This "News" page generally only relates to matters of interest to the KISSFAQ. There's no need to replicate news that can be seen on other KISS websites. If you use information appearing on this or any other KISSFAQ page, in print (fanzines) or online (directly quoted or rewritten), please have the courtesy to say where it came from. If printing in fanzines, I'd love a copy sent to the KISSFAQ PO Box. Should you want official announcements please visit the band's official website at: KISSONLINE.COM.
| Thursday, October 30, 2008 7:48:16 PM - Chris Davis - "Baby Driver" |
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| Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:27:05 AM - Largo '77 |
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| Saturday, October 25, 2008 7:22:29 AM - "One Live Kiss" Audio Issues? |
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Some users are experiencing apparent issues with their "One Live Kiss" DVD with the video playing and no sound being heard... It's NOT a manufacturing or DVD fault, the default audio on the DVD is set to DTS5.1, and if your player hardware doesn't support it then you hear nothing. Simply select the "Dolby Stereo" option, as below, and you should be ready to relive/experience the glory of Paul's "Live To Win" tour!  Clickie to order |
| Thursday, October 23, 2008 6:46:13 AM - Updated "KISS & Related Recordings Focus" |
 The 3rd Edition of the "KISS & Related Recordings Focus" has been published as "ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE: THE MUSIC OF KISS." A revamped "KISS & Related Recordings Focus," which went out of print earlier this year. Much fat has been trimmed from the 2nd edition with the removal of material too tangential. The work has been extensively rewritten, edited, reorganized and updated. Originally debuting as a feature on the KISSFAQ website, this unofficial & unsanctioned work is a companion book to the "KISS Album Focus" trilogy. It delves specifically into the recording history of KISS, and the associated past members, on a song-by-song basis. If you purchased a 2nd Edition, then the final stats included only 60 hardcovers being produced, and less than 300 paperbacks. That makes the 2nd edition rarer than the 1st printing! The book will be available from Amazon and is currently enabled for "availibility notification"... Paperback: 540 pages Publisher: Booksurge/KISSFAQ Publishing; 3rd Edition (October 20, 2008) Language: English Pictures: None. ISBN-10: 0-9722253-8-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-9722253-8-0 Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches Shipping Weight: 2.0 pounds |
| Monday, October 20, 2008 6:59:15 AM - The Ace Frehley Live Archive |
| For quite some time KISSFAQ has been working on an archive of Ace Frehley's solo concert dates, 1984-2008. So far, we've compiled a list of nearly 400 shows, cancelled gigs, many with set lists and opening acts. Now it's time for a bit of peer review, and YOUR help is needed. We know many details are missing and would appreciate if YOU could help fill in the missing dates, opening/headlining acts, and other details! Check it out HERE in PDF format or the standard online feature, HERE. We're also working on tour archives for Vinnie, Mark, and Bruce... |
| Monday, October 20, 2008 6:59:15 AM - Ace Frehley Pre-KISS Band Members Release! |
 The KISSFAQ has always been about tangents; the obscure things related to Kisstory, that are, well, frankly strange. While Ace's pre-KISS band, MOLIMO, may have had one song released on a radio show (still to be verified), what is known is that members of the band DID release music together. What is more interesting is that they were signed to Casablanca Records. Vocalist/ryhthm guitarist Tom Ellis, with pianist Roy Singer, and a female vocalist (which may or may not be Molimo's Christine Murphy), wrote and recorded "Freewheeling" and "I Wished I Was In California" as Tomorrow Morning. So far, only a 7" single has been uncovered (NEB-0014) as being released in the summer of 1974. The songs were produced by Kenny Kerner & Richie Wise. Obviously this release raises several questions, but for now enjoy samples of material from the song-writers in Molimo! |
| Thursday, October 16, 2008 8:35:44 AM - Ace pre-KISS band member Q&A! |
