Like or Dislike: Alice

[skcin]

People seem to have pretty strong feelings for or against this song. I've heard many put it down, saying it's one of her worst, and a couple (well, OK, mainly just Jimmy ) who absolutely love it. I'm kind of in the middle. It moves around on the "favorites" list that's in my head. Right now, I'm liking it quite a bit. That could change in a week or two.

It still has that magical quality, but it doesn't "take me there" as much as Rooms on Fire does for some reason. I think I would like it a lot better if it weren't so slow, sometimes it seems like the music is draaaaaaaaaagging.

Does anyone know if this song is about Stevie's coke addiction & rehab in 86/87? As I'm reading through the lyrics, it seems that it may be, at least partially - like she was comparing what she had just gone through to Alice In Wonderland. Has she ever confirmed this? Just wondering. Cowritten with Rupert. Huh.

I do like her vocals here. She holds some notes for a long time, which I love. "Oooh, call my naaaaaaaaaaammmme!" "I hear she went hiiiiiiiiigher!" Love it.

I'm a huge fan of the following lyric:
"Oh, no you cannot tell a gypsy, ooooh that she's no longer a member...." The stiletto line that drives everyone nuts - eh. It doesn't bother me anymore, it fits pretty well. But this is one of the few Stevie tunes where I don't really like the chorus a whole lot, it's kind of blah to me.

This tune was pretty good live, nothing groundbreaking or anything. Sounded very similar to the album version. I think she would do a good job vocally today, but the song is a bit dull to me & I don't really need to hear her do it live again.

[trackaghost]

It's about Stevie running back and forth between her solo career and Fleetwood Mac, and being so busy she can't remember who she is anymore, other than Stevie the rock star. A lot of people think the song is about drugs, and it may well be, but she herself has said it's about her dual careers.

I quite like the song, although it's not one of her very best. I think it's probably fitting it ended up a B-side to Rooms On Fire.

[foxyluva]

I adore 'Alice' so much - one of my very favourites

[DavidMn]

It's not my favorite on OSOTM, but I've heard worse.

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by skcin

People seem to have pretty strong feelings for or against this song. I've heard many put it down, saying it's one of her worst, and a couple (well, OK, mainly just Jimmy ) who absolutely love it. I'm kind of in the middle. It moves around on the "favorites" list that's in my head. Right now, I'm liking it quite a bit. That could change in a week or two.

It still has that magical quality, but it doesn't "take me there" as much as Rooms on Fire does for some reason. I think I would like it a lot better if it weren't so slow, sometimes it seems like the music is draaaaaaaaaagging.

Does anyone know if this song is about Stevie's coke addiction & rehab in 86/87? As I'm reading through the lyrics, it seems that it may be, at least partially - like she was comparing what she had just gone through to Alice In Wonderland. Has she ever confirmed this? Just wondering. Cowritten with Rupert. Huh.

I do like her vocals here. She holds some notes for a long time, which I love. "Oooh, call my naaaaaaaaaaammmme!" "I hear she went hiiiiiiiiigher!" Love it.

I'm a huge fan of the following lyric:
"Oh, no you cannot tell a gypsy, ooooh that she's no longer a member...." The stiletto line that drives everyone nuts - eh. It doesn't bother me anymore, it fits pretty well. But this is one of the few Stevie tunes where I don't really like the chorus a whole lot, it's kind of blah to me.

This tune was pretty good live, nothing groundbreaking or anything. Sounded very similar to the album version. I think she would do a good job vocally today, but the song is a bit dull to me & I don't really need to hear her do it live again.

I disagree...I think it was different live...especially the chorus. It just seemed so much more interesting to me. In fact I think the Live is so much than the album for some reason. The first time I heard the song was a live recording...then I heard what was on the album and didnt think it was too great. This is the #1 song i'd kill to see live again. In 89, she said it was her favorite song, referenced to it everywhere, dressed up as Alice for her listening party, and kept it in her set the entire OSOTM tour....THEN we never saw it again. Not even on Enchanted!!! But uh yeahhhhh I chose ALICE!!!!

[Nixxxed]

I echo David's comments in the "Rooms" thread: when I got the cassingle, I listened to "Alice" many more times. And the sonic upgrade I got when I finally got the CD made me love it even more.

I especially like when she says "I'm going back ... to the other side of the mirror," meaning forsaking Wonderland for reality. I also like the "Each had their own charms..." verse which seems to be everyone's fave.

[Jyqm]

I think this song really epitomizes everything I find boring and distasteful about the TOSOTM album.

For starters, it's one of the absolute worst of Stevie's non-melodies. The chorus is actually rather catchy and nice, but lord, the verses are death. It's like sitting through a bad Wagner opera (this song is almost as long, too...). Once again this seems to be a result of somebody giving Stevie a piece of music of music and her just slapping her words over it. Which means I've got to at least partially blame Rupert Hine for this; why didn't he write a melody for this song?

