Alice Cooper disbanded in 1974 despite the commercial success of ‘School’s Out’ (1972) and the eponymous single. Lead singer Vincent Furnier promptly appropriated the name and embarked on a highly successful solo career. In the early years, Alice Cooper didn’t shy away from controversy and became the figurehead of the new shock rock scene, a theatrical incarnation of the extremely popular glam rock genre of the early 70s. The classic ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ (1973) and the single ‘Elected’ catapulted Alice Cooper to rock stardom. A true pioneer, Cooper is credited with being the first to introduce horror imagery and musical theatre in heavy rock. His first solo effort ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ (1975) was a massive hit and following a brief lull in popularity in the 80s, Alice relived his seventies’ heydays when both ‘Trash’ (1989) and ‘Hey Stoopid’ (1991) conquered the charts. The dawn of the millennium saw Alice returning to his roots with ‘The Eyes of Alice Cooper’ (2003), ‘Dirty Diamonds’ (2005) and ‘Welcome 2 My Nightmare’ (2011). His most recent outing ‘Road’ (2023) celebrates life on tour and has a live feel that goes well with the good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll tracks. (#GMM26)
