With over 100 bands playing Bonnaroo 2012, it's nearly impossible for you to be familiar with all of them. Fortunately, sites like Youtube and Spotify have made it easier than ever to discover a band's catalog prior to Bonnaroo.
In this series, we will be profiling Bonnaroo 2012 artists by providing a list 10 songs from the artists catalog that provide an excellent primer for those who are either unfamiliar with the artist or only familiar with the hits. For this series, we didn't just pick the "hits" or even the songs most likely to be played in concert, but aimed for a wide range of songs to show off every facet of the artist's catalog.
Today, we'll look at Alice Cooper. With a discography that encompasses over 40 years and 26 studio albums, it can be hard to know where to begin, especially with an artist who has dabbled in everything from Heavy Metal to Industrial to Prog Rock to Show Tunes.
Here are ten songs we think provide a good sampling of Alice Cooper's discography:
"Billion Dollar Babies"
While "School's Out" is the song that everyone associates with Cooper, his other monster hit is the better one, both lyrically and in concert.
"Ballad of Dwight Fry"
This song from Love It to Death was the first to truly show off Cooper's skill as a story song writer. It has been a Cooper live favorite for years.
"Halo of Flies"
While Billion Dollar Babies was Alice Cooper's commercial high water mark, Killer was the band's creative zenith. The album's most ambitious song, the 8 minute "Halo of Flies" has become the Holy Grail for hardcore Cooper fans. He only plays it about twice a decade but every time he does, it immediately becomes a Youtube favorite.
"Years Ago/Steven/The Awakening"
When Cooper went solo in 1975, he made the centerpiece of his first solo effort this three-song mini Rock Opera about a schizophrenic man. Steven has become a bit of a recurring character in Cooper's discography, popping up for cameo appearances on numerous other albums.
"Go to Hell"
The title track from Cooper's second solo effort is the best example of his twisted lyrical humor. Playing off the hatred Cooper's monstrous image caused in Conservative parents, he wrote a song that took the hatred to extremes, with lyrics like "You'd poison a blind man's dog and steal his cane. You'd gift wrap a leper and mail it to your aunt Jane."
"The Quiet Room"
For 1978's From the Inside, Cooper worked with Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin to create a concept album about his time spent in a mental institution during the worst of his alcoholic years. This song, about a suicidal man who "just can't get my wrists to bleed" shows off Alice's softer side.
"Poison"
The Desmond Child produced 80's anthem that brought Cooper back into the public eye in a big way was one of the most played songs on MTV in 1989 and has remained a live show favorite since that time.
"Stolen Prayer"
Cooper's collaboration with Soundgarden's Chris Cornell is considered to be one of the strongest songs on what is considered by many to be the strongest album of his post-70's career.
"Gimme"
In 2000, Cooper proved he could adapt to the changing musical landscape by releasing two albums that flirted with the Industrial Metal genre. "Gimme" remains an Alice Cooper live show staple.
"What Baby Wants"
One of the biggest surprises of 2011 was Alice Cooper's sequel to Welcome to My Nightmare, which included the strangest duet of Cooper's career, with Pop Princess Ke$ha. Ke$ha is a Nashville resident and has appeared on stage with Cooper in the past so if he has a guest appearance at his Bonnaroo show, Ke$ha is a strong bet.
What song are you hoping Alice Cooper will play at Bonnaroo 2012? Let us know in the comments section.
If you have Spotify, you can hear all of the songs in this and all of our Essentials articles with our Bonnaroo Essentials Spotify Playlist.
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