KISS: Behind the Mask - The Official Authorized Biography
by David Leaf, Ken Sharp
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Book Summary Information
Author: David Leaf, Ken SharpEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-06-02
ISBN: 0446695246
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of KISS: Behind the Mask - The Official Authorized Biography
Book Review: Fun read for an old fan
Summary: 4 Stars
A review by one kind of KISS fan might not be helpful to a different kind of KISS fan, so I should start with a caveat: if I were to crudely place all KISS fans into two categories, it would be fans who would wear a KISS t-shirt in public and those who wouldn't (but might have a poster hung in the basement). I fall squarely into the latter.
I was ten or eleven or so at the height of KISS' popularity (as the previous reviewer noted, it was a great age to be a KISS fan at that time), and I, like countless others, started playing guitar because of them. I lost interest after Creatures of the Night -- maybe because of my age, maybe because of the makeup. I'm not a huge fan now - my interest is mostly nostalgic, and I revisit the albums every couple of years. Despite any personal foibles of the band members or the corniness of some of the songs, I have always admired their drive. I think that's the main aspect of them that translates well from being a ten-year-old KISS fan who would proudly wear a KISS t-shirt in public to an adult KISS fan who wouldn't. Anyway, if you're in the same category that I am, here are some thoughts:
The word "Authorized" in a biography title is always somewhat of a red flag to me - it suggests a sterilized, less interesting version. In this case, though, I don't think it hurt the book too much. There was still some dirt in there (mostly stuff we all know by now anyway). My main problem with it was the lack of substance in what the members of the band said. Much of it amounted to Gene and Paul complaining about Peter and Ace. Just about all of Ace and Peter's comments were basically, "I love that song - I sound awesome on it." Those kinds of comments are not interesting to me in any way. Much of the real insight came from people other than the band members - various session musicians, producers, etc. Since the text was culled from different interviews, a lot of it was rather repetitive. I admit, though, that other than the repetition, Paul and Gene had some fairly interesting input.
One thing that puzzled me was that most of Ace's album was omitted from the song-by-song descriptions (I can understand why Peter's was, however). The book was interesting enough to make it somewhat hard to put down, but not too heavy to read in bed or on the crapper.
It was also fun comparing the behind-the-scenes stories with my memories of my impressions of KISS as a kid. I remember one summer night in 1979, lying in bed listening to my Ace Frehley solo album, wondering what Ace is doing at that very moment. Now I know he was probably getting wasted and crashing a car somewhere. So some of the magic's gone, but the story of KISS is still a very interesting one.
In short, I paid $11 for the book, and it was worth every penny.
Summary of KISS: Behind the Mask - The Official Authorized Biography
Now everything is finally revealed about one of rock music's most outrageous and enduring phenomena. In this definitive, official authorized biography, authors David Leaf and Ken Sharp were given full, unprecedented access to Kiss and their inner circle. Hear the true, uncensored stories from Gene Simmons, the fire-breathing Demon; Paul Stanley, the acrobatic Starchild; Ace Frehley, the axe-slinging Spaceman; and Peter Criss, the levitating Catman drummer. Chronicling the group's amazing story, this one-of-a-kind book also offers interviews with some of the biggest stars in rock music, including Pete Townshend, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Ozzy Osbourne, and many others. The only book that truly captures the inimitable and exuberant spirit of the fiery foursome who gave America its second national anthem, "Rock and Roll All Nite," Kiss: Behind the Mask is a must-have for the band's legion of Kiss Army acolytes. * Dozens of never-before-seen photos * The band's story, told in their own words * Exclusive album-by-album, song-by-song commentary * In unique interviews, today's rock superstars tell why they love Kiss.Music Books
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