KISS: GENE SIMMONS (*)- FROM THE EYES OF A KISSTORIAN

All right fellow KISS fantatic(s), today we'll be concentrating on Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album known as KISS: Gene Simmons. As you are all well aware, the four members of KISS released solo albums simultaneously. They all went platinum. Ace's was awesome. But when discussing the '78 solo albums, it's easy to spend your time focusing on the baffling Peter Criss release.   Today we'll give the Catman a break and have a closer look at Gene's overblown pile of suck. 

In 1978, Ace was peaking musically while losing his Spaceman head in the clouds.   To keep Ace in the band but still maintain control, Gene and Paul quoth "Fine, do a solo album.  We'll all do solo albums. We'll put KISS in the corner to unite them." (Stanley 22:14) The game was on. 

Gene called in every favor available and hoped guest stars including Cher and the guy from Cheap Trick with the double guitar would be enough.  This approach failed miserably and Gene's '78 solo album forever rests in the "great album cover, shit album" category.  

A quick track by track breakdown: 

Radioactive: A barely acceptable head-bopping rocker to open the album. 

Burning Up With Fever: Straight up atrocious. Not so good on the ears.

See You Tonite: Ok, I love this song.  While miles away from the standard KISS tune, it shows that Gene was more than capable of writing a catchy, Beatlesy ditty when he wanted to.  

Tunnel of Love: By listening to this song you'll earn 3:52 of awful, made painfully worse by gospel singers.  

True Confessions:  Dreadful.  More gospel singers vomit on another forgettable track. 

Always Near You/Nowhere to Run:   I'm embarrassed that I just typed the title.

Man of 1000 Faces: Almost a guilty pleasure, but not quite... because it sucks. 

Mr. Make Believe: At this point in the album it's quite obvious that Gene has no intention whatsoever of rocking out.   Combine terrible with lame and sprinkle in a little more terrible = this horrendous song. 

See You in Your Dreams:  Here you'll find a mediocre song that was already released (Rock and Roll Over, '77) made much, much worse. 

When You Wish Upon a Star:  The Demon does Disney. Seriously. This song should be used for punishment purposes only.

Paul Stanley live New Haven 12.03.89

Paul's solo tour in 1989. Starts off in the middle of Love Gun, then tears into Goodbye from his '78 solo album. KISStorically pretty important. It ends with a Led Zeppelin cover of Communication Breakdown.

20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection, Volume 3

KISS' "20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection, Volume 3" CD will be released by Universal Music on October 10th. "Volume 3" is the companion piece to The Best of KISS, The Millennium Collections Volumes 1 & 2 and the first ever KISS collection to focus on the Band's 90's recordings!

Tracks:

God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II
Unholy
Domino - Live
Hate
Childhood's End
I Will Be There
Comin' Home - Live Unplugged
Got To Chose - Live Unplugged
Psycho Circus
Into The Void
I Pledge Allegiance To The State Of Rock And Roll
Nothing Can Keep Me From You

Paul Stanley Fantasy Camp

The 2007 Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp has been announced and will run from February 15-19 in Hollywood, CA and will feature PAUL STANLEY (KISS), Bret Michaels (POISON), Steve Vai, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and many more. According to their website, "camp starts at Thursday, February 15th with no night off throughout the camp. Just send in a $2500 deposit to secure your spot at the camp! Also, save $500 if you register before October 31st!

There are three ways you can sign up:
1) By Phone: Call us at 1.888.ROC.BAND (888.762.2263)
2) By Fax: Fax your registration form with credit card information to 917.591.9470
3) By Mail: Fill out the registration form and send it in with your check or credit card info to:

Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp
252 W. 71st Street
New York, NY 10023

Tickets are available online at www.rockandrollfantasycamp.com, by calling the home office at 1.888.ROC.BAND, at the venue box office. Tickets are also on location and through Ticketmaster."

KISSOLOGY

KISSOLOGY VOLUME ONE 1974-1977" first installment on DVD in stores October 31, 2006.

