Gene Simmons: greedy, misogynistic, megalomaniacal bag of dicks. Paul Stanley: platitude-spewing ultra-narcissist. Also greedy. Ace Frehley: OK, sorta cool in that aloof guitar-hero way, but so whacked out on hard drugs and liquor for most of his life, kinda pathetic, really.
Peter Criss, however, has arguably been the least intolerable of the four original members of KISS: the lovable fuck-up, the "emotional one," the heart and soul of a frequently heartless, soulless band. Never considered a particularly great drummer, his contributions were crucial nonetheless—his "Beth," however sappy, was KISS's biggest-ever hit, and his vocals made "Black Diamond" and "Hard Luck Woman" two of the band's better tunes. But he seemed forever pushed around and disrespected by Gene and Paul. And his addictions and unceasing protestations of unfair treatment earned him multiple pink slips from the KISS corporation over the years.
It has made Criss a fairly sympathetic figure, and maybe if he'd kept his mouth shut and his pen away from paper, things would have stayed that way. But Criss, who'd been threatening to write a tell-all memoir for the past 25 years, finally completed the deed with his newly published Makeup to Breakup: My Life In and Out of KISS—co-authored by Larry "Ratso" Sloman (who helped write Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis's Scar Tissue and Howard Stern's Private Parts and Miss America).
Bad move. Makeup to Breakup—through which Criss clearly intended to settle scores with his erstwhile bandmates, various KISS associates, and his two ex-wives—backfires dramatically, coming off exceedingly petty, exasperating, and selfish. Criss hardly portrays himself as a saint, but even though he details his many personal and professional failings, candidly recounting them isn't the same as owning them. In the end, his lack of genuine soul-searching—as promised in the preface—and his persistently righteous indignation and self-pity render him an unlikable, bitter, oblivious lout.
Criss plays the sympathy card from the book's outset in the admittedly compelling opening line, "Have you ever tasted the barrel of a .357 Magnum that's halfway down your throat?" It's January 17, 1994—the date of the Northridge earthquake—and Criss is sitting inside his demolished Hollywood apartment, down to his last $100,000 (cash in a bag, because he doesn't trust banks), lamenting his IRS woes and status as a washed-up rock-'n'-roll has-been. He sticks the gun in his mouth, then, just as he's about to pull the trigger, he spots a photo of his young daughter on the floor and decides to go on living. Nearly 400 pages later, after we've been taken through the ups and downs of his 66 years on the planet, he says he's "a deeper Peter Criss" for whom "trust, honor, integrity, respect—all those were very sacred to me." But the bulk of the book blasts that claim to pieces.
Criss's hypocrisy and contradictions are breathtaking, even after having decades to mull this stuff over. We're told repeatedly that Gene is "truly a pig when it comes to sex." But elsewhere in the book, Criss looks back at his own questionable sexual escapades with virtually no shame or remorse. There's the drunk girl he and Ace covered with food and condiments from the hospitality table, then shoved naked into the elevator. There's the redheaded Vegas showgirl Criss picks out to be sent to his room who, years later, he learns, jumped out a hotel window over having to "service" guys like him. ("I'd kill myself, too," Criss writes unsympathetically.) And there's the time he stumbled across members of the KISS crew—biker guys—abusing groupies in their room at a Holiday Inn, forcing them to, among other things, snort powdered cleanser. "Some of those guys were really crazy. But I loved them," writes Criss with the benefit of hindsight.
Elsewhere, Criss goes out of his way to suggest, in pejorative fashion, that Stanley is gay or bisexual (a long-standing KISS-related rumor). Stanley loved to doodle and would rather shop for drapes and "frilly blouses" than drink with Criss. Clearly gay. Meanwhile, Criss says that he and Frehley used to "grab each other's dicks. It wasn't sexual, just stupid adolescent tomfoolery." And, in maybe the most talked-about nugget from the entire book, Criss all but confirms that Frehley (who he earlier outs as bisexual) gave him oral sex during a threesome with infamous groupie "Sweet Connie from Little Rock": "What he did down there, I don't know and I don't care, but eventually he came up for air. 'You are one sick motherfucker,' I said, and Ace just shrugged."
Simmons and Stanley are consistently raked over the coals for putting money ahead of decency and friendship. And yet, when the pair asks Criss to join the 1996 KISS reunion tour, he leaps for the money and ditches his bandmates in Criss, his '90s group that he'd previously credited with helping to pull him out of the suicidal depression that opens the book.
Later, he and Frehley have a falling out when Criss finds out he's being paid less than on the 2000 KISS "Farewell" tour. Frehley, who Criss claims was like a blood brother to him, "betrayed me like Judas for some pieces of silver." Throughout the book, Criss slams Frehley as "lazy" and a chronic masturbator.
