auad Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 When you say everyone wanders, KISS has dabbled, over the years, in all sorts of… I don’t want to say genres, but phases: Music From The Elder and your non-makeup years and what not. Looking back, is there anything that artistically you… “regret” isn’t the right word, but…No, I understand, and it’s a very fair question. The truth is that when you’re busy doing something, you’re blinded by it, and you think it’s the best thing since sliced bread. And afterwards, you look back and say, “What the hell was I thinking?” It’s the same way you look back at photos of your hairstyle 10 years ago and you don’t want anybody to see it. But it’s part of life, it’s part of growing up, and it’s part of the experience. Would I change anything? No. The KISS golf course opens up in Las Vegas this month. The KISS Hello Kitty deal just launched in 90 countries. If you go down Times Square, there’s a 30-foot high Motorola poster. The tongue is out– it’s 10 feet long. I’m the face of Motorola this month. There’s KISS coffee houses all over the place. This has gone beyond what anyone thought a band could ever do. Yes, you have to have the music, and yes, you’ve got to deliver it live. But if that’s all there was, I wouldn’t be satisfied.This is sort of a morbid question, but when the current lineup, as well as the rest of the original members have all, God forbid, departed…The four original members never reached the success of this present lineup. People only remember it as a pivotal moment in media, and media doesn’t report what’s actually big. I’m going to give you a few facts that will blow your mind.Sure, please.Okay. The Ramones. The Ramones have one gold record to their name. Do you know that Chicago has 22 platinum albums? Did you know that?I did not know that.So, one of them gets all the respect in the world: The Ramones. But they meant nothing. They never succeeded, failed, in fact. Lived in their moms’ basements. Now, whether some people like it or not is an interesting question, because where were the people? Where were the records sold? Where were the concerts? They kept playing clubs. In other words, the people didn’t rally behind it. There are lots of groups that get all the respect in the world that never sold. And there are lots of bands that get no respect and have sold loads. So, what’s the criteria? A magazine article? Critics liking it? Or the people? The people decide everything. If the people do, then we’re paying attention to the wrong banners.So, this current lineup with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer is literally 10 times the size of the original KISS lineup. And, by the way, it’s not unique. AC/DC is bigger by 10 times than with the original lead singer. And whether you like it or not, Van Halen with Sammy Hagar was actually twice as big than with Roth. And you’re talking to the guy that discovered Van Halen. So, “You can’t change lead singers, you can’t change original members.” Actually, if you take a look at the statistics, it’d be better to change the original members. Because you get bigger. The original Beatles were not with Ringo [starr]. As soon as they got rid of Pete Best, they ruled the world. The Rolling Stones now has less original members. They’re touring again soon. It will probably become the biggest tour of all time, much bigger with the new members than they every were with the old members, the original members.http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/01/interview-gene-simmons-of-kiss/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunko12345 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Is there a connection to gnr that I'm missing? Are you saying the current gnr is more successful because they are replacements. In fact gnr situation actually contradicts what he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustycage Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 KISS = a band that has songs cover bands perform better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Satanisk_Slakt Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 What he's aiming at clearly doesn't apply to GNR though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr-fukaji Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Sure, please.Okay. The Ramones. The Ramones have one gold record to their name. Do you know that Chicago has 22 platinum albums? Did you know that?I did not know that.So, one of them gets all the respect in the world: The Ramones. But they meant nothing. They never succeeded, failed, in fact.I can't even fucking begin to process or reason with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spunko12345 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 And his wife shannon tweed has a vagina like chewbaccas armpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maynard Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 it happened to gnr, they replaced ole, rob and the other guy and became big. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 One thing I like most about Gene is he doesn't give a shit - he says whatever he thinks is right, not what people wanna hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEXzilla Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Guns AFD=greatest band of all time NuGuns=great live show but no creativity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShacklerBucket Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 For Gene to say that Kiss is bigger now than in the 70's is pure delusional hogwash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmapelian Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 most disjointed interview/article I've read in a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustycage Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, someone tell Gene that making new music would make them better. How many ways can he rip off KISS fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, someone tell Gene that making new music would make them better. How many ways can he rip off KISS fans.KISS has just finished a new album due to release in august. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustycage Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, someone tell Gene that making new music would make them better. How many ways can he rip off KISS fans.KISS has just finished a new album due to release in august.Good for their fans. Never was one but thought it was funny how they have been releasing the same crap for so long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, someone tell Gene that making new music would make them better. How many ways can he rip off KISS fans.KISS has just finished a new album due to release in august.Good for their fans. Never was one but thought it was funny how they have been releasing the same crap for so long.I think their last album was really good, for a change. Their last good album before that was probably Dynasty, from 1979! :xmasssanta: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunsfanoldie Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, someone tell Gene that making new music would make them better. How many ways can he rip off KISS fans.KISS has just finished a new album due to release in august.Good for their fans. Never was one but thought it was funny how they have been releasing the same crap for so long.I think their last album was really good, for a change. Their last good album before that was probably Dynasty, from 1979! :xmasssanta:Eh, Sonic Boom I didn't think was great. It was decent IMO and had a few pretty killer songs. I would agree it was surprisingly their first good one in a really long time. Revenge was a really good record in 1990 so that was maybe their last. But then they say for every record "The new one is going to sound like classic 70s (which Gene knows everyone loves the best) and with a modern heavy aspect added ala Revenge." They always describe it in those two aspects and the albums are