Welcome To My Nightmare
Released in 1975 on Atlantic Records this was the 27 year old’s first solo record from the original band. Alice and his Manager Shep Gordon have both sunk all their life savings into this project. It was going to either make or break them. Luckily it was successful and provided Alice the fuel he needed to step out on his own. Alice wanted to get more into the theatrics than he usually did in the past albums. If “Muscle Of Love” album talked about New York then “Welcome To My Nightmare” could be one of the shows that appears on Broadway.
Produced by Bob Ezrin with the use of some of his studio musicians he used in the past such as Dick Wagner. The backing musicians were Lou Reed’s from “Rock n Roll Animal”, “Berlin” and “Live” albums which was produced by Bob Ezrin and consist of Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter on guitar, Whitey (Pentti) Glan on drums, Prakash John on bass. “Welcome To My Nightmare” included Jozef Chirowski and Ezrin on keyboards, Tony Levin on bass, Johnny Badanjek on drums, Summerhill Children’s Choir and special guest star Vincent Price for narration which in 1982 Michael Jackson would use Mr. Price for his “Thriller” album.

“Welcome To My Nightmare” is a full fledge concept album. Unlike Alice’s previous albums this one had all songs related to the theme of the record. Alice greets us on the first title track

Welcome to my nightmare
I think you’re gonna like it
I think you’re gonna feel like you belong...

“Devil’s Food” leads into “Black Widow” as Vincent Price is the Curator explains the deadly bite of the Black Widow spider.
“Some Folks” is the Broadway number of the album. As “Only Women Bleed” starts out as the very first ballad of Alice Cooper who would have three more ballads just as good. It’s interesting to note that when Alice recorded this song it was taken around to different labels and no one knew it was Alice’s voice. One label even thought it was a new James Taylor song.

“Cold Ethyl” is a collaboration of “Refrigerator Heaven” that was on Alice’s second album
and “I Love The Dead” from Billion Dollar Babies album. It has cyber cryonics and necrophilia.

Ethyl’s frigid as an Eskimo Pie
she’s cool in bed
she’s oughta be cuz Ethyl’s dead...

“Years Ago” and “Steven” are the most haunting songs that’ll give you nightmares. Alice’s sings these 2 tracks with a voice of an innocent child. Is Steven actually a child or a man

I’m a little boy
no
I’m a great big man
no
let’s be a little boy for a little while longer...

“Steven” has a Liszt piano notes that raises the hair on the back of your neck.

I don’t want to feel you die
but if that’s the way the god has planned you
I’ll put pennies on your eyes...

“Escape” is the final song as Alice escapes his nightmare was co-written by Kim Fowley and Marc Anthony. Fowley known for working with The Runaways and Anthony worked on a track with Ezrin who produced in 1976 “Destroyer” by Kiss. Which is very similar to “Welcome To My Nightmare” especially if you listen to Kiss’s “Beth” track.
Another artist practically pattern his own album after "Welcome To My Nightmare" with Vincent Price as guest speaker and a ballad as well. This album is known as "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Quincy Jones was quoted as saying they needed something on MJ's album and that's when they brought in Vincent Price after hearing him on Alice's album.

Artwork: The cover is illustrated by Drew Struzan who did “The Greatest Hits” shows Alice with tux and top hat as the background art reminds me of a Syd Barret piece of insect pattern. The back shows a Black Widow spider closing in on a fly on top of the insect pattern which includes
track lists and credits . The inside sleeve has the lyrics on both sides. On side 1 on bottom right corner is a pic of Alice with top hat in the foreground and on side 2 shows bottom right corner the Black Widow spider and 2 legs left of the fly that she has eaten.