SickthingsUK

glamprincess wrote:

Shoesalesman wrote: Fonzie shark-jumping moment! Right! I remember that episode! Thank you.

Yeah, like whenever a tv show stops being good, they say it "jumped the shark". And now there's a new one for when a celebrity ruins his/her career. They say he/she "jumped the couch" (think Tom Cruise).

Gotcha. Similar to when sit-com producers introduce a "new kid or animal" into the fold.

Headphones will be my plan initially for ACAS, but I'm going to give it the prairie "road test" soon.

TeresofBlood wrote:
Last night I listened to it in total darkness and silence (with headphones) and I must say that helped quite a bit.

See this is exactly what I meant when I said I was going to wait for the night. But I can't use headphones because of my tinnitus...

I am listening to the previews on NWAC, so I hear one song every evening. I close my eyes and let the images arrive. So far I was not dissapointed but it's too early to give a real review of it. I'll be good and wait one more week until it comes out.

I am a visual person, I see pictures in my mind when I listen to (good) music. So I plan to take a sketch pad and sketch away to the sound of the new album and see what happens.

The reviews here are very interesting, I will have to read this thread again when I have the album.

<Whether it's Steven or the Showman or Maurice Escargot, he's made great use of his recurring characters in the past.

Remind me when The Showman and Maurice Escargot 'recurred'? Thanks.

A_MichaelUK wrote:<Whether it's Steven or the Showman or Maurice Escargot, he's made great use of his recurring characters in the past.

Remind me when The Showman and Maurice Escargot 'recurred'? Thanks.

I'd say Showman returned in Brutal Planet "Gimme".

I really hate to repeat myself but nothings free....

D

>I'd say Showman returned in Brutal Planet "Gimme".

I really hate to repeat myself but nothings free....

Well, he's never named as The Showman, but I'll accept your answer. Thanks.

A_MichaelUK wrote:>I'd say Showman returned in Brutal Planet "Gimme".

I really hate to repeat myself but nothings free....

Well, he's never named as The Showman, but I'll accept your answer. Thanks.

Was he EVER reffered to as The Showman in a song? I can't recall.

Feezle-Nuts wrote:
Was he EVER reffered to as The Showman in a song? I can't recall.

I don't think he was - in a song - but, as I am sure you will know, he was reffered to by that name in the comics/Graphic Novel.

Maurice wrote:

Feezle-Nuts wrote:
Was he EVER reffered to as The Showman in a song? I can't recall.

I don't think he was - in a song - but, as I am sure you will know, he was reffered to by that name in the comics/Graphic Novel.

There's also a cast of characters listed in the booklet for the CD which includes showman (no the and no capital letter).

WickedYoungMan wrote:

Owepar wrote:Am I mistaken in thinking it was announced that Bob Ezrin was gonna produce the album?

Badly...

My mistake. I dunno why I had that in my head. Could've sworn I saw a mention of that eons ago (or perhaps someone was speculating it, I dunno).

A_MichaelUK wrote:<Whether it's Steven or the Showman or Maurice Escargot, he's made great use of his recurring characters in the past.

Remind me when The Showman and Maurice Escargot 'recurred'? Thanks.

Okay, the Showman's been answered... I presumed Maurice Escargot made a return on "Zipper Catches Skin." It's got a back cover photo of Alice without long hair, clad in a button-up shirt and a tie, and the album's very similiar in sound and sentiment to the "Lace and Whiskey" cuts ("I Like Girls," "Remarkably Insincere," "I Better Be Good," etc.). I didn't know Maurice Escargot's name when I first got the albums (long before I had the internet) , but I've always thought "Zipper" was something of a tie-in.

I'm not offering this as my "definitive" answer to the Maurice Escargot thing.. but perhaps it is he who is reading Spider's diary.

I like that theory, WickedYoungMan!

>It's got a back cover photo of Alice without long hair, clad in a button-up shirt and a tie,

That might be more of a New Wave fashion statement.

>and the album's very similiar in sound and sentiment to the "Lace and Whiskey" cuts ("I Like Girls," "Remarkably Insincere," "I Better Be Good," etc.).

I think they're very different.

in zipper,he still has long hair,it's just pulled back,according to brian nelson.

I'm gonna catch a beating for this but here goes...

