Anyone Else Like the Trash Album?

[cooperrocks]

I realize that the Trash album was very commercial and didn't really sound like Alice, but the album has some catchy tunes (though Hey Stoopid is a superior album in my opinion) and it put Alice back on the charts. I know that album gets slammed on here a lot, but "Poison" always gets one of the loudest responses from fans. I don't get all the hate for that album.

[Toronto Bob]

I don't hate it as much as some here, but that's not to say I have love for it either. As a Cooper album it's too formulaic, has this whole name dropping thing and all in all it seems too much like Alice hoping on a bandwagon, musically and aesthetically.

I like about 3 songs on the album (Poison, Trash and Bed of Nails) and none of them come close to his best work. I will say in comparison to Dirty Diamonds, that spider album I forgot the name of and W2MN, Trash sounds a lot better in retrospect.

[Daggers & Contracts]

Accessible is a word I use to describe Trash, radio friendly, catchy hooks and a consistent effort.
After DaDa (which some here adore) I felt he had lost his way. Apparently my instincts weren't far off of the mark. I pretty much passed on the "Hair Metal" years until I bought Prince Of Darkness (bargain cassette). By then Trash was being released so I decided to give AC another go. I took to it right away - as one of my 1st Cds it got played a lot. I think Hey Stupid rocks harder but is not as concise. So yes, I like it!

[pitkin88]

If there was any life in this album, Desmond Child sucked it right back out. The second worst Alice Cooper producer.

[darkmenace]

I don't like the album as a whole but some of the songs are catchy. I like Trash the way I like some songs by bands I don't like. Favorites: Spark in the Dark, House of Fire, Bed of Nails (and my guilty pleasure) Hell is Living Without Your Love.

Just read the interview from Alice about Trash and he made some comments that mystified me comparing B$B to Trash. He said:

"It’s the closest I’ve ever been to recreating that style. But I think this an album for the ’90s. It’s a little more intelligent."

I'm not sure where he's coming from so I can't agree with any of these comments (except that it was intended to sound like Alice's perception of the 90s). But it's more intelligent? What the heck could that mean?

[Toronto Bob]

I remember him comparing Trash to B$B in an interview with Terry David Mulligan and TDM raising his eyebrows, but by that time I already knew not to pay attention to Alice interviews. What a load "more intelligent" by what metric AC? Not that intelligence was ever AC/ACG's calling card but Trash has the most pedestrian lyrics and music contained within, whereas B$B was exciting and original and had some clever lyrics like Generation Landslide to absorb.

B$B is a 9, Trash is a 3 dressed up as a 9

[kevinuk81]

Trash gets a double thumbs up from me.

[pitkin88]

I remember him comparing Trash to B$B in an interview with Terry David Mulligan and TDM raising his eyebrows, but by that time I already knew not to pay attention to Alice interviews. What a load "more intelligent" by what metric AC? Not that intelligence was ever AC/ACG's calling card but Trash has the most pedestrian lyrics and music contained within, whereas B$B was exciting and original and had some clever lyrics like Generation Landslide to absorb.

B$B is a 9, Trash is a 3 dressed up as a 9

Maybe a bit more intelligent or grown up than the lyrically bankrupt Constrictor and RYTAY. Probably running out of ideas so back to the sex of Muscle Of Love.

[mr.barlow]

First off, it has to be understood that "Trash" was specifically made to cater to the hair metal audience who adored bands like Bon Jovi. Desmond Child WAS Bon Jovi. You want to sound like Bon Jovi, hire Desmond Child to write and produce your album. This was basically a Bon Jovi album with a ever so slight Alice Cooper twist.

The thing that always set Alice apart from everyone else was his originality. Alice always latched on to the latest trend--it's what has given him his staying power--but he was always Alice Cooper first. For as weak Lace & Whiskey is as a whole, and the misguided Escargot character--it was all still distinctly Alice. Even Constrictor which suffered from horrible production and simple lyrics was still distinctly an Alice Cooper album.

Trash on the other hand was nowhere near an Alice Cooper album. From the packaging, to his hair metal look, to the music--it was all very generic, corporate, soulless crap that could have been released by any of the horrid hair metal bands like Bon Jovi, Ratt, Warrant, Quiet Riot, etc. The videos were also run of the mill, cookie cutter, hair metal nonsense that were just horrible. My God, I'll take the video for "No More Love At Your Convenience" over that steaming pile of a video for Poison! Again--soulless--and not Alice.

