Flush the Fashion
Flush the Fashion is the fifth solo album by singer Alice Cooper, released in April 28, 1980, and produced by Roy Thomas Baker. Musically, the album was a drastic change of style for Cooper, leaning towards a new wave influence. The lead single "Clones (We're All)" reached #40 on the Billboard Top 40.
Flush the Fashion | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 28, 1980 | |||
Recorded | 1979 - 1980 | |||
Genre | Rock, hard rock, new wave | |||
Length | 28:29 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | Roy Thomas Baker | |||
Alice Cooper chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic |
Background
The album’s ten tracks touch on themes such as the loss of identity, taking on other roles, and the usual Alice Cooper-esque dementia. This is evident even in the lyrics of Flush the Fashion’s cover songs (for example the “Clones” single). Cooper also performs several “story” songs, presenting a series of intriguing vignettes in lieu of more traditional subject matter. By the time of Flush the Fashion, after a much-publicized stint in a sanitarium in 1977 for alcoholism and subsequent sobriety, Cooper had secretly developed a heavy addiction to cocaine, although, unlike his following three albums Cooper has some recollection – if not perfect – of making Flush the Fashion.[2]
Cooper did tour the album through the United States and Mexico City during 1980, playing “Clones”, “Pain”, “Model Citizen”, “Grim Facts”, “Talk Talk”, “Dance Yourself to Death” and “Nuclear Infected” on a regular basis. The first four songs remained part of the setlist for the Special Forces tour a year later. Since 1982, songs from Flush the Fashion, as with all Cooper’s albums from between 1976 and 1983, have rarely been performed live. The only cases have been:
- “Clones”,[3] of which there were a few irregular performances between 1996 and 2003 and was a regular part of Cooper’s setlist during the 2011-2012 ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy’ tour
- "Pain", which was regular on Cooper's 2017 'Spend The Night With Alice Cooper' tour, and
- "Grim Facts" with was part of "A Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper" in 2018.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Alice Cooper, Davey Johnstone and Fred Mandel except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Talk Talk" | Sean Bonniwell | 2:09 |
2. | "Clones (We're All)" | David Carron | 3:03 |
3. | "Pain" | 4:06 | |
4. | "Leather Boots" | Geoff Westen | 1:36 |
5. | "Aspirin Damage" | 2:57 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Nuclear Infected" | 2:14 | |
2. | "Grim Facts" | 3:24 | |
3. | "Model Citizen" | 2:39 | |
4. | "Dance Yourself to Death" | Cooper, Frank Crandall | 3:08 |
5. | "Headlines" | 3:18 |
Personnel
- Alice Cooper - vocals
- Davey Johnstone - guitar
- Fred Mandel - keyboards, guitar
- Dennis Conway - drums
- John Cooker Lopresti - bass guitar
Production
- Producer: Roy Thomas Baker
- Engineer: Ian Taylor
- Assistant Engineer: John Weaver
Charts
Chart (1980) | Peak position |
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US Billboard 200[4] | 44 |
Singles - Billboard (United States)
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | "Clones (We're All)" | Club Play Singles | 69 |
Pop Singles | 40 | ||
"Talk Talk" | Pop Singles | - |
References
- Prato, Greg. "Flush the Fashion - Alice Cooper". Allmusic. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
- ‘Hanging with Mr. Cooper’; Phoenix New Times, June 20, 1996
- ‘Clones (We’re All)’ performance data
- "Alice Cooper Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 11, 2018.