Hopefully, most visitors to Rock Eyez remember fondly the seminal Finnish Glam band, HANOI ROCKS. Well, the decadent autobiography of co-founder Andy McCoy is now available for the first time in English (originally penned in 2001) in a deluxe hardcover edition through Bazillion Points Books.

Touted as "the last great rock ‘n’ roll memoir," Andy McCoy’s autobiography covers the infamous guitarist’s life and exploits from childhood through the early 2000’s rekindling of HANOI ROCKS. A national icon in his native Finland, McCoy has been called the Finnish Keith Richards — but where Richards only fell out of a coconut tree, Andy McCoy fell from a fourth-story balcony and lived to tell the tale. His over-the-top image and streetwise blending of punk, glam, and old-fashioned rock n’ roll inspired a generation of platinum-selling bands—rock authors Slash of GUNS N’ ROSES and Nikki Sixx of MOTLEY CRUE have already admitted their musical and stylistic debts. Now the real McCoy speaks from the heart on subjects including rock stardom, true love, his arsenal of vintage guitars, and surviving every imaginable variety of intoxication.

For the uninitiated, McCoy helped introduce punk to Finland with his teenaged band BRIARD before befriending the glamorous Michael Monroe and forming HANOI ROCKS. Starting out in a Stockholm subway station, the band embarked on a wild life-changing and death-defying thrill ride around the world, touring Europe, London, America, Israel, Brazil, Thailand, and Japan. All of this was to end tragically with the auto fatality of drummer Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley in Hollywood, December 1984, at the unfortunate hand of Vince Neil. McCoy soldiered on with SUICIDE TWINS, CHERRY BOMBZ, SHOOTING GALLERY, an attempted solo career, and a stint as a sideman to Iggy Pop.

Through it all, the reader is exposed to a 20+ year romance with heroin and all the ugliness that ensues from it. The lows are low (the darkest possibly witnessing neighbor Steven Adler ‘s dissent from humanity) but it’s never presented as bleak as it would seem. Every relapse is handled philosophically, and he always seemed to pull himself (temporarily) through to the other side.

Although the narrative can seem a little disjointed at times (coupled with a language translation that’s not helping matters), it’s obvious that the memoir was written in his own hand (no ghost-writers here!) which definitely adds much to its salacious charm. And if you’re a fan of harrowing rock & roll war stories ala "The Dirt", this is another great page-turner. At 204 pages, it could be a little longer, and while Andy did add a 2009 preface, why not write a few new chapters bringing us up to date from where he previously left off (in 2001)?

And physically, the book itself is beautiful! Pressed with an embossed leather cover, it includes dozens of seldom seen candid photos as well a lengthy discography spanning three decades of rarities. While I realize some might not think they know much about HANOI ROCKS, "Sheriff McCoy" features guest appearances by GUNS ‘N ROSES, MOTLEY CRUE, the UK SUBS, Bob Marley, Lita Ford, David Coverdale, Johnny Thunders, Stiv Bators, various Brazilian street urchins, the LAPD, British customs officials, and the Israeli Army Security Forces! So there’s something here for every rock fan to appreciate.

According to the author: "This book is entertainment for entertainment’s sake; for lovers of rock ‘n’ roll history and people who have a taste for the macabre."

For longtime fans of HANOI ROCKS = Essential / 4 Stars. For everyone else = 3.5