Pencil Storm staff writer Scott Carr on the newly-uploaded KISS video extravaganza.
Read MoreKiss Rules The Month Of September - by Scott Carr
If you are a Kiss fan, you know that September is a very busy month in the band's history. Or if you will, Kisstory. The band has released more records in the month of September than any other month, followed closely by October.
The trend of releasing albums in September goes all the way back to the September 10th, 1975 release of the bands seminal career-launching double live album Alive! No question, if this album had not taken off, we would not be having this discussion today. The band's career was in serious jeopardy as their first three studio albums had been major duds in the sales department. Luckily for myself and Kiss fans around the world, Alive! became the bands first million seller and gave the band a second wind.
Next up in the September cycle of releases for Kiss came on September 18th, 1978 when the band released their individual solo albums. Each band member had their own full-length album but all were marketed under the Kiss name. Some would say it was one of the most brilliant concepts ever attempted in the music business while others say a complete fiasco. I wrote a detailed recap that you can read here.....
During the 1980's the September releases for Kiss really kicked into high gear beginning with 1983's Lick It Up, released on September 18, 1983. Lick It Up was the band's first studio record to feature lead guitarist Vinnie Vincent who had replaced original Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley during the previous years Creatures of the Night Tour. Lick It Up also marked the first time the band had appeared on an album cover without their signature makeup. The official unmasking of Kiss happened on the same day of the album's release during a special appearance on MTV. Lick It Up was a solid record and brought the band back to platinum-selling status after the declining sales of their previous records, Unmasked and (Music From) The Elder.
A world tour followed the release of Lick It Up, but by the time September of 1984 rolled around Kiss had another new record hitting the shelves. Animalize was released on September 13, 1984. Animalize pretty much continued were Lick It Up left off and Kiss once again had a million seller on their hands. The band had also ushered in another new lead guitarist for this record. Mark St. John replaced Vinnie Vincent for the recording of Animalize. Shortly after the albums release Mark would be replaced by Bruce Kulick due to an illness that affected Marks ability to play guitar.
Another tour followed and by September 1985 Kiss returned to the record stores with Asylum. Released on September 16, 1985, Asylum became the third million seller in a row for Kiss. The band was definitely on a roll and for Kiss fans it was like Christmas every September. It's pretty amazing to think how quickly the band were delivering a new record. In today's market you are lucky to get a new record from your favorite band every five years and Kiss fans were getting a new record every year!
After three consecutive September releases there was a two-year gap before Kiss delivered their next album. Crazy Nights was released on September 18, 1987 and although it seemed like a lifetime between records Crazy Nights proved to be another hit for the band and their fourth platinum record in a row. Crazy Nights was a much more polished affair than previous Kiss releases but the album spawned several MTV hits including the albums opening anthem "Crazy Crazy Nights."
Kiss' next studio album Hot In The Shade arrived in mid-October of 1989 marking the end of their 1980's September juggernaut and also the string of platinum albums as well. Hot In The Shade only achieved Gold status.
Kiss would not release another album during the month of September until 1998. Psycho Circus was released on September 22, 1998 and claimed to be a reunion of the four original members of Kiss. While the band had been on a highly successful reunion tour since June of 1996 when it came time to record a new studio record the band brought in several outside players to perform on the record and contributions from original drummer Peter Criss and guitarist Ace Frehley were very few. The album received lackluster responses from critics and fans but still managed to go gold.
So there you have my round up of Kiss albums that were released during the month of September. A couple other items I will throw at you: Peter Criss released his first post-Kiss solo album Out Of Control in September of 1980 and Ace Frehley released his fourth post-Kiss solo album Anomaly on September 15, 2009.
.....and finally I will leave you with this: I saw Kiss on their Dynasty tour on September 10th, 1979 at the Huntington Civic Center in my hometown of Huntington, WV and then 37 years exactly to the day I saw them again in the very same venue. You can read all the details about those experiences here.....
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps andReturning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.
