Formed in 1968, the original Alice Cooper group created a theatrical brand of hard rock that was designed to shock and that was never seen before. Within five years they would release no less than seven studio albums, among these their international breakthrough School’s Out (including the Top 10 hit of the same name) and the US #1 Billion Dollar Babies (1973).
By 1974, the Alice Cooper group had risen to the upper echelon of rock stardom… and then, it dissolved.
In October 2015, over 40 years later, record store owner and superfan Chris Penn convinced the original line-up to reunite for a very special performance at his record store Good Records in Dallas, Texas, USA.
Alice Cooper (vocals), Michael Bruce (guitar), Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums) were joined on stage by Alice’s current guitarist Ryan Roxie (standing in for the late Glen Buxton).
A packed audience was expecting to attend Dennis Dunaway’s Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs!’ book signing… but they ended up witnessing a full-blown happening.
The legendary reunion show including all-time classics such as “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out”, is now available for the very first time worldwide. Luckily the event was also filmed. The documentary movie “Live From The Astroturf” (edited and directed by Steven Gaddis) was welcomed very warmly in Film Festivals all over the world by music fans as well as rock journalists. The documentary won multiple awards for its coverage of the historic event.
The movie will be included in the live album’s first print CD and Vinyl LP editions.
On September 30th, 2022, experience the legendary (and award-winning) ‘Live From The Astroturf’.
ALICE COOPER is a living legend and one of the most successful and revered solo artists of all time. His live shows are spectacular and a genre unto themselves.
However, in 2015 the original ‘Alice Cooper’ group, including members: Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith and current ‘Alice’ guitarist Ryan Roxie, performed in the most intimate of settings: a record store for a completely unsuspecting audience.
Rock City Music Company, earMUSIC, WCSX and ALICE COOPER have teamed up to bring “Detroit Stories” to life with an exclusive in-store signing set for 4 PM September 23rd, 2021. Fans will have the chance to meet Detroit’s own Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and have their copy of “Detroit Stories” signed in person. This is the first time since 1999 that Alice Cooper has participated in an event of this kind in the metro-Detroit area.
“Detroit Stories” celebrates the rock icon’s hometown and his hard-rock roots.
Most of the album was recorded locally in Royal Oak at Rustbelt Studios, and features a wide array of noted Detroit musicians, including bassist Paul Randolph, guitarist Garret Bielaniec and legendary drummer Johnny (Bee) Badanjek (Mitch Ryder, Rockets). Shortly after its February 2021 release, “Detroit Stories” shot to the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top Album Charts, Cooper’s first album to do so.
“I’m excited to do an album signing in Detroit again,” said Alice, “especially for the ‘Detroit Stories” album, and for all the Detroit fans. Detroit still feels like home in so many ways. And Rock City Music is the right place to do it. We recorded nearly all of it in Royal Oak, and now we can celebrate it in Livonia, followed by the concert two days later up at Pine Knob – I know it’s DTE Energy now but it will always be Pine Knob to us.”
Alice Cooper’s fall tour lands at DTE Energy Music Theatre on September 25th (with special guest Ace Frehley), presented by Live Nation.
Rock City Music Company is a full-service music center featuring a wide selection of the coolest guitars, amps & drums, a killer selection of vinyl records, t-shirts, posters, accessories, novelty items and more. Private lesson rooms, an on-site repair shop, and a pinball corner round out this mecca of music located in the heart of the motor city.
Since opening in 2015, Rock City Music Company has welcomed some of rock music’s biggest stars to its stage including Geddy Lee of Rush, Steve Gorman of the Black Crowes and Glenn Hughes.
Legendary ALICE COOPER celebrated his birthday last Thursday – and proved he is still one of the best and most relevant rock artists. In celebration, Alice Cooper released “Social Debris” from his upcoming studio album “Detroit Stories”.
The track is released digitally and it is accompanied by an official music video.
To celebrate the special occasion in style, Alice Cooper decided to offer “Social Debris” as free download for 24 hours on the artist´s website www.alicecooper-detroitstories.com.
