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Monday, October 10th 2011
ALICE COOPER - WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE
Alice Cooper’s long awaited sequel to his themed 1975 classic welcome to my nightmare. Welcome 2 my nightmare keeps the theme of Cooper’s first album. Having recruited the surviving members of his band from the first album to bring Alice Coopers twisted dark nightmares back to life, bringing guest performers in such as Ke$ha, Rob Zombie, Kip Winger and country singer Vince Gill. The collaboration of this album as well as Hank Williams doing the mastering gave this album a new twist and brought a modern sound though staying true to his theatrical roots. WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE compiles 14 of these catchy tunes.
01. I am made of you- auto tune was an odd addition but works well and piano is genius for this melodic song, one of the best songs on album. Song is very original and catchy.
02. Caffeine- music fits the theme of the song about getting “amped up” on legal stimulants. This song has an upbeat tempo. Probably my least favorite song on album, though the story keeps you hooked.
03. The nightmare returns-A short interlude that reminds me of Tim Burtons “Nightmare before Christmas”
04. A runaway train- Country singer Vince Gill on guitar gives this song a upbeat country twang.
05. Last man on earth- Original, catchy lyrics, the beginning reminded me of Ella Fitzgerald’s “putting on the Ritz”.
06. The congregation- with Metal front man for White Zombie and horror movie guru, Rob Zombie and 80’s heart throb Kip Winger on backing vocals. This upbeat song could easily hit the top of the charts, Heavier than other songs on this album. I started out not sure what to think about this song; but, after listening to it a couple of times the story line really pulled me in.
07. I’ll bite your face off- love this song and upbeat tempo and the story about a sexy siren who wants more than a night of pleasure. Great lyric and would appeal to the younger genre as well as the music “veterans”.
08. Disco Bloodbath Boogie fever- Is not my favorite song; it starts out sounding like a mix of techno/ power pop/ rock. This is very theatrical and imaginative, but I was hoping and waiting for it to change to a heavier beat. Reminds me of Meatloaf.
09. Ghouls gone wild- With Kip Winger on backing vocals. The beginning of this song took me back to the 80’s to Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation. The lyrics seemed a little comical to me; however, was catchy and grew on me.
10. Something to remember me by- Love, Love, Love this “Love “song. The first thing that came to my mind was being at a concert in 1987 with my lighter held high. Beautiful lyrics, relaxing romantic music that was translated very well and just an all around good song that really pulls out the sensitive side of “The Coop”. This is a song that every genre could enjoy.
11. When hell comes home- Tells a story of a tortured boy and his mother. The mother whom pretends everything is fine, to the son who plots revenge for his drunken, mother beating “daddy”. Metaphorical, tells a good story that keeps you hooked and listening wondering what is going to happen next. This lyric portrays a dark, dreary tone and really fit.
12. What baby wants- w/ Ke$ha on backup vocals- This song was a great way to incorporate and blend techno and pop rock. Ke$ha and Alice Cooper- Ingenious! Power pop instrumentals keep this song upbeat, what an odd addition to add Ke$ha, but it works very well, this is a catchy toon that will probably appeal to the younger fan base that follows Ke$ha as well as Alice Coopers fans.
13. I gotta get outta here- Very upbeat, a mix of new and old Alice Cooper music; however, it opens his music to many different people who have various taste in music. Country singer Vince Gill on guitar adds a country twang on this modern, upbeat song and what sound like Gospel singers in the background add a twist to the song that works!
14. Underture-
What can I say but brilliant. This music changes dramatically throughout with beauty and personality. The relaxing conclusion to an album of Shock rock, nightmarish horror and love was perfection.
This album is a must for the die-hard Alice Cooper fans and even if you are not, this album has a little something that every generation can enjoy, from the quirky lyrics to the meaningful; it all follows in the theme of telling a story about Cooper’s dark imaginative side. The mix of genres of music was pure genius and considering that there are more songs that are great than “pretty good” definitely would be worth investing the money to buy the album.
It can be found on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/welcome-2-my-nightmare/id457014890
~Kym Krash
09/2011