ALICE COOPER - LONG ISLAND 1972
April 7, 2009 – 4:23 am
Click on the panels for a better view or to download artwork.
ALICE COOPER
Commack Arena 1972 [no label, 1CD]
Live at the Commack Arena, Long Island, NY, April 22, 1972. A mono soundboard recording.
When Alice Cooper arrived, blues rock and the power trio was the format of choice among aspiring youngsters. Heads were turned westwards expecting another British invasion. Upstarts that they were, Alice Cooper came out from the Zappa fold with one aim - to be as bizarre as possible. They understood the fundamental of pop culture, to be different from the generation before you. Alice Cooper held their own against the invasion.
With makeup and “big hair”, and a name that drew laughter, Alice Cooper made two unusual albums than a big hit single, I’m Eighteen, and caught everyone’s attention. This show at the Commack Arena in 1972 was to promote their new album, Killer. Although three singles were taken off Killer, neither Under My Wheels, Be My Lover or Halo Of Flies had the catchy appeal and teenage rebellion of I’m Eighteen. You can hear it in this show.
At the end of Dead Babies, you can hear shouting as the band simulate a street fight before the song Killer. Alice Cooper had decided that instead of hippie peace and love, their music would be a violent version of West Side Story with a rumble onstage and an execution.
What really suffers is the musicianship or rather the raw sound the band played was directly opposite from all the virtuoso musicianship of the day. This recording captures the chaos rather well.
Despite the many negative reviews, Alice Cooper soldiered on and were rewarded when their next single School’s Out became a Top 10 hit worldwide. Soon other bands would walk the same path, wearing lipstick and eyeshadow. This is a very good mono soundboard recording but you can hear cuts on the recording and noise every now and then.
- The Little Chicken 
These tracks are no longer available for sharing.Track 01. Intro
Track 02. Be My Lover+
Track 03. You Drive Me Nervous+
Track 04 .Yeah Yeah Yeah+
Track 05. I’m Eighteen*
Track 06. Halo of Flies+
Track 07. Dead Babies+
Track 08. Street Fight/Intro to Killer
Track 09. Killer+
Track 10. School’s Out
Track 11. Is It My Body* [cuts abruptly in mid-song]
* from Love It To Death
+ from 1971’s Killer
Lineup:
Alice Cooper - vocals
Glen Buxton - lead guitar
Michael Bruce - rhythm guitar, keyboards
Dennis Dunaway - bass guitar
Neal Smith - drums
Love It To Death’s I’m Eighteen gave these cross-dressers a vault to the top of the charts. Their arrogance and bona fide lack of interest in 20-minute guitar or drum solos made them popular among younger rock music fans. Killer was tougher but without a hit single. Perhaps that’s why Johnny Rotten called it the best album of all time. Click on the link to order Alice Cooper
21 Responses to “ALICE COOPER - LONG ISLAND 1972”
Thank you very much Big O staffers! I cannot tell you how long I’ve wanted to hear a live recording of the real band, especially doing Halo of Flies. If only they’d performed The Ballad of Dwight Fry in that show…
Thank you again.
JS
By James Smith on Apr 7, 2009
i can’t sleep so i download this alice show. thanks! yeah, me and my brother saw him here in b’ham, al two years ago come this oct. it was great and all things shock rock. however, i remember we got reemed on the opening act, lillian axe. it was kind of expensive to see alice at the alabama theater. $50, but it was worth it. he played two hours +. all the hits too. he played in huntsville, al at some festival years ago, but we didn’t make it. i found out the day of. oh well. my brother saw him two more times on the constrictor tour in atlanta and on operation rock ‘n’ roll also in atlanta. i think, vinnie moore was on guitar then.
thanks,
ed
By Ed Saad on Apr 7, 2009
I saw Alice in concert back in 1980, and while it was cool, I always regretted not hearing the Original AC Band in their day.
Thanks for providing a glimpse into why they were great.
By Hulkzilla on Apr 15, 2009
I’m Eighteen - Alice completely blanks on the entire first verse - funny…
By Dfactor on May 6, 2009
I saw Alice Cooper in 1973. I still have the ticket stub. It cost 7.00. Things have changed. Alice is still kicking!!
By ro on Feb 7, 2010
Still kicking, but–anti-hippy/rebellious as he wanted to seem way back when–he sold out years ago and became a Jesusfreak, hawk and avowed Sarah Palin fan. Some rebel. Who wants to bet his next album will be something like “Alice’s Tea Party”? And to think he’s even recorded My Generation!
