2001
with Michael Bruce, Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway

CD1: The Original LP
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

CD 2:
1. Shine Your Love
2. I Miss You
3. Wasn't I The One
4. Dance With Me
5. Want Go Home
6. Love Is Rather Blind
7. Rock Me Slowly
8. Battle Axe-Sudden Death-Winner
9. Rock n Roll Prison
10. Runaway (instrumental)
11. I Don't Know
12. Wallow Through This Madness

CD 3: Live Flint, MI 1977
1. Miss You
2. Rock n Roll Radio
3. Love Is Rather Blind
4. Rock Me Slowly
5. Alice Cooper Medley: No More Mr. 00Nice Guy - Neal's Solo - Elected - 00Eighteen - School's Out
6. Battle Axe Suite: Ego Mania
7. Battle Axe
8. Nights In Cracked Leather - Sudden 00Death - Winner
9. Too Young
10. Billion Dollar Babies

Billion Dollar Babies (Bruce/Dunaway/Smith) - Complete Battle Axe
Not an Official release but I had to add this for the reason of it being one of my favorite solo projects. "Battle Axe" in my opinion is the best recording that combined the remaining Alice Cooper Group although Glen Buxton wasn't involved at the time. It is known in the internet circles that Neal Smith doesn't acknowledge this release and publicly wrote an open letter via internet expressing his opinion. Who's involved for this release I have no idea but to be honest as an Alice Cooper fan of the original band I'm very glad 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. Again 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 recording of these musicians from this band. 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.

with Neal Smith & Dennis Dunaway

2001
1. I Want Two
2. Having The Time Of My Life
3. Vampire Night
4. The Joke's On You
5. Diner Girl
6. Love You Too Much
7. Snake Pit Boogie
8. She Was A Bad Girl
9. Carnival Toy
10. There Was A Girl
11. The Real Thing
12. Fallen Angel

 Bouchard, Dunaway, Smith - Back From Hell
Neal Smith and Dennis Dunaway regroup again with old Blue Oyster Cult friend Joe Bouchard. By the way is it me or does Joe Bouchard look like Mike Watt? Anyhow I would say this is the best recording this trio ever made since they made their alliance back in the Deadringer days of '89.
There are quite a few good tracks on this CD. First of all I don't like the first track "I Want Two" yeah yeah I know what it means but it's too campy for me. Besides that the rest of the album isn't bad. Although it still has a sort of 70's sound to it. Some of the better tracks are 'Vampire Night", "Diner Girl", "She Was A Bad Girl" starts off with an intro from "Blue Turk" on "School's Out" album. "Carnival Toy" and Dennis Dunaway makes a first as lead vocals on "The Real Thing". The musicianship on this album is good and they co-wrote all the songs except for the last track. Ian Hunter also credited as co-writer on four tracks.

I do happen to have a bootleg of their concert from Glen Buxton's Memorial III in 2001 an have to say they sound better live. More on this in the bootleg section.

with Neal Smith

2001
1. Nude Ellie
2. Grace Beach
3. 1000 Miles
4. Temple Mental
5. African Clay
6. Wander Will
7. Awake
8. Reckon Eyes
9. Even In Sleep
10. Sand Script

Cinematik (Neal Smith) - Cinematik
Debut CD from Cinematik which includes Neal Smith who collaborates with Peter Catucci and Robert Mitchell in this more different direction of sound. To me it's a sort of ambient and New Age style of music. Matter of fact this would be the type of album I think Neal would have put out as a solo artist for "Platinum God". It's just amazing the sounds from this album. I would say it's the most mature sounding recordings and artistically done. This has everything from African influence on "African Clay" to Native American on "Awake".

Some of my favorite tracks are "Nude Ellie", "1000 Miles Away", "Wandering Will", and "Sand Script".

with Neal Smith

2002
1. Incognito
2. Hour 28
3. Million To One
4. Unfrozen
5. Amorak
6. Wolfman's Holiday
7. Euriffodes
8. Digga Doom
9. The Luck
10. Maria Louisa
11. Hula Yew
12. Murder In The Moon
13. Simplas Childrenz

 Cinematik (Neal Smith) - One Full Moon Away
The second CD from Cinematik. All three are credited for the lyrics and music. Neal plays percussions, drums, as Peter Catucci & Robert Michell on vocals, guitars and other instruments. Some of the music reminds me of Peter Barden from his "Speed Of Light" album.

