Go Ask Alice: A Sit-Down with the Godfather of Shock Rock
Vince is 49, but Alice is timeless.
That's how he can still do songs like "School's Out" and "I'm Eighteen" and still mean them, said Alice Cooper in my interview with the iconic rock star prior to his concert at the La Crosse Center.
Cooper (real name: Vincent Furnier) has a tendency to talk about himself in the third character. He speaks of Alice as a persona he adopts for the stage, one that takes on different personalities to fit the lyrics of his songs, be it an insane asylum inmate or a kid fresh out of school for the summer.
"If I were myself, 49, doing 'I'm Eighteen,' I'd feel like a moron," he said, "but Alice is ageless. He adapts. Whatever the song says, he becomes."
With a new single, the Internet satire "Is Anyone Home?" from his new live greatest hits CD, A Fistful of Alice, Cooper is in the middle of a Midwest leg of a tour that's taking him to 23 cities and a two-week stint in Australia.
This tour's theme is "Alice goes to the carnival," Cooper said, complete with lots of clowns – both good and evil.
"They're always sort of tormenting poor Alice on stage," he said. "But we keep it so I never quite know what they're gonna do, so that keeps it fresh for me."
Expect a mix of all the big Cooper hits, a couple new songs and some unexpected cuts from the archives.
"When you have 25 albums out, 90 percent of your show is gonna be what people want to hear – and they want to hear the hits," he said. "But we're also bringing out songs like 'Halo of Flies' and 'Public Animal #9,' things we haven't played since the '70s."
Speaking of the '70s, Cooper acknowledges the "Father of Shock Rock" label he's been stuck with after his controversial concerts in that decade. But he doesn't feel a need to live up to the title today.
"Shock rock was pretty important in the 1970s, but I don't know how important it is in '97. It's kind of an old thing," he said. "I don't know what they would call me anymore. We are as much hard rock/vaudeville/burlesque as anything else."
Cooper has inspired many acts over the years; Marilyn Manson, whose concerts religious groups tried to ban in La Crosse and other cities this year, has been getting the most notoriety lately. Cooper chafed at comparisons of their acts.
"The only two valid comparisons are the fact that he has a girl's name and he wears makeup. We don't do the same kind of music, we don't have the same kind of show. I don't even now Marilyn Manson, I've never even met him," he said. "People that have seen him and seen our show said the big difference is the sense of humor" in Cooper's show. A macabre, black humor, maybe, but a sense of humor all the same.
As for the future, Cooper is going back into the studio this winter to record a new album of original material. Other than that, he said, look for him in unlikely places.
"I like the idea of putting Alice where he doesn't belong," he said. "Like if they asked me to (present) an award at the country-western awards, I'd go, sure. Alice on the Hollywood Squares, Alice on the Muppets, to me that was just terrific stuff."
That's how he can still do songs like "School's Out" and "I'm Eighteen" and still mean them, said Alice Cooper in my interview with the iconic rock star prior to his concert at the La Crosse Center.
Cooper (real name: Vincent Furnier) has a tendency to talk about himself in the third character. He speaks of Alice as a persona he adopts for the stage, one that takes on different personalities to fit the lyrics of his songs, be it an insane asylum inmate or a kid fresh out of school for the summer.
"If I were myself, 49, doing 'I'm Eighteen,' I'd feel like a moron," he said, "but Alice is ageless. He adapts. Whatever the song says, he becomes."
With a new single, the Internet satire "Is Anyone Home?" from his new live greatest hits CD, A Fistful of Alice, Cooper is in the middle of a Midwest leg of a tour that's taking him to 23 cities and a two-week stint in Australia.
This tour's theme is "Alice goes to the carnival," Cooper said, complete with lots of clowns – both good and evil.
"They're always sort of tormenting poor Alice on stage," he said. "But we keep it so I never quite know what they're gonna do, so that keeps it fresh for me."
Expect a mix of all the big Cooper hits, a couple new songs and some unexpected cuts from the archives.
"When you have 25 albums out, 90 percent of your show is gonna be what people want to hear – and they want to hear the hits," he said. "But we're also bringing out songs like 'Halo of Flies' and 'Public Animal #9,' things we haven't played since the '70s."
Speaking of the '70s, Cooper acknowledges the "Father of Shock Rock" label he's been stuck with after his controversial concerts in that decade. But he doesn't feel a need to live up to the title today.
"Shock rock was pretty important in the 1970s, but I don't know how important it is in '97. It's kind of an old thing," he said. "I don't know what they would call me anymore. We are as much hard rock/vaudeville/burlesque as anything else."
Cooper has inspired many acts over the years; Marilyn Manson, whose concerts religious groups tried to ban in La Crosse and other cities this year, has been getting the most notoriety lately. Cooper chafed at comparisons of their acts.
"The only two valid comparisons are the fact that he has a girl's name and he wears makeup. We don't do the same kind of music, we don't have the same kind of show. I don't even now Marilyn Manson, I've never even met him," he said. "People that have seen him and seen our show said the big difference is the sense of humor" in Cooper's show. A macabre, black humor, maybe, but a sense of humor all the same.
As for the future, Cooper is going back into the studio this winter to record a new album of original material. Other than that, he said, look for him in unlikely places.
"I like the idea of putting Alice where he doesn't belong," he said. "Like if they asked me to (present) an award at the country-western awards, I'd go, sure. Alice on the Hollywood Squares, Alice on the Muppets, to me that was just terrific stuff."
Mike Starling's original music is heard on numerous recordings and soundtracks, and his stories and photos have been featured in books, films, mags and other media.
starlingarchive.weebly.com is the authorized website for samples of published work by the Wisconsin-based writer, artist and musician Mike Starling. Photo of Starling on assignment in Ireland by J. Winke. Alice Cooper photo is a publicity still. Website developed and managed by Nine Volt Media. ©MMXX-MMXXIII. All rights reserved.
