Rating: 
Summary: HOT MEN IN, ON AND AROUND THE COUCH
Review: Tom Bianchi (OUT OF THE STUDIO, IN THE STUDIO, EXTRAORDINARY FRIENDS) has done it again and again ane he seems to get better each time, never disappointing his fans. His collection of handsome, nude men embracing each other provides a luscious and erotic coffee table photography book. It is passionate and sincere as it is beautifully executed. A MUST for the serious collector of the beauty of the male form. (There are some excellent solos as well.) Don't forget to look into the 2003 calendar which features the photographs from this book!
Rating:
Summary: And now in living color.........
Review: Tom Bianchi has been successfully producing collections of the male nude for some time now and in most bookstores across the country they are the best sellers of any in the genre. I think there is solid reason for this. Tom celebrates the male image and does so unabashedly. While many other fine genre photographers emphasize the composition, the inner beauty, the interaction between the model and the photographer, the case for light and shadow concealing and revealing, Tom consistently goes for the joy of living, of interacting with friends, the gutsy good humor and good times of just a bunch of men frolicking in the nude. Refreshing to see. In ON THE COUCH the setting is consistent - the oft mentioned leather couch which, knowing Tom's sense of humor, is rather an homage to the infamous 'casting couch' or 'therapist's couch.' All things condisered this is a happy book, filled with beautiful men in rich color. Reading and revisiting it is a joy.
Rating:
Summary: And now in living color.........
Review: Tom Bianchi has been successfully producing collections of the male nude for some time now and in most bookstores across the country they are the best sellers of any in the genre. I think there is solid reason for this. Tom celebrates the male image and does so unabashedly. While many other fine genre photographers emphasize the composition, the inner beauty, the interaction between the model and the photographer, the case for light and shadow concealing and revealing, Tom consistently goes for the joy of living, of interacting with friends, the gutsy good humor and good times of just a bunch of men frolicking in the nude. Refreshing to see. In ON THE COUCH the setting is consistent - the oft mentioned leather couch which, knowing Tom's sense of humor, is rather an homage to the infamous 'casting couch' or 'therapist's couch.' All things condisered this is a happy book, filled with beautiful men in rich color. Reading and revisiting it is a joy.
Rating: 
Summary: HIGH QUALITY BUT NOT THE EVERYDAY MAN
Review: Tom Bianchi is a great photographer with a great eye for beauty. His books are filled with passion and beautiful people. He is considered one of the greats. However...
I find this book ON THE COUCH to be very typical of what most gay men fantasize about. These guys are ruggedly handsome or beautifully handsome with chisled chests, bulging arms, well crafted shoulders, flat (and some with a six pack of abs) stomach and muscular legs. To defend the photos: Tom did say this is what he looks for in a man (preface). Not every gay man looks for a body builder as a partner. Some want a man with a good strong mind, sweet personality and good disposition. Sometimes what is on the inside can be more handsome than what is on the outside.
Regardless, the photographs are top notch (considering he used a digital camera). I am not knocking his talent, just he choices for subjects.
Rating:
Summary: Fine Pictures, Monotonous Theme
Review: Tom Bianchi is undoubtably an excellent and fine photographer. His images in "On The Couch" are erotic as they are brilliantly photographed. Most pictures are in beautiful, crisp color while others are nicely laidout in black-n-white plates. His images of nude muscular men (some of diverse racial backgrounds) are sensuous, playful, erotic, and very candid moments -- whether solo or in trios. There's one shot of a solo guy climaxing, and the picture is arousingly captivating, freezing the action in time.However, does this monotonous theme on overly muscular, veiny bodied, and unattainable men actually produce more revenue from the last book of steroid-built guys frolicking about? One has to wonder if Tom Bianchi has any acquaintances outside the rock-built, steroid-induced, drug-taking circuit queen crowd. The repetitive thematics of steroid-pumped bodies doesn't represent the gay community in an exemplarary way. Granted, I too am a bodybuilder, but what about pictorials of average, everyday gay guys who have appeal? There are so many of them out there! Many times, I find them much sexier than some built guy whose on "the juice." Though this book could be interpreted as a continuation of his previous publishings, it is quite monotonous to perpetually present subjects with overly developed physiques, shown in risky behavior. What kind of impact will this impose on the next wave of gay youth with an impressionable self-esteem? And will they assume that engaging in unprotected intimacy won't ever affect them at all? With a recent rise in gay youth becoming another statistic, books like "On The Couch" don't seem to convey a careful and responsible presentation. True, this book is not meant for such purposes, but a considerable conscientious should be at bay by the artist. "On The Couch" is a good book, but predominantly no different from most other photographic exposés on playful muscle boys. The entire book is literally shot on a couch in Tom Bianchi's home in San Francisco. If this sorta book really needs to grace your coffee table, then click away to order. Otherwise, I'm sure a talented photographer with a broader perspective for gay masculine subjects will achieve over the monotony.
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