Nothin' to Lose: The Making of KISS 1972–1975

When I see Ken Sharp's name in the credits I know I'm in for an adventure. From his work with fanzines, through articles for Goldmine, to his own Kiss titles, Ken knows the questions to ask and appreciates the back story, the sometimes confusing mix of ingredients that comprises that strange beast Kiss. In a format similar to his section in the 2003 "Kiss: Behind the Mask" book the highly respected author guides the reader though the period that developed, defined and ultimately best represents "Kiss." "Nothin' To Lose: The Making of Kiss, 1972-1975" is a mesmerizingly joyous exploration of the early history of the masked musical crusaders! Few punches are pulled, while a celebratory tone permeates the flow of the work. Rather than being a terse tome, the reader is quickly immersed in a detailed story; and transported back in time as if a fly on the wall, while the broad cast of credible characters recount the story that they lived and experienced firsthand.If you think this story has been told a dozen times before, you'd be not be entirely accurate. The book feels like an old masters painting with something new discovered or rediscovered with nearly every brush-stroke of words. Or, per Shrek, it's like an onion - with many layers, some of which may bring a tear to your eyes as you relive the scenes though other's eyes! It offers new perspectives, and minutiae to please the most savage Kiss geek. Most importantly it celebrates the effort and sacrifices made by the band (all of them), crew, management and label; and friends and support teams to keep the band afloat long enough for the industry and public to catch up and on with the vision. These are the words and stories straight from the mouths of those who walked the path with the band while they struggled with the industry, press, and continued to challenge themselves to attain success. They were there and through them we get to relive the underlying excitement and drive to succeed.The general plot of the story may have been told in many formats many times: start as off with nothing, work hard, and attain success - in other words what encompasses the basic premise of the American dream. For a band with a rabid following, this book is a reminder of their legacy, but also of the dues the band paid along the way with their persistence and self-belief. It is a reminder of the central core that provides the foundation of a rock dynasty that is going strong 40 years on - to believe in yourself and stand up for what you believe in. It is impossible to read without remembering why you became a fan in the first place and you might well find yourself putting "Kiss Alive!" on in the background and pumping your fist as each milestone is reached.You think you've read it all before? Wrong! And the pictures used perfectly compliment the story with some appealing eye-candy! If you can't find something to "like" in this book, then turn in your KISS Army membership card!

Unbelievably well done. This was the period of the band that I first got into. The number of people involved in this book is staggering, from fans at very early shows to the road crew to management to record companies, magazines, photographers, and of course, the band. Many details and stories I had never heard. And pictures galore. If you're a fan, especially an older fan of the original band, you need this book.

I'd say on the whole this book was just about exactly what I expected. In that regard, all expectations were met. The anecdotes are interesting and mostly informative all around. The author must have spent a considerable amount of time and effort collecting all these accounts, these many years after the fact. Though I was a hardcore KISS fan from back around '77 or so, I was also quite young, so it is always fascinating to see and hear things from a perspective that was essentially unimaginable to me back then! Even so, I always loved the "early years KISS" the most, both musically and visually, so that makes the material here all the more enjoyable. What I find truly enlightening, if totally amazing here, is how KISS was allowed, as an opening act, to routinely use their (relatively)large production so frequently. One just cannot imagine this today - Hell, it wouldn't have been imaginable when I worked in the business back in the late 80's/earlier 90's!Now for the downside(S)...While Gene and Paul aren't exactly "authors" here in the official sense, their presence is felt in a huge way! First of all, their personal accounts must outnumber those included here from Ace or Peter many times over. And true to form, one gets the feeling they are being "sold" the glories of KISS over and again! By that I mean, there is a repetition of how driven, how sure of themselves, how tight, together and on target the band were from day one, that sounds more like a retro sales pitch than anything else! It's not that I don't believe that to be how they felt - but it need not be driven home so mercilessly! One also gets the impression they basically blew any band they played with back then off the stage, which is, by all accounts, not entirely true. I have this on authority by some that were at some of these shows. Though I am sure it DID happen on occasion too!Also, even the road-crew accounts all have a suspiciously, if almost fanatically pro-KISS spin on them. This is just not altogether believable to me - not to that level, specifically. It just sounds too much like Gene and Paul carefully edited virtually every word here to keep thing in line with the perpetual self-promotion-machine we know of as KISS today. While not all the accounts are positive in and of themselves, in terms of the goings-on, the reader always gets the feeling that even those stories are somehow designed to make KISS, especially Gene and Paul, appear in the best possible light.Now, to fair, there is thankfully relatively little blatant Peter/Ace bashing going on. Yet still, one cannot read this book and come away without believing, just as I'm quite sure they want you to, that this band is and always was Gene and Paul's baby - period! And in various ways, it probably was...but not in all ways by any stretch.Either way, I don't wish to sound overly critical. The book is an enjoyable read, and unless you've read "all there is to read" about KISS already, I suspect there will something new in there for most all readers, fans or no. The photos, while some are familiar to all, are a neat touch, as a number of them are rather obscure - at least in my eye. Some of the shots date from the very early days, yet are good quality pics, and interesting all around.A good read - and at a decent price!

A magnificent, insider's account of KISS' wild ride to the top, and a must read, trip back in time to those glorious days of early 1970's Rock n Roll! An amazing, and often hilarious account of a band truly willing to do ANYTHING to make it to the top. Fantastic photos- many not seen before this publication was released- make a great book even better. Every hardcore KISS fan already owns this piece of KISStory, but if you have even the slightest interest in how four young men from the heart of New York City took the world by storm and became a cultural phenomenon, GET THIS BOOK- you will NOT regret it.

Great price, good reading used books are the way to go

Really cool book this is mainly interview quotes from members of kiss and roadies as well as other rock stars and record people at casablanca lots of cool pictures at the end of the book I was a huge kiss fan for many years and some of the pictures I'd never seen and some stories I'd never heard like they interviews with the two fifteen year old kids who are on the back of the alive album awesomeness great book

You can't go wrong with this book, even if you're not a big Kiss fan. The details are all here. Told in a spoken word style, band members' recollections are mixed with roadies, managers and others who were there. I found the book an easy, quick read. Worth buying or giving to the rock fans in your life!

Livro estava deslacrado, como se já tivesse sido feito uso, se é novo deveria ter vindo lacrado de fábrica

Me ha encantado el libro. Reconstruye la Historia de la banda desde los orígenes hasta que finalmente consiguen la fama tras editar el Alive !El libro está construido a base de los testimonios de los miembros de la banda, los productores, el mánager, los miembros de la crew, de promotores que los contrataron, etc. Incluye mil y una anécdotas interesantes sobre el grupo y se lee del tirón.Totalmente recomendado.

Una nueva forma de relatar la historia de KISS

分かり易い口語体の英語なので簡単に訳せました。義務教育を出ていれば簡単に訳せます。初期の知られざるエピソード満載で面白かったです。エースとピーターの発言も平等に載せてあり、本当の事実が分かります。バランスの良い良書です。キッス・ファンはマストです。