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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Other Great Metal Influences, Part 1- KISS

I could spend months naming the great acts from the 70s who influenced metal in the 80s, although I won't, however, if I could name one act which had been one of the biggest, it would be KISS. Formed in 1973, KISS were one of the early glam rock acts along with Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and the Sweet. However, KISS sold more records than these three acts combined. While the other glam acts wore makeup, KISS took it to another level and it has stood as a standard for more than 30 years.

Paul Stanley-guitar

Gene Simmons- bass

Ace Frehley- guitar

Peter Criss- drums

Throughout the 1970s, KISS would sell millions of records and recruit millions more fans into the KISS Army. Hard rock albums like "Destroyer," "Alive I and II," "Love Gun" and "Hotter Than Hell" were all considered greats of the decade. These albums produced such great songs like "Love Gun," "Rock And Roll All Night," "Detroit Rock City," "Cold Gin" and of course "Beth" which, like "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison in the 1990s, was the song many teenage rockers like me played to their girlfriends in the hope it would get them laid. But, it wasn't just studio albums which set KISS at the top of the hill. KISS revolutionized concerts as we know it, being the first to use on stage pyrotechnics. I remember KISS concerts always selling out in record time.
As popular as the were in the 70s, KISS  were also the subject of much contraversey. Like Black Sabbath, KISS were also accused by the religious right in America of being Satan worshippers. This was made worse when some preacher claimed that the band's name was an anogram for Knights In Satan's Service. While there was never any evidence to support this supposition, it became something that would always continue to be a thorn in the side of KISS.



In an interview in 1980, Gene Simmons stated that KISS were a band where all four members covered for one another and that they were all superstars and not one member stood out from the rest. This began to change in the 1980s with the departure of Peter Criss and Ace Frehley and KISS went from a band of equals to, as quoted by a former member (I believe it was Vinnie Vincent), to Paul and Gene's band.
In 1983, KISS  came out of make up and some say that their music suffered as a result. I don't think this is the case and I will look at the KISS albums of the 80s in future postings. It is why KISS gets a lot of mention in "Rock And Roll Children." But if you were to ask the metal bands of the 80s who was their biggest influence, many would say KISS, whether it be the hard rocking sound, stage shows or make up.
Nex post: Alice Cooper
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Take A Trip Through Heavy Metal History Part 5- Free/Bad Company

Originally, I was going to end the Founding Fathers of Metal segment with Deep Purple, however, after listening to one of my many compilation albums, the song "All Right Now" by Free made me think otherwise. Free came from the same era as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin and established themselves as one of the great bands of that time and the mentioned single can still be heard on juke boxes and compilation albums forty years later.

After Free broke up, Paul Rodgers carried the rock spirit of Free to Bad Company producing a series of albums and great singles like "Can't Get Enough of Your Love," "Bad Company," "Shooting Star," "Feel Like Making Love" and "Rock and Roll Fantasy." Throughout the 70s, Bad Company were one of the premier rock bands and were an influence on many of the great metal bands of the 80s.

Boz Burrell- bass

Paul Rodgers- vocals

Simon Kirke- drums

Mick Ralphs- drums

It is no wonder that Bad Company's hit single "Rock And Roll Fantasy" was in the top 20 in 1979 when the metal dam began to burst. However, I will explore that more in the future. For now, let's just appreciate both Free and Bad Company as founding fathers of metal.

Next post will start the segment of other great acts of the 70s who were a major influence on 80s metal beginning with KISS.

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Founding Fathers of Metal, Part 4- Deep Purple

I won't begin by saying that I'm again preaching to the heavy metal choir, although I am, but another great band from the early 70s that can be listed as a metal founding father is Deep Purple. Formed in the late 1960s, Deep Purple went on to establish themselves as one of the top rock bands of the early 70s along with Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin. However, unlike the two mentioned, Deep Purple went through many line up changes. It is considered by many officianados that the most success Deep Purple line up was:

Ritchie Blackmore- guitar

Ian Gillian- vocals

Roger Glover- bass

Jon Lord- keyboards

Ian Paice- drums

Whenever Deep Purple are mentioned, the first song the great majority of people think of is "Smoke On the Water." Yes, that song will go down as one of the all time classics, especially as it appears on at least 3 of my compilation albums. However, Deep Purple have many other great hits which could also be counted as classics. Hits like "Black Knight" and "Highway Star," which have made it to compilation albums as well and other great songs like "Hush," "Burn" and my personal all time favourite, "Woman From Tokyo." But, when I saw them play live in 1985, I was completely blown away by the vocal ability of Ian Gillian on the song "A Child inTime" and that now also ranks among my Deep Purple favourites.