 Photo courtesy Rich Circell Q. Tell us a little of your background and how you became interested in performing? Like many others it was The Beatles on Ed Sullivan that did it for me. I knew I had to form a band and have all those girls screaming for me. Q. What was the first record you bought? I remember buying Runaround Sue and then Four Seasons records. I loved the girl groups too, like The Ronettes. Q. What was the first band you saw live? I saw The Beatles at Shea Stadium but I was very far away and could not really hear them. When I was older the one show that stands out in my mind was seeing The Who and Cream at a Murray The K show in New York. Mithch Ryder and Wilson Pickett were also on the bill. I also saw Jimi Hendrix open for The Monkees at Forest Hills-that was a classic. All those Monkey fans did not know what to make of Hendrix. Q. You were the vocalist in Honey. How did you become a singer and did/do you play any instruments? I just picked it up on my own and by listening to records. I would say I was most influenced by The British Bands. One major regret I have was never playing an instrument. Of course I fooled around with tambourines, cowbwells, conga drums, etc.  Image from Auction... |
| Thursday, October 16, 2008 4:55:22 AM - "One Live Kiss" Audio Samples! |
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Audio samples from Paul's "One Live Kiss" video are now available online, HERE. Or listen to them here (timings provided are chapter lengths on the DVD)! 01. Live To Win (3:13) 02. Hide Your Heart (4:55) 03. A Million To One (4:21) 04. Got To Choose (4:22) 05. Move On (3:43) 06. Bulletproof (3:04) 07. Tonight You Belong To Me (8:37) 08. Lick It Up (6:15) 09. Wouldn't You Like To Know Me? (4:36) 10. Magic Touch (5:20) 11. I Still Love You (8:13) 12. Strutter (4:50) 13. Everytime I See You Around (3:38) 14. Do You Love Me (4:15) 15. I Want You (9:13) 16. Love Gun (5:15) 17. Lift (4:00) 18. Detroit Rock City (5:01) 19. Goodbye (5:26) 
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| Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7:22:29 PM - International Oddity: "Venganza"... |
There's tons of oddities in the KISS catalog, be they alternate mixes, or live versions of songs in place of their studio counterparts. Of interest to collectors should be the Argentine version of "Revenge," titled "Venganza." Not only was this issue a louder master, but it includes an alternative version of "Paralyzed" which has an additional 10 seconds of the "mumbling" section. Not earth shattering, perhaps, but interesting. The opening guitars in "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" are also substantially higher than on the standard international version, while the rest of the song remains matches. One final subtle difference: The count in to "Carr Jam 1981." On international versions analyzed (US & Japan) the track starts with,"2... 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.." where on the Argentine version you get your money's worth: "1... 2... 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.." And if you didn't know about the slightly different version of "Paralyzed," now you do... |
| Friday, October 10, 2008 5:13:20 AM - "One Live KISS" trailer... |
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Relive the excitement of Paul's "Live To Win" tour with this trailer from his forthcoming "One Live KISS" DVD due October 21! |
| Wednesday, October 08, 2008 4:27:08 AM - KISS versus Rolling Stone magazine V... |
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John Swenson's introduction as the reviewer of "KISS Alive II" (RS #256, Jan. 1978) returned the band to the pre-75 tone of Rolling Stone reviews: "One of the perennial saving graces of rock & roll is its accessibility to the true believer. In a sort of Horatio Alger formula, if you need it badly enough and have the right attitude, eventually you'll become an adequate rocker. Kiss, a band built almost entirely around an image, offers the latest proof of this maxim. Kiss has improved dramatically during its recording career, first to the high point of raw efficiency achieved on "I Wanna Rock & Roll All Night," more recently to improved instrumental technique. The group has brought a lot of listening and a lot more outright thievery to Alive II, resulting in a textbook demonstration of how to play Stones/Who hard rock. The guitar solos on "King of the Night Time World" and "Shock Me" are note-for-note duplications of sections from Pete Townshend's long improvisation ("My Generation") on side two of Live at Leeds. Even more Startling is the way the screams over sustained guitar codas on those two songs and on "Makin' Love" sound exactly like Roger Daltrey finishing off Townshend's pyrotechnics. It's open to question how much credit to give a band for using such well-proven formulas, and it's also true that a wan reflection of the original, no matter how sincere, is still not the real thing. But it remains that Alive II captures the essence of live rock & roll very well - perhaps even a little better than the recent Stones set." However, even with that Charles M. Young still had a point to make when he reviewed the Dec. 14, 1977 show at Madison Square Garden with Detective. He identified the following: "1. New York is a bad town for Kiss. It was one of the last areas to break for the band. This being a media center, it is possible that some people read critics and want to feel sophisticated. 