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Alice Cooper roars back to the top with 'Trash'

The third times seems to be the charm for Alice Cooper comebacks. After his legendary stint as the shock-rocker of the '70s, Cooper took a detour into the land of chemical excess and sluggish record sales.

His first sober re-entry into the rock wars, Constrictor (1986), was marked by a hot, blood-n-guts tour (with Kip Winger on bass) but no gold vinyl. That pattern continued with 1987's critically acclaimed Raise Your Fist And Yell. Now, Cooper has a new Lp and label (Trash, Epic), collaborator (Bon Jovi/Aerosmith hit-maker Desmond Child) and attitude (more sex, less violence), and has embarked on an aggressive promotional campaign of in-stores and radio station visits, sometimes driving a garbage truck.

It worked. The record is Top 25 and counting at press time, Alice's best chart numbers in years. The single and video, "Poison," is also doing well. Cooper's national tours start in February. His pet boa constrictor should be very happy for its master.