Kiss: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography [Paperback]

about the book :

I'm surprised this is actually an authorized release, as for the first time with an authorized KISS book, I get the feeling that most of what's in here is actually true and a good representation of facts, and not the usual "revisionist" KISStory we always seem to get from Gene & Paul, where they'd either blow things out of proportion, put it in the wong perspective, leave out information or just tell plain lies about the band's past. If you've been following this band for a while and read about them (I've been a fan since the late '70s) you'll undoubtedly know what I mean - and you'll be pleasantly surprised with the angle of this book -not to mention the sheer amount of great content it offers.

The first part of the book is an authorized KISS biography written by David Leaf in 1979 but, obviously, never released. Probably won't tell you that many new things if you know your KISS facts, but still, it's good. It's also much better and more comprehensive than two other books I own which deal with that era of the band, namely "KISS (of death)" by Robert Duncan (Savoy, 1978) and "KISS-The Real Story" (authorized biography, 1980). So this is roughly the first 100 pages in the book, and I guess it's a good and entertainging read, for any KISS fan.

The next section in the book is a bit of a mixed bag at first. There's a (thank God brief) overview of the post-70s and non-makeup years, and post-reunion (1996) interviews. That's a little over 20 pages of far less intersting reading (to me anyways). Then, still in section two, it gets a lot better again with the "Speaking In Tongues" section, which is roughly 60 pages in the form of interesting quotes and snippets from interviews, not just with Paul/Peter/Ace/Gene but also road managers, creative consultants, other artists that toured with them, etc... It deals with the early KISS days mostly, and is a really, really *great* read ! Most fans know the outline of the band's history in the early '70s, but this book really shows you how the band was made in the early days, who was behind it (not just Bill Aucoin and Neil Bogart - this book will tell you a lot about what people like Sean Delaney and Joyce Bogart and the rest of the KISS crew contributed to their success - which is a LOT). There's numerous details about the pre-KISS bands (not just Wicked Lester), the '73 demos, the early KISS albums/tours, etc... Remember, it's all great QUOTES AND STORIES from the people who were there (including the band of course) and not just a bunch of chronological dates and figures or facts from one single perspective (which is one of the reasons why the book "KISS and Sell" by C. Lendt is good, but not great). So in that respect, "KISS - Behind the mask" has the goods AND delivers. Even if you consider yourself a KISS Konnoiseur you'll definitely find out a few things you didn't know, and read some quotes that are new to you. So thumbs up for that part of the book.

But believe it or not, this book keeps getting better - actually, the best part is saved for last, in the monstrously big third section of the book, entitled "Shout It Out Loud" by Ken Sharp, you get a chronolgically listed series of quotes about all albums and songs KISS ever did. The quotes aren't just from the band (either their opinion of the material in question, how it came about /was recorded) but also from the producers, engineers, management, and so on. This section reveals a lot of details and interesting info, especially about the often obscured 1970's(to what extent were Alive! and Alive II touched up, just to name something). Great stuff.

Also, scattered throughout the book are some nice B/W photographs including some rare shots, and there's a 16-page glossy, full-color section in the middle. While these pages are okay, consider them a bonus - it's the written content and the stories where "KISS-Behind the mask" really shines. You won't put this down once you start reading.

I'd give this five stars because as it stands now, it's THE book (on the band's history) that you just CANNOT afford to miss. Sure, if you're a real fan, you should own titles like "KISS & Sell", "Black Diamond" - not to mention the wonderful photo books like "The Early Years" and "The KISS Years" as well - but when it comes to telling the story of this amazing band from as many possible angles and with some really great and insightful stories / quotes, "KISS - behind the mask" simply can't be beat - and with over 400 pages of high quality content and so much ground covered, it will be a hard act to follow ...
Kudos to the writers for putting out an authorized KISS product that is actually COOL and gives you some BANG FOR THE BUCK.

The second half of the book is where it really shines. (No need to bother with the lame non-makeup summary and the interviews from the Reunion/Psycho Circus era.) A play-by-play of all the albums recorded by KISS from the people who helped make them. Granted, there's not enough material on Ace's and Peter's solo efforts but that was to be expected from them as they were pretty deep into the drink and/or drugs at the time. I did think that the producers could have come through with more though. The rest is great and offers a few surprises and some great quotations. Sometimes it's not so much about the songs itself as about the recording or how the "feel" was in KISS at the time but it's still a good read.

I have one problem though and that's chronology. It would be much more interesting to know when the quotes in this chapter are from. All it would take would be the year that the interview took place. That might clear up a few inconsistencies (which could, of course, be due to the fact that it's been a few years now). Other than that, great book. If you're a KISS fan you should buy it. You'll almost certainly learn something new.