When Alice went solo in 1975, he became an even bigger commercial success than before. Instead of five inebriated rock'n'roll dudes on stage, there was only one, and he was buoyed up by a professional team of musicians and dancers. All he had to do was stay in tune and not fall over. This show makes an interesting comparison with the 'Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper' DVD, which was shot in 1973 and presented a much edgier, darker 'Alice', along with the original band. From 1975 onwards, much of the spontaneity (both musical and theatrical) was replaced by scripted split-second discipline and inflexible stage-cue timing. While this made for fine rock theater, the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' show was at several removes from a great rock gig. Also gone were the provocative, challenging elements. A slightly nasty bout of mannequin-bashing aside, you could have taken your kids to this show. Just this side of Sid and Marty Krofft, in fact. Musically and visually, the hired-hands musical crew are less prominent, and impart a certain leaden stodginess to their interpretations of their forbears' work. Mostly though, the set list covers the vocalist's first solo album, and the band sounds far better performing their studio work live. Even so, the lengthy 'spider battle' guitar duel which opens 'Devil's Food' will have all but the most dedicated fretboard enthusiasts reaching for the remote and sweet, merciful 'fast forward'. Essentially though, this is a show, not a gig, and on its own terms, it is an enjoyable one. If you like the 'Welcome To My Nightmare' album, you'll need this. A little bit rock'n'roll, a little bit pantomime, a whole lot of tipsy staggering and slurring from the vocalist, call it 'Alice Lite', grab a beer and have some silly fun.
6 Reviews
A given for fans but for the casual viewer there is the fun of seeing what Spinal Tap was spoofing
bob the moo13 August 2007
This film is an Alice Cooper concert at the Wembley Arena in London from 1975. It probably does help to be a fan of Alice Cooper to watch this film (in the same way as people who dislike ballet will probably not care that they have just seen a really good ballet because it will still do nothing for them). However I watched it partly out of curiosity but also because I am always curious to see how films play when they are not being watched by their target audience. In other words I always assume that a genre film will do the basics to please genre fans but what marks it out is how it plays to audience who have a more general requirement. The parallel is perhaps not great but essentially I was interested to see if the concert was "just for fans" or if it worked for the casual viewer as well.
Well, for me it sort of did but probably not in the way that it will work for fans. In my experience of the man (much later in his career) Cooper was always a rocker with a sense of flamboyance, being OTT and not taking it too seriously. I know a few of his songs but his best are behind him by decades and it is only really the couple of biggest hits that get regular airings that the casual viewer will take from this film. What made it worth seeing for my money was the sense of period.
The show itself is a wonderfully camp rock concert that made me understand just what it was that Spinal Tap was spoofing. The show is set in Cooper's bedroom where we have creatures dancing around only to disappear into a massive toy box, skeletons coming out during Steven, him beating a woman unconscious during "Only Women Bleed", a giant spider's web, a big furry Cyclops and other weird moments that make up his stage show. It is a million miles away from the modern rock concerts where songs are performed, pyrotechnics explode and those who are about to rock are saluted etc. Within these weird happenings on stage, Cooper is a good fit. Dressed in a sort of adult romper suit and in his famous black eye makeup Cooper staggers round totally bought into the action he is part of. OK at times I was laughing and unable to take it seriously but to a point I guess that was the aim.
The production of the film as well as the action dates it as it is obviously not up to modern standards. The sound is not as crisp as you would like, which didn't bother me too much but what did bug me was the fact that it had comparatively little crowd noise on the soundtrack. Similarly the crowd are mostly missing visually and I would have liked to see more crowd shots just to get a feel for how all this stuff was going down with them it was only in School's Out where we got to see and hear them, which suggests their reactions up till that point had perhaps not been good enough to make it onto the film. Otherwise the action is filmed from several well placed but mostly static cameras quality is a bit fuzzy but it comes with the territory.