Monumental 6 Hour 2-DVD Box Set Chronicals ascendary of KISS from New York glam rockers to Hottest Band In The Land.

NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE of the band's rise to music stardom with more than 70 live performances and FOUR full concerts.

Signal the troops for an enormous KISS Army alert! KISS will be the subject of a three-volume DVD project (volumes 2 & 3 are being prepared for release in 2007) chonicling the career of the hottest band in rock & roll history. The rock 'n roll journey begins with "KISSOLOGY VOLUME ONE 1974-1977" which will be released on Halloween, Tuesday, October 31, 2006 for SRP $29.99.

Disc One of "KISSOLOGY VOLUME ONE 1974-1977" takes a look at early bar-band KISS quickly on the rise. 1974 is covered with a live concert in Long Beach as well as KISS' televised appearances on ABC's "In Concert" and an interview/performance on "The Mike Douglas Show." By 1975, KISS was playing San Francisco's fabled Winterland, headlining NBC's "Midnight Special" and making videos for "C'mon & Love Me" and "Rock And Roll All Night," all of wich is included on "KISSOLOGY VOLUME ONE 1974-1977". In 1976, KISS came to Detroit for an incendiary concert at the Motor City's Cobo Hall, also captured on Disc One.

Disc Two of "KISSOLOGY VOLUME ONE 1974-1977" picks up the threads of 1976 with the bands interview and perf,ormance of "Black Diamond" on "So It Goes" a must-see and much-discussed interview and performance of "King Of The Nighttime World" on "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special," and PERSONAL BAND FOOTAGE from May 1976. The 1977 material on Disc Two captures the band at the pinnacle of its international fame, performing to tens of thousands of fands at the legendary Budokan Hall in Tokyo in April '77 and, a little more than a month later, headlining "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert." Disc Two coles with scorching concert footage from The Summit in Houston, TX on September 2, 1977, showing KISS doing, quite simply, what the band still does better than anybody else: Rock & Roll All Night And Party Every Day!!!

View a trailer, and more information (including the FULL track listing) at www.flashenhanced.com/mtv/kissology/kissology.htm

Paul will see you soon

PAUL STANLEY's LIVE TO WIN Tour kicks off October 21st in Atlanta. The current tour dates are listed below. Additional shows may be added.

10/21 Atlanta, GA - TABERNACLE
10/23 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - REVOLUTION
10/24 Orlando, FL - HARD ROCK LIVE
10/26 Baltimore, MD - RAMS HEAD
10/27 Atlantic City, NJ - HOUSEOF BLUES
10/28 New York, NY - IRVING PLAZA
11/1 Pittsburgh, PA - PALACE THEATRE
11/3 Milwaukee, WI - RAVE
11/5 Detroit, MI - EMERALD THEATRE
11/6 Chicago, IL - HOUSE OF BLUES
11/7 Minneapolis, MN - QWEST
11/10 Seattle, WA - SHOWBOX
11/11 Portland, OR - ALADDIN
11/13 San Francisco, CA - FILMORE
11/14 Los Angeles, CA - HOUSE OF BLUES

Lunch time!

Check out this sweet 1978 KISS lunch box! I wish I had this baby back in the day. Perhaps if I did I wouldn't have been beaten up by Jimmy Johannis every other day. Instead I had these lunch boxes.


Granted the gentle comedy stylings of a Mr. Gabe Kaplan made for some light laughs, but it did not make for a "cool" lunch box. God, what the hell was I thinking?

Okay, this Planet of the Apes lunch box isn't as offensive, although the artwork sucked. The back is a little better.

Okay, here's the worst lunch box ever - no, I didn't have this one, jerks.

Don't Let it Get You Down Catman!

Tomorrow's gonna be another day. What is it about Peter looking sad that makes me laugh so damn hard?

On this day in KISStory...

Paul: How 'bout you put your hand in front of my face and I'll put my hand in front of yours? That'll be a great shot!

