Alice Cooper-Dada Review

     Recorded in 1983, "Dada" represents the culmination of Cooper's "New Wave" period of the early 1980s. While by no means a total dud, casual fans of Cooper's music probably won't find much to like about this odd duck. Let's take a look at this very overlooked entry into the master of horror's very large discography.

        The hand of producer Bob Ezrin is everywhere on this album. The first track, the titular "DaDa" is a spooky synthesizer instrumental that would not sound out of place on a horror movie soundtrack from the same period. The track sets a very different tone from the material that follows, and I doubt that Cooper had much say on the inclusion and composition of this track. Next is "Enough's Enough, which sounds like a Talking Heads b-side in a way. The song is very repetitive and annoying, but the groove does stay in your mind for hours after. Not bad.

      In terms of highlights, the album's sole single "I Love America" is definitely the highlight of the album. The satirical track shows the ironical side of Cooper that had been missing from a lot of other recent albums. The song is very catchy, and easily one of  Cooper's best 1980s albums.Other than this track, few songs really capture your attention. "Fresh Blood" is as creepy and funky as anything from Cooper's classic 70s period, but feels slightly muddled and rushed. Not bad.

     "Dada" is an interesting curiosity in the vast Cooper discography. Those who have a casual interest Cooper would be best to look elsewhere. Those looking for a deeper look at his career, could do worse than this album. Cooper would emerge in 1986 with "Constrictor", a much more commercially successful album written after a period of extensive rehab from alcohol abuse. "Dada" is not horrible, but the fact that Cooper does not remember recording it does not surprise me.  This album is forgettable in almost every way.

Rating-5.5/10