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

BLACK STAR RIDERS - The Killer Instinct [Deluxe Edition] (2015)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock

Label - Nuclear Blast

 

Track listing:

01. The Killer Instinct
02. Bullet Blues
03. Finest Hour
04. Soldierstown
05. Charlie I Gotta Go
06. Blindsided
07. Through The Motions
08. Sex, Guns & Gasoline
09. Turn In Your Arms
10. You Little Liar

Bonus CD:
01. Gabrielle
02. The Reckoning Day
03. The Killer Instinct (Acoustic)
04. Blindsided (Acoustic)
05. Charlie I Gotta Go (Acoustic)
06. Finest Hour (Acoustic)

By God does this guy ever stop! Not only has Black Star Riders frontman, Ricky Warwick, written recorded and released (via Pledge music) two brand spanking new solo album over the past few months, he has over seen the re-issue the his first bands, The Almighty, first two albums and managed to find the time to write and record a brand new album with Black Star Riders. Damn this guy likes to keep busy, and thank god he does!
After their critically-acclaimed Top 30 debut album, Black Star Riders return with the long-awaited follow-up, "The Killer Instinct". The band formed around the last of incarnation of Thin Lizzy and featuring guitar legend Scott Gorham (ex- 21 Guns), Damon Johnson (guitar, ex- Alice Cooper), Jimmy DeGrasso (drums, ex- Megadeth), Robbie Crane (bass, ex- Ratt, Vince Neil) and fronted by Belfast-born, ex-The Almighty vocalist Ricky Warwick, are back with vengeance.
All Black Star Riders members reportedly sat in debate over whether or not to make "The Killer Instinct" a Thin Lizzy influenced album. The end result is part Thin Lizzy and part something original as the band reaches for its own kick. Pooled together, this album is a winner.
The title track brings to mind Lizzy, straight down to Ricky Warwick's replication of Phil Lynott's choky swoons and slides, only an octave lower. The guitar solo is crisp and the riffs are tight and sweaty, giving the necessary verve behind the edict 'you have to die a little to survive'.
"Bullet Blues" afterwards is a tougher, slightly heavier, though no less melodic rocker with chucked-down bridges and dirty, blistering tag guitar solos.
The stunning "Finest Hour" just drew me in straight away, a simple melodic gem that’s knee deep in classic American rock. The first real sniff of Lizzy comes with "Soldierstown", where the trademark Celtic guitar licks are as resolute as always. If ever there was a song that announced Ricky Warwick as the singer in Black Star Riders, and not the guy that sings Thin Lizzy songs, "Charlie I Gotta Go" is it. Vocally, Warwick always delivers, but lyrically he tells his story with gritty poetic honesty.
Acoustic is not a word that was ever associated with Thin Lizzy, but BSR are continuing to grow their own identity, and with the sumptuous "Blindsided", they take their versatility to a new level. But like it or lump it, the Lizzy association is still the fulcrum of the band, and "Through The Motions" incorporates a lot of that classic sound.
"Sex, Guns & Gasoline" is a belter. A dirty, greasy rocker that’s drenched in sin. The band are firing on all cylinders here, especially the mean rhythm section. Drum assaulter Jimmy DeGrasso has without doubt filled the massive void left by the legendary Brian Downey. And new guy, former Ratt bassist Robbie Crane, seems to have slotted in effortlessly following the departure of Marco Mendoza.
Once again the Gorham/Johnson partnership is five star on the swaggering "Turn In Your Arms", with a Native American tale, Warwick once again displays his A level lyrical intelligence. "You Little Liar" closes the album with an epic thump. The songs climaxes with an apocalyptic guitar solo that hasn’t served it’s purpose if your ears aren’t ringing.
This "The Killer Instinct" Limited Edition 2CD Digibook Version is a must, as the bonus CD is fantastic. Features two great extra tracks in the sweet "Gabrielle", and a melting melodic rocker on "The Reckoning Day", plus earthy acoustic versions from the main album best songs.
Overall, this is an terrific blend of melodic rock anthems combined with classic rock sounds like Thin Lizzy used to make. It’s not hard to imagine this band being four of the five former members of Lizzy, yet Black Star Riders have done an awesome job of modernizing their sound to what melodic hard rock and classy metal fans want to hear in 2015.

