Flush the Fashion

Last updated
Flush the Fashion
Acflush.jpg
Studio album by
Alice Cooper
ReleasedApril 28, 1980 (1980-04-28)
Recorded1979–1980
Studio Cherokee (Hollywood)
Genre
Length28:34
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Roy Thomas Baker
Alice Cooper chronology
From the Inside
(1978)		Flush the Fashion
(1980)		 Special Forces
(1981)
Singles from Flush the Fashion
  1. "Clones (We're All)"
    Released: April 1980
  2. "Talk Talk"
    Released: September 1980 [2]

Flush the Fashion is the fifth solo studio album by American singer Alice Cooper, released on April 28, 1980, by Warner Bros. Records. It was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles with producer Roy Thomas Baker, known for his work with Queen and the Cars. Musically, the album was a drastic change of style for Cooper, leaning towards a new wave influence. The lead single "Clones (We're All)" peaked at No. 40 on the U.S. Billboard Top 40. Clocking in at 28 minutes, Flush the Fashion has the shortest running time of any of Cooper's albums.

Contents

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 subsequent three studio albums, Cooper has some recollection – if not perfect – of making Flush the Fashion. [3]

Cooper did tour the album through the United States and Mexico City during 1980, playing "Clones (We're All)", "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 of Cooper's albums from between 1976 and 1983, have rarely been performed live. The only cases have been:

According to Alice Cooper on his radio show on October 5, 2020, all the song titles on this album were taken from Headlines (hence Track #10) from the National Enquirer .

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide wrote that Cooper "bottomed out ... [with] a half-hearted new-wave makeover." [6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alice Cooper, Davey Johnstone and Fred Mandel except where noted

Side one flush the fashion suite 13:51
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Talk Talk" Sean Bonniwell 2:09
2."Clones (We're All)"David Carron3:03
3."Pain" 4:06
4."Leather Boots" Geoff Westen 1:36
5."Aspirin Damage" 2:57
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
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
Total length:28:34

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the Flush the Fashion liner notes. [7]

Musicians

Production and artwork

Charts

Chart (1980)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [8] 32
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [9] 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [10] 40
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [11] 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [12] 34
UK Albums (OCC) [13] 56
US Billboard 200 [14] 44

Related Research Articles

<i>Blue Moves</i> 1976 studio album by Elton John

Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 22 October 1976 through John's own Rocket Record Company, alongside MCA Records in certain countries. John's second double album, it was recorded at EMI Studios, Brother Studios, Eastern Sound and Sunset Sound Recorders, and was his last to be produced by longtime collaborator Gus Dudgeon until Ice on Fire (1985). Additionally, the album would be the last collaboration between John and lyricist Bernie Taupin for the next few years until a partial resumption of their working partnership with 21 at 33 (1980).

<i>A Single Man</i> (album) 1978 album by Elton John

A Single Man is the twelfth studio album by English musician Elton John. Released in 1978, it is the first album for which Gary Osborne replaced Bernie Taupin as lyricist. It is also the first of two John albums that, on the original cut, have no tracks co-written by Taupin.

<i>Alice Cooper Goes to Hell</i> 1976 studio album by Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper Goes to Hell is the second solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in 1976. A continuation of Welcome to My Nightmare as it continues the story of Steven, the concept album was written by Cooper with guitar player Dick Wagner and producer Bob Ezrin.

<i>Lace and Whiskey</i> 1977 studio album by Alice Cooper

Lace and Whiskey is the third solo and tenth overall studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on April 29, 1977, by Warner Bros. Records.

<i>From the Inside</i> (Alice Cooper album) 1978 studio album by Alice Cooper

From the Inside is the fourth solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released in December 1978 by Warner Bros. Records. It is a concept album about Cooper's stay in a New York asylum due to his alcoholism. Each of the characters in the songs were based on actual people Cooper met in the asylum. Among other collaborators, the album features three longtime Elton John associates: lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Davey Johnstone and bassist Dee Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candle in the Wind</span> 1974 single by Elton John

"Candle in the Wind" is a threnody written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was originally written in 1973, in honour of Marilyn Monroe, who had died 11 years earlier.

<i>Schools Out</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Alice Cooper

School's Out is the fifth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released in June 1972. Following on from the success of Killer, School's Out reached No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart and No. 1 on the Canadian RPM 100 Top Albums chart, holding the top position for four weeks. The single "School's Out" reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the Canadian RPM Top Singles Chart and went to No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Killer</i> (Alice Cooper album) 1971 studio album by Alice Cooper

Killer is the fourth studio album by American rock band Alice Cooper, released in November 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and the two singles "Under My Wheels" and "Be My Lover" made the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<i>Constrictor</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Alice Cooper

Constrictor is the ninth solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in October 1986 by MCA Records. After a hiatus from the music industry after the release of DaDa (1983), Cooper remained in seclusion for three years. He starred in Monster Dog (1986), a horror film for which he wrote two songs. He also guest starred on the Twisted Sister track "Be Chrool to Your Scuel". Constrictor was Alice Cooper's first studio album to feature Kane Roberts on guitar, Kip Winger, who would later gain fame with his own band, Winger, on bass guitar, and the only one to feature David Rosenberg on drums. Winger has since pointed out that his last name was erroneously spelt in the album credits as Wringer.

<i>Raise Your Fist and Yell</i> 1987 studio album by Alice Cooper

Raise Your Fist and Yell is the tenth solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in October 1987, by MCA Records. It features the track "Prince of Darkness", which is featured very briefly in the John Carpenter film of the same name, in which Cooper has a cameo as a murderous vagrant. The song can be heard on the Walkman of one of his victims. A music video was made for the song "Freedom", which also became the album's sole single. Raise Your Fist and Yell is the only Alice Cooper album to feature Ken K. Mary on drums and the second and last to feature Kip Winger on bass.

<i>The Last Temptation</i> (Alice Cooper album) 1994 studio album by Alice Cooper

The Last Temptation is the thirteenth solo studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on July 12, 1994, by Epic Records. It centers on a boy named Steven, and a mysterious showman. The showman, with apparent supernatural abilities, attempts with the use of twisted versions of morality plays to persuade Steven to join his traveling show, "The Theater of the Real - The Grand-est Guignol!", where he would "never grow up".

<i>Dragontown</i> 2001 studio album by Alice Cooper

Dragontown is the fifteenth solo album by American rock musician Alice Cooper. It was released in 2001 on Spitfire Records. Like Brutal Planet, the album displays a heavier metal style than many of his previous releases. It peaked on Billboard's "Top Independent Albums" Chart at #12, and the Billboard 200 at #197, his lowest album chart performance since 1983’s DaDa, which did not chart at all.

<i>Reg Strikes Back</i> 1988 studio album by Elton John

Reg Strikes Back is the 21st studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1988. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press. The "Reg" in Reg Strikes Back refers to John's birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

<i>Breaking Hearts</i> 1984 studio album by Elton John

Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1984. It features the quartet of John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. There were four top-40 singles from the album: "Sad Songs ", "Who Wears These Shoes", "In Neon", and the UK No. 5 hit "Passengers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrap Her Up</span> 1985 single by Elton John

"Wrap Her Up" is a song by English musician Elton John, released as the second single from his 1985 album, Ice on Fire. George Michael provides backing vocals on the song. The single had limited success worldwide.

<i>Along Came a Spider</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Alice Cooper

Along Came a Spider is the eighteenth solo studio album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in July 2008 by Steamhammer/SPV. A hard rock/heavy metal concept album, it chronicles the activities of a psychopathic serial killer known as 'Spider' and the eventual undoing of his plans. A commercial success, it ended up becoming Cooper's highest-charting studio effort in the United States since Hey Stoopid (1991).

<i>Welcome 2 My Nightmare</i> 2011 studio album by Alice Cooper

Welcome 2 My Nightmare is the nineteenth solo album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in September 2011. Peaking at No. 22 in the Billboard 200 it is Cooper's highest-charting album in the US since 1989's Trash. The album is a sequel to his 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare.

The Too Low for Zero Tour was a concert tour by English musician and composer Elton John, in support of his 17th studio album Too Low for Zero. The tour consisted in 24 shows across Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartache All Over the World</span> 1986 song by Elton John

"Heartache All Over the World" is an upbeat song by English musician Elton John from his 20th studio album, Leather Jackets (1986). Written by John and Bernie Taupin, it was released as the album's lead single in September 1986, charting at number 45 in the UK Singles Chart and at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and reaching the top 10 in Australia, where it peaked at number 7. The song talks about not being able to date for a night.

References

  1. ↑ "11 Classic Rockers Who Went New Wave For One Album". VH1.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Alice cooper singles".
  3. ↑ 'Hanging with Mr. Cooper' Archived 2014-10-27 at the Wayback Machine ; Phoenix New Times , June 20, 1996
  4. ↑ 'Clones (We're All)' performance data
  5. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Flush the Fashion – Alice Cooper". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  6. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 10.
  7. ↑ Flush the Fashion (CD booklet). Alice Cooper. Warner Bros. Records. 1980.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0208b". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Charts.nz – Alice Cooper – Flush the Fashion". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Alice Cooper – Flush the Fashion". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Alice Cooper – Flush the Fashion". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Alice Cooper Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.