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Sounds A-Z of Heavy Metal

Alice Cooper
Shockrock. The name was enough to confuse people. When Alice Cooper (alias Vincent Furnier) and his Detroit croones (Glen Buxton, guitar, Michael Bruce, guitar, Dennis Dunaway, bass and Neal Smith, drums) appeared on the scene, no one was ready. They were so unpopular that their mass dejection inspired Frank Zappa to sign them onto his label - Straight. They released two albums, 'Pretties For You' and 'Easy Action' in '69, and they bombed miserably. It wasn't until the band moved to Warners that they got the visuals of their act and music together, this resulted in the classic 'Love It To Death' album in '71, followed by US hit single 'I'm Eighteen' which was proclaimed a contemporary to 'My Generation'. Their show progressed from mere hangings to simulated mutilations as the years progressed, their music became more theatrical. They scored in this country with 'School's Out' in '72, followed by 'Elected'. The band peaked with 'Billion Dollar Babies' in '73 and retired from touring, and a year later they released 'Muscle Of Love' which was the first album to receive mass appraisal on a musical level by the press. Again they remained static for a year, Cooper has returned with Lou Reed's former band backing him and a new album and show ('Welcome To My Nightmare'). The rest of the original band whose future with Cooper is still not definate, are in the process of recording solo venture. Cooper's antics have lost their initial contraversial appeal. Although it's equally theatrical, somehow it seems oddly normal in this day and age.