Kiss: Behind the Mask
The Official Authorized Biography
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
After three decades of wild dedication, this official authorized biography provides Kiss fans their first real look inside one of rock and roll's most extraordinary bands.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With its combination of cartoonish monster-movie makeup and oversized costumes, ear-splitting amplification and gleeful songs in praise of sex, heavy metal rock legend Kiss has never been accused of not being excessive, and this book is a great example of why it is still a multimillion-dollar profit-making machine. While this book covers much of the same biographical territory as Gene Simmons's Kiss and Make-Up and Kisstory (the band's self-published 440-page coffee-table sized tome), the authorized bio presents more than enough new material to make it essential for hardcore fans. Much of the book's first half presents a previously unpublished work based on the only in-depth interviews the band gave in 1980. The result is a remarkably humanizing look behind the heavy metal tomfoolery, with Simmons more honestly discussing his Jewish upbringing than he does in his autobiography, and the rest of the band disarmingly admitting to borrowing from the glam-rocker New York Dolls as well as the Harlem Globetrotters. The book's second half, however, is the true highlight for Kiss fans: a comprehensive look at all of the Kiss albums ever made. Among the surprises is the praise of noted producer Eddie Kramer, a close associate of Jimi Hendrix, for the band's no-nonsense work ethic. Of note are Kiss's hilariously guileless quotes, such as the admission that another producer "made a point of trying to get us to stop writing songs about getting laid, which was valid. But he needed to understand that's all we ever did."
Customer Reviews
Love the book, digital needs spell check
Such a fun read for any KISS fan! The last section where they rate and talk about the albums/songs is my favorite. However, the digital version of this book needs a serious spell and grammar check.
Great Book
This is a great biography on KISS with a ton of background on the original members. I've read a lot of books on KISS but this one had information I didn't know. Every KISS fan should have this book in their library.
Incredibly Thorough
The amount of work and persistence that must have gone into this work is really impressive. Definitely need a commitment to get through this book though because of the level of detail given to every recording and song. Great insight into the evolution and changes that a band experiences over decades.