New recordings of old classics

[Shoesalesman]

Sometimes you can polish things too much, it's like guitar players getting more technical but losing the essence of the song, same with production.

Agreed. I'm not a huge fan of remastering or re-recording, especially when it comes to Alice's older material. There's something to be said about the old and familiar pops and hisses (or whatever have you) in this material; leaves the human element and spirit of the times in tact. Granted it's not perfect... but I prefer it this way.

[ElectedPlus]

'BTW, anybody here had difficulty moving these mp3s to iTunes? I have been unable to.'

I had unsual problems too. First I clicked on the export to iTunes program the mp3's came with and nothing happened for ages - but found playing each song from the folder was enough to export it to the library individually.

Much agree with Shoey here - much prefer the originals also. But I don't think the intention was to make them any better, juding from how it's presented... Alice 'covering' his own songs, and for a cheap price too.

[steven_crayn]

sometimes you can polish things too much, it's like guitar players getting more technical but losing the essence of the song, same with production.

Those albums that Bob produced for Alice still stand up as better than anything around today in my opinion, less is sometimes more. Bob knew when to be subtle, he would have an acoustic guitar or horns on something that if you took it out you would notice its omission, even though those instruments were not 'in your face' too much on the finished product.

As Alice has said he was the George Martin of Alice Cooper.

With this forthcoming album we will see he still is and realise what we have been missing.

Good points! I do think though (and this was my point essentially) that it is highly likely that Alice did as much 'jump/punch in' vocal takes on Elected with Bob Ezrin, but that it was mixed, edited and produced better so as to be less noticeable. If you really listen to Elected for example, it
would inhuman to sing it as it stands in one take - just from a breathing perspective alone

Obviously a new recording of Elected for some game isn't gonna compare with Ezrin,Warner Bros and Alice at his peak with one of the great vocals in rock history coaxed out of Alice by Bob getting him to perform it in front of a mirror which also happened to be one of John Lennon's favourite records.

[shock rock]

The inclusion of "Wheels" or "Babies" would of been better IMHO.I have only heard "Elected",and it was alright.

[daytripper]

I really like the new updated Alice voice. It puts him in the NOW. So in concert he sounds more like it to me. The music is good but too clean. I guess I like the rusty old sounds .
But on the other hand, I'm all for keeping Alice in the flow and up to date with everything.

[Vlad the Impala]

Moved mine directly to iTunes with no trouble at all.
Maybe I'm just lucky!

[froginsox]

is there any info as to who played on these tracks?

Add to that who produced them and are they all MP3?

They were produced by Bob Ezrin