Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Alice Cooper Wonders Where the Balls Have Gone in Rock 'n' Roll

Posted 3 hours ago

If you're going to talk smack about someone else, you better be able to back it up. Well, when Alice Cooper asks Noisecreep, "Are all American bands metro-sexual now?" dude can back that s--- up. One of rock's living legends, Cooper has had it with the lack of real men in rock. "I heard the title Vampire Weekend and I thought, 'Oh, man, that's gonna be great. I gotta see it,'" he says. "And there are these guys with little Gap T-shirts on and I'm going, 'What happened to the balls in rock 'n' roll? Why are American bands so wimpy?'"

Who does earn his hard rock seal of approval? "The Foo Fighters get up there and they rock, they know how to rock. Green Day rocks, they get up there and they have energy," he says. "I am worried that a lot of the newer bands that are coming out are depending too much on keyboards and being sensitive. Maybe I'm just not sensitive anymore. I like to hear a band be stupid and drunk. I wish I could see more bands like that were like early Guns N' Roses, early Aerosmith, just snotty rock 'n' roll bands."

Continue reading here: http://www.noisecreep.com/2009/09/02/alice-cooper-wonders-where-the-balls-have-gone-in-rock-n-roll/

aint that the truth  :'(

Alice Cooper is the man!

I love his quote from years ago about Welcome to the Jungle. i forget the exact quote but it was something like "when i first heard Welcome to the Jungle, i thought 'there's the song i've been trying to write my entire career.'" and there was frustration in his voice that he was this new band that did what he had been trying to do for years in their first album. quite a compliment.

i wonder if he likes buckcherry?

Indeed. We all want rock to be ballsy again.


Alice Cooper (http://www.newgnr.com/forum/Smileys/chindem/bow.gif)

Good Opinion... But, Music Is Evolution, Is ART...

GNR Is ART, my opinion.

 : ok:

I'd like to see Alice Cooper.

I'd like to see Dizzy explain to him why he told Izzy your dentist isn't a good topic for a song--lol.  Oh yeah I'm telling!

I have to agree with Alice. What made Guns great besides the music was the attitude. They were just five bad asses from the other side of the tracks who were there to kick your ass. Today's bands are missing that. There are really no bands in the mainstream that represent the true spirit of Rock and roll( Rebellion, angst!!).

I wish GnR was morelike early GnR :o

This has nothing to do with members either.

It's all about standing against the status queue. (The current format of conforming in any given decade or century.) Bands like G&R, Alice Cooper the Doors were bands that took a chance to stand up for the truth than being someone else's hand puppet. Today's bands are playing it safe. They want to say something about the b.s. but don't dare pass the line. Hey I can't blame them. There in it for the money. Once you've made the money you really don't have to stand up for anything anymore because you just don't care. Now you can get anything you want. You don't have to answer to a 40-50 hour work week to make a living.  :smoking:

Wonder if hes seen or herd 'Black Tide'  those kids tear it up!

It all ties in to the Illegal download argument. When record companies are losing money because people are getting there music for free they are less likely to sign artists that are groundbreaking or even dangerous. Theyd rather go with the safe bet. Someone who is squeaky clean and who can be marketed in different genres ( pop, rock etc.). Hence Nickelback, fall out boy , Daughtry etc...

Alice is dead right. Dead on, 100 % right. There's too much makeup nowadays. And I don't mean the faces of death guys like him and KISS had in the 70's. I mean eye liner, mascara, lipstick etc. It's like Blink 182 and Marilyn Manson had a kid, and the little bastard child has spawned clones.

But don't worry Alice. There's some of us out there that still believe in raw, drunken, angry, gutteral punk metal rock.

And we'll take music back soon...not to worry.

um... paging mr. cooper... there's a band that's every bit as awesome as early GNR... they're called GNR.

sure, this old guy's a legend, but come on... get with the times man.  he totally made an ass of himself in that interview.

yeah! Black Tide! those kids are damn good

nah man, he didn't, he voiced his opinion, if you think he made an ass of himself with the interview maybe u just made an ass out of yourself with your post : ok:

I think people grow up. It would sound pretty stupid if the old band were still togheter and acting like drunk and drug addicteds just to make this whole rock n' roll attitude. They would probably get killed eventually anyways.