KISS SEPTEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
ALIVE! (SEPTEMBER 10, 1975)
KISS SOLO ALBUMS (SEPTEMBER 18, 1978)
OUT OF CONTROL (SEPTEMBER, 1980) PETER CRISS SOLO ALBUM
LICK IT UP (SEPTEMBER 18, 1983)
ANIMALIZE (SEPTEMBER 13, 1984)
ASYLUM (SEPTEMBER 16, 1985)
CRAZY NIGHTS (SEPTEMBER 18, 1987)
PSYCHO CIRCUS (SEPTEMBER 22, 1998)
ANOMALY (SEPTEMBER 15, 2009) ACE FREHLEY SOLO ALBUM
SEPTEMBER, 1978 / THE KISS SOLO ALBUMS ARE RELEASED - BY SCOTT CARR
On September 18, 1978, Kiss did something that no other band had ever done: they released four records on the same day, one record for each member. The records all had a unified look, but each member had complete creative control over their individual record with no input from the other members.
Kissteria was at its peak in 1978, Kiss was everywhere. I remember as a kid going grocery shopping with my mom and I would always hit the magazine stand as soon as we got into the store to check out all the latest magazines with Kiss on the cover and they were on every one. They had their own comic books, trading cards, action figures, pinball machines and were about to release their first TV movie. For my generation Kiss were like The Beatles.
It seemed at the time that Kiss could do no wrong, but cracks were beginning to form within the band and although initially the solo albums were pitched as an idea to help save the band, it only made things worse. Casablanca Records was not completely on board with the idea of solo albums, although an option for solo albums had been in the band's contracts with Casablanca since 1976. The band and their management forced the issue and basically said if these albums don't happen, the band is breaking up. Kiss was Casablanca's top-selling artist at the time so the label eventually agreed to the project and launched a massive promotional campaign, spending over 2.5 million dollars. The label announced that the records would be shipping platinum, with over a million copies of each record being flooded into the market to guarantee platinum status for each record. Of course "shipping platinum" and "selling platinum" are two completely different things. When all was said and done the four solo albums' combined sales equaled about the same amount as their last studio album, Love Gun. Instead of fans buying all four records, they seemed to just be buying the one from their favorite member. Only Ace Frehley's album made a legitimate dent in the sales chart, scoring a Top 20 hit single with his cover of "New York Groove." Gene Simmons' album made the highest chart entry at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, but without a hit single the album disappeared from the charts in quick fashion. The same fate was dealt to Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, no hit single meant a fast exit from the sales charts. The records shipped platinum but they hit the cut-out bins in record store faster than just about any other record in history.
The solo album singles.
I was one of the lucky kids who actually got all four Kiss solo records on the very day they were released and this was pretty mind-blowing. My whole life was Kiss at this point, I had already seen them in concert twice and I was barely 10 years old. I carried my Kiss lunch box to school every day and would rush home every afternoon to look at my Kiss trading cards and listen to all their records endlessly. When I first heard they were putting out four records in one day, I had no idea how I was going to be able to get them all. I had decided that I would get Peter's first because at that time he was my favorite member and I wanted to play drums. When I arrived home from school on that September afternoon my mom said she had picked up the new Kiss record for me while I was at school. I was sure she had bought the wrong one but to my surprise she had bought all four! Lying on my bed was a plastic bag with all four Kiss faces on it and inside were all four Kiss solo albums. I was so excited that I couldn't even listen to them because my brain couldn't comprehend that there were four brand-new Kiss records looking me in the face. Eventually I listened to them in order of who my favorite member was: so Peter was first, followed by Gene, then Ace and lastly Paul.
KISS promoting the '78 solo albums.
Peter's record was typical Catman fare, a few half-baked rock songs surrounded by sappy ballads but it's what Pete does best and I give him credit for staying true to who he is for his record, although I wish it had rocked more. Pete was still cool and I would still dress as him that Halloween.
Gene's record was a mixed bag of styles and special guests ranging from Helen Reddy to Rick Nielsen. The Demon was not very demonic on his record, other than the devilish intro to the lead track "Radioactive." It was pretty lightweight for such a menacing figure. Highlights on Gene's record are the unexpected Beatles-influenced tracks "See You Tonite," "Man of 1000 Face,s, "Always Near You/Nowhere To Hide" and "Mr. Make Believe." Gene should have done his entire record in this style, as it came off much more sincere than the generic rock tracks he included.
