KISS - Elder Statesmen, Elder Statement?
I recall being in conversation with Todd Rundgren back around late 2000 when the KISS 'Psycho Circus' tour was doing good business (featuring the original line-up that had reformed a number of years prior for the hugely successful and highly lucrative reunion tour of 1996/97) and Todd quipped:
"It's still KISS' world, we just happen to be living in it."
Now, I'm not exactly the biggest KISS fan in that world, and as the introduction to this article relates to the post-classic seventies and eighties KISS eras, it may seem a strange article to have under the 'Muirsical Reflections' section.
But it was actually more recent KISS activities that led me to doubly reflect...
When the ticket scramble started for the KISS U.K. arena shows that took place in May 2010, I was one of the seemingly very few rock fans in the U.K. who had no interest in those tickets, even though they were selling like Hotter than Hell cakes.
There were of course reasons for both the high demand, and my low interest...
The KISS fever was primarily because the 2010 shows were their first set of dates (excluding Festival appearances) in the U.K. for eleven years (including their first date in Scotland since 1992), and KISS were promoting 'Sonic Boom', the first KISS studio album in over a decade.
The album received great critical review and fan feed back, but then it would do, as they intentionally wrote in the style of the "70's Kiss sound" for Sonic Boom.
In that respect they certainly succeeded, but I'm no fan of retro or 'formulated rock' as I describe it, but fully acknowledge there is both an audience and a market for it.
And KISS performing live actually brings me to my first Muiriscal reflection...
I saw KISS back in the day, and was very disappointed, due primarily to their 'Vegas' style attitude and approach where it was more about the show and Paul Stanley's raps with the audience than the songs, with drum and lead guitar solos in the first half hour of the set, and a bass solo that was performed more by the sound engineer than Gene Simmons.
Not the sort of attitude or set you bring to a place like Glasgow, trust me, as was confirmed by the number of us that left early.
There were some great moments though, but my outstanding memory of that gig before we left was a large number of the Weegie audience, during the torturous solos, responding at a fair volume of decibels themselves with "just play a fucking song!".
But they are older and wiser, now understand the differences between American and British/ European audiences, and no-one would deny that when they deliver properly it's Rock and Roll All Nite.
Nor can anyone deny their legacy and longevity, and while the musical heart and business soul of the band remain intact (Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons respectively), there's life in the old Starchild and fire breather yet.
The Elder Statesmen of American glam theatrical rock and roll.
And so to my second reflection...
Having established those Elder Statesmen credentials (Alice Cooper probably has them beat as the Elder Statesman of theatrical shock and roll), could they also be responsible for an Elder Statement in conceptual progressive rock?
As mentioned in my original Muirsical Exceptions article, my favourite KISS album isn't one of the more traditional or classic choices, such as Destroyer or Love Gun, but 1981's release (Music From) 'The Elder'.
That album however was critically panned, confused the fans, and was so poorly received that the band quickly disowned the concept and returned to being the Creatures Of The Night the KISS Army love, and that both band and fan are more comfortable with.
And that's unfortunate, because The Elder saw the band stretching musically and having the audacity (or stupidity, dependant on point of view) to produce a conceptual piece which had musical textures with a light and shade not heard on any Kiss album before, or since (the album also featured the American Symphony Orchestra).
It's not the greatest ever KISS album, nor is it any sort of progressive/ conceptual masterpiece (far from it), but it is their most diverse, adventurous and challenging - hence why it's my personal favourite.
There were a handful of trademark Kiss songs and sounds however, with the striking ballad 'A World Without Heroes' being well received and picking up solid airplay, and how 'I' never became a bona fide Kiss Klassic is beyond me.
I recall being in conversation with Todd Rundgren back around late 2000 when the KISS 'Psycho Circus' tour was doing good business (featuring the original line-up that had reformed a number of years prior for the hugely successful and highly lucrative reunion tour of 1996/97) and Todd quipped:
"It's still KISS' world, we just happen to be living in it."
Now, I'm not exactly the biggest KISS fan in that world, and as the introduction to this article relates to the post-classic seventies and eighties KISS eras, it may seem a strange article to have under the 'Muirsical Reflections' section.
But it was actually more recent KISS activities that led me to doubly reflect...
