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Non-Prog Book Reviews

Alice Cooper

No More Mr. Nice Guy: The inside story of the Alice Cooper Group written by Michael Bruce with Billy James

Review by Gary Hill

This is a very interesting book. It documents the tale of the original Alice Cooper band from the days when they were just getting together all the way to the final tour for Muscle of Love. Then beyond that, after the group was no more, and Alice Cooper was a solo act, it documents what happened in the musical world of the rest of the guys going forward. 

That's not all, though. This is a reprint of an earlier edition of the book. Since then there have been more developments in the world of Alice Cooper that included the reuniting of the original group for a couple songs on the Alice Cooper (the man) album and some tour dates. This book adds that information at the end.

Like any book based on personal accounts and recollections, this is decidedly told from the point of view of Michael Bruce. I've read some criticism of the earlier edition that talked about inaccuracies in the story. Honestly, Bruce seemed to make it very clear that this was based on his particular mindset. I don't think that he represented it as the absolute factual record. Perhaps he got some of it wrong. All of it is based on his own viewpoints of what happened. 

Getting past that bit of controversy, there are some amazing stories here. The recollections of the way that classic period of Alice Cooper music emerged is great. It reveals inside details of the shows, the albums, the controversy and more.

It's also a very quick read, as it's a short book with a rather large photo section built into it. I'd say that if you have the original edition, perhaps this isn't mandatory, as there isn't a lot of new stuff. However, if you have never gotten that and dig old school Alice Cooper, you really need to read this.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2018  Volume 5. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.
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