Alice's Band Mates: An Appreciation

[Agrophile in Texas]

So there was a brief anti-Nita thread due to the Nita debate in the Road Reviews thread, but why not expand that (and give it a positive spin), and have a general catch-all to talk about every one of those talented folks who have backed frontman Alice over the decades? (Original group members too)

I'm calling this an appreciation, but expressing complaints or preferences are fine (but as Si spoke of in that thread, let's not turn this into a string of endless unfounded insults)

Note: I found older threads for favorite guitarist and favorite original band members, but nothing that talked about them all? But if there is another thread like this, please direct me to that and delete this one.

[Agrophile in Texas]

So to begin... I was watching Monday Night Football, and hey, there's Orianthi in the owner's suite, watching the game (she also posted pics at her Instagram page). I guess viewers were curious who she was.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... r-AA1hZbIq

Anyway, I've always liked her as a player (with or without Alice), and felt she had a wide range as a guitarist, from shredding leads to soft acoustics - her play has personality, she wasn't just a speed demon. She could also channel Hendrix quite nicely, I've seen her cover his songs on stage, seen her in videos with his image on the walls. So, I'm guessing he was an inspiration.

I've been listening to her Rock Candy CD, which is a solid release (love "Void"), curious that she never wrote a song with Alice (and if she has and I missed it, please share what that was).

I'm also watching her play with the great Steve Vai on the Highly Strung video

https://youtu.be/G7b-_YcACuQ?si=HuwQk5-BgoNOArqd

[revinkevin]

Always thought Orianthi was a great guitar player and wished she stayed with Alice longer and had the chance to write with him. I thought she was a more classic rock / blues based influenced player. She could rip it up when she had to but steady rock chops were her strengths. If the opportunity ever came along to rejoin Alice I would welcome it.

[Daggers & Contracts]

Always thought Orianthi was a great guitar player and wished she stayed with Alice longer and had the chance to write with him. I thought she was a more classic rock / blues based influenced player. She could rip it up when she had to but steady rock chops were her strengths. If the opportunity ever came along to rejoin Alice I would welcome it.

Anyone want to mention the Elephant in the room?

Ritchie Sambora...

[Daggers & Contracts]

Ritchie Sambora...
Their album together tanked pretty quick. Did it not?

[lordcatfish]

Yes, I'm a fan of Orianthi. She's a great player, and her last few albums have been pretty good (especially the one last year). I would've liked to have seen what she could have brought to the table writing wise.

I sometimes think, had they pushed What Baby Wants when W2MN was released, whether they could've done it live and had Orianthi do Kesha's vocals.

[Saint&Sinner]

I sometimes think, had they pushed What Baby Wants when W2MN was released, whether they could've done it live and had Orianthi do Kesha's vocals.

That would have been a good shout definitely. I never will understand how they didn't push that song, it would have blown up - even my daughters liked it and they do not like rock music as a rule.
Orianthi is a talented player but was not good live - by this i mean her stage presence was minimal. The aloof snooty persona she seemed to adopt just didn't work with me.

I have liked most of Alices players over the years, i would say the era i disliked the most was the eyes to raise the dead era. I didn't sit well with the more garage rock vibe it was all just a bit too basic. I welcomed Orianthi joining as she immediately expanded the palate of songs they played (he's back for instance) but i just didnt jell with her stage presence.

My all time fave line up is the kane era. Ken mary on drums with kip winger on bass was absolute Perfecto (not to mention paul taylor and Devlin 7).

Kane is my favorite guitarist he has had, Ken Mary is my fave drummer for alice , T-bone on is my fave bassist (that gutter cats intro is just the coolest thing ever) Dick Wagner is probably my other favorite guitarist. He was just a legend.
Love so many of his eras and band members but my fave era was 86 to 94.

[While Heaven Wept]

I remember being very impressed with the playing of Reb Beech around '97 & '98.

[Agrophile in Texas]

See, now I like how Orianthi is all business on stage, she'll do a move, a gesture, but she lets the guitar do the speaking, (so to speak), lets that be the energy. I know that Alice is about big stage personas, but a guitarist, being cool, doing their thing, is nice for a change of pace. Nita, for example, she great, no hate from me as a player, but all that dashing about, man it's like when I'd babysit my sisters' crazy kids, exhausting, lol. I watched "A Paranormal Evening at the Olympia Paris" and there's a close up on Alice and suddenly a figure zips behind him in a blur... startled me for a moment... ah that's just Nita. HaHa!