I don't think he's saying that GNR should be that way now, but rather...

yea i think he's talking about bands at their early stages. he wants them to be young (immature) pretty (in boyish ways) and stupid

I think he's saying that he wants rock n roll to be rock n roll

A lot of metal music still has some of that rock-vibe to it in the sense that it speaks towards something.

And you have the leather, spikes, make-up, long hair and the attitude.

and what's rockn roll?

it's almost non-existant among new mainstream bands

ur not really answering my question.

yeah i did : ok:
tell me, what is rock n roll?

It's an attitude.

Having a band with guitars, bass and drums doesn't make it rock n' roll....





/jarmo

I pretty much agree with that, although i hate when rappers "party like rockstars"  :hihi:

and what attitude?

Do what you think is right and believe in, even if it means going against what everybody else is doing.

You have to believe in it, you can't just fake it and go against something just for the sake of being different.

 ;)



/jarmo

Back then the society were pretty christian-moralistic, with sex, partying, looks etc-
- so the expression rebelled against it.

Today, I think you need to be beyond that, as Axl said; "Where do we go now?".

A lot of chicks in pop-music are actually more rockn'roll than anyone. :hihi:

and not to be a rock but to rock n roll, it refuses to gather moss. It's always moving forward rather than dwelling on its past glory. I still don't think Alice meant that maybe hes in the wonderland.

and there's no epic in there--lol

Rock with balls is the difference between AFD and Estranged.  It's the difference between smoking pot and drinking jack.  It's coming off the line, going through the gears and sliding around the curves.  It can't be tamed and it can't be loud enough.

Last time I heard it was coming out of Argentina.

it's the difference between smoking pot and drinking jack?  :hihi: please elaborate  ;D

what did u hear from argentina? :)

don't cry for me argentina?

One of the finest examples of Rock N' Roll is the Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers album.

Totally agree with Alice.  I think everyone misses the crazy rockstars like Guns n Roses, Motley Crue, Ozzy and keith Richards. 
As them rock starts get older, no one has really replaced them.

I agree, I think Katy Perry rocks harder than most :hihi:

motley crue ?!  :hihi:

Yeah but not for the music lol!   :rofl:
The Dirt is one of the most entertaining books ive ever read!

They were pretty rock'nroll during the satd-era, then I dunno wth happened. :confused:



Confidence is a must, packing it is a plus.
-Britney Spears

Like a sleazy rock-lyric, then the drugs, alcohole, reckless life and scandals. See? :P

I think the problem is that Alice assumed Vampire Weekend were a heavy metal band based on their name alone. They're not. They're an 'Afro-Pop' band whose songs are in the vein of Paul Simon's Graceland, and they're preppy Oxford kids. They're actually pretty good, if you're into that sort of thing. One of their songs was used in the opening credits of the Will Ferrell movie Step Brothers.

As far as "snotty rock n' roll" goes, I'd say The Strokes captured that whole sleazy living-for-girls-and-booze spirit on their first album, which was recorded as they were living in the bars and clubs of NYC. They cited GN'R as one of their biggest influences, and had Slash, Duff and Matt Sorum cameo in their music video for "Somedays." Here they are drunk and stoned in another video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tuvX_X7Rlw

I guess what Alice Cooper intended to say was that not ONE single band came even CLOSE to early Aerosmith or Guns ?n? Roses in the LONG time since those two bands were founded. At least that is what I think, when I read his words. And if that is his opinion, I absolutely second that.

It?s a pity, but that?s the way it is. No band has even come somewhere CLOSE to Aerosmith and Guns in the last decades.

They were unique, they are STILL unique and I love them both so much.  : ok:

I agree that no hard rock band since GN'R has captured their fusion of early Aerosmith and Stonesy blues -- they were one of the best ever, period.

However, in terms of general rock n' roll, I think people like Josh Homme are carrying the banner. Queens of the Stone Age is a brilliant hard rock band. And, like I said above, The Strokes are pretty goddamn great. Again, they're not exactly the same as GN'R in a style or musical sense, but then again, most of the bands trying to mimic that 'scene' nowadays turn out to be jokes like Hinder. It's all about the attitude, which guys like Homme definitely carry on.