Up next, the lyrics are just beyond clunky and awful. I mean, this is just plain bad songwriting. Where to even start? I guess at the beginning: "Well, I heard she flew down to the Mountain City / He said, 'That's not what I heard / I hear she went higher.'" Ugh. I wish I could say things got better after this. There's so much potential, too: the metaphor of going back through the mirror is a good one, but Stevie does absolutely nothing with it.

And then of course there's the production. Once again, I can hear some decent music just begging to break out of this song, but I feel like I've got a terrible head cold. I imagine some people feel that the tinkling keys and such give this song a "magical" feel, but it's all done so blandly, any magic there ever was is just sucked right out of it. This song sounds utterly two-dimensional. There's hardly any sense of sonic space whatsoever. I can't hear different instruments cropping up around me, playing different roles, adding different sounds in different spaces. I just see the song laid out before me on a flat canvas, splashed over with whitewash to dull the colors, and then covered with a layer of gauze. And just when you think it can't get anymore BLAH, here comes f***ing Kenny G again with another saxerectomy. Cannonball Adderley must be spinning in his grave at the thought of this instrument being abused like this.

So I suppose I'm not an "Alice" fan.

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I think this song really epitomizes everything I find boring and distasteful about the TOSOTM album.

For starters, it's one of the absolute worst of Stevie's non-melodies. The chorus is actually rather catchy and nice, but lord, the verses are death. It's like sitting through a bad Wagner opera (this song is almost as long, too...). Once again this seems to be a result of somebody giving Stevie a piece of music of music and her just slapping her words over it. Which means I've got to at least partially blame Rupert Hine for this; why didn't he write a melody for this song?

Up next, the lyrics are just beyond clunky and awful. I mean, this is just plain bad songwriting. Where to even start? I guess at the beginning: "Well, I heard she flew down to the Mountain City / He said, 'That's not what I heard / I hear she went higher.'" Ugh. I wish I could say things got better after this. There's so much potential, too: the metaphor of going back through the mirror is a good one, but Stevie does absolutely nothing with it.

And then of course there's the production. Once again, I can hear some decent music just begging to break out of this song, but I feel like I've got a terrible head cold. I imagine some people feel that the tinkling keys and such give this song a "magical" feel, but it's all done so blandly, any magic there ever was is just sucked right out of it. This song sounds utterly two-dimensional. There's hardly any sense of sonic space whatsoever. I can't hear different instruments cropping up around me, playing different roles, adding different sounds in different spaces. I just see the song laid out before me on a flat canvas, splashed over with whitewash to dull the colors, and then covered with a layer of gauze. And just when you think it can't get anymore BLAH, here comes f***ing Kenny G again with another saxerectomy. Cannonball Adderley must be spinning in his grave at the thought of this instrument being abused like this.

So I suppose I'm not an "Alice" fan.

The tinkling keys are much more apparant on the Live Versions (Chorus) and thats one of the reasons why I like it so much more live...you should take a listen sometime. If you want I could email you a good one.

[JazmenFlowers]

as I said in the other thread, this song, along with Juliet and Ooh My Love are my favorites. I love the atmosphere it creates...love the lyrics the most.

[skcin]

I just realized another reason I don't love this tune - the sax. I don't like most Stevie tunes with horns. Wait until we get to Whole Lotta Trouble.

[Jyqm]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

The tinkling keys are much more apparant on the Live Versions (Chorus) and thats one of the reasons why I like it so much more live...you should take a listen sometime. If you want I could email you a good one.

Toss one up on YouSendIt, and I'll be glad to take a listen! I probably won't like the lyrics or the Wagnerian non-melody any more, but I imagine the music itself would sound much better in a live setting with actual instruments playing through amps.

[amber]

I picked the middle choice, and that was being a tad generous.
Talk about soft rock... Blergh.
I do, however, like it when she sings "Call out my name". It's okay.

[AliceLover]

Originally Posted by Jyqm

Toss one up on YouSendIt, and I'll be glad to take a listen! I probably won't like the lyrics or the Wagnerian non-melody any more, but I imagine the music itself would sound much better in a live setting with actual instruments playing through amps.

Im on dial up...YouSendIt refuses to work for me. Id be glad to email it or email one to someone with a website. I have probably about 25 versions of it...so NAME YOUR CITY!

[diamondsnake]

This one of my favorite Stevie songs! It is in my top ten Stevie songs.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by AliceLover

Im on dial up...YouSendIt refuses to work for me. Id be glad to email it or email one to someone with a website. I have probably about 25 versions of it...so NAME YOUR CITY!

Wow - I never realized there were that many TOSOTM shows out there!