The Alice Cooper Thread

[Susan Foreman]

'Paranoiac Personality' was the first single released from the album. It had it's debut airing on 'The Chris Evans Breakfast Show' on June 8th, shortly before being played on Planet Rock. Alice called both shows to preview the single. The official release date was June 9th and the digital single featured 'I'm Eighteen' live from the Dallas Good Records original group reunion as the "b-side". The single was later released as a limited edition 7" white vinyl edition. Musically, it opens with atmospheric sound effects and some gentle guitar before the main riff kicks in. It's a good song and is very catchy

As another reference to the past, the song contains the phrase 'Vicious Rumours', which was the final track on the 1981 'Special Forces' album

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen (Warlock, Hollywood Vampires, George Lynch) - Guitar, Percussion, Sound Effects
Tommy Denander (Michael Jackson, Paul Stanley, Hollywood Vampires) - Guitar
Jimmie Lea Sloas - Bass
Larry Mullen Jr - Drums
Bob Ezrin - Sound Effects

Would it fit into the live set? At time of writing, it is the only song from the album which has been played live, being introduced into the set on July 21st, 2017 at the Bukta City Festival in Tromso, Norway. Apparently it has been very well received

04/12 - Paranoiac Personality (Cooper, Denander, Ezrin, Henriksen)



"Everybody's got somethin' hidin'
In the back of their mind
Everybody's got something up their sleeve... Yeah (yeah)
Everybody's got tangled wires
Tight as they can wind
And all of them tryin' to strangle me.. Yeah (yeah)

I'm smelling a conspiracy (You're paranoid, paranoid)
Tellin' lies about me constantly (Paranoid you're paranoid)
They follow me, I seem them there
Don't they know that feeds my Paranoiac personality

Everybody's got vicious rumours
Drippin' off of their tongue
Everybody can't wait to see me run... yeah
Everybody's got loaded stories
And I know for a fact
Everybody sees a bullseye on my back.. yeah (yeah)

I'm smelling a conspiracy (You're paranoid, paranoid)
Telling lies about me constantly (Paranoid you're paranoid)
They're stalking me, I see you there
Don't ya know that feeds my Paranoiac personality

I'm smelling a conspiracy (You're paranoid, paranoid)
They're tellin' lies about me constantly (Paranoid you're paranoid)
They point at me, They stop and stare
Don't they know they feed my Paranoiac personality
My person-oric paran-ality
Paranoiac Personality"

[Susan Foreman]

'Fallen In Love' is not the ballad that the title leads you to believe. Instead, it's a piece of down 'n' dirty Mississippi blues - not surprising when you consider that Billy Gibbons from ZZTop is the guest guitarist on the song! Indeed, you can spot traces of 'Tush' in the intro! Alice has stated that he wrote the song with Gibbons in mind, and if he had not agreed to appear on it, then the song would not have been recorded

Again, there are nods to the past, with name checks to a 'Billion Dollar Baby' (the title of the 1973 album of course), 'Desperado' (a track from the '71 album 'Killer'), 'Drives Me Nervous' (again from 'Killer') and 'Poison' (from '89's 'Trash')

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen (Warlock, Hollywood Vampires, George Lynch) - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tommy Denander (Michael Jackson, Paul Stanley, Hollywood Vampires) - Guitar
Billy Gibbons - Guitar
Jimmie Lea Sloas - Bass
Larry Mullen Jr - Drums

Would it fit into the live set? Difficult one. No, I don't think this is a song to be played live

05/12 - Fallen In Love (Cooper, Denander, Ezrin, Henriksen)



"I was a tall cool cat an' I was on my own
Callin' girlie after girl on my telephone
Then she stopped me in my tracks with those cold black eyes
She put me on my back, I was paralyzed

My baby's love is hard, my baby's love is tough
If I were anybody else I'da had enough
Call her, she treats me like a dog not a cute little pup
But I've fallen in love and I can't get up
(Get up... Fallen in Love...)
And I can`t get up (fallen in love)

I was a billion dollar baby in a diamond vest
Now I'm a dirty desperado and a steaming mess
She drives me nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof
She's like a deadly cup of a poison that I can`t refuse

My Baby's Love is hard, My baby's love is rough
If I were anybody else I'da had enough
I mean I used ta be a stud now I'm a powderpuff
Cause I've fallen in love and I can`t get up
(Get up... Fallen in Love...)
And I can`t get up (fallen in love)

Now I'm laying on the floor, I'm a broken mess
Somebody rescue me, I'm in distress
I need an S.O.S.

