The Kiss Album Focus, Vol. 1: Kings of the Night Time World, 1972-82 [Paperback]

Julian Gill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 2005

THE KISS ALBUM FOCUS (3RD EDITION) VOL. I

Originally debuting as a feature on the KISS Asylum website the unofficial and unsanctioned "KISS Album Focus" work was compiled into book format and privately published in two editions in 2002. Del

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

After moving to America in 1978, Julian Gill quickly discovered that Bonny M, the Osmands, and Meat Loaf weren't the only music around. That fact was illustrated at a school talent show where he witnessed fellow students dressed up in tin-foil and makeup,

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation; 3 edition (April 21, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413485472
• ISBN-13: 978-1413485479
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,821,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five stars for the content, three for the editing, July 12, 2006

By 

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit "Wannabe Ren... (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kiss Album Focus, Vol. 1: Kings of the Night Time World, 1972-82 (Paperback)

I read a lot of the passages in the KISS Album Focus when it was an online feature of the old KISS Asylum site. I loved the stuff then, I love it now. In terms of sheer volume of information, this is probably the most comprehensive KISS book on the market. The truths behind some well-known KISS myths are explored (debunking many in the process). Julian Gill, who put this together, is obviously a knowledgable and dedicated KISS fan. The amount of effort involved in compiling this must have been staggering.

It's just too bad that what is otherwise a very handy KISS reference is marred by awful (perhaps non-existant) copyediting. The spelling and grammatical errors, while numerous, can be overlooked. But what really hurts this book is the lack of organization and editing/trimming. For a book of more than 500 pages to have NO index is a crime. While having the chapters arranged in chronological order helps, it is still extremely difficult to quickly find information.

And as for the length - although this book seems impressive at 500 pages, it doesn't need to be that long. While the KISS Album Focus is definitely comprehensive, it can also be repetitive. A lot of information is repeated, sometimes in the course of a single page. This book, despite the title, could really have used more focus.

That being said, I still highly recommend this book to any true KISS fan who wants to dig deeper into the group's history than the usual Gene Simmons/Paul Stanley PR puffery. You find out who played on what songs; you get the stories behind all the albums from the original makeup era; you get a nice, detailed look at all the stuff the members did before KISS. In short, this book (along with KISS & Sell, Black Diamond, Behind the Mask, and KISS Alive Forever) is essential for any KISS Army recruit.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AEWSOME book for super die-hard KISS freaks (like me), January 22, 2008

By 

I Rock "I'm a Rocker" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Kiss Album Focus, Vol. 1: Kings of the Night Time World, 1972-82 (Paperback)

Even if you've read all the other Kiss books, you still need this one. I'd say along with Gene Simmons' Kiss and Make Up autobiography, this is my favorite Kiss book ever. DETAILS about the recording and times of the original line up in this book are OUTSTANDING. Album by album, song by song, member by member, this book has the stuff a total KISS freak like me could only dream of.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great KISS insights but..., June 23, 2009

By 

L. Zarate-Pettite "Bucky Boy" (Indio, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Kiss Album Focus, Vol. 1: Kings of the Night Time World, 1972-82 (Paperback)

Almost too much info. Some parts were like reading legal briefs. But since I love KISS I cannot complain about the over-detailing. I learned a lot from this book.