I think I might have to disagree with that. I would have to say that Buckcherry came close to that sound of Aerosmith/GNR.

amy winehouse is rock n roll!!! :peace:

'Real' hardrock (and/or metal) bands and with the rock n' roll attitude are just not mainstream (anymore).

There are some (little) exceptions ofcourse for bands that are already going for more than 10-15 years...

Time changes, and it can change again...if we have some patient  ;)

What? For giving his honest opinion? You can disagree with the man but insulting him for giving his opinion is silly.

I wasn't talking about Alice Cooper, but rather this:

Got it now.  Then I would have to agree with you, that would be stupid.

Yeah, it sure would fucking stupid to have a band that toured, made videos,, did interviews and released albums on a regular basis.  Stupid indeed!!

yeah he's a legend, and he's right.

when was the last time you saw a new band just do shit their way, rather than conforming to fit in a nice little package for a record company

I was responding to Voodoo's post...and it would be.

aren't there many bands like that?  ???

I think Alice is spot on. Id like to see more bands with the same swagger as early GnR.

Dont get me wrong I love "new" GnR, but its apples and oranges really.

Go rent the movie about Jerry Lee Lewis. He's rock & roll.  : ok:

So were Guns!!

fixed it for ya

Anyone who thinks current Guns fit what Alice is talking about...i.e. the rebellion, the snotty attitude etc, simply due to the inactivity and poor communication:

Current guns tour when they feel like it - which is rarely. They release an album 'when it's ready' - which is at the current rate, every decade and a half. They communicate directly with fans once a year. Their website is updated at about the same rate. No one knows for sure who's in the band, when or if they'll be gigging, what they're doing, etc, etc.

People, I'd like to tell you about my band, Binky & The Toadstools. Boy, you're gonna love us.

We're the most rebellious motherfuckers in existence. Not only do we never gig, we've never recorded a song, don't speak to each other, have never met each other, couldn't give a shit about our fans, don't have a website, don't sell merchandise (not even scented candles), and our debut CD is coming out approximately whenever the fuck we please.

I confidently expect several of the people around here to tout us as the greatest, most hardcore, rebel-rousing band since the Robin Finck era.

We all want to see more bands like Early GNR I dont think that will happen soon but it will with some time

Exactly. People are bound to get sick of the trite, middle-of-the-road shit that passes for rock music in 2009 eventually. These things come and go in phases, and you've got to either ride it out or look beyond the mainstream at some of the bands with a smaller following. There's always plenty going on beneath the surface.

The difference is, your imaginary band hasn't done shit. GN'R has, on their terms.

That's why GN'R is rock n' roll and you're not.

Sorry!



I find it highly amusing to see so many whine about how "GN'R doesn't do what other bands do".

One band sticks out and does their thing instead of being a lapdog and it's soooo horrible!

Don't we have enough Nickelbacks, Wingers etc. in the world already?




/jarmo

Hey, my band might put out an album after 17 years. You've just got to have faith. We have some amazing songs, we just won't let you listen to them yet. But we will soon. Maybe. Or not. ;)

P.S. Allow me to introduce you to my good pal Irony sometime.

Honestly their are a few that are good but I am still waiting for the newest band to climb up and take the Rock N' Roll throne like GNR did way back with music that just embodys the Rock N' Roll spirit we all love hopefully that day is coming faster than we think!!!   :peace:

In the UK rock has suffered the same fate as most music and been taken out of the bars and been put into corporate sponsored venues like Carling Academy's etc. where the mainstream is able to look after its own interests and naturally emerging talent isn't given room to grow.

Great rock is working class, and sadly the spotlight isn't been shone on those people right now. As for the US, they're still in the aftermath of the hip-hop boom.

Classic rock has a cult following at best right now - but maybe some of these kids playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band are getting inspired right now, and who knows...give it a few years, anything could happen.

In that case, come back in 17 years to brag.

Until then, shut the fuck up!  : ok:



We're best friends, since the 1980s...

I see that you've been hanging out with a peculiar person called Stupidity a lot though... Not a friend of mine. We don't seem to get along!

I would advise spending less time with that one.