Gene: No way, I'm not gonna do it.

Paul: Gene, we're out there trying to compete with Bon Jovi. And in order to do so, we need to show off our fun-loving side.

Gene: Forget it Paul, there's no way in hell.

Paul: I'll give you ten bucks.

Gene: Sold, let's do it.

Reason to Live

Great video. We see Gene here at his most awkward. He's trying not to depend on his former Bat Lizard persona, but he's just not sure what to do with himself. So he settles on molesting his bass. And something about Bruce Kulick always makes me laugh. Don't get me wrong, love the guy, it's just that he's the penulitimate hired gun. In this video, he looks so humiliated having to play the keyboards. Can't say I blame him. But then he's really "feeling it!!!" when he plays the solo.

When I'm singing this song and no one's around, I'll admit that I use my patented fat gospel voice. The words come out something like this:

"Evvybody gotta reasin to leeh, BAY-BAY!
Evvybody gotta dreen, anna hungo in-sye-eye!
Evvybody gotta reasin to leeh -
BUDDY C'AIN BE YO-LO-HOH!!!!"

Which begs the question: Why Paul? Why can't love be your reason to live? This very question has kept me up in the wee hours of the morn...

Paul Stanley - Live To Win

No visuals, but here it is! The long anticipated debut single. Upon first listen, all I can say is that it's much better than Gene's solo effort...

Paul talks about his favorite thing, Paul

The Beatles had Paul McCartney. Led Zeppelin had Robert Plant. KISS have PAUL STANLEY.

"I wanted the freedom to explore my own abilities and disregard any self set boundaries. The only limitations we have are the ones we choose to accept and this album was about ignoring anyone else’s ideas of what I would, could or shouldn’t do," Stanley says to summarize Live to Win. "This isn’t about forcing KISS fans someplace that they haven’t been, though everyone’s invited to come along. This is really about me doing an album for me, and first and foremost I had to please myself. I’d like to think that if I can please myself, I’m going to please some other people, but this is a personal work – If I had ever knuckled under to people telling me what was impossible and what I was capable of and incapable of, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, there wouldn’t be a KISS, and there wouldn’t be a ‘Live to Win.’ To that end, by recording this album, I’ve already succeeded…

"The album is called Live to Win, and I’ve already won."

Runaway Trailer

This trailer pretty much gives away the whole movie. My dream in life is to own one of those robot spiders.

Domino Video

My favorite part of this video is how Gene casually sips his soda.

Revenge ***

Join us now in 1992. There was a scary and uncertain future for KISS after a string of shall we say, patchy 80's albums (Animalize, Asylum, Crazy Nights, Hot in the Shade). How was KISS to remain relevant and not look foolish in the same plain as Nine Inch Nails and Nirvana? A surprise hit like Forever wasn't in the cards, as power ballads were officially "out". So the boys had to look tough. Everyone saw the writing on the wall: the pink tassles, tight pink trousers, lipstick and eyeshadow had to go. Even more important was the music. No more half-assed, mid tempo throwaway songs allowed. No more "Bang Bang You". (God, I hate that stupid song.)

With the help of Vinnie Vincent's songwriting and new veteran (but blonde) drummer Eric Singer, KISS crafted what many would agree is their last great album. The most notable change when comparing Revenge to it's predecessors is the fact that Gene Simmons had his head back in the game. For the first time in many years, the Gene songs bested the Paul ones. Unholy, Spit, and Domino are easily Gene's best work since Creatures of the Night. Paul also has some gems here - Take it Off and Tough Love stand tall. And the token ballad "Every Time I Look at You" may not have been heard by many ears but... if you're into those ballads... it's pretty solid. Revenge isn't all sweet, the latter half runs out of steam with the bland Heart of Chrome and Thou Shalt Not (which shalt not have been included). But overall, it's an album worth revisiting from time to time. Now seems to be a good time to me.