Ace Frehley delivered a very strong record and didn't try to stretch the boundaries too much. Ace gave the fans a record that was Ace all the way. Up to this point Ace had only sung lead vocals on two Kiss tracks: "Shock Me" and "Rocket Ride," so it was cool to hear Ace take lead vocals on every song, with the exception of the album-closing instrumental "Fractured Mirror." Ace used Kiss producer Eddie Kramer on his record along with Anton Fig on drums & Will Lee on bass guitar. Standout tracks include "Rip It Out," "Ozone," "Speeding Back To My Bab,y, "Snow Blind" and "New York Groove," which peaked on the Billboard singles chart at No. 13. I loved Ace's record from the first time I dropped the needle on the vinyl and I began to reassess my ambitions of wanting to be a drummer.
Paul Stanley's record was the most Kiss-sounding record of the four solo albums and would eventually become my favorite of them all. Paul's record is almost perfect, the only wrong turn he made was including the syrupy ballad "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart)." This track can almost be forgiven on the strength of the other 8 songs on the album, including "Love In Chains," "Move On," the epic album opener "Tonight You Belong To Me" and possibly one of the best power pop songs ever written, "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me." Another highlight on Paul's record is the track "Take Me Away (Together As One)," featuring a great vocal from Paul and the thunderous drumming of Carmine Appice. Just like Ace, Paul was at the peak of his powers in 1978 and it shines through brilliantly on his solo record.
Paul Stanley promoting his record at Cactus Records
That is the order that I originally listened to the Kiss solo albums but that is not how I would rank them. My favorite is Paul Stanley followed closely by Ace Frehley, third place goes to Gene Simmons and my least favorite is Peter Criss. With that said, I love them all and still spin them all in the initial order that I heard them every year when September 18th rolls around.
I've often wondered if the band and Casablanca would have been better off if they had just released a proper Kiss album in 1978 instead of the huge production that was the Kiss solo albums. Here is what my hypothetical 1978 Kiss album would have looked like. I basically used the criteria that it would have been a single record and featured eleven tracks, four tracks from Paul, three from Gene, three from Ace and one from Peter. (Sorry, Pete.)
I would have called the album either Kiss '78 or Radioactive.
Side one
1. Tonight You Belong To Me
2 Speedin' Back To My Baby
3 Man Of 1000 Faces
4 Wouldn't You Like To Know Me
5 Hooked On Rock N' Roll
Side Two
1 Move On
2 Radioactive
3 New York Groove
4 See You Tonight
5 Rip It Out
6 Goodbye
Three singles would have been released from the album with non-LP b-sides.....
1. "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me" b/w "It's Alright"
2. "New York Groove" b/w "Snow Blind"
3. "Radioactive" b/w "Always Near You/Nowhere To Hide"
As a Kiss fan I wouldn't change anything about the Kiss solo albums, but from a career standpoint the band took a big gamble with the project and it backfired. Casablanca was on the verge of bankruptcy and the band members were still at odds over career decisions. In October 1978 the Kiss television movie Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park debuted on NBC and while it received high ratings, most Kiss fans thought that their rock 'n roll heroes had lost their minds. Kiss returned in 1979 with their next studio album, Dynasty, and the tour to support the album saw the band performing one song from each of the solo albums at the beginning of the tour: eventually only "New York Groove" and "Move On" would remain in the set list. "New York Groove" was also kept in the set for the Unmasked tour in 1980 and would appear again when the original band did their reunion tour in 1996.
Although it was a flawed venture it is one that had never been done before and has not been done since, so Kiss should be given credit for being ballsy enough to even attempt such a project.
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.
KISS Kountdown Secret Bonus Surprise Hidden Track Tattoo Package Booklet - by Colin Gawel
There is just so much KISS up in Pencilstorm we are adding a bonus day just like those cool bonus DVDs you get in the Kissology collection. Click here to read Day 2 - "Loving a Band That Is Easy to Hate, My Life with Kiss" by David Martin
Kiss Kountdown Secret Bonus Surprise Hidden Track Tattoo Package Booklet. - by Colin Gawel
PEOPLE! We can bicker about whether KISS is the greatest or the absolute worst rock band in the history of the world but one fact is beyond question: "Kiss Alive Forever - The Complete Touring History" is the greatest rock n roll book ever written. I have literally killed THOUSANDS of hours in the van touring with Watershed eyeballing this piece of pure fandom genius. Even Ricki C. begrudgingly admits it's a nerd's paradise. It has every show, bill, attendance and setlist for every KISS show ever. Ever. Did I mention EVER? The amount of research it must have taken is truly mind-boggling. And what's even crazier, it is extremely well-written. This is no psycho-fan hack-job. The authors pull no punches and the book is brimming with insider accounts of even the most obscure gigs. Rumor has it, a revised edition is in the cards. I will be ordering a copy, and a spare, at the earliest possible opportunity. Any Kiss fan caught without one isn't a Kiss fan at all. Click here to check it out.
