Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper) - In My Own Way
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, 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!

Billion Dollar Babies (Bruce/Dunaway/Smith) - Battle Axe
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 basement 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 an 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.

Michael Bruce (Neal Smith) - Rock Rolls On
A pretty short album with only seven tracks. Most of the material on this record are from the past two albums "In My Own Way" and "Battle Axe". Such as from "In My Own Way" album they redo "Rock Rolls On" which originally had Alice as guest vocals also it was titled "As Rock Rolls On". Then "Lucky Break", "In My Own Way" and the cover of The Rascals "Friday On My Mind". As for the "Battle Axe" material it includes "Too Young". The only original tracks are "Gina" and "Do You Wanna Know". I was really disappointed with this album until I heard the last track "Do You Wanna Know" co-wrote by Neal Smith which I have to say it the best song on this album. Michael's voice on this track is amazing and the musical arrangements are the balls. It's again one of the best material I heard outside of the Alice Cooper Group along with the "Battle Axe" album.

Some of the musicians on this album were Mick Mashbir and Bob Dolin who played with Michael back in the Alice Cooper's Billion Dollar Babies Tour days. Of course Dolin also played with Bruce from the Battle Axe album as well.

Buck Dharma (Neal Smith/Dennis Dunaway) - Flat Out
Donald (Buck Dharma) Roeser from Blue Oyster Cult releases a solo album. Blue Oyster Cult use to tour with Alice Cooper so that's how the band met in the early days. Neal Smith became good friends with Buck Dharma and Joe Bouchard of BOC and would appear on a number of projects together as the years goes on.

On this album Neal Smith co-wrote lyrics on "Born to Rock" and played drums on it as well as Dennis Dunaway performs bass.
The other track "That Summer Night", Neal Smith as guest drummer.
I have to say not a fan of either song. I even like Blue Oyster Cult but as a whole this CD is pretty weak.

On a side note unrelated to Alice Cooper Group the track "Your Loving Heart" reminds me of Pink Floyd.

Deadringer (Smith/Dunaway) - Electrocution Of The Heart
Deadringer's members are Neal Smith, drums and Dennis Dunaway, bass of the ACG.
Joe Bouchard on keyboards of BOC plus two other musicians Charlie Huhn on lead vocals, who played with Ted Nugent on a few albums and Gary Moore's "Dirty fingers" album among other bands. Jay 'Jesse' Johnson on guitar who played in Arc Angel and a number of other bands. All of them worked on backing vocals too. Neal co-wrote four songs Dennis three of those songs.

Buck Dharma (from BOC and Flat Out lp) gave them "Summa Cum Loud" which is probably the only good song on this album. I found this album pretty boring to listen too. Although I know a few Alice Cooper fans who like this better than "Battle Axe" album. I don't know what they like about it but it's not for me I guess.

Joe Bouchard presents
The X Brother (Smith/Dunaway) - Solid Citizen
Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway do not appear on this album but they co-wrote a few tracks.

"Love's A Killer" (which was taken from Deadringer album) and "Wild Ones" written by Neal, Dennis and Bouchard

"On Fire With Love" was written by Bouchard, A. Hilfiger, B. Hilfiger, Neal Smith.

The X Brothers band is Joe Bouchard, Jimmy Cacala, Andy and Billy Hilfiger.

"Love's A Killer" sounded better on this recording than Deadringer. To me production-wise it sounded clearer. "Wild Ones" is a good rockin' song and "On Fire With Love" has some good guitar work. In a whole this album isn't bad. I like this better than Deadringer.

Ant-Bee (Bruce/Buxton/Dunaway/Smith) - Lunar Muzik
1998 is the first time the original four members of the Alice Cooper band regrouped. Michael Bruce, Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway and Glen Buxton. Ant-Bee is musician Billy James who also co-wrote a number of musicians biographies such as Michael Bruce's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" as well as others. Billy James has worked with musicians from late 60's to early 70's such as members from Zappa's Mothers of Invention, Soft Machine, Hawkwind and Gong.

"Tears That Fall Unto The Sky" features Michael Bruce on guitar sounds like an early Who song.

"By-And-By I Touch The Sky" is broken down in 4 sections. The third part "The Platinum God Excerpts" are Neal Smith's never released song from his solo album "The Platinum God". Which is now released on Neal Smith's label in 1999. "The Platinum God Excerpts" includes all four members of The Alice Cooper Group. It's a sort of Avant-Garde or Prog Rock piece.
It's hard to tell where it starts and ends unless you get Neal's release of "The Platinum God" you
can get an idea.

As for "Return Of The Titanic Overture" written by Billy James and music by Michael Bruce. This is a tribute to Alice Cooper Group's first album "Pretties For You" which had the instrumental track "Titanic Overture". Supposedly this song has 13 hidden clues which I have never completed. This also includes all four members of the Alice Cooper Group.

This whole album is pretty strange but it's interesting sounds. Some songs sound like Mothers Of Invention and does have that late 60's early 70's sounds. Other tracks I find interesting is "Child Of The Moon" which is a rare b-side from 1969 by The Rolling Stones written by Jagger and Richards. I also like "Love Is Only Sleeping" written by Mike Nesmith which was a hit by The Monkees.

Bruce Cameron (Bruce/Smith) - Midnight Daydream
An unknown guitarist Bruce Cameron produced his solo album with a list of 70's musicians. Sort of like Ant-Bee but more of the classic rock sound. Cameron is joined by featured guest like Jack Bruce from Cream, Buddy Miles, Billy Cox, Mitch Mitchell from Jimi Hendrix Experience. Bunk Garner from Mothers of Invention, Billy James of Ant-Bee, Harvey Dalton Arnold from Outlaws and Ken Hensley of Uriah Heap. Two from the Alice Cooper Group, Michael Bruce who does vocals on two tracks and Neal Smith as drummer on five tracks.
This album is pretty good and has gotten good reviews from mostly guitar magazines. Cameron's guitar work is excellent as some of the tracks are instrumental. Cameron wrote, engineered, mixed and produced the whole album.

The two songs Michael Bruce sings and Neal Smith drums on are "I Want To Be Late" and "Falling Up A Mountain" are great. Michael's vocals are superb as he gives a growl on these songs.
Neal Smith also lends his drumming talent on three more tracks "Mind Gardens", "Just Like A Spaceman" and instrumental "She's So Gone". The last song "She's So Gone" is one of the best instrumentals on this album.

It's sad to note that Bruce Cameron died during the release of this album.