never as good as the 70s or Revenge for that matter.Personally, I think its sad to be a KISS fan, but I am one. I love their 70s output and I love when they were a "band." Saw KISS in 2010 for $164 floor seats. Concert was awful and couldn't have been more predictable and by the numbers. The pyro isn't even impressive by today's standards. So disappointed and you don't forget that price when the show is that bad.Saw Ace Frehley about 6 months later for $50. Incredible amazing show. The guy can still play and he showed me why I loved the band. I love the guitar, I love the catchy melodies, I love the hard rock edge. It might not have been that original, but it was good music, and with the right band (or members) playing it, that is still evident.Sad that I never got to see the original band together, as I could fake my way into thinking they are all happy with each other. But Gene has destroyed and ruined that band and, while I remain a fan for the nostalgia of it, I will never stop being embarrassed by what a joke they have become. At this point, I don't expect people to take them seriously because they aren't a real band anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silent Jay Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, someone tell Gene that making new music would make them better. How many ways can he rip off KISS fans.KISS has just finished a new album due to release in august.Good for their fans. Never was one but thought it was funny how they have been releasing the same crap for so long.I think their last album was really good, for a change. Their last good album before that was probably Dynasty, from 1979! :xmasssanta:Revenge is pretty good too.Anyway, Tommy Thayer is an excellent guitarist, his solos on Sonic Boom are awesome ( All for the glory ), and i love When Lightning Strikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreblack Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 So, what’s the criteria? A magazine article? Critics liking it? Or the people? The people decide everything.If so, then Nickleback. Katy Perry. Justin Bieber. New Kids On The Block. Bay City Rollers. The Bee Gees. Abba. Fabian. Frankie Avalon... these would be the legends of music. Anybody can hire a backing band, and Max Martin or Desmond Child or Dianne Warren to write them a #1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Eh, Sonic Boom I didn't think was great. It was decent IMO and had a few pretty killer songs. I would agree it was surprisingly their first good one in a really long time. Revenge was a really good record in 1990 so that was maybe their last. But then they say for every record "The new one is going to sound like classic 70s (which Gene knows everyone loves the best) and with a modern heavy aspect added ala Revenge." They always describe it in those two aspects and the albums are never as good as the 70s or Revenge for that matter.Personally, I think its sad to be a KISS fan, but I am one. I love their 70s output and I love when they were a "band." Saw KISS in 2010 for $164 floor seats. Concert was awful and couldn't have been more predictable and by the numbers. The pyro isn't even impressive by today's standards. So disappointed and you don't forget that price when the show is that bad.Saw Ace Frehley about 6 months later for $50. Incredible amazing show. The guy can still play and he showed me why I loved the band. I love the guitar, I love the catchy melodies, I love the hard rock edge. It might not have been that original, but it was good music, and with the right band (or members) playing it, that is still evident.Sad that I never got to see the original band together, as I could fake my way into thinking they are all happy with each other. But Gene has destroyed and ruined that band and, while I remain a fan for the nostalgia of it, I will never stop being embarrassed by what a joke they have become. At this point, I don't expect people to take them seriously because they aren't a real band anymore.I think KISS has been a brand since the Rock And Roll Over days. It's always been like that, IMO. And really, differently from what happened with GnR, I completely understand Gene firing Peter and Ace given their state in the late 70's. It's like what happened with Steven, if you think about it. Saw an Alive '35 concert in 2009 (or 2008). Second best concert of my life. They were amazing that night. But recently I saw their latest live stream, it sucked. What a letdown. Revenge is pretty good too.Anyway, Tommy Thayer is an excellent guitarist, his solos on Sonic Boom are awesome ( All for the glory ), and i love When Lightning Strikes. I'm not a fan of Revenge. That whole KISS trying to be badass leather guys pisses me off. The lyrics on some songs are really them trying to be someone else. Just not a fan. Sonic Boom, on the other hand was KISS being KISS, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 The sad thing is that we will never know if the replacements are better than the originals. A combination of various replacements has put out one album in the last 15 years. I would love to have 5 replacement albums to compare to the five original band's albums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nosaj Thing Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 KISS fuckin' sucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modano09 Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I understand his point with the Ramones. But the reason Kiss or the Stones are bigger today than ever is because of what the original members accomplished, not because there's no members. And it depends on how you define "big". Kiss might have more money today than ever but they're not as relevant today as they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jekylhyde Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Kiss is great! If you can get past the fact that they're Kiss, you're gonna find so many awesome songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silent Jay Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 But the reason Kiss or the Stones are bigger today than ever is because of what the original members accomplished, not because there's no members. True. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 So, what’s the criteria? A magazine article? Critics liking it? Or the people? The people decide everything.If so, then Nickleback. Katy Perry. Justin Bieber. New Kids On The Block. Bay City Rollers. The Bee Gees. Abba. Fabian. Frankie Avalon... these would be the legends of music. Anybody can hire a backing band, and Max Martin or Desmond Child or Dianne Warren to write them a #1.How do you quantify how good or relevant a band is?People's criteria really changes depending on what band they are talking about.Record Sales? Nickleback and Katy Perry outsell everybody.Awards - critical success - people bring up Jethro Tull winning best heavy metal band and downplay VR winning a grammy.Concert Sales - Justin Bieber sells out.Billboard Hits - Britney has more hits than anybody.Public reaction? Test of time? I was at a bar a few years ago and Ice Ice Baby came on and I swear that every girl and half the guys in the bar started bopping their head, dancing and singing.So what forumula or criteria do you use? If you can't use album sales, concert sales, critical acclaim, awards, radio hits, or public reaction?????Does it all just boil down to what each individual person likes? And no connection to the number of people that agree? Like The Ramones. I think kids today are more into wearing a Ramones T-shirt than they are in listening to the songs. It's "cooler" to be a DLR VH fan than a Hagar VH fan. Personally, I've listened to the Ramones maybe 50 times and you couldn't pay me enough money to sit and listen to them for an hour straight. I can take about two of their songs and then I want out! But some people will say they are one of the best bands ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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