Customer Reviews

Kiss Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History

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After reading online that someone was attempting to assemble a "complete touring history" of the hottest band in the world, Kiss, my interest was immediately sparked. I had no idea what the book looked like, or what exactly it contained, but I didn't care. Being a die hard Kiss fan for several years now, I figured I'd get my money's worth. I wound up getting that and then some. This book, cowritten by Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs is absolutely incredible. This is a Kiss fans dream come true; I've never seen anything like it. Everything you could possibly ask for is here. Details of every Kiss tour and every individual concert are explained in great detail. Insightful comments are given from members of Kiss' management, and others close to the band, as well as an occasional comment from band members themselves. And don't get me started on the pictures....Some of these have never been printed before until now, for example a picture of Ace right after one of his infamous car accidents which left his face in bad shape. This picture has him in makeup, but only half of his face is painted due to the injury. Casual fans are saying "what's the big deal?" but ... hard Kiss fans know that this type of stuff is just plain cool. Every set list for every show is included, as are the name of the venues and opening and headlining acts that shared the bills with Kiss. 288 pages, 3 pounds, it's a monster! God knows how long it will take me to get through the whole thing, but one thing is for sure.... this is must have for any Kiss fan. Hear the REAL stories behind every concert, things that you may have never heard before and may shock you! All in all, this is a great pick up for any Kiss fan, especially fans who purchased the box set and enjoyed the book that came along with it. I would compare it to this in the fact that they are both extremely informative and chock full of great photos of the band. So, if you're a true member of the Kiss Army, stop reading this and go get the book NOW. You'll be glad you did.

Over the years, there have been various books written about KISS. Some by journalists, some by those close to the band, and some by the band themselves.

This book is by far the best book yet about KISS. The amount of work and research put into this book is just mindblowing. They manage to track down and have stats on nearly every single KISS live show ever performed.

If you're a fan and have never read a book about the band, start here. If you've ever considered getting a book about the band, this is the only book you'll ever need.

What a missed opportunity the members of KISS must be feeling now. I am sure that they had a chance to make this an official KISS book - but chose to discount the efforts to two enthusiastic fans simply wanting to document a band that they hold in such high regard. All the while, thinking of course that they could do it better. Only time will tell to see if "KISS" can produce a more thorough and well-documented history. The book is absolutely the "best collective history" of the band that I have read. The time and effort it took to research, check facts, compile and finally write this book is evident in the accuracy of the facts. The mere thank you and credits to people who assisted the authors in compiling the data - speaks to the accuracy itself. True KISS connoisseurs will recognize the value of the book - don't wait to add this book to your collection.

I simply recommend buying 2 copies of this book...one for 'keepsake' and one to keep next to your computer or nightstand as your day-to-day ultimate reference source. You've got questions, this book got THE answers. I found it highly amusing when Paul Stanley responded to this book by saying "No, I haven't read it but the "ultimate" KISS book? I think that the ultimate KISS book still needs to be written and that can only be done by us"......How about; "I am deeply honored that 2 loyal KISS fans dedicated 5 years of their life to do something that no one else has ever attempted to do, which is to precisely and accurately document every day of our life".....Anyway, this book doesn't need the praise or comments of KISS. It'll prove itself by becoming the best selling KISS book and deservedly so! The combination of FACTS, more than 100 credible testimonials and never before seen photos make this one of the most unique, sincere, "real" and valuable KISS products in the 30-year history of the band. Not owning this book is denying yourself the single best opportunity to 'finally' understand it all!

Let me first say that I loved KISSTORY. I bought mine in New Orleans during one of the Farewell Tours and it's autographed by all four band members. But this book is outstanding. Anyone will tell you that 'official' biographies never tell the whole story and I believe that these guys have really done their research. The sources are credible and the stories are sometimes outrageous, sometimes insightful, sometimes revealing. This book gives you more than just a run-down of Kiss mythology. It shows how much effort and dedication it took to make Kiss a great rock and roll band - and it puts the breakdown in greater clarity. These guys were on the road constantly. Stories are told by people who were there. It's all firsthand knowledge and it will appeal greatly to not only Kiss fans, but anyone with an interest in life on the road. It's just a good read. I like the format, there are some great photos and - best of all - it was done just beyond the reach of anyone who could edit away the 'warts.' This book proves something I've always suspected - The Kiss story is far more interesting than Simmons' ego will allow to be revealed. Buy this book today.

It's obvious that an enormous amount of effort & research went into this book, and it will undoubtedly answer many questions KISS fans might have about the band's touring history (dates / setlists etc.). Tons of cool/rare pictures and quotes from the KISS crew make this book a wonderful read and great value for money. Get this and the authorized book "KISS-Behind The Mask" and you'll have the most detailed, comprehensive, accurate KISStory currently on the market. Don't pass this off as a book with just dates and setlists - it really is much more than that. I own just about every book ever released about the band, and "KISS Alive Forever" was one of the best additions to that collection. The authors are currently working on a follow up - "KISS Out on the Streets 1973-1976" and even if that one turns out only half as well as "KISS Alive Forever", I'd still consider it a worthwile purchase. Since this book's content spans the entire history of the band (well, at least up until 2002) I'd highly recommended it to *all* KISS fans out there - this is one cool book.

For anyone who has experienced the live performance of the phenomenon we know as KISS, whether in you were in Queens, NY in 1973, Lubbock, TX in 1990 or even Phoenix, AZ in 2000...this is a MUST HAVE.
The book is well researched with detail about every show on every tour. You will experience the show all over again and leave you wishing you were the person in the front catching the broken guitar.
Congrats to the Gooch and Suhs team on a fantastic KISS book.

Mr. Stanley dismissed this book as not being the definitive Kiss book, and although it may not be the ultimate Kiss book, it is by far one of the best - if not the best - written today.
This book chronicles more than 5 years of research by the authors who stormed the Internet, chat clubs, fan forums, libraries, ect. All to get the latest info on the more than 1800 concerts that Kiss has played to date. Written in very easy english, the book is more like a reference guide to all the concerts the band has played, but under most dates you will find little text add-ons that are delightful. The authors interviewed tour managers, roadies, pyro techs, wardrobe ladies, managers, producers, and muscicians who tell great stories from the early and not so early days. To top it up, there's more than 200 amazing shots of the band, some we have seen, some rather obscure.
In all, a great book.

I have been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it 6 or 7 years ago, and it has exceeded my high expectations. It is filled with great photos, facts, and stories spanning KISS' entire career. Once I pick it up, I can't put it down for hours at a time. Those who have complaints about claimed inaccuracies or things that they think are missing should contact the authors. This book was significantly based on fan contributions and they acknowledge that this is something of a "work in progress." I have a sneaking suspicion that one day there will be a revised edition or a companion book.

This book has all the facts and figures about Kiss concerts that I've never read anywhere else.

It tells you the dates of each show, how much capacity the arena holds, what the attendance figures were, what songs were sung at most shows, in the order in which they were performed. It also has interviews with some touring personnel and their memories of the tour and/or show.

I really appreciated the end of the book that has all the songs Kiss has ever performed, the first and last time they performed the song (Hard Luck Woman was ever only performed during an 11 day period in 1976 and NOT during the three Forum shows that were recorded for Alive II. Some songs were only ever performed once, others only in other countries).

It breaks each tour down by album, tells you the biggest shows by attendance, all of their opening acts, who Kiss opened up for. It is packed with tons of information you never hear Gene and Paul talk about.

A must for any Kiss fan or anyone who enjoys the behind the scenes happenings of a major rock act.