Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History
By: Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs
Published: September 1, 2002 – 288 pages

The “Kiss Bible”

Is there a thing as a Bible for Kiss fans? Yes there is and It’s called “Kiss Alive Forever”

This is the holy grail of Kiss books. Listing every tour date 1973 to 2001.  I must admit that I didn’t expect much from this book when I first heard about it. The concept of a book with a complete listing over all Kiss concerts over the years sounds quite nerdy and boring really. But Curt and Jeff have made the book like a magical tour trough “Kisstory”.

The mixing of listings of tour dates, short stories and great pictures has made this book just magical. The autors have managed to track down a lot of important who have worked with and known Kiss over the years. And their comments and the autors details about each tour and show really makes this book come alive. The pictures troughout the book are also great. Even if one can see that they probably didn’t have the largest budget to use on pictures, the pictures fits the book and illustrates the text perfectly.

For Kiss bootleg collectors the book is also great reference book. I know a lot of collectors who are on their second or third copy. I have used the book almost daily for nearly ten years myself. Continue reading →

Kiss Army Worldwide!: The Ultimate Fanzine Phenomenon
By: Ken Sharp, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley
Published: October 1, 2009 – 240 pages

“The Ugly Duckling”

This is probably the Kiss book that have surprised me most through the years. I must admit that my expectations was quite low when I heard that Kiss with the help of Ken Sharp were supposed to publish a book about the Kiss fanzine phenomenon.

Not that some of the “official” books haven’t been good. But my thoughts easily went to Kissology II who was the only other reference book that Kiss had released before. But I should have known better. At usual when Ken Sharp is involved with something Kiss related the result is good or close to great.

I must admit that I was expecting a bunch of re-printed fanzine covers and excerpts from the fanzines, but Ken Sharp know what Kiss fan wants. What we got was a great book with cool articles about each fanzine and a lot of great pictures of the band.  There are lots of photos that I’ve never seen published before from the early years through June of 2009. So the book is worth the price alone just for the pictures.

The fact that Gene & Paul were involved would often be a negative thing, but in this case it gives the book a stamp of legitimacy, and does not distract from the book at all. The comments they have provided are probably some of the most touching stuff I have read from them. So It’s clear that the fanzines have meant a lot for them during their career. Continue reading →

Sealed with a Kiss
By: Lydia Criss
Published: October 31, 2006 – 368 pages

The book we never thought would come

Some books you just love from the first time you lay your eyes on them. And “Sealed With A Kiss” is one of them. I only buy two copies of a few books that I’m sure I will destroy one copy of because I read them til they fall apart. “Sealed With a Kiss” is one of them.

The first rumours of this book started i the 90′s when Robert Conte was supposed to release the book of Peter Criss ex-wife Lydia Criss about her life. It was one of the books I was really looking forward to seeing. A tale of an insider in the Kiss camp at the beginning. And one who also took a lot of pictures. I already had the pictures she had sold since the early 90′s and the great poster from Bleeker Street Loft in 1973.

As the years went and no more information about the book came I almost gave up on it. Until the news that Lydia would publish it herself surfaced on the net about a year before the book came out. She was also featured in Kiss Kollector and on the Backstage Auctions site at the same time. Backstage Auctions sold a lot of the Kiss/Peter related stuff for her that she had used in her book. Continue reading →

Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal
By: Eddie Trunk
Published: April 1, 2011 – 240 pages

What does Eddie want this book to be?

Probably the most difficult review I have ever written about a book. Why? Because I both like the book and dislike the book. Mostly because how he has choosen to write the book.

I will explain. But I will start a with a little general about the book. The size, layout and pictures are really cool. So visually I really like the the book. And at first glance It seems really cool. Even if the parts on each band aren’t that large or deep It seems that It is enough for fans of each the bands to buy it.

The book is in one way Eddie’s little run through of essential  ‘Hard Rock and Heavy Metal’ bands with Eddie’s personal history intertwined into the text. That is probably were my first problem with this book is. What does Eddie want this book to be? His personal history in the music business or a run through of his favorite bands? I guess probably the first, because a newbie in the ‘metal-world’ would never buy this book or would know who Eddie Trunk is anyway. If he wanted to make this a book about him he should have made the book much more chronically and included a lot more personal and candid shots. I have seen a lot of them during the years. So I know they exist.

OK. Whats the Kiss stuff like then? Continue reading →

Warman’s Kiss Collectibles Field Guide
By: Shannon, Thomas
512 pages

About:
“Updated” edition of Shannon’s Goldmine KISS Collectibles Price Guide book. In one way It’s a cool book. But I really don’t like the format. It’s so tiny that It’s not easy to read and not easy finding your way when your looking for something special. I really feel that it could have been so much better than it is. On the positive side there is a really cool interview with Bill Aucoin in the book.

Verdict: 5/10

Into the Void… with Ace Frehley
By: Wendy Moore
Published 2005, 220 pages

About:
This is a book I have really ambivalent feelings against. I read it and found it interesting but afterwards it felt like I just didn’t need to know most of the content in the book.

The book more or less tells me the same things about Ace a person as the ‘Kiss & Tell’ book does. But it also gives me many personal details about Ace that I really don’t want to know. That Ace really can be an asshole I have understood ages ago.

As a Kiss fan there are not very much interesting to find in this book. Wendy’s impressions of the rest of the band during the few encounters she has had with them are interesting though.

Verdict: 4/10