Welcome 2 My Nightmare

While the extravagant price tag has kept me from splurging on Alice Cooper's "Old School" box set out a few months back, this sequel to his 1975 debut solo album "Welcome To My Nightmare" is a great (and more affordable) alternative. Here Alice teams with producer Bob Ezrin who helped put the original ACG on the map with "Love It To Death" forty years ago.

The eerie piano line from the original album's "Steven" opens the CD and immediately establishes a sense of continuity. There are little bits here and there that hark back to the original which longtime fans will appreciate. "The Nightmare Returns" is a short musical interlude that also borrows from "Steven" and the closing track "The Underture" features instrumental bits of the songs from the original 1975 "Nightmare" album and is a fitting end.

I could have done without the vocoder on "I Am Made of You", who's militant drumming and pace is reminiscent of "Second Coming".

Highlights include the frantic "Runaway Train" (co-penned by original bassist Dennis Dunaway)

"Last Man on Earth" has the '30s vibe that older tracks like "Mary-Anne" possessed.

The rockers include "Caffeine", "The Congregation", '60s beach-party-inspired "Ghouls Gone Wild" and the silly "I'll Bite Your Face Off" (which Neal Smith co-wrote).

Two contemporary numbers are the Lady Gaga-like "Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever" and "What Baby Wants" (but I really could have done without the Ke$ha cameo because I listen to Alice to escape the current trashy automatons like her).

"Something To Remember Me By" is the album's ballad on par with "You and Me", "How Ya Gonna See Me Now" or "I Never Cry" but not as sappy, yet not as brilliant as "Only Women".

Former rhythm guitarist Michael Bruce co-wrote the bitter "When Hell Comes Home" which is perhaps the albums best cut. Alice's breathy vocals tell a tale of spousal and child abuse and the revenge that ensues.

"I Gotta Get Outta Here" is almost folksy (think the Travelling Wilburys) and despite the title lifted from the classic "Ballad of Dwight Frye", has nothing in common but it's another of the better songs nontheless.

I bought the slightly more expensive CD with four bonus tracks. "Under The Bed" (which should have made the official album) and live versions of "Poison", "No More Mr. Guy" and "The Black Widow".

For any musician to sound the same at 65 as they did at 23 is something in itself and Alice deserves credit for that if nothing else. He did the right thing by reconnecting with Ezrin and this is one of his best works in the last 20 years. I do wish the original band members would have contributed more but it's still great that they reunited for a few songs.

In a way this album is the musical equivalent of the 1983 film "Psycho II". There's no way to top a masterpiece, but to craft a worthy sequel decades later that also stands on its own is something to be commended, and here Alice does just that.

At long last, we have Welcome 2 My Nightmare. Yes, it really does harken back to the Alice Cooper sound of old. Yes, you can definitely tell when members of the original band are playing. Yes, these songs are very diverse. In fact Alice's sounds from many eras are revisited: disco Alice, rocker Alice, campy showtunes Alice, a slight nod and a wink to the stone ages and some Zappa-like inspiration. There's even surf-rock in "Ghouls Gone Wild", and elsewhere, a Kip Winger cameo. Unfortunately there also a bit of a modern touch: an unfortunate cameo by talentless musical saboteur, Kesha, and some electronic effects that I wasn't too into.

Regardless, Alice and Ezrin (let's give credit where credit is due, Ezrin is the George Martin of this album) have created here a modern masterpiece, a great record to cap Alice's modern career with one more undenialble winner. Welcome 2 My Nightmare contains a few musical interludes and clues from the first Nightmare, particurly "Steven", but it's mostly it's own beast. It is surprisingly listener-friendly, very melodic and 70's sounding with plenty of instrumentation and production value.

The prime influence here seems to be musicals and showtunes. And that's fine with me. Alice knows he's doing and sneers his way through these snappy numbers. Everything builds and changes and builds again, each song is constructed masterfully. Alice and Ezrin know what they're doing. Don't forget these are the guys who did "Gutter Cat Vs. The Jets" back in 1972.

My favourite tune: The Tom Waits-ish "The Last Man on Earth", a 1930's sounding showtune-esque classic, along the lines of Alice's previous song "Crazy Little Child" from Muscle of Love.

Second favourite: "The Underture", which reprises the greatest musical themes from both Nightmare albums in one grandios outro.

One really important thing I want to mention: This is the most fun Alice Cooper has been in while. Welcome 2 has humour and the musical chops to make the album a fun listen from start to back. Whether you like albums such as Brutal Planet or Along Came A Spider, they're not albums to make you chuckle along while you snap your fingers. Welcome 2 My Nightmare, like the original Nightmare from 1975, is a lot more fun.

And now, for the collectors, a word about bonus tracks. I am aware of the following, which I have collected

"Flatline", the LP bonus track. This electronic effects-laden sound piece should be more considered a Bob Ezrin construction. Alice did not write it and does not perform on it. It does, however pretty much conclusively answers the disposition of the album's main character. His fate, left somewhat ambiguous in the final vocal song, "I Gotta Get Out Of Here", is sealed.

"Poison", "The Black Widow", and "No More Mr. Nice Guy" are recent live tracks from the Download Festival. These are on the Deluxe Edition.

"Under The Bed", an excellent song that fits right in near the beginning of the story, is also a bonus track on the Deluxe Edition. Great song. Don't know why it's not in the main body of the album, since it has recurring musical themes in it and fits with the story!"

"A Bad Situation" sees Alice singing in an exagerrated Elvis Presley voice, but the song is a pretty straightforward rock track. These is a bonus track on a download edition.

"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" is a cover of The Animals classic, recorded specifically to be a bonus tracks, also on a download edition.

So there you go! Hope that helps, collectors.

5 stars!

This album bridges the 40 some years since the first "Welcome To My Nightmare" was released, and it does it perfectly. Some of the tie-ins are obvious, and some that only a lover of that first album will be able to connect. My son, who rarely appreciates "our time" music, scoffed at another return of Alice. However, after he had to listen to it twice (due to his procimity to the stereo) was lauding what a great album this is. I agree! Put this album on your at least must listen to, if not on your must purchase list. You will enjoy it for what it is!!