2. The word is finally getting out that the firecrackers are blowing people's heads off. Kiss is hereby commended for having some guy come out before the shows and berate the fans for killing each other. 3. The thrill is gone. Much as I enjoy watching Gene Simmons puke blood; he's been doing it every night for three years. 4. The real fanatics were elsewhere. They went to the following nights' concerts. This show was added only after two others had sold out. 5. Their demographics are changing. Through overexposure, Kiss seems no longer Forbidden Fruit. They are losing their traditional support among proletarian teenage boys and picking up children impressed by costumes. A third of the crowd appeared to be parents with little kids. Kiss records are selling phenomenally well, but maybe to Shaun Cassidy weenie bops. 6. Kiss got demoralized when I compared their music to buffalo farts last spring. But I compared it favorably. Most popular music I rank lower than buffalo farts. 7. Even though they are better than buffalo farts, Gene Simmons' latest love songs to his dick are dumb. Unless you are a fourteen-year-old virgin with zits. But then you don't want to be sitting next to your mommy and five-year-old brother while you think macho. 8. The show wasn't that good. Even with all the explosions, flame throwers and hydraulic lifts, the band seemed tired. Peter Criss was so hoarse during "Beth" that he broke up laughing. Ace Frehley, whose mind is supposedly on Mars, looked more as if his mind were on getting it over with. 9. Detective stunned the crowd into silent awe. Since these guys don't do anything but clone late-period Zeppelin and Bad Company licks, it must have been the two avocados the singer seemed to have stuffed in the crotch of his white satin stretch pants." |
| Tuesday, October 07, 2008 10:13:05 AM - KISS versus Rolling Stone magazine IV... |
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With "Rock And Roll Over" apparently being ignored by Rolling Stone magazine, it might seem odd that KISS received a major feature, "KISS: The Pagan Beasties of Teenage Rock" (RS #236, Charles M. Young), with the magazine in April 1977. In the feature fans are really introduced to Gene Simmons: "Now money, that’s real power." However, there are condescending undertones, such as the lead-off sentence: "We broke Lawrence Welk’s attendance record in Abilene, Texas. I’m very proud of that." Perhaps Gene should have been more guarded in what he shared, particularly as the feature introduced fans to Gene's legendary Poloroid collection and his Mom. This feature introduced "buffalo farts" into Kiss legend, being part of an unfortunate analogy that essentially resulted in "Buffalo farts promise shit, which is what they deliver... the music of Kiss comes the closest to comparing favorably with buffalo farts." So, Kiss' music promises shit. The article also delivers a condescending attack on Kiss' fans: "Ask a Kiss fan why he/she likes the band, and he/she will likely stare at you with vague hostility as the words fail to articulate in the cerebral cortex." The feature ends with a similar tone: "As I rise to leave, Simmons takes me aside and says, 'Don’t print anything that’s gonna blow it for me. It’s very fragile and I like it too much.' I try to assure him that most of his fans can’t read anyway, but he still seems worried. 'I won’t have you ridicule them; I won’t let you do it.'" By the time "Love Gun" was reviewed, Kiss didn't receive a dedicated review, instead have the album lumped in with reviews of Rainbow’s 'On Stage,' Roky Ericson & Bleibalien’s 'Red Temple Prayer,' and the Sex Pistol’s 'God Save The Queen' sing. The whole section, however, was headlined 'Kiss: teasing but not pleasing.' Charles M. Young returned to pontificate, but didn't expend much energy criticising the fan base or album. He didn't like the production: "After seeing Kiss backstage without their makeup, I have lost all ambition to do anything with my life except see them naked. Gene Simmons knows this and has written a song about the Plaster Casters – a couple of groupies who made molds of rock stars’ no proboscis protuberances in the late Sixties – to titillate me and the millions of other Americans who go to bed every night wondering about Simmons’ masculine module. Does he paint it like his face before he performs with it? Does it breathe fire and puke blood? If so, does his girlfriend use an asbestos diaphragm? Simmons subtly leaves these questions unanswered on Love Gun, no doubt to preserve his mystique. He does, however, drop us several tantalizing