Hollywood Vampires - S/T (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Label - UMC (Universal Music Catalogue)

Track listing:

01. The Last Vampire
Narration: Sir Christopher Lee
Keyboards and Sound Design: Johnny Depp, Bob Ezrin and Justin Cortelyou

02. Raise the Dead
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, Bruce Witkin
Drums: Glenn Sobel
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Background Vocals: Alice Cooper, Tommy Henriksen, Bob Ezrin

03. My Generation
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Drums: Zak Starkey
Background Vocals: Tommy Henriksen,

04. Whole Lotta Love
Vocals: Brian Johnson, Alice Cooper
Guitars: Joe Walsh, Johnny Depp,
Orianthi, Tommy Henriksen, Bruce Witkin
Harmonica: Alice Cooper
Drums: Zak Starkey
Bass: Kip Winger
Programming: Tommy Henriksen
Backing Vocals: Alice Cooper, Tommy Henriksen

05. I Got A Line
Vocals: Alice Cooper, Perry Farrell
Guitars: Joe Walsh, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, Bruce Witkin
Drums: Abe Laboriel Jr.
Bass: Kip Winger
Background Vocals: Perry Farrell, Tommy Henriksen, Bob Ezrin

06. Five to One/Break on Through
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Robby Krieger, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen
Drums: Abe Laboriel Jr.
Farfisa: Charlie Judge
Bass: Bruce Witkin

07. One/Jump Into the Fire
Vocals: Alice Cooper, Perry Farrell
Guitars: Robby Krieger, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, Bruce Witkin
Drums: Dave Grohl
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Keyboard: Bob Ezrin, Bruce Witkin
Programming: Tommy Henriksen

08. Come and Get It
Vocals: Paul McCartney, Alice Cooper
Guitars: Joe Perry, Johnny Depp
Piano: Paul McCartney
Drums: Abe Laboriel Jr.
Bass: Paul McCartney
Background Vocals: Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, Abe Laboriel Jr., Bob Ezrin

09. Jeepster
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen,
Drums: Glenn Sobel
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Programming: Tommy Henriksen
Background Vocals: Bob Ezrin

10. Cold Turkey
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen
Drums: Glenn Sobel
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Programming: Tommy Henriksen
Background Vocals: Alice Cooper, Tommy Henriksen

11. Manic Depression
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Joe Walsh, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen
Drums: Zak Starkey
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Piano: Bob Ezrin

12. Itchycoo Park
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen
Drums: Glenn Sobel
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Programming: Tommy Henriksen
Background Vocals: Alice Cooper, Tommy Henriksen, Bob Ezrin

13. School’s Out/Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2
Vocals: Alice Cooper, Brian Johnson
Guitar: Slash, Joe Perry, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, Bruce Witkin
Drums: Neal Smith
Bass: Dennis Dunaway
Background Vocals: Kip Winger, Bob Ezrin

14. Dead Drunk Friends
Vocals: Alice Cooper
Guitars: Johnny Depp, Bruce Witkin,
Drums: Glenn Sobel
Programming: Tommy Henriksen
Bass: Bruce Witkin
Piano: Bruce Witkin, Bob Ezrin
Background Vocals: Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Tommy Henriksen, Bruce Witkin, Bob Ezrin

The HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, are a super-group started by Alice Cooper, actor Johnny Depp and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry. This their self titled debut album is produced by legendary Bob Ezrin, features appearances by Paul McCartney, Brian Johnson, Slash, Duff McKagan and Kip Winger, among others.
Most of the album’s 14 tracks are covers, including as a mashup of Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” and Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2”, although there are a few originals included too. “Raise the Dead” and “Dead Drunk Friends” were both co-written by Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper alongside producer Bob Ezrin, who also provides backing vocals as well as playing keyboards. “The Last Vampire”, meanwhile, features narration from the legendary late Christopher Lee.
Work on the album began in 2012 and took two years to finish.
The project is a salute to Cooper's hard partying L.A. crew in 1973/1974, which included Keith Moon, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Micky Dolenz and others. A plank of wood featuring the legendary musicians’ signature is immortalized at Hollywood's Rainbow Bar & Grill in the club's upper level, known as 'Over The Rainbow'.
Clothing designer John Varvatos created the packaging which resembles an antique book, while the booklet features liner notes from original Hollywood Vampire and Elton John’s writing partner Bernie Taupin.
Other classics covered by the band includes The Who's "My Generation", Badfinger's "Come And Get It", Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", John Lennon's "Cold Turkey", T. Rex's "Jeepster", Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" and Jimi Hendrix's "Manic Depression".
It's all good stuff, cleverly produced by Ezrin combining the classic rock vibe with an updated, vibrant production.
This really is an album that is not to be missed. Its a pity that there isn't more original material, but with any luck the guys may have had enough fun making this album to consider a second? Lets hope so because this really is good stuff, but then again when you consider the calibre of the musicians involved, then it should be shouldn't it.

