Alice Cooper - School's Out

Ask a typical music fan what he thinks about Alice Cooper. He'll say he's a good musician, naming "School's Out", "Elected" and "Poison". But what about his other music? He's made 30 albums since 1969. I've listened to most of them, looking for great music like these three songs, and I was disappointed. I found most of his albums unlistenable.

"School's Out" is a classic. The song takes one of the simplest and most universal childhood experiences, the joy of leaving school for the summer, and turns it into an anthem of rebellion. It begins with an instantly recognisable guitar riff, simple but enormously effective. Within seconds the song has announced itself. There's no lengthy introduction and no attempt to be clever. The riff arrives, Alice Cooper starts singing and the rebellion begins.

The brilliance of the song is the way it exaggerates a perfectly ordinary feeling. Every child knows the excitement of the last day of school, watching the clock and waiting for the final bell. But Alice Cooper isn't satisfied with school being out for the summer. School is out forever. The school hasn't merely closed its doors for six weeks; it's been blown to pieces. It's the sort of ridiculous fantasy that makes perfect sense when you're a child and never want to see another classroom.

Alice Cooper's performance is equally important. He doesn't sing the song as a cheerful celebration of the summer holidays. There's a sneer in his voice that makes it sound dangerous. The heavy guitar riff reinforces that feeling, turning what could easily have been a lightweight novelty song into a genuine rock anthem. It's catchy enough to be a pop song, but aggressive enough not to sound like one.

Then come the children's voices. They're the perfect finishing touch because the children aren't frightened by Alice Cooper's rebellion; they've joined him. The adults have lost control and the pupils are celebrating their victory. It's theatrical, funny and just threatening enough to fit Alice Cooper's image.

More than 50 years later, the song hasn't lost its power. Musical fashions have changed beyond recognition, but children are still sitting in classrooms waiting impatiently for the summer holidays. That feeling doesn't date, and neither does "School's Out".

I don't like Alice Cooper, but I love "School's Out".