Now introducing the hottest blog in the world. You want the best place for the news about the rock music that you love and opinions from a senior citizen trapped in a 22-year-old body. Then you got the best with Gen Z Talks Rock Music. Why I am parodying how the legendary rock band Kiss opens their live shows, because today I will do a book review for the book titled, “Backstage Pass,” written by one of their members. I will discuss what the book was about and how it was more than music. The story of how I ended up reading the book and how this musician’s book persuaded me to read his other book. Finally, what I thought of the book, I also will include a bio section of the musician. He is a musician from New York, who is an entertaining front man and an underrated rhythm guitarist, and he was an important piece to this legendary band. He and his band would be the most dominant hard rock bands since the 1970’s. They were known for their unbelievable live shows, because the band’s mission was to have shown that the public had never seen before. The band would go out on stage with painted faces to represent characters and would entertain the crowd with their wild shenanigans like fire breathing, blood splitting, pyrotechnics, and much more. As this band is wrapping up their farewell tour, the co-leader singer and rhythm guitarists has written two books about his rock star journey called, “Face The Music: A Life Exposed” and “Backstage Pass.” This is rock star is none other than Paul Stanley from the classic rock band, Kiss.
Paul Stanley Bio:
Stanley’s rock star journey of being a musician would begin when he was accepted to Manhattan’s High School of Music & Arts for his art skills. This high school is known for famous musicians, who got their chance to stardom, like Janis Ian, Laura Nyro, and the band Left Banke. He saved up money and purchased his fist electric guitar at the age of 14, because his parents let him down by buying him a cheap acoustic guitar. While at the school in Manhattan, he would join the band called Post War Baby Boom to be the vocalist and rhythm guitarist. Post War Baby Boom would play unusual covers at their gigs to set themselves apart from other local bands. During Stanley’s time with Post War Baby Boom, he would start writing songs and he would write his own version of popular songs. After his junior year at Manhattan’s High School of Music & Arts, Post War Baby Boom would break up with all the members except Stanley going away to college.
Stanley moved forward with his rock star dream and eventually met bassist Gene Simmons. Now friends, Stanley and Simmons recruited members to start Wicked Lester. This would be short lived as Stanley and Simmons didn’t like the direction of the band and the first album under Electric Lady Studios didn’t sell well in 1972. In 1973, Stanley and Simmons continued writing songs together and put together a new band named Kiss with lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. They would sign with Casablanca Records and came out with their self-titled album. Paul Stanley wrote and sang hits like “Firehouse” and “Black Diamond.” The rest was history as Kiss has been rocking the world for almost 50 years. If you want to learn about Stanley’s inspiring life, check out the link below. Paul Stanley - KISS, Ear & Facts - Biography
My Story Behind The Book:
In 2019, Alex and I celebrated our love for Kiss with a Kiss 2019 bash. What I mean by this is we did events together only related to Kiss. It started in March, when we saw Kiss at Madison Square Garden. It was such a fun and entertaining show. Then in April, we bought “Backstage Pass” by Paul Stanley from a bookstore online, because he was doing a book signing with a meet and greet at Bookends in New Jersey. We got a sign copy of his book and met Paul Stanley. It was the best two seconds of my life! Then we wrapped up this Kiss 2019 with seeing Ace Frehley live at The Starland Ballroom, and he put on an excellent show.
Book Review:
I love “Backstage Pass” by Paul Stanley. It is such a moving and touching book to read. I was impressed with his writing, because he wrote it from the heart, and it was very personal book. He opened the door of his deep thoughts and secrets to the reader, which I love, because I like when a rock star shows their human side. Also, I was so inspired by the end of the book. He told his readers of how his parents never cared about him and the ear condition made him feel like a freak, but that didn’t stop him from having success in his life. He was a victim as a child and if he does nothing to change being the victim, then his life is never going to be better. He set goals and worked hard to have a better life than his childhood and eventually became the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the hottest band in the world, Kiss. It just so moving to me, because I learned from him that it not how you start, it is how you finish. Just because your childhood is bad doesn’t mean you have to be the victim for the rest of your life.
I also admire the emotional moments that he talks about in his book. For instance, Stanley never had a good relationship with his father. He felt he could never go to his father for things, because Stanley’s father was the not the type of person to talk about feelings. He would tell Stanley to man up and deal with your own problems. Stanley made it clear in his first book, titled “Face The Music: A Life Exposed,” that his father not a real father figure to him. After Stanley said how he really felt about his father, Stanley’s father realizes how bad of father he was and reached out to him. Stanley’s father wanted to open and talking relationship with son, which Stanley always wanted from his father. Now, he talks in “Backstage Pass” how his father and him patched thing up and Stanley’s father has a beautiful relationship with his son and grandchildren. Another example is when Stanley is figuring out who he is as a person, and he talks about how able to find himself. For the longest time, Stanley never felt comfortable in his skin, and would live under the face paint of being the Starchild. It wasn’t until he had family of his own, he started to love himself. Instead of living as the Starchild, he lived his real-world life as Paul Stanley and was only the Starchild, when he was on stage performing. Stanley is one of the iconic rock stars of the classic rock era and he wrote one of most exhilarating books that I ever read. He talks about Kiss’s story as well as how he fought to be successful in this world. He deep dives into his family life and how he found satisfaction with his life. I totally recommend to my readers to pick up a copy of Paul Stanley’s “Backstage Pass” as it such a fantastic read. It is such an excellent read that it persuaded me to read his other book, “Face The Music: A Life Exposed.” I will do another book review blog in the future to tell you what I thought of his other book. I have put links below of my 10 favorite vocal and guitar performances by Paul Stanley. Let me know in the comments below, what are your thoughts about Paul Stanley and his story. Also, let me know, if there was a book that blew you away, when you first read it. Tune in next time to Gen Z Talks Rock Music as we continue to keep the music alive.
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