KISS: The Early Years

Rating:
Summary: What is with the eyes!
Review: I have been a Kiss fan for 25 years,so when I heard about this book I was excited.When I got it I was horrified to find all the photo's had been altered from there original prints.For some unknowen reason they decided to add ink to all of Gene Simmons eyes(blacking out his pupils)It ruined a book that very well could have been the best Kiss photo book to date.

Rating:
Summary: The Classic KISS
Review: A fantastic book for any KISS fan. The beauty of KISS is they have always been not only a great band to listen to, but even more so, a great band to look at. This book captures the band on their rise to super stardom and includes pictures from the Elder era when the band were rock Icons on their way down. True KISS fans like myself are always on the hunt for new sights and sounds of the band, and this book delivers many new unpublished photos that everyone will enjoy. From pictures of the band applying makeup, to the infamous Cadillac, Michigan high school event. Fantastic color and black and white photos abound, guaranteed to satisfy all KISS fans. A must have.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF TWO WORTHWHILE ROCK BOOKS JUST OUT
Review: I have been a Kiss fan since I was a boy in the mid 1970s and what a trip down memory lane this book was. It was pretty cool to see all these pictures from the early years and hear the stories behind them. I have to admit that I was fascinated to see it all for the first time. But would I still buy a new Kiss album...probably not. It was just a little nostalgia. I recommend this one...but the better brand new rock book I've read is "LAYNE STALEY: Angry Chair" about the Alice In Chains singer who died from a little too much isolation for five years and a lot of heroin and depression.

Rating:
Summary: Photographic Excellence
Review: I've been waiting for a KISS photographic study of this period and finally it's arrived. Waring Abbott is a master at capturing the spirit of KISS and this promises to become a classic photo-documentary of this important group.

Rating:
Summary: Good historical book...from Gene and Paul's view
Review: If you buy this book be prepared to get more of Paul and Gene's bashing Ace and Peter, more self-indulgence and lots of Gene's "we are the greatest band in the world" and Paul's "Women love my hairy chest" and all that stuff. On the good side, the pictures presented here are amazing. From a walk on Central Park in full makeup! circa. 1975, to a session of facials the band got in a beauty parlor, the rare pics are worth the price of the book alone. You will read this book in an hour and certainly will enjoy the dozens of pictures Waring Abbott shot from 1974 to 1981. I would have liked for the leaders of the band and writers of the book to comment more on each individual photo and also invite Ace and Peter to give their two cents on the shots. Anyway, a good book on Kiss at a not so high price. Great for any fan of the band.

Rating:
Summary: Pictures!... pictures!... and pictures!...
Review: If you like quality photography and KISS, you'll love this book! I've been following the band since the 70s and I have never been surprised by so many unfamiliar pictures. Sure the settings and period are familiar, but this book features complete sets of known and not so known pics. It scores higher than Barry Levine's and Chip Rock's. It also has a lot of pictures (the most I've seen) from the Elder era, featuring Eric.

Rating:
Summary: A Must For Any True KISS Fan...
Review: If you love KISS, you'll love this book. Has many pictures that even the hardcores, like myself, have never seen. Alot of stuff from when the band first started out. When they had little money and were struggling to be the topps in NY. Many photos show the true integrity of the band.

Rating:
Summary: High-Stepping back to the 70's
Review: If you were one of the original inductees into the Kiss Army, this book will transport you back to that time when they were the most loved/hated band around. If you're a newer fan, you'll experience the birth and evolution of Kiss. Like most other things that Kiss gives us, this leaves you wanting more. Although packed with a ton of great photos and commentary by Paul and Gene, I would have liked to see at least twice as many pages and read at least as many more comments from Paul and Gene. If only we could have gotten commentary from Ace and Peter. If you're a true fan, you need this book as part of Kisstory and you can't get a better deal than Amazon[.com].

Rating:
Summary: A PIECE OF KISStory
Review: This book is an excellent collection of Waring Abbott's photos of KISS from 1974-76,81-82 that is sprinkled with recollections from Gene and Paul (and Waring) from those early years. From color to b&w, concert to candid (as candid as KISS can be with make-up on), these pictures seem to capture it all. Team this book up with KISS Alive Forever/The Complete Touring History and you'll have a one/two punch of KISStory. As soon as these 2 books arrived, I had to turn around and order a second set for a friend's birthday whose 1st concert was KISS. He was extremely happy and so could you. Don't wait.

Rating:
Summary: To DIE for
Review: This book was really amazing because of its historical and photographic conception. I was really blown away by the quality of this photo book because it makes other bands' books look puny and unimportant. Many times bands put out books that offer either too much boring writing without content or dazzling photos in empty pages. Here Kiss is the focus and the images and content is actually very exciting. It works to their visual appeal and charismatic persona. The quality of the photos is really breathtaking and juicy enough for the viewer to have a glimpse into the backstage lives of America's nuttiest band. Buy this and add it to your collection.