Reviews roundup – Billion Dollar Babies vs. Karen Souza vs. Jim Shaneberger Band vs. Emre Kula vs. Point Riot
BILLION DOLLAR BABIES
First Ever Live Show: Flint 1977
Gonzo Multimedia
Or what happened to everyone bar Alice. Yup, once the Alice Cooper Band split up, Alice kept the name while Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway and Neal Smith stuck together, bringing in tour keyboard player Bob Dolin and lead guitarist Mike Marconi with Michael Bruce stepping up to the microphone. Wisely, they kept an Alice related name and the Billion Dollar Babies were born.
They recorded the “Battle Axe” album, which rumour has it was meant to be the next ACB record and headed out on tour. That album is rather good and certainly sounds like early Alice Cooper. And if the band had managed to last more than a handful of shows before falling apart who knows whether the Billion Dollar Babies would have made it. But they didn’t. And that was that.
This live release, as the name says, is a document of their very first show with them concentrating on their new album, with an Alice Cooper medley thrown in for good measure. But it’s kind of hard to tell whether they were any good or not as the sound quality is second rate bootleg at best. Apparently their show also included a degree of the ACB theatrical side, which may have helped things if you were there. The new songs like ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio’ and the ‘Battle Axe Suite’ certainly have enough to stand up against a lot of seventies rock but if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve owned that record for decades I’d be hard pushed to know.
It’s a shame because that album qualifies as a lost classic, but for the time being this is one for die hard fans of the original Alice Cooper Band. The rest of you should try and track down the Billion Dollar Babies vinyl.
KAREN SOUZA
Velvet Vault
independent
Album number four from Argentinean jazz singer, Karen Souza.
And it carries on from previous releases with a mixture of jazz classics, reworked pop songs and a smattering of originals. She first came to public note taking on eighties pop songs and that continues here with the first single being her version of ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ and it certainly showcases her warm and inviting voice. But things open up with Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne’s ‘I Fall In Love Too Easily’ so she’s certainly not shy at taking on a big number. And pulling it off.
The production (surprisingly from Richard Gottehrer – Blondie, Richard Hell, Dr. Feelgood etc) is spot on with the arrangements showcasing her voice to really good effect. So a lot of the success (or failure) of the record comes down to songs choice. And that only falters once, on a terrible version of a terrible song. That would be ‘Walk On The Wild Side’. But everywhere else it’s pure gold with 10cc’s ‘I’m Not In Love’ and The Cure’s ‘In Between Days’ the best of the pop offerings. Best of all is the Duke Ellington classic ‘I’m Beginning To See The Light’ which is just a sheer delight from start to finish.
Fans of her work will take this to heart and she’s certainly well worth being better known in the wider world.
JIM SHANEBERGER BAND
Above and Below
independent
Off to Michigan now for some blues, courtesy of Jim Shaneberger and his band.
That would be Jim Shaneberger – Guitar, Vocals, Steve Harris – Drums, Vocals and Jeff Baldus – Bass, Vocals with a set of all original material which takes in mainstream blues rock with a hint of funk and soul to colour things up a bit.
They’ve got a touch of swamp rock in there as well and the songs power away in fine fashion. The production is a wee but on the subdued side but you can still here that the band are fine musicians who make a good fist of their seventies influenced power trio sound. They’re better when they keep things lively as the slower blues don’t work as well, but on the likes of ‘My Way’ and the grinding ‘Way Down South’ you can hear that there is a really good band in there.
They’ll certainly go down well at any blues fest that will have them. One for the SRV fans out there.
EMRE KULA
Theory of Change
Kala
Passport in hand, we head off to Turkey to check in with guitarist and vocalist Emre Kula.
And in his world it’s still post-grunge that is flying high on the flagpole with a record chock full of Pearl Jam meets Soundgarden melodies and licks. He’s also spent time with well known Turkish progressive rock band Kes and there are still a few nods in that direction but this is largely in a mainstream early nineties vibe.
He can certainly play and songs like ‘My Way’ and ‘Nobody’s Song’ work really well. I must admit I prefer it when he gets a wee bit more old fashioned on the likes of ‘Graduate From Life’ but it’s a solid and accomplished release. I’m not sure it stands out enough to be a breakthrough record but it’s certainly worth investigating if you yearn for the years of plaid.
POINT RIOT
Dead Man’s Hand
independent
Finally, for today, we’re off to Sweden and to a band who really, really like eighties hard rock.
Proper hard rock that is. In a Dokken meets Scorpions eighties kind of way. And that’s fine by me. They’ve already put out an EP but this is their debut proper and they’ve done a bang up job. It’s done in old school style with twin guitars, a hint of widdle and really forceful vocals.
There are plenty of choruses designed to get a live crowd joining in. It’s not the first time round the block for the band members so they certainly can play. And on songs like ‘Let Me Go’ and ‘Raise Your Hands’ they also show that they can write a really strong hard rock song. If they hit a few Euro festivals and get a decent metal label involved they could be making a name for themselves very soon.
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St Columba’s Hospice Tribute Fund for Linda Hamilton
http://linda.hamilton.muchloved.com/
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The Rocker - The Artist Formerly Known As Zeitgeist. TAFKAZ 
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