Disturber Posted October 19, 2012 Posted October 19, 2012 My five year old also saw the clip on my Android phone last week. He was not impressed at all, watched for 30 secunds then walked away. This is a guy who loves Marc Bolan and T-rex, Rush and has worn out my Tinted Windows CD. He's got good taste. Kiss in 2012, nah - "just old farts with whigs".
alantig Posted October 19, 2012 Posted October 19, 2012 Finally watched this - the backing vocals on the Gene songs were brutal. Paul singing an octave lower really destroys the songs, and not in a good way.Alan
benjammin308 Posted October 19, 2012 Posted October 19, 2012 My 14 year old daughter just walked by. I'm getting a kick out of seeing these guys do their things. She looks at me and says, "Was this cool? 60 year old guys wearing makeup?" Walks off. Ouch. Yep - nothing like a heavy dose of perspective. "Too much f***ing perspective." - David St.Hubbins
carfish7 Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 KISS detractors seem to always have a chip on their shoulder.THIS IS AMERICA!!!!!! Don't like it, DO SOMETHING ELSE!They found a way to write cool songs, entertain people and get paid. By 1979, getting paid was more important than the music. FINE. So now they play the part of entertainers and have nice cars.GET OVER IT.Why a chip on the shoulder? Suggesting jealousy again? Oh those sacred cows........Yes, they entertain. And for some of us the entertainment consist of laughing at dudes in makeup calling themselves "The Best". I watched some more of that show on Letterman and I'd be embarrassed to be on a stage in front of a TV audience sounding like that. It was painful to listen to Paul trying to sing and to see Gene grinding in the face of an audience member, but that is just me I guess. Gross. The audience was obviously digging it and so was the band, so it is a cool deal all around. The beauty of music and entertainment right there. ALL good.I think the reality is that if a group is going to make a spectacle of themselves like that, they should expect the giggling and derision heaped upon them that will follow from some quarters. I know they will always point to their heaps 'o cash and say they don't care - it's all good. Dress and act like a clown, don't be surprised or offended when folks laugh at you.Why is it that KISS supporters have such a hard time hearing criticism of their band? We like to slag on John Mayer and Dave Mathews around here, but KISS is off limits? I don't think so.I think maybe the KISS supporters might also need to GET OVER IT. The ego is such a tricky thing to navigate, innit? To each his own as they say. It really is all good, and some get a kick out of listening while others get a kick out of poking fun. THIS IS AMERICA!!!!!!, right?Did I mention it is, in fact, all good?
David B Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 To be honest (and I'm guilty of it myself), we all sound kind of bitter and jealous making fun of artists who are so much more successful than us.
cynic Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 I think maybe the KISS supporters might also need to GET OVER IT. The ego is such a tricky thing to navigate, innit? To each his own as they say. It really is all good, and some get a kick out of listening while others get a kick out of poking fun. THIS IS AMERICA!!!!!!, right?Did I mention it is, in fact, all good?I'm not sure the high road has room for you when your first post implied anyone who did "get it" when it comes to Kiss was easily fooled by a huge joke of talentless hacks full of smoke and mirrors and a good marketing strategy.It's STILL all good, but when your critique felt like it was going beyond the members of the band, you can't feel victimized if someone tells you to shut it and move on.
MCChris Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 I think the reality is that if a group is going to make a spectacle of themselves like that, they should expect the giggling and derision heaped upon them that will follow from some quarters. I know they will always point to their heaps 'o cash and say they don't care - it's all good. Dress and act like a clown, don't be surprised or offended when folks laugh at you.Oh, I think Kiss is in on the joke. As you said, the $$$ make it okay. If they're not, Gene and the boys aren't merely assholes. They're sociopaths.What I personally am getting at is that you, Whitcomb and Bubba's daughter have all implied or straight-up claimed that Kiss always was a joke. I say that's not true, and I point to the Winterland show as one example (their first 4 1/2 studio albums and live album would be 5 1/2 other examples IMO).When something becomes a joke, it's difficult to revert back to a view of it as otherwise. Tiger Woods would be a non-music example.
