Showing posts with label Billion Dollar babies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Billion Dollar babies. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Billion Dollar Babies - Battle Axe



As their former frontman continued his popular theatrical antics, three members of the original band (guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith) formed the band Billion Dollar Babies, named after the 1973 Alice Cooper album and song. With keyboardist Bob Dolin and guitarist Mike Marconi rounding out the quintet, the band recorded only one album, on which they played straight-ahead rock and roll similar to the music they made with Cooper. Bruce handles vocal duties (as he sometimes did on the first two albums). His voice is less menacing than Cooper's, though he usually sounds like he is mimicking his style. There's nothing great on Battle Axe, but it is consistently energetic and entertaining.

The LP bombed commercially, and the Billion Dollar Babies never recorded a second album. The Battle Axe LP has been out of print since the late 70's and had two (not compleatly legal) CD re-issues, first in 2001 as a rip-off 3 CD-set. That CD was no more than a ripped LP burned onto CD. Second re-issue was in 2004 by C(um) O(n) E(verybody) Records. COE used a good source tape and so their CD is much more enjoyable to listen to (no vinyl ticks and clicks!).

It's here at 320 KB/s, including the original CD artwork.
If you're an early Alice Cooper fan than this is a must have!

Tracklisting: Too Young / Shine Your Love / I Miss You / Wasn't I The One / Love Is Rather Blind / Rock And Roll Radio / Dance With Me / Rock Me Slowly / Ego Mania / Battle Axe (Sudden Death) / Winner



Sunday, May 06, 2007

Billion Dollar Babies - Battle Axe



In 1977, three of Alice Cooper's former sidemen recorded a little known album without the influential shock rocker and called themselves the Billion Dollar Babies. That year, ex-Cooper employees Mike Bruce (guitar, vocals), Dennis Dunaway (bass) and Neal Smith (drums) teamed up with keyboardist Bob Dolin and guitarist/ singer Mike Marconi and named themselves after Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies album of 1973, which was his biggest seller. Offering competent but unremarkable hard rock and arena rock that wasn't nearly as distinctive or as interesting as Cooper's own music, the Billion Dollar Babies recorded Battle Axe for Polydor in 1977.

The LP bombed commercially, and the Billion Dollar Babies never recorded a second album. Battle Axe has been out of print since the late 1970s and is unlikely to ever officially be reissued on CD.

Tracklisting: Too Young / Shine Your Love / I Miss You / Wasn't I The One / Love Is Rather Blind / Rock And Roll Radio / Dance With Me / Rock Me Slowly / Ego Mania / Battle Axe (Sudden Death) / Winner