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Alice Cooper, the Father of Shock Rock. Alice Cooper started as a band, a very good rock band in the mid 1960's as the Spiders of Phoenix. The also became known as the Earwigs. The Alice Cooper Band's first commercial success was with the album Love it To Death. The song, "Eighteen" blasted onto the US charts. Rumors of Alice Cooper killing a chicken on stage did not hurt his career. There clearly was a chicken incident on a stage in Canada, exactly what happens is not completely clear.

It would seem that Alice learned form this experience that the wilder he was on stage the more likely the band would end up in the rumor mill and the organized press and he was correct. I personally remember a friend's parents taking out the Sunday paper and warning me to never hang myself as this madman Alice Cooper was doing. They went on to say how other teens had tried this trick and hung themselves. Now I don't know how true that is, probably not true at all but that it shocked our parents was seen as a good thing to us.

What most miss, including nearly every parent and most fans, that Alice was smart enough to turn his antics into art. For me this is where the brilliance of the man, Alice Cooper lies. He is a master of irony and symbolism. Alice Cooper, creates an act on stage or in lyrics and then lets the listener decide.

For this fan, that became evident in the bands second release on Columbia Records with the album dubbed Killer. This album includes gems such as "Halo of Flies," "Desperado," and "Dead Babies." The song "Dead Babies" was one of the most misunderstood. It is an anti-child abuse song. Child abuse is ugly and when performed on stage now, it is depicted that way. As a parent, when my children would anger me, I would think of this song. What I got from this song was babies are going to make mistakes, dead babies don't. It would remind me of how lucky I was to have my children and calm my anger causing me to respond in a more loving guiding way.

Alice Cooper's best known song "Schools Out" was released on the follow up album known by the same album mane of Schools Out. This song launched them into mega band status. I remember it blasting over the radio as the school year ended, especially when I was in high school. A teen anthem with witty lyrics that everyone could march too. We all lived for school being out. This album contains some surprises on side 2. This writer feels that they inspired Michael Jackson's albums Bad and Dangerous.

Alice Cooper Pics here.  Some Pictures I took at a couple of concerts.