Also, as any fan can recall, when Alice made ANY public appearance doing the press for the album he was always dressed exactly the same--in the same clothes that he wears on the album cover. He had become simply a corporate product.

Again--this is what they set out to do from the get go. To have Alice blend in and take advantage of the music buying public that had grown to love and accept the musical plague of hair metal. It worked like a charm--I think even bigger than they ever imagined.

It was great to see Alice back on top and although I had hatred for the album I was right there cheering along for his success. I will say that "Poison" is a decent song--and if there is a highlight to the album that song was it.

Also, the lyrics have some bright spots (not many), but are totally swallowed up by the awfulness of the overall songs and production. Pitkin is right on the mark with his comment.

Again--I'm glad it was a success and that it set Alice up for the rest of his life. I understand why it was made and agree with why they did it. But it is what it is--corporate garbage--aptly named "Trash".

[Keith1980]

Only my heart talkin and trash if they were off of it it would be my fav. The song trash was ok till the end of it. But i can listen to trash all day long. Hey stupid is really a tight second. I like the heavy metal side of alice. The new metal on brital planet and dragon town are good but the 80s metal was the best.

Constrictor was good life and the death of the party and hes back were my favs

RYFAY. i can listen to that all day

Cant really say thier is any alice i dont like. Be it the days of the spiders or his solo. Each album is great. Altho schools out and muscel of love i hardly listen too. Those records didnt do much for me. Their are tracks i like but overall nah.

[ElectedPlus]

I rate the the Trash album rather highly, and I'm sure Alice had a blast indulging into the style of the time too. It seemed like a good wave of posing, outrageous looks, flamboyancy, huge shows and attitude driven music for him to play along with. When hasn't he ever liked that?

He also had 'that hit' and the ability to keep playing to large, enthusiastic and young audiences- it just seems to tick all the right boxes for him.

But for me the strong Alice twist that runs through the album gives it an extra kick to a kind of music I enjoy anyway. The album name has Alice's humour, plus the song writing in the title track, Poison, Maniac and Gun has that certain kind of unique Alice attitude that I love. I guess I just enjoy hearing Alice delivering his usual skills within a rather formulaic 80's sound.

To sum it up, good for business, good for fans and good for a performer.

[A_MichaelUK]

From darkmenace:
"What the heck could that mean?"

The "Billion Dollar Babies" album was actually a big influence on "Trash" and many other albums from that era that were made in that style. As I'm sure has been discussed here before, it was slick, glossy, commercial and made to sound good on the radio. You surely will have noticed how sonically different it was to, say, "Killer", for example. I could be wrong but I would argue "Billion Dollar Babies" was the first album of that type by a major rock act and many of those elements ended up on albums by Ratt, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and all the other usual culprits some people here pretend to dislike (although Def Leppard are terrible).

[nurserozetta]

I don't mind Trash it sits just below midway in my list of fave albums , I do really like the sleaze of the title track above anything else on the album.

But more than anything I'm thankful for the album , because it it didn't arrive and do as well as it eventually did I have a feeling Alice may well have been lost tot eh music industry and we wouldn't be watching perform now.

[Toronto Bob]

The only similarity between these two Alice Cooper records is both enjoyed commercial success.

B$B was a brilliant album and should not be besmirched with comparisons to Trash or Def Leppard or any other formulaic rubbish. B$B was a dynamic album comprising of wonderfully crafted, radio friendly hits (NMMNG, Elected), show opening dramatics, wicked cool guitar riffs, sinister themes, social commentary, tongue in cheek humour. Nothing predictable about it, it was and is a true original and classic and stands the test of time. While Trash sings almost entirely about love/lust/want and in an entirely typical hair metal way. It's adolescent. Where's the "Generation Landslide" on Trash, the "Sick Things", The "Unfinished Sweet"? The tempo changes of the album aren't there on Trash, the mood shifts, nothing. The best Trash can offer up in the way of change is going to an obligatory saccharine ballad.

[recoop]

For me the slickness of BDB album was like a knowing offering by the band to say look we made it and we are sleazy- Alice was still seen as dangerous, perhaps counter culture. Soundwise, I don't hear a great similarity between the Trash album and BDB. Certainly there was a recognisable change from the garage rock of Killer to BDB. If any solo Alice album harks back to a 70s sound it would, for me, be the Last Temptation.

