Shock Rock Rules

Man, I never thought I would get into Alice Cooper. When I was growing up this was the kind of music the older, older stoner kids were listening to. The dudes that had muscle cars when I was still riding my sweet Race Inc. BMX. The dudes that had a dark side, a mean streak if you will. The dudes that combed the ice rink parking lot for tail with the promise of a 3 foot pyrex bong. Recently I've come to discover that Alice Cooper has everything I've ever liked about rock and roll in one tight little mascara painted package.

Dramatic stage performances? Check. Psychedelia? Yep. Ripping guitars? You got it. Creepy stories about serial killers? And then some. It's all in there. It's conceptual rock at its finest, yet low brow enough for the mouth breathers at the arcade and the dishwashers at the Rocky Roccoco. This is music to huff paint to.

Here's a little Wikipedia background:

In 1975 Cooper released his first solo album, which marked the final break with the original members of the Alice Cooper band. Again collaborating with producer Bob Ezrin, and recruiting Lou Reed guitarist Dick Wagner, (as well as Reed's backing band) the project eventually resulted in Welcome To My Nightmare. Spearheaded by the US Top 20 hit "Only Women Bleed", a ballad, the solo album was released by Atlantic Records in March 1975 and became a Top 10 hit for Cooper. It was a concept album, based on the nightmare of a child named Steven, featuring narration by classic horror movie film star Vincent Price (several years before he guested on Michael Jackson's "Thriller"), and serving as the soundtrack to Cooper's new stage show, which now included more theatrics than ever (including an eight foot tall furry Cyclops which Cooper decapitates and kills).