Has Alice Become Mr. Nice Guy?

In Devil on My Shoulder, Alice Cooper takes a tough-love approach to his life and career as he seeks to separate himself from his stage persona.

He doesn’t fully split from his alter ego, but he makes an honest effort to explain Alice Cooper’s music and theatrics. At times, he debates his alter ego, and surprisingly, it’s the alter ego that sets the record straight. Cooper shoots straight on the perks and pitfalls of rock ’n’ roll fame, and his non‑preachy take on his relationship with Jesus Christ is heartfelt.

Alice is at his best when detailing his childhood and the genesis of the Alice Cooper band. The creativity of Alice and his bandmates brought forth glam, goth, and even punk to rock 'n roll, making the band a legend in the early 1970s. The stories of how songs like "I'm Eighteen, "School's Out," and "Elected" came about are excellent bits of rock history. And of course, the descriptions of stage shows that featured guillotines, gallows, snakes, and dismembered babies are both fascinating and upsetting. It's noteworthy that he still has relevance in the rock world.

Once it covers the glory days, the book descends into the familiar rock tale of excess, ego, and fading fame. Drugs, alcohol, the road, and celebrity are on full display.

Still, one pulls for Alice to make it. He truly seems like a decent human being. That's the book's purpose: to pull the private Alice into the spotlight and push the public Alice into the shadows, or at least explain the difference. In the end, we find the private Alice really is a nice guy.

I received an advance reading copy from NetGalley.