The Rise and Fall of Alice Cooper

Vincent Furnier, aka Alice Cooper, was one of the original shock rock acts of the early Seventies. I've heard two stories as to how he acquired his stage name. The first was that he simply thought of it because it was so "American." But the other, more elaborate story involves his learning via a Ouija board that he was the reincarnation of a 17th Century English witch of the same name. Regardless, a guy named Alice was a pretty radical idea when he and his band of the same name got started in the late Sixties, and initially he was a flop.

Things changed with the release of his albums "Love It to Death" and "Killer" in 1971. With his elaborate, often violent stage shows and tunes such as "Dead Babies," Alice quickly became hugely popular with kids in their early teens - like an early Gene Simmons. I remember well "Killer," which came with a poster showing Alice at the end of a rope (as part of his live show at the time he would be hanged).

Part of Alice's appeal was the public knowledge that, off-stage, he was nothing at all like the wild masochist he portrayed. Vince had the same girlfriend for many years, and his principle pastime was watching TV.

Released in 1972, the album and single "School's Out" seemed to mark the peek of Alice's popularity. The LP jacket was made to resemble one of those old wooden school desks which would open at the top to reveal the record. (The early Seventies seemed to be the period during which album covers were the most unusual; remember the Stones' "Sticky Fingers" with its zipper, or Jefferson Airplane's "Bark," which came in a paper bag?) "School's Out" featured a tune based upon "West Side Story," another in which the protagonist is a prisoner who slashes his wrists, and an actual sentimental piece about graduating high school.

Alice had a few more hits after "School's Out," but never regained his level of popularity. His band broke up, and he tried a new, tough guy persona (remember "Muscle of Love?) that just didn't work. Maybe it was because his fan base was maturing, or perhaps competition from other shock bands such as Kiss made him less of a novelty. By the time the Seventies ended, Alice was appearing as a star on the "Hollywood Squares" game show. By then all of us had long gotten rid of his albums.