ACAS Review Thread

[Maurice]

Here is the second official review: Click. It is pretty positive. Only one minor negative comment.

I think many people misunderstood why I created this thread. It was to post the official reviews as they appear. Oh well, I'm always up for a little discussion.

Sorry about going Off-Topic there; I was, however, unable to get the link to the review to work, but I will try it again later.

[TeresofBlood]

Here is the updated list of reviews. It doesn't really matter for those of us who've heard it because we already know what to expect, but for those holding out, you'll be happy to read that no one has anything bad to say about it.

Reviews:
Blog Critics
30 Days Out
The Metal Minute
Metal Invader
Hard Rock House
The Sun

[Voodoo Revolution]

From what I've heard from Myspace and all that (I've been careful not to listen to everything as I want to keep the full experience until the album lands at my door step- can't wait!) I'm feeling very positive about the album and have no major complaints.

Once I listen to it start to finish, I will post a review of it...but not straight away. I wanna wait until I get past the "OMG, a new Alice album, this is great" stage otherwise I'll be calling it the best album since sliced bread.

And you never know, it could be his best album since sliced bread....

[Jumping Jack]

This CD is different for me because the more I listen the more I like the music. It definitely gets in your head.

[Dragonlady]

Well I just listened to the album twice in a row at full blast. Thank goodness my downstair neighbours are away and my next door neighbour is working.

I went to the supermarket this afternoon, and as soon as I spotted the album sleeve I grabbed it and couldn't get rid of the silly grin on my face. I always feel like a child in a candy store when I have a new album to listen to! It's something so indescriptible. Like the best wine on Earth or a rare gem. A moment of pure pleasure.

I have to say I was really curious, as the first sound clips didn't do much for me, then I heard the songs on Alice's show and saw the potential.

It's never easy to say after a first listen, it could be just the joy of having a new Alice album, it could just be my mood today. But for now I believe that this is indeed one of my favourite albums of all times! It's different, and it's very surprising. I love surprises.
The first time I heard "Wake The Dead" I was a bit lost, I didn't know what to think, but now I totally adore it.

I always judge things with my imagination, if it triggers some ideas it's a good album (or movie or book etc) the imagery and mood of this album is something I had never seen before, and yet it reminds me of familiar things. It's an emotional thing to meet Steven again. A shock and a surprise like a hand suddenly grasping your throat. Yes, a very familiar feeling. It's like returning home.

I will eventually write more.. I think, but for now I must digest all this.

At school I used to have to doodle in class if I wanted to hear anything the teachers said. It always got me in trouble but otherwise I would daydream away and not hear a thing. The teachers never understood this.
Anyway I listened to the album with a pen in my hand.. so here's the doodle that took shape:
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/6616/nightmr2.jpg
Funny how I just called it "night" and imagesahck added the "mr" part... hmmmm

[TeresofBlood]

That is a very cool drawing. It is even cooler that the imagery presented by the album was the inspiration.

It's funny. I really liked the album the first listen. Then the more I listened, the less I liked it, probably because I was analyzing it so deeply. I stopped listening to it for a couple weeks and now I love it. Funny.

[lattss]

It's funny. I really liked the album the first listen. Then the more I listened, the less I liked it, probably because I was analyzing it so deeply. I stopped listening to it for a couple weeks and now I love it. Funny

That's the thing.I just think that if people (and I'm not pointing at you) would listen to it and not critique it, the album would be much more enjoyable.Just relax and take it in.

...And if you mean "analyzing it" as in the story,then what I just said has no meaning.

[TeresofBlood]

When I say analyze I do mean story, but I also was trying to figure out why the album lagged in middle or why a couple of the songs sounded like other tracks on the album.

I've given up trying to figure it out and I totally dig it now. That is why many albums are better with time. Muscle of Love was very disappointing to many at the time of its release because it had to live up to B$B in the minds of the listeners, but know, I know of few Alice fans who don't like Muscle of Love.

[Dragonlady]

Thank you TeresofBlood! It's really just a doodle on a A4 page. But I would love to do some "proper" paintings once I get the time.

I really love Gabrielle's work and "piggy D"'s graphic design. The promo stuff was so mouth-watering!

