The KISS Thread

[ClintroN]

im not much of a fan of Prince but the man can play , he is known as one of the best performers in the world, especially on guitar.

So can a million other people in this world! 99% of those people choose not to be entertainers, But are still great all around musicians. When I think of one TRUE musical genius, only one person comes to mind, Beethoven. This man could actually hear every instrument in his head. Prince is nothing but polished pop masturbation.

Dude, you say 99% choose not to be entertainers, well i guess that leaves the 1% to you'rs truely
Man im not a fan of the guy, but he is known to be ONE of the greatest performers in the world, n' i beleive it.

Plus i see Beethoven as more talent then an entertainer, Prince puts on a show

[Malcolm]

KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer has posted the following message on his web site:

'We've been very busy finishing the upcoming KISS 'Rock The Nation Live!' DVD set. I feel we've captured the excitement and intensity of the 2004 stage show and tour in a big way.

"Shot in hi-def, the DVD will include many KISS songs that haven't seen the light of day in years.

"Also, we had cameras rolling behind-the-scenes every day on tour so that we can show you what goes on beyond the stage door and traveling on the road.

"Speaking of off-stage, another passion of mine is playing golf.

"Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited to play in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic pro-am golf tournament in Palm Desert, CA.

"For the four-day event I was teamed with Academy Award-winning actor Joe Pesci and sports legend Ahmad Rashad and we kicked some ass.

"As always, I'm looking forward to rockin' and rollin' soon.

"Rumors are that we might be on the road by summer 2005!"

[Malcolm]

Cameron Edney of the Yahoo! group Inside_Out666 recently conducted an interview with KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer. A transcript of the interview follow:

Inside_Out666: I'd like to start by talking a bit about BLACK 'N BLUE. Can you tell us how the band formed?
Tommy Thayer: "BLACK 'N BLUE formed in Portland, OR in 1981. Myself, Jaime St James and the other guys wanted to form a new heavy metal type band because at the time the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was starting to hit state-side as well as M?TLEY CR?E in LA, it was an exciting time."

Inside_Out666: Do you remember anything from the first performance you guys did?
Tommy Thayer: "Jaime was originally the drummer of a band we had previous to BLACK 'N BLUE. One night at a Portland nightclub he jumped up front and starting fronting the band and the rest is history."

Inside_Out666: After almost ten years apart you guys got back together for one night in your hometown of Portland, OR to record the live album "One Night Only Live". Did you guys ever consider doing a whole tour or did you know that this would only be a one off event?
Tommy Thayer: "We knew it was clearly a one-off."

Inside_Out666: Being a huge kiss fan yourself it must have been surreal to have Gene Simmons produce two of BLACK 'N BLUE's albums "Nasty Nasty" and "In Heat"?
Tommy Thayer: "It was great because we were fans."

Inside_Out666: What comes to mind when you look back on those early experiences with Gene?
Tommy Thayer: "He was very diligent and dedicated to doing a great job. He put a lot of time into the production and we appreciated working with someone like that."

Inside_Out666: Can we expect to see a DVD release of old BLACK 'N BLUE footage anytime soon?
Tommy Thayer: "I don't think so."

Inside_Out666: When it comes to song writing particularly looking back in the early days with BLACK 'N BLUE, Do you sit around listening to your influences or do you shy away from them?
Tommy Thayer: "Neither. You just try to write something that sounds great and rocks."

Inside_Out666: You first met Gene and Paul in 1984. What do you recall from the encounter?
Tommy Thayer: "Yes, it was at a KISS show in late 1984 in Long Beach, CA. They came in for a meet/greet prior to the show and were very gracious."

Inside_Out666: As early as the late '80s you have been working behind the scenes with KISS. Co-writing on "Betrayed" and my personal favorite song on "Hot in the Shade", "The Street Giveth & The Street Taketh Away". You have also worked on the "Kisstory" books, "Detroit Rock City" & "The Second Coming" DVDs just to name a few. Of all the behind the scenes duties you have performed what have you enjoyed doing most?
Tommy Thayer: "I was fortunate to have a job doing something that I really enjoyed doing, so any project I was involved in was gratifying."