AWESOME.
Rating - 10/10

 

The players:

Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) - Vocals
Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) - Guitars
Damon Johnson (Alice Cooper) - Guitars
Robbie Crane (Ratt, Lynch Mob) - Bass
Jimmy DeGrasso (Megadeth, Y&T) - Drums

Ginger Wildheart - G.A.S.S. Month 6 EP (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Pop / Punk / Alternative

Label - Self Released

 

Track listing:

 

01 - Don't Stop Loving The Music

02 - The Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton / Tim McGraw Cover)

03 - Ostracide

Bonus Demos

04 - Bloodlust (Venom Cover)

05 - Molly O Mindy

So here we are at the midway point of Ginger Wildheart's phenomenally ambitious G.A.S.S. project, so lets recap, that's eighteen brand new tracks and twelve previously unreleased outtakes / demo tracks, amazing.
This month the new tracks lead off with Don't Stop The Music, a great track which opens with an awesome bouncy riff. The song features the talents of  Jon Poole (bass), Denzel (drums), Chris Catalyst (guitars and vocals), Jake Adams (vocals), and Jasmine Adams (vocals) and was once again mixed by Kevin Vanbergen. A great mid tempo rocker that I imagine is going to go down a storm live.
Next up we have Gingers cover of Chris Stapleton's The Whiskey And You (popularised by Tim McGraw) which is once again mixed by Kevin Vanbergen, and again features the talents of Jon Poole (bass), Denzel (drums) and Chris Catalyst (guitars and vocals). This time around the mix is a little more laid back, remember SilverGinger 5's cover of Somebody To Love? Well that's the sort of sound that they go for on this track, and it works really well, a nice contrast to it predecessor and whats to follow. The last of the new tracks on offer this month is Ostracide. Again this track is  mixed by Kevin Vanbergen, and again features the talents of Jon Poole (bass), Denzel (drums) and Chris Catalyst (guitars and vocals). I have to say that Ostracide is a blinder! Definitely one of the best songs that G.A.S.S. has produced so far. Opening with a blinding riff and big rock beat, I could really imagine The Wildhearts pulling off a stonking version of this one! It really is a stonker of a song with all of Gingers trademark big chorus's, tempo changes and did I mention, killer riffs! the subject matter of this one is a little personal, and obviously close to Ginger's heart, but what can I say? The song is a stonker!
Next up we have this months bonus demos / previously unreleased tracks, a cover of Venom's Bloodlust and a little gem called Molly O Mindy.

I'll let Ginger explain,
"
BLOODLUST – Born from a daft/drunken idea between me and Jones, this Venom classic was recorded as part of the first Mutation album. Jase Edwards, as well as producing, provides ripping axe solo action and Denzel proves that he’s an even better drummer than Abaddon. I loved singing/yelling this. Shouting my head off is where my heart lies and I curse the day I was ever born with an innate sense of melody.
Originally intended as a double A-side ‘Geordie’ single, expect a cover version of Angelic Upstarts “I’m An Upstart” at some point before the end of G·A·S·S·,
MOLLY O LINDY – Written as part of the session of songs to be presented to Alice Cooper, I feel sure that he would have done a fantastic version of this, further convincing me that he never even heard these tracks.
Imagine Bob Ezrin getting stuck into the production on this with Alice at his super creepiest? Hey, who knows? Maybe he’ll get wind of this demo this time around and check it out? Or maybe he’ll just ignore it again? Ha ha."

First I have to say that the cover of Bloodlust is awesome, reminding us of just how great an assembly of musicians Ginger pulled together for the Mutation projects, full of energy bile and dare I say Venom? True to the original but with a mutated Mutation stamp all over it!
Molly O Mindy, what can I say, I have been waiting years to hear these songs originally written for Alice Cooper, and the song doesn't disappoint! This as Ginger says above could have been huge for Alice, id love to hear Ginger give it a full blown Bob Ezrin production job, its awesome as it is here in this form but my God this song could be a huge Killer!

So once again five awesome tracks delivered and no dips in quality, amazing.
Come on sign yourselves up to G.A.S.S. you be disappointed!

Rating  - 10/10

G.A.S.S. the story so far:

Moth One:
01 - Everything
02 - That's a Nasty Habit That You've Got There
03 - Bloody Knees
Bonus Demos
01 - Ice
02 - The Jackson Whites (Original Home Demo)

Month Two:
01 - El Mundo (Slow Fatigue)
02 - Hellbound
03 - King Rat
Bonus Demos
01 - You Are The LIght
02 - How I Survived The Punk Wars (Demo)

Month Three:
01 - Only Henry Rollins Can Save Us Now
02 - Do You
03 - Petite Mort
Bonus Demos
01 - Friction In My System (Written For Alice Cooper)
02 - Patience And Gratitude

Month Four:
01 - Honour (feat Courtney Love)
02 - Down The Dip
03 - If You Find Yourself In London Town
Bonus Demos
01 - Melanchoholic
02 - Begin from Within (Original Demo)

