Alice Cooper Group to reunite for new album

[DR DOOM]

Great news http://radio.com/2016/05/11/original-alice-cooper-band-to-reunite-for-new-album/?cid=facebook_Radio.com

One of my very favorite bands, one of the very best hard rock outfits America has ever produced IMO.

 

[Gracii Guns]

When was the Alice Cooper Band last intact?

I'm surprised they're all still alive tbh. 

 

 

[Słash]

Im not a big follower of him, all I know that he had many lineup changes in his band. So I guess this will be some good news for hardcore Alice Cooper fans.

But I guess he will just record a few songs with the past members who are also his old friends. I don't think so they will tour and all. 

[BOSSY78]

Will be interesting to see how this goes.

[Powerage5]

6 hours ago, Gracii Guns said:

When was the Alice Cooper Band last intact?

I'm surprised they're all still alive tbh. 

 

 

They're not - Glen Buxton died in 1997. The band does one-off things now and then, often with Steve Hunter filling in, since he came on as a session musician for Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle Of Love, before continuing as one of the first members in Alice's solo career. 

 

To to be honest, I'm not all that excited about this. They all did a few songs together on W2MN, and they were all awful with the exception of I'll Bite Your Face Off. I'd be more excited if they actually tour together. 

[Gracii Guns]

Credit to the Alice Cooper Group, they have made one of the most dire hard rock albums ever (Pretties For You) and some of the best (Killer, Billion Dollar Babies). 

[DR DOOM]

13 hours ago, Powerage5 said:

They're not - Glen Buxton died in 1997. The band does one-off things now and then, often with Steve Hunter filling in, since he came on as a session musician for Billion Dollar Babies and Muscle Of Love, before continuing as one of the first members in Alice's solo career. 

 

To to be honest, I'm not all that excited about this. They all did a few songs together on W2MN, and they were all awful with the exception of I'll Bite Your Face Off. I'd be more excited if they actually tour together. 

Steve Hunter passed away a year or two ago as well.

I thought "A Runaway Train" was awesome, better than "I'll Bite Your Face Off" too 

[Powerage5]

4 hours ago, DR DOOM said:

Steve Hunter passed away a year or two ago as well.

I thought "A Runaway Train" was awesome, better than "I'll Bite Your Face Off" too 

Steve Hunter isn't dead:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hunter

 

And he still frequently posts on Twitter, for further proof:

https://twitter.com/stevehunterguit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[DR DOOM]

19 hours ago, Powerage5 said:

Steve Hunter isn't dead:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Hunter

 

And he still frequently posts on Twitter, for further proof:

https://twitter.com/stevehunterguit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Oh, yeah my bad...I was thinking of Dick Wagner.

[DirtyDeeds]

Honestly I don't know the difference between Alice Cooper Group or Band or whatever and just plain Alice Cooper. For me it's always been just about one guy. 

[Powerage5]

5 hours ago, DirtyDeeds said:

Honestly I don't know the difference between Alice Cooper Group or Band or whatever and just plain Alice Cooper. For me it's always been just about one guy. 

Alice Cooper was originally the band's name; the band consisting of Vincent Furnier, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, and Neal Smith. People would always ask which one of them was Alice, so Vincent eventually assumed the name of Alice as his own also. Most of Alice's best known material was recorded in the ACG era - the albums released by the band were Pretties For You, Easy Action, Love It To Death, Killer, School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies, and Muscle Of Love. The band eventually got fed up with Alice's egotistical behavior, and all quit. Alice regrouped himself with Shep Gordon's (The band's manager) help and launched a solo career, still under the name Alice Cooper. Welcome To My Nightmare was his debut solo album. 

[Len Cnut]

Not the worlds biggest fan but i've heard a fair bit and its pretty good.  Was watching this documentary that was insinuating that he was a bit of a Stooges rip off, a sort of a cleaner more pallettable version of the early Stooges.

[Gordon Comstock]

Haven't liked a lot of his recent albums but I'm still interested in this. Gonna go see him for the 3rd time later this year, he's playing the local 'small' arena [our big arena holds like 8,000 people], seen him in a couple theatres and he puts on a good show. Would be cool if he actually toured with the Alice Cooper Band.

[drbunnig]

They're just writing together from what I gather, no actual reunion. Great news, I thought all three tracks they did for W2MN were brilliant (loved the album too).

More generally speaking, I'm of the opinion that School's Out is one of the best albums of all time. Loads of variety, but it flows so perfectly. "My Stars" is one of my all time favourite songs too, I'd love to see that brought back to the setlist. I'd put the four album run of Love It to Death through Billion Dollar Babies up against any other four album run from anyone else.

