COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN
I mentioned this album back in September when I reviewed Alice's 'Lace and Whisky' LP, but now, because of Halloween, here's a proper look. I'll start by repeating what I wrote the last time ..
"In 1975 Alice released his 'Welcome to My Nightmare' album, followed by a promotional world tour. Well, I say world tour. What actually happened was after touring MOST of the world, the Australian Labour and Immigration Minister banned Alice from bringing the show to Australia and so the New Zealand leg was also put on hold. It wasn't until 16 months later on 14th March 1977 that Alice set foot on an Australian stage (Perth) to begin the Oceania part of the long awaited tour and it was 4th April '77 - the very last performance of 'Welcome To My Nightmare' at Western Springs in Auckland when I finally got to see men dressed as giant spiders climbing an enormous web, dancers in a graveyard projected onto a screen that then split and allowed the live figures onto the stage and Alice singing that he was 'No More Mr. Nice Guy', there were 'Billion Dollar Babies' and 'Only Women Bleed'. Songs from the named 'Welcome .. ' album as well as back catalogue stuff."
Spiders, skeletons, dead people, graveyards and the young lad Steven. This is a concept album which easily led to a whole theatrical production, a concert movie and a TV movie. The theme is that we get to share in the horrors of Stevens sleeping mind - 'Welcome To My Nightmare'.
If the subject matter doesn't qualify this album to be included in the Halloween section, then one of it's guest performers certainly does. After being welcomed to Stevens nightmare we get to know one of his fears .. spiders. 'Devil's Food' gives a glimpse, but then at the 1:45 mark there's a monologue by none other than the creepiest voice in horror movie land - Vincent Price. Years before he gave us the chills in Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', Vincent was doing his thing on this album, playing the part of The Curator with a 2 minute lead in to the following track 'The Black Widow'. He got a bigger part in the TV movie 'The Nightmare' when he played 'The Spirit of the Nightmare'.
'Only Women Bleed' was the hit from the album, but the title was shortened to 'Only Women' for the single release. It was thought the original title referred to menstruation, but it was written about a woman in an abusive marriage.
'Cold Ethyl' is just odd.
"One thing
No lie
Ethyl's frigid as an eskimo pie
She's cool in bed
Well she oughta be 'cause Ethyl's dead"
OK, got it, thanks Alice.
To be honest, this isn't a great album. It's barely a good album. As I mentioned above I saw the live concert and I got the LP, but it was probably 75% novelty value, the same way I bought the album 'They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!' by Napoleon XIV with such classic songs as 'Photogenic, Schizophrenic You' and 'I Live In A Split Level Head'.
Anyway, back to Alice. This was his first solo album after the band broke up and to an extent it shows. It was a bit gutless and cliché filled but is probably the best known of Alice's works alongside 'School's Out'.
In the spirit of the season, here it is. I'm not including any video links, I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's worth the effort.
This, and previous posts are on my blog -
https://smell-of-vinyl.blogspot.com/
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