Aside from one or two generic "Boy, I was an asshole" mea culpas, Criss rarely takes responsibility for any of his own failures. Crappy record companies—or the meddling of Simmons and Stanley—are to blame for his post-KISS records tanking. Others foisted drugs upon him.
The final two chapters of Makeup to Breakup detail Criss's recent bout with breast cancer and his deep religious faith. He uses the cancer episode to get in one last shot at Simmons, Stanley, and Frehley: "Every year I do a walkathon for breast cancer to raise money. My dentist sent in a grand one year. Did the band send anything? Not a fucking dime. They didn't even call me after I went public with my cancer."
At the end of the book, Criss writes what's already obvious: He's still harboring plenty of bitterness toward his former bandmates. Evidently, this revenge memoir didn't provide quite the catharsis he'd imagined, and it hardly provides the reader with any notion of goodwill toward the Catman. "I hope that I don't take these feelings to my grave," Criss writes of his anger.
He should have kept his feelings to himself.
Just watch the Tom Snyder interview. Ace and Peter had control and this disturbed Gene and Paul. Gene was out for control and power once the dollars started coming in for the band. Criss may not be the greatest drummer, but he was good. Gene on the other hand is an awful bass player and Paul would have been more suited for the Village People.
I think for most of us that were KISS fans in their early days (I'm 45 and saw them at MSG at the age of 11 - my uncle was a celebrity photographer), it's pretty obvious the band was done as soon as Ace left. It doesn't matter if the other guitarists were better than him or not. Personally, I don't think they were better than Ace for KISS, as only he could bring them their true sound. They haven't been the same since.
I feel the same about Peter. Perhaps he wasn't/isn't considered a great drummer, but his drumming style created what we know as KISS. The REAL KISS anyway.
I agree that this band has been riding the coattails of what they ONCE had and have been doing so for many years. Anything after Creatures Of The Night sucks if you ask me. No offense to anyone meant, just my opinion.
Ace's book was a great read. Peter's on the other hand...while I don't agree with this reviewer's opinions, Peter has issues and I didn't enjoy the book other than some of the history that hadn't been revealed before the book was published. Then again though, we've all got issues. So there ya go.
While Peter can be annoying, I have much less respect for Gene and Paul. They f@#$%* everyone else who came into the band and we all know that. Gene is so arrogant it's beyond belief. Even to his own wife and kids.
Ace is 'Aces' is my book. He's like a big kid, still to this day. He loves what he does and just keeps on doing it. That's all that matters. He knows he's a very fortunate person who was in the right place at the right time. He knows no one owes him anything and he doesn't expect it. Good guy.
In conclusion and more on topic - crappy review and probably more hateful that it had to be. This dude is obviously not a KISS fan. I personally didn't like the book though. There ya have it.
I sort of agree with all the comments stated on this site. Yes, Peter does seem bitter and his massive drug use is the reason why Paul and Gene kicked him out and I don't blame them for that. On the other hand, the way they screwed Peter over on his salary for the reunion and subsequent tours is inexcusable. Yes, Peter should have hired better entertainment lawyers before signing on the dotted line but that still doesn't make it okay for Doc, Gene, and Paul to give him such a puny contract. But again, Peter is indeed a bitter angry man for someone who claims to be born again. He must learn to forgive.
Finally, just a word on the current Kiss (and please don't attack me, this is just my personal opinion and all good people can disagree). I do appreciate all the great music and live shows that Kiss puts on for their fans. However, it is a bit silly at this point to have a 60 plus year old man, still spitting up blood on stage - I'm sorry but it is just too hard to take Gene seriously at this point when he does that. It's actually hard to keep from laughing. Sure, they can still play and put on a great show, but please drop some of the same stints from 30 plus years ago like the blood spitting because it no longer works due to their age. Mick Jagger can still strut the stage but he doesn't act the same on stage like he did when he toured in the 60s and early 70s. He matured his stage act and he can still rock with the best of them and put on a great show. Kiss should take some heed in that and adjust their antics during the live shows accordingly.
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I just dont understand why people wouldn't want to know Peter's side.... with all the members in and out over the years, don't you believe him?....at least a little? Everyone ever associated with this band says the same thing.
Think about it this way---If you started a company with 3 other people, and it grew to be a very successful company because of ALL 4 partners work and ideas, Would you be upset if your partners plotted against you and screwed you out of money and made major decisions without your consent or approval? Of course you would! That's why Ace and Peter left those two money loving, egotistic pigs.
Let's also not forget that this "company" never did the business it did with all 4 original partners, and never turned out a product as desireable by the core fans.
