I believe Gene himself has gone on record as saying they aren’t the most talented musicians in the world, but they ARE the best performers.
I was a big KISS fan in my teen years. They were the first band I ever saw in concert, back in 76 on the Destroyer tour.
The other night I was driving home from the grocery store, flipping around on the radio and stopped on one of the local rock stations. This song starts playing and I’m thinking that the opening riff sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t place it. Then the vocals start and I immediately recognize it as “Calling Dr. Love”. And I am laughing my ass off the rest of the way home, both at how stupid the song is (I mean seriously, Simmons couldn’t have taken more than 10 minutes to slap that one together) and at myself for 30+ years ago thinking this was actually good music.
On the subject of merchandising, Gene once told an interviewer, “Anything that can have our names and faces on it . . . should.”
I enjoy watching interviews with them. Gene does not call himself an Artist. He calls himself an entertainer. Paul does not brag about his Creativity. He brags about his work ethic. I find that quite refreshing.
I have never bought any of their albums, and rarely listen to their music, but I believe I am their biggest fan. I am willing to admit in public that I watched KISS meets the Phantom of the Park. And I enjoyed it! (Granted, I was in elementary school at the time, and was probably not the most discerning of film critics.)
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KISS was my first show when I was 13. It was the Destroyer tour. I thought that album was the end all, be all of rock.
I listened again a few years ago. It did not hold up well. 
Hunh; I could see it. Great photo!
That about sums it up exactly for me as well. So much of their stuff is cringeworthy now. Kinda like the time I went back and listened to my old Dokken CD’s…so much of the music from those days, especially the lyrical content, is trite and contrived.
Probably not available in Canuckistan, since KISS is ‘An American Band’!
but they will come to your house and party down, and likely to rock and roll all nite whilest partying every day.
I can see it fine in my corner of Canuckistan but maybe only because the hotel detective is outtasight.
:dubious:
Well, it’s not like Bo said that Gene was a bass player who could sustain a 3 minute solo. He was able to play bass, but wanking off without looking like you’re wanking off is several levels above merely competent.
[quote=“Quintas, post:33, topic:778847”]
:dubious:
[/QUOTE]Man, Les Claypool and Geddy Lee are sure nervously looking over their shoulders!
One of the most hilarious episodes of the Drew Carey Show was when Drew’s father died and Drew took care of the funeral arrangements. He wanted to have a Marine Corps funeral for his father and attempted to order a Marine casket, but accidentally ordered a KISS Army casket instead, colorfully emblazoned with the faces of all four members. It had a button that played “God Gave Rock and Roll To You” when pressed.
Drew’s mother: Drew, why are there monsters on your father’s coffin?
[quote=“Quintas, post:33, topic:778847”]
:dubious:
[/QUOTE]Thanks for the video that supports what I wrote, Quintas. And thanks for the backup, scabpicker.
Like I said, Gene Simmons is a competent, capable bass player. For a rock band. That plays simple, catchy songs. You know who else was a competent, capable bass player? Dee Dee Ramone. Lemmy Kilmister. Michael Anthony. All totally competent and capable for the music they and their band were making.
Just Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley…how they tolerated Ace and Peter and their drug habits as much as they did is amazing if Simmons and Stanley’s claims to being teetotalers are true. But honestly not surprising…Simmons has always known a gravy train when he was/is riding one, and he knew that getting rid of Ace and Peter at the height of the band’s uber-popularity would have been publicity/fanbase suicide, as well as why break up a perfectly good band if everyone is at least getting along, warts and all.
While drug addictions getting out of hand were certainly one of the reasons Peter and Ace amscrayed when they did, there were others…among them were both Peter and Ace were tired of the constant grease makeup use giving them skin problems, and both men wanted to go solo. Peter wanted to go solo a little more than Ace (the Catman left the band right after taking part in the promotional video for “Shandi” in 1980), but Ace immediately changed his tune after what little work he did on Music From The Elder (his sole contribution (and practically forced by Gene and Paul at that) was “Darklight”…and while not an absolutely bad song, I can’t say it’s one of my favorites). Ace HATED the presumed change towards ‘progressive’/concept hard rock (and also didn’t care for the disco/pop-rock of Dynasty and Unmasked), and that combined with Gene and Paul’s being even more bossy than usual and the constant bitching/harping about his general drug abuse (which, no thanks to Ace being in a car accident, was coupled with prescription drug abuse) was the last straw for the Space-Ace until the original Kiss members reunited for the MTV Unplugged concert in 1995.
BTW, while Ace appears on the original makeup cover of Creatures Of The Night and is credited as lead guitarist, Vinnie St. Vincent did all of the lead guitar on the album (IMO, Kiss’ last truly great one).
Gene Simmons does not deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Lemmy.