These pictures really set the mood. Eric is saying "Yeah that's right, a blonde guy in KISS. What are YOU gonna do about it?" Gene looks nothing short of a super villain. He probably was.Bruce appears both sad and angry. He probably was. Paul's a badass but still knows something you don't. And the flowers stay dammit.

Lyrical Analysis: Getaway

"I know I have to go,
Got no dough,
Should I stay or should I go?"

OK, doesn't the first line answer the question posed in the third line? Great tune though...

So there I was, minding my own business...

...at Niagara Falls, when wouldn't you know it, Chopper came at me and dangled my legs over the edge. I told him there was no smoking and he replied "I'll smoke you!" Damn hooligan.

More information than you would ever want about Paul's new album

PAUL STANLEY Live To Win Album Details
From: KISSOnline
PAUL STANLEY LIVE TO WIN

1. LIVE TO WIN 3:07
2. LIFT 4:01
3. WAKE UP SCREAMING 3:00
4. EVERYTIME I SEE YOU AROUND 3:28
5. BULLETPROOF 3:01
6. ALL ABOUT YOU 3:16
7. SECOND TO NONE 3:35
8. IT’S NOT ME 3:19
9. LOVING YOU WITHOUT YOU NOW 3:16
10.WHERE ANGELS DARE 3:22

Produced by PAUL STANLEY
Engineered and recorded by Alex Gibson
Assisted by Tom Syrowski, Matt Serrecchio, Glenn Pittman, Jon Berkowitz and Kevin Mills
Additional Engineers – Mark Valentine, assisted by Keith Gretlein. Kevin Mills, assisted by Phil Martin
Additional Recording – Greg Collins
Mixed by Greg Collins
Recorded and mixed at Hensen Recording Studios
Mastered by Steve Marcussen/Marcussen Mastering

PAUL STANLEY- Lead vocals, background vocals, guitar, percussion
The Team:
Guitars – Corky James, Brad Fernquist, John 5, Tommy Denander, Andreas Carlsson
Bass – Corky James, Sean Hurley, BRUCE KULICK
Drums – Victor Indrizzo
Piano – Greg Kurstin, Zac Rae
Keyboards and programming – Harry Somerdahl
Additional keyboards and programming – Russ Irwin

Background Vocals – Andreas Carlsson, CC White…and a little John Shanks!

Strings on "Every Time I See You Around," "Second To None" and "Loving You Without You Now" – Arranged by PAUL STANLEY and David Campbell.
Orchestrated and conducted by David Campbell.

Art Direction & Design: Tom Jermann/t42design
Photography: Neil Zlozower

1. LIVE TO WIN 3:07
PAUL STANLEY/Desmond Child/Andreas Carlsson

Corky James – Guitars, Bass
Brad Fernquist – Solo
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

2. LIFT 4:01
PAUL STANLEY/Desmond Child/Marti Frederiksen

Corky James – Guitars
Sean Hurley – Bass
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

3. WAKE UP SCREAMING 3:00
PAUL STANLEY/Desmond Child/Andreas Carlsson

Corky James – Guitars, Bass
Tommy Denander – Guitars
Brad Fernquist – Solo
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

4. EVERY TIME I SEE YOU AROUND 3:28
PAUL STANLEY / Pete Masitti

Corky James – Guitars
Brad Fernquist – Solo
BRUCE KULICK – Bass
Russ Irwin – Piano, Keyboards
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

5. BULLETPROOF 3:01
PAUL STANLEY/Andreas Carlsson

Corky James – Guitars
Andrea Carlsson – Guitars
John 5 – Solo
Sean Hurley – Bass
Zac Rae – Piano
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
Victor Indrizzo – Drums
C.C. White and Andreas Carlsson – Additional Background Vocals

6. ALL ABOUT YOU 3:16
PAUL STANLEY/Andreas Carlsson/Desmond Child

Corky James – Guitars, Bass
Brad Fernquist – Guitars, Solo
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

7. SECOND TO NONE 3:35
PAUL STANLEY/Andreas Carlsson

Corky James – Guitars
Brad Fernquist – Solo
BRUCE KULICK – Bass
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
Greg Kurstin – Piano
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

