Under Stjärnan: En Biografi (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I listened to this as an audio book.This is the second book from the original members of Kiss. I was always a fan of the music, but not necessarily all the members. I have already read the book by Ace Freley, and like all bio's the author slants the story from their perspective this book is no different. Though Paul does it in a way that I feel he is being truthful, at least from the way he sees it. I will probably read the books from the other 2 in time. But I can only handle so much KISS stories (which really aren't all that exciting most of the time) at one time.If you like rock music, and especially interested in the stars of that era, this is well worth the time. Before I get to my review, let me tell you where I am coming from.I became a KISS fan in about 75/76. Although they were never one of my all-time favorite bands (I don’t consider myself a member of the KISS ARMY), I do like the band. Hey, how can you not love KISS?? Heck, I even had an audio recording of KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM. I did have a KISS poster in my bedroom as a kid. I only got to see them one time—in 1985 on Animalize. I had about 4 albums on vinyl, have about 3 CD’s.So, I’ve always liked KISS. I wouldn’t put them in my top 5 favorite bands. Perhaps Top 10, definitely top 15.Others have compared Paul’s book to books written by Gene, Ace and Peter. I can’t do that because I never read the others. As a matter of fact, until reading these reviews, I was unaware they had written their own memoirs—so I guess that shows my level of KISS fandom.Now, the book:I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Face the Music.’ It’s always interesting to see a glimpse into a world most of us never get to see and can only imagine. I liked learning about his childhood, putting the band together, meeting Gene, etc…(Again, having not read the other books this was all new to me.) I learned a lot about Paul, about Kiss and enjoyed it very much. I appreciate Paul opening up, sharing his demons (no pun intended) about his deformity, his anxieties, his insecurities, his childhood. It’s refreshing to see what the real person is like and I applaud him for his candor. It’s an easy, quick read.I did walk away with certain impressions, however.***Paul consistently mentions that he always viewed KISS a band, all 4 members with their own persona. The Beatles skiing down that hillside in Help! However, for being one guy in a band of four, he sure has a lot of negative things to say, primarily about Peter and Ace, but even Gene as well. Interesting.***Although he is open and honest about his shortcomings personally, he takes no responsibility for the mistakes the band made. If something was not up to snuff Kiss-wise, it was never his fault. It was the manager, the record producer or his bandmates. He apparently was above the fray.>>>Paul does seem very happily married to Erin. And I’m happy for him. A photo in the book shows them to be truly in love. However—and I’m not begrudging him this—but she is a beautiful blonde who is 20 years younger. Now, if he wasn’t Paul Stanley Rock God, it’s unlikely she would have given him the time of day. To all the guys out there—what chance do we have of being with a gorgeous blonde who is 20 years our junior?***I thought toward the end, the last 40 pages or so, the book became very ‘preachy’ and it left me with a somewhat bitter taste of disappointment in my mouth—for several reasons.>>>He holds nothing back when talking about the Reunion Tour and the Farewell Tour in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. He admits that Ace’s guitar playing was consistently off-key and Peter’s drumming was downright awful. Then, I’d love to know how and why were they not replaced sooner? If the concerts fell short of KISS standards, if you know the shows are not good—why keep 2 musicians in the band who cant carry their weight? Isnt that similar to ripping off the fans? As Paul relates story of Peter and Ace’s subpar performance, did he feel guilty for charging fans big bucks for tickets knowing the shows were not good?>>>The preachy ending of the book bothered me. He’s made millions and millions and millions of dollars. He’s got a beautiful younger wife. He’s a celebrity. He’s traveled around the world, has stayed in the finest hotels and has been with thousands of women. HOWEVER, now he states he is happy and that it’s NOT about the money, NOT about the fame, NOT about the women, etc…It just seems a bit…phony? Two faced? It seems a bit hypocritical to say its not about the fame, women, money—after you’ve achieved fame, women and money.Overall, I did like this book. It was interesting to learn a lot about the band. I will say I enjoyed “RED” by Sammy Hagar much more. Honestly, I am more of a Hagar/Van Hagar fan than I am a KISS fan and that probably has a lot to do with it. Also, I found Sammy’s book more honest and soul-baring than Paul’s. And lastly, Sammy’s career actually has spanned more years than Paul Stanley’s. Yet, Paul’s book is twice the length.This book is a toss up between 3 and 4 stars but I’ll go with 4.
What do You think about Under Stjärnan: En Biografi (2014)?
Great book. What else would you expect from one of the greatest song writers ever!
—ash
I'm a fan of all the rock-n-roll biographies and this does not disappoint.
—shelby
Great read, love the perspective Paul brings.
—Eke
