Go Ask Alice

I had to go down to the down river area of Detroit yesterday afternoon to fill out some forms and do some assessment testing for some recruiting company that says they can help me get a job. Before I went I got an email from some folks that were going to the State Fair in Detroit. They mentioned that “Alice Cooper” was playing in concert and that it would cost 10.00 to get into the fair. I figured even on my budget I could pull that off so I replied that I’d get in touch when I was through with the recruiter.

We all ended up meeting at the fair and I was given a voucher by one of our group to get into the event for free. Being in the position I currently am I was more than grateful. We ended up getting seats in the bleachers and chatted and screwed around until the show began.

I’ve seen “Alice Cooper” a number of times in my life. The last time I saw him was while I was living in Las Vegas in the mid eighties. He has always been known for his theatrical shows and I’ve always enjoyed that side of going to concerts. The music is actually a little harder than I like but, again, it’s the show that’s always done it for me.

I guess “Alice” is considered some kind of god to the heavy metal crowd. I’m not a fan of metal and I’ve never really considered “Alice” to be a part of that scene. I remember when I was a kid, and he was in Detroit for a concert, a local news station interviewed him. The take was the typical hometown boy done good. I remember when he was asked how much longer he could do what he was doing he replied that he could do it until he was 80. He went on to explain that what he was doing was more along the Broadway line of theater than anything else. I agree. “Alice” puts on a show, not a concert. There’s a theme and although it consists of death, a trial and an execution, it’s still a theme.

I’ve not listened to any of the newer albums the band has put out but there isn’t one among us in the 45 to 60 range that doesn’t remember the bands greatest hits. The thing about “Alice Cooper” is that he didn’t hit it big with just plain songs. He had anthems.


“Lines form on my face and hands.
Lines form from the ups and downs.
I’m in the middle without any plans
I’m a boy and I’m a man.”

I’m Eighteen was the first of a number of songs that struck quite a chord with the youth of the day. Think about this, that song was released 38 years ago. I remember it being played at sixth grade parties I used to attend in Oak Park. Listening to the lyrics they still have meaning to me today. The bigger point though is that this was an anthem for eighteen year olds.

Now, it’s quite a thing when an artist has a song that resonates so well with the youth of the day, but “Alice” wasn’t done.

“No more pencils, no more books.
No more teachers’ dirty looks.
Out for summer, out till fall.
We might not come back at all.”

Except for our parents is there anyone out there that doesn’t know what song that is? I doubt it. “School’s Out” is still played every year at the end of the school year. Again, this is an anthem, not a hit single.

He followed this with another anthem. “Elected” was a smash hit and was on the first album I ever bought. When the group sang the song last night with all the theatrics that went with it, I’m sure he would have gotten the vote of most folks there. At the end of the song, which was the last song of the night, “Alice” was shouting above the music saying things like “Why not me” and “Vote for me”. There were some dancing girls on stage holding up placards with campaign slogans on them. One of the signs said “These are troubled times”. Alice walked up to the girl holding the sign and said, “Vote for me, a troubled man for troubled times”. This from a 60-year-old man dressed up in leather. How do you not get the joke?

In the mid 70’s “Alice” became quite the household name. He had his own television special and had Vincent Price do a voice over on his “Welcome To My Nightmare” album and appear in the television special that went along with it. How unusual it was that this leather clad man named Alice would be so accepted by the masses just a couple years after being banned in numerous cities across the nation. He would appear on all the talk shows and I think he was a guest host on the Dinah Shore show.

He’s had quite the career and by extension quite a life. The show last night was very entertaining and it made me hope that “Alice” was right when he said he could do this till he was 80. I’ll be 67 at that time and I’d like to be there.