Kane was great on stage, the persona, the muscle, the machine gun guitar, yeah, he exemplified the showmanship side of the concert. He's not my favorite (nor is that my favorite era), but damn did I love that concert with him, and yes Ken Mary. While I never bought a TKO album with him as their drummer, I did have the Seattle bands first LP (without him in the lineup, he came later), so I was aware of him and liked that thread, that connection from TKO to Alice.

I've read folks speak of them using a drum machine on Constrictor, and it has that feel, even though a real drummer is listed, it's pretty bland work. Mary woke those songs up on the Nightmare Returns tour (Teenage Frankenstein & The World Needs Guts).

[Agrophile in Texas]

I'm not sure who my favorite lead guitarist is, probably Glen. I like rock that's a little dirty, not always clean and perfect, and while the ACG got slicker with each album, the original core players still had that rough, raw edge to them, even though they could play like pros (Dennis is one of my favorite bassists of any band), and I like that quality in Glen. I like personality in my leads, and he brought that. (You Drive Me Nervous, is an example of the whole band achieving that... but I love the story of him asking Dennis (I think) how he wanted it played, and he did just that, played it nervous)

But Wagner could be expressive too. And bluesy Hunter was fantastic.

Bassists aside from Dennis... Peter Gabriel regular Tony Levin, especially on Goes to Hell, where he brought the element of funk he was known for, on certain tracks. Paste Magazine called him one of the most criminally underappreciated bassists in their list of underrated bass players.

So I think it's cool Alice worked him on a couple of albums. Overall, Cooper's surrounded himself with a host of phenomenal players.

[Dannorama]

Glen Sobel is a marvelous drummer.

[rodentdog]

Unfortunately I never got to see the original band live. First show for me was on the king of the silver screen tour. If I had to choose favorite band members I would still go with the original group. That's where my fandom was cemented. I liked what Kane brought to the stage when the nightmare returned and the raise your fist tour. I remember when Roxie was the young hotshot. I sat next to eric singer's father on the trash tour in cleveland and he was telling me how Eric thought he had a career with this Alice guy. Who knew then he would have a career being peter criss. I like his work with Alice though. Somehow I missed Orianthi . By the time i saw the raise the dead tour Nita had joined but she was still lurking in the background onstage at that point. There were many shows over the years I could'nt even name the guitar players and no one really stood out. Years ago I read an article about Kiss in their earliest stages and their management had come up with the plan that instead of one Alice onstage they would basically have four. Probably explains why Kane and Nita stand out for me as live performers. They add something not only musically but visually. At this point I truly appreciate the current touring band. They have been together quite a while and are familiar faces. They all bring something to the shows.

[cooperrocks]

I can honestly say Nita is my favorite guitarist Alice has ever had and he always has stellar bands. I personally, as a fan of a lot of very hard rock and metal, love the shredding style and if you listen to her solo albums there is a lot more "feel" in her playing than many realize. With Alice and a 3 guitar band, everyone has a certain role. She brings so much energy to the show as well and honestly when you are playing festivals like Alice often does overseas with heavy bands or are doing tours with bands like Motley and Def Leppard, you need that energy. When Alice did some shows with Deep Purple a while back, I was amazed that it was one of the weaker tours Alice has been on. I have always been a big Deep Purple fan but Purple would stand in one place and seemed frankly a bit bored, where the energy of Alice's band blew them off the stage. Frankly, Edgar Winter had more energy than Purple as well. Plus I love all she adds the element of playing some of the Constrictor/Raise Your Fist and Yell era songs. For many years, I wanted to hear a couple of those being brought back to the set and she has provided that. I had grown tired of hearing mostly just the 70's stuff which I think to a degree is overdone. Kane Roberts is definitely up there with me as well and it would be very cool, one day for Kane to come on stage with Nita and play Freedom. (That was the highlight of last year when Kane rejoined the band for a few weeks)

In terms of bass players, I definitely think Chuck Garric is my favorite. He has been with Alice for over 20 years. He has a great stage vibe, good backup singer, and I will also throw in I love the Beasto Blanco albums. He is really the guy in the current band I would love to see do more writing with Alice and them put together a little bit heavier of an album. He wasn't with Alice a long time but I think Greg Smith was a really solid bass player for Alice as well so I want to give him a mention. I also want to add (and no disrespect to the other original band members) but I always thought outside of course Alice, but Dennis was the best musician in the original group.

With the drums, Sobel is amazing but I think Ken Mary may be my favorite. I don't know how familiar everyone is with the stuff he has done outside of Alice but he is excellent.