/jarmo

Jarmo, if you knew Irony like I know Irony (and believe me, we're pretty intimate) you wouldn't come out with something like 'come back in 17 years or shut the fuck up' after running an (admittedly great) site largely fueled on rumor, hope and innuendo from it's inception to 2006.

My point is the kind of band Alice was talking about isn't the kind of band the current GNR is. If it was, he wouldn't be asking why there are no bands like that. Also, that in my opinion a band should be judged on what they do, not what they don't do - it isn't wonderful that Guns don't do videos or singles etc. It is wonderful when they do tour and when they do put out an album.

You might as well talk about how the autobiography that Axl hasn't published is the best ever autobiography that hasn't ever come out, ever.

You're so down on the fans all the time - or at least any that are willing to express an opinion on anything. The fact is, they have more devotion to the band than the band has activity for them to be devoted to, and thats where most of the frustrations lie. Eagerly awaiting your dismissive, blinkered reply.

 :peace:

If thats the case shouldnt this topic be in the Dead Horse section???

No, just the ones that I think say stupid shit.  

The same kind of people who'll try to use any excuse to try to belittle the band.  :peace:


Alice can wish what he wants.

The fact remains, just because you're not 20 doesn't mean all your principles change.... That's my point.





/jarmo

Good point - why isn't it Jarmo? He did  clearly say 'early Guns N' Roses'.


I've bucketloads of respect for Axl's principles, and don't feel he or his fans are so desperately insecure that any efforts on my part to belittle him (of which there have been a sum total of zero, by the way) would matter in the least.

Interesting that the ones who 'say stupid shit' tend to be the exact same ones who say anything you don't 100% agree with - the contributions to the forum that you constantly belittle, despite the fact that those same posts often lead to the most interesting discussions.

I guess a load of bleating apologists agreeing with each other would be preferable. To that end:

"GNR Rock. I don't care who's in the band, it will be great. When they tour, it will be great. When they make an album it will be great. If we wait forever for something to happen it will also be great. Yay."

Yeah, because it's soooo interesting to hear you talk about how you want this and that and until you get it, everything sucks.


Yes, it's true. I don't agree with all these unhappy people.

People who go online to whine and whine about shit.

Faceless people hiding behind their usernames. It's easy. Nobody sees who you really are. We don't know if you're a 12 year old guy who doesn't know shit or if you're 50.



The difference you don't seem to see, as usual, is that when people have something constructive to say, then there can be an actual discussion. But rarely are these people interested in anything constructive.

And any possible explanations to anything are disregarded so that the whining can continue. Thinking is overrated, whining is just the natural reaction to some of these so called fans.



/jarmo

"most interesting discussions" is certainly a matter of opinion.  

for example, theres some sites out there that want nothing more than to have the same ol old vs new arguments that have been going on for years.   Thats not interesting, its boring and tired. 

Now let's not get too far from what he said...it was a compliment to GNR and Aerosmith, not a dis to the current band. ::)

And I wondered where this went.  :hihi:

It is very hard though to compliment the old band.  some fan's of the nu band are very sensitive

The only fuckin sensitive one's are fans like you who always try to bring the ex-gunners into the current GNR section even though youze got TWO other sections to discuss what's going on with the ex-gunners.

JARMO NEVER LETS US DISCUSS THE EX-GUNNERS!!!  :crying:

oh wait  ::)

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?board=12.0

http://www.heretodaygonetohell.com/board/index.php?board=15.0

there is no "nu" band.    Theres just Guns N' Roses.

Like gypsy pointed out, you have plenty of places to talk about the former guys.  But what I would add to that is people like yourself often try to use the old members as a way to disrespect the present members.    When Axl ranted in Albany in 2002, he was talking about you.   Listen to it and you'll see why you are being ridiculous.  Once you accept that the guys in teh band now are in no way shape or form preventing your heros from coming back to the band, maybe you can let go of all this nonsense and move into the present with the rest of us.

Alice Cooper was paying a compliment to GNR...he was not talking about a certain line-up.  By "early" he meant in the life of the band, at least that how I took it.

wow, people on HTGTH...argueing about old line up...vs new line up?

Never seen this before.

