2001, Billion Dollar Babies - The Complete Battle Axe, 3 CD Set

2001

The Complete Battle Axe, 3 CD Set

Billion Dollar Babies 

Battle Axe has always been my favorite post Alice Cooper album from the original band. 
The original Battle Axe vinyl came out in 1977 that I posted yesterday.

This 3 CD Set is not an Official release "Battle Axe" in my opinion is the best recording that combined the remaining Alice Cooper Group Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith although Glen Buxton wasn't involved at the time. 

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.

 It is known in the internet circles that at first Neal Smith didn't acknowledge this 3CD set release and publicly wrote an open letter via internet expressing his opinion then later excepted it later on in interviews. I'm glad as an Alice Cooper fan of the original band it's out and it doesn't dimness them in my eyes or ears.

This 3 CD set goes as follows:

Disc 1: The Original "Battle Axe" Lp that was released. From what I'm told this is a copy of the vinyl burned on CD. I have the Lp but skips and crackles with age I am happy to get a clean version for myself. I know it's not studio enhanced & touched up in volume etc...but it's better than what I have in my collection.

Disc 2: Bonus Original Demos. Alternative lyrics and musical arrangements of songs that made "Battle Axe" plus some songs that didn't make it. It's interesting to hear the process of these songs and the finished product. 

A correction on the 2nd Disc is an unlisted track "I Don't Know Babe", between tracks 10 & 11. Correction of track 11 "Wallow Through This Madness" (not “Madhouse”).

         

Disc 3: First ever Live Show Flint, Michigan 1977. 

This is the only live recording of the Billion Dollar Babies. They sound primed and haven't missed a note. They perform their "Battle Axe" songs as well an Alice Cooper medley of tunes "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Elected", "I'm Eighteen", "School's Out" and close the concert with "Billion Dollar Babies". 

The 3 CD set comes with a booklet of rare photos of the band performing as the Billion Dollar Babies and an interview with Michael Bruce from June 2001.

Front Jewel Case

Inside Front Jewel Case

Back Jewel Case

Disc One & Two

Disc Three

Front Cover of CD Booklet

Pg 1 & 2

Pg 3 & 4

Includes a 2001 interview with Michael Bruce

Pg 5 & 6

Pg 7 & 8

Pg 9 & 10

Pg 11 & 12

Pg 13 & 14

Pg 15 & 16

Pg 17 & 18

Back Cover of CD Booklet

1977, Billion Dollar Babies - Battle Axe, vinyl

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

2014, april, may, Classic Rock, Blue Coupe, Alice Cooper reviews

April 2014

Classic Rock #195

Pg 95, CD Review

Blue Coupe - Million Miles More

Pg 102, Reissues 

Alice Cooper 

Trash, Eyes of Alice Cooper, Dirty Diamonds,

CD and DVD Brutally Live

May 2014

Classic Rock #196

Pg 18

Super Duper Alice Cooper

Alice appears in new Heavy Metal Movies book

2014

Heavy Metal Movies 

by Mike "McBeardo" McPadden

From hairbangersradio.ning.com

Go to link below for a few excerpts from Alice

http://hairbangersradio.ning.com/forum/topics/alice-cooper-featured-in-new-book-heavy-metal?xg_source=activity

To preview a few pages in the book go to

http://www.bazillionpoints.com/shop/heavy-metal-movies-by-mike-mcbeardo-mcpadden/

On page 29 and 30 they talk about "The Nightmare" and "Welcome To My Nightmare" movie.

2005, Michael Bruce - The Second Coming Of Michael Bruce, CD

2005 CD

The Second Coming Of Michael Bruce

Michael Bruce

Great tunes but terrible editing of songs as they are abruptly cut off and pauses of silence between live tracks. It doesn’t flow into one another. I just find it a little annoying but that’s me.

Originally this came out on Sept. 2005 as a limited edition of 200 copies in Deluxe Digipak released in Iceland. The limited edition included cover artwork by backing band guitarist Ingo, photos of band and the liner notes by Dennis Dunaway and a bonus to Glen Buxton titled "Rhapsody 4 GB"

The CD that I received includes the same tracks except for "Rhapsody 4 GB" track. I don’t have the photos but I do have the cover art and Dennis Dunaway liner notes tells you who's playing on it.

So this CD is a collection of Cooper songs co-written by Bruce as well as his solo songs that were recorded in Iceland 2002-03 performances. Plus 2 studio tracks.

Some of the tracks that are not on “Halo Of Ice” CD such as “Left For Dead Meat” which is a song Michael have been working on for a longtime. This song could of fit on Alice’s “Constrictor” album. It’s a very heavy tune and has a bit of that 80’s guitar sound.

Bruce performs “Rock Rolls On” from '82 solo album of the same name. This song live along w/ his backing band gives it more life. An excellent version of “I Miss You” from the '77 “Battle Axe” album. Mike sounds in prime on this number. I always loved the guitar intro on this song. But again this gets cut off right at the end…uuurrgh! Of all songs to cut off it had to be from the  "Battle Axe" track.

“My Stars” from “School’s Out” ’72 album sounds pretty cool. Mike’s vocals are classic and at one point starts singing The Stones line ‘you can’t always get what you want”.

