Other Great Metal Influences, Part 2- Alice Cooper

If any one person could be sited as a major influence of 80s metal, it would have to be Alice Cooper. Like KISS, Alice set the standard for the 70s glam rock scene in the early 70s. Throughout the early and mid seventies, he had a string of albums including "School's Out," "Billion Dollar Babies," "Welcome to My Nightmare," "The Alice Cooper Show" and "Goes to Hell." Some say that his rockability declined in the late 70s, but he still had a few top 40 hits ie. "You and Me." In 1978, he put out the album which got this then religiously indoctrinated 17 year old fully into his music, "From the Inside."

The album was based on his experiences in a sanitarium and many regard it as among his best works. He nearly faded into obscurity in the early 80s and this was mainly down to his drinking. But a few die hards, like me who continued to listen to his albums kept his memory going and welcomed his triumphant return in 1986. His 1987 album "Raise Your Fist and Yell" propelled him back to his place among the greatest.

However, the one thing that Alice Cooper will always be famous for is his wild stage shows. While KISS was the first band to enthrall crowds with their use of pyrotechnics, Alice Cooper's concerts were and still are very theatrical. People will still go to his shows in the hopes to see either the mock hanging act or the guillotine act as well as other theatrics. Having been to an Alice Cooper concert myself, I can personally say that it is a spectacle to behold.

After all these years, Alice C0oper continues to put out great albums and tour with seemingly no let up in his energy. Alice Cooper has been going strong for forty years now and many of the acts which are years his junior have him to thank for the influence he has had on metal. My one regret in Rock And Roll Children was setting the story during the time frame when he wasn't in the limelight.
Next post: Aerosmith

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