2. Caffeine
3. The Nightmare Returns
4. A Runaway Train
5. Last Man On Earth
6. The Congregation
7. I’ll Bite Your Face Off
8. Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever
9. Ghouls Gone Wild
10. Something To Remember Me By
11. When Hell Comes Home
12. What Baby Wants
13. I Gotta Get Outta Here
14. The Underture
Release date: 13 September 2011
The master of macabre is back with what is to be considered part two of one of his most famous works, 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare. Joined by Bob Ezrin, who was the producer of the original 1975 multi-platinum seller, they again weave together another story from within the mind of the Alice Cooper character.
"This is Alice's nightmare 35 years later," explains Alice, "Bob and I created this character and we know how to write for him. I play the part but we're not writing for me, we're writing for Alice. We kept the first 'Nightmare' album very personal to us, on this one we found more humor and we were more open. This was our world and we want to present it to the fans. The original album was my first solo album after all those huge hit records with the original band and now that nightmare is exposed, this one can be a little bit more open. The music crosses all sorts of boundaries; we went where the lyrics took us."
Combining both a horror aspect with a humorous aspect, they have weaved together a wide variety of musical styles to reach back into Alice's nightmare, bringing in flashes of some of the original album's themes, and have presented us with another excellent release. Musically this release stays true to his more well known 70's sound, which is kind of the overall feel he has returned to for the last few release, though it is more evident here. People who would like to hear a return to the heavier style of his early 2000 releases Brutal Planet and Dragontown (two of my favorites) will not find what they desire here, but those who like classic Alice, and who have enjoyed the last couple releases should be happy with the diversity displayed most excellently here.
On three of the tracks, we have the reunion of original Alice Cooper members Denis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith, and then there is the interesting duet with global pop superstar Ke$ha ("What Baby Wants"). "That's my rebellion," says Alice of the more surprising guests, "I like people that don't belong and yet what they're doing works perfectly. I don't care where it comes from, as long as it's right. If you tell me something doesn't work, I'll work my head off until it does then shove it down your throat. I think a lot of my audience is going to go 'KE$HA!?', but she probably wrote the most wicked lyrics in the song - we had to rein her in. I like people to know that just because artists are put in a pigeon hole, that doesn't mean that's what they are. Give people a little room."
Opening this release is the slow, haunting "I Am Made of You" which is a reach back to the original album with its piano riffs. With all of the talk online about the use of auto-tuning on no so good singers, Alice does the opposite and make the auto turn so obvious, it adds to the eeriness of the track. Very cool.
Track two picks up the pace with the rocker "Caffeine," which is fun from start to finish. Next up is the short instrumental interlude "The Nightmare Returns," kind of representing the character falling to sleep again. Picking up the pace again, it is followed by "A Runaway Train," with it's metallic country feel running through until the end, when the train crashes, leaving Alice feeling like the "Last Man on Earth;" a very cool show-tune sounding circus feel song with horns.
"The Congregation" picks the pace back up some being a fun mid-tempo rocker, followed by another mid-tempo Rolling Stones feeling tune "I'll Bite Your Face Off," which is the albums first single, dealing with a vampirish sounding women.
One of the grooviest tunes is the next track, "Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever" with Alice rapping the verses, and an eerie Wizard of Oz chanting feel throughout. It may take you by surprise, but it is so fun it should quickly become a favorite like it did for me after a few listens.
"Ghouls Gone Wild" has a heavy 80's beach rock feel to it, sounding like some theme song for a teen monster summer party movie, kind of reminding me of the collaboration Alice did with Twisted Sister back on "Be Crool to Your Scuel." Things slow down for the ever so tender ballad, "Something to Remember Me By," which I read somewhere is supposed to be the character singing to a corpse on the beach where the party was.
Grinding out next is the gritty tune "When Hell Comes Home," dealing with family abuse, which brings a surprise ending for daddy at the conclusion. Lifting your spirits some, next is the more poppy "What Baby Wants," collaboration with Ke$ha (the evil character), which feels like it is right off of 1980's pop radio.
As we near the end, the character decides it is time to leave, in "I Gotta Get Outta Here." Kind of a light rocker reminding me of a cross with a bit of modern Bon Jovi, without all the prettiness. This tune looks back to pieces of the previous stories, and he wants to get out of this crazy nightmare he has been through. The ending of the song, musically is pretty cool - and lyrically even more cool. A fitting end to the whole story, but then we are given one more tune in "The Underture," a beautiful instrumental tune that incorporates bits and pieces from the songs from both "Nightmare" albums.
This is surely a true Alice Cooper fan's dream - and I must say, while I have enjoyed most all of his stuff for the past twenty years, this album really stands out as a current favorite.
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