[DR DOOM]

19 hours ago, Len B'stard said:

Not the worlds biggest fan but i've heard a fair bit and its pretty good.  Was watching this documentary that was insinuating that he was a bit of a Stooges rip off, a sort of a cleaner more pallettable version of the early Stooges.

That's pretty far off the mark IMO, definitely a heavy Beatles vibe there but (besides Detroit and a bit of shock) I don't see what they have in common at all...and I'm a huge fan of both.

The Alice Cooper Group (formerly known as The Spiders and also The Nazz) predate the Stooges by more than a few years anyway, they were a high school band.

The ACG leaves Alice's solo stuff for dead.

 

[Len Cnut]

I wouldnt know to be honest, the documentarys called Motor City Burning or something.

[gunsfanoldie]

I read this a few weeks ago and I'm incredibly excited. Not as much for an album. Not sure they still have THAT spark, although it'd be interesting to hear. But I'd love a tour. I've had the setlist for the last decade of EXACTLY what they should play lol!

I don't blame @DirtyDeeds, this is basically how Alice Cooper is known is as just the guy, but this is why I'd love the band to come back one more time. Its not even question, the Alice Cooper GROUP is the Alice Cooper you know, not just the man. They wrote ALL the famous songs and it was first and foremost a full band. THEY had spark, THEY wrote the songs, THEY were a gang. And thats not to discredit Alice. He's an all time frontman, made them the name they are, and is actually a very underrated vocalist (he still doesn't get enough credit for being able to do something like Halo Of Flies and also Desperado). But I've always kinda hated that the band has been erased. He didn't do it intentionally, but to many, as @DirtyDeeds is an example of, no one even knows them and thats not write. Its their songs too and the BAND was a force to be reckoned with.

Its why I want a tour just cause it would be the culmination of so much. Hardcores would love it (at least like myself. I know there are Alice fans that have been upset he's used so many of those songs as a crutch in favor of actual solo material) and it would be a fitting farewell to them. They never got it and they can still play. Would love to see them and Steve Hunter play, and would pay big money for it too.

[gunsfanoldie]

On 6/8/2016 at 0:40 AM, drbunnig said:

They're just writing together from what I gather, no actual reunion. Great news, I thought all three tracks they did for W2MN were brilliant (loved the album too).

More generally speaking, I'm of the opinion that School's Out is one of the best albums of all time. Loads of variety, but it flows so perfectly. "My Stars" is one of my all time favourite songs too, I'd love to see that brought back to the setlist. I'd put the four album run of Love It to Death through Billion Dollar Babies up against any other four album run from anyone else.

Its amazing and unfair how GREAT those 4 albums truly are. You are totally right about School's Out. By default it gets looked at as the weakest but its SO strong. I think the thing is, to the general public, nothing ever really stuck and was as strong as the title track. Admittedly, I don't even listen to it anymore. Its an amazing song, but the whole rest of the album is so underplayed that I tend to favor it more. Luney Tune, Gutter Cat, Alma fuckin' Mater, Public Animal. You are so right, they do so many different styles with stuff like Blue Turk and it just works perfectly.

Killer has always been my personal favorite, but they are all really neck and neck. Love It To Death can sometimes edge out Killer for me cause its equally amazing. I just think as strong as LITD is, Killer does it all just a bit better. Under My Wheels is better than Eighteen, Halo Of Flies is a better Black Juju, the deeper cuts like You Drive Me Nervous and Yeah Yeah Yeah are better to me than Hallowed Be Thy Name, etc. I will admit nothing quite touches Dwight Fry, but again thats why they are neck and neck.

What's funny is you could argue Billion Dollar Babies is their weakest even though its also the most well known. I've always loved it but its got its pros and cons. I think the highs are maybe their best (in terms of firing on all cylinders). At its best, the songs are just so natural to them at that point, perfectly produced and slick. It does occasionally indulge a bit too much in itself (the dental part of Unfinished Sweet, Sick Things, I Love The Dead). Its still all great, but there is a rawness thats gone, which works for the album cause the sound of the record is their biggest and most triumphant yet but also sounds like the band with nowhere else to go.

As you can see, I could talk about Alice all day lol. Just never thought they quite got the respect they deserved. As you say, a run that rivals all the others, and not a bad note on any of those records. I've said it for years but Alice hit it SO lucky on Nightmare that it was as good as a Group album but without the group. He had some good solo albums after, but nothing even touched Nightmare which was good enough for him to continue on his own. but I'd love that band to get one last hurrah.