My baby's love is hard, my baby's love is tough
If I were anybody else I'da had enough
Call her, she treats me like a dog not a cute little pup
But I've fallen in love and I can't get up
(Get up... Fallen in Love...)
And I can`t get up (fallen in love)"

[Susan Foreman]

'Dynamite Road' is a fast rocker, similar to what Alice was doing in the mid 80's. It's got a strange vocal performance - it's not exactly singing, but it's not exactly spoken either. It's somewhere in between like only Alice can do! Ultimately, the song ends up as nothing more than a pointless shaggy dog story, but it's highly entertaining and would make a fine single

You want nods to the past? We gottem! Among the lyrics are 'Slick Black Limo' (which was one of the out-takes from 'Billion Dollar Babies' that was included on the 2001 extended re-release), 'Trash' (which was the 1989 album) and the final few words of 'I love that car to death' are almost good enough to be the bands third album ('Love it To Death')

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Sound Effects
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Jimmie Lea Sloas - Bass
Larry Mullen Jr - Drums
Bob Ezrin - Sound Effects

Would it fit into the live set? It possibly could do, as a high energy song

06/12 - Dynamite Road (Cooper, Denander, Ezrin)



"You know life is just a party, man, we're just looking for a thrill
We're gonna rock 'n' roll, and Detroit soul, and plenty of blood to spill
My life is crusin' with my band, man, in my tricked out cadillac
We're always looking death right in the eye, and never, ever looking back

See, the night is full of nitro and we might just explode
Cause we're running like the devil up on Dynamite Road

For the moon is making trouble, man, and the road is dark and long
Hell, we're all seeing double and we know nothing could go wrong

And there's a limo full of party girls and a pickup full of goons
All fueled with hearts of perfidy, alcohol and Skynyrd Tunes
My car is breathing hot and heavy, man, with a vicious evil growl
It's enough to wake the devil, man, it's enough to make him howl

See, the night was full of nitro and we thought we would explode
When that limo hit a hundred and he ran us off the road

I woke up choking at the smell of burning hair and gasoline
Twisted chrome, melted glass and broken bodies at the scene

Now the boys are up in heaven, man, or more likely down in hell
An' I'm all wrapped up in bandages in a lonely holding cell
My memory might me kinda blurry, man, but one thing I know for real
That slick black limo full of ladies had the devil at the wheel

See the night was full of nitro, and man did we explode
We were racing with the devil up on Dynamite Road

I can understand why he forced the band to take their final breath
But did he have to trash my cadillac, man, I love that car to death"

[Susan Foreman]

'Private, Public Breakdown' is another good mid-paced rock song.

Co-Writer and guitarist Parker Gispert is the vocalist in the band The Whigs. Like Nick Didkovsky on 'Fireball', ha also has an educational background, and a 2001 graduate of The Westminster Schools in Altanta, Georgia, and a 2006 graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in philosophy

References to previous songs here are 'Elected', which was a single and track on 'Billion Dollar Babies' also also the line "So welcome to my..., I hope you like my...., I think I love my private public break" which brings back memories of 'Welcome To My Nightmare'

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Parker Gispert - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jimmie Lea Sloas - Bass
Larry Mullen Jr - Drums
Bob Ezrin - Backing Vocals

Would it fit into the live set? It could possibly act as an intro to 'Welcome To My Nightmare'

07/12 - Private Public Breakdown (Cooper, Gispert, Ezin)



"I know tomorrow's not today
I'm on my knees but not to pray
I feel what's real just slip away
I hope you like my...
I hope you love my...
I hope you see my private public breakdown
The secret service
I make them nervous

I watch the traffic passing by
I'm pretty sure that I can fly
Over the trees but twice as high
My strange behavior
I got elected
Cause I'm the savior resurrected

(ohhhhhhho)
(ohhhhhhho)
(ohhhhhhhoh)

I don`t need meds to tie me down
Or squads of feds to stand around
Cause I love floating off the ground
So welcome to my...
I hope you like my....
I think I love my private public breakdown
And I assure you...
That given time
I can cure you"

[Susan Foreman]