Overall then a strangely enjoyable concert film. It goes without saying that Cooper fans will enjoy it but for the casual viewer it is a wonderfully weird concert that delights as a camp throwback to rock of the day. Sure, at times you're laughing at it but mostly it is entertaining.
Well, for me it sort of did but probably not in the way that it will work for fans. In my experience of the man (much later in his career) Cooper was always a rocker with a sense of flamboyance, being OTT and not taking it too seriously. I know a few of his songs but his best are behind him by decades and it is only really the couple of biggest hits that get regular airings that the casual viewer will take from this film. What made it worth seeing for my money was the sense of period.
The show itself is a wonderfully camp rock concert that made me understand just what it was that Spinal Tap was spoofing. The show is set in Cooper's bedroom where we have creatures dancing around only to disappear into a massive toy box, skeletons coming out during Steven, him beating a woman unconscious during "Only Women Bleed", a giant spider's web, a big furry Cyclops and other weird moments that make up his stage show. It is a million miles away from the modern rock concerts where songs are performed, pyrotechnics explode and those who are about to rock are saluted etc. Within these weird happenings on stage, Cooper is a good fit. Dressed in a sort of adult romper suit and in his famous black eye makeup Cooper staggers round totally bought into the action he is part of. OK at times I was laughing and unable to take it seriously but to a point I guess that was the aim.
The production of the film as well as the action dates it as it is obviously not up to modern standards. The sound is not as crisp as you would like, which didn't bother me too much but what did bug me was the fact that it had comparatively little crowd noise on the soundtrack. Similarly the crowd are mostly missing visually and I would have liked to see more crowd shots just to get a feel for how all this stuff was going down with them it was only in School's Out where we got to see and hear them, which suggests their reactions up till that point had perhaps not been good enough to make it onto the film. Otherwise the action is filmed from several well placed but mostly static cameras quality is a bit fuzzy but it comes with the territory.
Overall then a strangely enjoyable concert film. It goes without saying that Cooper fans will enjoy it but for the casual viewer it is a wonderfully weird concert that delights as a camp throwback to rock of the day. Sure, at times you're laughing at it but mostly it is entertaining.
Great showman
shannonphoenix23 June 2005
I saw this in either the late 70s or early 80s on television in Pennsylvania on a horror movie program. At that time, I was getting over the fear of him, or actually the snakes. I have hated snakes since I stood on one when I was six. But, he is a great showman and his stage antics made an excellent show/concert.
Any fan of the Masters or classics have to see this. I cannot figure out what my favorite part of it was, but Vincent Price was a great touch. It is strange that "Welcome to my Nightmare" was considered "acid rock" and now is seems so much more mellow compared to today's music.
I lived in Phoenix and just about everyone there knows him or has met him a few times and he is very approachable and a great guy. He gives back a lot to the community and does a lot of good with some of his fund raisers. Not to mention, he owns half the town. He should run for governor again, "a messed up governor for a messed up state" is an understatement for those who live or have lived in Arizona.
But, any one interested in the History of Rock needs to see this. It is a great story and he is a great showman and puts on a good show.
Any fan of the Masters or classics have to see this. I cannot figure out what my favorite part of it was, but Vincent Price was a great touch. It is strange that "Welcome to my Nightmare" was considered "acid rock" and now is seems so much more mellow compared to today's music.
I lived in Phoenix and just about everyone there knows him or has met him a few times and he is very approachable and a great guy. He gives back a lot to the community and does a lot of good with some of his fund raisers. Not to mention, he owns half the town. He should run for governor again, "a messed up governor for a messed up state" is an understatement for those who live or have lived in Arizona.
But, any one interested in the History of Rock needs to see this. It is a great story and he is a great showman and puts on a good show.
Long Live the Coop!
LovesGoodEntertainment4824 June 2020
Warning: Spoilers
For over 50 years rock legend Alice Cooper has rocked and shocked audiences with his octane hard rock and even on a few albums metal. Cooper to this day remains a force in music and is still incredible.
