Alice Cooper
Welcome to My Nightmare

If this macabre "freak of nature" in flesh and bone hadn't existed or had chosen another profession, surely Marilyn Manson, Lizzy Borden, Twisted Sister, and W.A.S.P. would have worked as clowns with Moira Orfei. Defining Alice Cooper's impact on the rock world is like scaling Everest. The gentleman from Detroit is a multifaceted artist, with nearly 40 years of career behind him, having explored a multitude of genres (some say to follow trends, others say to express his vast musical culture) such as rock 'n' roll, hard rock, blues, psychedelic rock, country, jazz, folk, heavy metal... Even though Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Arthur Brown initiated transgressive performances, Cooper's live performances were unmatched in the '70s and, while they might make some laugh today, back then they horrified conservative American society. Alice is not only a great musician but also a great actor. Watching him live is like witnessing a gruesome theatrical representation, and his acting succeeds in "captivating" the audience with his impaled and decapitated dolls, his python coiled around his neck, his mannequins hammered with splatter effects, and the necrophilic acts (obviously staged) with them.

But now let's talk about this "Welcome to My Nightmare", one of the most representative works of his vast discography and his first as a solo artist. In fact, Alice Cooper was originally a full band, and the singer was credited with his birth name (Vincent Furnier), later legally changed to Alice Cooper. "Welcome to My Nightmare" is a concept album, narrating the nightmares of a young boy named Steven, and it is not only a great album for its musical composition but also for the theatricality it exudes. A "special guest" worth mentioning is actor Vincent Price, who lends his voice to a character within the album's theme, "The Curator" (for those who might not know, Price did the chilling laugh at the end of Michael Jackson's "Thriller").

The album begins with the title track, the eerie sounds and Cooper's "sinister" voice introduce Steven to the world of nightmares. "Devil's Food" continues the protagonist's dark journey and immediately connects with "The Black Widow". "Some Folks" is a bizarre piece (the intro sounds like the "Addams Family" theme) where Steven starts going insane and asks for help. But now let's leave room for "Only Women Bleed", a great track, one of Cooper's greatest, a truly moving ballad where Cooper becomes a spokesperson for women's rights (who would have thought?). It continues with the rebellious "Department of Youth" and "Cold Ethyl", a track with a hard rock sound and macabre lyrics in which Alice explains having a sexual relationship with a frozen corpse (what the hell of tastes!!!). "Years Ago" is terrifying, a truly "harrowing" track rich in suspense, with Cooper deserving a standing ovation for his performance. Equally notable is "Steven", where the young boy is at the peak of panic. Fortunately, everything ends well with "The Awakening", and "Escape" wraps up this heart-wrenching story.

I don't think it might appeal to Alice's admirers from the "Raise Your Fist and Yell", "Trash", or more recent "Brutal Planet" and "Dragontown" periods, but, in my opinion, it is one of the best rock albums in history. Alice is an artist who, for better or worse, has earned the position he has achieved.