Billion Dollar Babies

Billion Dollar Babies is both an indictment of early ’70s American life and a celebration of it. This deceptively smart, glitter-heavy concoction is pure rock ’n’ roll theater too, from opener “Hello Hooray” to creepy closer “I Love the Dead.” And there’s no escaping Alice Cooper’s clever lyrical narratives—or the downright Yardbirds/Stones riff-outs—of “No More Mister Nice Guy,” “Raped and Freezin’,” and “Generation Landslide.” The anthem “Elected” and the stomping title song (featuring Donovan on vocals) are purposely rich with self-parody.