“The single “Social Debris” is a gift to Detroit, to my fans and to myself”, says Alice Cooper. “The track was written by the original Alice Cooper band. We never thought that we would ever fit in; the Alice Cooper band didn’t fit in with anybody, because we were doing things that no other band did. We didn’t fit in with the folk scene, we didn’t fit in with the metal scene, we really didn’t fit in with anything that was going on at that time. We just always felt like we were outsiders. We felt like we were social debris, we were in our own little world. So “Social Debris” was just the original band writing a song about us, essentially. And it came out sounding like it belonged into 1971. That’s just the original band – you can’t change that, it’s great.”
“Detroit Stories,” Alice’s upcoming new album, is a celebration of the sound and spirit of the Golden Era of Detroit rock.
“Detroit was Heavy Rock central then,” explains Alice, “You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your ass kicked.”
“Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield,” he says, “San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground. But Detroit was the birthplace of angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image wise) Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar driven, hard rock sound and our crazy stage show. Detroit was a haven for the outcasts. And when they found out I was born in East Detroit… we were home.”
50 years later, Alice and Ezrin have united in Detroit with their Detroit friends to record “Detroit Stories,”Cooper’s new album.
Tracklist Rock & Roll Go Man Go (Album Version) Our Love Will Change The World Social Debris $1000 High Heel Shoes Hail Mary Detroit City 2021 (Album Version) Drunk And In Love Independence Dave I Hate You Wonderful World Sister Anne (Album Version) Hanging On By A Thread (Don’t Give Up) Shut Up And Rock East Side Story (Album Version)
ALICE COOPER releases “Rock & Roll” today as a first taste of the upcoming studio album “Detroit Stories”, coming February 26th, 2021 on earMUSIC.
“Rock & Roll,” a classic song by The Velvet Underground from the album “Loaded,” is not a casual choice: It´s a song of joy and celebration of that magical moment when we all first turned on Rock and Roll radio …and it saved our lives.
Have a listen: Maybe it will save yours too! Here are some interesting Detroit Stories for the fans of rock and roll trivia and for those who believe that nothing happens by chance (especially in Detroit).
In 1971, the Alice Cooper Group was working in Detroit, with producer Bob Ezrin. Around the same time, also in Detroit, a band called… Detroit, which featured Mitch Ryder, Johnny Bee and Steve Hunter, recorded a heavy new arrangement of Lou Reed’s “Rock & Roll” also produced by… Bob Ezrin. It was when he heard that version that Lou Reed decided to work with Ezrin on the follow-up to his monster hit album “Transformer.” Their collaboration produced the seminal and fascinating classic album “Berlin.” But wait, there’s more.
Steve Hunter, the amazing guitar player who created the iconic main riff that drives Detroit´s cover of the song in 1971, ended up working with Ezrin on many of his productions. He toured and recorded with Alice and with Lou Reed as well…and that same riff is the backbone of this new recording of the song which was done in…Detroit, of course.
Alice Cooper and Lou Reed shared a relationship of mutual respect and friendship over the years. Bob and Lou collaborated several other times and were dear friends for 40 years. Alice and Bob can’t remember how many albums this is and have been creative partners for 50 years.
Listen to Alice’s powerful new version of Lou Reed’s “Rock & Roll” featuring Johnny “Bee” Badanjek (Detroit Wheels), Steve Hunter (Detroit), Paul Randolph (legendary Detroit jazz and R&B bassist) and special guests Joe Bonamassa and Tommy Henriksen (for this occasion, crowned “Honorary Detroiters”) here: https://alicecooper.lnk.to/RocknRoll
A visualizer for the single can be found on YouTube:
“Detroit Stories,” Alice’s upcoming new album, is a celebration of the sound and spirit of the Golden Era of Detroit rock.
“Detroit was Heavy Rock central then,” explains Alice, “You’d play the Eastown and it would be Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, the Stooges and the Who, for $4! The next weekend at the Grande it was MC5, Brownsville Station and Fleetwood Mac, or Savoy Brown or the Small Faces. You couldn’t be a soft-rock band or you’d get your ass kicked.”
“Los Angeles had its sound with The Doors, Love and Buffalo Springfield,” he says, “San Francisco had the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. New York had The Rascals and The Velvet Underground. But Detroit was the birthplace of angry hard rock. After not fitting in anywhere in the US (musically or image wise) Detroit was the only place that recognized the Alice Cooper guitar driven, hard rock sound and our crazy stage show. Detroit was a haven for the outcasts. And when they found out I was born in East Detroit… we were home.”
