1977, vinyl
Battle Axe
Billion Dollar Babies
First let me say Billion Dollar Babies "Battle Axe" is my all time favorite band
from any post Alice Cooper project. I remember where I purchase this LP. I was on summer vacation up
North and was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire at King's Department store when I spotted this album.
I read about it earlier and kept it in the back of my mind. I always
use to search the Alice Cooper bin whenever I went into stores and there it was "Battle Axe."
I still listen to this recording and still consider this one of the best post Alice Cooper records.
With three of the original Alice Cooper Group, Michael
Bruce, Neal Smith, and Dennis Dunaway regroup to create one of the best
albums of their solo careers. Two other musicians included Bob Dolin
who worked with the Alice Cooper Band back during The Billion Dollar
Babies Tour and Mike Marconi who worked on Neal Smith's solo album in
'74 which never got released until 1999 on Neal Smith's own label.
This is the closest sound to being a part of the Alice Cooper music.
Although if Alice was involved I'm sure he would of changed most of
the lyrics to these songs to give it his style. But it shows it took
more than one person to make the original Alice Cooper sound.
All of the songs on this album are great! The guitar work
is also one of the best with Bruce and Marconi trading licks. Some of
my favorite tracks are "I Miss You", "Wasn't I The One",
"Love Is Rather Blind", "Rock Me Slowly". The album
had a theme on a sort of a futuristic warrior that is shown on the cover
somewhat from the Rollerball movie. Although it wasn't a conceptual
album they had a trilogy section near the end starting with instrumental
"Ego Mania" with excellent guitar work followed by "Battle
Axe" the epic tale of the warrior sung by Michael Bruce then Dolin
on "Sudden Death" which sounds like Yes or ELP. "Winner"
finishes off the album with victorious cheers of the crowd as the band
pronounces their triumph in battle.
It's a shame this album never got the recognition it deserved.
I think it would of done well with Alice Cooper fans.
You have to excuse the poor scanning. I have a small scanner so I had to piece the vinyl art together.
The back cover was more of a project since it was done on an angle but I did my best.
Cover
Back Cover
Side 1
Side 2