hints. He describes his Vesuvius of the lower regions as 'perfection' on 'Plaster Caster' and offers, 'If you want to see my love, just ask her.' This line represents the record’s only serious artistic failure: inside the jacket is an order form for Kiss T-shirts, Kiss posters and Kiss belt buckles – so why do we have to go to the Plaster Casters for a glimpse of perfection? Why not have a $6.95 check-off for a plastic replica of the Gene Simmons Memorial Seed Silo? Paul Stanley, who also uses 'love' as a euphemism for 'my dick,' could have a model that dances in eight-inch platforms. Peter Criss could have one with a hydraulic system that raises it 30 feet in the air. And Ace Frehley’s could shoot rocket over the audience. Love Gun’s less serious failures include losing much of the energy in the overdubs (a chronic problem with Kiss) and not taking enough advantage of Peter Criss’ excellent voice. Still, they come up with some nice riffs, and 'Then She Kissed Me,' a cover of the Phil Spector tune, is genuinely funny for the right reasons. I’m told their next album will be a double live set. If history repeats itself, that album will contain the definitive versions of everything potentially worth hearing on Love Gun." |
| Tuesday, October 07, 2008 5:21:13 AM - "A Taste of Gotta Foo: A Sagafoo.com Tribute to KISS" review... | ||
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"A Taste of Gotta Foo: A Sagafoo.com Tribute to KISS" is amusingly packaged as a take-off of KISS' "Taste of Platinum." KISS geek humor, but the sampler is no joke and features some material that will be included on "Gotta Foo: A Sagafoo.com Tribute to KISS" due for release on October 31 which includes "14 'new' KISS KLASSICS re-worked, re-recorded, and performed by KISS ARMY members from all Over the World." "Baby Driver," an interesting bluegrass-styled version with "Detroit Rock City" introduction. Excellent work by Chris Davis with backing-vocals that work nicely with the overall feel of the piece. This is followed by a lead heavy version of "Strange Ways" by the Chandelears. While the backing track is good, I'd rather have had the lead guitars further up in the mix. The lead vocals are a bit too, mellow, for my taste. For that matter there's enough going on that at least attempts to make the song different. And that's what tributes are about (for me), doing something different. Imitation may be the highest form of flattery but it's boring as fuck, especially when there have been 100,000 tributes. And any way, there's few cases of actually out-doing the original version! Sagafoo dusts of Gene's "Reputation" which was demoed on numerous occasions between 1977 and 1982. I like the piano. The demo has always been cool, and this version takes the tempo up a bit making it almost a song to dance to. I particularly liked the lead guitar tone on this song. Excellent solo. "Dirty Livin'" by Das Fark follows. This song has always been one of my favorite of Peter's songs. I like the crunchy guitars and funky vibe that's retained. This is a positive interpretation. My only citicism is that the lead work, while it has nice tone, is a little too sterile and could have been warmer with a touch more sustain (that's just a personal preference, it doesn't make the song suck). "Secretly Cruel" by Double Virgo was never going to be a surprise since it's been a YouTube star. I love the reinterpretation, but always liked the song anyway. It's simply fun, what a rock and roll party ought to be. Love the "Christine Sixteen"-esque piano chorus. This is followed by a stomping version of "Take Me," by Jay Jerz. It stays pretty close to the original, but reinforces how fun the original was. "Shock Me" (Promo EQ Version) won't be on the album, and is a little rough and flat in comparrison with the quality of the preceeding tracks. But as a bonus, who's complaining? I often wonedered what "You're All That I Want" would sound heavier than it was "Unmasked" and "Mix Master Jason Herndon" provides the answer. Otherwise, the overall style stays faithful to the original. Jim Tucker's pre-master version of "Strange Ways" follows. This will be on the album in its final form, but this taste shows how promising it should be. If Ace Frehley and Pink Floyd had a baby, this would be it. It's fun, and the sort of stylistic fun that still makes tributes fun. The sampler closes with the "God Of Thunder/I Love It Loud Medley" demo by Bat Lizard Stew. Turning the two songs into a hybrid probably isn't particularly difficult, but pulling it off successfully is another matter. Is BLS successful? You'll need to support this stunning project... Advance orders are now being taken. The CD costs $10.00 plus shipping (US-$5, Elsewhere-$8). Payment can be made via PayPal to sagafoo@hotmail.com.
