Rating: 
Summary: BEST KISS BOOK EVER!
Review: "Kiss: Behind The Mask" stands as the best book ever written about Kiss. The 431-page book has it all, amazing information, extensive interviews with the Kiss, and members of their inner circle. It's packed with many rare photos that I've never seen before, both in color and black & white. These include shots of Ace from 1968, alternate pictures of the "Alive!" album cover and the "Alive II" inner sleeve, the band without makeup from 1974 posing for Creem magazine, the infamous "Hotter Than Hell" party photo, Paul and Gene in the studio sans makeup from the late 70's and more. The comments from the band's peers is incredible too with The Who, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Ozzy, and many more talking about the band. It's easy to pick my favorite part of the book. It has to be the spectacular album by album, song by song section. This could be a whole book on its own. Every Kiss album and Kiss song features quotes from the band, producers, engineers, songwriters, musical sidemen and more. Yes, that includes "the Elder"...The sections on Wicked Lester, and the "Destroyer" album are real standouts, so much new info is revealed for the very first time. Kiss has let me down a lot in the past but not with this book. "Kiss: Behind The Mask" is the ultimate book for the Kiss Army, and an indispensable resource for fans of the group. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Worth The Wait!
Review: Heard rumours of this book a few years back at the NJ Kiss Convention. Just got my copy two days ago and have been absorbing the almost overwhelming amount of detail in the interviews. The band's entire album and song discography is talked about and it's incredible to finally hear what the band and all the poeple involved in the inner workings had to say all along in one complete book. Definately a MUST for real fans and may just be the best book on the band I've ever come across!
Rating:
Summary: This Book Is Priceless - Behind the scenes of every song!!!
Review: I got this book a few weeks ago. All I have to say is the section that goes over every Kiss album and every song is priceless. You find out which songs and albums the band loves and which ones they hate. This is a dream book if your into this type of thing. The bible of info on every Kiss song. Thats all that has to be said.
Rating: 
Summary: Same old stuff
Review: I looked forward to readfing this book seeing as I have been a Kiss fan for over two decades. The book really didn't tell me anything new. As little new information that the book had, it did help me come to several new revelations. First of all, Kiss consists of hundreds of people. It isn't just four guys playing their own music. They play whatever they are told to play. My second conclusion is that however great of a business person Gene Simmons is, he is a puppet to the people that decide the direction of the band. Paul Stanley who is arguably the most talented of all of them is nothing but a whiner with no way of expressing himself truly. The only way for him to do that would be to go to an independent record label and strt from scratch. During the read, I felt the most sympathy for Ace and Peter, realizing that they were just normal guys who were held back by the two main egos in the band. The book consists of many interviews and it seems that every time Gene responds to something he has to take a jab at Ace or Peter. The book drags on and everything begins to sound the same after a while. So and so did this, so and so could not do that, because of this, this happened. As bad as that sounds, it does have some good stuff when the band isn't being interviewed. Sean Delaney and Bill Aucoin have some insight as to why things were the way they were at certain times in history. Many of the true writers of the songs come forth and explain what was going through their head at the time. However, I feel as a Kiss fan I was disappointed and I think this is the last that I want to know about them. I think I will just stick with my old vinyl records and pretend I don't know anything.
Rating:
Summary: KISS 101
Review: I would recommend this book to those who want a good history reference on the band. It's for the beginner: those who are fairly new to KISS and want to get a comprehensive look at the history of the band and it's recordings. If you are this person, buy the book and enjoy. Now, here's what I'll say as a die-hard KISS fan. Damn, they got me again. Just when I think I've purchased my last KISS item, they come out with something just interesting enough to read, but not something I haven't really seen before. How many times can I hear the "red sneaker/orange sneaker" Ace story? Or, the Lakeland, FL. electrocution story? It's like beating a dead horse at this point. The book does have it's moments. The comments by each band member combined with the slew of other celebrity rockers make for interesting reading. The song by song review of each album is nice, and I did read some things I've never read before. All in all, it's the same KISS story with photos that you've undoubtedly seen before. Other reviewers have complained about the omission of Ace and Peter's solo ablbum reviews. They are very incomplete. I feel the same way, they should have done more work there. I wanted to read more about those albums and much less about Gene's. Where are the DVD's? Where's the back catalog of vintage concert footage? Enough books and pictures. I want live footage of the band. No interviews - just music. KISS fans deserve better.
Rating: 
Summary: This book makes me mad
Review: I'm not going to write a full review of the book, because I believe others who have proceded me here have done a fine job. I am simply using this space to defend my low rating of the book. I waited a long time before buying the book, and only did so based on others' reviews of the book. The Sharp text, which was written in 1979 actually makes me mad, because as KISS fans, with a good deal of historical source material available to us, we know what the state of the band was in 1979. Unfortunately, the text serves as a tool for Simmons and Co. to perpetuate the myths they always did. In later sections (I believe the Creatures section), Paul Stanley even says that the group often lied to the audience to hide truths. I just find it insulting to KISS' audience to publish this text, when we know its facts are false. The later sections are more interesting, but Simmons and Stanley still use it as a vehicle to slam Criss and Frehley, without actually implicating themselves. Instead, assistant engineers end up dumping on the musical ability of Frehley, for example, who was easily the most talented of the lot, while simultaneoulsy saying how talented Gene and Paul were. Anyway, that's it. There are better KISS books out there.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding insight and I've read everything on KISS
Review: I've been a fan for going on 25 years now, and have read anything I could get my hands on about the classic make-up KISS line-up- the only one that truly matters. This book has amazing and revealing interviews with KISS plus people I have never heard from before talking about recording sessions, making the classic albums, tours, etc. This is no typical KISS managed rehash (ala KISSTORY) that we've all heard way too many times from Gene and Paul. This really is some new stuff- photos I've never seen too.
Rating: 
Summary: Not too shabby
Review: it was a mix of opinions and stories from artists and the authors alike facts about the songs the band they all have a say and dissect a little about all the early songs and albums released up until unmasked overall good book nice price and cool cover
Rating:
Summary: KISS; Behind the Mask
Review: Just got the book last week and haven't been able to put it down. The book is packed with tons of unknown information and candid interviews with everyone from the band to their manager, Bill Aucoin to the Who and Led Zeppelin. This book is an absolute must for any KISS fan. I love it!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenal book
Review: Ken Sharp and David Leaf have put together the most detailed and candid KISS book yet. Full of fascinating quotes, studio details and the type of minutae that can get anyone in the KISS army salivating. If there is anything you want to know about the band, it's in here somewhere.
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