Thoughts On And Ranking The New Album

[guttertrash]

All 18 songs could have fit on one cd. The double album idea may very well be a way to claim more sales. Not sure if that is the way it really works or not, but by putting two songs from the original album on there, it definitely seems like it could have been for that purpose. Otherwise it is just a waste of plastic and money.

[padre_sliprat]

All 18 songs could have fit on one cd. The double album idea may very well be a way to claim more sales. Not sure if that is the way it really works or not, but by putting two songs from the original album on there, it definitely seems like it could have been for that purpose. Otherwise it is just a waste of plastic and money.

A "tragic waste of plastic," perhaps?

[pitkin88]

The live tracks are just stale and redundant. They could have easily had his band show up in the studio and play six obscure songs ( Give The Rats what they want ) Roses on White Lace or whatever in half a day and make the hardcore feel good about buying a double cd.

You're totally missing the point of why they're on there in the first place. It's so the casual buyer will see hit songs... recognize them... and then be motivated to buy the disc for those alone.

Putting obscure songs on there doesn't serve that purpose.

I'm not missing the point at all I know that's what they were thinking though I don't have faith in the casual fan picking it up for that whorey lot. Be bold for once and stop with the tired re-treads ( or at least have the original band playing live ). Then I might buy it.

[dadascot]

Basically we are getting a double album for £1.00 more than the price of a single album! We are getting two new songs by ACG as well as the live set, also this means that it qualifies as two units which helps push it up the charts, which should help exposure and sales. I am not enamoured by the live set but more than will to pay an extra £1 for two brand new ACG songs!

[Babysquid]

this means that it qualifies as two units which helps push it up the charts

Ok I've just looked this up for both UK and Billboard charts. Basically for chart position double albums count as a single album but to be awarded silver, gold and platinum discs (at least in the US) doubles count as two units.
So The album being a two disc affair is not contributing to its chart position.

[pitkin88]

Basically we are getting a double album for £1.00 more than the price of a single album! We are getting two new songs by ACG as well as the live set, also this means that it qualifies as two units which helps push it up the charts, which should help exposure and sales. I am not enamoured by the live set but more than will to pay an extra £1 for two brand new ACG songs!

The label would be happy with that spin. No one wants the live tracks except for Remarkably's Casuals and again there is no reason the two ACG songs could not be on with the other songs. At ten songs it's not like it was overloaded.

I think the sales community here will inevitably be disappointed with the final tally if we ever know it. Alice is never going to have another hit. There will be no video of GAC on MTV, it is just a sign of the times. Look at the cavalcade of stars on the HV's and sales wise that corpse was dead on arrival.

Let's just hope there's enough dosh that we might get one more.

[dadascot]

Basically we are getting a double album for £1.00 more than the price of a single album! We are getting two new songs by ACG as well as the live set, also this means that it qualifies as two units which helps push it up the charts, which should help exposure and sales. I am not enamoured by the live set but more than will to pay an extra £1 for two brand new ACG songs!

The label would be happy with that spin. No one wants the live tracks except for Remarkably's Casuals and again there is no reason the two ACG songs could not be on with the other songs. At ten songs it's not like it was overloaded.

I think the sales community here will inevitably be disappointed with the final tally if we ever know it. Alice is never going to have another hit. There will be no video of GAC on MTV, it is just a sign of the times. Look at the cavalcade of stars on the HV's and sales wise that corpse was dead on arrival.

Let's just hope there's enough dosh that we might get one more.

Just because the label likes it doesn't make it spin! While I would have loved a second disk full of new ACG tracks that would have added considerably to the budget even if it was possible. As I said, I'm more than happy to pay an extra pound for two ACG tracks. I play this disc in the car and the missus and the 14 year old, who are both new to Alice and are going to the November gig, are getting familiar with those tracks. I think they are all decent recordings. But, having said that, like most on here I would have preferred more obscure choices or some outtakes etc.

[del]

Re continued thoughts on the cover. The album, both vinyl and CD, is front and centre in Glasgow HMV and as I walked in it stood out more than anything else on the wall simply because it is so simple and white. Don't know if that was the intention but having a stand out cover certainly got a few people looking during the 10 mins I was in there.

Top tracks for me remain Fireball and Paranormal. Actually listened to the live tracks in the car and they do sound better than some of the previous versions. Very much for the newcomers or casual fans, there are always a few.

[Maaki]

Rats is the weakest song, but ok - with one exception.

"Rats" is one of the best songs.

And I am glad you like it. It is the weakest song for me, however.

But to avoid confusion, I really really like the record and I am not skipping even Rats. My issues are minor and technical - I would have liked better players. I know Denander f.ex. is super respected, but to me he is boring as and Gibbons played just another ZZ TOP tune. All that ranting aside I am so very very happy to get a great album to listen to.

[cooperrocks]

It appears the new album is going to have a good opening week chart number. These days very few artists have any "hits" so if the new album cracks the Top 10 in the UK (which looks more and more likely) and the Top 20 in the United States, you can't really complain. Especially when you consider here in the United States at least, there has been basically no radio airplay and there are fewer and fewer places that sell music (yes I know you can get it online but there are still a few people out there who go to physical stores and never shop on Amazon. I know a few of them).

[recoop]

Only bought the CD today-honest. HMV York and the guy behind the counter said the CD was flying off the shelves- I thought I had misheard him but No it apparently has been selling well - the shelves pretty well stocked too.

Anyway, I am very entertained by this Album-there are a lot of influences on the album to my hearing (including influences from past AC offerings). I think the songs themselves are strong musically and the lyrical content is very interesting. The first ten tracks somehow flow together sound and energy wise (for the opposite,imo, listen to Lace and W).