Very Very Highly Recommended!

Rating - 10/10

The Hollywood Vampire's -

Alice Cooper – vocals, harmonica, backing vocals
Tommy Henriksen – guitar, backing vocals, programming
Johnny Depp – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Dennis Dunaway – bass
Kip Winger – bass
Duff McKagan – bass
Bob Ezrin – piano, keyboards, backing vocals
Charlie Judge – keyboards
Perry Farrell – vocals, backing vocals
Brian Johnson– vocals
Paul McCartney – vocals, piano, bass
Christopher Lee – vocals
Bruce Witkin – guitar, bass, keyboards
Robby Krieger – guitar
Orianthi – guitar
Joe Perry – guitar
Slash – guitar
Joe Walsh – guitar
Neil Smith – drums
Glen Sobel – drums
Dave Grohl – drums
Zak Starkey – drums
Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums, backing vocals

Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare

Genre - Hard Rock / Shock rock / Glam Rock

Track listing -

01. I Am Made Of You

02. Caffeine
03. The Nightmare Returns
04. A Runaway Train
05. Last Man On Earth
06. The Congregation
07. I'll Bite Your Face Off
08. Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever
09. Ghouls Gone Wild
10. Something To Remember Me By
11. When Hell Comes Home
12. What Baby Wants
13. I Gotta Get Outta Here
14. The Underture

Recorded with longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, who produced the original multi-platinum "Welcome To My Nightmare" album in 1975, the record picks up right where they left off, with Alice trapped in his own warped mind. "This is Alice's nightmare 35 years later," explains Alice, "Bob and I created this character and we know how to write for him. I play the part but we're not writing for me, we're writing for Alice. We kept the first 'Nightmare' album very personal to us, on this one we found more humor and we were more open. This was our world and we want to present it to the fans. The original album was my first solo album after all those huge hit records with the original band and now that nightmare is exposed, this one can be a little bit more open. The music crosses all sorts of boundaries; we went where the lyrics took us."


"There is a vast array of collaborators on the new album, including original Alice Cooper members Denis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith reunited on three tracks; global pop superstar Ke$ha, who affectionately calls Alice "dad"; and legendary Alice and Lou Reed guitarist Steve Hunter, who is part of Alice's current touring band and featured prominently on the first "Nightmare" album.

Musically, the album ranges far and wide, from trashing disco to garage punk, pop balladry to a rocking number very much in the spirit of THE ROLLING STONES. And then there's the ballad "Something To Remember Me By", described by Alice as "the prettiest song we have ever released."
Glimpses of themes from the original album are intertwined throughout, each track representing a different aspect of Alice's nightmare."

The first thing that I did before listening to this album was to give the original 1975 Welcome To My Nightmare a spin, just so that I could honestly say as to whether Welcome 2 My Nightmare stands up to its predecessor, and not to be comparing it through the eyes of nostalgia.

Welcome 2 My Nightmare, just like its predecessor has a wide range of music styles and themes going on, from the Rolling Stones influenced lead single, I’ll Bite Your Face Off, to the Beatles / Oasis themed Last Man On Earth, to the rock n roll / Ramones groove of Ghouls Gone Wild.
One thing that I have loved when listening to this album is the way that they have interwoven themes, snippets of piano or guitar refrains from the original 1975 masterpiece. All of a sudden, you hear a piano segment from Steven, or a little theme from Only Women Bleed, and all done without it sounding tacky or forced, awesome!

I love this album and I can honestly say that Welcome 2 My Nightmare is the best album Alice has released in years, and I love most of the albums that he has released in his long career!

Well worth checking out!

Website - Alice Cooper
Rating - 10/10