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Review

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. A story which is long overdueBy MarkFans of the original Alice Cooper group are already very well versed in Dennis Dunawayrsquo;s back story with the band and his essential involvement to same. For those who arent; Dunawayrsquo;s contributions were vital to the Cooper mythos both musically and conceptually. He wasnrsquo;t the hitmaker Michael Bruce was; but his creepy; moody compositions were central to the centerpiece songs in the bandrsquo;s live and recorded sets. Also he was a big idea man behind the bandrsquo;s stage show ndash; including the makeup worn by the singer.The book ndash; written with Rolling Stone correspondent Chris Hodenfield - covers ground from Dunawayrsquo;s school days running on the track team with a skinny wise guy named Vince all the way to the bandrsquo;s induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are chapters devoted to the bandrsquo;s initial struggle to fame; the recording of each of the original bandrsquo;s LPs; Alice breaking from his pals and going it alone; with the remaining chapters documenting the membersrsquo; post-band years since; including the sad final years of guitarist extraordinaire Glen Buxton; and Alicersquo;s cocaine and alcohol-fueled fall from the top.For decades; columnist Bob Greenersquo;s book documenting his time touring with the band in 1973 has been the only look behind the scenes of this operation. However; the band and management have universally rejected Greenersquo;s book as grossly inaccurate; an accusation which has gained credence over the past decade or so with articles stating that Greene often mixed fact with fancy simply for emotional impact in his writing. And over the years Cooper and manager Shep Gordon have spun the official story of ldquo;Alicerdquo; in such a way as to minimize the impact the original band had on the success of the Cooper brand; and have tweaked the familiar stories here and there depending on when the story was printed. Michael Bruce attempted to right this back in the 90s with his tell-all book; but it is very hard to find and I have not read it. Dunaway has always come off as the most objective member of the band; so it is fortunate to fans that he bounced back from a serious medical condition and put this long awaited story down on paper and set the record straight. I deeply hope this book reaches the wide audience it deserves.There is understandable anger and disappointment written down however this is not a vituperative; poison-pen revenge package. In the end; he has great admiration and affection for his old friend. But he clearly misses the old days when the band was a group of scrappy pals snickering at the irony of their success.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Five Rock-eteers Called "Alice Cooper" Against the World!By Jack ShatterDennis Dunaways fun-to-read memoir of life in the Alice Cooper band (1964-1974) is recommended for summer vacation enjoyment; on a sunny beach between sips of a tropical drink; with seagulls crying in the distance. It starts with the friendship of two all-American boys in sun-baked Phoenix; Arizona. Vince will eventually will be known to the world as Alice Cooper; rock singer with a sensational; sinister stage act. The other boy is Dennis; who plays bass guitar but gets no credit for dreaming up many of the looney concepts that were central to the Alice Cooper persona; like for instance the evil-clown mascara on the singers face. Dunaway writes an entertaining and often funny account of their slow but steady rise to world-wide fame. Then comes squirming disillusionment as Alice the singer damages the bands "bad" reputation by buddying up with show-biz old-timers like Groucho Marx; and appearing on televisions "Hollywood Squares." Such moves dissipated the evil and mysterious mystique Dunaway saw as vital to preserving Alice Coopers huge parent-antagonizing youth fanbase. Dunaway was called "Dr. Dreary" by his bandmates; for the macabre songs and scenarios he would dream up for Alice Cooper. One song came to him while sitting in a motel room next to a humming water heater. In the darkness; he conjured up the bass line to "Black Juju;" a hypnotic tribal rhythm that would be a big step in the development of the frightening Alice Cooper character. Dunaway makes it clear that arriving at the total-concept musical shock theater of Alice Cooper was a collaborative effort by five essentially normal lads from Phoenix; with important help from their managers; record producers; lighting technician; and costume designer Cindy Smith; sister of drummer Neal; and eventual wife-for-life of Dennis. It is heartwarming to read the many loving valentines and credits to his adored wife that Dennis Dunaway includes in his wild-and-woolly rockin adventures.Of course; Alice the singer; drinking too much; slowly but surely gets pulled away from his four old comrades. Fame and fortune do what years of roughing it in cheap motels; with little food; could not do. They drive a wedge between Alice and his best friends. To find out how; please read the book. The account of guitarist Glen Buxtons liquor and drug fueled decline is sad to read. The late rocker will be remembered; though; every time "Schools Out" begins with this savage guitar onslaught: Dut-Da-DA; Dut-Da-Da; Dut-Da-DA-DA!!! To sum; the Cooper band left us with a handful of albums that rate among the best and rowdiest in rock history.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Love it to DeathBy JohnC.This has to be one of the best historical documents ever written about how a major rock band became what they did. Dennis does a great job of taking the reader through the early years of the Alice Cooper "Band". While Alice (Vince) now gets all of the lime light; Dennis shows the input and involvement all the band members had in shaping the band; the music AND the act that ultimately made Alice (Vince) the character he became. If you want to hear another persons input on the rise of the Alice Cooper Band; and ultimately Alice himself; this book is for you. Dennis is honest and fare. He expands on some of the known stories; disagrees slightly with some of the myths; gives his opinion and recollection of many new and generally accepted "facts" about the band.