To me, the whole thing misses it's intended mark. The spoken intro is brilliant and then it dissolves into very juvenile lyrics, plodding music and forgettable melodies.
The Alice Cooper Group was scariest when they were just being themselves. When people didn't understand them or why they would be singing about "Killers", "Halo's Of Flies" and "Dead Babies" but that was the beauty of it as your imagination fueled your own fears.

Alice as a solo artist tries too hard at being demented and menacing and in turn becomes a caricature of himself. Don't get me wrong, this works great for stage performances but it wears thin as far as a soundtrack is concerned. I mean the Broadway play "Oliver" was tremendous fun but how many times could you actually listen to Fagin sing, "You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two" without shooting yourself.

The real crimes committed on this record were ones of inspirational and musical sloth.

Oh well, Parish, I guess you should save your money for the bands that are more inspirational and musical than Alice Cooper.....why waste your time and money on this crap?


For myself, I love the album and am listening to it again and again. Alice is a genius and all bands wish they were as inspirational and musical as him.

GailsFriend wrote:really mean things to me :D

GF~

When it comes to listening to new Cooper music I have the great disadvantage of being old enough to have been a teenager in the 70's.

It is indeed a high bar that Alice has raised for himself...

I am 38 years old. I was 5 in 1975, but listening to WTMN.....
He has matched that high bar....by keeping the storyline simple and focused, like GTH or FTI. This is just the beginning of the story, though.

I think he is bringing in some influence of The Who....there is a certain loose wrecklessness in ACAS, I really enjoy the grounding that the arrangement bring....they are not too embellished.

I'm sorry that the original ACG makes it difficult for you to enjoy Alice's music in 2008. For me, Alice has so many "flavors" to choose from---from PFY to ACAS---that I love it all....

GailsFriend wrote: I am 38 years old. I was 5 in 1975

In '75 I was 17 so that meant that the soundtracks to my formative years were Love it to Death, KILLER, School's Out, B$B and Muscle of Love.

So you can see where this would be an enormous problem

WTMN was a brilliant record as well but there were cracks showing and then from there on Alice had good records with some great songs but I don't think he ever recaptured those halcyon days.

Don't hang on to the past....I know the music was WAY better then, but....there are still brilliant bands today. Coheed and Cambria has a storyline that stretches over 4 albums....I love them, because concept albums are hard to do well....and they succeed at it. Research it.

I don't think Alice is trying to relive his past albums.....why should we? ACAS is harder to appreciate with my tiny computer speakers....I can't wait to hear it properly.

Parish wrote:I'm gonna catch a beating for this but here goes...

To me, the whole thing misses it's intended mark. The spoken intro is brilliant and then it dissolves into very juvenile lyrics, plodding music and forgettable melodies.
The Alice Cooper Group was scariest when they were just being themselves. When people didn't understand them or why they would be singing about "Killers", "Halo's Of Flies" and "Dead Babies" but that was the beauty of it as your imagination fueled your own fears.

Alice as a solo artist tries too hard at being demented and menacing and in turn becomes a caricature of himself. Don't get me wrong, this works great for stage performances but it wears thin as far as a soundtrack is concerned. I mean the Broadway play "Oliver" was tremendous fun but how many times could you actually listen to Fagin sing, "You've Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two" without shooting yourself.

The real crimes committed on this record were ones of inspirational and musical sloth.

Whatever!

I mean no disrespect here but you've totally missed the point about ACAS.

First of all, this album REEKS of 70's rock and roll. It's both ACG and solo Alice on one record and yet you say "inspirational and musical sloth."

Secondly, your whole post just seems insulting, like saying that ALice was never as good without the rest of the ACG. Which is entirely bull.

I suppose you preferred the musical hash of Dirty Diamonds which is a trainwreck to listen to. You're like that guy Iffy or Izzy...i forgot his name, who couldn't see past 1973 to save his life.

I for one am glad that Alice made this album. It tells me that he's a forward thinker and he's going to continue to make records the way he sees fit, regardless of what the dinosaurs who are stuck in the tar pits say.

Fans who think like you make me want to LOATHE the ACG. I'm already mad enough at Si for his skewed review of Trash, but that's another battle.

(Wrtiters note: I'm not really mad at Si for his review of Trash, nor am I trying to start a war with facless strangers.)