Peter Criss' Autobiography

Anybody read it yet? I finished it yesterday - very quick, easy read. Lots of good stories about KISS in the 70's and the reunion tour. Peter doesn't hold back in this one at all. Lots of interesting stories about the reunion tour and pretty damning to Gene/Paul (Paul's bag of prescription pills, Gene's herpes outbreaks)

I always gave Gene the benefit of the doubt regarding things he said happened with the other guys back in the 70's. Afterall it was the 70's and the fact that those other guys lived very self destructive lifestyles. One could believe it, to an extent. But after Gene going on record in multiple avenues that Ace never recorded a solo on "Sweet Pain" and somehow one showed up recently with verification from the producer. It gives me hardly any recourse to believe anything that comes from his mouth. Ace and Peter are humans and they made some choices like we all have to do. They were accountable for those choices, as well as the consequences that went along with it.


As far as the "reunion" tour and susequent album afterwards. Ace and Peter allowed the things to happen to them that took place. Sure Gene and Paul manipulated the situation by taking advantage of the other two's financial situation. Still Ace and Peter followed that proverbial "carrot on a stick" and signed away rights to things and went along with the facade that was Psycho Circus being a group thing.

Gene needs to quit playing that card of they were the problem and I was an angel thing. It is sad when he continues with that stuff after most of what he said has been exposed as total B/S or a partial truth twisted to prove his point. He should be grateful that Paul didn't use that same thought process regarding him while he was off being movie star and record mogul.....ya know kick Gene to the curb.

I really want to read this. I think my brother is going to get this for me for Christmas so I haven't bothered to go out and buy it.

I have not read the book, but I have to agree with James. Nobody forced Peter to sign the contract, or held a gun to his head.

Watching them prepare for the reunion tour, it was obvious the man needed a lot of work to get in touring shape.

I do think IMO the album 'Psycho Circus' would have been a better album if all members had been on the album and had been allowed to write the album, and if they had more sympathic producer like an Eddie Kramer.

I do think Gene and Paul need to stop talking crap about Peter and Ace, they have been out of the band for eons.

manny wrote:

I do think Gene and Paul need to stop talking crap about Peter and Ace, they have been out of the band for eons.

I agree. They take every chance to use the press to take cheap shots at Ace and Peter. In all honesty, those two were just as an important part of their success as Gene and Paul.

I would like to read Peter's book (will probably put it on my Xmas list)... he has always seemed like the most down-to-earth KISS member. Besides, I've already read Gene's and Ace's books and I always find it interesting how members of the same band have different memories of certain pivotal events.

I met Peter briefly at the '94 KISS Expo in New Jersey and he was a cool guy, too.

James B. wrote:

I always gave Gene the benefit of the doubt regarding things he said happened with the other guys back in the 70's. Afterall it was the 70's and the fact that those other guys lived very self destructive lifestyles. One could believe it, to an extent. But after Gene going on record in multiple avenues that Ace never recorded a solo on "Sweet Pain" and somehow one showed up recently with verification from the producer. It gives me hardly any recourse to believe anything that comes from his mouth. Ace and Peter are humans and they made some choices like we all have to do. They were accountable for those choices, as well as the consequences that went along with it.


As far as the "reunion" tour and susequent album afterwards. Ace and Peter allowed the things to happen to them that took place. Sure Gene and Paul manipulated the situation by taking advantage of the other two's financial situation. Still Ace and Peter followed that proverbial "carrot on a stick" and signed away rights to things and went along with the facade that was Psycho Circus being a group thing.

Gene needs to quit playing that card of they were the problem and I was an angel thing. It is sad when he continues with that stuff after most of what he said has been exposed as total B/S or a partial truth twisted to prove his point. He should be grateful that Paul didn't use that same thought process regarding him while he was off being movie star and record mogul.....ya know kick Gene to the curb.

