A review by Shoe

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A review by Shoe

Post by Shoesalesman » Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:42 pm

I spent some time with the headphones on last night writing this with paper and pen. Just one person's views on the album. Here goes...

Artwork/photos:
Everything from the front & back cover right down to the last page of the insert is absolutely fantastic. The art designs and photos are clear and have a good balance between raw simplicity and crisp detail. The packaging screams of the days of early 1940/50’s film-noir; the bold text of some of the song titles seems representative of the B-movie caption classics of that era. The lovely blond victim fits the damsel in distress to a T. A good classic, timeless feel.

Songs:

There’s much that works in Along Came A Spider - good groove to the songs and they seem to be well balanced throughout the forty-four minutes. Having said this, however, there are a few things I found I didn’t like at first listen that are starting to grow on me as we speak, some others will take more time.

Prologue: A nice PSYCHO nod with a great film-noir score. It reminds me a bit of the psychiatrist’s tapes in that movie Session 9. I love the forensic accounting here.

I Know Where You Live: Got my cowbell fix early in the album. :rock: A good song, but doesn’t deliver that initial opening POW! The tambourines were a good addition (a bit too loud maybe), not a fan of the clapping. But it’s definitely growing on me.

Vengeance Is Mine:
Good rocker! Nothing wrong with this one. Guitar work is fluid, sharp. Early 2000 Alice, steady, driving. Starts and finishes with continuity. In the top songs for me.

Wake The Dead:
Thanks to NotSoPerfect I find myself doing a little soft-shoe under the desk whenever this one’s on. Haha. Great blues harmonica that settles the song into a modern pop number. The pitch is a bit high for my liking and it seemed there were minimal solo Alice vocals here.

Catch Me If You Can:
Reminds me of Triggerman, Backyard Brawl and the Raise Your Fist And Yell album. The drums gave the right feel to this song, the chorus had a nice progression. I play this one quite a bit.

(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side:
Other than the tempo being a bit slower, this could fit on TRASH somewhere with its swagger. Again, not a fan of the claps. A grower.

Wrapped In Silk:
A nice nod to Dirty Diamonds, which I liked. Now when I dip the beard in the morning milk I’ll be thinking of spider milk. Yummy. :/ My least favorite on the album, but the intro is catchy. Reminds me of Grinder from Judas Priest, intro only.

Killed By Love:
Reminds me a bit of the Hey Stoopid album. Alice’s voice sounds great. Good ballad.

I’m Hungry:
Fantastic beginning, but bridge and chorus didn’t back up the lead-in for me. This is my new BBQ theme song however. Behind my Kiss The Cook apron I’ll be screaming this one out. Air tongs anyone? Baz, I may need your washboard effects. ;)

The One That Got Away:
If I could go back and change my wedding vows, the first line of this song would be it. How can you top that opening line? Nice guitar work, especially after a good spoken word. I could let you walk, I could feed the sink... great lyric.

Salvation:
Humble injection of much needed humanity and compassion for Spider. Reminds me of My God from Lace & Whiskey. Alice and piano fit together beautifully - it seems when they’re both together it’s magic. The chorus was a bit too raw for me, a few strings and horns would have made it better supported. I like the drums and the Beatles feel.

I Am The Spider:
The opening guitar effects immediately set the tone for what would be a creepy tune. The strings supported the guitar work perfectly. Last night I played this one right after the prologue and it fit just great there, but it did close the album nicely. The chorus was fantastic. Spun his web deep inside her is one of the best lyrics on the album, next to the opening line of The One That Got Away.

Story:

As an overall project, ACAS offers many storyline possibilities, backed up with songs that can take the “confinement in a cell” ideology in different directions. Some things I’ve contemplated:

If Steven has been in his cell for close to three decades, is the story a spider’s view and account of what’s going on as he watches from up high while Steven’s mind unravels?

Are the spider eyes on the wall in the “You Trap, You Kill, You Eat” photo all the spiders Steven has seen and befriended (or been manipulated by... or killed) in his 28 years of residency?

