Peter Criss, the original drummer for KISS, may not be the most sophisticated of storytellers, but his take on the wild evolution of a hard rock band into an enormous licensing machine is told with heart and honesty.
Born Peter Criscuola, he began his journey in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the 1950s, a gang member who narrowly avoided life in prison. His musical talent, however, gave him another way to find meaning and belonging as he helped shape KISS into a juggernaut of rock music during the late 1970s. The picture he paints is fairly bleak, however: a life on the road with demanding, narcissistic band mates and fans who saw him only as his stage persona.
The amount of money made by other people--both in the band and out--never quite made it to Criss, even though he certainly earned a boatload or two. He doesn't flinch from telling the ugly truth about himself and the people he worked with in his 40-something years in the music business. Criss survives it all (including suicide attempts, failed marriages and breast cancer), coming out the other end a bit happier and far stronger than when he started.
Makeup to Breakup is a fascinating ride through the excesses at the height of glam-infused rock and roll--and the depressing reality underneath. The makeup, the bombastic stage show, and the simple, heavy, guitar-based music endeared them to millions of KISS fans worldwide. Peter Criss tells all about it directly, with a refreshing honesty and passion. --Rob LeFebvre, freelance writer and editor