Sagafoo.com 500 W. Mercer St. #106 Seattle, WA 98119 USA KISSFAQ will review the full album this week... |
| Sunday, October 05, 2008 5:36:09 AM - KISS versus Rolling Stone magazine III... |
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Rolling Stone magazine's early reviews of Kiss, while not being gushing or too positive, were generally positive and reasonable. There was little
that was negative, simply for the writer to have been exercising their dictionary or style. While there was a problem at times with the understanding of the band's makeup, the music was analyzed in a resonable manner. All of that changed with Alan Niester's review of "Alive!" (RS #203, Jan. 1976). Gone was any objectivity, replaced with what comes across more as anger than sardonic wit: "Kiss onstage could possibly be mildly entertaining for about ten minutes, but on record, minus the impact of gaudy painted faces and stage theatrics, the band must be judged solely for its music. It's awful. Criminally repetitive, thuddingly monotonous. And like the legions of equally talent-less bands across the country, Kiss attempts to get by on volume and tired riffing. Unlike these other bands, however, they came up with the idea of dragging rock further into the pits of theatrical overkill, managing, in the process, to pick up a legion of young fans who hadn't heard these riffs in their previous incarcerations (Grand Funk comes to mind). That Casablanca has decided to promote the band as new bad-boy teen idols is obvious from the packaging-a glossy full-color, multi-page insert showing all the Kisses in close-up, and a suitably trippy letter from each ("Dear Earthlings: ...When I play guitar onstage, it's like making love... Love, Ace")." The magazine's first major feature about the band, "Success - It's Just a Kiss Away" (RS #209, Mar. 1976, David McGee), presented Kiss to the Rolling Stone audience. Some of the content can be seen as a response to the dreadful "Alive!" review. According to a Gene quote, "We were trying to bring back flamboyance and stage show to rock & roll... and we knew there'd be problems with the music." Since "Destroyer" had not yet been reviewed some advance quotes about the change in direction were made: "When we started out, that's the music we were doing at that time and that's what we were like then. I don't feel apologies are necessary, because there's simply nothing to apologize for. We've become what we are because of what we look like, obviously, and because of the music. Destroyer is just the second step. The music's taking the forefront." A couple of months following their first feature on Kiss "Destroyer was reviewed (RS #214, June 1976, John Milward): "There's no doubt that Destroyer is Kiss's best album yet or that Bob Ezrin, Alice Cooper's heavy-handed wizard of heavy-metal production who helped write seven of the nine tunes here, has made the difference. But despite Ezrin's superb production, Kiss still lacks that flash of creative madness that could have made their music interesting, or at least listenable. The lead-off song, "Detroit, Rock City," begins with 90 seconds of Cooper-like effects: the sound, of the breakfast table and a news announcer in the background reading a story of a kid who died in a head-on collision; then a flashback to the doomed youth entering his car that night, his mind undoubtedly on the song that follows, and finally in the coda, the screeching crash. Unfortunately, Kiss entirely lacks the satiric distance that often made Cooper's use of such conceits genuinely funny, and worse yet, such gimmickry is the best Destroyer has to offer. The songs, save for two bloated ballads, are relentless riff rockers rooted in patently pedestrian drumming. Although constructed with professional aplomb, making use of a wide array of heavy-metal conventions, there's nothing new here. Even when an effective melody, such as the rabble-rousing "Shout It Out Loud," is presented, the lackluster performances dampen the effect. The vocals are undistinguished and emotionally empty; the lyrics-about partying and the rock scene, with plenty of campy S&M allusions - trite. Worse yet, there's not a memorable guitar solo on the album." As a Kiss fan it's sometimes difficult to separate objectivity from emotion, but one can take glee in knowing that the majority of that tired, lackluster, and non-memorable album is still the core of the band's live set, not to mention the People's Choice award for one of the bloated ballads. Critics be damned, because in the end they're only words. Oddly no Rolling Stone review has been found for "Rock And Roll Over." Perhaps it bludgeoned the poor scribe's delicate ears? |