Is the spider speaking in I Know Where You Live, knowing Steven’s every thoughts and crawling on his hair when he’s sleeping, hearing and disliking Steven’s delusions or personalities (punk in combat boots, man in suit...)?

Could some of the songs be taken as an exchange between Steven and the spider?

Is the punk in combat boots Alice himself? Twenty eight years ago puts us in Flush The Fashion territory.

Should I put a few more Labatts Blues in the fridge? :drink:


Overall, I like Along Came A Spider. What helped was keeping away from the little song snipets and keeping my expectations in check. While I don’t consider it a profound album, it does have enough punch and story throughout to keep it on regular rotation on the CD player. I look forward to cranking this album (and of course my Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard collection) during the road trip to the shows come the Fall.
Last edited by Shoesalesman on Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Funny you should say that!

Post by Seriously » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:00 pm

Well, there have been lots of comments, reviews and the like, but I decided to give it a week before I would make any judgement on ACAS and give it some proper playing time in my car and home. Therefore, it is my considered opinion that this is a great album and will stand with any of his back catalogue and would make a fantastic tour album. This album has general appeal and polish, whilst still maintaining his fan base. Very cleverly work and produced, this is a 5 star album.

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Post by daytripper63 » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:11 pm

Thanks Shoey :clap:
I feel pretty much the same. I think this album is tied in with Alice's past albums and will be a favorite for me . It has all the fine qualitys of Alice , only done a little diffrent. A fantastic "Sing along" album, which sticks in your head.
As I voted on the other thread...Wrapped in silk is also my least liked. I havent heard the other 3 songs...Have you ?

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Post by Shoesalesman » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:15 pm

Forgot something...

Epilogue: Alice always sounds good during spoken word bits. Some odd emphasis on some of the words, but overall it's great.

Okay, I'm done.

No I haven't heard those songs.
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Post by nimsowner » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:20 pm

Nice review Shoey a lot of depth to it.

My wife was running around the house last night singing, "Catch me, catch me, if you can?" When I play it in the car with her she is singing right along with a lot of the songs. So the lyrics have to have a catchy feel to them and are easy to remember.

I've been getting younger people, that aren't that familiar with Alice, to listen to this album. (Younger for me means 18-22 range) Every single one of them has liked this album. So it should be a good album to increase his fan base.

And the bonus tracks are a good listen too, if you haven't heard them yet. I like Shadow Of Yourself the best. But I know others on the board like I'll Still Be There more.
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Re: A review by Shoe

Post by NotSoPerfect » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:26 pm

Shoesalesman wrote: Wake The Dead:
Thanks to NotSoPerfect I find myself doing a little soft-shoe under the desk whenever this one’s on. Haha.
Glad I could help! :laugh:
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Post by daytripper63 » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:28 pm

I have 2 teenagers...they aren't Alice fans...If you can believe that ...living with me...but they also like what they have heard of this album. I think it will hit the younger generation better than the last two anyway. :laugh: (more sales)

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Post by lattss » Sun Aug 03, 2008 7:33 pm

Cool review!

And as for the younger generation,I at least know that I like it. :)

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Post by Prince Alice » Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:28 pm

Thanks Shoey, great review.

I think this album is meant to grab the attention of of us younger listeners (teens - collage age) and still please the older fans.


P.S. after listening to the album some more. I'm going to take back some of what I said in my review and agree with pretty much everything shoey said. It's still shaping up to be one of my favorite Alice albums yet.
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Post by kevinuk81 » Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:55 pm

Shoey, the more you listen to ACAS, the more you like it, glad you approve my friend, a review well worth waiting for.

Now if only we got Jadeds review of ACAS and not just Chuck and his bew hairstyle, and not forgetting Andy, his opinions would be worth reading.
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Post by Nightmare13 » Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:29 pm

Good in depth review.