I grew up listening to KISS, since their 2nd LP. Peter Criss was always the weak link. Out of the 3 drummers KISS has had, Peter is the worst. His only claim to fame was being the first. The only thing that helped me not be a fan of Peter's was having the misfortune to meet Peter numerous times. There's a reason that this rock icon fell & became a failure... Peter only needs to look in to a mirror to see that reason. The more he speaks, the less I like him.
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"only claim to fame was being first"? Yeah, that and being in the band when they were the biggest band in the world in the 70's and bringing them out of clubs and back into arenas in the 90's. .... and "failure"? the guys retired and paid in full! He and Ace had the self respect and dignity to walk from those greedy whores. Wake up! Read your KISStory.
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The more I hear about peter criss the more I lose respect for that guy. He is always whining and he should be thankful that Gene and paul have kept kiss alive all this years. If peter makes any dime in his life is because of KISS. Therefore, he should defend and praise this band past and present. I used to support peter criss music but he is just a loser and he needs to go away and get a life. I've seen kiss play live many time and with singer and tommy they got their best line up ever.
@emusic uhhh.......save it dude. This isn't some fanatical KISS message board. It's a response to a book review. Was the book good? Did it deliver what was promised? Did you already know Peter was a crybaby before reading the book? Did you find his account of the Destroyer sessions to be insightful? Get off the fuckin' soap box and go back to the FAQ.
@KG2000 @emusic Since this is a response to a book review, we are supposed to comment about the "author" as well. Unfortunately, peter criss is not a credible source and people should know about it. He should not be focussing on other people's life and preferences. I don't think that Paul stanley is gay. However, it is up to paul stanley to release this info if he wants to. At least paul stanley has been very respectful to the fans and maintains his private life to himself and only talks about what we care which is MUSIC. All kiss fans knows that peter is just a bitter guy who misses his old job. Kiss is a business just like everything in life and when there are mediocre workers they get fired. Peter should embrace the success he once had, erase the negativity and move on to pursue some positive ventures. I have nothing but admiration for gene and paul because they have work so hard so that peter, ace, and company can pay their bills. Kiss reach the top in the seventies, hit bottom and came back again as a very stable rock group thanks to the hard work of gene and paul. Why do I need to read a book about a loser who wants to destroy the legacy of such as successful company? Kiss is a 40 years old company and peter only worked for 6yr/plus a few reunions. when you look at the picture he has not done much for the band and he does not know much about he band. BTW, you don't need to use vulgar language to reply to my post cause we are adults and I just made an honest opinion about the "author" of the book. However, I won't hate you cause you must like kiss to some degree...so have a great day.
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We never heard ANYTHING about the Destroyer sessions until his book! Nobody has ever heard anything but Gene/Paul knock around Ace and Peter for years and years. How about Peter telling us about Bogart, Aucoin, and Delaney creating and financing EVERYTHING! And the two greedy whores kicked them out too!
@jkat74 Wow, learn some facts. Destroyer sessions are detailed in "KISS Behind The Mask" in which each song is broken down by all 4 original members, Bob Erzin, Aucoin and Delaney. It is also detailed in Gene's book, and in Ace's book. Gene and Ace also go into detail about how important Bogart, Aucoin and Delaney were to the beginning of the band. As for Aucoin being kicked out, just watch the youtube video of Ace explaining that he was pissed after coming off of tour, and finding out that Aucoin earned $1 million for the tour and Ace earned $75,000. So they fired him. In Ace's own words. The only reason Ace and Peter got "knocked around" is because they were high and drunk and letting Paul and Gene do the heavy lifting. Ace is my favourite in the band, but there never would have been a KISS if there wasn't Paul and Gene.
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I'm so happy Peter wrote the "real" book. Simmons and Stanley are money grubbing whores... Bottom line. They take every shot possible at Ace and Peter in their efforts to brainwash fans and discredit them.
Only since his book did you ever hear the truth on how KISS's success is completely owed to original managers, Neil Bogart, Bill Aucoin, and Sean Delaney. Their entire stage show and image is owed to those 3 men who have also been discredited as "drug addicts, etc." in Simmons and Stanley's warped version of KISStory.
If anyone thinks for one second that KISS in any incarnation hasn't been riding the coattails of the original lineup for the last 30 years, you've been reading too many Gene/Paul interviews. I'v been to countless shows in the last 25 years as a fan with 2500 people in an arena that holds 30,000.
I especially love the part of the book where Peter talks about how corny the new shows are with Paul riding his guitar around the stage while slapping his ass, and how ridiculous they are now. I was always thinking the same thing.....its a great read, and I still love the band. (at least up to around '82-'83)
Keep the comments coming.... I love this stuff.