| Saturday, October 04, 2008 11:41:11 AM - New KISSFAQ message board... |
| The new message board can be found HERE. There may still be some residual technical issues... |
| Saturday, October 04, 2008 8:52:49 AM - KISSFAQ message board migration... |
| Due to probable webhosting issues, beyond my control, the KISSFAQ message board has not been behaving in a technically acceptable manner for the last few days. Since the situation is intolerable, I have been working to migrate the board to a new host. The rest of the site will move once the board is functioning properly (from a technical rather than social basis). With a 140Mb database, it's taken a bit of time to move the 200,000 posts. So far, at least, *ALL* data and private messages seem to have copied across. My remaining work, with one stinker of a hangover, is to fix the message board software so that all works as previous. That is expected to take several more hours, plus I'm gonna have these old bones a nap. My apologies for any inconvenience. |
| Thursday, October 02, 2008 4:31:01 AM - KISS versus Rolling Stone magazine II... |
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The positive reviews, or should I say non-antagonistic, continued when "Hotter Than Hell" was reviewed (RS #179, Jan. 1975, Ed Naha): "Looking like a bunch of Walt Disney rejects, Kiss is the kind of band you love to hate. Drenched in garish makeup, clothed in outfits Alice Cooper wouldn't touch, and generally exuding obnoxiousness, this brash young New York foursome seems determined to visually divert their audience's attention from their special brand of kamikaze rock. A slick brand of music that, as found on their second LP, Hotter Than Hell, does not sound as bad as the band looks. With twin guitars hammering out catchy mondo-distorto riffs and bass and drums amiably bringing up the rear, Kiss spews forth a deceptively controlled type of thunderous hysteria closely akin to the sound once popularized by the German panzer tank division. Hotter Than Hell cooks from start to finish with the boys in the band sounding tighter and more lethal than in the past. This time around Kiss even manages to make allowances in their riff-rock antics for the inclusion of hum-able vocal lines in both the blitzkrieg rockers ("Got To Choose," "Strange Ways") and John Philip Sousa ballads ("Goin' Blind"). The lyrics, however, aren't going to make Dylan worry: with such bon mots as "I'm 93, you're 16" being dropped regularly. Despite its flaws, Kiss does succeed in churning out quite a bit of high-energy instrumentation and cheerful, nonsensical vocalizing." However, this review started to show that some were having difficulty separating the image from the music and judging one because of the other. The band's next mention was in a review of their February 21, 1975 show at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom with the James Gang and Man (RS #184, Apr. 1975, David Witz): "'Twas the first semi-warm day of the year and the teens were leaning just a little too heavily into the plate glass window next to the Aragon. So when the cherry bomb went off by the curb; well, accidents will happen. It's only rock & roll. Inside, the seething representatives of Chicago's working class freakdom put up with Man, bounced and jounced with the James Gang and blew themselves away with Kiss... Kiss couldn't miss. The last time they played here was as an emergency top-of-the-bill over former headliners T. Rex. Marc Bolan had done his all - e1ectric star platform, plenty of strobes and a sexual attack on his guitar - but Kiss had come out thermoblasting and that had been that. For their first official headlining, the p1ace was crammed. Word of mouth must have done the trick; it couldn't have been the records (it couldn't!). You know: "Hey, there's all this fire and he spits blood..." Well, the fire was there, enough of it to pop half the corn in Indiana. There were powder charges, smoke bombs. flamethrowers and other goodies, enough pseudo-napalm to justify the extinguishers tucked nervously around the apron. And Gene Simmons, the malevolent looking bassist with the sky-high steps, flash kabuki topknot ensemble and 17-inch tongue does indeed slobber something blood-ish when not belching flame. It's this kind of frolic which is the band's open secret. Kiss's show depends almost entirely on show, with the music (a combination of Blue Oyster