SickthingsUK

Weren’t to keen when I first heard this album, following other trends and about 3 years to late.Clones seemed a try to sound like Gary Numans “Cars”...who was also imo trying to rip off Bowie. It has improved for me over time and does get the odd play , along with the other 2 so called blackout albums....and unlike most here, was disappointed with the tour after a 7 year wait from the previous one, was surprised he made it through the whole tour, but didn’t stop me from getting to 6 of the shows.

Flush The Fashion is the beginning of the "blackout" period, and honestly, my favorite era. I know he was in terrible physical health..but, really, the songs from this time are just....fantastic.
Flush The Fashion is a great album: Clones, Pain, Leather Boots, Aspirin Damage, Nuclear Infected, Model Citizen, Headlines...are usually my most favorite songs. I love the bravery of the change Alice made here...completely different in his approach and style and production. Despite being very out of control with his health...he was very in control with his music.....and to have Roy Thomas Baker producing! Wow!

While I was doing a little more research about FTF.
I found out that The Smashing Pumpkins did a cover of "Clones (We're All)"
Not too bad but, not better than The Master!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQwPivkDOxs

I found this record during a vacation period in which I had no access to any turntable. So plenty of time to read every single note on it, including the credits

I had the same situation with raise your fist and yell, which coincidentally turned out to be one of my top 5 albums

Weren’t to keen when I first heard this album, following other trends and about 3 years to late.Clones seemed a try to sound like Gary Numans “Cars”...

Being a fan of Gary Numan, this is exactly what i though initially. I have grown to appreciate it as a separate entity these days but i wouldn't be surprised if this was the inspiration. Does anyone know if this was the case?

I have tried to find information on Clones, but besides the songwriter, David Carron, I have found little information. Also not sure if the information I have seen on him is even real, because he was said to have played in Arlo Guthrie’s Shenandoah, but he is not listed on as a musician on any of the albums or writing credits.

Some information here helps clear up the Shenandoah point.

https://rockonworkshop.wordpress.com/20 ... id-carron/

..and the origin of Clones as well.

Thanks del! He was gone well before Arlo and Shenandoah released anything. Cool to hear about how the song got brought to Alice also.

Just listened to his own version on Spotify. RTB and/or Alice clearly re-modelled it a fair bit.

del wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:55 am

Some information here helps clear up the Shenandoah point.

https://rockonworkshop.wordpress.com/20 ... id-carron/

thanks for the great link. I didn't know it was Davey Johnstone who brought the song to Alice. A great insight into the background into the album. I'd love to know who decided on how they would approach the writing for the album and how much RTB had into the input of the writing/arranging.

Whatever the case--they gave us one of Alice's best albums and a risky but much needed change for Alice. "Clones" could have been a #1 hit single and likely would have been Alice's biggest selling single if it was given the right push.

If that song --the same recording from FTF--were able to find it's way into say a movie, tv show, commercial, I'm convinced it would do very well with downloads, etc. and get some major exposure.

del wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:55 am

Some information here helps clear up the Shenandoah point.

https://rockonworkshop.wordpress.com/20 ... id-carron/

Great link. Like Mr. Barlow said, had no idea Davey Johnstone suggested the song to Alice. I always just assumed RT Baker brought it in. Although the album did better than FTI here in America, it should have been more successful, which I mostly blame on Warner's part. "Talk Talk" should have been a hit single, too Or possibly the Stones-sounding "Dance Yourself to Death" as another single instead of a b-side.

I'm a big fan of this album and believe it still stands up well today.

A friend of mine heard it before I did and said, "Alice has gone all synths now" so I bought it with trepidation. Thankfully, I loved it.

Like others on here, I'm really into the blackout period and regularly listen to a lot of it.

Flush the Fashion used to be my favorite of the four blackout albums. It’s DaDa now, but FTF is second! I love the production on this album, and every single song is catchy. Pain is one of my favorite Alice Cooper songs of all time. I love that I got the pleasure of seeing it live in 2018! This album is timeless.

Inmate wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 16, 2019 7:52 pm

Flush the Fashion used to be my favorite of the four blackout albums. It’s DaDa now, but FTF is second! I love the production on this album, and every single song is catchy. Pain is one of my favorite Alice Cooper songs of all time. I love that I got the pleasure of seeing it live in 2018! This album is timeless.

I completely agree and it's getting better with age.

I wish some company would put "Clones" in a commercial or a filmmaker place it in a major movie. If so, I would bet it would become a major hit all these years later.

WB dropped the ball in 1980. Given just a bit more push and promotion it could have been a Top 10 album and Alice could have ridden out that period as a success.

But...if that happened it would have changed the trajectory of everything after it. We would have never gotten Dada...his finest album.

It's that commercial failure of those years and the sheer personal hell that went with it that helped make Alice the person he is today.

I have found this album has great highs and lows. Clones into pain and grim facts into model citizen are as good as anything on any Alice album but the rest, while enjoyable are really just fillers.

I think Flush The Fashion has actually aged really well. There are some definite 'filler' tracks in there, but the whole thing has a great feel and sound. The production is spot on.

Agree with most of the comments re FTF. I do find it strange/a bit disappointing that there are 'filler' tracks on an album which is barely over the length of an EP. Dada on the other hand is a masterpiece.

DeadBaby wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 05, 2019 2:06 pm

Agree with most of the comments re FTF. I do find it strange/a bit disappointing that there are 'filler' tracks on an album which is barely over the length of an EP. Dada on the other hand is a masterpiece.

Fillertracks is a personal perception.
I don't think Cooper is thinking : "ok, 4 stellar tracks , let's put some fillers on the album and I'm done".

That is not what I meant. Alice Cooper 'filler' tracks for the most part are better than most other artists output, hence the inverted commas, but there is a large drop-off from Clones, Pain, Model Citizen etc to some of the other tracks on the album which is only just over 25 mins long if I remember correctly.

It's still like a fresh stick of bubblegum! Not a track that I would skip. 25 mins love it! Vroom.