Month Five:
01 - The Pendine Incident
02 - Carriageway Roses
03 - Brand New Original Sin
Bonus Demos
01 - Shine
02 - Superpowered Superfly (Original Demo)

Month Six:

01 - Don't Stop Loving The Music

02 - The Whiskey And You (Chris Stapleton / Tim McGraw Cover)

03 - Ostracide 

Bonus Demos

01 - Bloodlust (Venom Cover)

02 - Molly O Mindy (Written For Alice Cooper)

 

 

Ginger Wildheart - G.A.S.S. Month 3 EP (2014)

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock / Pop / Punk

Label - Self Released

Track listing:

01 - Only Henry Rollins Can Save Us Now

02 - Do You

03 - Petite Mort

Bonus Demos

04 - Friction In My System

05 - Patience And Gratitude

So here we are with the third installment of Gingers mighty G.A.S.S. project, and once again Ginger mixes things up a little.
Opening track, Only Henry Rollins Can Save Us Now, which features Kelii Compulsive on vocals, (Recorded by Tim G and mixed by Jason Sanderson), is a great up tempo rocker, with a feel very reminiscent of How I Survived the Punk Wars from last years Hey! Hello! album, in fact the vocal melody throughout the verses are of an almost identical styling, but the chorus is huge and well, very Ginger. A great song and a great start to this months ep!
Next up is Do You? (again  featuring Kelii Compulsive on backing vocals and recorded by Tim G and mixed by Jason Sanderson). A more melodic rocker, a really beautiful song that apparently was written from beginning to end in one shot according to Ginger. This song has something really special about it, some great lyrics, and well it just hits the mark if you know what I mean.
Finally closing out the three new songs is the awesome Petite Mort. A real departure for ginger style wise. This track features Yolanda Quartey on lead vocals and  Nathan Connolly on lead guitar. Yolanda's vocal performance is simply huge, a really powerful delivery that just brings the song to life. The song is a down beat ballad at heart, but grows into a real monster. A truly inspired track and proof that Ginger is still trying to challenge himself in the song writing department.

Next up with have the two bonus demos / tracks, this time taking the form of Friction In My System and Patience And Gratitude. Here's what Ginger has to say about them,

"FRICTION IN MY SYSTEM – Around 1999 I was commissioned to write three songs for Alice Cooper. As a huge fan I was eager to take up the challenge, but ultimately I’m not sure if the songs never reached him or he hated them. Either way I never heard back.
Engineered by Kev Matthews (who engineered Earth Vs The Wildhearts) these long forgotten recordings have been recently unearthed, thanks to Kev’s brother Ray Zell.
PATIENCE AND GRATITUDE – Written as an exclusive track to accompany a video I was messing with, just having developed the editing bug, it’s only fitting that we offer this as a, now, exclusive download, seeing as YouTube are pulling independent music from their site, unless it sits & rolls over and plays by its corporate rules.
Recorded by Jase Edwards, and featuring the voices of Givvi Flynn, Vix Fuzzbox and Chris Catalyst, this was a free flowing ramble through my head that we committed to the digital noticeboard. We hope you enjoy it, even without the visual bonus of seeing that dog."

Friction In My System is a great track that would have made a fine edition to any Alice Cooper album (and I am a huge Alice Cooper fan!), that sees Ginger doing his finest Alice impressions (vocally any hows!). Its great to finally hear this song, I just hope and pray that we see the other two at some point in the G.A.S.S. project.
There's not too much that I can say about Patience And Gratitude. Its a great little instrumental song that has a special place in the hearts of Ginger fans, and again showcases a different side to Gingers songwriting.

Rating 10/10

ALICE COOPER - Billion Dollar Babies [2014 Audio Fidelity SACD AFZ 170]

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock / Glam Rock

Label - IMPORT

Track listing:

01 - Hello Hooray

02 - Raped And Freezin'

03 - Elected

04 - Billion Dollar Babies

05 - Unfinished Sweet

06 - No More Mr. Nice Guy

07 - Generation Landslide

08 - Sick Things

09 - Mary Ann

10 - I Love The Dead

Ok so this was released back in February, but I have only just come across it!
I am impressed the sound quality of this remaster is truly awesome, I'll let the following review explain:

This February, the Audio Fidelity label continues to grow its collection of stereo hybrid SACDs with one of the best rock 'n' roll records of all time; ALICE COOPER's classic album "Billion Dollar Babies".
With "Billion Dollar Babies", the Shock-Rock King Alice Cooper refined the raw grit of his earlier work in favour of a slightly more polished sound resulting in a mega-hit album that reached the top of the US and UK album charts.
The platinum-selling LP produced by Bob Ezrin yielded four Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Elected”, “Hello Hooray”, “Billion Dollar Babies” and “No More Mr. Nice Guy”.
After the album was released, the band embarked on a tour which reportedly broke U.S. box office records previously held by the Rolling Stones despite not meeting revenue projections. Magician James Randi designed special effects for the spectacularly horrific production.
"Billion Dollar Babies", with its songs about everything from dentistry to necrophilia, was the perfect vehicle for Cooper’s hard rock theatre to come alive – or dead.
The "Billion Dollar Babies" Audio Fidelity’s SACD edition has been remastered two months ago by boss desk-man Steve Hoffman at Stephen Marsh Mastering. Here it is Hoffman's step by step description for audiophile fanatics:
Great sounding album, maybe the best Alice?
Today at Stephen Marsh Mastering in the Hollywood Hills we nailed this one. It was a tense session because the tapes were pretty typically messy due to age but messy is my middle name... At any rate, Stephen, second engineer Fernando Lee and I were patiently mastering the Alice Cooper for Audio Fidelity. We did our usual split feed, DSD take and CD take, both at the same time.
he tapes were the original mix compilation reels that were done at the Record Plant back in the day. Each reel had the dates of the original mixes and what mix 'take' was pulled to this album comp. There was also a big note on each reel saying: DO NOT USE FOR ANY PRODUCTION WORK, USE EQ DUB CUTTING MASTER.
And for good reason. The master songs had many edits in each song, many level changes and, wacky as it seems, some of the songs required different level setups and Dolby A adjusting due to differing balance levels, no big deal.
Some of the songs were mixed in 1972, some in 1973 and each side of the album masters had a different set of tones to go with it. Yikes. No way a phonograph record in the old days could be cut from these complicated master reels, so a 'mastered' copy with EQ and compression was generated and all lacquers, parts, etc. were cut from that, bypassing this original set so sides could be cut without stopping.
However, us brave dudes decided to plug ahead and use these two original reels since we were not cutting phonograph records and could start and stop after each song. First, Stephen Marsh went in and fixed each and every edit (the glue on the splice tape had bled over the years and it was a sticky mess at each of the many edit points). No baking of the tape was required as the tape stock was from the good year of 1972. Tape still played fine, no shedding whatsoever. Good news.
Once the splices were scrubbed and fixed, Stephen's Dolby expertise went into effect and he aligned the ATR analog playback deck with his custom Dolby A box until it was perfect (at least for the first few songs). On side two for whatever reason the levels were off by 2 db on most songs, throwing the Dolby alignment off so we just realigned, same as they did back in the day and for the Greatest Hits CD.
Then, we transferred, one at a time, using our special brand of mastering knowledge and dumb luck. None of the songs sounded tone-wise like any other songs on there, each had a different and nicely subtle but unique sound. obvious on our top notch modern gear, probably not so obvious on monitors back in the day...
Now on the old LP they made all of them sound similar by filtering and compressing but that was not our goal. I personally don't care what the old LP sounded like unless it had amazing sound (and this one didn't compared to the actual master mixes, the vinyl was too compressed and compromised, a long album on two vinyl sides).
I want YOU to hear what the band and producer got to hear back at the Record Plant in 1973 so I left the tonal changes intact for the most part from song to song but at the same time I made sure each one sounded the best it could in the context of "what they were obviously going for" back then, same as I've done on almost every project I've worked on since 1982. The intent of the original artist/producer/engineer is always the main goal.
At any rate, it took a long time today, high-priced designer pizza was delivered and we took a break but mainly we worked on this, one song at a time, having to fix levels, Dolby levels, EQ (usually the tape box notes were pretty right on) and other 'tricks' for each and every song while having to 'MRL' the machine back to neutral / normal after each one so we could carry on and on.
On track 6 ("No More Mr Nice Guy") there's a minimal glitch, a bleeding broken repaired splice which is less than a second of a decades old 45 minute master tape. We chose not to dump to Pro Tools and fix digitally. We also chose not to resort to using a second generation tape dub. We wanted the signal to the DSD recorder, etc. to remain pure even if it had a minor imperfection or two.
The album holds up nicely. I had a retro-type girlfriend in the 1980's who LOVED this album (she thought she was so cool to like something from an earlier era, I thought 'eh, big deal') but I was reminded of her throughout the day. A weird feeling but I'm sure she will dig this new version.
As always, it's very important to me that the ORIGINAL VINTAGE mixes were used. A bunch of extra crossfades, solo guitar strums and other goofy stuff was still on the reels after the leader and I'm glad they wisely decided to not use any of them in the final release.
This is the first Audiophile release of this album from the true Ezrin mixes and we're proud of the way it came out.
Hope you all like this one.
As usual, the Audio Fidelity remaster is excellent, pressed on gold CD, with a SACD layer, in limited numbered edition and in the case of Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies", not only reproduces the original artwork, also features a genuine famous 'billion dollar bill' inside the package.
At $30 American ($22.70 on Amazon), it's a steal. What's not to like? And it's a classic to boot!
Crank it to eleven and enjoy the sound of the first release of the true mixes in 41 years of Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies"
A Must Have.