Peter admits to a lot of what happened in the 70's and basically says he was the one that was screwed up and coked up. Still interesting to read his take on when the relationship breakdowns started. Gene's just a BS'er - mixed 90% BS with 10% truth. It was interesting to get Peter's take on things. According to the book, Peter would agree with you on the carrot on the stick. He admits he did it for the money and was using it to fund his retirement. Also interesting that Peter says he stayed away from the 70's type stuff on the reunion and post reunion tours. And they had people watching Ace to keep him off drugs and alcohol (and it didn't work)

As I understand it, both Peter and Ace were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy when KISS came calling about the reunion tour... and if that's the case, who can blame'em for taking the offer?

Just prior to the Reunion I'd seen a couple of shows on the "Bad Boys" tour in late '95, with Peter's band "Criss" and Ace's solo band. Both times, Peter joined Ace's band on stage to jam on a couple of KISS songs, it was a lot of fun. I've heard since then that the tour was intended to get both guys back into road/playing shape before the reunion.

...the next summer I was watching Ace do his smoking guitar-solo shtick onstage at Madison Square Garden, and my brother leans over to me and sez "Just think, six months ago we were watching him do this exact same solo at the Birch Hill Nightclub for 500 people." Haha.

Paul & Gene still talk about Peter & Ace because interviewers still ask about Peter & Ace.

Gene has taken to saying (paraphrased) - We would not he here without Peter & Ace...they were just as important as Paul & me in the beginning of the band. But, were they here today, there'd be no KISS.

thejokeriv wrote:

Peter doesn't hold back in this one at all. Lots of interesting stories about the reunion tour and pretty damning to Gene/Paul (Paul's bag of prescription pills, Gene's herpes outbreaks)

I expected no less. It's Peter's turn. The original Cat Man... the claws come out.

I'm sure I will eventually read this. I read Sealed with a Kiss by Lydia Criss. That was a great book.

I hope to pick this up soon. Loved Ace and Gene's book, though Gene's book has been proven to have a lot of 'mis-truths' since it was published. Still, they all give different perspectives and insights into the wonderful world of KISS, a band I've been infatuated with since I was a kid.

ultmetal wrote:

Gene's book has been proven to have a lot of 'mis-truths' since it was published.

I just read Gene's book for the first time in the past year or so and it was pretty funny reading his introduction, which was written during the period when KISS was doing their so-called "Farewell Tour" (which of course only turned out to be the "Farewell" to Ace and Peter...), so it was full of things like "I know that sometime very soon I will be taking the stage as a member of KISS for the very last time" and blah blah blah... here I am reading the book a dozen years later and they're still goin'!

So I have not read the book and not sure I want to.

I'm reading that Peter does not hold back and says a lot of stuff about everybody. I guess he isn't friends with Ace anymore and I also heard that the Catman looks the worst out of the four.

With the stuff supposedly said in this book, I still want that mystique with KISS and again I'm not sure if I want to know all this stuff.

It's also a shame how the original 4 guys basically can't stand each other now.

I haven't read Ace's book yet, and that is more intriguing to me, so once I get to that, I will get to this.

I haven't read Gene's yet. I am not really interested in what he has to say, but one day I may read it. There's such a dichotomy going on inside my head. I love KISS. Such a great band, musically, theatrically, all that. But I really dislike Gene. He's just always rubbed me the wrong way. Never met him or anything--it's just based on his public persona, of course.

Gene's still my favorite member of KISS. Yeah, he's a self-absorbed, money and power hungry douche, but despite that I can't help but respect the hell out of the guy. He's one of our Great American A-Holes.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Gene's still my favorite member of KISS. Yeah, he's a self-absorbed, money and power hungry douche, but despite that I can't help but respect the hell out of the guy. He's one of our Great American A-Holes.

A Great American A-Hole who isn't American but the dream he lives is...

akeldama wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Gene's still my favorite member of KISS. Yeah, he's a self-absorbed, money and power hungry douche, but despite that I can't help but respect the hell out of the guy. He's one of our Great American A-Holes.

