This is the real Kisstory

Julian Gills ‘the Kiss Album Focus’ started as a feature on the Kiss Asylum website. Inspired by Dale Shermans work on the Black Diamond book. The project was supposed to be a “The objective of the work was to look into the history of KISS on an album-by-album basis. With the colorful history of the band there were many challenges the members faced during their path down the rock ‘n roll road to legend. It was that and other minutiae that I wished to document. Ultimately it was the depth and minutiae that I wanted to pack into the articles and stories that would never make it into a mass-market properly published work!” (Ref. Kissfaq.com). I have been eagerly following his writings on different Kiss-related stuff since I came in contact with him when he had a “Kiss collectors network” in the 90′s. And was looking forward to his first publication of The Kiss Album Focus long before the first edition came out. I was lucky the read the manuscript of the first edition before It came out, and It was easy to see that this was a special book in “Kisstory”.

The KISS Album Focus
(First edition)
By: Gill, Julian
Published May 2002, 561 pages…
(Extremely limited edition private publication of 500 copies).

I really love this book. There is so much information and detail. You will probably never get as much information about the band as you do her (except in Julian’s never editions of the book). It is a “brick” and there are no photos. So it can become a little heavy and Julian is no professional writer. But don’t let that scare you. This is the real Kisstory book together with “Kiss Alive forever”, and at least the third editions should be in every Kiss fans collection.

The first adition is an extremely difficult book to find and it has been selling for over $130 on Ebay.

Verdict: 8/10

The KISS Album Focus
(Second edition)
By: Gill, Julian
Published December 2002, 364 pages…
(Extremely limited edition private publication of 752 copies).

The second edition of the Kiss Album Focus book. It’s not really much to say about it than on the first edition. There is some new content and the format is larger.

Verdict: 9/10

The KISS Album Focus I
“Kings of the night time world”
(Third edition)
By: Gill, Julian
Published Feb 2005, 544 pages

The KISS Album Focus II
“Hell or High Water ”
(Third edition)
By: Gill, Julian
Published November 2005, 424 pages

The KISS Album Focus III
“Roar Of Greasepaint ”
(Third edition)
By: Gill, Julian
Published November 2006, 400 pages

Julian’s Album Focus books just gets better. This time he has so much new content that he has decided to divide his book into three editions. There are a couple of different editons of all the three books. Both hardcover and paperback. One edition of the first book even have some illustrations. Not that does better or worse. It is the content itself that is the important in these books. All books have great covers illustrated and designed by Christopher Franchi. The only tiny little minus is that third editions should have been illustrated books in the same format as “Kiss Alive Forever”, then the book would easily be the best Kiss/Kiss-related books ever released. Even if they are ‘just’ a “fan-book” they are just incredible. Kiss should really hire Julian Gill and Ken Sharp to make the “definitve Kiss book” the day they decide to call it a day.

There are also reprints of the Album Focus I & II third editions that I haven’t bought yet. Buying them is on my ‘to do’ list.

Verdict: 10/10