Kevin's Watch

KISS has been a bit of a mystery to me for years. My wife is a die-hard fan and she was hooked when she went to her first concert and got a look at Paul Stanley. That doesn’t help me understand however. I got my first glimpse of KISS when I was in Jr. High School and some kid showed me an album cover or a photo or something and I saw the guys in the costumes and makeup. I was impressed. Kind of creepy and neat at the same time. Then I heard some of the music and that is where I started to become confused. Given what the band looked like I expected lyrics like:

Blood, Blood, Blood,
Worship Satan baby.
Blood, Blood, Blood,
Kill and eat them honey.

Slay your fears with a knife as cold as demons.
Kill your pain with a sword of liquid fire.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah.

Instead I hear music that sounds like a pot smoking New Jersey bar band.

I wanna rock and roll all night
And party every day.


Huh? What did I miss? I have respect for what the group has achieved. They have spawned a corps of rabid and unwavering fans that is rivaled only by the Grateful Dead. But I just don’t get it. I watched a VH1 special on KISS a while back and I got lots of interesting info on who did what. How many drummers and guitarists they went through. The evolution of the bands appearance including the momentous occasion where they finally showed their faces in public. But in addition to that I got to hear a lot of their music and I was left scratching my head. Fandom is a peculiar thing. I enjoy music I don’t have any business listening to and I hate stuff that should be right up my alley. I have had a few discussions with my wife about KISS and we’ve both agreed to disagree. Which is a harmonious arrangement.

You didn't miss anything, imo.

nor in mine.

KISS? Bah . . . They're like the Twisted Sister of the 70s. Who wants to listen to that?

I have several friends, some of them professional musicians, who love KISS. Most of them also hate Rush. Rather than drive myself mad, I choose to correctly label them mad instead.

Well its not just me then. Whew.

I didn't get a picture of me, there, but this is my brother-in-law at a show of a Kiss cover band. I've never been into them, either, but the show was a lot of fun.
kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/album_view.php?id=241

Lord Foul wrote:KISS? Bah . . . They're like the Twisted Sister of the 70s. Who wants to listen to that?

Excuse me, Foul, but you have it backwards- Twisted Sister is like the KISS of the 80's! Big difference!

I knew that, but it's a circle of life, ya know, so they're both connected over the temporal time waves or whatever. Oh hell, did ya ever once think I might deliberately try to make no sense at all?

no, I didn't

But I will now, forever and always.

IMO, Kiss was originally just an inferior copy of the New York Dolls. And so was Aerosmith.

I never really cared for Kiss - or for that matter Rush.

Theo wrote:IMO, Kiss was originally just an inferior copy of the New York Dolls. And so was Aerosmith.

New York Dolls! Man I haven't heard that stuff in a long time. I had a tape back in high school I wore out listening to. Cool stuff.

I had a friend who was working in a casino hotel. KISS were staying there after a concert. He had to clean up after them, and oh, the stuff KISS were getting up to!

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Dated a girl in the early '80s who swore KISS stood for Knights In Satans' Service. 'twas a short affair.

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how awesome RR .. you saw KISS in concert!!

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