Inside_Out666: Working behind the scenes for so long did the thought ever cross your mind that you would one day end up becoming a member of one of the world's most influential bands?
Tommy Thayer: "Not at all. The ironic thing is that it wasn't something I was looking for."

Inside_Out666: As a longtime KISS fan myself I couldn't express the emotions I would have working for them let alone becoming a member of the band. How did you react to the proposal to join KISS & who was the first person you told?
Tommy Thayer: "Doc McGhee just said to be there and get into makeup, you're going on!"

Inside_Out666: During the rehearsals for the 1996 reunion tour you spent a lot of time with Ace showing him various guitar riffs he played during the seventies. That must have been an awesome experience. Was he an easy guy to work with?Tommy Thayer: "Yes, we've always had an amiable relationship. We had a lot of fun trading licks, it was a pleasure."

Inside_Out666: Every KISS fan around the world is dying to know if there will be a new studio album recorded anytime soon. Can you tell us if there is any writing in the works suggestions for an album name being thrown around etc?
Tommy Thayer: "Just wait and see!"

Inside_Out666: You are currently working on the "Rock the Nation" two-disc DVD set. Can you tell us what to expect & if there has been a release date set yet?
Tommy Thayer: "The shows were shot in Hi-Def and the DVD will include many KISS songs that haven't seen the light of day in years. We had cameras rolling behind-the-scenes every day on tour so that we can show you what goes on beyond the stage door and travelling on the road. There also will be a multi-angle interactive feature called Select-A KISS, so that you can watch any one band member for an entire song or switch around to different cameras as you please."

Inside_Out666: In the past you have worked on various kiss projects like "Kiss Symphony", VH1's special "Beyond the Make-Up" etc. I don't know one kiss fan who wouldn't want to see the vintage shows remastered & released on DVD. Can we expect to see more of the older footage released on DVD anytime soon?
Tommy Thayer: "It's possible, but the 'KISS Rock The Nation Live!' DVD will be slamming video stores doors down by late spring or early summer, it will be something to see!"

Inside_Out666: What was the 1st guitar you ever owned?
Tommy Thayer: "A Fender Mustang."

Inside_Out666: Over the last few years hard rock and heavy metal music has changed quiet a bit. What do you think of the direction the music has taken?
Tommy Thayer: "Always good, new is good."

Inside_Out666: Are you currently listening to any of the newer bands if so who?
Tommy Thayer: "JET, THE USED, ADEMA, PACIFIER, THE DARKNESS, PUDDLE OF MUDD and EVANESCENCE."

Inside_Out666: Tommy thanks so much for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to answer these questions for all our readers. Is there anything else you would like to say?
Tommy Thayer: "Thanks everybody! It was good talking to you."

[Sakib]

yay i luv kiss

[N.I.B]

Just wanted to know if anyone here listenes to KISS. I love 'em. Their best album by far is Destroyer.

[John Daniels]

I'm not the fan but I think their best song is "Sure Know Something"

[Malcolm]

I love Kiss..im watchin a dvd of them right now...they are very underestimated music wise..Only seen them once in buffalo with Aerosmith in 2003

[Mattman]

I'm of two minds about KISS.? On the one hand, I absolutely love their debut album and Destroyer, and they have a legendary stage show that took rock theatrics to a new level.? But sometimes I think they might be just a little overrated, because their catalogue varies greatly in quality.? Still, even though they've become strictly a nostalgia band on a neverending farewell tour, you gotta dig KISS.? Their songs rock and are easy to play.

My favourite KISS tunes would be "Detroit Rock City", "Strutter", and "Crazy Crazy Nights".  I'm sorry, but "Rock and Roll All Nite" is just way, way, WAY overplayed.

[RichardNixon]

I love KISS. They're one of my favorite bands, but I actually think "Destroyer," while good, is overrated. It's a good, solid album but I think it pales to "Love Gun," "KISS," "Animalize" and "Creatures of the Night." 