8. IT’S NOT ME 3:19
PAUL STANLEY/Holly Knight/Charlie Midnight

Corky James – Guitars, Bass
Brad Fernquist – Guitars, Solo
Russ Irwin – Keyboards
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

9. LOVING YOU WITHOUT YOU NOW 3:16
PAUL STANLEY

Corky James – Guitars
Brad Fernquist – Solo
BRUCE KULICK – Bass
Greg Kurstin – Piano
Brian Steckler – Keyboards
Victor Indrizzo – Drums

10. WHERE ANGELS DARE 3:22
PAUL STANLEY/Desmond Child/John 5

Corky James – Guitars, Bass
John 5 – Guitars, Solo
Sean Hurley – Bass
Harry Sommerdahl – Keyboards, Programming
C.C. White and John Shanks – Additional Background Vocals

Enough talk, let's hear the damn thing already

New Door Records/Universal Musical Enterprises are proud to announce the October 24, 2006 release of Live to Win, the solo release from iconic KISS frontman PAUL STANLEY. The voice and songwriting force behind such KISS classics as "Detroit Rock City," "Black Diamond," Hard Luck Woman" and "Tears Are Fallin'," Stanley's career with KISS spans more than three decades and in excess of 100 million records sold worldwide.

Stripping all the legendary bombast away, what becomes starkly clear is that besides rocking relentlessly, the power of human emotion and conviction on Live to Win can rattle not only the walls, but also touch the heart and soul of the listener. "What I wanted to do on this album was sing about my life because my life is not that different than anybody else's," he continues. "The truth is, what we all deal with in life is pretty similar. You change the names and the story's the same."

"This album is purely a labor of love," says Stanley. "It is a labor of passion, and something where I was concerned with turning out the album I heard in my head, without regard for having glitz and star power from other sources. It was purely about making the album I wanted to make." While the heartfelt "Loving You Without You Now" was written without any outside collaboration, the remainder of the album reunites him with former KISS songwriting partners Desmond Child [Aerosmith, LeeAnn Rimes] and Holly Knight [Tina Turner, Pat Benatar], and introduces new collaborators including Andreas Carlsson [Bon Jovi, Britney Spears], John 5 [Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson] and Marti Frederiksen [Aerosmith, Faith Hill]. Seven of the ten tracks were co-written with Child and/or Carlsson, with Stanley and Child joined by John 5 on "Where Angels Dare" and Frederiksen on "Lift," and Knight teaming with the frontman on "It's Not Me."

Live to Win is self-produced by Stanley, who provides lead vocals, guitar and percussion alongside a studio core of guitarist Corky James [Avril Lavigne, The Matrix], drummer Victor Indrizzo [Beck, Macy Gray] and keyboardist Harry Sommerdahl [Carrie Underwood, Lindsay Lohan]. Also performing on the album are former KISS bandmate BRUCE KULICK and guitarist John 5.

"I've always believed that when you give somebody an album, it should be like a fresh newspaper, where you get ink on your fingers and it's today's news," says Stanley, who wrote and co-wrote the ten tracks on Live to Win specifically for the new release. "For me, this album is where I'm at now — This is where things are in my life, and my perspective on my music.

Stanley is planning a North American club tour to coincide with the release of the album.

KISS fans protest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

CLEVELAND (AP) — About 200 Kiss fans protested Saturday in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum to demand that the band be inducted into the hall.
Fans, some from as far away as California, carried signs and had painted their faces in black-and-white to resemble Kiss band members.

Those participating in the half-hour demonstration were upset that the band, formed more than 30 years ago, has not been admitted, even though it has been eligible since the late 1990s.

Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record, according to the museum's website.

"Criteria include the influence and significance of the artist's contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock and roll," the site says.

A museum spokesman said it was the first demonstration by fans seeking to have a group inducted.

The foundation that selects inductees is based in New York City, not at the museum.