“Road,” August 25, 2023

[concolz]

I quite liked Welcome To The Show. The band get a chance to rock out, Alice actually sings, and there's a glam stomp about it. I quite liked the patchwork quilt opener, I'm Alice, as well. But, 'quite' isn't really good enough, is it. As for White Line Cherry Pie, the lyrics are so cringe-inducing I had flashbacks of thrilling that gorilla.

I don't agree that 'the road' is a cul-de-sac subject. Alice has spent a considerable amount of his adult years touring & performing; so, theoretically, there are umpteen interesting events, 'incidents', people etc he could write about. But, judging by the stereotypical & generalised lyrics for many of the songs, he's chosen not to.

I don't hold out a lot of hope for the album. All the latterday Ezrin-produced Cooper albums have, IMO, being distinctly 'meh' for one reason or another. Despite, or perhaps because of, throwing the kitchen sink at them, they are - for the most part - rather ordinary, polished & buffed, retro-rock records. A few exceptions eg I Hate You , but overall not many thrills & spills or left-field turns.

[Dannorama]

I ask anyone here:
If you were in charge of a band for over (safely!) ten years, don’t you think the band would develop a sense of you? A certain je ne sais quoi? I’m glad to read the various opinions here. But I’m not sure that the effin PEOPLE making this “garbage” care to see Alice fans whine about something they have only sampled. This is not grape jelly we’re dealing with here. It’s amazing to think that small minds are guiding this. {remember to insert “sarcasm” here}
These people have lived Alice Cooper since before a lot of you were children. Bring it on!


Love it to Death,
Polly

[pitkin88]

I ask anyone here:
If you were in charge of a band for over (safely!) ten years, don’t you think the band would develop a sense of you? A certain je ne sais quoi? I’m glad to read the various opinions here. But I’m not sure that the effin PEOPLE making this “garbage” care to see Alice fans whine about something they have only sampled. This is not grape jelly we’re dealing with here. It’s amazing to think that small minds are guiding this. {remember to insert “sarcasm” here}
These people have lived Alice Cooper since before a lot of you were children. Bring it on!


Love it to Death,
Polly

I wouldn't mind hearing him do a song about Grape Jelly. Good idea.

[Mr. Misdemeanor]

I was kind of hoping for a rawer "live" sound with this album.

I'm no musician and I have no idea how a song gets mixed. I don't know if all parts are recorded separately or recorded together. I assume it's some combination of the two. The reason I mention this is that on these songs and on Detroit stories Alice seems, I don't know... distant from the rest of the band. Like he's just singing over a pre-recorded track. It just sounds "artificial" for lack of a better term.

I'm not sure I'm making myself clear. Listen to Alice's version of Sister Anne from Detroit Stories. Now listen to the original MC5 version. Now I like the Cooper version, but even though the recording equipment is 1000 times better these days the old version just feels more natural.

[Parish]

I wouldn't mind hearing him do a song about Grape Jelly. Good idea.

Grape Jelly...can't take things off the shelf...Grape Jelly needs Peanut Butter's help...

[Parish]

I'm no musician and I have no idea how a song gets mixed.
I'm not sure I'm making myself clear. Listen to Alice's version of Sister Anne from Detroit Stories. Now listen to the original MC5 version. Now I like the Cooper version, but even though the recording equipment is 1000 times better these days the old version just feels more natural.

I am a musician, and you're spot on...it's a combo platter. The reason the MC5 version sounds better is because it was a real band playing and recording it. Alice's version has hired hand/chess piece musicians that play what their told.
It's literally the Steve Buscemi meme ("Hey fellow kids...) with instruments instead of skateboards.

[pitkin88]

I wouldn't mind hearing him do a song about Grape Jelly. Good idea.

Grape Jelly...can't take things off the shelf...Grape Jelly needs Peanut Butter's help...

You're on a roll!

Grape Jelly make that bread, Grape Jelly gets the whole band fed.

[Parish]

You're on a roll!

Grape Jelly make that bread, Grape Jelly gets the whole band fed.

Wasn't sure if said, "Roll" was a bun...errrrr, "pun" but sadly our contributions to this thread are actually better lyrics than anything in the first three songs released.

I'm so mad at the band...for not stepping up or in. It's an abuse of power in reverse...

[pitkin88]

I was kind of hoping for a rawer "live" sound with this album.

I'm no musician and I have no idea how a song gets mixed. I don't know if all parts are recorded separately or recorded together. I assume it's some combination of the two. The reason I mention this is that on these songs and on Detroit stories Alice seems, I don't know... distant from the rest of the band. Like he's just singing over a pre-recorded track. It just sounds "artificial" for lack of a better term.

I'm not sure I'm making myself clear. Listen to Alice's version of Sister Anne from Detroit Stories. Now listen to the original MC5 version. Now I like the Cooper version, but even though the recording equipment is 1000 times better these days the old version just feels more natural.