[Powerage5]

8 hours ago, gunsfanoldie said:

I read this a few weeks ago and I'm incredibly excited. Not as much for an album. Not sure they still have THAT spark, although it'd be interesting to hear. But I'd love a tour. I've had the setlist for the last decade of EXACTLY what they should play lol!

I don't blame @DirtyDeeds, this is basically how Alice Cooper is known is as just the guy, but this is why I'd love the band to come back one more time. Its not even question, the Alice Cooper GROUP is the Alice Cooper you know, not just the man. They wrote ALL the famous songs and it was first and foremost a full band. THEY had spark, THEY wrote the songs, THEY were a gang. And thats not to discredit Alice. He's an all time frontman, made them the name they are, and is actually a very underrated vocalist (he still doesn't get enough credit for being able to do something like Halo Of Flies and also Desperado). But I've always kinda hated that the band has been erased. He didn't do it intentionally, but to many, as @DirtyDeeds is an example of, no one even knows them and thats not write. Its their songs too and the BAND was a force to be reckoned with.

Its why I want a tour just cause it would be the culmination of so much. Hardcores would love it (at least like myself. I know there are Alice fans that have been upset he's used so many of those songs as a crutch in favor of actual solo material) and it would be a fitting farewell to them. They never got it and they can still play. Would love to see them and Steve Hunter play, and would pay big money for it too.

In Alice's defense (Even though you mentioned it wasn't intentionally done), even if the ACG never broke up you'd still have people associating the name Alice Cooper more with the man than with the band. It's just the nature of having a band named after an individual, or vice versa. Other excellent examples of a band where a member shares the name with the band are Dio and King Diamond. Both are, in my definition (Which is that more than a single member is not expendable for whatever), actual bands as opposed to solo projects, yet they're often labeled as such just because of the grey area with names. Alice just took it a step further because he actually went on to have a solo career under the same name.

 

I'd be willing to pay big money to see the ACG also. I'm perfectly happy paying his ticket prices now, but I'd have no problem dropping $200+ to see the ACG. 

7 hours ago, gunsfanoldie said:

Its amazing and unfair how GREAT those 4 albums truly are. You are totally right about School's Out. By default it gets looked at as the weakest but its SO strong. I think the thing is, to the general public, nothing ever really stuck and was as strong as the title track. Admittedly, I don't even listen to it anymore. Its an amazing song, but the whole rest of the album is so underplayed that I tend to favor it more. Luney Tune, Gutter Cat, Alma fuckin' Mater, Public Animal. You are so right, they do so many different styles with stuff like Blue Turk and it just works perfectly.

Killer has always been my personal favorite, but they are all really neck and neck. Love It To Death can sometimes edge out Killer for me cause its equally amazing. I just think as strong as LITD is, Killer does it all just a bit better. Under My Wheels is better than Eighteen, Halo Of Flies is a better Black Juju, the deeper cuts like You Drive Me Nervous and Yeah Yeah Yeah are better to me than Hallowed Be Thy Name, etc. I will admit nothing quite touches Dwight Fry, but again thats why they are neck and neck.

What's funny is you could argue Billion Dollar Babies is their weakest even though its also the most well known. I've always loved it but its got its pros and cons. I think the highs are maybe their best (in terms of firing on all cylinders). At its best, the songs are just so natural to them at that point, perfectly produced and slick. It does occasionally indulge a bit too much in itself (the dental part of Unfinished Sweet, Sick Things, I Love The Dead). Its still all great, but there is a rawness thats gone, which works for the album cause the sound of the record is their biggest and most triumphant yet but also sounds like the band with nowhere else to go.

As you can see, I could talk about Alice all day lol. Just never thought they quite got the respect they deserved. As you say, a run that rivals all the others, and not a bad note on any of those records. I've said it for years but Alice hit it SO lucky on Nightmare that it was as good as a Group album but without the group. He had some good solo albums after, but nothing even touched Nightmare which was good enough for him to continue on his own. but I'd love that band to get one last hurrah.

I think the LITD-BDB run is one of the best runs of albums from any rock artist, ever. I don't like School's Out as much as Love It To Death or Killer, but when that album is considered a step down that's a real accomplishment; for most artists that album would be considered their peak. It really is a shame Alice doesn't play more off the album, or more deep cuts from the ACG in general. This tour he's doing Public Animal #9 and Long Way To Go, and it's so damn refreshing to have a couple super obscure ACG tracks being played. I mean, I've seen Alice 35 times and when he did Public Animal when I saw him a few weeks ago, it was the first time I've heard anything off of School's Out besides the title track. 

