SPOOOOKY, OR "BILLION DOLLAR BABY" BY BOB GREENE

I love participatory journalism - whether it's George Plimpton quarterbacking for the Lions in "Paper Lion," Bill Buford hanging with British soccer hooligans in "Among the Thugs," or even lower-market stunt journalism, where like, some lady forces herself to go on a zillion Tinder dates or a dude lives like an old west cowboy for a year. 

I'm also a sucker for music books, so when I saw a reference that a journalist followed Alice Cooper around on the 1973 "Billion Dollar Babies" tour, I knew exactly what this month's selection was going to be. 

Chicago Tribune columnist Bob Greene was looking for a new challenge after his book on Watergate - to write about rock music as a performer, rather than an outsider. Using some loose connections to Alice Cooper's manager, he managed to embed himself in the most controversial group in America. That seems a little quaint nowadays, but it's amazing to recall just what a scare Alice Cooper was at the time, possibly due to the stage show with beheadings and snakes and chopped up baby dolls and whatnot.

"In the six months between the night I saw Alice Cooper in Indianapolis and the time I was to leave Chicago to begin my trip with the band, several people reacted quite negatively to the news that I would be doing it. They were repelled by the very idea of Alice Cooper, his band's image, and what they believed it to stand for. They found Alice Cooper repugnant, and wondered if I was having any misgivings over becoming part of that.

The answer was no. The more I thought about the Alice Cooper phenomenon, and the rock and roll phenomenon in general, the more curious and fascinated I became. And with that fascination came a renewed desire to find out what it was like inside that world. There seemed no better way to do it. I was ready to join the band." 

Greene's fascination and curiosity is evident throughout "Billion Dollar Baby." He interviews everyone from band members and managers to drivers and groupies, giving a well-rounded, frequently hilarious view of a monster tour making its way across the country, with all the hiccups along the way, kind of a less comedic Spinal Tap. 

Greene portrays the band members in a state of perpetual adolescence, kept from the concerns and problems of everyday life by a cadre of professionals. Cooper states several times that he's ready to hang up his creepy character and become an actor (that didn't stick - he's playing Jacksonville next month), and seems disconnected from everything other than the night's show, golf, TV, and booze. Original guitarist Glen Buxton is on a downward spiral, and the other members are worried about Cooper going solo.

Greene has a simple, workmanlike tone, seemingly honed by newspaper work and keeps just the right amount of distance, even while appearing onstage every night as Santa and providing backing vocals on the "Muscle of Love" album. He has a knack for description, and can be funny as well - his daydream of being noticed for his stellar backing vocals and launching his own music career versus the reality was a standout chapter.

Dude on the right is the rock star

"Billion Dollar Baby" was an unexpected delight, and I'm left wondering why I had never heard of it before. Easily one of the best music books I've read, as well as an excellent New Journalism document, you gotta check this one out. 

Sex/Drugs/Bad Behavior
6/10 A lot of booze. By this point, Cooper is a functional alcoholic, and original guitarist Glen Buxton is unreliable and hinted to have a bigger substance problem. Lots of groupie sex alluded to and porn watching on the road, as well as an epic hotel destruction. The worst behavior comes near the end of the book when roadies verbally abuse an unattractive young groupie, which is really gross, and kind of casts a pall over the previous fun rockstar behavior.

You Might Remember Me From, or, My Totally Biased View of the Subject's Best Stuff:
Alice Cooper had some great singles, from "The Ballad of Dwight Fry" to the new wave "Clones," but "Killer" is the album for me. Maybe because I bought it cheap in college not expecting much and loved the flow between the rockers and the more musical passages. Still find "Dead Babies" creepy, though.

Percentage of Music in the Bio:
Let's say 50 percent. Greene describes concerts and recording sessions well, but he's more interested in the personalities and the business.

Buy, Borrow from the Library, or Pass
Holy crap! "Billion Dollar Baby" is going for $400?! If you find it at a yard sale or something, snatch that thing up. If not, see if you can get a library copy.