'Holy Water' is the obligatory 'quirky' song on the album. With it's use of horns and almost funky meldoy, it's not like anything else that has already appeared on 'Paranormal'. The most likely reason for this is the fact that it's a cover song! 'Holy Water' was originally recorded by the Kentucky based rock/hip-hop band Villebillies, and was the title track of their 2016 album, which can be found here. Musically, it stays very close to the source material, but (other than the opening verse) the lyrics, which appear to be heavily religious, have been totally re-written

Other than Alice and Bob Ezrin, the other credited writers are members of The Villbillies - Stanley (Demi) Demaree, Duston Monyhan, Tim Bernauer, Malcolm McLaughlin, Lewis Richards, but to be honest, as far as I am aware, there is no connection between the two acts. Presumably Alice heard the song and thought (after a bit of a change to the lyrics) it would fit into 'his world'!

References to the past here are not through connections to other songs, but rather descriptions. The opening lines "I got a top hat and a walking cane" are the classic stage wear for 'Welcome To My Nightmare' Alice, and the name check to 'Tiffany' brings to mind Tiffany Lowe, who was the featured dancer during the 'Theatre Of Death' tour

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Steve Hunter (Lou Reed, Aerosmith. Peter Gabriel, David Lee Roth) - Guitar
Jimmie Lea Sloas - Bass
Larry Mullen Jr - Drums
Jeremy Rubolino - Horns
Adrian Olmos - Horns
Chris Traynor - Horns

Would it fit into the live set? Not at all!

08/12 - Holy Water (Cooper, Demaree, Tucker, Monyhan, Bernauer, Mclaughlin, Richards, Ezrin)



"I got a top hat and a walking cane
I got a black cat on a golden chain
I got a white shirt with a bloody stain
Going to the river of love
She got long hair, big brown eyes
She belonged there, it was no surprise
Nothing wrong there, she made me realise
We're going to the river of love
We're going down to the river of love

Ohhhh holy water
Take me down
Hold me under
Ohhhh I feel the power
Fill my soul
With righteous thunder

I was decayed, just like a cavity
Dismayed by my depravity
I got waylaid by all the gravity
So we went down to the river of love
She is a angel, her name is Tiffany
She kinda strange though, but my epiphany
I wouldn't change yo, cause she's a gift for me
And she leads me to the river of love
We going down to the river of love

Oh.. Oh... Oh.. Holy water
Take me down
Hold me under
Ohhhh I feel the power
Fill my soul
With righteous thunder

I look around and I see loneliness, and hearts so bitter and cold
And filled with tawdriness, the dark temptations of the soul
To cure the emptiness you live with every night and day
But I'm here to tell ya, that ain't the way
You gotta sing it out, we gotta reach for the sky
until ya wring it out, an' kiss the devil goodbye
You gotta wrap your arms around the woman you love
And raise you eyes to the lord above, yeah
Raise 'em up to the lord above and say...

Ohhhh.. Holy water
Take me down
Hold me under
Ohhhh I feel the power
Fill my soul
With righteous thunder

Ohhhh.. Holy water
Take me down
Hold me under"

It's possible that there is another version of the song, possibly a demo. The following are printed in the lyric booklet, but do not appear in the actual song:

"I got tight pants and high heel boots
silk gloves and a striped suit
black hair with some silver roots
goin' to the river of love
goin' down to the river of love"

Maybe this will appear on a future 'special edition' of the CD!

[Susan Foreman]

'Rats' is probably the first song on the album that long term fans wanted to hear. It's one of three collaborations on 'Paranormal' with the remaining members of the original Alice Cooper Band. Musically it fits in with the fast and furious rockers that were being released in the early 70's, and it's great to hear a straight-ahead, no nonsense drum beat after the more intricate ones provided by Mullen (not that I'm putting his work down)

The reference to the past here, strangely enough, is the mention of 'Go To Hell', which was the 1976 Alice album. Why do I find it strange? Because it was a solo Alice release and not something he had done with the band. Mind you, maybe the mere inclusion of Bruce, Dunaway and Smith is throwback enough

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen - Guitar, Keyboards, Percussion, Sound Effects, Backing Vocals
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Michael Bruce - Guitar
Dennis Dunaway - Bass
Neal Smith - Drums
Bob Ezrin - Keyboards

