‘Biography: KISStory’ on A&E Is An Exhaustive Tale Of Determination, Egotism, And Face Paint

It’s my belief that hundreds of years from now the musical artists people will remember will be those with the best logos. This will naturally favor hard rock and heavy metal, genres which are as maligned and popular today as they ever were. Metallica? Great logo. Motörhead? Olde English never goes out of style. KISS? Where to start? Their name is a four letter word. The logo, with its thick angular lines, can be seen from miles away. Hell, their face paint is as famous as any of their songs and while we’re on the subject, they’ve written some of the greatest rock n’ roll songs of all time.

The members of KISS will be the first to tell you of their own greatness. Consider their breakthrough album, 1975’s Alive!, begins with the introduction, “You wanted the best and you got it! The hottest band in the land, KISS!” The new two-part Biography: KISStory is an epic tale of grit and determination, achievement and innovation, vulnerability and narcissism, camaraderie and betrayal, not to mention, sex, drugs and rock n’ roll.  Part of A&E‘s Biography series, it premieres Sunday, June 27 and Monday, June 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Any discussion of KISS unfortunately must mention the lingering acrimony between the group’s four original members. On one side are bassist Gene Simmons and guitarist Paul Stanley, the heart of the band who have kept it alive since 1973. On the other are guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, in many ways, the group’s soul. Both episodes include the disclaimer, “Neither Ace Frehley or Peter Criss participated in the creation of this documentary and do not endorse the views in this program.” Criss went so far as to forbid the use of his song “Beth,” the band’s only Top 10 single. Like, fights between family members, it’s uncomfortable to watch and neither side is without fault. Meanwhile, Frehley and Criss’ various replacements keep their heads down and try to avoid any collateral damage.

If the schism leaves a bitter taste, it’s tempered by Stanley and Simmons’ affection for each other. “Paul and I are two different sides of the same coin,” the latter says. Both came from Jewish families directly impacted by the Holocaust and felt like outsiders growing up, Simmons an Israeli immigrant, Stanley suffering from a birth defect that left him deaf in one ear. Throughout KISStory, they trade memories and insights with warmth and familiarity, closer than actual brothers.

KISS are often unfairly criticized for their perceived business practices, as if their ultimate goal has always been making money from licensing and merch. This ignores the band’s work ethic, their genuine love of music, and their lifelong championing of rock n’ roll as the ultimate expression of freedom. Stanley speaks in almost mystical terms about the band’s evolution, as if some supernatural power brought them together and showed them how to apply the Kabuki-inspired face paint which revealed who they were or who they wanted to be. Despite any ill will, Stanley recognizes the power of the original lineup, “the sum greater than its parts,” and how in Ace Frehley they found a guitarist whose “solos made sense.”

Though KISS’ outlandish appearance and pyrotechnics made them a concert attraction, record sales were lackluster until Alive! etched the excitement of their live show onto four vinyl album sides.  Within three years they were one of the biggest rock bands in America. Issues of creative control, artistic integrity and their relentless work schedule would chip away at band unity. “Now mix in drugs,” Simmons adds. Whether he was fired or he quit, Criss was gone by 1980. Frehley bailed two years later. “Fame doesn’t change you, it allows you to be the asshole you are,” is Stanley’s summation of the breakup.

KISS struggled for the next decade. Looking for a reboot they took off their makeup, milking it with an MTV special. Where they were once proto-metal pioneers, they now followed trends. Some bore commercial fruit, others produced music they were proud of. By the 1990s, they were producing KISS conventions, displaying memorabilia and selling collectibles. Sometimes they played acoustic sets, laying the groundwork for 1996’s Kiss Unplugged and a reunion of the original lineup. While the group made millions touring with Frehley and Criss, the old problems returned. Since 2002, Simmons and Stanley have been joined on stage by early ‘90s drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer wearing the makeup of their predecessors. As Singer says of his own status in the band, “It’s not called music friends, it’s called music business.”

At 4-hours running time, Biography: KISStory is both exhaustive and exhausting. However, its kitchen sink approach to chronicling the band’s career is in keeping with their time-honored tradition of giving their fans all they want and more. At the time of filming, KISS had embarked on The End Of The Road Tour, a two-year, 174-show hajira, which is allegedly their last. While the Covid pandemic resulted in a year’s worth of cancellations, the tour resumes this August.

BIOGRAPHY: KISSTORY premieres on A&E on June 27 and June 28.

Benjamin H. Smith is a New York based writer, producer and musician. Follow him on Twitter:@BHSmithNYC.

Watch Biography: KISStory on A&E