The fucking comment was Cooper saying he'd like to see NEW BANDS with the attitude and feel of those once young rock n roll bands like Aerosmith, like Guns N Roses etc etc!!!

And someone was on bout how live music in the UK is killed now.

I would agree, non of the kids think "hey, its friday night, theres a load of bands on at blah blahs, lets go get drinks n have a good time"

Its more a case of, you n your band are going to play a show, as are other bands. But the people are in town with this mentality "Hey, LETS GO OUT N GET FUCKED TONIGHT, N DANCE TO SOME TUNNESSS GEEZ" n they just want to go to clubs where a DJ is playing Kanye West, or the fucking Go Team.

I feel sorry for many of the great bands around the world that play gigs now because you dont make ANYTHING n rarely get anything for your efforts. Ive only been doing it a year n its a fuckin drag.

In all fairness to Alice, I am pretty positive he is speaking of NEW BANDS

Thank you for putting this up in the Dead Horse Section because I don't remember the current GNR being drunk and in your face like the way Alice said.

This topic was on the GNR section for at least 2 weeks till we knocked some seance into it

For the dead horse presumably?

(http://thingtheory2009.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/seance-circle-2.jpg)

Madame Tony will bring her crystal ball to the seance.

(http://hitanalyst.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/crystal-ball.jpg)

It wasn't "Dead Horse" material until some decided to turn it into an old vs. new line-up argument.

I wouldn't call that knocking some sense into it.  :P

And if you think he was crediting a certain line-up...you're wrong.

Dizzy seemed pretty drunk in Holland in 2006, if thats any help. :P

If you've got a problem with that, I think you may have made a slight tactical error in opening a message board.

Once again, he was talking about NEW BANDS COMING OUT TODAY

Lord, u guys just love to bitch

Haha but that's Dizzy not the entire band :hihi:

 :beer: So very true, it seems that many bands skip the entire " fuck you rock n roll " stage of their career and jump to emotional and slow stuff. Don't get me wrong Guns is an amazing band! But imagine if Chinese Democracy was released in 1988 and in 2009 Appetite , I'm not saying it's a regression or a progression but the band GREW. Which is what I think Alice is really saying , what happened to a band that is full of a bunch of guys who just wanna play rock n roll, who are young and fresh. Of course over time you have to grow , or else you are lying to yourself, but it seems the world has been deprived of a REAL rock band.

Both Aerosmith and Guns where very in your face in their early career, which is what attributed to some of their success. Now of course Aerosmith didn't have Don't Wanna Miss A Thing on Rocks and GNR didn't have Better on AFD. This world needs a band they can see grow over the years. It's sad that after 20 years we are still relying on the same bands for GOOD rock n roll music someone needs to step up and make a new generation , a GNR for this generation a Aerosmith for this generation you know... being 18 and part of this generation ( not to mention a band as well ) it's very difficult to accept that we have pretty much done nothing for rock n roll in a long time..

I get what your saying its the pure spirit of Rock N' Roll that should still be ruling the music world now but I have to ask because I cant think of a good enough reason why the fuck did rock fall so low underneath rap if it werent for rock rap wouldnt exist and thats a fact!!!!

Yeah the ex gunners and VR section.  actually now that i think of it Jim Bob, thats were you generally lurk around.  And YOU use the new members to disrespect the old members.   : ok:

well since you want to talk shit, here is a breakdown of my activity on this site
    
Guns N' Roses       1985
The Jungle       1142
Velvet Revolver       813
Dead Horse       472
Administrative, Feedback & Help       289
Bad Obsession       185
Ex-Gunners       146
Appetite For Collection       104
BUY Product       51
North America 2006       28

Thats speaks for itself.  I'm here for GnR.  What about you?

I don't disrespect anyone, but you have to remember that GnR isn't about those guys anymore.   When you haven't been involved with a band for over a decade, you are no longer relevant to the band.   Maybe its time for "fans" like yourself to either move on or fuck off.

Them guys will always be relevant to GNR whether any of us like it or not. 

I am here for a bit of everything really from the old band to the current band, and from loaded to VR to the new slash solo album.

current band is what its all about today..

who the fuck cares just listen to the music and shut up that goes for everyone making an argument about shit like this  :peace: