why do people hate ACAS?

[pinkerton]

So, before becoming a member here I spent a week reading through the threads. I didn't close to everything, but I got this feeling that people hate ACAS. There is a vocal group of people who denounce the album as the worst thing Alice has done.

Just wondering why there are such strong feelings regarding this particular album. With such a large body of work that is so varied, why does this album get kicked in the face so much here.

Would like to hear all your feelings...

[kevinuk81]

Not everybody hates it, some people like to have something to moan at, and because there was no tour to support it, playing songs from the album, like Brutal Planet, they dismiss it.

[pinkerton]

why was there no tour?

For me, there is never an Alice tour, since its super rare for him to play Asia.

[concolz]

Well - I like the cover, the booklet and the songs. I like Alice's vocals, the instrumentation and the production. ACAS would rank in my top ten all-time AC albums and, after Brutal Planet, I rate it his best album since the millennium. So, I guess I'm part of that non-vocal group that actually LOVES it. Yippee!

[pinkerton]

concolz, have you read the write up in the album section on this website?

I agree, and for me its his best record in the last 20 years. I like it more than BP and DT.

[andyrew]

I don't mind it, but to me, it's just not as scary of an album that it could have been. There's too much clapping in the background and has a sound like The Eyes of Alice Cooper, which, for the kind of concept he was trying to create, doesn't work. It seems like Alice was very keen on this type of direction from the SickthingsUK interview with Greg Hampton:

SickthingsUK: 'Along Came A Spider' is a surprisingly upbeat album, considering it's a concept album about a serial killer. This has surprised many fans. What are you thoughts on how the songs and the concept go together?

Greg Hampton: You know there were some other very complex dark pieces of music that we composed for this and presented to Alice... but it was really how HE was ''feeling it'' that we would build on... so his instinct on a musical piece with matching titles and or lyrical themes would be the directive, from his perspective.

I don't find much of ACAS memorable...it just seems very rushed. I think the overall direction could have been darker, especially considering how dark the cover art looks and the production could have used someone like Bob Marlette to help guide the decision making. He needed a producer to convince him that it needed to have a harder edge to the lyrics and the tone. It seems like Alice was guiding the project into a more "positive" territory.

[cooperrocks]

In my opinion, the songs just aren't there. Vengenance is Mine and I Am The Spider are the only two tracks that I really like on that album. The production is very poor on the album as well. From Hey Stoopid to the present, I really think Alice has been on a roll, but ACAS is the one album I never listen to. It took awhile for me to really appreciate The Eyes of Alice Cooper, but now I love it. The same has not held true for ACAS. I gave it another listen about six months ago and my feelings still have not changed.

[Rhapsody of Fire]

My feelings.... ''KILLED by love'',my favorite song.

[mestreech]

Never listen to it. Almost as bad as Constrictor.
There was a thread or inside a thread about this recently. Just don't know which one.

[Shoesalesman]

Good album. Not great. Just good.

[pinkerton]

thanks for all your opinions.

Andyrew, thanks for posting those interview snip-its. Being in Japan means I'm a little out of what's going on with music and movies. I didn't know of ACAS until it was out for about a week. So, I had no preconceived notions about the style and had no expectations for the album. All of a sudden it was just in my hands.

I've said a few other places that I really do like ACAS. Its one of my favorite albums he's done. The positive direction it runs doesn't bother me. I like the conflict of the character. I find a lot of depth in the struggle he's going through.

[larryelbows]

It was a filler album. There were three good songs on it, if that. The rest was a wash.

There's no disputing that Alice Cooper is an extremely creative and intelligent guy, but even smart people make junk sometimes.

[pinkerton]

Larry, what are the 3 tracks you consider to be good and which song do you think is the worst?

[killer wolf]

didn't feel it was up to standard at all. the songs felt clunky, the concept muddled and disappointing. i almost felt lie Alice wussed out on this by putting the "twist" ending on it that it was all imagined. also doesn't make sense to me that an "arachnophobic" would immerse himself in spider imagery. i flat out don't like this album aside from 2 songs.

[sickthing]

I think the biggest problem with ACAS is that there was so much promise surrounding it - the artwork was really good, the concept (as originally announced) sounded very intriguing, the promo videos were great....and then the actual music just fell flat.


Vengeance is Mine and I am the Spider are the only two songs I ever listen to.


The album was supposed to be about this serial killer taunting the police and the victims, but most of the songs come off as campy rather than scary. Case in point is I know where you live. Others, in my opinion, are just flat, like, Wrapped in Silk and Salvation.


It just doesn't grow on you or age well. Some albums you get to appreciate more with repeat listens. With this one, the lack of quality just comes through even more.

[tuneylune]

There are some really good songs on here, especially "I Know Where You Live" (very creepy song), "Vengeance is Mine" and "I am The Spider". Like the album, but find it overproduced and the plot is driven home too often.
Good cover and CD booklet.

[larryelbows]

Larry, what are the 3 tracks you consider to be good and which song do you think is the worst?

Best:

Vengeance is Mine
Killed By Love
I Am the Spider

And by best, I mean the only ones that I've listened to a few times. They're pretty bland by Cooper standards.

There's really no "worst;" the rest are just repetitive and uninspired.

[pinkerton]

interesting to hear all your opinions.

I personally think there are some twisted lyrics on the album.

[evil syd]

To be honest, I love the album. I think it's a good attempt to step up and bring back the old dark Alice. He was gone for a long time. "Wrapped in Silk" is to me, a classic. I also kind of like the twist that maybe somewhere in this alternate universe that Coop has created, maybe those murders were are all in the character's head. Symbollic of the creation which was a small part of the reason that landed Alice in an institute himself, and we all know that all of his crazy antics were from his imagination. It's freaky. "Vengeance is mine" should of been a bigger hit than "Poison".

[evil syd]

The album was supposed to be about this serial killer taunting the police and the victims, but most of the songs come off as campy rather than scary.

Sometimes campy can be creepy. I think that's part of it's charm. There's this underlining tragic feel too, like a lot of Coop's work. "Killed by Love" has this kind of dark ode to "The Beatles", at least I think so. I think this album is sooooooooooooooooo underrated.
Great Album!

I am the Spider!