THE BAND:
Sebastian Bach - vocals
Nick Sterling - guitar, bass and backing vocals
Bobby Jarzombek - drums, percussion and backing vocals

TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) “Kicking & Screaming” - this intro opens with a very simple rhythm guitar riff over the top of a bass drum kick.  A rhythm guitar riff follows along with the snare fill connecting the musical intro with the musical verse.  One rhythm guitar riff opens the musical verse then as soon as Sebastian Bach kicks-in the lyric line a second rhythm guitar riff begins.  The drum line underneath Sebastian’s vocal line was done using a tom-tom/snare pattern.  The drum line for the pre-chorus switches to a hi-hat opening and closing pattern, it is also at this time the rhythm guitar arrangement changes.  Sebastian shows he still has the vocal pipes as he screams the lyric lines for the choruses.  The lead guitar solo connects the second and third chorus together.      
2.) “My Own Worst Enemy” - This track opens with a small tom-tom fill before going into the intro section.  The main intro has a very intense fee to it and consisted of a minor lead guitar solo.   The musical verse is twice as intense as the intro was.  There is a small arrangement change for the musical pre-chorus. This musical arrangement change is not as intense as the rest of the song is.  There is a minor solo connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  There is a vocal accent over the top of the musical arrangement connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  The lead guitar solo is after he third chorus.   
3.) “Tunnel Vision” (featuring John 5) - This track opens with a very simple acoustic guitar riff before going into the main intro arrangement.  There is a small snare fill connecting the acoustic guitar riff with the main intro.  The electric guitar riff of the main intro has a mean riff to it.  There is a small arrangement change for the musical verse.  Sebastian’s vocals have a modern rock feel to them.  There are certain lyrics where it does not even sound like Bach.  There is a rhythm change for the musical verse.  John double tracked parts of his lead guitar solo to give it a twin lead guitar effect.  By far one of the best tracks Bach has ever written.
4.) “Dance On Your Grave” - This track opens with a minor intro that consisted of a small lead guitar effect over the top of a bass line.  There is a minor lead guitar solo over the top of the main intro section.  The main intro has a very intense feel to it.  There is a second minor lead guitar solo. The main instrumentation for the musical verse was the bass/drum line.  The guitar arrangement kicks-in underneath the fourth lyric line.  The rhythm change of the chorus gives the chorus its hook.  There is a vocal scream connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  Te lead guitar solo connects the second chorus with the third chorus.  The underlining musical arrangement consisted of several musical rests. 
5.) “Caught In A Dream” - This track opens with a fairly simple intro arrangement.  Because of the musical rests of the guitar arrangement for the musical verse lets the bass and drum line bleed through.  There is a rhythm change for the musical pre-chorus and then a second rhythm change for the chorus.  There is a complete rhythm change after the second chorus that leads into the lead guitar solo section.  The coda consisted of a vocal accent.
6.) “As Long As I Got The Music” -This track opens with a fairly standard intro arrangement.  The rhythm guitar of the musical pre-verse consisted several musical rests.  There was a rhythm arrangement change for the musical verse.  The chorus had a huge hook attached to it.  Te second pre-verse consisted of two different rhythm guitar riffs.  As the song progresses it gets catchier.  The solo was after the second chorus and connecting it with the third. 
7.) “I’m Alive” - This track contained no intro.  Instead, the song opened with a simple electric guitar rhythm underneath a lead vocal line.  There is a second rhythm guitar riff kick-in between the second & third lyric line.  The first double-tracked vocal lines of the chorus were amazing!!!!  Under the rhythm guitar arrangements of the chorus a third guitar kicks-in.  This third one was an done with an acoustic guitar.  After the first chorus the song kicks-in with two different electric guitar riffs before an acoustic guitar kicks-in. Though the second verse consisted of an electric guitar rhythm, the acoustic is the main arrangement.  As the second chorus begins a second guitar arrangement that is different from the first.  Much like the song the lead guitar solo has a very laid back eel to it.  As ballads go this ranks up there with one of Sebastian’s best.     
8.) “Dirty Power” - From beginning to end this was one of the best songs on the release. 
9.) “Live The Life” -This intro opens with bass/drum line.  As the intro progresses there are little lead guitar licks over the top of it. There is one double-tracked lead guitar lick connecting the intro with the verse.  There is an electric guitar rhythm change and drum fill leading into the musical verse.  There is a huge musical change for the musical verse.  After one measure of this intense rhythm guitar change a minor lead guitar solo kicks-in leading into the first verse.  When the lyrics kick-in the musical verse isn’t as intense as it began.  It sounded like Sebastian double tracked his lyric lines.  There is an intense rhythm guitar change for the musical chorus.  There is a minor solo connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  As te song progresses through it slows down.  This was one of the coolest arranged tracks Bach has written in a very longtime!!!  
10.) “Dream Forever” - What a hell of a job!!!!!!
11.) “One Good Reason” - This track opens with a standard heavy metal intro.  For the musical verse the song switches to a sixteenth-note rhythm pattern.  For the musical pre-chorus the band switches to a 4/4 arrangement.  As simple, as the chorus was it had one hell of a huge hook.  The lead guitar actually begins underneath the second musical chorus.  There is a vocal scream and second solo connecting the third and coda.  Over the top of the coda Sebastian Bach sings several lyric lines. 
12.) “Lost In The Light” - The intro to this track opened with a very simple rhythm guitar riff over the top of a tom-tom pattern.  There is a lead guitar lick connecting the intro with the verse.  There is a rhythm change for the musical verse.  Sebastian’s vocal track may be the best he has recorded in a very long time!!!!!  There are a couple lyric lines that sounded double-tracked.  There is a small riff build-up connecting the verse with the musical chorus.  There not only is a rhythm change for the musical chorus however, Sebastian also changes his vocal style.  Absolutely nothing against Johnny Solinger however its vocal work like this is the reason Skid Row screwed up by letting him go.  The drum line switches from a hi-hat rhythm to a tom-tom pattern for the music connecting the chorus with the verse.  There is a lead guitar solo after the second chorus. 
13.) “Wishin’” - HOLY SH@T!!!!!!! What a song!!!!!!

     With a year that began in January with the divorce of his longtime wife Maria Bierk and the destruction of his home in April when hit by hurricane Irene it looks like Sebastian will end the year on a very high note.  On September 27, Sebastian released ‘Alive & Screaming’ his fifth solo release which includes one live album and one E.P. 
     I am not going to dispute the fact that that the first two releases Sebastian recorded with Skid Row [‘Skid Row’ (1989), ‘Slave To The Grind’ ( 1990) ] were utterly amazing.  I drove forty miles to buy the third and last release Sebastian Bach recorded with Skid Row titled, ‘Subhuman Race’ released in 1995.  Three songs into the CD and I threw it out the window!
    Let me get back to the CD at hand.  It seems since Sebastian Back either fired or, quit Skid Row he has concentrated more of his Kiss and comic book memorabilia than his music.  It was not until last years ‘Angel Down’ release did you begin to hear the Sebastian Bach of old.  If you could take all of the Sebastian’s solo releases including many of the songs he recorded with Skid Row you still would not come close to ‘Alive & Screaming’.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard Bach’s vocals sound better!  It does not matter if your a fan of Skid Row, Sebastian Bach or not you will love this release!!!!!