Of course it would be my absolute dream come true if I could ever work on the cover art for an Alice Cooper album. I've been fantasising about this for the past 20 years LOL

[AlongCameASpider27]

Album Review
Throughout his long career, Alice Cooper has taken full advantage of how concept albums allow for more ambitious songwriting and memorable, layered characters that get more than one song to tell their story. It's always a tortured story with social outcasts rebelling against turbulent childhoods or other traumatic whatnot, but this time the stakes are much higher. Along Came a Spider tells the story of an eccentric serial killer who suffers from the exact opposite of arachnophobia and lives by the spider's code of "You trap, you kill, you eat". How he got there and why he chose spiders is a story better heard from Alice, that is if you're undying fan of his less accessible concept piece From the Inside or his phantasmagoric horror show Welcome To My Nightmare. Spider has as few hooks as Inside and more than twice the sinister moments found on Nightmare, all delivered with a post-Rob Zombie attitude that allows things to get a little more brutal, more alt-metal. While the casual fan will feel some of the less gripping songs are just here to move the story along, fanatics will gush as Alice once again acts as host and narrator and revives the character "Steven", the young boy who broke all his toys on Nightmare. With a serial killer as lead and titles like "(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side" or "The One That Got Away", Alice fills his lyrics with clever and gruesome wordplay but the winner here is the only plausible single, "Wake The Dead", which shockingly and shamelessly borrows the bassline from the Chemical Brothers' "Let Forever Be". Guitarist Slash, Kiss drummer Eric Singer, and background vocalist extraordinaire Bernard Fowler all make appearances while renaissance man Danny Saber handles the production which appropriately sounds soundtrack big. An easy recommendation for fan club members and/or serial killers. Everyone else has two or three better Cooper concepts to devour first. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

[Comus]

I got the album this morning. When I first put it on, I wasn't sure what to think, and I wasn't sure I liked it, but by about half way through I started to get into the feel of the album. Then I put it on a second time and it all just clicked into place.

In my opinion there is a strong Dexter and American Psycho feel to it - that really cool Dexter side of the album with the extremely dark humour of American Psycho. I have read commnts that the lyrics aren't as funny as usual, but I don't think that's the case - they are just funny in a different way - it's all funny in a dark and twisted sense - so perhaps it doesn't appeal to everyone's sense of humour. I really do thik that it is one of those albums where you have to get the joke, and if you don't it'll go over you, almost like when Alice broke the UK first - it was those people who got the joke. It's almost like the whole album is one big wink with a sly grin to the audience, and yet that's not to say it isn't scary at the same time - some of the imagery and scemes described are pretty horrific. It's a hard line to tread, and Alice pulls it off to a tee. *Just realised that's a golfing pun*

Only 2 things I don't like - 1) the backing singers. 2) the Run For Your Life! lines on Wake the Dead. Other than that I'd say it's definitely one of Alice's best albums, and I Am The Spider is one of the coolest, and greatest songs I've ever head, and as an album closer it's perfect.

[soodesunee]

"It was all so perfect, except one thing ... one thing ... one thing ... "

After two complete listens, the stand-out tracks are "Vengence Is Mine" and "I Am the Spider."

I agree so far with previous posts, most of the tracks are not as fully realized as they should be.

This continues the line from "The Eyes Of Alice Cooper" and "Dirty Diamonds," nothing more or less.

More thematic, certainly, but fewer stand-alone tracks than the previous two albums.

Less compelling in the production and instrumental execution than the last two.

Vocals were written to take best advantage in many albums of Alice's style, one of this recording's strongest points.

Summary: Not a "come-back" album, but more of the solid same from one of my personal heros since I found him at age 13 in 1977.

[Dragonlady]

I really adore "Wake The Dead" it's so different and yet familiar. That crazy melodic riff is so cool. And very danceable which I certainly don't mind.

[kosciuskouk]

I happen to think the slasher (primarily teen goths) market is more limited than the general rock market, but maybe his current record company will prove me wrong. Just my preferences and opinion, your mileage may vary.

You know Jumping Jack, I happen to agree with you on some level. I also prefer when Alice does songs with more universal themes and when the music is "classic rock" as opposed to "metal".

I also think that Alice may have started limiting his appeal when he started doing concepts like "AC Goes to Hell" in the mid-70s because I don't think it was a concept that had mass appeal like the concept of "School's Out". So I actually agree with you on that level.

Where I start to disagree with you is about album sales nowadays. With the way the record industry has changed in the present world, I just don't think it will affect album sales nowadays what concept Alice adopts on his current albums. That's all I was trying to say. I was not saying that I prefer the darker concepts because I actually prefer when Alice deals with more universal topics too.

Totally agree with the concept won't matter......the 'aiming at a genre' type thing to me is nonsence,it's the songs that matter!
If the 'Spice Girls' released a gore fest rock album......how many rock music fans would buy it??? NONE unless they liked the songs....(then they would buy it ..and deny it )
Point about 'Goes to Hell'........think about the previous album to that (same type of album) but hardly 'limited his appeal' did it??
we've been over this 'sales' stuff before and TBH the only way Alice's sales will ever rocket is if he has a song (like poison) that appeals to the masses,which is unlikely.
The split on this forum (die hard fans) over his albums whats best/worst is always split......so whether it's a 'slasher concept' or 'bunch of songs' I can't see a time when everyone on here will say ....."classic album".