 

The thing is, Alice does a great job of playing a few obscure solo tracks every tour, but it's so unusual for him to do any obscure ACG tracks. I've seen him on 5 different tours from 2007 until now, and as far as obscure solo tracks go (Not counting songs off a new album when he's promoting one), I've seen him do Wicked Young Man, Hey Stoopid, The Black Widow (Might be one of his best known solo tracks, but it's only been played on a couple tours), Brutal Planet, Guilty, Clones, From The Inside, House Of Fire, Nurse Rozetta, He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask), It's Hot Tonight, Steven, Devil's Food, Lost In America, and The Awakening. If you look at the obscure ACG songs I've seen him do, it's only Muscle Of Love, Hello Hooray, Dead Babies, Long Way To Go, Public Animal #9, and Halo Of Flies (If you count that one - I don't since it gets played on every other tour nowadays). I'd love to hear more obscure ACG songs live, stuff like Caught In A Dream, Second Coming (Segue it into Dwight Fry!), You Drive Me Nervous, Luney Tune, or Raped & Freezin' would be amazing. 

[gunsfanoldie]

15 hours ago, Powerage5 said:

I'd love to hear more obscure ACG songs live, stuff like Caught In A Dream, Second Coming (Segue it into Dwight Fry!), You Drive Me Nervous, Luney Tune, or Raped & Freezin' would be amazing. 

Totally agree. And you could probably speak to it more than I could, but I think hardcore Alice fans would like that too and they'd just like him to do it with the original band. Almost a get it out of the way situation. I know they are happy stuff like Long Way To Go and Animal are in the set, but from what I've seen they're annoyed so much of the set is classic ACG songs (even though, as you mention, the deep cuts are always his solo songs). I think a lot of hardcore Alice fans that have stuck with him would like him to tour with the original group so he can almost retire some of those songs and dig into his other catalogue. Or they're just like "Alice, if you're ONLY gonna play ACG songs, just tour with that band."

[drbunnig]

The most frustrating thing at the moment is the fact that the covers section is still in the set. I'd have hoped that'd have been dropped now that the Hollywood Vampires are touring. I have read about two rare solo era songs that are supposedly going to be worked into the set in the near future (spoiler tagged below) that'd be great to see.

Spoiler

Grim Facts, The World Needs Guts

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by drbunnig
Typo

[Powerage5]

1 hour ago, drbunnig said:

The most frustrating thing at the moment is the fact that the covers section is still in the set. I'd have hoped that'd have been dropped now that the Hollywood Vampires are touring. I have read about two rare solo era songs that are supposedly going to be worked into the set in the near future (spoiler tagged below) that'd be great to see.

  Hide contents

Grim Facts, The World Needs Guts

 

Where'd you hear that? I seriously doubt it's true regardless - those two are way too obscure to have a chance of being played live. I honestly doubt more than 2% of any Alice Cooper crowd have even heard of those two. The only songs on that level of obscurity I could see ever being played are Chop Chop Chop, Gail, and Roses On White Lace. Alice has specifically mentioned how great those would be live, and he could squeeze a lot of theatrics into the three. 

[drbunnig]

1 hour ago, Powerage5 said:

Where'd you hear that? I seriously doubt it's true regardless - those two are way too obscure to have a chance of being played live. I honestly doubt more than 2% of any Alice Cooper crowd have even heard of those two. The only songs on that level of obscurity I could see ever being played are Chop Chop Chop, Gail, and Roses On White Lace. Alice has specifically mentioned how great those would be live, and he could squeeze a lot of theatrics into the three. 

It was a post on the Sick Things UK fan page. Someone had a VIP/meet and greet and was told by Ryan Roxie (I think) that those two plus Woman of Mass Distraction would be gradually introduced to the set. WoMD is now being played every night, so I do have hope that the other two may get played. They are quite obscure choices. I think the last time something this obscure was played was Who Do You Think We Are on the Eyes tour.

[Gordon Comstock]

I wish he'd drop the covers, or at least tone it down to 1 or 2 songs... the first time I saw him was 2012 so both shows I've seen have had the covers set. I'm seeing him in October and I'm a fairly casual Alice fan, but obviously I'd still rather hear deep cuts (AKA possibly unknown to me) than covers. Every shitty bar band does a few covers, Alice has decades of music to choose from, fuck that

[Powerage5]

8 hours ago, Gordon Comstock said:

I wish he'd drop the covers, or at least tone it down to 1 or 2 songs... the first time I saw him was 2012 so both shows I've seen have had the covers set. I'm seeing him in October and I'm a fairly casual Alice fan, but obviously I'd still rather hear deep cuts (AKA possibly unknown to me) than covers. Every shitty bar band does a few covers, Alice has decades of music to choose from, fuck that

I get why he started doing it, but now it seems ridiculous since he's got the Hollywood Vampires to do covers.