Man of the Year (The Eyes of Alice Cooper, 2003)

The Eyes of Alice Cooper, released in September 2003, finds Alice moving past the doom and gloom of industrial metal (found on Brutal Planet and Dragontown) and returning to his roots. The LP is a mixture of humor, reality, and pure untainted Rock ‘n’ Roll.

“I thought, if there’s going to be anything that holds this album together lyrically, it’s going to be the fact that every song is just a little ironic slice of life.” – Alice Cooper

As Alice admits, the album is a stripped-down LP with no defined concept. Each song has a unique sound, ambiance, and narrative. Another notable fact, the cover art on the album features four different versions – Alice’s eyes can be found in either red, blue, green, or purple.

This album is filled with a solid tracklist, and “Man of the Year” is this week’s focus – a tune filled with irony, humor, and a bitter twist. The lyrics find a successful man boasting about his earthly accomplishments.

I wake up every morning, Six o’clock, I’m right on time
I eat a low-fat breakfast; I tie a perfect tie
I kiss the wife; I hug the kids, I pat the dogs and cats
I never lose anything, my car keys or my hat

I never cheat at finals or miss a day at school
My urine tests are perfect; my prostate is a jewel

Yet, ultimately, the song finds the man committing suicide, and, even after taking his own life, he’s still fascinated with being flawless. His body laid to rest in the “perfect state,” and the Lord eager to meet him.

While the song is pure irony, it stops you dead in your tracks. Posing various questions in the process. Questions like, “What is it that drives me?” “What am I striving for in this life?” “Who will the world say I was in the end?”

The song depicts anyone willing to accept “their good enough” instead of “His greatness.” It’s a common problem. However, it’s a problem many have overcome and remedied through the guidance of His Spirit and His Word.

Looking closely at the man in the song, it’s obvious he knew something was missing. Despite all of his achievements and success, something was wrong. So instead of searching further or more in-depth, he gave up.

The conflict and struggles of life are nothing new. They are a constant force on all humanity. And, we were meant to share those struggles and created to live life in communion with our Creator (Jeremiah 10:23, Matthew 4:4, John 5:19).

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Once we’ve learned to trust and receive Him, we find an entirely new understanding of this life. Time spent with Him and seeking His Will becomes more valuable than possessions and status. We find everlasting joy in our trials and perseverance (James 1:2-3), in the things to come (John 16:22), in the fellowship of others (2 John 1:12), and in His timing (Isaiah 35:10). We find Him embedded in our daily thoughts and motives – guiding our paths.

“All seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 2:21

Our attitude, by default, is to seek and live only for ourselves. But at some point, we all end up questioning this life. Finally, we come to that place or crossroads, asking some essential questions.

Questions that shoot straight into our hearts and straight into our souls. Questions that beg for answers – “Why am I here?” “Why am I not happy?” “Why do I feel empty inside” These are inquiries that force us to strip ourselves of all pride and connect us with our Creator – seeking Him with a humble heart (Proverbs 22:4).

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” – Psalm 34:4

He’s the ONLY ONE that can answer these questions. He waits for us to ask and seek out His answers. When we seek Him, He stands at the ready. Ready to redirect your life and fulfill your heart and soul (Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7).

We must understand one thing – God is Love. Once our eyes are opened to Him, the world is not, nor will it ever be the same again. Our newfound sight views all humanity as being loved. But ask yourself this, “how do we reciprocate that love to Him?”

The real test of our Love for Him is found in our love for others (1 John 4:19-21). Notice the man in the song. He doesn’t love anyone or anything other than himself. And even all victories and triumphs in life weren’t enough to satisfy Him or His desires. He needed more.

It was the need to be unconditionally loved that he craved most. The world had left him with that unattainable feeling or void in his heart. It was his love for ONLY himself that killed him.

It would seem that God’s formula is pretty straightforward. Two essential things lead to a fulfilled life.

The first is a yearning for God, which is simply the willingness to seek Him – through His Word, in prayer, and applying what you learn.

And the second is loving and helping others. Did you know that an excellent way to fight depression is by working and helping others with their struggles and battles as well?

It’s as if that’s the way we’ve been programmed and Matthew 22:34-40 has been encoded into our composition, makeup, and existence – that if we would learn to Love God and Love People with our whole hearts earnestly, we might find a good deal of fulfillment in this life.

Wrapping up this week’s post, humanity was created to be a community. We pull a significant amount of esteem and well-being from fellowship with others. However, the critical element that is often missing is Christ.

By our nature, we tend to focus only on ourselves. The things we want. The things we need. Our rights. Our goals. Our mission. Our “truth.” However, when we incorporate Him, His purpose, and His mission, we find a new way of seeing things – a viewpoint that places God and others above ourselves.

We were designed to focus on loving and helping our brothers and sisters instead of a narrow-minded spotlight on only ourselves (Philippians 2:3). In this way of thinking, we find a life made new (1 Corinthians 5:13-17). We discover “a good and pleasant life” lived with others, unified as ONE, through the Body of Christ (Psalm 133:1).

In conclusion, this track is concise and well-written. It tells this man’s story in a 3-minute track – a tale that might often take an entire album to express. Yet, it is raw, brisk, and direct like the rest of the album.

Looking at this record from a historical standpoint, it’s a more genuine Alice Cooper record primarily because it was a lightly-produced endeavor. An in-house band effort – no click tracks – no overdubbing – it’s an authentic “old school” Rock ‘n’ Roll record.

Paraphrasing some Alice remarks, the songs were rehearsed, recorded, and laid to bed within just a couple of weeks. Within a one-room setup, Alice and other band members have described the experience fondly. Stating that it felt like they were “recording the album in somebody’s garage.”

The result is a cohesive endeavor that remains modern while giving a definite throwback to the past.

That’s it for this week! Be well and catch you next Friday.

Until then, Keep Walkin’ in Faith and Rockin’ with Alice!