Alice Cooper Band

Really been into Alice Cooper as of recent, or should I say the Alice Cooper Band. Mr. Furnier fired his brilliant band in 1975 and decided to do campy show tunes (barf!) So forget "Welcome to My Nightmare" and dig into "Pretties for You", "Easy Action", "Love It To Death", "Killer" and "Billion Dollar Babies".

Rumor has it that Frank Zappa signed The Alice Cooper Band to his label in the sixties because he asked the band to come to his house and play at 7 and they showed up at 7AM! Zappa immediately signed them because any band thats willing to play psychedelic music (thats right they played psych! fucking Alice Cooper!) at 7 in the morning has to be good!

Dat Rifff

Yeah, yeah, Stiff Little Fingers nicked that riff off Montrose. Sorry to burst your punk bubble. So are The Men being ironic with their opening cut off their new Lp Open Your Heart? Homage to both bands? Do they know that SLF ripped it from Montrose? I guess it is such a simple little riff but instantly recognizable to those that know.

In the art, film, and music worlds themes and ideas get constantly regurgitated for better and for worse. Lets be honest though: Montrose may have invented that riff but Stiff Little Fingers OWNED it. The Men are a great band and the new record is good (not as great as Leave Home) but they didn't play that riff in a new light or context. It limps along and has zero umph and zero bite. Do they really wanna be the band that is known for referencing other bands? When I hear "Turn it Around" I wish I was listening "Suspect Device". Sorry. I feel bad because I really like The Men.