This whole album is wonderful to hear from start to finish. You have some vocals & instrumental tracks. "Incognito" reminds me of Wall Of Voodoo in the beginning. Some of my favorites are "Hour 28", "Unfrozen", "The Luck", "Hula Yew" and my top favorite "Murder In The Moon."

with Neal Smith & Dennis Dunaway

2002
1. Introduction
2 . I Want Two
3. Don't Fear The Reaper
4. See You On The Other Side
5. School's Out
6. See You (reprise)
7. Bass Medley
8. Vampire Night
9. The Joke On You
10. Astronomy
11. She Was A Bad Girl
12. Carnival Toy
13. Caught In A Dream
14. Black Juju
15. Under My Wheels

 Bouchard, Dunaway, Smith - Live In Paris
Neal Smith, Dennis Dunaway and Joe Bouchard perform in Paris, France
on October 26, 2002.
I have to say these guys sound great live. Touring from their release of "Back From Hell" record they cover 5 of the tunes from that album. Two of my favorites are "Vampire Night" and "Carnival Toy". Also a new song that was written for Glen Buxton titled "See You On The Other Side" w/ an homage to G.B., as they go into "School's Out" (Glen came up w/ that opening riff of School's Out).
Dennis performs a Bass medley playing some Cooper hits. Which leaves you w/ a few Cooper tunes like "Caught In A Dream", "Black Juju" and "Under My Wheels". Joe Bouchard plays some of his tunes from Blue Oyster Cult days such as "Don't Fear The Reaper" and "Astronomy" which I might add comes across very good. I do have a hard time w/ Bouchard's vocals on the Alice tracks although he does a cool version of "Black Juju".

A special thanks to Gretchen for the gift of this CD (& autograph pic).

2002
CD 1: Original Album
1. King Of America
2. Lucky Break
3. Friday On My Mind
4. In My Own Way
5. As Rock Rolls On*
6. If The Sky Should Fall
7. So Far So Good
8. Gotta Get Hold
9. Seems Like I Only Fool Myself
10. Morning Song
Bonus Tracks:
11. As Rock Rolls On (Alt)
12. If I Was King (working title)
13. On My Love
14. Nothing On Earth

* guest vocals Alice Cooper

CD 2: 1974 Lake Tahoe Recordings
1. As The World Turns On
2. Love's Opened Up My Heart
3. I Kicked Da Blues
4. Someone Like You
5. I Can't Leave
6. No-one Knows The Stranger (Instr)
7. In My Own Way (Alt Lyrics)
8. Got To Get Hold
9. Love Love Love
10. Morning Song
11. Feeling Like Somebody Else
12. Something In This Life
13. When You're On The Outside
14. Ain't That Just Like Life
15. Life Will Be Our Music
16. So Far So good
17. Lucky Break

Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper) - In My Own Way: The Complete Sessions
This 2 CD set are recordings of Bruce's first solo album "In My Own Way" with bonus tracks with 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 (review of that CD is in this section) 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 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 one 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.

2002
1. Hello Hooray (intro)
2. Under My Wheels
3. Is It My Body
4. Desperado
5. Hard Hearted Alice
6. Be My Lover
7. No More Mr. Nice Guy
8. Halo Of Flies
9. Caught In A Dream
10. Muscle Of Love
11. I'm Eighteen
12. Billion Dollar Babies

Michael Bruce - Halo Of Ice
Michael Bruce performs 12 songs he wrote and co-wrote with the Alice Cooper group. As he travels to Reykjavik, Iceland in 2001 to perform with Stripshow, a popular band in Iceland which has a pretty awesome guitarist Ingo Geirdal. This was a sort of impromptu concert since the band rehearsed the songs without Michael. After Michael arrived in Iceland with a bad cold but after listening to this album you wouldn't know it. Intro of "Hello Hooray" sounded out of tune but they quickly seemed to get into the groove as "Under My Wheels" is being played. Michael also adds a few lines from Bowie's "Suffragette City". Michael also sings "Halo Of Flies" with the original lyrics.
I 've heard Michael Bruce perform these hits a number of times before but this is the best rendition with this backing band. Stripshow musicians are Ingo Geirdal on guitar, backing vocals, Silli Geirdal on bass and Egill Rafnsson on drums.