Sorry to diverse back again....if you like it listen to it...if not there's 24 others to listen to!!

[glamprincess]

Totally agree with the concept won't matter......the 'aiming at a genre' type thing to me is nonsence,it's the songs that matter!

Point about 'Goes to Hell'........think about the previous album to that (same type of album) but hardly 'limited his appeal' did it??

The previous album, Welcome to My Nightmare, had a more universal theme than AC Goes to Hell, in my opinion. With regards to WtMN, everyone has nightmares and everyone can relate to being afraid, especially at night. So I do think that album could reach the masses. Goes to Hell, on the other hand, started to deal more with Alice the individual and themes about dancing to get out of Hell. I don't think this is a theme with mass appeal and while it may be interesting to some of the die-hard fans, I don't see how more general rock fans are going to relate to this theme.
And I do think this may have been a factor as to why Goes to Hell was not nearly as successful as its predecessor Welcome to My Nightmare.

[MacQueen]

All in all I love the new album.

My reasons for are different than anyone else's, but that's the norm here. No one person is going to have the same exact opinion on an Alice Cooper album and that's alright, it makes being a fan so interesting.

There isn't a single bad song on ACAS. It's not a continuation of Eyes and DD and shouldn't be counted as such. The music on the new album stands on it's own and I'm greatful for that. I think the people who had to give an opinion before the album was released..the ones who downloaded it or heard it on myspace, but yet felt compelled to give their 'expert opinion' are way off base.

Alice Cooper isn't a musician who works in one set form or another. I learned this from listening to Dirty Diamonds. He's going to write what he wants to and if you don't like it then fine, just don't be so quick to judge.

[TeresofBlood]

I think the songs themselves are better than the album as a whole. The instrumentation is bland and boring overall when listening to the entire album. But when listening to each song, by itself, each is really good. There isn't a track on the album I would mind hearing on the radio.

[kosciuskouk]

Totally agree with the concept won't matter......the 'aiming at a genre' type thing to me is nonsence,it's the songs that matter!

Point about 'Goes to Hell'........think about the previous album to that (same type of album) but hardly 'limited his appeal' did it??

The previous album, Welcome to My Nightmare, had a more universal theme than AC Goes to Hell, in my opinion. With regards to WtMN, everyone has nightmares and everyone can relate to being afraid, especially at night. So I do think that album could reach the masses. Goes to Hell, on the other hand, started to deal more with Alice the individual and themes about dancing to get out of Hell. I don't think this is a theme with mass appeal and while it may be interesting to some of the die-hard fans, I don't see how more general rock fans are going to relate to this theme.
And I do think this may have been a factor as to why Goes to Hell was not nearly as successful as its predecessor Welcome to My Nightmare.

I respect your view......mine and the Main point i was making ,is the first part that you quoted, Whatever the concept is won't affect sales/popularity much.....unless you really think people bought WTMN because they dream? and didn't like GTH because they don't like hell?

Bottom line is as i stated in first post...it's the songs that count,not the theme...(I don't think there's much between the two albums).....but general consensus would be the songs on WTMN are miles better so was therefor more popular. (that there was no tour would have had little effect either imo)
How many of the songs are played live from each? they're played as their better songs (in the majority view) not because of their theme.

[kevinuk81]

I agree with you Sparticus, of course everyone has an opinion but when Alice puts so much time and effort into making a record, and then to have people on here, the best Alice Cooper site in the world, well, there is no pleasing people.

[glamprincess]

I respect your view......mine and the Main point i was making ,is the first part that you quoted, Whatever the concept is won't affect sales/popularity much.....unless you really think people bought WTMN because they dream? and didn't like GTH because they don't like hell?

Bottom line is as i stated in first post...it's the songs that count,not the theme...(I don't think there's much between the two albums).....but general consensus would be the songs on WTMN are miles better so was therefor more popular. (that there was no tour would have had little effect either imo)
How many of the songs are played live from each? they're played as their better songs (in the majority view) not because of their theme.

I did agree with a lot of what you had said in your original post. I was just discussing why I thought WtMN had more mass appeal than Goes to Hell. I totally agree that the most significant factor for an album is the quality of the songs. And I agree that WtMN had far better songs than Goes to Hell and that certainly was a reason why it achieved far greater commercial success. But sometimes quality is not the only factor for an album's popularity as many songs that are hits nowadays are not such great songs. So I do think some songs reach more people because they deal with more universal topics.