ALICE COOPER – Welcome To My Nightmare [Japan SHM-CD mini-LP remastered] *HQ*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ 1 /// HQ 2

As requested for the best sounding version of ALICE COOPER 1975’s classic ”Welcome To My Nightmare”, here’s the excellent Japanese SHM-CD mini-LP replica print of the album, remastered with a clear, defined sound. Of course this album belongs to vinyl, but on digital, none rival this ＷＡＲＮＥＲ ＭＵＳＩＣ ＪＡＰＡＮ ＳＨＭ－ＣＤ.
This is the very first solo album by Vincent Furnier aka Alice Cooper. By 1975, the Alice Cooper Band (Furnier, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Neil Smith, and the late Glen Buxton) was no more.
For ”Welcome To My Nightmare” most of Lou Reed’s band joined Cooper for this record. A concept album, its songs played in sequence form a journey through the nightmares of a child named Steven. The album was incredibly shocking, and the tour was one of the most over-the-top excursions of that era.
”Welcome To My Nightmare” was a revelation for the audiences back 1975, and it is still mind-blowing today. And one of the key factors are the production talents of Bob Ezrin. The man who later produced Destroyer and The Wall really came into his own on this album. His production is, for lack of any better words, jaw dropping. You can totally tell it’s him, if you know his style well enough: that creepy horror movie piano, all the orchestrations, sound effects, the kids singing. Those are trademarks.

Loosely, this is a concept album about the kind of nightmares a child would have. The result was a collection of remarkably timeless and classic songs: “Only Women Bleed”, “Black Widow”, and “Escape” for example. “Escape” is the most straightforward rocker on the album, and a joy it is. The rest is often more complex, arrangement-wise and lyrically.
The title track is a fun rollercoaster ride with epic horns. Same with “Devil’s Food” and “The Black Widow” which work together as a creepy classic featuring Vincent Price. I would not want to live my life without these songs.

Alice is nothing if not diverse, and then “Some Folks” sounds showtune-y. “Only Women Bleed” is the famous ballad, often misunderstood, but respected enough to be covered by artists such as Lita Ford, Tina Turner, and Etta James.
“Department Of Youth” and “Cold Ethyl” are more rock and roll, and why not? What better genre to sing about rebellion and necrophilia? It’s worth pointing out the guitar charms of Steve Hunter and the late Dick Wagner. These two incredible players, under the guidance of Ezrin, lent ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’ the rock edge that it needed, lest it be swallowed up by the dramatic tendencies.

Of course, ”Welcome To My Nightmare” features the first-ever appearance of the character of Steven. “Years Ago” has Alice singing in this incredibly creepy little-kid voice, as Steven. Then the song “Steven” kicks in, and it’s even creepier, but very epic in scale. Alice is at his most effective here.
Steven would pop up many times, such as on the next album Alice Cooper Goes To Hell, 1991’s Hey Stoopid, 1994’s Last Temptation, and the more recent Along Came A Spider.

I could never say, “If you only buy one Alice Cooper album, buy this one.” The reason I can’t is that almost every album by the original Alice Cooper Band was monumental, particularly School’s Out and Billion Dollar Babies. However, if you buy two or three Coops, please make one of them Welcome To My Nightmare, remastered!
A CLASSIC

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01 – Welcome To My Nightmare
02 – Devil’s Food
03 – The Black Widow
04 – Some Folks
05 – Only Women Bleed
06 – Department Of Youth
07 – Cold Ethyl
08 – Years Ago
09 – Steven
10 – The Awakening
11 – Escape

Alice Cooper – lead vocals
Dick Wagner – electric and acoustic guitar, vocals
Steve “Deacon” Hunter – electric and acoustic guitar
Prakash John – bass
Pentti “Whitey” Glan – drums
with:
Bob Ezrin – synthesizer, keyboards, vocals, producer
Jozef Chirowski – keyboards, clavinet, vocals, Fender Rhodes
Tony Levin – bass on “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “Escape”
Johnny “Bee” Badanjek – drums on “Welcome to My Nightmare” and “Escape”
Vincent Price – The Curator
Trish McKinnon – “Mom”
David Ezrin, Gerry Lyons, Michael Sherman, the Summerhill Children’s Choir – vocals

Out of print
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/WPCR-14306