Yes, it is true, the master of horror or joke rock is really good at writing weepy ballads. At least in the furious 70s. The guy is poignant even:

I remember these. Ole Alice could be quite sensitive when he wanted to...

He liked being whipped, but he cried.

Love me some Alice Cooper. I like that in concerts he always follows up Only Women Bleed with a song about having sex with a dead chick.

Cold Ethel.

2freaky4church1 said:

Cold Ethel.

That's the name.

2freaky4church1 said:

That's the name.

I know.

[Edited 2/22/16 13:15pm]

There's more raw vulnerability here than in your average power ballad. I like the original music vid.

it's a late career one, but this power ballad is pretty cool. i love it

Identity said:

There's more raw vulnerability here than in your average power ballad. I like the original music vid.

I liked this music video too. Considering it was pre-MTV and one of the earliest music videos being put out during that time, I thought it was sort of groundbreaking for actually having a concept and narrative behind it. While a few other artists were making videos at that time, most of them were simple performance videos of the artist or band singing.

He really does sound a lot like John Lennon on some tracks.

Identity said:

There's more raw vulnerability here than in your average power ballad. I like the original music vid.

Yeah. Love that one. Along with "You and me" my favourite. Also like "Only my heart talking". Did you know that the other ballad on FTI, "Millie and Billie" features Marcella Detroit from Shakespears sister?

And let's not forget Pass the gun around:

and I am made of you:

[Edited 2/23/16 6:05am]

Not really a ballad, but also no rock song and still one of my favourite Cooper songs. And a clever tribute to Vincent Price, who starred in a movie of the same name (there was a remake done with Will Smith, called I am legend) and was a guest on Alice's "Welcome to my nightmare" album. From the sequel "Welcome 2 my nightmare", "Last man on earth":

PatrickS77 said:

Not really a ballad, but also no rock song and still one of my favourite Cooper songs. And a clever tribute to Vincent Price, who starred in a movie of the same name (there was a remake done with Will Smith, called I am legend) and was a guest on Alice's "Welcome to my nightmare" album. From the sequel "Welcome 2 my nightmare", "Last man on earth":

Vincent Price also took part in Alice Coopers' live TV special "Welcome To My Nightmare" in 1979:

[Edited 2/23/16 7:43am]

I like "You And Me" and "How You Gonna See Me Now" He's actually very underrated as a ballad singer.Those are great songs.

Alice's "From the Inside" album is a masterpiece - IMO.

Empress said:

Alice's "From the Inside" album is a masterpiece - IMO.

Yeah. It is. My favourite next to "Welcome to my nightmare", "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Dada". Speaking of Dada, "Former Lee Warmer" is also pretty great:

Alice Cooper is a very underrated songwriter. And some of his ballads are classic! but he relied too much onthe sappy ballad for hits in the late 70's. It's like he wanted to look as non threatning as possible.

Gunsnhalen said:

Alice Cooper is a very underrated songwriter. And some of his ballads are classic! but he relied too much onthe sappy ballad for hits in the late 70's. It's like he wanted to look as non threatning as possible.

I think it was often only the ballads that would get mainstream radio play from the "hard rockers" of his day. Same with KISS, sans a few exceptions, like their "disco" hits.

They were all hits.

purplethunder3121 said:

PatrickS77 said:

Not really a ballad, but also no rock song and still one of my favourite Cooper songs. And a clever tribute to Vincent Price, who starred in a movie of the same name (there was a remake done with Will Smith, called I am legend) and was a guest on Alice's "Welcome to my nightmare" album. From the sequel "Welcome 2 my nightmare", "Last man on earth":

.

Vincent Price also took part in Alice Coopers' live TV special "Welcome To My Nightmare" in 1979:

.

[Edited 2/23/16 7:43am]

.

the tv special was The Nightmare. not a live show. and a very differnt thing from the concert film Welcome To My Nghtmare. also it was 1975 not 79.

.

[Edited 2/26/16 8:00am]

[Edited 2/26/16 8:03am]

This thread needs more Killer talk. Seriously, one of the great rock albums of it's time.

unknowncheese said:

This thread needs more Killer talk. Seriously, one of the great rock albums of it's time.

Yeah. "Halo of flies", "Desperado", "Dead babies" and "Killer" are amazing songs.

I only like "I'm Eighteen"

His other songs haunt me

I'm a HUGE fan of the Coop...so it makes me quite happy to see this thread. I wholeheartedly agree that AC is criminally underrated as a songwriter, musician and performer. Many folks don't know that, when David Bowie hit the scene, he was accused of being a Cooper rip-off...an accusation that Alice quickly shut down when he defended Bowie. Bowie, for his part, always acknowledged the Coop as an influence and peer. I only point that out because, as time went on, critics started to realize Bowie's genius, and kind of forgot Cooper's songwriting. Most of the time, they focused on his onstage antics, which is a damned shame.

I'm truly happy to hear such tunes as "Former Lee Warmer", "I Am Made of You" and "Pass the Gun Around" get some love!! Those songs are just a couple of the many hidden gems the man has in his catalog.

Empress, you are 100% correct about the From the Inside album being a masterpiece! That has to be one of the most underrated albums of the 70's...if not all time! Likewise, Unknowncheese, I agree that Killer could have its own thread discussing each track in detal! Every tune on that disc is amazing!

[Edited 3/8/16 8:22am]