Studio bonus tracks “Muscle Of Love” is an excellent version. Guitarist Ingo is amazing.

“Forever Eighteen” sounds a little like The Doors. They do a bluesy version w/ a bit of do-wap backing. Again guitar parts are pretty cool.

Front Cover CD Booklet

Back Cover CD Booklet

Liner Notes by Dennis Dunaway

CD

Back Jewel Case

2002, Michael Bruce - In My Own Way: The Complete Sessions CD

2002 CD (2 CD set)

In My Own Way: The Complete Sessions

Michael Bruce

This 2 CD set are recordings of Bruce's first solo album "In My Own Way" with bonus tracks, 

alternative lyrics, working titles or some that just didn't make the final cut. 

The second CD are 

recordings from 1974 Lake Tahoe Sunburst Recordings.

Disc 1 contains the original album with some bonus tracks. An alternative "As Rock Rolls On" 

and working title "If I Was King" is "King Of America" demo. "Oh My Love" I first heard on 

a radio interview with Michael Bruce back in '74. 

Last is "Nothing On Earth" which is a pretty good song that has some great guitar work.

Disc 2 titled 1974 Lake Tahoe"Sunburst" Recordings consist mostly of ballads. Some of the 

tracks are very Beatlesque, Little Feat, even a few songs remind me of McCartney and Wings. 

"Love Love Love" reminds me of Dave Mason. 

Two instrumentals one is "No-one Knows The 

Stranger" which should of been a 3 minute instrumental but it sounds they were struggling to 

find a finish so it took them 7 minutes to complete it. Second is "Feeling Like Someone Else". 

Both have good drumming on it that isn't credited but from the inside interview it could be Curly Smith. 

Alternative lyrics "In My Own Way" seems to drag as well. I like the version 

they used

 for the original album. "Got To Get Hold" is "Gotta Get Hold" from IMOW album too. 

"Life Will Be Our Music" is IMOW lp "If The Sky Should Fall" and two more tracks from this lp "So Far So Good" and "Lucky Break". 

It's interesting to hear the session recording 

of some of these songs. 

The 2 CD comes with a booklet with a February 2002 interview with Michael Bruce who talks 

about the making of this and the Battle Axe album plus future projects.

I really enjoy this CD set and shows some of the process Bruce goes through on some 

of the tracks. I also like Bruce's vocals and just amazes me how poorly the 

label promoted his work. 

Front Jewel Case

Back Jewel Case

CD 1

CD 2

Inside Jewel Case

Front Cover CD Booklet

Pg 1 & 2

Pg 3 & 4

includes a 2002 Q&A with Michael Bruce

Pg 5 & 6

Pg 7 & 8

Pg 9 & 10

Back Cover CD Booklet

1997, Michael Bruce, In My Own Way CD

1997 CD

In My Own Way - Michael Bruce

Back in '74 after The Alice Cooper Group took a well deserved rest. During this time they decided to work on solo projects. Michael Bruce and Neal Smith were shopping around record labels to promote their solo records. Bruce was the only one to be picked up by a record label unfortunately through Polydor in Germany back in '75. 

In '97 it was reissued on CD in America on OneWay label.

Produced by former Rascals Gene Cornish and Dino Danelli who also performed on this album. This record also includes Bob Dolin and Mick Mashbir from the Alice Cooper days on The Billion Dollar Babies Tour. Poco/Eagles Timothy Schmidt background vocals. Alice Cooper also appears as guest vocalist on "As Rock Rolls On" track. Which is a good cut from this album and the only song with an edge to it. There are quite a few good tracks on this album. I like "If The Sky Should Fall" as one of my favorites. Michael also covers The Easybeats hit "Friday On My Mind" which sound close to the original. You can tell Michael was influence by the 60's bands like Easybeats, Rascals, Beatles, etc...

This is different from Alice Cooper albums and gives you an idea where Michael was coming from at the time. So if you are expecting to hear a "Billion Dollar Babies" or "Sick Things" this is far from it. This is almost like listening to James Taylor. Which isn't a bad thing!

Front Cover CD Booklet

Inside Page 1 and 2 of CD Booklet

Back Cover CD Booklet

CD

Back CD Jewel Case

1975, may, CIRCUS, Groucho Of The 21st Century?

May 1975, Circus

Alice talks about his first solo album Welcome To My Nightmare.

Circus cover

Pg 4 - 10

This article updates what the original band members are doing at the

last sentence on page 6 continued on page 7.

Also page 7, Michael Bruce is noted as working on his solo album

with Loudmouth a band that includes Frank Crandall who

is married to Alice's sister Nickie. I do see his name on Bruce's

"Thanks to" section but don't see him on any particular track.

Also Crandall worked w/ Alice on "Dance Yourself To Death"

track on Flush The Fashion, 1980 lp.

Frank passed on in 2011 you can read about him at

http://gabesaglie.blogspot.com/2012/06/local-wine-merchant-passes-remembering.html

Middle column of page 8, Alice talks about a female band made up

of secretaries I never heard of called The Weeds Of Idleness.

Unless he's talking about an early version of The GTOs.

Pg 19, Full Page

Welcome To My Nightmare AD

Pg 43, Top 20

#17 Greatest Hits