Alice Cooper
DaDa

Let's start with a simple question:
can one of an artist's lesser-known works be the absolute masterpiece of that artist?

Vincent Damon Furnier, known as Alice Cooper, found himself suddenly in a crisis period after releasing the acclaimed ''From The Inside''... a crisis mainly due to all the vices and excesses that, besides mortifying the body, also heavily impacted his creativity.
In 1980, we could already see him in the role of a new wave singer. Despite this, the album that emerged, ''Flush The Fashion'', is quite enjoyable. The minor hit Clones (We're All) even achieved decent radio success.
The following year, he made another change in direction with the fluctuating ''Special Forces'', which shows Cooper in a military cartoon form. It is an album that, alongside high-level compositions (Who Do You Think We Are, Prettiest Cop On The Block, and Vicious Rumours), features others that dangerously approach zero compositionally (You Want It You Got It and You're A Movie).
The first signs of recovery can be seen in ''Zipper Catches Skin''. Musically, it is a decidedly positive product (combining the best elements of the two previous albums)... however, it is penalized by generally subpar humorous lyrics.

But it is with the unknown and total commercial flop, ''DaDa'' (1983), that Alice Cooper delivers a genuine masterpiece... probably his best work.
From the cover alone, based on a painting by Salvador Dali, we can understand we are facing something special and different.

The track that opens the show is the title track DaDa. We immediately notice the use of computerized percussion created with the Fairlight, one of the earliest samplers used in the music world: the programming is handled by producer Bob Ezrin. Returning to the song... DaDa features a very atypical rhythm: the perfect combination of electronics and keyboards, along with an introspective dialogue (to which is added a little girl whispering the title at regular intervals), creates a dark, claustrophobic, and at the same time surreal atmosphere.
The excellent Enough's Enough follows, shining both in musical terms (masterful use of a cheerful melody to tell a dramatic story) and in the noir irony of the lyrics:
''Enough's enough's enough's enough
When my mother died, she layed in bed and cried: 
I'm going to miss you, my brave little cowboy
I saw my father smile (a smile he tried to hide)
He told me: Son, I've really got you now, boy.
So, come on, little cowboy ''

Another moment of great depth is Former Lee Warmer, where one can see a strong Bob Ezrin imprint: the melodies are indeed dark and disturbing. Very interesting is the combination of an analog drum set and a drum machine... a combination that gives an eccentric but at the same time very pleasant sound.
The following No Man's Land appears, at first listen, quite difficult to describe. It has a punk spirit and rhythm, mitigated by a good dose of pop... undoubtedly, it is the most linear and catchy song on the album.
A triumph of digital percussion is instead Dyslexia, a masterpiece with a regular rhythm like a clock (yet at the same time syncopated) and a triumph of nonsense. Here dyslexia goes beyond reading and writing problems, involving all kinds of perception: thus, the world becomes a scrambled puzzle.

We climb higher with the true highlight of the album, Scarlet And Sheba. Opened by a haunting duel between all the instruments, it flows into a vigorous and biting melody after more than a minute. The chorus, where Cooper sings, in a raw and critical manner, about the corporeality and carnality of sex, is marvelous:
'' I just want your body, Sheba
I don't want your brain
Scarlet gets what's left of my remains
I just want your body, Sheba
You lock me up in chains
Scarlet, she can referee the game ''
The track also boasts one of the best guitar solos of all ''DaDa''.

I Love America is very similar to the previous No Man's Land. The song satirically talks about all those clichés and stereotypes attributed to Americans... all of which, to provoke greater hilarity, is enriched with sampled sounds of gunshots, screeching cars, trotting horses...
We are nearing the end: in the penultimate position is the other gem, Fresh Blood, which stands out as a genuine mix between the atmospheres of Dyslexia and the synth-pop that was rampant at the time. In the track, and particularly in the last two minutes, a fine section sung by a group of backing vocalists also finds space.
The closing is entrusted to Pass The Gun Around... probably the most famous (of course, it's a relative fame) composition of the album. The rhythms and atmospheres are the same as Scarlet And Sheba, a sign of the highest quality. After more than five minutes, the song is abruptly interrupted by a digital roar, followed by a little girl whispering ''DaDa'' (exactly like in the first track, DaDa)... it is the intention to close this perfect circle.

After all the words I've spent describing this work, I can only reaffirm that we are in the presence of a masterpiece, an LP for refined palates. Undoubtedly one of the best productions of the '80s.
It will surely please even those who don't like this character: ''DaDa'' indeed is quite different from everything Alice has done before and, most importantly, from what he will do afterward... a sign of an incredible and unrepeatable inspiration from Mr. Cooper.

In conclusion... going back to the initial question ''can one of an artist's lesser-known works be the absolute masterpiece of that artist?''
If it is Alice Cooper, the answer can only be a definite yes!