Would it fit into the live set? Yes. Knowing the contempt that the stage character has for his audience, I can very easily see this being a show opener, with Alice referring to his fans as 'rats'. However, I think that if it is going to be played during this current tour, it'll only be in the UK as part of the 'original band mini set'

09/12 - Rats (Cooper, Henriksen, Ezrin)



"Well.. Give 'em lots of death, terror and hate
Fill 'em full of meth, they just can`t wait
Give the rats what they want
Give the rats what they want
Open the cage, give the rats what they want

Ohhh.. Give 'em the cheese, the grill and the rye
Some bling and some sex and they glow inside
Give the rats what they want
Give the rats what they want
Just open the cage, give the rats what they want

Let 'em run the maze, let 'em ring the bell
Let 'em chase their tails, let 'em go to hell
Let 'em multiply (That's what they do)
You better give 'em what they want (And they're coming for you)

Let 'em run the maze, let 'em ring the bell
Let 'em chase their tails, let 'em go to hell
Let 'em multiply (That's what they do)
You better give 'em what they want (And they're coming for you)
Give the rats what they want
Give the rats what they want
Give the rats what they want
Give the rats what they want
Just open the cage, give the rats what they want
Just open the cage, give the rats what they want
Ohhh.. Open the cage, give the rats what they want"

[Susan Foreman]

The final song on the first disc, 'The Sound Of A', is a great song. It is much slower than most Alice songs, is incredibly atmospheric and has some lovely guitar work

I have no idea what the 'A' in the title is referring to

It's actually a very old song, and was the first thing that Alice wrote in 1967, although it was never recorded at the time. Listening to it, you can easily imagine it appearing on one of the bands early, psychedelic albums, and it would be fascinating to see it on stage, being played by the current band

Obviously, there are nothing in the lyrics referencing the past, but there are a couple of musical beats that remind me of the intro to 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. Whether they were there back in 1967, or are a re-worked part of the song is anyone's guess, but if they were always present, it opens up a whole bunch of new questions and theories about how Alice saw the original band going

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Tommy Henriksen - Guitar, Sound Effects, Backing Vocals
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Nick Didkovsky - Guitar
Dennis Dunaway - Bass
Larry Mullen, Jr - Drums
Bob Ezrin - Organ

Would it fit into the live set? Yes, as an atmospheric song, it would work quite well, in the same way that 'Pick Up The Bones' worked on the 'Brutally Live' tour

10/12 - The Sound Of A (Cooper, Dunaway)



"The sound of A is in the air
The sound of A is everywhere
With the sound of a gun, and you run, yeah yeah yeah

The sound of A is all around
The sound of A is underground
It will creep into your bones, when you're alone, yeah yeah yeah

Meaningless noise is everybody's toys
Meaningless noise is everybody's toys
Meaningless noise is everybody's toys

The sound of A will keep you down
With that cruel peculiar sound
It will shoot into your brain and remain, yeah yeah yeah

Meaningless noise is everybody's toys
Meaningless noise is everybody's toys
Meaningless noise is everybody's toys

The sound of A
The sound of A
The sound of A"

[Susan Foreman]

The second disc of 'Paranormal' contains a collection of live classics and two new studio songs. The first of these new songs is called 'Genuine American Girl', and it is very interesting. The original idea was the call the song '(I Wanna Be) An American Girl', but this was changed to the current title. Musically, it's another good one, with a 1950's 'sho-wop' vibe.

Lyrically, however, it is fascinating. Many people have read it as being another one of Alice's transgender songs, but this is questionable. Where other tracks in this sub-genre ('King Of The Silver Screen' from the 1977 album 'Lace And Whiskey'; 'Prettiest Cop On The Block' from the 1981 album 'Special Forces'; 'The Ballad Of Jesse Jane' from the 2005 album 'Dirty Diamonds') have been told from a male point of view, there is nothing here to suggest that it is a mans fantasy. Other than the fact that Alice is singing, this song could very easily have been the thoughts of a teenage girl, and I can very easy see someone like Britney Spears or Ariana Grande or whoever the teenage diva of today performing it without raising any eyebrows

The song is loosely based on an old song from 1979, recorded by Neal Smith's Flying Tigers, where it was called 'Red Blooded American Girl', but try as I might, I have been unable to find the original for a comparison

Like 'Rats' on the first album, this track features the original band

References? Just the inclusion of the song title 'No Man's Land' from the 1983 album 'Dada'

