Along Came a Spider (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Along Came a Spider
Type = Album
Artist = Alice Cooper


Released = July 29, 2008
Recorded = 2007 - 2008
Genre = Hard rock, heavy metal, Shock rock
Reviews =
*Metal-Rules.com rating|4.5|5 [http://www.metal-rules.com/review/viewreview.php?month=August&year=2008&pos=1 link]
*Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jjfqxzujldfe link]

Length = 44:17
Label = Steamhammer/SPV
Producer = Greg Hampton & Danny Saber
Last album = "Live at Montreux 2005"
(2006)
This album = "Along Came a Spider"
(2008)
Next album = |

"Along Came a Spider" is Alice Cooper's 25th studio album, which follows his 2005 studio album "Dirty Diamonds". It was released on July 28th 2008 in Europe and on July 29th in North America through Steamhammer Records/SPV GmbH and is Cooper's highest charting album since 1991's "Hey Stoopid", charting at #53 in the US and #31 in the UK.

Cooper first revealed the album's storyline on his radio show Nights with Alice Cooper and that the theme revolved around a "cool, calm and collected" [ [http://www.smh.com.au/news/gig-reviews/alice-cooper/2007/07/02/1183229014162.html Cooper speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald in 2007] serial killer named Spider. The police are baffled by the bodies of Spider’s victims, which are cocooned in a silk web, and are each missing a leg. Spider's task is to collect eight legs in order to complete the construction of his own spider. However, things get complicated when he falls in love with his eighth victim. The theme of the album, i.e. that of a serial killer/psychopath terrorising female victims, could be said to be revisiting territory explored on 1987's "Raise Your Fist and Yell". In addition, the last minute of the album, on the track "I Am The Spider" also makes reference, through a spoken outro by Cooper, to Steven. Steven was a character best-known from 1975's "Welcome To My Nightmare" - he also resurfaced on the final track of 1991's "Hey Stoopid".

The album had originally been marked for release in 2007, but problems with producer scheduling and a busy touring schedule caused it to be delayed a year. A number of songs and demos for the album were prepared and short listed during 2007, and further recording and writing work took place on the album in February 2008. In an interview with "Billboard" Cooper stated that the album was 75% done as of April 18th, 2008. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003791560 Alice Cooper Receives MusiCares MAP Fund Award] ] The album's first single, "Vengeance Is Mine", debuted on Cooper's official MySpace profile and website. [ [http://www.alicecooper.com AliceCooper.com | Home ] ]

Slash and Ozzy Osbourne perform as guests on two tracks on the album. [ [http://idolator.com/394610/alice-coopers-new-concept-album-to-feature-in-touch-with-your-feminine-side-ozzy-on-harmonica Alice Cooper's new concept album to feature "(In Touch with) Your Feminine Side", Ozzy on harmonica] ] Cooper's backing band for the album's tour will feature guitarists Keri Kelli and Jason Hook, bassist Chuck Garric, and drummer Eric Singer.The full album was uploaded onto the official Alice Cooper Myspace page a few weeks before the album was released. Only three songs have been left on Myspace once the album was released.

2008 Tour

The 2008 "Psychodrama" World Tour, which started on July 6th in Bulgaria, Europe, is a continuation of last year's Psychodrama tour with only 2 songs from "Along Came A Spider" being added to the setlist since August. The official "Along Came A Spider" Tour is set to begin in 2009.
Tour dates are available at the official Alice Cooper website [ [http://alicecooper.com/index.php?module=news&news_item_id=23 2008 Tour Dates] ] , and photos of the first show in Bulgaria are online for viewing [ [http://www.radiotangra.com/?page=gallery&lng=en&id=58 July 6 2008 - Alice Cooper Live In Bulgaria] ] .

Track List:

#"Prologue / I Know Where You Live" (Cooper, Saber, Hampton)- 4:21
#"Vengeance Is Mine" (Featuring Slash) (Cooper, Saber, Hampton) - 4:26
#"Wake The Dead" (Featuring Ozzy Osbourne) (Cooper, Osbourne, Saber) - 3:53
#"Catch Me If You Can" (Cooper, Saber, Hampton) - 3:15
#"(In Touch With) Your Feminine Side" (Cooper, Garric, Johnson, Kelli) - 3:16
#"Wrapped In Silk" (Cooper, Saber, Hampton) - 4:17
#"Killed By Love" (Cooper, Garric, Bacchi, Kelli) - 3:34
#"I'm Hungry" (Cooper, Saber, Hampton) - 3:58
#"The One That Got Away" (Cooper, Kelli, Lane) - 3:21
#"Salvation" (Cooper, Saber, Hampton, Fowler) - 4:36
#"I Am The Spider / Epilogue" (Cooper, Saber, Hampton) - 5:21 [ [http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=98180] ALICE COOPER: New Album Track Listing Revealed — June 1, 2008 -> Album track listing"]

iTunes Bonus Tracks:

#"Shadow of Yourself"
#"I'll Still Be There"
#"Salvation" (Unplugged With String Section)

All tracks on both editions encoded at 256Kbps AAC and Digital Rights Management-free.

Personnel

*Alice Cooper - Lead/Backing Vocals
*Danny Saber - Guitars (Tracks 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10 and 11); Slide Guitars (4); Ebow (4); Bass Guitars (1,3,6,8,10 and 11); Piano (7); Keyboards (1,3,6,7,8,10 and 11); Synths (4); String Arrangements (10 and 11)
*Greg Hampton - Guitars (2,4,6,8,9 and 11); Bass Guitars (4); Keyboards (4,9 and 11); Backing Vocals (1,2,3,4,6,8 and 11); String Arrangements (2 and 11)
*Keri Kelli - Guitars (5,7 and 9)
*Jason Hook - Guitars (5)
*Slash - Lead Guitar (2)
*Whitey Kirst - Guitars (8)
*Chuck Garric - Bass Guitars (2,7 and 9); Backing Vocals (2)
*Eric Singer - Drums (1,2,4,5,6,7,9 and 11)
*David Piribauer - Drums (8 and 10)
*Steffen Presley - B3 Organ (6)
*Ozzy Osbourne - Harmonica (3) (Uncredited)
*Bernard Fowler - Backing Vocals (1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11)
*Calico Cooper - Backing Vocals (5); Spoken Word (9)

Charts

Along Came A Spider Movie

A Short 10 Minute Movie Entitled "Along Came A Spider: The Movie" Was Released On The Offical Youtube Page For The New Album On October 02, 2008. The Movie Featured 3 Songs From The Album Including, "Vengeance Is Mine", "(In Touch With Your) Feminine Side", And "Killed By Love" And Thus Is Considerd An Epic Music Video. The Movie Was Co-Directed By Piggy D And Gabrielle Geiselman, The Video Stars Alice Cooper, Slash, Hazmat, Roxxi Dott, Howie Pyro, Dave Pino And Peter Derek.

References