Name(s): Billion Dollar Babies
Artist(s): Alice Cooper
Release Date(s): February 27, 1973

Billion Dollar Babies is a great album marred by horrible mixing and self-indulgence, even if some of the latter makes it endearing. Many songs here could stand to have a minute of them cut, such as “Unfinished Sweet,” which would be a highlight if not for the extended section in the middle featuring what sounds like one of those expandable plastic tube children’s toys.

As for the mixing, the instruments and vocals are clearly delivered in classic in-your-face hard rock fashion, but the mix does not complement this at all and often separates the vocals and instruments into separate channels for entire songs, taking the punch out of the instruments. “No More Mr. Nice Guy” is the tightest, most concise song here which is why it’s the only song anyone still talks about. There is a better album underneath here when it isn’t meandering, but Love It to Death and Killer are the true Alice Cooper band classics.