Singled Out: Beasto Blanco (Alice Cooper)

It was the first song I sat down to write as the new band was being formed and dates were being scheduled for tracking. "Break Down" started as most songs do - with a guitar riff. I had a riff I liked and when I put down a vocal melody, it had a percussive rhythm to it - a bounce I liked. I didn't have lyrics yet, it was more of a rhythmic scat that really started to grow on me. I wasn't sure where it was going to go after the verse, but I knew I had something I liked.

I remember having this other melody in my head. And when I would sing it back, I kept hearing a group of girls singing it. So, on the demo version I sang the melody in my best "Cherie Currie" voice, knowing that when we'd track it I'd have to find a female voice for the song.

As the song starting to take on its own life, I had a dream - one of those dreams you have where you're trying to run but you move slowly or trying to punch someone but its like your hands won't move.

That idea came to me as a chorus and lyric idea. The song "Break Down" is about trying to get somewhere and sh*t keeps happening. You get stuck, something gets in your way. Or you have to start over again. But you keep on keeping on!

The final touches came in the studio. Producer Tommy Henriksen got Glen Sobel on drums and Calico Cooper to get that aggressive female sound the song needed.