Rating 10/10

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

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

Pushking - The World As We Love It

Genre - Hard Rock / Classic Rock
Label -

Track listing -

01. Intro
02. Nightrider (Billy Gibbons: vocals, guitar)
03. It'll Be OK (B. Gibbons: vocals, Nuno Bettencourt: guitar)
04. Trouble Love (Alice Cooper: vocals, Keri Kelli: guitar)
05. Strangers Song (John Lawton: vocals, Steve Stevens: guitar)
06. Cut The Wire (Paul Stanley: vocals, Steve Salas: guitar)
07. My Reflections After Seeing the Schindler's List Movie (S. Vai: guitar)
08. God Made Us Free (Graham Bonnet: vocals)
09. Why Don't You (Glenn Hughes: vocals)
10. I Believe (Jeff Scott Soto: vocals)
11. Tonight (G. Hughes: vocals, Joe Bonamassa: guitar)
12. Private Own (G. Hughes: vocals, Matt Filippini: guitar)
13. Open Letter To God (Eric Martin: vocals)
14. Nature's Child (Udo Dirkschneider: vocals)
15. I Love You (Dan McCafferty: vocals)
16. Head Shooter (Joe Lynn Turner: vocals)
17. Heroin (Jorn Lande: vocals)
18. My Simple Song (Dan McCafferty: vocals)
19. Kukarracha (All Stars: vocals, Steve Lukather: guitar)

Pushking is a melodic rock band that was formed in 1994 in Russia. Somehow they have managed together a pretty much who's who of melodic rocks finest stars to guest on this album with, to be honest mixed results.
There is absolutely no doubting the talents of the guest stars, they are all superstars in their own rights, Alice Cooper, Jorn Lande, Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes etc, but the obvious talents of the guest stars only serves to highlight the inadequacies of the band themselves.
There are some good songs on here, even if many of them do sound a little dated, but enjoyable none the less, but as I said many of them are saved purely by the talents of the guest stars, a great example is track five, Reflections, purely forgettable and skip able if not for some great guitar work from Steve Vai.

This album is for fans of the guest stars only, to be honest, and really only for completists.

The Band are
Konstantin “Koha” Shustarev - Vocals
Nikolai Yegerev - Guitar
Dmitry Losev - GuitarValeriy Sadakov - Bass
Vicktor Drobysh - Keys
Andrey Kruglov - Drums

The Guest musicians :
Paul Stanley (lead vocals)
Glenn Hughes (lead vocals)
Eric Martin (lead vocals)
Graham Bonnet (lead vocals)
Joe Lynn Turner (lead vocals)
Jorn Lande (lead vocals)
John Lawton (lead vocals)
Alice Cooper (lead vocals)
Jeff Scott Soto (lead vocals)
Dan McCafferty (lead vocals)
Udo Dirkschneider (lead vocals)
Billy Gibbons (lead vocals and guitar)
Stevie Salas (guitar)
Steve Lukather (guitar)
Matt Filippini (guitar)
Joe Bonamassa (guitar)
Steve Stevens (guitar)
Keri Kelli (guitar)
Steve Vai (guitar)
Nuno Bettencourt (guitar)
Eric Ragno (piano, organ)



Website - Pushking
Rating - 7/10

Alice Cooper - Alice Does Alice Ep

The original shock rocker has decided to re-record five Cooper classic,s for this itunes only release. 'Schools Out', 'No More Mr Nice Guy', Elected', Eighteen' and 'Welcome To My Nightmare' are the classics in question.
As you would expect, Alice remains very faithful to the originals, maintaining that classic 70's era Cooper sound, with a really crisp and clean production, which in many ways enhances these new versions. I love all five songs here, and if I had to find faults, then it would be with Alice's vocals on 'Elected', where to me he just seems to be struggling.
Worth buying? Probably only for the completest's amongst us, as the songs remain so faithful to the originals, but a great little EP non the less!

website -  http://www.alicecooper.com/
rating 9/10