Scott Parker
"KISS documented volume one: Great expectations 1970-1977" (2011)
Scott Parker har satt ihop en mycket läsvärd och kul bok om samtliga audio/video inspelningar som finns att tillgå för fansen. Må hända att nördfaktorn slår i taket, men personligen fann jag boken mycket intressant och givande.
Jag är själv ingen fanatiker vad gäller bootlegs, men köpte en del videoboots i början av 90-talet och långt senare har det även blivit en del liveinspelningar och demos på cd. Mitt intresse har aldrig varit att skaffa en så komplett och stor samling som möjligt, utan mer att välja ut "viktiga" och spännande konserter med överlag hyfsat ljud.
Boken tar sin början med lite tidiga demos från Simmons och Criss och Wicked Lester för att sedan övergå till att bli ett trevligt komplement till numera hyllade "KISS Alive Forever". Parker dissikerar och analyserar, utan att bli tråkig skall sägas, och redovisar sida upp och sida ner allt som fångats på video, 8 mm eller kassett. han betygsätter ljudkvalitén, nämner om det finns klipp eller om ljudet eller filmen på något sätt tagit skada.
Till flera videoinspelningar finns det även bildrutor. Dock har jag den lite billigare svartvita versionen av boken, vilket gör att en hel del bilder kunde man klarat sig utan då de är nästintill kolsvarta.
Första liveinspelningen som redovisas är videoupptagningen av giget på Coventry 731222 och den inspelning som avslutar boken är det tänkta livealbumet "Rock and roll party in Tokyo". Däremellan bjuds det verkligen på en bra genomgång av de liveinspelningar som cirkulerar runt ute i stora vida världen. Parker tar även upp en del radiointervjuer som finns att tillgå, vilket också bjuder på en ganska intressant läsning.
För mig ledde boken till att jag under några dagar rotade fram en massa bootlegs och lyssnade febrilt och njöt av det hungriga och spännande band som en gång var.
Är du KISS-nörd kan du inte vara utan boken. Köp!
I och med att jag tyckte boken var så intressant tog jag tillfället i akt och mailade över lite frågor till Scott. Nedan hittar ni svaren!
What gave you the idea to put this book together and is this the same book that was talked about at Sagafoo.com way back?
Scott: You know, I have had this idea for YEARS, and it took me forever to write it. But I think KISS collectors needed to be serviced as well as possible by a book, just t keep the collections straight. The info is out there, but all over the place, so I thought it would be a good idea to have it all in one book! It is the very same book I talked about doing at Sagafoo. It got a lot easier to write once I had written a few Frank Zappa books and had developed a "style"!
When did you start collecting live recordings and which one was your first audio/video?
Scott: Wow! We'd be going back to about 1989 or so. At that point KISS bootleg videos from the 1970s had started to surface, which got my attention because I'd been a fan since 1976. But I think the first real bootleg I'd gotten was the SNEAK ATTACK bootleg from the Los Angeles 1977 shows. I got in on an 8-track tape my cousin made for me. In 1979! That sold me on the world of bootlegs!
Do you have any idea of how many KISS live recordings you´ve got?
Scott: God, no idea! I have many spindles of DVD-Rs full of shows, and that's not counting cassettes, vinyl and CDs. Thousands, for sure!!
How long did it take to put the book together and did it come out the way you wanted to?
Scott: Let's see...I probably spent about a year working on it, perhaps a bit more. I like it a lot; I think I accomplished what I set out to do but given a do-over now I'd probably end the book with the last show of 1979--a good place to end. I'll make up for it though--the next book will take us to the end of the Creatures era.
You mention a couple of uncirculated recordings. Have you heard/seen any of these yourself?
Scott: I've seen and heard bits and pieces of things, some of which I'm allowed to talk about and some of which I'm not. But I am trying to get clearances on everything so I can bring them up in Volume 2!
What uncirculated audio/video recordings do you know for sure are out there?
Scott: There are SERIOUS gems out there--here's a couple: The third night in Detroit 1976 does exist on video. Contrary to what I'd written in the book it is NOT damaged. It is actually very beautiful and pristine but it does have SMPTE time code running through the whole thing. And it's missing the encores. There is also a 1973 rehearsal with "Life In The Woods" that will probably surface at some point. That's not even scratching the surface of what is out there waiting to find its way into general circulation though!
Is there a version of the book with colour pictures?
Scott: There is indeed--it's a bit more expensive than I wanted it to be, but it is available through Amazon.com and at my site at www.spbpublishing.webs.com.
Which audio/video recording is your favorite?
Scott: Audio wise, I'd have to say the SNEAK ATTACK show because you never forget your first love! In terms of video, I'm very partial to anything from the Elder and Creatures eras, especially Creatures. There is a humility and a lack of real pretense from both Gene and Paul in their Creatures-era media appearances that makes you root for them all the more.
When the book was all done, did any new audio/video recordings surface that you didn´t know of? Nagoya 77 Mr Peach?
Scott: New stuff surfaces all the time! Mr. Peach is a good example--AMAZING recording of an amazing show. The boys were on fire in Japan for sure. I've also been approached by some well-connected folks who may allow me to talk about stuff that isn't widely circulated in future volumes in the series. Video goodies show up on Youtube constantly as well!
I gather there will be at least a Volume 2. Any plans for that one? Are you working on it?
Scott: I am! It will cover the Love Gun tour through the end of Creatures, and provide some updates for the first volume. I have no timetable yet, but I am working on it!
Please tell us about some of the other books you´ve put together!
Scott: I'm probably best-known (to date) for my books about Frank Zappa, an ongoing series that is similar to the approach I took with the KISS book. And I wrote a book documenting the audio and video artifacts from the Woodstock Festival of 1969. It's about getting the historical record right! I'm working on other Zappa things, and also a similar book about Pink Floyd. It's always going!
/Niclas
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