Billion Dollar Babies: Battle Axe – Complete Edition, 3CD Review

Back in 1974 the Alice Cooper Band took a break after releasing 7 albums including Schools Out, Pretties For You  and Killer to explore solo projects. 

In 1977 the plan was for the Alice Cooper Band to regroup and record, but by this point Alice Cooper himself was now a respected solo artist. Rather to abandon the proposed album, the band changed their name to Billion Dollar Babies and the album Battle Axe was born. 

Battle Axe is an incredibly credible album that would’ve quite easily have been the next Cooper album. 

This 3CD box contains the brilliant original album, a whole disc of demos and their 1st ever concert on CD 3. The band only ever played 4 shows before disbanding. Thankfully some-one was on hand to record it. 

Basically, it’s a bootleg but it’s an historic document of an amazing band and tracks such as Too Young (the opening track from the studio album) live shows. 

There’s a massive Alice Cooper medley (No More Mr. Nice Guy, Elected and Schools Out) and a blistering version of Billion Dollar Babies.

The demos and instrumentals on the 2nd disc although unpolished are rich in content and are of genuine interest to the listener. 

Over all this is a lovely set and a what could’ve been a great Alice Cooper album.

Score 8/10

Track List:

DISC ONE:

BATTLE AXE (1977)

1. TOO YOUNG
2. SHINE YOUR LOVE
3. I MISS YOU
4. WASN’T I THE ONE
5. LOVE IS RATHER BLIND
6. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RADIO
7. DANCE WITH ME
8. ROCK ME SLOWLY
9. EGO MANIA
10. BATTLE AXE
11. (SUDDEN DEATH)
12. WINNER

DISC TWO:

BATTLE AXE DEMOS

1. SHINE YOUR LOVE
2. MISS YOU
3. WASN’T I THE ONE
4. DANCE WITH ME
5. WANT TO GO HOME
6. LOVE IS RATHER BLIND
7. ROCK ME SLOWLY
8. BATTLE AXE / SUDDEN DEATH / WINNER
9. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PRISON
10. RUNAWAY INST.
11. I DON’T KNOW BABE
12. WALLOW THROUGH THIS MADNESS
13. ONLY ONE WILL WALK AWAY
14. HIGH HEELS HOLLYWOOD

DISC THREE:

LIVE:  FIRST EVER SHOW FLINT, MICHIGAN, USA, 6TH JULY 1977

1. I MISS YOU
2. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL RADIO
3. LOVE IS RATHER BLIND
4. ROCK ME SLOWLY
5. ALICE COOPER MEDLEY: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY / ELECTED / SCHOOL’S OUT
6. BATTLE AXE SUITE: EGO MANIA
7. BATTLE AXE
8. NIGHTS IN CRACKED LEATHER / SUDDEN DEATH / WINNER
9. TOO YOUNG
10. BILLION DOLLAR BABIES
    Label – HNE Recordings
    Release – 27th November 2020

 

To purchase this box, click HERE