Over the years, many books have promised a thorough study of Kiss’ heady 70s period, when the masked quartet was undeniably one of the world’s leading hard rock bands. Several have come close and are quite informative, but the finest, from a rare pictures/ unheard tales standpoint, is Sealed With A Kiss, penned by Lydia Criss, ex-wife of drummer Peter Criss. Kiss fans have been waiting for this for years, as it’s long been known that Criss took candid pictures of the band from their inception, throughout the remainder of the 70s and even after her split from Peter in 1979.
The wait has certainly been worth it. Criss pulls no punches, describing all the band members’ quirks, as well as an extreme party-hearty lifestyle that ran rampant through the Kiss organisation. The text never drags and the pictures, many of which have never been published before, are simply outstanding (over 1500 photos in 368 pages).
Sealed With A Kiss doesn’t come off like a sleazy tell-all by someone out to make a quick buck. This is the real behind-thescenes story, as told first-hand by someone that was actually there. If you are a Kiss fan, you need this book.
