BY JOHN M. JAMES

Perfect for poolside summer reading, three new Rock & Roll books have captured my attention and plenty of Coppertone smudges. Hot off the New York Times best-selling KISS and Make-Up, demon bassist Gene Simmons offers up his new book, Sex Money KISS, a fascinating rant on all things financial or romantic from a guy who seems to have had it all. At 53, Simmons pulls no punches over his 30-year feast of money, fame and sexual liaisons, coming across like a pensive mix of an enterprising young Ben Franklin and Tom Cruise's character of sex-guru Frank Mackey in the film Magnolia. Regardless of your response to his morality, I think you'll find his worldly wisdom regarding divorce settlement hypocrisy, cash vs. credit, hustling for secondary jobs and income opportunities to be quite sage and irrefutable. Go ahead -- blush, laugh, frown, or argue with his bravado from the bully pulpit. But don't be surprised if some of his logic sinks in. Highly recommended for passion recharge. ... Krause Publications has just issued an updated, second edition of their Beatles Digest, a slick 320-page collection of essays and articles from the pages of Goldmine and Discoveries magazines. Over 200 nice black-and-white photographs pepper the book, which includes a 50-page price guide, in-depth interviews and a look at their collaborations after the band's break-up, plus reader's memories of John Lennon and where they were when they heard the news of his assassination. Other compelling chapters share the making of Lennon's Double Fantasy with producer Jack Douglas, and producer George Martin's memories of "his boys." ... Also digging deep is Hal Leonard's publication of The U2 Reader: A Quarter Century of Commentary, Criticism and Reviews, compiled and edited by Hank Bordowitz, a lifelong fan after first seeing the band live in 1980. The 300-page book pulls from magazines like Playboy, Trouser Press, Musician and The Nation to tell the history of the band, with contributors like Salman Rushdie, Billy Corgan, Moby, Dave Marsh, Elizabeth Wurtzel and Robert Christgau. Highlights include Bono's Class Day Speech at Harvard, various musings from salon.com and interviews with the band's manager, Paul McGuinness.

Releases Coming Tuesday
And like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change...16 Horsepower ­ Olden (Jetset) 20-track collection of demos from 1993 and 1994; Devendra Banhart ­ Black Babies (Young God); Bardo Pond ­ On the Eclipse (All Tomorrow's Parties); Beloved ­ Failure On (Solid State); Big Bad Voodoo Daddy ­ Save My Soul (Vanguard); Conspiracy ­ The Unknown (Inside Out); Cosmic Rough Riders ­ Too Close To See Far (Measured); Feather Merchants ­ Unarmed Against Dark (Innocent 12th Street/Ryko); The Fugs ­ The Fugs final CD (Artemis); Colin Hay ­ Man At Work (Compass); How To Deal ­ original motion picture soundtrack (Capitol) featuring a must-hear cover of Cat Steven's "Wild World" by Beth Orton; CEvin Key ­ The Dragon Experience (Metropolis); Kraftwerk ­ "Tour De France 03" (Astralwerks) newly recorded single; Kris Kristofferson ­ Broken Freedom Songs: Live From San Francisco (Oh Boy) recorded last summer; The Magic Band ­ Back to the Front (All Tomorrow's Parties); Nicotine ­ School of Liberty (Asian Man); Paloalto ­ Heroes and Villains (American); The Pretenders ­ Time Remixes (Artemis) CD EP; Rancid ­ Indestructible (Hellcat/Epitaph); David Lee Roth ­ Diamond Dave (Magna Carta) covers of songs by The Beatles, Savoy Brown, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and the Hombres; S.T.U.N. ­ Evolution of Energy (Geffen); Jimmy Scott ­ Moon Glow (Milestone); Sparks ­ Lil' Beethoven (Palm Pictures); Spock's Beard ­ Feel Euphoria (Inside Out); The Swords Project ­ Entertainment Is Over If You Want It (Arena Rock); Tindersticks ­ Waiting for the Moon (Matador); Triumph the Insult Comic Dog ­ Come Poop With Me (Warner Bros); TV On the Radio ­ Young Liars (Touch & Go); Steve Wynn ­ Static Transmission (DBK Works/Runt).

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