When the ticket scramble started for the KISS U.K. arena shows that took place in May 2010, I was one of the seemingly very few rock fans in the U.K. who had no interest in those tickets, even though they were selling like Hotter than Hell cakes.
There were of course reasons for both the high demand, and my low interest...
The KISS fever was primarily because the 2010 shows were their first set of dates (excluding Festival appearances) in the U.K. for eleven years (including their first date in Scotland since 1992), and KISS were promoting 'Sonic Boom', the first KISS studio album in over a decade.
The album received great critical review and fan feed back, but then it would do, as they intentionally wrote in the style of the "70's Kiss sound" for Sonic Boom.
In that respect they certainly succeeded, but I'm no fan of retro or 'formulated rock' as I describe it, but fully acknowledge there is both an audience and a market for it.
And KISS performing live actually brings me to my first Muiriscal reflection...
I saw KISS back in the day, and was very disappointed, due primarily to their 'Vegas' style attitude and approach where it was more about the show and Paul Stanley's raps with the audience than the songs, with drum and lead guitar solos in the first half hour of the set, and a bass solo that was performed more by the sound engineer than Gene Simmons.
Not the sort of attitude or set you bring to a place like Glasgow, trust me, as was confirmed by the number of us that left early.
There were some great moments though, but my outstanding memory of that gig before we left was a large number of the Weegie audience, during the torturous solos, responding at a fair volume of decibels themselves with "just play a fucking song!".
But they are older and wiser, now understand the differences between American and British/ European audiences, and no-one would deny that when they deliver properly it's Rock and Roll All Nite.
Nor can anyone deny their legacy and longevity, and while the musical heart and business soul of the band remain intact (Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons respectively), there's life in the old Starchild and fire breather yet.
The Elder Statesmen of American glam theatrical rock and roll.
And so to my second reflection...
Having established those Elder Statesmen credentials (Alice Cooper probably has them beat as the Elder Statesman of theatrical shock and roll), could they also be responsible for an Elder Statement in conceptual progressive rock?
As mentioned in my original Muirsical Exceptions article, my favourite KISS album isn't one of the more traditional or classic choices, such as Destroyer or Love Gun, but 1981's release (Music From) 'The Elder'.
That album however was critically panned, confused the fans, and was so poorly received that the band quickly disowned the concept and returned to being the Creatures Of The Night the KISS Army love, and that both band and fan are more comfortable with.
And that's unfortunate, because The Elder saw the band stretching musically and having the audacity (or stupidity, dependant on point of view) to produce a conceptual piece which had musical textures with a light and shade not heard on any Kiss album before, or since (the album also featured the American Symphony Orchestra).
It's not the greatest ever KISS album, nor is it any sort of progressive/ conceptual masterpiece (far from it), but it is their most diverse, adventurous and challenging - hence why it's my personal favourite.
There were a handful of trademark Kiss songs and sounds however, with the striking ballad 'A World Without Heroes' being well received and picking up solid airplay, and how 'I' never became a bona fide Kiss Klassic is beyond me.
Elder Statement, or KISS' Krowning folly?
The Elder sold in such low numbers however that the band decided against the idea of pursuing the planned sequel, which is a shame.
But, quite frankly, I doubt they would ever revisit the idea even if they were tempted to do so because, nearly thirty years on from that Elder statement KISS, complete with original costumes and face painted 'characters' (original drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley are no longer part of the KISS 'make-up' however) are delivering what the majority want to see and, with Sonic Boom, delivered what the KISS Army want to hear.
Love 'em, loathe 'em, or some point in between, it would appear Mr. Rundgren's own statement still applies...
Ross Muir
May 2010
The Elder sold in such low numbers however that the band decided against the idea of pursuing the planned sequel, which is a shame.
But, quite frankly, I doubt they would ever revisit the idea even if they were tempted to do so because, nearly thirty years on from that Elder statement KISS, complete with original costumes and face painted 'characters' (original drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley are no longer part of the KISS 'make-up' however) are delivering what the majority want to see and, with Sonic Boom, delivered what the KISS Army want to hear.
Love 'em, loathe 'em, or some point in between, it would appear Mr. Rundgren's own statement still applies...
Ross Muir
May 2010