Alice Cooper Flies Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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Retriever, February 5, 1978 9 Alice Cooper flies over the cuckoo's nest By Gary Serrao htJpes ::~nd unkept promises-youngsters What happened to the man who came itching to break loose and let off some tn symbolize a generation's disgust with steam by taking a few pokes at the srlciety. schools. politicians. and even establishment. Who could captivate an tnnth decay? For Vincent Furney, a.k.a. audience of restless rockers better than. Alice Cooper. it is business as usual after vrm guessed it, Alice Cooper? nParlv a decade of lambasting: high Alice has won our hearts and our schr)r;l teachers. cuddling python snakes. wallets by taking satirical potshots at or stomping the hell out of rubber pu hescent independence (''Eighteen''), f'hickens. corrupt politicians ("Elected"), high Alice Cooper has just released the school I "School's Out"), and social thirteenth album of his career. In this frustration I"No More Mr. Nice Guy"). case the number 13 has proven lucky. He contiJ)ues to tour coast-to-coast Verv few bands have managed to performing before near sell-out crowds. withstand the disintegrating effects of Alice ConpRr turned 31 yesterday and super-stardom long enough to carv-e became a full-time member of the their own niche into the rock world. Alice "establishment." As a result. much of Cormer has carved his own niche 13 his music has mellowed out in recent times over into a nice comfortable ledge. years. Alice still stages the "School's So which Alice Cooper are we Out" madness. but the hectic pace has introduced to in this latest album? Is he cooled somewhat with the inclusion of the counter-culture nightmare whose such mellower pieces as ''Only Women ravings so enraged (or frightened?) the Rleed.'' "You and Me.'' "I Never Cry.'' estaulishment that he was actually and his latest release. ''How You Gonna banned in Birmingham? Or has a new See Me Now.'' Alice emerged from behind the gaudy Alice Cooper enjoys producing ela make-up? A sort of down-to-earth fellow, borate theme albums. His smash album, a beer drinking "one of the boys?" "Welcome to My Nightmare," inspired If vou will recall. Alice Cooper's initial a tv special and a sell-out national tour. Alice Cooper fam~ was his bizarre stage antics His latest effort seems to have been the featuring macabre facial make-up, mock result of a stint in a New York State musical version of the Springfield State despair make for the kind of album that hangings. galse decapitations. birds, Hospital for alcoholism. Hospital. you don't listen to with the light turned spiders. snakes. live chickens, rubber "From the Inside" is a credit to Alice As you can guess, the lyrics are down. Then again, morbidity has always chickens. and even a giant tooth with an Cooper and Company. most notably beautifully arranged. mostly a result of heen a Cooper trademark. equally large toothbrush. Beginning in former Elton John lyricist Bernie Taupin Taupin's genius. Bernie's collaboration Notable cuts include. "How You 1971. Alice eventually cut back on the and half of Elton's performing band; has given the album a much needed Gonna See Me Now." "Jackknife stage chaos and turned his attention Kenny Passarelli. Dee Murray. and quality that is missing from earlier .Johnny.'' and "Inmates," complete with toward serious writing. Davey Johnstone. Even Kiki Dee helped works. Where Alice pounds at your an eerie sing-a-long chorus of "We're Almost from the beginning. Alice's nut with the background vocals. eardrums. Bernie manages to pound All Crazy." music served as a rallying banner for the If you're wondering why this album within your soul. This is a fine Cooper effort. Those of disillusioned. disenchanted rockers of may not be as popular as you'd expect. The problem arises in the cuts that vou who dig Alice will enjoy the latest the early 70's by the unrealistic. etmsider the album theme. It's a disc con.iure up images that are gruesome release. However. this album is not for fantasy-acid rock of previous years. Alke version of ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's and macabre. Visions of padded cells, the squeamish or for those unfamiliar spoke for a genE:;:~tion who had grown Nest" without the laughs. If there's one cruel doctors. savage murders, drug with Alice Cooper's brand of music. tired of a society based on lies. false thing that gives me the creeps it's a addiction. depression. loneliness. and Lord of the Rings I The good battles the evil in a classic tale Bv Paul Strohl His first film. Fritz the Cat, dealt with Lord of the Rinf!S would pose quite a few the Dolby stereo can add to the dramatic Ralnh Bak~hi is one of the few problems of youth. The frustrations and problems. effect. Lack of it in smaller theaters will directors who can make a triumphant violence of the '60s was a good starting If you have read Lord of the Rings then hurt enjoyment. The music is good for failure. His latest film. Lord of the nnint. Then Heavy Traffic and Coonskin you will enjoy the film, because it shows t:b.e action sequences (and its not by John Rin.f!,<;. is a visually stunning yet dealt more with urban decay and racism. the highlights of the story and visualizes Williams!) and despite one ridiculous structurally weak film. Since only half of He turns the city into a background on the events beautifully. Many nuances of vocal piece (Mithrandir) it flows nicely. the film has been completed it is unfair which his animated characters try to the story are glossed over for time's Music is so important to animation and to judge it completely, but in many ways survive. The evil of the real world sake. but the film wasn't meant to fortunately Bakshi learned this long ago. it is disappointing. usually turn out to be too much for them, compete with the book. It supplements The voices work well too. especially that The nucleus of the film is J.R.R. and we end up back where we started it. ft ma~es you want to re-read it. The tJf Gollum. Tolkien's classic tale of good versus evil. from. iov and the excitement come back. Last. let me emphasize that this film Bakshi has captured the essence of the But his films were still considered .If you have not read the original, then has nothing to do with the abominable wr)rk. yet perhaps it was too much to "sex cartoons" and not taken seriously. vou might get lost. Little is done to Rankin/Bass production of The Hobbit attemot in two hours. But when you lonk So Bakshi turned to science fiction/ explain why anything is happening--you which was on TV h the still painful past. at what Bakshi has been doing for the fantasv and did his own epic. Wizards. have to accept it without reason. This is ff you disliked it as much as I did. you ](1st couple of years. it seems inevitable H Pre he completely abandoned reality not to say that you won't like it--just that will appreciate the care that has gone that this would happen. and created a world populated with his vnu are missing the little details that into Lord of the RinJ[s. Bakshi has always Bakshi has always had a vision of a t)wn creations. He tried techniques out ~ade the story so good. If anything, the wanted to do this film. so it is a labor nf wqrld filiPd with corruption. violence and fqr the first time. hoping to make enough movie should encourage you to read the love. So despite the problems. it is well l)vprnnwf>ring evil. His world has heen mnnev to finally do the ultimate good hook. worth going to see. Just think. in three nnP with no n' ui-ral ground. He always vr>rsus evil story--Lord of the Rinf[s. But. all this aside. there are a few little vears you can see the other half. Sn. Ynu hFt<: a strugg]P hPtWPPn good and evil. Wizorrl<; is probably his purPst film. nits to pick. Most notably the have plenty of time to read tht:> h~)nk iight •;Prsus dark. and individualism thgt i~ t.n sa,v fi]]Pd with his ')V.rn ideas. soundtrack. It is surprising how much while you wait. ·. ·pr~u:;: ]t;;:.,;.. nf idi'-iltity. .