The booklet that comes with this has photos from this performance and liner notes by the guitarist Ingo Geirdal.

BAND:
MICHAEL BRUCE - LEAD VOCALS & GUITAR
INGO GEIRDAL - GUITAR & VOCALS
SILLI GEIRDAL - BASS & VOCALS
EGILL "E" RAFNSSON - DRUMS

2005
Track list:_
Live In Iceland 2002:
Recordings at "Sjallinn" Akureyri 25/10/02 & "Gaukurinn" Reykjavik 31/10/02
1. Under My Wheels
2. No More Mr. Nice Guy
3. Is It My Body?
4. Left For Dead Meat
5. Second Coming
6. Desperado
7. Hard Hearted Alice
8. Rock Rolls On
9. Halo Of Flies
10. I Miss You
11. I'm Eighteen
12. My Stars
13. Billion Dollar Babies
14. School's Out

Bonus Studio Tracks 2003
15. Muscle Of Love
16. Forever Eighteen

Approx 70 min.

Michael Bruce - The Second Coming
Of Michael Bruce
The only reason this didn’t get a higher rating is the splicing on most of the tracks. They are abruptly clipped 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.
Also it didn’t include “Rhapsody For G.B.” that was performed at the GBMW III and is noted in the liner notes.

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.
The CD that I received is the same as in tracks (except for the GB tribute track) I just don’t have the photos but I do have the cover art and Dennis’s liner notes. There are no credits listed but from what I read on sickthingsuk site it was produced, mixed & mastered by Ingo & Silli Geirdal.

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.
If you see my review on Bruce’s “Halo Of Ice” pretty much covers the live performance songs.

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.

“Rock Rolls On” from Michael’s 1982 solo album of the same name. This song live along w/ his backing band gives it more life. “I Miss You” from the “Battle Axe” album of ’77. This is my favorite solo album that includes Neal & Dennis, you can see my review on that lp. “I Miss You” is an excellent live version and 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!

“My Stars” from Alice’s “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.

BAND:
MICHAEL BRUCE - LEAD VOCALS & GUITAR
INGO GEIRDAL - GUITAR & VOCALS
SILLI GEIRDAL - BASS & VOCALS
EGILL "E" RAFNSSON - DRUMS

 

Guest Neal Smith & Dennis Dunaway

2002
Track
7. Ghost Of Brian Jones

Richie Scarlet (Dunaway/Smith) - The Insanity Of Life
From Scarlet's second solo release has Neal Smith on drums and Dennis Dunaway on bass for one track titled "Ghost Of Brian Jones" about one of Richie's rock n' roll idols. The song, a tribute to Brian Jones with Stones reference on this track. Neal Smith drumming is always exceptional. Dennis Dunaway on bass doesn't have a chance to show off his talent. Richie does some mean guitar work on this track. But it's not one of the best tracks on this CD. He does a good cover of Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" if anyone is interested.

There are other guests on this CD like Kiss's Ace Frehley, Mountain's Leslie West, King X's Ty Tabor among some others.

2006
1. Kandahar
2. Me And My Boys
3. Man Is A Beast
4. Red Room*
5. Little Kid (with a big gun)
6. New Generation
7. Needle In The Red
8. Stalker
9. Satan's Sister*
10. On The Mountain
11. Subway
12. Home Sweet Home

* Dennis Dunawy: lead vocals

 Dennis Dunaway Project - Bones From The Yard
Dennis Dunaway the mysterious bass player from the original Alice Cooper Group has finally put out his own solo CD. Dennis has put out many recordings since the Alice Cooper departure in 1974. Dennis played w/ the remaining Cooper musicians on “Battle Axe” by The Billion Dollar Babies, which I thought was an outstanding album. See my review. Also Dennis played a number of times w/ drummer & brother in law Neil Smith
From Neil’s solo album to Deadringer, Flying Tigers and recently BDS.

