BLUE COUPE - Million Miles More (2013)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Label - 

Track listing:

01 - Prophets, Dukes and Nomads

02 - Hellfire Hurry (feat. Buck Dharma)

03 - Hallow's Grave (feat. Alice Cooper)

04 - Everybody Goes Insane

05 - I'll Forever Stick Around

06 - Modern Love (Stalking Song) (feat. Goldy McJohn)

07 - Used Car (feat. Giles Johnson)

08 - Supernatural Love (feat. Deniz Tek)

09 - Train Of Thought

10 - Ain't Dead (feat. Ross The Boss)

11 - Ride With Me

12 - Devils Highway

13 - Special Bonus Track: More Cowbell (Gotta Fever)

### Please Note The Following Review Is Not My Work, please credit the original reviewer (unknown)###

BLUE COUPE are formed by multi-talented entertainers Rock and RollHall of Famer Dennis Dunaway of the legendary Alice Cooper Group alongside multi-instrumentalists Joe Bouchard and his brother Albert from Blue Öyster Cult.

"Million Miles More" is their second album of original songs, a classic rock festival featuring stellar guests as horror-master Alice Cooper itself, Goldy McJohn from Steppenwolf and Blue Öyster Cult's Buck Dharma among others.

These cats together have sold over 15 million albums in the United States alone and have been awarded over 30 gold and platinum recordsworldwide, so they know what this is all about. Joe & Albert are the co-writers and arrangers of many of Blue Öyster Cult's biggest hits, the latter being the mastermind of "Imaginos". Dennis co-wrote Alice's biggest smash hits including "I'm 18," "School's Out" and "Under My Wheels." 

"Million Miles More" has a musical tone, song craft and sound not dissimilar to the original ‘black and white’ era of Blue Öyster Cult and the original Alice Cooper (group) releases, but modernized and much more melodic.

Joe’s guitar playing is very classy, delivering strong riffs and valvular solos, Dennis Dunaway's bass line throw most of the rock shapes, while Albert provides the bouncing foundation. All three bring vocals, with Joe Bouchard singing the lion’s share of leads.

Kicking off with the beat-driven rock of the excellent "Prophets, Dukes and Nomads", the band then give a nod to their musical past with the rollicking roll of "Hellfire Hurry" featuring great six-string lead bursts from BÖC's Buck Dharma. This tune drips of BOC as Buck’s signature riffage is all over the place.

Alice Cooper guests on lead vocals for the sinister fun of "Hallow’s Grave" creating that creepy yet neat-o classic sound of the old school Alice Cooper group. Ross the Boss stamps his guitar sound on the shout-it-out and punchy "Ain’t Dead", while original Steppenwolf keyboardist Goldy McJohn adds his signature organ to "Modern Love (Stalking Time)".

As great as the songs with special guests are, some of the best tunes on the album feature only the three band mates.

"Supernatural Love" is a song with a little bouncy guitar line that is not only cool, but is kind of addictive. "Everybody Goes Insane" sees the band mixing their BOC and Cooper influences perfectly into a modernized, organic delivery. 

But it isn't all up-tempo guitar-bass-drums rock and roll. One of the best songs is the touching "I’ll Forever Stick Around", the piano and strings ballad featuring a rare Dennis Dunaway lead vocal has a charm unlike any other song on the album; then there’s the slow-tempo pseudo blues of "Train Of Thought".

The single that preceded the album’s release, "More Cowbell (Gotta Fever)" has been added as a special bonus track, a crowd-shout number originally recorded live.

Blue Coupe's "Million Miles More" has everything you look for in a Classic Rock album, driving beats, toneful guitar riffs and solid bass, it's the real deal done by professionals who know how to write great songs and relate to an audience. 

The trio called talented Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, John Lennon, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, BOC, etc.) to produce and Warren Huart (Aerosmith, The Fray, James Blunt) to mix, who made this sucker sound damn good.

The fact Blue Coupe had to run a funding campaign to ensure completion of this album within their targeted time-frame says a lot about the state of the music industry, where marketable commodity is more important than musical creativity, than it does about the quality of the finished product.

Suffice it to say that something special happens when two Bouchards and a Dunaway get together and make music; this is a Classic Rock record, but one that's injected with a fresh, quirky, creative musicality.Simply put, "Million Miles More" is a great album that deserves to be heard and deserves success.

Rating - 8/10

Blue Coupe are:

Joe Bouchard - guitar, keyboards, vocals

Dennis Dunaway - bass, vocals

Albert Bouchard - drums, vocals

guests:

Alice Cooper - vocals

Ross the Boss (Manowar) - guitar

Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult) - vocals, guitar

Goldy McJohn (Steppenwolf) - keyboards

Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) - vocals

Giles Robson - harp

Gordie Lewis (Teenage Head) - guitar