, released in 1991, is Alice’s 12th solo album – a star-studded album lined with many quest stars including Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Vinnie Moore. While the previous album Trash performed better on the Billboard charts, Hey Stoopid arguably fits the Alice mold a little more comfortably…
Lay Down and Die, Goodbye (Easy Action, 1970)
Easy Action, the 2nd Alice Cooper (the band) album was released in 1970. It follows in the footsteps of its predecessor Pretties For You – it still displays experimental doses of psychedelic breakout and fanfare. However, it is definitely a much different album. In fact, we find glimpses of who the band would soon become in songs like…
Under The Bed (Welcome 2 My Nightmare, 2011)
This week we revisit Welcome 2 My Nightmare released in 2011. While the album is a continuation of Steven’s dreams and nightmares found on the original Welcome to My Nightmare LP, it is also related to Alice Cooper Goes To Hell as well. The concept is a combination of the previously mentioned albums, but these nightmares are different. These songs…
Skeletons In The Closet (Special Forces, 1981)
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…
Alice Cooper, Golf Monster: A Rock ‘n’ Roller’s 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict
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…
Man of the Year (The Eyes of Alice Cooper, 2003)
“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…
Escape (Welcome to My Nightmare, 1975)
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…
Killer (Killer, 1971)
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+…
God, Drugs, and Rock and Roll: An Interview with Alice Cooper (8.17.2019)
This week, we take a look at another Alice interview. In this one, entitled “God, Drugs, and Rock and Roll”, Cooper 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…
Pass The Gun Around (DaDa, 1983)
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…
Changing Arranging (Pretties For You, 1969)
“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…
Hard Hearted Alice (Muscle of Love, 1973)
“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)…
Going Home (Alice Cooper Goes To Hell, 1976)
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…
Cold Machines (Brutal Planet, 2000)
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…
From The Inside (From The Inside, 1978)
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).
Parkside Church Interview (Shining His Light in the Arts – Alice/Sheryl Cooper) – 2019
This week, we switch gears just a little bit. It’s been quite a few weeks since we looked at any interviews with Alice. This week we look at his Parkside Church Interview. Songs and lyrics can be used to paint parallels to scripture, but transformation is most clearly seen in Alice Cooper, the man, not his music. The self-proclaimed ‘poster boy for what you shouldn’t be’, who has fully embraced and embodied the parable of the…
Nothing’s Free (The Last Temptation, 1994)
This week we again re-visit ‘The Last Temptation’ with the song “Nothing’s Free”. An LP which is full of insight and direction of Biblical proportion. Alice admits, “It’s a very strong concept album, a real morality play.” The album does a great job bridging the gap between generations of Alice fans as well. It’s a well-received record and a fan favorite. On that album there are songs about choice, virtue…
Freedom (Raise Your Fist and Yell, 1987)
Revisiting ‘Raise Your Fist and Yell’, we look at “Freedom” this week. A song written in protest of the PMRC (Parent’s Music Resource Center), an organization designed to oversee and promote parental control over music it deemed violent, drug-related, or sexual in nature. The bipartisan Washington D.C.-based group, co-founded by the “Washington Wives”, sought to…
The Song That Didn’t Rhyme (The Eyes of Alice Cooper, 2003)
Didn’t expect to revisit ‘The Eyes of Alice Cooper ‘album so soon, but it seems fitting after this past week’s media circus. This post focuses on a humorous track entitled “The Song That Didn’t Rhyme”. A song, unlike its title, which is actually pretty catchy and has found its way on my playlist from time to time. Alice admits, “it’s just one of those songs that was a joke…
Guilty (Alice Cooper Goes To Hell, 1976)
Alice’s 2nd solo album, ‘Alice Cooper Goes To Hell’, was released in 1976. A concept album much like ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’, this record is a continuation of Steven’s story. ‘Alice Cooper Goes To Hell’ is considered ‘A Bedtime Story’. A realistic story of all the things we don’t want to know, believe, or think about – but we have to. The album, while told from Alice’s…
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