In 1975, Alice Cooper the singer went solo (after years with the original Alice Cooper Group) and put out a masterpiece of an album called Welcome To My Nightmare. For many it is his best album, though personally there are several later career albums like From the Inside, The Last Temptation and Brutal Planet that I like even more.
However make no bones about it this set the standard for all theatrical stage shows that follow it. Alice is always great on stage and there is a ton of great theatrics and just flat out great songs such as Cold Ethyl and the Black Widow along with some hits you would expect as well. Cooper is always high energy and a ton of fun and actually in real life is a very nice guy.
If like you like hard rock and theatrics then you need to see this. Long live the Coop!
In 1975, Alice Cooper the singer went solo (after years with the original Alice Cooper Group) and put out a masterpiece of an album called Welcome To My Nightmare. For many it is his best album, though personally there are several later career albums like From the Inside, The Last Temptation and Brutal Planet that I like even more.
However make no bones about it this set the standard for all theatrical stage shows that follow it. Alice is always great on stage and there is a ton of great theatrics and just flat out great songs such as Cold Ethyl and the Black Widow along with some hits you would expect as well. Cooper is always high energy and a ton of fun and actually in real life is a very nice guy.
If like you like hard rock and theatrics then you need to see this. Long live the Coop!
only for hard die fans
jp-deluca7 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Cooper's Welcome to My Nightmare album was a classic, and his supporting tour was amazing, yet the video documenting that tour is downright awful. As interesting as the tour might have been, the video and audio quality on the tape are so horrible that viewers will have a hard time deciding which song is playing and figuring out if the colorful frogman running around on stage is Alice Cooper, a dancer or a band member. As provocative as the video may be, considering it was one of his most entertaining tours ever, fans should be advised that Welcome to My Nightmare is a complete waste of money and is not even worth attempting to watch. If only the concert had been filmed with higher quality equipment, it just might have been his best video release yet.
Gotta Love This
vwolak20 May 2003
I seen this one a couple of years ago, and it is always fun to watch. Alice Cooper made this as a last ditch attempt to rise his career from the ashes after the classic Alice Cooper Band dissolved. Producer Bob Ezrin was a major ingredient in this production as well, showing how he uses some elements that were not common in the rock and roll vein. He uses these elements later on for future high profile projects such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and Kiss Destroyer. Cooper and Ezrin came up with Welcome To My Nightmare, the album and broadway play. The main theme is Alice portraying a demented individual named Steven, who displays an array of emotions such as amusement, confusion, anger, and mostly fear. Steven encounters trolls, giant spiders, a giant cyclops, and dances like Fred Astaire. This play incorporates the "Nightmare" music as well as some Alice Cooper Classics. I don't know if calling it a "play" is too accurate (I used it for lack of a better term), it is more like several music videos back to back, as there is hardly any dialogue between numbers. "concert" may not be an accurate word either, due to the concept involved. This production was unique for it's day. It has a demented aura from start to almost finish (the last 2 songs were too upbeat to follow through the theme).
Alice does a great job portraying Steven. Alice Cooper was an "alter ego" of sorts to Vincent Furnier (Alice's real name), and Steven appears to be an additional alter ego of his as well in a professional sense. I know this all sounds like mumbo-jumbo, but to an Alice Cooper fan it all makes sense.
Interesting to note:
Alice Cooper met his future wife during the making of "Nightmare."
A lot about "Nightmare" as well as Alice's full career was outlined in a VH1 Behind the Music episode. Definitely worth watching if you liked "Nightmare."
Alice does a great job portraying Steven. Alice Cooper was an "alter ego" of sorts to Vincent Furnier (Alice's real name), and Steven appears to be an additional alter ego of his as well in a professional sense. I know this all sounds like mumbo-jumbo, but to an Alice Cooper fan it all makes sense.
Interesting to note:
Alice Cooper met his future wife during the making of "Nightmare."
A lot about "Nightmare" as well as Alice's full career was outlined in a VH1 Behind the Music episode. Definitely worth watching if you liked "Nightmare."
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