It came as no surprise to most people that when Deep Purple reformed in 1984, it was with the above line up. While the album "Perfect Strangers" was thought by many not to rank among their greatest from a decade earlier and fanned the argument that they only reformed for the megabucks, it did re-establish them as one of the all time greats in heavy metal. Having seen them live on that particular tour, not only was I blown away by Ian Gillian's vocal ability as well as the musicianship of  the others, they had a breathtaking light show and I regret that I didn't do it enough justice in my account of that concert in "Rock And Roll Children." That is why Deep Purple can rightfully take their place as one of metal's founding fathers.

I know I said last post that this would be the last of the "Founding Fathers of Metal" posts, but last week, I came to the realisation that Free/Bad Company needs to be included as well and will feature in the next post.
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Founding Fathers of Metal Part 3- Led Zepplin

"Led Zeppllin just made music, they didn't care if they were liked. They left that to the BeeGees."

Wayne Campbell

Now I know that once again I'm preaching to the heavy metal choir, but one can't talk about the founding fathers of metal without mentioning Led Zepplin. Led Zepplin were considered by many to be pioneers in the rock music industry and many bands today have them, as well as Black Sabbath to thank for their sound today.

John Bonham- drunms

Robert Plant- vocals

Jimmy Page- guitars

John Paul Jones- bass

My first experience of Led Zepplin was Led Zepplin IV or as I called it back then, "The album with the funny shapes for a title." It contains the all time classic "Stairway to Heaven," you know, the song that every apsiring guitarist plays in music shops when they are shopping for a new guitar. But "IV" also has some other great songs like, "Rock And Roll," "Black Dog," "Misty Mountain Hop" and "When the Levee Breaks." All of these make the fourth album a killer album.

Their are many more studio album, greatest hits albums and even some live albums,if you look hard enough,  which have stood the test of time and are now considered classics. This includes their most recent "Mothership" which is a two CD release of some of their greatest hits and includes a DVD. But enough of the adverts, besides, I'm not getting paid to say that.

While some metalheads may not want to admit it, it can be rightfully said that everyone in the metal world can look to Led Zepplin as one of the founding fathers of heavy metal.

Next week will be the last of the Founding Fathers of Metal and will feature Deep Purple. After that I will visit two other influential bands from the 70s.

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Founding Fathers of Metal Part 2, Black Sabbath

I know that I am preaching to the choir, but you can't mention the origins of heavy metal without mentioning Black Sabbath. It is most certain that every metal head on the planet (and maybe beyond) will site Sabbath as one of the founding fathers of metal.
                                         
My only regret is not allowing myself to listen to Black Sabbath throughout my teenage years in the 1970s.  Back then, I was a born again Christian and was very much influenced by the Black Sabbath are Satanic brigade and believed the myth that listening to them would have me sacrificing chickens to the Dark Lord. That is one claim that Black Sabbath can boast, they were the first band I know of to be branded Satanic.

It was their "Paranoid" album that first introduced me to the music of Black Sabbath as a young marine in 1980. I was totally blown away by the first track "War Pigs," which is still my favourite Sabbath track after all these years. The other tracks confirmed to me that Black Sabbath were brilliant and persuaded me to listen to them more. Furthermore, after hearing "Paranoid," I did not find myself looking to sacrifice a chicken on the first available altar.

Black Sabbath would put out eight albums between 1970-78, although it is the two pictured above along with "Paranoid," that rank as my favourite. Their sound was true metal in its greatest form and many a band since will draw upon them as an influence. While Black Sabbath will continue and have success with other line ups, the original billing of:                                            

Ozzy Osbourne- vocals

Tony Iommi- guitar

Geezer Butler- bass

Bill Ward- drums

will be the line up that is most remembered by all metal fans.

Next post: Led Zepplin

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Founding Fathers of Metal Part 1- Jimi Hendrix

 

Although the roots of heavy metal can most likely be traced back to the1950s, I thought it would be appropriate to start with this man, Jimi Hendrix. While the great artists of the late 60s, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors to name a few had an influence on metal, it was Hendrix who in my humble opinion took music to a new direction.

Hendrix revolutionised Rock as we know it. His hard rock sound set the standard for many of the acts that would follow him. It is him I attribute the standard form of first verse, chorus, second verse, chorus, bridge, guitar solo, third verse or bridge, chorus method that is found in so many of today's, metal songs. The great part is that this format still works!

Not only did Hendrix set the format for much of today's metal (and that of the80s), many of his songs are still rocked out to today. On my own MP3, I have the classics "Purple Haze," "All Along the Watchtower" "Foxy Lady" and my all time favourite "Hey Joe." Of course there are many more classic Hendrix anthems and he more than likely would have created many more had his life not been so tragically shortened. So everyone, raise a glass and think of this founding father of heavy metal, I regret not making more mention of him in Rock And Roll Children.
Next post: Black Sabbath

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