Alice Cooper: Classic or Dud??

We know Neil Young watched this movie at the time, wonder what he made of that scene?

I think the Cooper group lived in Topanga Canyon at this time, so Neil was probably well aware of their antics.

He tried to persuade Crosby to tear up a pillow onstage.

XP...and David Briggs produced their second album.

Drummer Neal Smith later said of the record producer David Briggs, "David hated our music and us. I recall the term that he used, referring to our music, was 'Psychedelic Shit'. I think Easy Action sounded too dry, more like a TV or radio commercial and he did not help with song arrangement or positive input in any way."

Pretty amazing, the progress they made going from Briggs to Ezrin.

The same year, Briggs worked well with Spirit on Twelve Dreams of Doctor Sardonicus, which was pretty psychedelic, although I'm sure they were more instrumentally competent than the Alice Cooper band at that point.

Just watched that “Super duper Alice Cooper”

The first half was quite interesting, up to the ‘band’ splitting. The descent and recovery of his solo years managed to gloss over all his ‘solo’stuff in favour of pics with Sinatra and Dali and his eventual “nightmare 2” show, but hey..

Alice Cooper on The Snoop Sisters (one of the revolving programs that fell under the NBC Mystery Movie umbrella alongside Columbo and Quincy):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubIQeWtmK9o

The descent and recovery of his solo years managed to gloss over all his ‘solo’stuff in favour of pics with Sinatra and Dali and his eventual “nightmare 2” show, but hey..

It can be a challenge to talk about albums when the artist doesn't remember making them...

I saw him on that Special Forces tour and man, what a wreck he was in those days. At least on the From The Inside tour he had that just-out-of-rehab energy. Just a couple years later he was a virtually unrecognizable wraith.

I've read a few online reviewers who admire those early 80s records (which I haven't heard), is that a defensible position?

I quite liked Flush The Fashion, but had and have no use for Special Forces. I don't think I've ever heard Dada.

Flush The Fashion was easily better than the (3?) studio albums that preceded it - From The Inside, Lace And Whiskey, Goes To Hell.

Classic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJpqK8ZZbaA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDgNNbyoWdk

This changed my life trajectory when I saw it as a nine year old.

Forgot the best one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz0lXNNkqac

I've read a few online reviewers who admire those early 80s records (which I haven't heard), is that a defensible position?

I like them. DaDa is a weird, dark fuckin' album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7rnFIsoYbM

Yes, Dada's pretty good.

Flush The Fashion is one of my favourite Alice Cooper albums, but Special Forces is weak. Haven't heard Dada actually.

Cooper reportedly has no recollection of recording DaDa, or the preceding albums Special Forces and Zipper Catches Skin, due to substance abuse. Cooper stated "I wrote them, recorded them and toured them and I don't remember much of any of that",[8] though he toured only Special Forces.[9] In 1996 Cooper said that DaDa was the scariest album he ever made,[10] and that he never had any idea what it was about. There was no tour to promote DaDa, and none of its songs have ever been played live.

Dick Wagner and Bob Ezrin really held DaDa together, and they created one hell of a creepy album. As far as theatrical "shock rock" goes, I'd list this LP right up there with Coop's best. "Pass the Gun Around" is particularly unsettling.