Alice Cooper recently stopped by the SiriusXM studios appearing on SiriusXM’s Hair Nation channel.
Alice talked about his 29th studio album, Road, with SiriusXM’s Mark Strigl and how he decided to put the concept together for the album.
“The concept’ll be, where do we know’ em? The road. That’s when we see each other all the time,” Alice explained. “I want you guys to write anything about the road. I don’t care if it’s funny, tragic, silly, horrific — it doesn’t matter. And then we’re gonna take it and we’ll mold those songs into an Alice Cooper album. So it’ll be 13 songs, different stories that tell one big story.”
Alice then required the musicians - in order “to show off how good you are,” he clarified - to record the songs together, live in studio.
“I want everybody to play at the same time. No beds. I don’t want to put a bed track here. I said, ‘You guys are good enough to just play it live,'” he recalled. “What this does, though, is it doesn’t give the song a chance to get old.”
Specifically, he said he didn’t want Road to sound like Supertramp or Steely Dan. “Those are great records, and they’re perfect, and that’s why they’re so good. I wanted this to breathe. And it worked,” he said.
Alice also opened up about if he can picture doing a farewell tour.
“I cannot picture a final [Alice Cooper] show. I really can’t, because I’ve never even thought about what that would be,” he admitted. “It’s just — it’ll go ’til it can’t go anymore.”
He added, “I always said, I will never go on stage as Alice Cooper if I can’t play him the same way I played him in 1975, with the same energy. You know, in all reality, I’m playing with better energy now than I did then. The character’s gotta look like Alice Cooper. I can’t, you know, fall apart, or I can’t stumble, I can’t go up there with a cane. That’s not Alice Cooper.”
Watch the video below, courtesy of SiriusXM’s Hair Nation / SiriusXM’s Mark Strigl:
Produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, Road was written, composed and recorded with Alice's trusted, longtime bandmates - Ryan Roxie [guitar], Chuck Garric [bass], Tommy Henrikson [guitar], Glen Sobel [drums], and Nita Strauss [guitar]. Road channels the spirit of old school Alice with instantly recognizable grit and plenty of gusto. It’s everything you’d hope for from him and more.
“For Road, I wanted the band to be involved in the foundation of all the songs,” says Alice. “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so.”
The album opener and first single, “I’m Alice”, sets the tone for the album with its driving drumbeat as guitars wail in the distance. Alice’s instantly recognizable rasp takes hold, “I know you’re looking for a real good time. So, let me introduce you to a friend of mine. I’m Alice. I’m the Master of Madness; the Sultan of Surprise...so don’t be afraid, just look into my eyes.”
Order your copy of Road at AliceCooper.com.
Road tracklisting:
"I'm Alice"
"Welcome To The Show"
"All Over The World"
"Dead Don't Dance"
"Go Away"
"White Line Frankenstein"
"Big Boots"
"Rules Of The Road"
"The Big Goodbye"
"Road Rats Forever"
"Baby Please Don't Go"
"100 More Miles"
"Welcome To The Show” lyric video:
"White Line Frankenstein" video:
"I'm Alice" video:
