The 1989 album was
'Trash'. No - that was the title of the record, although... Stop it Susan! You have to avoid the obvious jokes!!
'Trash' saw a change of labels from MCA to Epic, and it was designed to be a commercial hit, and it succeeded. Producer Desmond Child was brought in to oversee the recording, and this is where much of the problem with the record lies. It is less an Alice Cooper album, and more of a Desmond Child and Friends thing! Child had previously written and/or produced songs by bands including Kiss, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith, and 'Trash' sounds like these bands. In fact, pretty much every song on the album could have been recorded as a follow up to 'Slippery When Wet'. He also brought in a number of 'special guests' to appear on the record
Alice Cooper - vocals
John McCurry - Guitar
Hugh McDonald - Bass
Bobby Chouinard - Drums
Alan St. John - Keyboards
Producer - Desmond Child
The working title for the album was 'Low Class Reunion'
The opening cut shouldn't need any introduction.
'Poison' is Alice's biggest hit, reaching #2 in the UK charts. As an insult, it was kept from the top spot by the Jive Bunny song 'Swing The Mood'. If you are too young to remember this tune, it sounds like
this
'Poison' is unrelentingly catchy, and sounds unlike anything that Alice had previously recorded. The main riff of it originally turned up in a John Waite song called 'Encircled' which was also co-written by guitarist John McCurry.
There are three version of the official video, which feature the female character (Rana Kennedy) in various states of undress. The inspiration for the video came from the film 'Hellraiser', with Alice in the 'chamber of chains'
01/10 - Posion (Cooper, Child, McCurry)
"Your cruel device
Your blood, like ice
One look could kill
My pain, your thrill
I wanna love you but I better not touch (Don't touch)
I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (Too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison
I don't want to break these chains
Your mouth, so hot
Your web, I'm caught
Your skin, so wet
Black lace on sweat
I hear you calling and it's needles and pins (And pins)
I wanna hurt you just to hear you screaming my name
Don't wanna touch you but you're under my skin (Deep in)
I wanna kiss you but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison
I don't wanna break these chains
Poison
One look could kill
My pain, your thrill
I wanna love you but I better not touch (Don't touch)
I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (Too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison
You're poison running through my veins
You're poison, I don't wanna break these chains
Poison
I wanna love you but I better not touch (Don't touch)
I wanna hold you but my senses tell me to stop
I wanna kiss you but I want it too much (Too much)
I wanna taste you but your lips are venomous poison, yeah
I don't wanna break these chains
Poison, oh no
Runnin' deep inside my veins,
Burnin' deep inside my veins
It's poisoning
I don't wanna break these chains
Poison
I don't wanna break these chains
(fade)"
After such a strong opening song,
'Spark In The Dark', is disappointing. It is unmemorable and dumb
Guitarist Guy Mann-Dude is featured on the track
02/10 - Spark In The Dark (Cooper, Child)
"Oh, welcome to the party
It's only me and you
Tell the world to go away, babe
And I'll tell you what to do
Come over here and kiss me
I want to pull your hair
Turn out the lights and hold me
I want to touch you everywhere
We don't need nobody, baby
We don't need champagne
I'll take you to the deepest, darkest, hottest, lovers' lane
For a little spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
Don't matter where we sleep
Don't matter where we park
All we need is a spark, spark
Spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
Oh, come around midnight
We'll be crawlin' on the floor
Burnin' with the fever
And yellin' out for more
But don't you write it in your diary, baby
Don't blab it on the phone
'Cause if your mom and dad find out
They'll skin me to the bone
Now we don't need instructions, baby
Don't you be afraid
It takes a little friction, ah ha
That's how our love is made
From a little spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
Don't matter what you say
No matter what you do
As long as it is me and you
We got a spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
Yeah, yeah yeah yeah
We don't need nobody, baby
We don't need cocaine
I'll take you to the deepest, darkest, hottest lovers' lane
Spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
Don't matter where we sleep
Don't matter where we park
All we need is a spark, spark
Spark in the dark
Spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
No matter what we say, no matter what we do
As long as it is me and you
We`ve got a spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
Oh, Well, you got your reputation baby, I got mine
And there`s every indication you`re the dangerous kind
You wear the black leather dress and it`s toasin` tight
Sparks are gonna fly when I turn out the light
I need a spark in the dark
Just a little spark in the dark
A little tiny spark in the dark
Ah, come on honey
Light me up
Just rub these two things....
(fade)"