It probably won't get discussed much since Alice hasn't used keyboards in years, but I want to give Mark Stein a mention as well. Excellent keyboard player for Alice and often overlooked.

[mr.barlow]

The two most important bands other than the original were the WTMN touring band and the 1986-1987.

One helped him establish his solo career the other resurrected his career.

My all time favorite is Dick Wagner. To me, no one comes close. The man was incredible. Without him there would have never been Dada.

Next would be Steve Hunter who is on equal footing with Wagner but I always gave the edge to Wagner due to his writing.

Prakash John and Tony Levin on bass.

Ken Mary on drums...no one comes even close. It's a shame Alice never brought him back..he's the best in the business.

Alice is best with two guitarists. Namely two leads.
The Nightmare Returns band was phenomenal for so many reasons but I think it was a missed opportunity not to use Artie Funaro (devlin 7/Jonny Dime) as a second lead. The guy is an incredible talent and I could only imagine what a guitar duo he and Kane would have made.

[boy/man]

Alice is best with two guitarists. Namely two leads.
The Nightmare Returns band was phenomenal for so many reasons but I think it was a missed opportunity not to use Artie Funaro (devlin 7/Jonny Dime) as a second lead. The guy is an incredible talent and I could only imagine what a guitar duo he and Kane would have made.

Arthur Funaro definitely got the short end of the stick during those two tours. I think he was given 2 solos; one mandatory during School's Out and he seems to be playing the solo on Under My Wheels, altough Kane steals the spotlight onstage.. Weird. I think him playing the part of the priest during the hanging sequence was sort of a compensation for that..

[Maaki]

The irony of some fans of ACG putting down Nita for too much showmanship rofl She whips her hair too much! That's just terrible :D

Nita is great.

I will always have a soft spot for Orianthi too. I actually loved her aloof stage presence and I did like her playing. What a waste of years the RSO was. Not only was the album a proper flop but it was awful, too. Not to mention an album by two guitarists with almost no guitars ffs But anyway. Love Ori and wish her all the best.

The whole original band is kinda untouchable, though. Only Wagner and Hunter come even remotely close.

[Prometheus77]

Plus I love all she adds the element of playing some of the Constrictor/Raise Your Fist and Yell era songs. For many years, I wanted to hear a couple of those being brought back to the set and she has provided that.

How exactly has she provided that??? It's not like the members of the touring band get to choose which songs to play.

[cooperrocks]

Plus I love all she adds the element of playing some of the Constrictor/Raise Your Fist and Yell era songs. For many years, I wanted to hear a couple of those being brought back to the set and she has provided that.

How exactly has she provided that??? It's not like the members of the touring band get to choose which songs to play.

Not exactly true. Every tour (Ryan Roxie has said this in the past), each member of the band is told to list three songs they want to play, sort of a wish list. Nita advocated for stuff like Roses on White Lace, etc. She has stated that her favorite albums are Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell and she is a big Kane fan and he has said he is a big fan of hers. Alice has also stated that before Nita was in the band, for a long time they really didn't have the shred type of guitar player to completely pull off those songs and that he liked her being in the band because they could do some of that stuff again. On a side note, when they were putting together the current show and decided to bring the snake back it was needed who suggested "Snakebite" be brought back to the show.

[revinkevin]

Thankfully I don’t think Alice has had any real duds in his band. All very respected musicians. We might have our personal favorites but I’m unaware of any untalented hacks standing on stage with him. They all brought a little something to the table. One guy not mentioned yet who I truly like is Mike Pinera. He had a strong resume before hooking up with Alice and was a good showman with serious chops to back it up. I was lucky enough to see him twice with Alice.

[Prometheus77]

Not exactly true. Every tour (Ryan Roxie has said this in the past), each member of the band is told to list three songs they want to play, sort of a wish list. Nita advocated for stuff like Roses on White Lace, etc. She has stated that her favorite albums are Constrictor and Raise Your Fist and Yell and she is a big Kane fan and he has said he is a big fan of hers. Alice has also stated that before Nita was in the band, for a long time they really didn't have the shred type of guitar player to completely pull off those songs and that he liked her being in the band because they could do some of that stuff again. On a side note, when they were putting together the current show and decided to bring the snake back it was needed who suggested "Snakebite" be brought back to the show.

Oh, well. Chuck told me that they don't choose the songs. And just because Alice says something, doesn't absolutely make it true. To say that the others couldn't pull it off, is a bit ridiculous.