So How Do You Feel about Alice Cooper?

I've long been aware of Vince Furnier's "faith as a born-again Christian" [Wikipedia], and have even longer been a fan of his music (in an admittedly "guilty pleasure" kind of way) ... but I cannot recall ever having discussed the artist - his art, his faith, and the relationship between the two - with other knowledgeable "Christian hard music" aficionados.

Cooper's new album - "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" - is MUCH better than I expected it would be (especially when I heard that Ke$ha [sic] contributes a "vocal" part) ... but as it turns out, "Nightmare 2" is IMO perhaps the strongest album AC has released since "Brutal Planet/Dragontown" (and far stronger than "Last Temptation," both musically and production-wise). For those who are familiar with his catalog, it actually works as a "sequel" to/merger of the story lines of both "Nightmare 1" and "Goes to Hell." Musically it's "all over the map" (like "Nightmare 1" wasn't?) but after several listens I would say that everything ties together pretty well. Neither the "disco" tune, nor the surf music, nor the appearance of whats-her-name (appropriately cast as ol' brimstone-breath!), nor even the use of auto-tune on the first track bothers me in the least. It's all about HOW the disparate elements are used that makes or breaks a project from where I sit.

So ... any thoughts from this esteemed community re: Cooper, his faith and his music?

Peace,
Rob
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When I think of Alice Cooper, I think to the old Alice Cooper.
I will take the time to listen to his songs now.

Be aware that there's not a lot of what I would consider to be "Christian" music in Cooper's catalog ... although the lyrics from the albums "The Last Temptation," "Brutal Planet," and "Dragontown" are pretty up-front re: his faith.

I'll answer the initial question "how do you feel about AC ?"

I am a fan of some of his songs. I cannot make judgments on his relationship with our Savior. But here's what troubles me... I feel like 2 Cor 5:17 is getting more and more blurry: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Are those who are born again "in the spotlights" really turning their backs on sin (which is repentance) ? I see some good stuff from Vincent... but what about his other songs ? Does he still perform them in concert ? Why doesn't he lose the Ouija "witch" name of Alice Cooper ?

I know Blackie Lawless has professed faith and is vocal about it, even renouncing their biggest hit cuz it's anti-Christian ("**** like a beast"), but is WASP still doing their other songs in concert ?

Does Alice and Blackie still do the hideous stage antics ? (Saw Alice in 86 and there was some gruesome acts)

There just seems to be a lack of total "change" in a lot of stars who accept Christ.

I think the one who's done the most 180 degree change is Brian Welch. Renouncing all that he was and embracing Christianity without apology.

I could be wrong on these things, but it's how I "feel" and what I've observed.

I saw on an interview (It was on a Christian broadcasting network, but I don't remember which one) where he said after he came to Christ there was a day he woke up where he couldn't even remember writing, recording, or playing anything from a number of hist first albums that were considered evil. And now, he doesn't play anything from those albums in any of his shows and only plays songs that aren't compromising to his newly found faith. If I can find that interview, I'll post it here.

I have to confess that I never was a huge Alice fan (beyond a few songs here and there). I had the "Last Temptation" and "Brutal Planet" albums and I ended up trading them after a few months. I certainly respect his longevity in the music biz, and wish him the best. I think Fundy is a fan, and has several of his albums.

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

I'll answer the initial question "how do you feel about AC ?"

I know Blackie Lawless has professed faith and is vocal about it, even renouncing their biggest hit cuz it's anti-Christian ("**** like a beast"), but is WASP still doing their other songs in concert ?

Does Alice and Blackie still do the hideous stage antics ? (Saw Alice in 86 and there was some gruesome acts)

I don't know about Alice, but I read in a recent concert review that Blackie has indeed self-censored some of the lyrics in his songs so that they don't "clash with his faith" (IIRC the reviewer didn't seem very pleased about it either). I also saw a very inspiring clip where he prayed (and essentially preached) from the stage at a concert.

I'm pretty keen on Alice's 80's stuff up until Dragontown, but I only own four of his albums now (Last Temptation, Brutal Planet, Dragontown and Eyes of). He's vocals are great, and I still have a lot of affection for Trash and especially Hey Stoopid.

As for his faith, I believe he's a Christian, and other than that I can't really comment


Fundy

I like Alice's music and respect him for being so outspoken about his faith. You can check out some Alice Cooper interviews at this site (along with a ton of other artists, many of them Christian). He is much more outspoken about his faith than others who are in the Christian music industry, which I found interesting.

http://listenin.org/interviews/archive/artists/Cooper_2100_+Alice/default.aspx

Alice Cooper is the real deal. Never shys away from his faith and makes no bones about it. His perspective as I understand it is that this is SHOW BUSINESS! The theatrics are just that....

You might not care for the theatrics and find them offensive.... However his influence is undeniable and is in a very unique position to share his faith with others through his sphere of influence.... WHO else would ever have a chance of speaking with Rob Zombie.... When they toured together I have no doubt that conversation had to of occurred.... And even if the conversation didn't... The change in Alice in irrefutable..

I love his music, though I'm not all that familiar with most of his songs and don't actually own any of his CDs. I have heard some of his more recent hits (the spider one he did last year, "Brutal Planet", "Dragontown", etc.)

The song "Brutal Planet" really sums up where he stands though:

Quote :

It's such a brutal planet
It's such a living hell
It was a holy garden
That's right where Adam fell
It's where the bite was taken
It's where we chose to sin
It's where we first were naked
This is where our death begins

And

Quote :

We took advice from that deceiving snake
He said don't worry it's a piece of cake
And sent us swimming in a burning lake
Now we're abandoned here for heaven's sake
Right here we stoned the prophets
Built idols out of mud
Right here we fed the lions
Christian flesh and Christian blood
Down here is where we hung ya
Upon an ugly cross
Over there we filled the ovens
Right here the holocaust

I also managed to dig up this gem from 1977:

Quote :

If I should find myself in blackest night,
and fear is stabbin' me all over,
a tiny prayer cracks the dark with light,
and I here sounds behind my wall
Inside, a still small voice, it calls and calls
Then like a thunder bolt it falls and falls:
My God!

When life becomes more real than children's games,
or we've become too old to play them,
We'll grow old gracefully,
we'll hide our shame
but there's that voice behind the wall
And like my conscience, it is still and small
Each word is mercy, protects us all:
My God!

"Et in lux perpetuo"
"Deu domine"
"Et in pax aeternus"
"Deu domine"

I was a boy, when tempted, fell sometimes,
and fell so low, no one could see me,
save for the eyes of Him that sees my crime
When sheep, like me, have drifted lost,
all frightened children who are tempest tossed,
down flies His wrath like an albatross:
My God!

I had heard that he had been raised Christian but had fallen away. The fact that "My God" was released early in his career seems to back that up.

found this interesting...

Great interview.

Fundy

The points he makes are pretty deep. They hit home too.

I'm finding the older I grow in the Lord, the less I have it all together. What's expected from a child of God from the world's view is perfect holiness, as is what's expected from a lot of church mucky mucks. We are to strive for holiness, but when it all comes down, we're just a buncha sinners with sinful bodies and minds, only difference is, we're God's adopted kids now.

I think I've been a bit hypocritical in questioning Alice, when my own life consists of its own major short-comings. I have a heart to follow and seek after Jesus and know Him, just like Alice (Vincent), but just like Paul in Romans 7, I keep doing what I know I shouldn't, and not doing what I know I should. I retract my questions about Alice, and am humbled that God would call me, as well as Alice into His Kingdom, not because of anything we are, but because of who He is.

Well said brother.

Thanks for posting that interview, G/F - very informative!