My guess Is Alice and the band are not in the studio at the same time. Also that the studio is not like the studios of old but a studio in someones home. That's not going to have the soundscape of a traditional studio. I recently saw Ringo Starr saying Paul sends him a file and if he likes it he puts the drums on it. Who knows if they are in the same Country. I'm guessing a lot of stuff is done this way now with pro tools and what not. It's not very rock n roll. I feel it can lead to a very artificial sound.

I'm looking forward to the Wayne Kramer co write as I think it has some of the better lyrics and Wayne is a killer guitarist,

[bigbradwolf]

I was kind of hoping for a rawer "live" sound with this album.

I'm no musician and I have no idea how a song gets mixed. I don't know if all parts are recorded separately or recorded together. I assume it's some combination of the two. The reason I mention this is that on these songs and on Detroit stories Alice seems, I don't know... distant from the rest of the band. Like he's just singing over a pre-recorded track. It just sounds "artificial" for lack of a better term.

I'm not sure I'm making myself clear. Listen to Alice's version of Sister Anne from Detroit Stories. Now listen to the original MC5 version. Now I like the Cooper version, but even though the recording equipment is 1000 times better these days the old version just feels more natural.

Music these days can be recorded with everyone in different parts of the world. I'd like to think that at some point they all got together and put ideas down (I assume possibly when on tour) so there is at least a collective when putting the work together. Generally all the parts are recorded individually and mixed together.

[mkayers]

I may criticize but I still buy them all and will always support the Coop even if I don't care for it much. Like people said, we won't have the guy forever. Like it or not I'm still thankful.

[andyrew]

Here’s another review:

https://www.rockcastlefranken.de/review ... oper-road/

It’s close enough to the release date that it should be legit, and seems like it’s written from a real person.

Although the first three songs are more generic rock songs, I’m hopeful the album will work in context of all songs together. As a few have mentioned here, I’m just glad Alice continues to come out with new material. It may not be the next B$B, but as long as it is an enjoyable listen for the most part, that’s all that matters. Plus, the next album with the ACG will supposedly be creepier in nature, so there’s plenty more to be excited about.

It is just one review, and I’m sure there will be varying perspectives in the coming weeks. For what it’s worth though, the end caps everything off quite positively and gives it a 9/10 rating.

Here’s the translation for the last part:

The end of the album with the cool "Road Rats Forever", which shines with dialogue guitars, bluesy notes and a polyphonic 70s refrain, the quiet acoustic guitar ballad "Baby Please Don't Go" and the theatrical "100 More Miles", which begins in a transfigured way, then again offers typical Alice Cooper fodder with narrative singing and several long drawn-out screams including the chime of the bell, is again all about the early years and should warm the heart of every Alice Cooper fan.

At the end there is still a cult mid-tempo groove with the The Who cover version "Magic Bus", which suits the Alice Cooper spice quite well. The "Road", of course excellently produced by Bob Ezrin, is an Alice Cooper album that the fans (especially of the 70s) couldn't have wished for better. Everything you love about the master is there. And yet Alice Cooper is more versatile than ever these days. The man is simply indestructible and it can stay that way for a few more years.

[lordcatfish]

Haven't read the album lyrics - any songs about having the hotel room next to Glen Sobel's and having to put up with him constantly practicing drums?

[SickThings]

Alice answers most of the recent questions about the writing and recording of Road....

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bxXKoPJ3qqk

[SickThings]

The full interview from earMUSIC:

EXCLUSIVE: Alice Cooper talks 'Road' (Official Interview) - New Album Out August 25th

[VinceLeeRose]

If the clips from Hellfest in that interview from EarMusic are any indication, it looks like they messed with the color timing in post production again like on the Paranormal Evening DVd/blu ray. Why do they keep doing that to these live shows??? They work so hard to craft the color of the live show with the lights, props, etc only to desaturate everything for the DVD

[pitkin88]

If the clips from Hellfest in that interview from EarMusic are any indication, it looks like they messed with the color timing in post production again like on the Paranormal Evening DVd/blu ray. Why do they keep doing that to these live shows??? They work so hard to craft the color of the live show with the lights, props, etc only to desaturate everything for the DVD

Alice has nothing to do with that which is what some of us have been trying to explain to certain people for years.

[VinceLeeRose]

If the clips from Hellfest in that interview from EarMusic are any indication, it looks like they messed with the color timing in post production again like on the Paranormal Evening DVd/blu ray. Why do they keep doing that to these live shows??? They work so hard to craft the color of the live show with the lights, props, etc only to desaturate everything for the DVD

Alice has nothing to do with that which is what some of us have been trying to explain to certain people for years.

I just meant whoever is behind making these decisions, which I’m assuming is someone at earMusic. Alice probably doesn’t even know Road is including the DVD/blu ray

[Parish]

Alice probably doesn’t even know Road is including the DVD/blu ray

[Pitta]

I just meant whoever is behind making these decisions, which I’m assuming is someone at earMusic. Alice probably doesn’t even know Road is including the DVD/blu ray
[/quote]

A friend of mine made an interview with Alice in 2000 and he told me, that he asked him about the sequence of the songs on the Brutal Planet album. He didn't even knew about it.