If this had been an offering from another band I would have bought it on hearing it. Alice's voice is strong and growly which I like. I don't know how to rank the album but on first listen I would say its better than most of the solo offerings. So it could be up there with my solo favourites such as Welcome,FTI,TLT and Brutal Planet although this is not a concept album.

Can someone explain what the lyrics of the Sound of A is about or even what A is? (keep failing to find Alice explaining that track).

[VinceRaven]

I was pondering when I last played a new Alice album from start to end on repeated listens and it's definitely over 20 years ago. It's a far more interesting release than I was expecting.

The vast number of references to his past songs, both by name and melody, show what a missed opportunity W2MN was and it's to the album's credit that none of this comes across as forced or corny.

I'm not a big fan of Dead Flies, Fireball, Dynamite Road or Holy Water, but none of them strike me as absolute turkeys, the likes of which can be found on quite a few of his later releases. Dynamite Road is a really curious one in that it's not just heavily reminiscent of The Devil Went Down To Georgia but (for those of a certain age perhaps) a whole bunch of gimmicky half-talking songs that littered the seventies - yet somehow he just gets away with it.

The highlights for me include Rats (I'm a sucker for the fast ones), The Sound of A (excellent nod to his sixties influences, even though it has strong echoes of Pink Floyd who I'm not a big fan of) and Private Public Breakdown. That last one really impresses me in the way it recreates the glam feel, with the guitars not sounding too removed from the heavy sax sound used by groups like The Glitter Band. I know that song is far from a favourite of those that have posted on here so far but I would have loved to have heard him attempt more in that vein.

If, as seems possible, this is Alice's most successful release for a long while, I think it's a success it merits.

[I'm Pain]

On the topic of the live tracks.

To be honest - I haven't even listened to them yet. I really don't have any desire to listen to yet another live version of School's out, or Billion Dollar Babies done with his new band. I get it - those are the hits. The only way I REALLY want to hear live versions of those songs is with the band who originally recorded them.

Alice has some great solo work that gets ignored because of his tendency to cling to 4 albums in particular (LITD, Killer, School's Out, and B$B). Let the new band show off on some cuts that rarely see the light of day - especially if it's going to released on a CD. There's so many live versions of School's Out that are out there already that I don't think another live version of SO is going to do a thing for album sales. You can go to YouTube and watch maybe 50 versions of it as it is - for free. I think a more unique, and rare song selection (songs that aren't available elsewhere live) would have been a better idea for long term sales.

[Suspiria]

For some reason I thought the live tracks were going to be with the Original band but whatever....

You're not alone, I had thought exactly the same thing. I seem to recall that the second disc was (at one point) being described as an Alice Cooper group 'mini-album'. I think it's safe to say that 2 studio tracks hardly qualifies as a mini-album. So yeah, I was also expecting the other tracks to be from one of the ACG live appearances.

[Feezle-Nuts]

Speaking of the live tracks, did they just perform the original version of School's out at this show knowing it would be on the album? As far as I'm aware they are still injecting the song with Another Brick in the Wall are they not?

[guttertrash]

The lyrical and musical references to his past are complete music psychology. Studies show that the more familiar you become with a song, the more it will grow on you, and songs that reference other songs will stick faster, because they offer up bits and pieces that we are already familiar with which is due to strong nostalgic memories of the previous music, because it sends the our thoughts back to memories that we like. The writing is genuis on this level.

[Shoesalesman]

I'll give a better assessment if I can find time, but overall the album is good. Not sure if I'd put it above or below Welcome 2 My Nightmare, but it's in the same league in terms of lyric & riff quality. Don't have a problem with the mix or production on Paranormal; the passage through seems well-lit, concise and free of debris. Dynamite Road, Fireball, The Sound of A are faves so far. Holy Water and Private Public Breakdown will need to be perused more. The live tracks are well mixed; good showcase of Alice's acumen on stage.

I like that the CD is white, can find it easier on my CD rack without my glasses haha.

[Si]

Speaking of the live tracks, did they just perform the original version of School's out at this show knowing it would be on the album? As far as I'm aware they are still injecting the song with Another Brick in the Wall are they not?

Interesting and shows that I haven`t even listened to the live tracks as I hadn`t noticed. haha
It's been cut, probably to avoid royalty payments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_lwt0Dnb3w

[Feezle-Nuts]

Interesting. The cut was pretty seamless. I've only listened to it once and I figured they just cut it out for that show. Stuck me as odd because I figured if they were going to play the original version on any occasion it would have been Nashville.

[pitkin88]

Only bought the CD today-honest. HMV York and the guy behind the counter said the CD was flying off the shelves- I thought I had misheard him but No it apparently has been selling well - the shelves pretty well stocked too.

Anyway, I am very entertained by this Album-there are a lot of influences on the album to my hearing (including influences from past AC offerings). I think the songs themselves are strong musically and the lyrical content is very interesting. The first ten tracks somehow flow together sound and energy wise (for the opposite,imo, listen to Lace and W).

If this had been an offering from another band I would have bought it on hearing it. Alice's voice is strong and growly which I like. I don't know how to rank the album but on first listen I would say its better than most of the solo offerings. So it could be up there with my solo favourites such as Welcome,FTI,TLT and Brutal Planet although this is not a concept album.

Can someone explain what the lyrics of the Sound of A is about or even what A is? (keep failing to find Alice explaining that track).

It's pretty obvious if you don't over think it. A is Alice Cooper.