Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973) (2CD Deluxe Edit 2001)

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973) (2CD Deluxe Edit 2001)

Rock star opulence came to an explosive head in 1973 when the Alice Cooper Group hit #1 on the U.S. and worldwide charts with Billion Dollar Babies, their sixth and most successful album. Produced by Bob Ezrin, it is also one of the best rock ’n’ roll records of all time, and the subsequent tour became the biggest rock production to date. Capitalizing on the album’s themes of good-old decadence and horror, the show climaxed with a guillotine execution of Alice. The album and the tour made the band into the world’s preeminent pied pipers of teenage trash culture.

Now, a few decades later, we have given Billion Dollar Babies the deluxe Rhino treatment—the complete remastered album in its entirety remixed by Ezrin himself, plus an entire second disc of 14 rare and previously tracks. The latter includes 11 live cuts from the infamous Billion Dollar Babies tour, two outtakes from the album sessions, and “Slick Black Limousine,” a rare U.K. single. Housed in a digi-pak that duplicates all original album art, it also features an expanded booklet of lyrics, new liner notes, and tons of rare photos!...Rhino Records

For me Alice Cooper's career divided neatly into two parts: Alice Cooper the band and Alice Cooper the solo artist. I never was captivated by his solo career, but the Alice Cooper band was one of the best rock bands of the early Seventies. From 1971's Love It To Death through 1973's Billion Dollar Babies, the band produced a series of rock solid albums--and I even saw them in concert twice, including their Billion Dollar Babies Tour.
That's what makes this reissue such a treat. The second disc provides killer live versions of eight of the ten album tracks--only "Generation Landslide" and "Mary Ann" are not included. One track each is also included from their three earlier albums: Love It To Death ("I'm Eighteen"), Killer ("Dead Babies") and School's Out ("My Stars"). In addition you get the Elvis-inspired outtake "Coal Black Model T," which eventually evolved into "Slick Black Limousine" (also included here). The other outtake is "Son of Billion Dollar Babies," which is essentially an alternate take of "Generation Landslide" minus the lyrics from the second half of verse two.
The expanded 24-page booklet is also a treat. [Check out the photo on page 11 of Donovan recording the title track with Alice!]
Sure, Alice Cooper is probably most remembered for the mascara, boa constrictors and guillotines. However, if you listen to the music, you'll discover one of the tightest rock bands of the era...S.Vrana

320 @
226 MB

Track List:

CD 1

01 Hello Hooray 4:14
02 Raped and Freezin' 3:15
03 Elected 4:05
04 Billion Dollar Babies 3:39
05 Unfinished Sweet 6:17
06 No More Mr. Nice Guy 3:05
07 Generation Landslide 4:31
08 Sick Things 4:18
09 Mary Ann 2:19
10 I Love the Dead 5:08

CD 2

01 Hello Hooray (Live Version) 3:04
02 Billion Dollar Babies (Live Version) 3:47
03 Elected (Live Version) 2:28
04 Eighteen (Live in 1973 Version) 4:50
05 Raped And Freezin' (Live Version) 3:14
06 No More Mr. Nice Guy (Live Version) 3:07
07 My Stars (Live Version) 7:32
08 Unfinished Sweet (Live Version) 6:01
09 Sick Things (Live Version) 3:16
10 Dead Babies (Live Version) 2:59
11 I Love The Dead (Live Version) 4:48
12 Coal Black Model T (Outtake) 4:28
13 Son Of Billion Dollar Babies (Generation Landslide) (Outtake) 3:45
14 Slick Black Limousine (Remastered UK Release) 4:26