By Motorvilleboy on May 14, 2010
The Commack Arena was a great place to see shows on Long Island. It was a hockey rink that was used as a concert hall when the local ice hockey team was not playing. You could sit at the bar in one corner and groove to a great show. Frampton and Hot Tuna played there as well as a number of bands of that era. Unfortunately, time was not kind to it and it became a flea market, then torn down and is now a strip mall
By Phil on Dec 25, 2010
this show was my first BIG concert. I was 14 and I was with my first girlfriend. Blue Oyster Cult and Fleetwood Mac opened. Before the Alice Cooper Group came on, the buzz from their amplifiers was deafening. When they started, my life was changed. The bass guitar was like an unending earthquake. I’ve been playing bass since that night. An unbelievable night. You always remember your first one…….
By Dave on Jul 18, 2011
HI, MY NAME IS ALEJANDRO BUENAHORA..BORN IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINE…..HERE, IN THIS COUNTRY, IN SOUTH AMERICAN, WE LOVE ALICE COOPER…HE IS A GENIOUS…LISTEN, IN ARGENTINE WE HAVE ADORATION FOR THE ENGLISH ROCK MUSIC..EXEMPLE..ROLLING STONES , ALICE COOPER,BEATLES, JETHRO TULL, KING CRIMSON, PINK FLOYD, ALAN PARSONS,.COLDPLAY..AND MORE , BECAUSE THE ENGLISH MUSIC IS THE BEST OF THE WORLD…SURE…ALSO, WE LOVE THE MUSIC FROM EE.UU…BUT , THE ENGLISH IS THE BEST.. AND,SO, I THINK , MARILYN MANSON AND LADY GA GA ARE INSPIRATED FROM COOPER, FOR THE SATANIC.ART…ALRIGHT…IM SORRY FOR THE LANGUAGE. I DONT KNOW THE VERB..CAUSE ,LEARN ENGLISH IN ARGENTINE IS VERY COMPLICATED…BYE…ALEXANDER
By ALEJANDRO BUENAHORA on Dec 13, 2012
I was at this show too, I was about 13 years old haha. BOC played but definitely not Fleetwood Mac, I would have remembered that. Why did someone say that?
By ‘72 AC had already gone more ’straight’ in their shows, I had seen them in ‘71 at the Fillmore for LITD and they were way darker and more cinematic.
I also saw Hot Tuna with Cactus a few times at Commack as well as also Deep Purple in their heyday.
Still can’t wait to hear this.
By kurt steele on Sep 6, 2013
I too was there and indeed, Fleetwood Mac played. At the time Fleetwood was a blues band - I remember they played “black magic women” which was there song but Santana had a hit with it. Weird night. Fleetwood was the best band IMHO but hey, it was a long time ago.
By yah vark on Mar 24, 2015
hmm funny. maybe I hated FM so much I suppressed the memory! I recall giant balloons being thrown into the audience, some baby chopping and Michael Bruce giving me a nice smile, probably because I looked like a toddler.
All the concerts at Commack Arena were intense, sweaty, loud and packed. I must have seen Cactus there 5 times, no better place to see them than there. BOC also very intense.
By kurts steele on Jun 12, 2015
never had the opportunity to see Cactus..hey bigo got any live cactus?
By sluggo on Jun 12, 2015
any chance of a repost ? thanks a bunch great blog
By COREY M on Nov 23, 2015
Holy moley! I was at this show and it was glorious.
I was also in high school at the time - shout out to Central Islip High!
Any chance of a repost?
By Tony from Long Island on Feb 23, 2016
GREAT FOR TRACK LISTS & INFO…BUT WHERE ARE THE MUSIC LINKS???…ALMOST a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME…ALMOST! JUST POST THE LINKS LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE…FACE MUSIC IS FREE FROM HERE ON OUT!!!!
By HenryPonds on Aug 23, 2016
I was at this show also Fleetwood Mac did play and were booed throughout their whole set Roary Galllagher played also
By Tom on Jan 11, 2019
Wow ‘ compare the comments back then to the ones today . People actually talked about music . No trolls . Amazing.
By CJ on Feb 27, 2019
“Heads were turned westwards expecting another British invasion”
Hmm…. from the US, Britain is EAST, not West
By VinceFornicate on Oct 27, 2019
I am a co¢ksucker. A real serious co¢ksucker. I will suck co¢k all day and all night. I love co¢k. Love it! Love it!suck co¢k suck co¢k suck co¢k suck co¢k suck co¢k!!
By Nelson on Jun 30, 2020
Could I be one hung lo?
By Online homework help on Apr 7, 2022