Q: What's the Worst Thing Ever Done by a KISS Member, Band or Solo?
A: Though this may seem like a tough question, it's actually very easy to answer. The worst thing ever done by a KISS member is the Peter Criss song "One For All" and it's not even close. A terrible song and an even worse performance. Even Desmond Child might have helped with this gem. The vocals are so out of tune it literally gives me chills. Oh, and to make it even better, this is the Catman's "9/11" song. I guess I sort of get that, since every time I hear it I wish a jet-liner would smash into my house and destroy my stereo. Please, if you only take one thing away from the ten-day Kiss Kountdown, make it this song. NEVER FORGET!
Kiss has the unique distinction of being simultaneously the most over-rated AND under-rated band of all time.
Under-Rated: KISS Destroyer
It's odd that the only KISS record semi-respected by normal people can be underrated, but it's true. Destroyer isn't just a good KISS record, track by track it can stand next to any classic hard rock album. AC/DC, GnR, Metallica, etc. Bob Ezrin nailed the production and the songs still hold up well. "God of Thunder" alone renders the entire Alice Cooper catalog virtually obsolete and rocks as hard as anything Metallica ever did. Dig the bass groove on "Shout It Out Loud," totally swinging. "Do You Love Me," "King of the Night World," "Flaming Youth" and "Detroit Rock City" are four of Paul's finest moments. Even Peter manages to avoid humiliation with the classic ballad "Beth" which the Catman claims to have written....but....really Ezrin did the heavy lifting and Gene came up with the title. Speaking of Gene, "Great Expectations" is totally hilarious though I doubt the Demon was in on the joke. He isn't known for his sense of humor.
Actually now that i think about it, Gene Simmons himself is both over-rated and under-rated. Some people think Gene is a business genius, but if you study the history of KISS nothing could be further from the truth. Gene's hare-brained schemes have cost the band untold millions, and making comments like "KISS isn't a rock band, it is a rock brand" publicly while at the same time writing tracks like "Burn Bitch Burn" is probably not the best way to meet those year-end sales goals. While I have no doubt Gene truly believes KISS is a rock "brand" (and that the bitch should probably burn or at least be made to smell it) certainly a smarter business person would just make this statement over dinner to a close friend and not to a major music magazine. It would be like entering politics and then declaring on Meet The Press, "I'm only running for office to line my pockets." While it may be true, probably best to keep those thoughts to yourself.
Still, Gene is an under-rated singer and bass player. He has managed to be a rock star who is clean and sober which is an admirable feat in it's own right. He isn't afraid to try new ideas. Tongue magazine anyone? What's more is that he owns up to his mistakes, which is more than most people or politicians can say. If Donald Trump can run for President, why not Gene Simmons? Seriously, it would be great pub. I've never met Gene personally, but other than Ace and Peter, I've never heard a negative word about the man. And...... when it comes to dressing like a demon, blowing fire and spitting blood, Gene is the best in the history of the world. His original idea is why he is rich and famous. The rest is just gravy.
Were the KISS non make-up years as bad as i remember?
Well, yes and no. See Kiss got lucky that when they finally cried uncle and unmasked they landed flat in the "hairband" era of pop music. You know how the "steroid era" in base ball inflated everybody's numbers so crappy players were OK and good players could hit over sixty home runs? That is sorta how the hairband era was for rock n roll. Bands like Brittney Fox could get a big record deal and a video played on MTV, while Bon Jovi could become the biggest band in the world with their brand of Desmond Child, test market hard rock.
So yes, the non make-up KISS catelog isn't going to rival the Stones post Brian Jones era, but how does it stand up to the biggest band of the same period? It stands up reasonably well.
