Constrictor Demos

[pitkin88]

I believe that you and Neal worked with a newly sober Alice and Kane Roberts on some demos for his upcoming Constrictor album.

1) How did this come about?
2) Do you remember what songs you worked on?
3) How long had it been since you had seen Alice?
4) How was it working with a sober Alice?

Thanks!

[Dreary]

Yep, Alice called Neal and I and we arranged to spend a day in Neal's home studio with Alice and Kane. Alice was sober and in good form - Kane even had him going to the gym! For me, however, it was a rough day due to me having a fever and I should have been in bed. We worked up demos for "The World Has Guts" a song I wrote called "The Wild Ones" and a couple of other songs. I thought we were going to record some studio tracks, but for some unknown reason, it didn't happen. - DD

[pitkin88]

Yep, Alice called Neal and I and we arranged to spend a day in Neal's home studio with Alice and Kane. Alice was sober and in good form - Kane even had him going to the gym! For me, however, it was a rough day due to me having a fever and I should have been in bed. We worked up demos for "The World Has Guts" a song I wrote called "The Wild Ones" and a couple of other songs. I thought we were going to record some studio tracks, but for some unknown reason, it didn't happen. - DD

Do you still have the demos and is there a chance that we could maybe hear them one day? It's great to hear of an unknown Cooper demo written by DD. Guessing The Wild Ones is an up tempo rocker.

Constrictor was a huge departure for Alice both musically and lyrically. Did he discuss the direction change with you and Neal?

[Dreary]

I would want Alice and Neal's permission to play those demos.
Alice might have talked about the album's direction, but it was obvious that Kane was a metal guy.

[Saint&Sinner]

Its a real shame this stuff has never ended up on a proper deluxe reissue. I love this album and seems like a real missed opportunity.
Anyway, kane was obviously bringing the metal to the proceedings, was this the direction of all the songs you worked on (including the wild ones) or did it vary stylistically. Man i'd love to here you, neal, alice and kane!

[Dreary]

Its a real shame this stuff has never ended up on a proper deluxe reissue. I love this album and seems like a real missed opportunity.
Anyway, kane was obviously bringing the metal to the proceedings, was this the direction of all the songs you worked on (including the wild ones) or did it vary stylistically. Man i'd love to here you, neal, alice and kane!

Wild Ones is a locomotive of a power rocker with a hard rock swing swagger that Neal and I base our style on.
The songs that Kane brought called for a metal feel. We had fun, except for my high fever.

[Saint&Sinner]

Thanks for the reply, that song sounds really cool! would for them to see the light of day one day.
It must have been hard playing with a fever, but I know from experience playing music can make you tough allot out for the joys of it.
Did Alice/management ever tell you why they didn't record or anything? What did you think of the album once released? I can only imagine how different /cool it would sound with you two pros playing on it!

[Dreary]

Thanks for the reply, that song sounds really cool! would for them to see the light of day one day.
It must have been hard playing with a fever, but I know from experience playing music can make you tough allot out for the joys of it.
Did Alice/management ever tell you why they didn't record or anything? What did you think of the album once released? I can only imagine how different /cool it would sound with you two pros playing on it!

Concerning playing with a fever, at least I could sit down for those rehearsals, I had to stand throughout a full concert in Germany. I felt like my forehead was a furnace! After the show, the promoter had a major Octoberfest table full of food. I couldn't even look at it.
I never heard a reason for why Neal and I didn't wind up on the album. When you're a musician, lots of things don't pan out, but you keep trying because the things that do happen make it all worthwhile.

[pitkin88]

Im not even sure that they used a real drummer on Constrictor so it makes no sense you and Neal aren't on there.

[Saint&Sinner]

Yeah its a drum machine (not even Dr. Avalanche from Sisters of Mercy! at least that would have sounded good) there is practically no low end on the whole album. It would be something else to hear you and Neal rumble through it. Man! that would be something special! I appreciate your styles are different to Kanes but i would pay good money to hear it hahaha (deluxe reissue, hint hint hahaha)

[Dreary]

Yeah its a drum machine (not even Dr. Avalanche from Sisters of Mercy! at least that would have sounded good) there is practically no low end on the whole album. It would be something else to hear you and Neal rumble through it. Man! that would be something special! I appreciate your styles are different to Kanes but i would pay good money to hear it hahaha (deluxe reissue, hint hint hahaha)

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but looking back shouldn't be in an artist's makeup. Looking forward is necessary, otherwise the artist becomes stagnant.

[pitkin88]

Hang on Dennis you excavated The Sound Of A! Second best song on Paranormal after the explosive Fireball!

I do agree with you and I don't like artists just playing the hits and just one or two songs off the new release.

[Dreary]

Hang on Dennis you excavated The Sound Of A! Second best song on Paranormal after the explosive Fireball!

I do agree with you and I don't like artists just playing the hits and just one or two songs off the new release.

Thanks for your compliment.
Personally, I love surprises in live shows, rather than the "give them what they expect" approach.
Blue Coupe are known to be adventurous in that respect. We once played the newly released (at that time) Million Miles More album at the Cutting Room in New York City. We've also been known to tackle songs that people yell out from the audience that the three of us had never played together before. Here's an example - we were tuned up and walking toward the stage when someone called out "Fallen Angel" and we discussed the arrangement on our way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_UeqkrkF9g