Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

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pitkin88
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Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by pitkin88 » Wed Feb 13, 2019 10:40 pm

He is barely Audible on No More Love At Your Convenience. Question is, why? Where Alice and Ezrin embarrassed?

del
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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by del » Wed Feb 13, 2019 11:42 pm

Just gone back and listened again as always thought it was a completely different sound to the rest of the album. Token disco song needing a new "cool" approach?

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by pitkin88 » Thu Feb 14, 2019 12:46 am

It was a very odd choice for a single. I remember being in shock when I heard it. If you listened to it blind you would probably not think it was Alice Cooper.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by del » Thu Feb 14, 2019 8:27 am

Remember buying the single and really trying to like it on its own ..failed.

UK singles chart the week that No More peaked at #44.... Van McCoy, The Tramps and Tavares. Also Ramones, Clash, Stranglers and the Jam.

Alice jumped the wrong way for me. The world was changing and while I continued with him and excused him for this and most of the album I was away looking to the new guys to get the adrenaline going again.

A major miss-step and the live album later in the year didn't help at all.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by mestreech » Thu Feb 14, 2019 3:55 pm

I think the live album was long overdue by then and was terrible done. Such a waste of an opportunity.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by pitkin88 » Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:09 pm

After the purple patch of 75, 1977 was just horrible on all accounts. Artistic suicide. While No More Love and You and Me sold they were songs your mother might have done the ironing to. Mestreech is right too that the "live" album was pitiful. A cardboard epitaph and a nail in the coffin. A double live album after Billion Dollar Babies would have sold well and given the band time to breathe before Muscle of Love.

I can only think Ezrin put Alice so far back in the mix was that this abomination would be easily forgotten as he is barely audible. It could have been anyone.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by Saint&Sinner » Fri Feb 15, 2019 2:25 am

lace and whiskey is one of the worst albums he has ever done (unless you count PFY....which I don't).
An abomination of a record (except hot tonight and lace and whiskey) When I first heard no more love at your convenience I was embarrassed that it was Alice - and I was alone at the time (and still embarrassed!) if I was him I would have buried that track along with some nuclear waste (although I'm pretty sure "No more love..." probably has a worse half life!)
I'm sure you can wheel out "I was drunk/high on every drug going" but that simply doesn't excuse this lazy disco abomination. He thought he smelt the money and dutifully went along for the ride. Sends a shudder up my spine just thinking about it.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by While Heaven Wept » Fri Feb 15, 2019 2:45 pm

I think this is simply a mixing decision. I've read accounts of Alice not being a very good state during the sessions. I'd imagine his vocal was simply not strong enough to push it high in the mix, hence why they've double/triple tracked it and soaked it in backing vocals and reverb.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by Railwayman » Fri Feb 15, 2019 4:59 pm

Remember at the time a local radio station played it a lot and during one popular late night show the DJ played it twice (consecutively) saying that his wife loved it. Certainly seemed to appeal to a new audience whilst at the same time alienating a number of long standing fans.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by Ted Sallis » Fri Feb 15, 2019 6:16 pm

Saint&Sinner wrote:
Fri Feb 15, 2019 2:25 am
lace and whiskey is one of the worst albums he has ever done (unless you count PFY....which I don't).
From what I've heard of L&W it's considerably worse than PFY. And I consider the latter album to be more of an AC album than the former.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by revinkevin » Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:27 pm

Lace and Whiskey straight up sucked. As embarrassing as the record was, he topped it off with a performance on The Johnny Carson Show performing a song from it.

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Re: Why Was Alice's Voice Buried?

Post by pitkin88 » Sat Feb 16, 2019 12:53 am

It could have been a mixing decision as WHW said but Ezrin had a habit of cutting 45's loud for radio and this just whimpers. Maybe it was down to the other stuff they were cutting. Hard to believe Dick Wagner has a credit on here. It's Hot Tonight was surely the better choice and don't get me started on " You and Me ".

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