[Malcolm]

 According to a posting at KissOnline.com, KISS, along with Cedric the Entertainer (Master of Ceremonies), DESTINY'S CHILD, GODSMACK, Jay Mohr, Louis Anderson and TED NUGENT, have been confirmed for an April 1 performance at the Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California.

Rockin' the Corps is a patriotic celebratory concert for an audience of more than 25,000 marines and their families. Executive producers Quincy Jones and Joseph E. Robert, Jr. have joined forces with producers Doc McGhee and Spencer Proffer to create a high energy, patriotic celebration for the dedicated men & women of the United States Marine Corps in a show of appreciation.

Note: this concert is for the marines at Camp Pendleton and their families.... There will be no civilians allowed!

[Tied-Up]

I used to be a huge KISS fan.? Loved them.? Had all of their albums.?

And I still like them to a certain extent, although I would never buy another KISS product.? And I would be the first to argue that they have talent, Ace being one of the greatest, and one of the most underrated, guitarists IMO.

However, one day I came to a realization.? (And it took me a lot longer to come to this realization than I care to admit).? The realization:? KISS is not about the art, they never have been, they are about money.?

That's not to say that certain components to KISS are not about art, but as a whole, and what they represent is money.? Specifically Gene Simmons.? Goddess... just to type his name makes me want to hurl.? ?

That realization, although it's rather obvious now when I sit back and? see the whole grand picture, was not obvious to me for the longest time, and now that it is obvious, there is no turning back.? It's kind of like losing your virginity, once it's gone, it's gone, and you can't get it back.? Realizing that really ruined my fan worship of the band that once was the end all be all of musical existence for me, because even though some of the music is good, realizing this about them took away that magic that made them invincible in my eyes.

Oh well...

[Malcolm]

ContactMusic.com is reporting that the members of KISS gave a young cancer survivor the thrill of his life Monday (Feb. 28) when they paid him a surprise visit on his 10th birthday.

David Dingman-Grover and his parents were booked as guests on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", where they discussed the young boy's achievement of beating the odds to survive the removal of a cancerous brain tumor, which his family were told was inoperable.

DeGeneres ended the interview by bringing out the youngster's favorite band, who gave him a signed guitar.

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley said, "This is so important for us to be a part of a miracle. People talk about we're past the age of miracles but here's proof David is a living miracle and we can all be a part of it."

[D]

Paul Stanley could very easily be the most underrated frontman in music history.


I love everything about Kiss, "Revenge" is one of the best records ever in my opinion it was the 92 lineup with kulick and singer but its amazing from start to finish.


I love the old stuff, the new stuff, i would list my songs but there are way too many

[RichardNixon]

What about the four solo albums that came out in 1978? I really like all four of them. I think "Ace Frehley" rocks top to bottom and is one of the best rock albums of the 1970s. "Gene Simmons" is a mixed bag of styles and is pretty cool. "Peter Criss" is more of a mowtown jazzy album, and I like it a lot even though most fans do not. And "Paul Stanley" is the most KISS sounding of the four.

[N.I.B]

I absolutely love their debut album and Destroyer

wasnt their debut album Alive!?

[RichardNixon]

Their debut album was the self-titled album, then "Hotter than Hell," then "Dressed to Kill" and then "Alive."

[Sakib]

I fucking love kiss. the 1st song i hurd was crazy nights. their best song is either do u love me or creatures of the night.

[DEAD HORSE]

Kiss, i Love! 

To me the best album is their self-titled "Kiss".... Its only about Hard rock!

Paul Stanley great frontman, great vocalist , great guitar player! I admire him 

[im rickjames bitch]

their allright. i havent gotten into kiss yet. i like alot of old bands like van halen, aerosmith, blah blah blah but i yeah. i like rock and roll all night and god gave rock and roll to u

[mandy2965]

KISS IS GREAT. I'VE SEEN THEM 3 TIMES IN CONCERT AN WAS NEVER DISAPPOINTED! They are really getting old, been around since the 70's. Still great though!