Album review: ALICE COOPER – Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies

Audio Fidelity [Release date 01.03.14]

There’s been something of a glut of Alice Cooper re-issues of late – Trash and Hey Stoopid, The Eyes Of Alice Cooper and Dirty Diamonds, and Brutally Live – to name but a few. This hybrid SACD version of 1973′s Billion Dollar Babies is the latest to hit the racks, mastered by Steve Hoffman, and individually numbered on the Audio Fidelity 24k gold discs.

According to Hoffman, the tapes were the original mix compilation reels done at the Record Plant back in 1973. First, each and every edit was fixed – the glue on the tape splices had bled over the years – and the songs were then digitised one by one.

Apparently due to the number of edits and level changes the original LP was cut from a “mastered” copy of these tapes generated by applying a set of uniform EQ and compression settings. Hoffman’s aim, using the technology now available, was to capture what band and producer got to hear in the studio back in the day. So by rights, this should be the definitive audio release.

There seems little point in reviewing the artistic merits of what was the Alice Cooper band’s most commercially successful release – the only Alice Cooper album to hit #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and spawning four era defining hits – Elected, Hello Hooray, No More Mr Nice Guy and Billion Dollar Babies itself.

It was, and remains a classic album. Fans will no doubt have indulged in the 2001 2CD ‘deluxe’ release that included a bonus CD of live numbers and outtakes. The bonus disc was, frankly, of dubious necessity but the package as whole rather nice. The one omission, though, was a replica of the billion dollar bill that graced the inner of the original gatefold sleeve.

That omission is rectified with this hybrid SACD release, and that, along with limited edition numbering and ‘definitive’ mastering, will be the major selling point as most of us will, I suspect, not have SACD compatible hardware. So how does it sound ‘back to back with’ the deluxe edition on a reasonably priced home hi-fi system? Well, the answer is there’s not a lot of discernable difference and unless you’re using state of the art SACD equipment, it’s probably not worth investing in the expectation of aural nirvana. Great album, though. *****

Review by Pete Whalley

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024

ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)

Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)