Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Poor Alice Cooper

So, for purposes inexplicable, I happened by chance to go into a local pharmacy/convenience store the other day for some reason or another. We'll call the store...ummmm...CVS. Yeah. So, while I was there, the music was generally a directionless potpourri of songs from bygone eras, stretching from the 40s and 50s bubblegum music to synthed 80s pop, with some crossover country hits like "Heard it in a Love Song" mixed in. (I was there for a while, mind -- CVS sure takes its time filling prescriptions).

But one song jumped out at me. This was "School's Out for the Summer" by Mr. Alice Cooper. And suddenly, something in my heart just broke for poor Alice. I mean, here he is, the veritable Marilyn Manson of his generation, and what's he been reduced to? Background music in a CVS. I mean, what's this mean for the future, when the satanic of yesteryear becomes the elevator music of today?

Correct me if I'm wrong on this, oh ye few readers who were around when Mr. Cooper was still shocking. Was he relatively as notorious as Manson was in his heyday? Should I expect to hear "The Beautiful People" or "I don't like the drugs (but the drugs like me)" in the Wal-VS of the future?

No doubt it will be directly followed by "Down on Main Street". By Mr. Bob Seger.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, I dug deep into my music history books and discovered that Alice was indeed, the Marilyn Manson of my-er-the older-generation. The makeup, the dark, death-obsessed songs, the ritualistic killing (allegedly) of kittens or puppies or bats and eating them onstage.

I think Alic is probably rolling over in his grave. What? He's not dead?
Bet he wishes he were.

And, no, we won't be hearing any Marilyn Manson in CVS ever. Too bad.
He deserves it.
Because I said so.

Michael Harrel said...

Actually, last I heard, ol' Alice had converted to Christianity. He recently wrote a comic book (co-written by Neil Gaiman; I've read it and it's not too bad) with some pretty clear redemptive themes. I heard rumors somewhere that he's taught a sunday school class even (but haven't had that part verified).

Unknown said...

I heard that too. He also traded his alcohol addiction for a golf addiction(he has a book out right now on golf)
I knew this stuff, but didn't think that it made a very entertaining comment. No offense.