Released June 9th 2015 and entitled 'Snakes, Guillotines, Electric Chairs: My Adventures in the Alice Cooper Group', this is the long awaited autobiography by Alice Cooper co-founder Dennis Dunaway, co-written with Chris Hoddenfield. The book was over ten years in the making, although much of that time was taken up with the search for the right publishers. Dennis didn't want his book to be a cheap throwaway paperback. He wanted a proper hardback book with high production values and that's what he eventually got. Many publishers wanted a book focusing on Alice Cooper the man, and not the group, but that would have completely defeated the object of an autobiography.
In the end there were some compromises, Dennis had to cut some parts of his story, and extend the book beyond his original intention, which was to end it as the band started to gain success. This is why the later years are covered in rather less detail then the earliest periods. Despite that this book is by far the most detailed and likely most accurate retelling of the bands early history. Dennis introduces all the key players in the story which begins at Cortez High School and runs right through to Blue Coupe in the 2010s. Essential reading.
The book was originally released in hardback, with a paperback edition following as well as a unabridged audio book read by Dennis himself. The book also received a German translation. Upon it's release Dennis made many public appearances promoting his book, sometimes including guest appearances by old friends who featured in the story including Michael Bruce and Neal Smith. It was one of these book events that resulted in a reunion of the original band with Alice at Good Records in Texas, which in turn led to more reunions including the UK 'Paranormal' shows in 2017.
The book was reissued in 2018 with a new foreword wriiten by Alice Cooper. You can spot the newer version via a "sticker" on the front cover.
The Publishers description reads as follows:
"When Alice Cooper became the stuff of legend in the early '70s, their shows were monuments of fun and invention. Riding on a string of hits like "I'm 18" and "School's Out," they became America's highest-grossing act, producing four platinum albums and hitting number one on the U.S. and U.K. charts with Billion Dollar Babies in 1973. As teenagers in Phoenix, Dennis Dunaway and lead singer Vince Furnier, who would later change his name to Alice Cooper, formed a hard-knuckles band that played prisons, cowboy bars and teen clubs. Their journey took them from Hollywood to the ferocious Detroit music scene. From struggling for recognition to topping the charts, the Alice Cooper group was entertaining, outrageous, and one-of-a-kind. Dennis Dunaway, the bassist and co-songwriter for the band, tells a story just as over-the-top crazy as their (in)famous shows. Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! is the riveting account of the band's creation in the '60s, strange glory in the '70s, and the legendary characters they met along the way."
