by Paul Stanley
First published 2013
This oral history captures KISS during their crucial early years from 1972 to 1975. Paul Stanley constructs the narrative through over two hundred interviews with band members Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss, plus producers, managers, roadies, and music journalists who witnessed their rise. The book traces their struggles from club gigs to the success of their 1975 album Alive! and the hit "Rock and Roll All Nite." Stanley includes perspectives from musical contemporaries like Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, and members of Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Rush, and The Ramones who shared bills with KISS on early tours. The result reveals how four musicians in makeup and costumes transformed from unknown performers into rock icons, changing the music scene forever.
Genres: history, biography-memoir, music
Vibes: fast-paced, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: band-formation, rise-to-fame
Period: 1972-1975
550 pages · Hardcover · Dey Street Books