Listened to from a perspective of twenty years, songs like
"I'm Eighteen," "School's Out," and "Mr. Nice Guy" sound almost quaint.
That's a funny word to associate with the godfather of shock rock, and
it's important to recall that there was a time when parents warned their
children about Alice Cooper. These days, the Alice Cooper fans are more
likely to be the parents, but their kids might dig him, too: his recent
release, Brutal Planet, was as smart, realistic, grim, and good as
anything anyone young enough to be Alice's kid has come up with lately.
Marilyn Manson, GWAR, Kiss, Nine Inch Nails, the Genitorturers, the Lords
of Acid-all of these bands, and more like them, owe a debt to the man who
basically took the fuck-you aspect of rock & roll to its logical
conclusion. There are some major milestones in this collection, and Cooper
documents them all: from "Only Women Bleed," which has been covered by
none other than Tina Turner, to "Poison," which you are bound to hear in
any strip club anywhere in America (the liner notes point this out, but
based on my limited experience with said establishments, it's actually
true). Since Cooper has had an improbably long career, and Rhino puts out
better compilations than most, Mascara & Monsters is an excellent way to
introduce the should-be fan to his music. I don't care when you were born
or how old you are, there's always a little thrill upon hearing the first
chorus of "School's Out." Despite the theatrics, there's a universality to
Alice that explains his enduring appeal.
-- Originally appeared on Gothic.net, August 2001