By 1983, Alice Cooper was in a bad spot. Career wise, his albums were selling less and less, and his popularity declining with each new release. Worst of all, he was so dependent upon drugs and alcohol, that he would state retrospectively that he didn't even remember recording music between 1981 and 1983. His health had not only severely declined, but his marriage was on the brink of being over, with his wife filing for divorce.
At the bequest of his manager and wife, he'd return to rehab, his second since his failed 1977 attempt at cleaning himself up. This time, he'd not only complete the course successfully, but recommitted his life to Jesus. Cooper was not only able to salvage his marriage, and remains with Sherly Goddard to this day, but he hasn't relapsed once!
By 1985 he was ready to make a comeback. Though I wasn't able to pinpoint the actual timeframe, during the early 80's Twisted Sister frontman would be giving an interview, which during he would continuously sing the praises of Cooper not only for his music, but the inspiration he bestowed upon him. Cooper would hear about the interview, and call up Snyder, thanking him for the kind words. This would lead to not only a long-time friendship between the two, but collaboration on Be Chrool to Your Scuel from Sister's 1985 album, Come Out And Play.
This was followed by him starring in the b-flick, Monster Dog, which he also contributed two songs to. However, the true test would be when he returned to the studio to record and release 1986's Constrictor. Could he be a devout Christian and Alice Cooper? Would the world accept this? Did he have any music worth listening to?
The answer was yes. Cooper has not only had a storied second half of his career, but Constrictor was met with praise from critics. The album even saw his return to the Billboard 200, and gold sales certification.
While I won't call it perfect from front to back, it's a solid entry. If nothing else, it's great to hear a straightforward rock album in comparison to he's previous "experimental" albums. Tracks Teenage Frankenstein, Life And Death Of The Party, and The World Needs Guts stand out for me. The latter thrashing with sweet guitar licks.
Also included on the album is Cooper's contribution to Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, the track, He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask). It's not so good, but it's awesome that he contributed to the franchise. Considering there wasn't a soundtrack until 2019, and that only includes the score, it's cool to have the song included on the album. Otherwise, it's likely it would end up as lost media, and who wants that?
Always the showman, he entered 1987 in style, making an appearance in WrestleMania 3, appearing in behind-the-scenes monologues with Jake The Snake, and escorting him to the ring. Jake would go on to (scripted) loose that match, prompting Cooper to throw his snake on Jimmy Hart. Man, those were the days of good WWF rastlin'!
Back to the studio, he'd release Raise Your Fist And Yell in September of that year. That's where we dive into tomorrow, and it's actually my last album in his discography to play through, as I've already done a Retro Spin on 1989's Trash. See you tomorrow for the wrap party!
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