A Great American A-Hole who isn't American but the dream he lives is...

Hell yeah. The dude's butt ugly and he'll tell you himself that his musical skills are nothin' to shout about, but he's tagged more girls than everyone on this board combined will ever do in their lifetimes, and he sleeps on a mattress full of money every night next to a former Playmate of the Year. If that ain't the American Dream, then what is??

I got a few books that I haven't even read. I started to but just never went to them like Steven Adler, Dave Mustaine and the Gene Simmons one I bought at a yard sale.

I think I'll just wait for someone to sum it all up on wikipedia If I'm going to read something that might end up not being true I'd rather read it for free haha.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I got a few books that I haven't even read. I started to but just never went to them like Steven Adler, Dave Mustaine and the Gene Simmons one I bought at a yard sale.

I think I'll just wait for someone to sum it all up on wikipedia If I'm going to read something that might end up not being true I'd rather read it for free haha.

Whoa, Dave Mustaine has a book? I have to read that. That guy is so weird, it has got to be hilarious. I hope it's not an autobiography, but a collection of essays and drawings about how the government is out to get us, and all of his paranoid conspiracy theories.

Sorry, no. Just a regular old sex-drugs-rock n' roll type memoir.

http://www.amazon.com/Mustaine-Heavy-Metal-Memoir-Dave/dp/0061714402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352145832&sr=1-1&keywords=dave+mustaine

It's still pretty good though.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Sorry, no. Just a regular old sex-drugs-rock n' roll type memoir.

http://www.amazon.com/Mustaine-Heavy-Metal-Memoir-Dave/dp/0061714402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352145832&sr=1-1&keywords=dave+mustaine

It's still pretty good though.

Agree - good read!!!

ultmetal wrote:

I hope to pick this up soon. Loved Ace and Gene's book, though Gene's book has been proven to have a lot of 'mis-truths' since it was published. Still, they all give different perspectives and insights into the wonderful world of KISS, a band I've been infatuated with since I was a kid.

Peter's book is an interesting read as well. I"m in the middle of it right now. Much like Gene and Ace's book, as well as their group biography I've culled quotes together on certain things showing the different 'perspectives'. Gene still insists that Alive was mostly live recordings with only a few touch-up, while Ace, Peter and producer Eddie Kramer claim that it was mostly overdubbed save for the drums, the crowd interaction and Paul Stanley's stage banter. I don't really care. Those first three albums are great but never captured the raw intensity of Kiss quite like Alive. I be posting up some of Peter's quotes on the subject on my site soon.

As for the "Sweet Pain/Ace Frehley" solo thing, there seems to be more truth in what Peter states than what Gene or Ace stated. Ace basically stated he recorded a solo that was 'ok' and that he was going to go back to record a better one, but was not given the opportunity. Gene claims that Ace just never showed up to record a solo at all. Peter's recollection is somewhere in the middle, and in light of the "Destoyer [Resurrected]" release, probably the truth.

"Ace was drinking and partying with friends a lot, and he started missing sessions...Ezrin called one of his own ace session guys, Dick Wagner, who came in, nailed the songs, and left. The consummate pro, Wagner never got the credit, but it's him playing on songs like "Beth" and "Sweet Pain". Ace was furious he had been replaced and felt that Gene and Paul were traitors.
-Peter Criss, Makeup to Breakup, p. 129

Mustaine's book is a very good read

Addy wrote:

Mustaine's book is a very good read

I enjoyed that one as well.

How can any of these guys (pick your fav rock book autobiography) remember any details if they truly were as wasted as they claimed?!?!?!?!?

For example, Nikki ( I once died of a drug overdose) Sixx, supposedly kept a journal while he was addicted to heroin, I meet a few heroin addicts in my life, and not a single one could barely finish a cigarette without in danger of nodding off and burning his house down, let alone keep a journal of their oh so exciting lifestyle.