The first image that comes to my mind whenever I hear the name "Alice Cooper" is from the early 1970s, when I was in high school. On the last day of class in our junior year -- and maybe in our senior year, too -- I walked home with a good friend who lived nearby. There we played her older sister's 45 rpm-single copy of "School's Out" on the record player in her room, over and over again, at top volume, in celebration. It was almost as though we HAD to do it.

The other image I get is of witnessing Alice Cooper in concert at Davis Festival Park in Rockford, Illinois, in 2002. Although I dislike horror and have never been a big Alice Cooper fan, I liked some of the popular songs enough and was curious. I learned, in person, what an amazing showman he is. Now, available online accounts tell me that Cheap Trick guitarist and Rockford native Rick Nielsen joined Alice on stage that night for the last two songs, "Under My Wheels" and, naturally, "School's Out." I should have remembered this part. I'd seen Cheap Trick at the same venue, four years earlier. What I DO remember is being hugely impressed with the whole performance. In spite of the horror.

You probably know the basics of Vince Furnier's history and how he eventually transformed himself into Alice Cooper. You can probably name or can recognize at least a handful of his most popular songs. You may also know that he has always been a person of faith. You may also know that he is an avid golfer. And if these are the only tidbits you know, then you are in for a whole smorgasbord of facts and stories to be unveiled here.

We learn about his beginnings, growing up mostly in Phoenix, Arizona. Like many successful musicians, he gathered some high school friends together to create his first band. We watch them struggle at first, then gradually gain traction. They make deliberate choices to be different from other bands of the day. They pair their music with theatrics: complete with costumes and sets that grow to be ever more outrageous, horrifying and spectacular. We sit in on the genesis of the lyrics and the music of some of their songs, including "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out." Then, predictably, we watch as drugs and alcohol take over. And the author reveals what it's REALLY like to become rock-star famous. You'll no doubt recognize many of the people that Alice met and interacted with, throughout the course of his career. It's not name-dropping if you actually KNOW the people, right?

The narration is told in first person. Every now and then, "someone else" breaks in with a comment, a criticism or a clarification. This text appears in gothic script, in order to distinguish their words from the rest of the conversation. This second person is presumably the real Alice. Or, it's Vince's alter ego. And this one remembers more than Vince does. It's an interesting way to let the author debate the facts and to work out what really happened, back in the day. Especially when past addictions cloud his memories. And this technique certainly fits into his fondness for charade and for the unexpected. It really shouldn't surprise any reader when the gothic script first shows up. Ever the performer.

Now 78, it seems as though Alice finally wants to set the record straight. He corrects, augments or confirms statements he gave in past interviews to journalists, once upon a time. He targets some tall tales of his own that appeared in his previous memoirs, Me, Alice (1976), and Alice Cooper, Golf Monster (2007). He reads and reacts to books written by various members of his band, as well as to those penned by others. Let the truth be revealed at last.

If you've been curious to know how Vince Furnier became Alice Cooper -- and what ensued afterward -- you can find insights and answers in Devil on My Shoulder. This memoir also offers a rewarding revisit to the culture and to the music of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Don't assume that this book is a mere celebrity fluff piece that you can sail through in just a few sittings. At 431 pages, it's a chunky tome that offers lots of detailed stories. And you don't have to be an Alice Cooper fan to get something out of this book. To those of us who still remain locked into the music and the performers of our younger days, this book can return us to them once again.