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Michael Bruce - Guitar
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Steve Hunter - Guitar
Dennis Dunaway - Bass
Neal Smith - Drums
Bob Ezrin - Keyboards

Would it fit into the live set? Yes, but as with 'Rats', I think it would only be included as part of the original band mini-set. Other than that, I can't see it making the main Alice solo part of the show

11/12 - Genuine American Girl (Cooper, Smith, Ezrin)



"I do my hair, I paint my nails
It pours outside, it never fails
So the make up runs down my pretty face
I'm a muddy mess, a Mac disgrace
But when I leave this room tonight
I'm gonna look and feel alright
Cause my mamma says the world's an oyster and I'm the pearl

I'm a genuine American girl
A bona fide beauty in a ugly world
A vision of pure femininity
Yeah I'm a genuine American girl
From my ruby red lips to my bleach blonde curls
I'm everything I hoped to be

I look in the mirror and what do I see
An immodest little goddess looking back at me
The boys all whistle when I walk by
So I toss my hair and wink my eye
And when I hit the floor tonight
I'm gonna look and feel alright
Cause my mamma says the world's an oyster and I'm the pearl

I'm a genuine American girl
I'm a rock 'n' roll queen in a hip hop world
A vision of pure femininity
Yeah I'm a genuine American girl
From my ruby red lips to my bleach blonde curls
I'm everything I hoped to be

You think it's vanity, or some insanity
But this is No Man's Land and I live here every day
So come and dance with me
Come take a chance with me
I'm only thirty outta fifty shades of grey
What do ya say?

"Hey there big boy, why don't you come up and see me sometime"

And when I hit the floor tonight
We're gonna look and feel alright
Cause my mamma says the world's an oyster and I'm the pearl

I'm a genuine American girl
A bona fide beauty in a ugly world
A vision of pure femininity
Yeah I'm a genuine American girl
From my ruby red lips to my bleach blonde curls
I'm every he-mans fantasy
A feminine fatality
You're gonna know that I am everything I want to be
Oh yeah
I'm everything I wanna be
Uhh huh
Oh yeah"

[Susan Foreman]

The last of the new songs on the album is 'You And All Your Friends'. Opening up with a Ramones approved 'one-two-three-four', the song is another cracking piece of 70's punk/metal with some interesting slide guitar going on

Unlike most of the other songs on the album, I cannot pick out any references to the past on this one!

The line up on the song consists of:
Alice Cooper - Vocals
Michael Bruce - Guitar
Tommy Denander - Guitar
Steve Hunter - Guitar
Nick Didkovski - Guitar
Dennis Dunaway - Bass
Neal Smith - Drums

Would it fit into the live set? Yes, I think it could easily fit into the main set of a show

12/12 - You And All Your Friends (Cooper, Dunaway, Ezrin)



"(One... Two.. Three... Four)

We're burning down your city
The message has been sent
Angels without pity
We hold you in contempt
And this is how it all ends
For you and all of your friends

It's righteous conflagration
It's our way of paying you back
For plundering our nation
Painting heaven black
So this is where it all ends
For you and all of your friends

And when the sun goes down tomorrow
We will no longer be your slaves
And it will be the end of sorrow
Cause we'll be dancing on your graves

Cause this is where it all ends
Too late to make amends
For you and all of your friends"

The rest of the second disc consists of live songs recorded in Columbus, Ohio on 6th May, 2016 featuring the current touring band (Ryan Roxie, Nita Strauss, Tommy Henriksen, Glen Sobel, Chuck Garric). Because these are old songs, (No More Mr. Nice Guy, Under My Wheels, Billion Dollar Babies, Feed My Frankenstein, Only Women Bleed, School's Out) I'm not going to review them because I'm sure most people are already familiar with the studio versions

So, how does 'Paranormal' stand up? Personally, I think it's the strongest album in a long time. The last few releases might have had some standout songs on them, but they also contain their fair share of clunkers. For me, there are no weak tracks on this release. Whether it stands the test of time or not remains to be seen, but at the moment if Alice can continue like this, I hope we don't have to wait another 6 years before the follow up

[Susan Foreman]

Apparently 2018 tour dates are going to be announced soon

This'll be interesting, because I was under the impression that 2017 would be Alice Cooper on tour, and 2018 would be set aside for The Hollywood Vampires on tour