50 years later, Alice and Ezrin have united in Detroit with their Detroit friends to record “Detroit Stories,” Cooper’s new album.
If 2019’s “Breadcrumbs” EP laid down the trail to the city, “Detroit Stories” drives like a muscle car right down Woodward Ave.
Discover Detroit Stories as they were meant to be told.
“Detroit Stories” will be available on CD, CD+DVD Digipak, CD Box Set (including CD, Blu-ray, T-shirt, face mask, torch light and 3 stickers), and 2LP Gatefold on February 26th 2021 on earMUSIC.
And since Alice hasn’t been able to tour for awhile, Alice asked us to include a DVD and Blu-ray of the incredible last show of the 2019 “Paranormal” tour – “A Paranormal Evening At The Olympia Paris” – available for the first time on video. With all concerts being cancelled or postponed, and the world still facing the Covid 19 pandemic at home, Alice Cooper asked us to bring the show to you… until we can celebrate the joy of Rock and Roll together again.
Tracklist 1. Rock & Roll 2. Go Man Go (Album Version) 3. Our Love Will Change The World 4. Social Debris 5. $1000 High Heel Shoes 6. Hail Mary 7. Detroit City 2021 (Album Version) 8. Drunk And In Love 9. Independence Dave 10. I Hate You 11. Wonderful World 12. Sister Anne (Album Version) 13. Hanging On By A Thread (Don’t Give Up) 14. Shut Up And Rock 15. East Side Story (Album Version)
West Coast post-hardcore/sludge metal unit HORSENECK recently released a rendition of Alice Cooper‘s “School’s Out”. The track follows their Fever Dream full-length, independently issued earlier this year.
Now available on all streaming platforms, guitarist Anthony Paganelli comments of the track, “During our Fever Dream recording sessions, we decided to record a few cover songs. Alice Cooper’s ‘School’s Out’ being one of them. We all love ’70s rock and it’s a big influence in our songs and songwriting. ‘School’s Out’ is a bad ass song and that main riff is so catchy and super fun to play. We jammed on it a few times and decided to record it. The other cool thing about recording this song is that we all did vocals on it. All four of us sang. I even had my kids do the yelling part at the end. They thought it was cool to go in the studio and yell into a microphone a few times. But then again, who doesn’t.”
Stream HORSENECK’S cover of “School’s Out” at THIS LOCATION.
View the band’s previously released videos for “Margaritadelphia” (featuring a guest appearance by Deftones’ Abe Cunningham) and “Matt Lauer’s Secret Button” from their Fever Dream full-length at THIS LOCATION.
Fittingly titled, HORSENECK‘s eleven-track Fever Dream shifts seamlessly from spatial distortion, to specific detail, trying to navigate a nightmare of an existence with the grace of a butcher knife. Fever Dream is driven by the darkness and uncertainty of the world. You can hear it in its melodies, lyrics, and unorthodox use of horns and keys all throbbing under the weight of its own sonic psychosis.
Engineered by the band’s own Lance Jackman at The Dock in Sacramento and mixed and mastered by Eric Stenman (Will Haven, Far, Weezer) at The Appliantz Shop in Encino, the record includes guest vocals from Grammy nominated rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Gary U.S. Bonds and indie rock/folk hero Jules Bee (Baenziger) from Sea Of Bees.
Fever Dream is out now on vinyl and digital formats. For orders, visit the HORSENECK Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION where the record can be streamed in full.
Featuring former Will Have guitarists Anthony Paganelli and Lance Jackman, current Chelsea Wolfe drummer Jess Gowrie, and bassist Lennon Hudson, HORSENECK released their critically lauded debut length album, Heavy Trip, in February of 2017. At once heavy, pummeling, psychedelic, and introspective, the record drew comparisons to the likes of The Melvins, Queens Of The Stone Age, and Red Fang. On their latest output, Fever Dream, HORSENECK has taken their songcraft to a far deeper, darker level. Incorporating a more democratic approach to the songwriting process, all four members contributed to the music and lyrics. The band spent over a year writing and refining songs until the finished product was something somber, heavy, and experimental.
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