I personally love the album. Cant seem to stop listening to it. :alice:
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Post by steve » Sun Aug 03, 2008 10:01 pm

Hey Shoey
Great review , you nailed it !! I was hoping the Edmonton Journal would have reviewed it Saturday ( usually do ) but the damn Valley Jamboree got alll the space . Hope next Saturday. I noticed after they gave a favourable review of DD sales went well here .
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Post by Master Shake » Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:10 am

i personally think that it is an album that will work brilliantly live with some of his past songs. as for the album itself, its just straight rock n' roll imo and there aint nothing wrong with that! I'm a fan anyway

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Post by guttertrash » Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:39 am

In ' I Know Where You Live,' I think the clapping needs to be in the majority of it, especially in the verses with just the drum. It would sound really thin if it was just drums and vocals. I would've personally added guitar without the clapping, but at least the clapping is there to make it sound a little more filled out.

I think the songs on a whole are very well arranged with just a few things i would've done differently. The main thing I would've done different would've been to have made the album live in the studio. When i first heard it, I could tell it was all done separately unlike the last two albums. The vocals, clapping, and instruments on I Know Where You Live sound completely pieced together. I would've sped about 4 of the songs up. I did this on Soundforge with I Know Where You Live, and it made it sound much better.

The only other thing I would've done was not record with Greg Hampton and Danny Saber. They have neither one recorded anything that is the least bit 'great.' Danny produced a few tracks on The Stones 'Bridges To Babylon' which was an album of good songs, but the songs he worked on had the same problems I'm complaining about on ACAS.

As I said though, overall, the songs are good. Danny and Greg wrote some great songs. They just didn't do it justice on the production which i think would've even been better if the basic tracks were recorded live in the studio.

For anybody wanting another album like Killer, Love It To Death, or any other ACG era or Ezrin produced era with the mixture of complex tracks, garage tracks, ballads, and hook filled classic rock tracks, you can forget it. Ezrin penned the complex arrangements for that era, and Dunaway, Smith, and Buxton did the complex songs on the ACG era stuff. With Alice solo, you're going to get the straightforward rock and ballads with some cheese. It's his trademark since the mid-80s. I've learned to accept it.

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Post by kosciuskouk » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:46 am

Fair review shoey....i'm liking it more all the time!

Shows how different tastes can be from song-to-song as much as albums.........'Wrapped in silk', your least fav.....for me it's the most skipped to ;)


I quote shoey " tambourines were great addition......MAYBE TO LOUD" .......Did you type that whilst sat in your rockin chair,sipping ovaltine,checking your bingo numbers?????? you old git! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
If it's too loud...your too old! :rock:

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Re: A review by Shoe

Post by Wicked Little Lady » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:21 pm

Shoesalesman wrote: Is the punk in combat boots Alice himself? Twenty eight years ago puts us in Flush The Fashion territory.
Iiiiiinteresting!!! I have listened again to the album over headphones without distraction. I picked up on a few buried references but missed this one.
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Post by TeresofBlood » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:56 pm

nimsowner wrote:My wife was running around the house last night singing, "Catch me, catch me, if you can?" When I play it in the car with her she is singing right along with a lot of the songs. So the lyrics have to have a catchy feel to them and are easy to remember.
It's funny. My girlfriend isn't a huge Alice fan, but she likes him because I play it so much. She LOVES Da Da. It would probably be on her top 10 albums, strangely.

Anyway, I played ACAS for her and she claimed that it was "okay", "not great". Yet, I constantly catch her singing Vengeance is Mine to herself. It's hilarious too, because she is not a rocker at all. She's a tiny little 5'2 blond with a sweet little voice. I die laughing every time.

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Post by Shoesalesman » Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:27 pm

I think my issue is with the texture of the hand claps. Not saying anything about the production, but it almost seems that the clapping was digital or run on a loop. Clapping and tambourines are great together, but in this case the tambourines seem to drown out the claps in certain places.
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Post by runarh73 » Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:05 pm

i love the album, i think the guitar solo on killed by love is amazing do you know who played it..
the artwork for the limited cd is one of the best in a long time hope the vinyl will be as good..
thanks shoey you did a cool review :clap:

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Post by Shoesalesman » Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:08 pm

kosciuskouk wrote:Did you type that whilst sat in your rockin chair
Don't sass me, young 'un. :angry: :grin:
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