This release is completely Dennis w/ no Neil Smith! All original music written by Dennis who also sings lead on 2 tracks “Red Room” and “Satan’s Bed”. Both very good. Red Room” starts off w/ that Mexican sound. Sort of like Alice has in a few of his songs. I guess it’s from being raised in AZ. Btw a very good track.
Again “Satan’s Sister” you can see where the sounds of Alice Cooper grown out of.
Dennis said in an interview these are songs that he wrote but never recorded that’s were the title “Bones From The Yard” came about. But this CD is far from being old tunes. It does have a heavy 70’s feel but more updated. I can hear sounds of Tool and Audioslave who also say they are influenced by the 70’s music. Take for instant the first track “Kandahar” which reminds me a bit of Led Zeppelin as well as Audioslave.
“Subway” reminds me of a Blue Oyster Cult.
“New Generation” reminds me of the Cooper “Love It To Death” lp years.
"Me And My Boys" a good rockin tune. "Man Is A Beast", "Little Kid (w/ a big gun)", "Stalker", "On The Mountain" are some heavy tracks...Oh Hell! Just get the CD! You won't be disappointed.

I should point out the rest of the band is Ed Burns vocals & keyboards, Rick Tedesco vocals & guitar, Russ Wilson drums. Majority of vocals are by Ed Burns then Rick Tedesco and 2 tracks by Dennis. Guests include Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and Joe Bouchard (Blue Oyster Cult) among others.


Background vocals: Dennis Dunaway

2007
Track
4. Brainwashed
 Ian Hunter – Shrunken Heads (Dennis Dunaway)
A lot of American influences from Dylan to Mellencamp that explains guitarist Andy York from Mellencamp who co-produced w/ Hunter. “Words (Big Mouth)” kicks off the CD as one of my favorite tunes. “Fuss About Nothin” reminds me of Mott. Ballad “Shrunken Heads” is another great track that reminds me of Dylan. Ian hasn't lost it and I say this one of his best solo recordings.

"Brainwashed" reminds me of a Mott The Hoople. It's more of a jam session song just fun w/ friends. Dennis Dunaway is background vocals or just handclaps but you really can't tell since it's a group of people.

2008
1. Leave Me Alone
2. Sexual Savior
3. Disturbed
4. Beware Of The Dog
5. Naked And The Raw
6. Can't Get You Outta My Skull
7. Monsters In The Attic
8. How Do You Bleed
9. Thrill Thrill Shoot To Kill
10. Dynasty of Darkness
11. Human Evolution

 Killsmith (Neal Smith) - Sexual Savior
Neal Smith warned us not to expect it to sound like Alice Cooper or classic rock which is safe to say this isn’t.
Neal takes his persona of Killsmith a hard edge, techno, punk, heavy metal band.
The “Warning XXX Nudity Explicit Language” label printed on the cover. The theme in Killsmith are 3 things sex, sex and sex, hence the title “Sexual Savior”.
The CD booklet includes lyrics & some MILF photos.

Some of the songs remind me of The Plasmatics. If Neal produced this after his “Beyond The Valley of 1984”, I can actually hear Wendy O screaming out “Disturbed” or “Thrill Thrill Thrill Shoot To Kill”.
There are a few good tunes I do like such as “Beware Of The Dog”, “How Do You Bleed”, “Dynasty Of Darkness”. Like Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start The Fire”
Neal’s “Human Evolution” which I have to say is my favorite track on this CD.
The lyrics are not in historical order. Such as The Challenger exploding proceeding The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. I think it’s the chorus part that really pulls this song together that the other songs are lacking.

Smith’s drumming on this CD is still outstanding and interesting to see he played guitar and keyboards. The only member of the band I know is Peter Catucci from Neal’s side project Cinematik. I assume Peter is also the bass player listed as Peter The Cat.