Alice Cooper - Original Album Classics (1989-1994, 3CD)

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Alice Cooper - Original Album Classics (1989-1994, 3CD)

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Alice Cooper - Original Album Classics (1989-1994, 3CD)

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Alice Cooper hadn't had a hugely successful album in over a decade when, in 1989, he teamed up with Bon Jovi producer Desmond Child for Trash – a highly slick and commercial yet edgy pop-metal effort that temporarily restored him to the charts in a big way. Fueled by the irresistible hit single "Poison," the album temporarily gave back to Cooper the type of visibility he deserved. There's nothing shocking here, and Cooper's ability to generate controversy had long since faded. But while the escapist Trash – which was clearly aimed at the Mötley Crüe/Guns N' Roses crowd – may not be the most challenging album of Cooper's career, and isn't in a class with School's Out or Billion Dollar Babies, it's fun and quite enjoyable. And it was great to see the long-neglected Cooper on MTV next to so many of the '80s rockers he had influenced.

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Alice Cooper - Original Album Classics (1989-1994, 3CD)

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Unfortunately, the return to the high end of the charts that Alice Cooper enjoyed with 1989's Trash was short-lived. On his similar follow-up – another slick pop-metal effort – Cooper no longer had the input of hit producer/songwriter Desmond Child, and worked with Peter Collins instead. The result is an album that, although generally enjoyable and far from bad, isn't essential. The CD's more memorable offerings include the clever and amusing "Feed My Frankenstein," the dramatic "Love's a Loaded Gun," and the inspired title song – which admonishes rockers not to self-destruct. But despite its strong points, Hey Stoopid is for only Cooper's more devoted followers.

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Alice Cooper - Original Album Classics (1989-1994, 3CD)

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Though Alice Cooper's 1989 comeback gave him his first hit album in over a decade, the Trash record left some diehard fans disappointed, as did 1991's Hey Stoopid. Many listeners felt that Cooper had sold himself short, now completely focusing on sleazy sexual anthems, making him just another face in the heavy metal crowd. By the time The Last Temptation was released in 1994, the hair band fad that had fueled Cooper's return was dead, and Cooper was obviously aware of its downfall – the album sounds almost nothing like its two predecessors. Instead of relating to such albums as Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood, Last Temptation seems more similar to Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears. Thematically, the record returns to mostly conceptual songs, such as "Nothing's Free," "You're My Temptation," and "Cleansed by Fire." Though the album still has a few goofy interruptions, such anthems as "Lost in America" nonetheless boast more originality than anything off of Hey Stoopid or Trash. Far surpassing anything Cooper recorded in almost 20 years, The Last Temptation is unquestionably some of his best work.

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