Million Miles More has a musical tone, song craft and sound not dissimilar to the original ‘black and white’ era of Blue Öyster Cult and the original Alice Cooper (group) releases.
But then it would.
Blue Coupe is the part supergroup part power-trio formed from the talents of Albert Bouchard (vocals, drums), Joe Bouchard (vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Dennis Dunaway (bass/ vocals).
As every rock fan and his Aunty knows, the Bouchard brothers were co-founders and original rhythm section of Blue Öyster Cult.
They also featured as lead vocalists once or twice per BÖC album.
Albert and Joe Bouchard co-wrote or wrote many of Blue Öyster Cult's best known tracks until their respective 1981 and 1986 departures from the band.
Dennis Dunaway was an integral component of the original Alice Cooper group and the classic, early 70’s albums, co-writing many of the hits including ‘I’m Eighteen’ and ‘Under My Wheels.’
Blue Coupe originally got together to play the New York circuit with a set-list based around the Blue Öyster Cult and Cooper classics (hence their name).
However their creative chemistry resulted in an album of all new material in 2010, Tornado on the Tracks.
The debut album had multiple Grammy considerations and featured Robby Krieger on one of the best songs BÖC never did, ‘Angel’s Well.’
But Million Miles More is a decidedly stronger offering than the debut.
Kicking off with the beat-driven rock of the excellent ‘Prophets, Dukes and Nomads,’ the band then give a nod to their musical past with the rollicking roll of ‘Hellfire Hurry’ (featuring great six-string lead bursts from BÖC's Buck Dharma) before Alice Cooper guests on lead vocals for the sinister fun of ‘Hallows Grave.’
But it isn’t all up-tempo guitar-bass-drums rock and roll.
‘I’ll Forever Stick Around,’ the piano and strings ballad featuring a rare Dennis Dunaway lead vocal, has a charm unlike any other song on the album; then there’s the slow-tempo pseudo blues of ‘Train of Thought.’
But at its heart Million Miles More is a rock and roll record, and a rather good one, with other highlights including the eerie rock and roll of ‘Modern Love (Stalking Time)’, featuring original Steppenwolf keyboard player Goldy McJohn, and the shout-it-out chorus and punch of ‘Ain’t Dead’ with lead guitar from ex Manowar and The Dictators guitarist Ross The Boss.
The single that preceded the album’s release, ‘More Cowbell (Gotta Fever)’ has been added as a special bonus track, but the crowd-shout number works far better in the live environment (where it was originally recorded).
Joe Bouchard, Albert Bouchard and Dennis Dunaway have been part of bands’ responsible for fifteen million albums sales and thirty gold and platinum records between them – yet a campaign run on the funding platform Indiegogo.com was still required to obtain fan donations that allowed the album to be completed and mixed in time for its summer 2013 release.
The fact Blue Coupe had to run a funding campaign to ensure completion of this album within their targeted time-frame says a lot more about the state of the music industry, where marketable commodity is more important than musical creativity, than it does about the quality of the finished product.
Because Million Miles More is a great little throwback record, but one that's injected with a fresh, quirky, creative musicality – melodic rock and roll with a twist.