Welcome to My Nightmare

There are certain "firsts" in life that we always remember. It starts with our own first steps and proceeds from there. In my generation your first album purchased was a milestone that was not easily forgotten. Not sure what the equivalent would be today, "my first download" perhaps. My first album ever was the original London version of Jesus Christ Superstar, recevied on my Confirmation day, when I was in 6th grade. It sort of didn't count though, because at the time we only had a family stereo and I was not allowed to operate it. So whenever I wanted hear it, I had to ask another family member to spin it for me. How lame.

Billion Dollar Babies: But alas, my snoozing readers ask, what does that have to do with the welcoming, terrifying blog title I have propsed? My "real" first album, that I bought once I had my own stereo, was Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies". I probably bought it at Korvette's or Two Guys in Jersey for 5 dollars. I recently saw the new vinyl version for $28 in J and R Music World. Wow! Yes I know that doesn't answer the question at hand but read on.

8 Degrees of Perspiration: As those of us who are spiritual, psychic or in trouble with the law know, there are no coinidences in life. As ATT states, we're all connected. Thus is the case with me, Alice Cooper, Linda's Prius and this blog. When I was just a lad, I happened to be at Yankee stadium with my family when who did I spot but the very skinny, seemingly strung out Alice Cooper, hanging out with actor Ron Ely (Superfly). Once this happened I forgot all about the Yankees and high-tailed it over to Alice for an autograph. Luckily we were at a sporting event, so most right-minded fans assumed Alice was homeless, or dressed for Halloween, as he often tends to be. That left a clear path to Alice and I quickly received an autograph, a page away from Meadowlark Lemon (Harlem Globetrotters) and 2 pages away from Eddie Mast (Future NY Knick at that time). I was too nervous to ask if I could pose with Alice for a picture, so I tried to take one of him, but realized I was holding a tuna sandwich in tin foil and not a camera, when I could not find the shutter release. My brother-in-law stated that he was so skinny because he was on heroin.

Linda's Prius: The prius is just amazing and I think Linda really likes it. I call it "Pre" which is a phonetic spelling that is short for Prius and was also the nickname for Steve Prefontaine. Steve was one of the greatest runners of all time, from Villanova, who died so very young in a car accident. It was in the Prius, listening to satellite radio (that will be SSSSOOOOOOOOOOO hard to give up), that I recently heard "Welcome to my Nightmare" by Alice cooper. At first I did not recognize the song and was curious to know what it was, given the great saxaphone and interesting arrangement. When I learned that it was in fact, "Welcome to my Nightmare", it brought me back to 1986. I was working at the Massapequa Park Mobile station, earning extra money and getting ready for our wedding in August. I remember this song and the actual hit from the album "Only Women Bleed", playing on the radio fairly frequently as I pumped gas that summer.

Welcome to My Nightmare: As we were sitting around the "picnick" table this past Friday (has "patio furniture" replaced "picnick table" in the American lexicon, or only so on the left and right coasts?), I brought up the topic of Alice Cooper and was greeted with derisive laughter, and "What does Alice Cooper have to do with anything?" But, alas, as I explained, he was just inducted into the rock and roll Hall of Fame. As I continued to depict to my rapt family members, his biggest hits were probably "Eighteen", a teen angst classic and his first hit, "School's Out", an anti-education anthem and perhaps his most famous, and several songs from the aforementioned "Billion Dollar Babies". From my perspective, Welcome to My Nightmare was an album that Alice created well past his most popular period.

I am hoping, dear readers, that the relationships that I have uncovered between these seemingly  disjoined topics have given you continued hope that:
1) A loving, all powerful intelligence does control the universe, or
2) I still have the knack for writing about any meaningless drivel that pops into my mind.

And yes, the impending rites of Spring have caused a stirring in my soul (or is that just the tacos I ate last night), so I must now tend to the tomatoes and basil that sit on my windowsill, straining toward the sun that filters in. At any rate, all of the above give me the surety that we must all.....

Keep The Faith