Heavy Metal Kiss
&
The Ascendance of
Stoopid
It isn’t
very often that I criticize a major act, a well loved rock & roll band that
stood the test of time. Kiss was formed in New York City in 1973 and they were
an almost immediate sensation. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were the leaders
of the band and they were responsible for the face paint and outlandish
outfits. A host of players travelled through the Kiss experience, with smoking
guitars, blood spitting and fire breathing. It was like a group of Kabuki
warriors with painted faces just waiting to freak you out. The various actors
in the musical aggregation were like comic book styled characters like Space
Ace, Catman and the Demon. By 1983, the band seemed to tire of the costuming
and began to perform without costumes and makeup. I didn’t care one way or
another because I thought the shtick was a bit infantile and only fit for
lobotomized zombies in the night of the living dead. But I could be wrong. Kiss
has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. So, what do I know! It’s just
a lot of doodah
Kiss stated
out in New York as Wicked Lester. They had a sizeable following and recorded
one album that was shelved by Epic. By Late 1972, Simmons and Stanley hired an
exceptional drummer and singer by the name of Peter Criss. By 1972 the trio did
a showcase for Don Ellis, the A&R director for Epic Records but alas he did
not like the band’s music but by January 1973 Ace Frehley joined the band and
it was only a few weeks later when Paul Stanley re-christened the band as Kiss.
And the rest
is history…well, maybe not history. The current members are Paul Stanley
(rhythm guitar, vocals); Gene Simmons (bass, vocals); Tommy Thayer (lead
guitar, Vocals); Eric Singer (drums, vocals). Former members included; Ace Frehley,
Peter Criss, Eric Carr, Bruck Kulick, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce
Kulick. The band has evolved into distinct stages from the Early Years to the
Rise of Prominence, Solo Albums, Final Makeup Years, Unmasking, Reunion and
Post Reunion. In 1995 the band released a 440 page of wham bam thank you mam
that chronicled the group’s history and it was followed by a worldwide Kiss Convention
Tour. Not too shabby for egotistical Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hacks; I
believe there is always more to consider when we think of Kiss, for instance
Dick Wagner’s spectacular guitar work on
such tracks as Flaming Youth and Sweet Pain during the sessions for the Destroyer
album while also playing acoustic guitar on the power ballad Beth. I also have
a memory of an old interview with Simmons in which he praised British Invasion
Bands and professed his love and respect for the Beatles music but after all
these years and after all their triumphs, I still don’t get it. Perhaps it’s
like having a shabby old pair of sneakers, they aren’t very comfortable but they
fit just right and you won’t throw them away. It’s when something reminds you
of an old forgotten time, a brief candle of memories that take you to another
place that’s warm and soothing. Kiss has been around for forty plus years and
all the cylinders are firing. Their resilience is stunning especially when you
notice that other musicians fold in face of ennui whether its new wave, old
wave, metal, rap or punk. I still don’t get it.
There must be an explanation for this Kiss phenomenon, perhaps something
like a musical X-file… oh no, something is out there!
I am unable
to attend the August 15th Kiss Concert but I will sit without
judgment. I have an open mind about Kiss
and I dig their longevity and working class vibe. I decided to take a trip
through YouTube and chanced to see several of their more recent concerts, not
too shabby. I did notice that Simmons and Stanley do not move their groove
thing very much anymore. It’s tough when you have to squeeze your big fat butt
into those spangled rock & roll outfits and put on that nasty Japanese
kabuki war paint on your face. It itches like a bitch!
As for the
concert in Saginaw, I hope they play all their hits especially Lola and
Paperback Writer
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