"Trash" is the 18th studio album by the American rock singer Alice Cooper, released in 1989. Generally regarded as a return to form for Cooper, it features a bracing blend of pop and heavy metal. It was a commercial success, reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 album chart and producing the hit single "Poison," which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The album features many guest performances including Jon Bon Jovi, Steven Tyler and Richie Sambora. It marked a definite shift from the lighter and more pop-oriented sound of Cooper's previous album "Raise Your Fist And Yell," leaning towards a heavier glam metal sound with prominent use of synthesizers.
Compared to earlier works of Alice Cooper, the album was more streamlined and slick, featuring anthemic choruses, heavily augmented and layered guitars, and a more radio-friendly, "clean" production aesthetic. The songs are generally simpler and more straightforward than on his previous albums, with a majority of them being riff-driven rockers. Lyrically, the album is heavy on sexual innuendo and features much of the devil-may-care hedonism which has always been a staple of Cooper's work.
The album was produced by Desmond Child, who was famous at the time for producing hit records for artists like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and Joan Jett. It was the first Alice Cooper album to feature a cover song; "Only My Heart Talkin'", which was originally recorded by hard rock band Britny Fox.
Considered by many Alice Cooper fans to be a high-water mark of his late 80's and early 90's output, "Trash" has since become one of his most iconic records. It is also notable for featuring his first Top Ten single in over a decade, "Poison," which helped reintroduce Cooper to a whole new generation of rock listeners.
