Alice Cooper

[chaim]

I mentioned Alice Cooper (and his wife, Sheryl, sort of) in another thread, and I thought "why not a thread for him?". I don't remember seeing a thread about him here, and I couldn't find one.
He has had a lot of alcohol problems in his life and he quit two times (hopelly for good the second time). He was in rehab in the late seventies, and when he was returning home he was really worried that his wife wouldn't love him anymore, because she had never really known him sober. So the guy who was going to return home was a different guy from the one she'd known. Alice wrote a whole album ("From the inside", 1978 ) based on his experiences in that institution and the characters he met there. He wrote the lyrics with Bernie Taupin for this project, and Dick Wagner was the main composer. Anyway, the song Alice wrote with Bernie and Dick about his worries that his wife might not love him anymore, was called "How you gonna see me now". I think on the album the guy's been in a mental institute instead of rehab, but the idea is the same. I really love that song and I remember crying while listening to it. It also shows how vulnerable a guy can be!

Here is the song.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agc5MSOWd8c&feature=related[/ame]

And here are the lyrics:

Dear darlin' surprised to hear from me?
Bet you're sittin' drinkin' coffee, yawnin' sleepily
Just to let you know
I'm gonna be home soon
I'm kinda awkward and afraid
Time has changed your point of view

How you gonna see me now
Please don't see me ugly babe
'Cause I know I let you down
In oh so many ways
How you gonna see me now
Since we've been on our own
Are you gonna love the man
When the man gets home

Listen darlin' now I'm heading for the west
Straightened out my head but my old heart is still a mess
Yes I'm worried honey
Guess that's natural though
It's like I'm waiting for a welcome sign
Like a hobo in the snow

How you...

And just like the first time
We're just strangers again
I might have grown out of style
In the place I've been
And just like the first time
I'll be shakin' inside
When I walk in the door
There'll be no place to hide

How you...

That might even be Sheryl in the video. It says so under one YouTube clip. Doesn't mean it's true though...The video has a humoristic (it is Alice Cooper, after all) twist at the end, but it doesn't really have anything to do with the actual song.
So, any Alice fans here? I'm a big fan, and I think he's one of the best lyricist in rock'n'roll. A lot of hilarious and clever lyrics.

[sodascouts]

When I was little, I was told Alice Cooper was a Satanist and so I wasn't allowed to listen to any of his music. (I probably wouldn't have understood it anyway.) At any rate, that kind of stuck with me and so I avoided his music after that, but I hear he's changed his ways. I have to say, that song sounds pretty good! Maybe I should give him a shot.

[chaim]

When I was little, I was told Alice Cooper was a Satanist and so I wasn't allowed to listen to any of his music. (I probably wouldn't have understood it anyway.) At any rate, that kind of stuck with me and so I avoided his music after that, but I hear he's changed his ways. I have to say, that song sounds pretty good! Maybe I should give him a shot.

SATANIST???? They lied to you, they really did. Cooper's show and music were always meant to be funny, from the very beginning. The guy has a great sense of humor; has always had. He has indeed been a devoted Christian for many years now, but I don't see it as a "change of ways", because as far as I know the only vice he's ever really had has been alcohol. As far as I know, as a person he's always been a sweet guy.

[Brooke]

SATANIST???? Cooper's show and music were always meant to be funny, from the very beginning. The guy has a great sense of humour, has always had. He has been a devoted Christian for many years now, but I don't see it as "changing of ways", because as far as I know the only vice he's ever really had has been alcohol. As far as I know, as a person he's always been a sweet guy.

Wow! I didn't know that! I was always under the impression of him being a satanist too! But I never really knew much of his music other than "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out".

[chaim]

Wow! I didn't know that! I was always under the impression of him being a satanist too! But I never really knew much of his music other than "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out".

Yep. His father was a minister (a priest), and even he said at some point in the 70's that he understands his son's sense of humor; the stage shows and all. Alice is a sweet guy, he really is. Has always been. Although he changed his name to Alice at some point, that character on stage is just a character that he finds fun to play.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

When I was growing up, these same people that said Cooper was a satanist said the Eagles were as well. Our minister actually gave a sermon on how wrong this was, for so many reasons. It's one of the first sermons he gave that I remember listening to.

[Brooke]

Oh yes, Hotel California was supposedly a satanic album.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Yes, but I'd heard such rumors before HC. Anyway, as for Alice Cooper, I didn't 'get' his humor and stage antics back then. I should try giving him a listen now.

[zeldabjr]

omg I hadn't heard this about the Eagles...so funny!...well wait...maybe they are satanic....they do make me feel kinda devilish!

[Freypower]

SATANIST???? They lied to you, they really did. Cooper's show and music were always meant to be funny, from the very beginning. The guy has a great sense of humor; has always had. He has indeed been a devoted Christian for many years now, but I don't see it as a "change of ways", because as far as I know the only vice he's ever really had has been alcohol. As far as I know, as a person he's always been a sweet guy.

Agreed.

When I was in England in 1972-73 some of his biggest hits made a huge impression on me; Elected, No More Mr Nice Guy, Hello Hooray, then after that Department Of Youth, Only Women Bleed, Teenage Lament '74 & I Never Cry. The Welcome To My Nightmare & Goes To Hell albums are great (a lot of Goes To Hell where he's sent to hell & meets the Devil is actually very funny). I haven't really listened to him much since then because he seemed to revert to standard heavy metal. He is also a fanatical golfer who makes Glenn's interest in it seem non-existent. When he appeared on Top Gear he talked about the other rock stars from Detroit, including Glenn (Jeremy Clarkson once wrote a column about Bob Seger where he made the crucial error of saying that Don Henley was from Detroit).