After several self-indulgent albums in the late '70s (
Lace and Whiskey,
From the Inside),
Alice Cooper decided to reinvent himself as a new waver for 1980's
Flush the Fashion. As a result of a hooking up with
Cars producer
Roy Thomas Baker, the sound is glossier;
Baker also replaced the gritty guitar riffs that served as the basis for past
Cooper rock compositions with icy synthesizers. The best-known song ended up being the cover "Clones (We're All)," which was in turn covered by
the Smashing Pumpkins for their 1995 box set
The Aeroplane Flies High. Other highlights include the stately sounds of "Pain," the brief album-opening "Talk Talk," and one of the album's few riff rockers, "Grim Facts." ~ Greg Prato