Alice Cooper on latest album, ‘Paranormal,’ and Hollywood … – what’s up

Alice Coopers major heyday may have been back in the 1970s when tours behind albums like Billion Dollar Babies were breaking Rolling Stones concert attendance records, but hes still creatively vibrant nearly four decades later.

July will see the release of the Bob Ezrin-produced Paranormal, the duos first collaboration since 2011s Welcome 2 My Nightmare. Like its predecessor, the new project is a star-studded affair that features cameos by the likes of U2 drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons and Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover.

For Cooper, the odd array of unlikely guests played into the notion he and Ezrin had about not wanting these songs to be united by a singular concept.

Bob and I decided we were going to make an album that didnt necessarily have a story line this time, but an album that got us off, he explained. Every song is a song that we would go, Yes, thats a great song. And they dont necessarily conform to any style. Alice Cooper is always going to do guitar rock. Thats always what I do. But, the styles kind of go all over the place, which is great.

Using Larry Mullen Jr. from U2 on drums was a great idea, Cooper said. When we got to the studio, he asked to see the lyrics. Ive never ever had a drummer ask me about the lyrics, and he said he plays to the lyrics, and I said that I loved that. It turned it into something totally different and totally not what I was expecting, yet it works all the way. You hear the whole album and it gives it a different punch to it.

Most interesting was a reunion of the surviving members of the original Alice Cooper lineup of bassist Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce (guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997).

Those four musicians played on the albums that made Cooper one of the biggest stars of the 1970s and are widely considered artistic high points of his career -- Killer, released in 1971, followed by 1972s Schools Out and 1973s Billion Dollar Babies.

By the time Cooper decided that he wanted to make what became 1975s Welcome To My Nightmare, bandmates Buxton, Dunaway, Smith and Bruce had decided the wear and tear from multiple platinum albums, relentless touring and being together nonstop all through high school and college added up to massive burnout.

But while the breakup was mutually agreed upon, Cooper pointed out that the friendship the former bandmates maintained over the years helped facilitate this mini-reunion. The end result was three of 20 songs the reunited bandmates worked on made the cut, which Cooper was elated about.

We never broke up with any bad blood. Dennis, Neal, Mike, Glen and I were all best of friends. There were no lawsuits. Nobody ever threatened anybody, Cooper said. I stayed in touch with everybody. Glen passed away. He was our Keith Richards. That was a huge part of the personality of that band. When that happened, that weakened the base even further. But, we always stayed together.

As shock rock progenitor Alice Cooper makes his way to StreetFest this weekend, his musical influence is even evident in the festivals lineup

With all this under his belt, the 69-year-old rocker continues to have playing live be one of his current joys.

Once his own touring commitments are fulfilled, theres also a chance Cooper may pop up as part of his celebrated side band, the Hollywood Vampires, a group that also features Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and actor/guitarist/recording artist Johnny Depp.

The group released its first album in 2015. Along with a pair of originals, it includes songs originally done by musicians who have since passed away.

Covers on the guest-filled Hollywood Vampires album included My Generation (by The Who), as well as tunes by Jimi Hendrix (Manic Depression) and the Doors (Five To One/Break On Through). Several guest musicians pop up as well, most notably Paul McCartney who is featured on a version of Come and Get It (a song he wrote for Badfinger).

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Its that time of year again schools out for summer, and StreetFest 2017 is upon us. That means this Friday and Saturday, June 23-24, will

Cooper said despite having a name like Hollywood Vampires, that groups shows will be nothing like his own highly theatrical, horror-themed concerts.

The cool thing about the Vampires is its a totally opposite thing than my show, than the Alice Cooper show, he said. I dont think about theatrics when I think about the Vampires. All of us started out as bar bands. We all started out learning The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Who and Chuck Berry and Paul Butterfield all the stuff we learned from the Beatles. We said thats basically what we are.

Alice Cooper

Catch Alice Cooper on the StreetFest main stage with Jackyl and Dokken this Saturday, June 24.

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Alice Cooper on latest album, 'Paranormal,' and Hollywood ... - what's up