Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The sound of this remaster is gorgeous! I usually ho-hum at remasters, and can't tell much difference, but this is an exception. The sounds are sharper, crisper. Little sounds and lost instrumentation have been brought up from the background. and some of the weird noises have been given more prominence. I listened to both CD versions back to back, and I could hear major differences. The original CD seems to have been designed to suit more classic rock tastes, but this one seems to have been mastered to suit the tastes of Alice fans.
This reissue was produced by Brian Nelson and David McLees. Sound was produced by Bill Inglot. It was remastered by Dan Hersch at Digiprep-not by Bob Ezrin as the editorial review incorrectly states (check the liner notes before reviewing!)
It comes with a ten page booklet with some nice archive photos (that made me wish there were more photos and that they were larger!) from the "Welcome To My Nightmare" tour and a text piece by Jeffery Morgan-which basically praises Alice to death and doesn't tell fans anything they didn't already know-but it's still nice to read.
The three alternate songs were taken from Alice's ABC TV Special, "The Nightmare," co-starring Vincent Price, which was first broadcast 4/25/75. This is not the "Welcome To My Nightmare" concert video-this is a series of vignettes acted out by Cooper and Price that is nearly impossible to find by conventional means. Maybe this CD will generate interest and they will re-release it. In any case, they do not detract from the album at all...in fact, they add a little closure to it.
"Devil's Food" has alternate lyrics-probably mandated by television executives, but in my opinion the lyrics are even more potentially offensive! Leave it to Alice to pull that off. The music is different as well, trippier, more far out. The end of "Devil's Food" is played out without the Vincent Price monologue. "Cold Ethyl" is much the same with perhaps a more enthusiastic performance from Alice, he really gets into the "ooooooh so cold" bit. "The Awakening" has radically altered lyrics that fit just as well...it is a sweeter, more innocent alternate ending to the nightmare closed out by Vincent Price's lovely voice telling Alice the nightmare is never over.
Now as to the original tracks on the album: The title song begins the album with a whispery invitation to sample some of the disturbing images in Alice's haunted toy box. The song features creepy guitar work by Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter and ends with a rousing fanfare of horns welcoming you into the nightmare. The bizarre guitar work is really brought out in the remaster, up to the level of the horns, it gives it a much weirder sound.
Next up is "Devil's Food," a song about the Devil getting ready for a hot date or maybe a hot meal. As the song winds down Alice treats us to a monologue by Vincent Price, a full eight years before Mr. Jackson would do the same on his "Thriller" album. He portrays a museum curator with an obsession with spiders. This leads us right into "The Black Widow," Alice's Spider King who demands that we love him or be devoured. The little sounds are really brought out here and Alice's vocals sound more distinct. The two guitars are more clearly separated.
The next three songs are fun tunes that add musical diversity to the album. "Only Women Bleed" was Alice's first ballad and would mark the beginning of a string of melancholy hits throughout the rest of the seventies. "Some Folks" is a Broadway kick-line number about anger, violence, lust and pain. "Department of Youth" is a pre-teen anthem about kids running the world-the scariest thought on the album! All of them sound crisper and more precise. The violins on "Only Women Bleed" are much more prominent.
The chilling mood returns with "Cold Ethyl," the most upbeat song about necrophilia ever written. "One thing I miss is Cold Ethyl and her skeleton kiss...We met last night making love by the refrigerator light." There is a woman moaning excitedly under the music in this song-which is really brought out in this remaster. I like the extra edge it gives the song.
"Long Ago," "Stephen" and "The Awakening" form a story about a little boy (or is he a great big man?) with some sort of multiple personality disorder who can't figure out why all his friends are gone, all his toys are broken and people keep dying, until...well, buy the album and see for yourself. "The Awakening" is one of the coolest punch-lines to an album I've ever heard. The eerie tone of these songs is served well by the sharp ultra clear remastering of this CD. The creepy sounds, hidden voices, and far off calling of Stephen's mother are all more prominent in the mix of sounds. It made the listening experience all the more chilling.
"Escape" closes out the album and is about escaping from the nightmare. Because Alice at heart is a sweet guy all his stories have happy endings. "Welcome to My Nightmare" is no exception. In the end, we wake up, and wipe the cobwebs from our eyes, and realize that we are back in the daytime world. Don't worry; we can get back to the nightmare if we need to. After all, aren't nightmares just a way to escape from our sometimes mundane lives?
If you are debating getting this remaster because you already have the CD of "Welcome To My Nightmare"-and it is already a perfect CD, I urge you to take the plunge. I believe this is even better, or at least as good, but delightfully different. The three alternate songs are a must for any fan. The improved clarity of sound, and the brightening of some of the background instrumentation make it well worth buying.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Welcome To My Nightmare (Expanded & Remastered)
Original '75 release digitally remastered. Includes 3 bonus tracks - 'Devil's Food', 'Cold Ethyl' & 'The Awakening'-all alternate takes. Remixed by original album producer Bob Erzin from original master tapes. WB/Rhino Records. 2002.
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