Face the Music: A Life Exposed Hardcover – April 8, 2014

I've had this book pre-ordered for many weeks now, & having watched a couple of interviews with Paul leading up to the publish date I was very excited to finally get to read it. A couple of points to make here: The book is extremely well written, and refreshingly there aren't any repetitive tawdry depictions of the band members when they were backstage or in their hotel rooms during their years on the road. ( I've had enough of that ad nauseam from other biographies ). If that is what you're looking for, then skip this book. Paul made it clear that this book was going to be focused on his life, not about the band, and he has delivered in a big way.You just never know what will drive a young person to succeed in life, and for him, it was his birth defect. I found the first few chapters to be a little sad but as the story unfolded I was hooked. Also; there are a lot of funny stories throughout the book to keep it flowing. He makes reference to bands he saw in concert during the 60's, and says; "combine the way they looked with the way they sounded, and it's no wonder people took acid at their shows." Love it.One thing that I wish Paul had elaborated on a little more; he talks about learning songs, and there is a picture in his book of him and a Gibson SG, but he never discusses it. As a guitarist for many years, and having respect for his work, I would have liked to have heard more about what he did to become proficient at the instrument during his early years. The one main thing that keeps surfacing amongst these pages is that he is very passionate about his goal, and that he will work his butt off to make it happen, both in his personal struggle, and to see his band become successful.As a fan, I was also very interested in the days between "Creatures" & "Unmasked" and Paul gives us clear insight into what was going on.It's also fascinating to read about Bill Aucoin, Desmond Child, Bryan Adams, and a host of other music industry biggies that contributed to the success of the band, and helped them through a very crucial transitional period.As you near the midway point, the pages just flow faster and faster. Paul is VERY candid about his bandmates, and as future readers, you can decide on your own who was doing what. He is also very detailed regarding his personal life. His recollection of his divorce, healing, and of meeting and marrying Erin is very touching and heartfelt.To the end, this book is about a young man who made his mind up, worked hard, and is now reaping the fruits of his labor.Back in the 80's, Paul & Gene appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show, and she asked Paul what he wanted in the end. His reply, "To just keep doing what I'm doing, and if I have cramps from smiling, then I'm a lucky guy."Mission accomplished Paul.

This is a fascinating, unexpected and ultimately inspiring biography in which Stanley seems to shoot for a measure of raw honesty and mostly succeeds in doing so. It is both a triumph over adversity story and highs and lows of fame tale. There are moments where he seems bitter toward or angry with certain people and where he calculatedly allows his ego to shine through. But mostly you get the impression, he is extremely grateful for everything he has and has achieved, and is striving hard in this book to be balanced, tell his story with humility (and confidence where required) while imparting some hard earned and learned wisdom.Rock and roll excess is obviously a huge part of the story of Kiss and Mr Stanley's tome delivers on this handsomely. And while he never bogs himself down in grotty detail the way Peter Criss did in his 'Makeup to Breakup: My Life in and Out of Kiss', he doesn't dodge the bullet of his own addictive (sexual) fallibilities. The difference is that he has examined and come to terms with the aspects of his life that he seems to view as rock and roll behavioral shortcomings. At the same time, he doesn't diminish his enjoyment of them at the time or give the impression he is trying to distance himself from a past as a changed man. He charts his life and experiences as things that have made him the person he is today and he paints equally complex pictures of quite a number of the players in his life, including Gene Simmons.The highs and lows of life in Kiss, the good and bad advice they received, and the situations they found themselves in are evocatively told, often with hilarious self deprecation. But it is the well drawn character studies, the fascinating unlikely and previously untold reflections on the home and early life of a one eared boy so driven to be a rock star, the unexpected and honest charting of the loneliness and isolation of being a mega-famous but masked and therefore anonymous rock star, and the late career discovery of additional meaning that makes this book so riveting. It is amazing to learn about his levels of doubt as he charts the creation of each Kiss album and his quest for artistic credibility within the confines of a cartoon image rock band.This is one of the most uplifting rock biographies I have read. I could not put it down. And when I finished, I mourned that it was over. That is surely the sign of a great and very satisfying read. Highly recommended.