Brooks Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 To be honest (and I'm guilty of it myself), we all sound kind of bitter and jealous making fun of artists who are so much more successful than us.its way worse for kiss because of the makeup/stageshow/aggressive marketing (and gene's big mouth).if they had dressed like every other 70's hard rawk band and never did what they did image-wise, people wouldn't hate on them as much, and would recognise them as a good band. their first 4 albums are chock full of good tunes, haromony vocals, and playing. IMFO. as far as their decline in quality over the years, i think its the same as any other long term band (stones, aerosmith, zz top, etc).
MCChris Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 its way worse for kiss because of the makeup/stageshow/aggressive marketing (and gene's big mouth).Yes. It's impossible for them to age gracefully, needing the makeup and schtick to fill arenas. Without that, are old farts willing to go see them in huge numbers, much less bringing their kids? I don't think so.
Caddie Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are unmistakeable. Was that Peter Criss and Ace Frehley?
Caddie Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 If you are a hired gun for KISS, can you file a workman's comp claim if you fall off your platform shoes n invert an ankle?
David B Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 its way worse for kiss because of the makeup/stageshow/aggressive marketing (and gene's big mouth).Yes. It's impossible for them to age gracefully, needing the makeup and schtick to fill arenas. Without that, are old farts willing to go see them in huge numbers, much less bringing their kids? I don't think so.Very true, & Kiss is well aware of this.
Steve Haynie Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 OK, I get it now. Let me think of something similar... OK. Got something. Those assholes in ZZ Top really need shave those stupid beards, and that silly walk they do is worn out schtick. :angry:
gi_zuk Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 Last night I watched the Letterman performance and one from the reunion tour back in '96. I didn't realize that they had been back with the makeup for 16 years now...wow! Anyways, the Letterman show....as much as I like the band, I think it might be time to finally wrap it up.
Armitage Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 I really wouldn't be surprised if they went on with a new Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley... Gene has pointed out before KiSS could go on forever... Gene Simmons hired look-alike bass player Spiro Papadatos from the tribute band "ALIVE" as his tech, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's been on stage already as Gene.
gi_zuk Posted October 24, 2012 Posted October 24, 2012 Yes, I have heard/read interviews that pretty much stated that they intended the band to continue on without any original members. Probably not too far away. A big touring tribute band.
cmatthes Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Vegas stand, 2075-2096...featuring one original member.
MCChris Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Vegas stand, 2075-2096...featuring one original member.If people stop buying tickets, Kiss goes away. Simple.
Steve Haynie Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Vegas stand, 2075-2096...featuring one original member.Nahhh... By then it will be KISS featuring one member who met one of the original members when his parents took him to a KISS convention 2036.
diablo175 Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Aside from the continued flow of merch and touring revenue, what's the point? Tail? I think not. Even with a fistful of Viagra, groupies in Gene and Paul's age bracket are likely to be contemplating the early bird dinner specials in Florida and scheduling their first hip replacement...
Cary Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 kiss is irrelevantIn light of our increasingly fragmented society, what IS "relevant"? Are there any bands that define our culture at the moment for society as a whole? And given the average age here at the HFC is probably something like 45 years old, does it matter to us?I remember being made fun of in junior high and high school in the late 70's for liking Kiss and AC/DC, by kids who though Frank Zappa was The Shit. I would submit at that time, KISS and AC/DC were a LOT more relevant, but they didn't consider those bands "hip". Carfish was right when he said "The beauty of music is that it isn't a competition, and if it makes people happy it is a beautiful thing". I think a lot of musicians get wrapped around the axle with the technical aspects of music, and miss the point that most non-musicians just want to be ENTERTAINED. It's not right or wrong, it just IS.
cmatthes Posted October 25, 2012 Posted October 25, 2012 Agree with Cary 100%. Music ISN'T a competition, but people make it that way, because everybody thinks their opinion is relevant.Just like religion and politics, but way more polite!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.