@jkat74 Yes, Gene's bloviating is tiresome and the stream of merchandising while once kinda cool has become trite as well. Hello Kitty, really? I've always been a Paul Stanley guy, but he's starting to be a bit of a huckster as well. He had a great solo record in 2006 but that street cred is gone. Having said that Peter has done nothing but bitch and complain for over 30 years. It's old. Did he get screwed? Maybe. Does he shoulder much of the blame? Absolutely.
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I have been a KISS fan since I was 10 years old. I am now 47. Most of us wish that the orignal line up was still together. I enjoyed Ace's book very much. I thought it was very even handed in its placement of blame, if you want to call it that, for the reason they are not together. As for Peter I have grown so tired of his constant whining and taking of shots at Gene and Paul. That he would turn on Ace shows who he really is. A total lifelong bitch and malcontent. Peter should consider himself very lucky, had Eric Carr not passed away the Reunion Tour would have never happened and he would';t have had had a second chance to crap the bed and kill the golden goose which is exactly what he did when they reunited.
@kmacdougall OK....so what does that have to do with his book and this "opinion-review"? If you are going to review a book it should have something to do with the entertainment value....if you are just going to call the guy a crybaby the you are sort of missing the point. It's no secret this book promised plenty of mud slinging and salacious dirt. Did it deliver?......Yes. That's why people want to read it. We all know Pete's been a crybaby for years.....that's sort of a moot point. The discussion should be, did the book deliver the goods when it comes to crazy mud slingin'?
@KG2000 @kmacdougall Other than tell about his fun times with Ace (embarassing) who always seemed to have his back, there's nothing new that we as fans didnt know. Gene likes money and sex, Paul may be a bit effeminate, I've met him a couple times never seemed that way to me and both his wives have been hot, and poor Peter never got his due. Ace's book is much better and fun to read.
"Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."
Mark Twain. A real writer unlike you. You're "stupid", to quote a great.
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You don't know anything about Peter Criss or Kiss. It's clear you skimmed the book. You didn't read it. You shouldn't post an opinion of what you know nothing about. It makes you look dumb. This was a hate piece from beginning to end. And for what? Why do that to a person.
How did you get this job?
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@rickfriel I looked up this dudes creds...seems he's been doing freelance stuff for a few years. He's your typical snotty hipster elitist. I'm not sure why The Voice would choose THIS guy to review a KISS book. Maybe the Kiss people paid this guy to write a hate piece. Easy money. It's clear that the reviewer doesn't like KISS though. But it doesn't matter, because out of all the reviews, and there have been many written thus far, THIS is the one that KISS ONLINE decided to post on their website. And they chose this one not for it's fairness...but for it's venomous, once-sided bashing.
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Read the book and decide for yourself. I did. This is the ONLY time we get to read Peter Criss’s side of KISS. Eric Singer had his say yesterday - he does NOT sound like Peter or Rod Stewart - , and KISS announced recently that it is illegal to have a KISS face on a book (what a coincidence!). And before this book came out, Paul and Gene were always saying bad things about Peter (and Ace), and finally, we can hear Peter… who now gets equal time. This book is a MUST READ for any KISS fan, as Peter gives unique points of view of KISS’s history from the beginning through Unmasked. In conclusion, I like Paul, Ace, Gene, and Peter equally, and their music lives forever.
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This isn't a review, it's an opinion piece designed to discredit the author. This "review" is at least as bitter, if not more, than the accusations waged against Peter Criss and his book.
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I symphatize with Peter. Charity starts from home. If Kiss was indeed a family ... There would be more respect and care between family members. Kiss is a very lucrative business. And it is sad that the charity acts are just to get a nice tax brake and favorable publicity. Wouldn"t you help a loved one? Or a brother or sister before a stranger?
The real men behind their masks are far away from what their fans believe them to be... Sad but true!
And I hope Peter will accept the circumstances and heal inside moving on with his life to a better place surrounded by better quality people. Peace all!
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It just makes everyone look bad. Bands that survive on myth and reputation, or in other words, all of them, should not tear each other down. By the time they are done you really don't like any of them and it affects the way you feel about the music if you associate it with the band's issues.
@13MitredAbbots Agreed. The more books about this band that I really loved, have shattered my illusion about them. I understand they're still basically a corporation, but damn every book that comes out about them just makes them all look worse than before.
But wouldn't you rather see them stop? Enough already.... Gene's a fat slob, Paul has tits, Thayer and Singer are total clones of Ace and Peter. Singer even switched to single bass drum for chrissake! Tommy writes and sings songs about lightning and rockets (remember "Shock Me" or "Rocket Ride" anybody? He even gives the "thumbs up" which was just about a Frehley trademark. They are killing the legacy all by themselves.... they need no help from Peter or Ace.
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