Trash - Cooper, Alice (CD 1989)

In the late 80's, Alice Cooper shocked the music industry by coming up with one of his biggest selling albums of alltime, entitled "Trash." The album came out around the time that bands such as Bon Jovi, Aerosmith and the Alice influenced Motley Crue were ruling the charts.

The album proved to be a wise career choice for Cooper who clearly jumped on the hair metal bandwagon and made it work.
However, if you are a longtime diehard fan like myself who never forgot about the Coop and still bought all of his albums, this one does not completely satisfy.

"Trash" is very commercial in sound and while the songs aren't bad at all, there is little of the characteristic shock rock sound and Alice's lyrics seem toned down.

However, if you like the slick polished hair metal sound then this is a good buy. Personally, I have always felt Alice is at his best when he comes up with innoventive albums like "Love It To Death,Welcome To My Nightmare or The Last Temptation," but this one has its moments. Let's take a look at the songs.

The following songs are rated on a scale of one to ten with ten being the best. Please not that all tracks on this album deal with relationships and sexual impulses.

Poison(9)-this killer opening track became a Top 10 hit for Alice and soared this album to the top of the charts. Really more of a midtempo song that all out rocker, it contained Alice talking about his infactuation with a woman that basically was poison.

Spark in the Dark(9)-this fast paced song contains some of the best guitar work by guitarist John McCurry on the entire album. It deals with the sexual excitement a man can feel for a woman.

House of Fire(8)-this song has become somewhat forgotten in recent years, despite the fact that it was a mild hit for Alice. Once again it deals with romance and the building of a relationship with another person. Perhaps the most catchy song on the album.

Why Trust You(8)-another hard rocker. This one actually contains some of my favorite lyrics on the album. Since this is a record focused on sexual attitudes, it is only proper to deal with the issue of trust.

Only My Heart Talkin'(7)-this sensitive ballad is most noteworthy in the fact that Steven Tyler sings the background vocals. It is interesting to hear Alice's trademark gruff, shock rock voice against Tyler's. Cooper actually does a good job of staying close to Tyler's range.

Bed of Nails(8)-this song is as close to a shock rock track as you will find on "Trash". It contains conroversial lyrics about sex and violence. I recall the video for this being banned on MTV, but let's remember Alice isn't condoning anything he is simply showing what society is. A good song.

This Maniac's In Love With You (5)-this throwaway track, deals with Alice's image and him trying to be accepted by a woman. Intended to be funny, but it falls a little flat.

Trash(6)-this title track is another filler song. It talks about meeting a woman with trashy morals and how much Alice "likes" that, lol. Jon Bon Jovi, who is an Alice fan, sang backup on this one. Strangely I heard Alice do this one live and it came across much better.

Hell is Living Without You(5)-the second Alice ballad on the album (remember this came out when ballads were in vogue). It deals with a relationship that has gone bad and having to live without the person. Not as good as "Only My Heart Talking."

I'm Your Gun (8)-the album finishes off strongly with this song filled with sexual innunendos. It is hard rocking and one of the better tracks off of the album.