[A_MichaelUK]

From Toronto Bob:
"B$B was a brilliant album and should not be besmirched with comparisons to Trash or Def Leppard or any other formulaic rubbish."

Nobody is holding it responsible for what it inspired but the reality is that the way it sounded was an influence not just on those specific artists but on also on the way some of the albums they made sounded.

[A_MichaelUK]

From recoop:
"Soundwise, I don't hear a great similarity between the Trash album and BDB."

Listen to the layers of guitars and backing vocals on both albums - all mixed specifically in such a way so as to sound a certain way on the radio. I could be wrong but as I said, I can't think of another recording from that era made by what would have been considered a 'hard rock' act, that sounded so 'pop' but I'm willing to accept suggestions.

[recoop]

With regard to sounding 'pop' I can't think of another hard rock act that did that - so would agree on that- BDB is and was a very unique album (my favourite all time album). I recall an old radio interview with members of POCO where they cited the clear sound of BDB and wanted to seek out the producer responsible- it is an amazingly clear sound on BDB. When I first heard it in 1973 I noticed the space between the notes (my terminology then)- as regards Trash I don't hate it and was pleased it came out to get Alice on track- don't mind Poison, Bed of Nails and one or two others- will listen to see if I can hear any similarity re layers of guitars etc- not keen on the sugary hair metal image but sometimes you have to go with the flow to make dough ( think I just made that up )

[mr.barlow]

I think the comparison between the two albums is that they both set out to achieve the goal of taking it all mainstream. B$B was indeed crafted for pop radio--namely the singles. It was made with the whole goal of taking the band to the next level--and that was the mainstream and pop radio.

Trash was produced for the same reason. It was methodically crafted with one goal in mind--and that was to crack the Top 40 and put Alice back on top. It was wildly successful.

B$B is one of the most influential rock albums ever made for many reasons--one being it's production and sound. It was the album that made Bob Ezrin. It has influenced nearly everybody, both musically and also in the world of record producing. It's was incredibly original, artistic, stylistic and you name it. It succeeds on all levels--and more importantly it succeeded in making Alice Cooper the number one band on the planet,

Trash on the other hand succeeded in restoring Alice into the top of the rock world and gave him a big hit with Poison, but it was not original. Also, it had the shelf life of a convenience store ham sandwich. Where B$B was original and influenced bands for generations, with Trash Alice was just following a trend. Desmond Child is not and never will be Bob Ezrin. Desmond Child simply applied his "tricks of the trade" and songwriting to Alice. You can hear Bon Jovi singing "Spark In The Dark" but you could never imagine him singing "Generation Landslide". Trash was an album of formula hair metal fluff rock that was appealing to fans at that time. It was not art, it was not original and it is not great. BUT--it sold in the millions!

At any rate--it is what it is and it was one of his biggest albums. I also understand MILLIONS of people love the album. I'm just not one of those millions. I also understand Alice has a fondness for the album, and that's understandable as it was one of his biggest albums and he worked incredibly hard to get back to the top after his near demise. I just don't like it--in fact I hate it. I love it for what it achieved for Alice, but I hate it for everything else.

Also, to be clear, I have always hated the hair metal genre and that plays into my disdain for the album. My rock n roll tastes are more Motorhead, UFO, Thin Lizzy and anything that was genuine. Hair metal was not genuine. Trash was not genuine. But millions of fans loved those bands and loved Trash so who gives a rat's arse what I think.

And to be very clear--and as Amuk has known for years--I'm very proud to be a musical snob!

[cooperrocks]

From darkmenace:
"What the heck could that mean?"

The "Billion Dollar Babies" album was actually a big influence on "Trash" and many other albums from that era that were made in that style. As I'm sure has been discussed here before, it was slick, glossy, commercial and made to sound good on the radio. You surely will have noticed how sonically different it was to, say, "Killer", for example. I could be wrong but I would argue "Billion Dollar Babies" was the first album of that type by a major rock act and many of those elements ended up on albums by Ratt, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and all the other usual culprits some people here pretend to dislike (although Def Leppard are terrible).

That's a very good point. Billion Dollar Babies was actually a lot more commercial than Killer or School's Out was for example. Another example is Welcome to My Nightmare. People forget that album wasn't considered to be "very rocking" by some fans when it came out, yet it was very successful, the tour set the standard for all theatrical shows, and now many fans claim it was one of Alice's best albums ever, if not the best.