Cult played slow, Black Sabbath played fast) acting as a bottom line for the effects. On this winter eve, they had their automatons-from-hell riff down pat. When rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley and Simmons faced off, it was Star Trek glitter meeting kung fu dancing. Peter Criss's drum kit swathed in smoke during "Black Diamond," actually did rise into the air. From the black-and-chrome costumes to those blinding bombs, everything Kiss did was custom-tailored for neon-loving, volume-eating rockers. Of course, the crowd responded in kind. Audiences toss roses at Melanie, but tonight's bouquets consisted of M-80s, ladyfingers, and just plain firecrackers. Ah, love." While this live review generally noted the show the first real tones of derision are starting to creep in, though from a critic that is to be expected (they're usually not paid to kiss ass). The band's final objective review occured a couple of months later with the review of "Dressed To Kill" (RS #191, July 1975, Gordon Fletcher): "Kiss does not play music - it makes very high-volume noise. If rock & roll intrigues you, though, you'd best be advised that for all the simplicity, overstatement and repetition within its records, Kiss does make fantastically successful rock. Driven by Gene Simmons's remarkably inventive bass lines and the cacophonous poundings of drummer Peter Criss, Kiss makes Chuck Berry chords and basic rock progressions come alive with energetic urgency. Simple? Yes. Repetitive? Yessir! But like the Stooges Kiss manages to avoid monotony." Gordon, it appears, got it. |
| Wednesday, October 1, 2008 4:46:19 AM - KISS versus Rolling Stone magazine... |
While Rolling Stone magazine is centrally important in KISStory, as the source of Peter Criss' legendary ad which resulted in his being found by Paul and Gene, Rolling Stone has long been considered the "enemy" of Kiss. Throughout their classic era the band never featured on that magazine's cover, though received the band was the subject of two substantial features; "Success - It's Just a Kiss Away" (RS #209, Mar. 1976, David McGee) and "Kiss: The Pagan Beasties of Teenage Rock" (RS #236, Apr. 1977, Charles M. Young). In this series of features, KISSFAQ looks at Rolling Stone magazine's approach towards the band, from better to worse. Kiss received their first mention in the January 1974 review of the December 31, 1973 Academy of Music show (RS #153, Gordon Fletcher). Considering their position on the bill they were lucky to receive any mention: "After a fiery opening set by Kiss (an "American Black Sabbath" on Neil Bogart's new Casablanca label) and the ribald antics of Teenage Lust, the Stooges assaulted the audience with wave upon wave of material from Raw Power." In April the band's debut album was reviewed (RS #158, Gordon Fletcher): "Kiss is an exciting Brooklyn based band with an imaginative stage presentation and a tight new album. The music is all hard-edged - they call it "thunderock" - and throughout their electrical storm solid craftsmanship prevails. Paul Stanley's rhythm guitar is the star of the proceedings, barking out the coarse chord patterns that comprise the foundation of the band's material. Gene Simmons can thus provide an extra dimension to the band's music by playing fluid bass patterns (especially on "Cold Gin") and Peter Criss contributes impressive drumming marked by Keith Moon's power and proficiency. "Nothing to Lose," "Firehouse" and "Cold Gin" - a Side One trilogy that would make Alice Cooper proud-provides over ten minutes of steady, stompin' rock & roll with an all-enveloping forcefulness. The manic "Deuce" makes fine music for crushing skulls and "Strutter" prominently displays The lead guitar talents of Ace Frehley, an unmistakable graduate of the Buck Dharma school of frenetic fretting. An exceptional album, Kiss could have been even better had the group incorporated more of their concert sound into the recording studio. Onstage they rain a Black Sabbath-like fury, but here they sound more like a cross between Deep Purple and the Doobie Brothers. Though Frehley is an integral component of the stage show, here his guitar is used sparingly, particularly on "Cold Gin," where a solo could've propelled the tune to a higher plateau. A firm commitment to their stage sound (as in "Deuce" and portions of "Black Diamond") could well insure excellence - a course worth pursuing." That's a pretty decent review using the sorts of superlatives that any band would be happy to read. But would the sentiment continue? |