Bon Jovi's Ten Most Popular Songs vs KISS Songs From the Same ERA
Unholy (Revenge) Tears Are Falling (Asylum) All Hell is Breaking Loose (Lick It Up) Rise To It (Hot in the Shade) Get All That You Can Take (Animalize) Secretly Cruel (Asylum) Forever (Hot In The Shade) On The 8th Day (Lick It Up) Hide Your Heart (Hot in the Shade) Reason to Live (Crazy Nights)
There is no neat ending to the surprise bonus track tattoo booklet. You should feel lucky you even got it.
Colin Gawel plays in the band Watershed and is the founder of Pencilstorm. He also owns a coffee shop and is married with a ten year old son. His wife and customers cannot wait for this stupid Kiss Kountdown to end so they can finally get his attention. His son thinks it's cool.
Paul's Solo Record is Better Than Ace's. KISS Kountdown Begins!
Day 10 of Kiss Kountdown to Rock n Roll Hall of Fame begins now...
Paul Stanley's Solo Record is the Best of the Four.
I don't know who initially declared Ace's solo record the best but it must have carried some weight because it has been taken as the gospel since the ill-fated day this preposterous scheme was unleashed on the unsuspecting music public. No one expected much from Ace and sure, the Spaceman's record is pretty good. No doubt covering Russ Ballard's classic "New York Groove" was inspired, but Paul's album is better and has a couple of stone cold power pop classics to boot.
"Ok, hotshot, if Paul's album is so good, how come nobody bought it? Huh? What went wrong?" Casablanca surely was looking for a big top forty ballad when they released "Hold Me, Touch Me" as first single off the platter, and who could blame them? All that blow Neil Bogart and his fellow executives were snorting while producing Angel records wasn't cheap and certainly Paul was feminine enough take a bite out of Air Supply's ass, wasn't he? Trouble is, they overshot the mark by half and inadvertently managed to bring the subject of Paul's "gayness" onto the national radar. ("Gaydar" was trademarked by Gene Simmons) Obviously, I respect the right for everybody to be who they, but let's face it, metal fans aren't exactly the most enlightened kids in the classroom. This isn't the way to appeal to your hardcore 70's stoner fan base. I mean, a good portion of KISS early success was appealing to the midwestern rock fans as the very straight, less queer New York Dolls.
Ok, so the lead single was totally gay and lame but the OTHER songs on the record were totally not gay. Except in the supergay rocking way which is totally different. The Raspberries never wrote a pop rocker 1/10th as good as "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me" or "It's Alright". (eat it Ricki) Not to mention "Ain't Quite Right" is moody and melancholy beyond anything the other KISS members could dream of then or now.
As long as i am on the subject…. Over-Rated: Paul Stanley's next solo CD "Live To Win." Under- Rated: Ace's Frehley's 2nd solo record, "Frehley's Comet."
"Live to Win" is noteworthy only for the cover art portraying Paul in all his sexy mid-50's splendor. "Frehley's Comet" is written on a 1st grade level with nearly ever single line on the CD rhyming, but that just shows how essential Ace was to keeping KISS on that 8 year old level where the band band really hits paydirt. No wonder Ace hated "The Elder" and quit the band. That's a very boring record for an eight year old. They should have put a dinosaur on the cover or something.
"If the devil wants to play his card game now, he's going to have to play without an Ace in his deck" - Ace Frehley's best line.
If The KISS solo records had been just one record, would it have been the best KISS album ever? Yes.
Side one: It's Alright (Paul) New York Groove (Ace) Radioactive (Gene) I'm In Need of Love (Ace) Tonight You Belong to Me (Paul)
Side Two: Rip it Out (Ace) Wouldn't You Like to Know Me (Paul) See You Tonite (Gene) Move On (Paul) Fractured Mirror (Ace) Take Me Away (Paul)
Damn, that is a pretty good record. Can one of you power nerds reading this whip that track listing into a bootleg for my listening pleasure? Thanks. Considering the roll KISS was on at the time and how the solo records debacle tossed cold water on the raging hype tire-fire that was KISS in 1978, it's scary to think how big this record could have been.
Goes to show that when your label president and band manager are partying harder than the band (except the drummer) things can go haywire in a hurry.
"But wait, you didn't have any solo Peter tunes on that record? That doesn't seem fair."
The most over rated of all time - Peter Criss from 1976 until forever.
Peter Criss fell into a gold mine when he met Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. He worked hard for the first couple of years and his drumming somehow, someway was actually pretty good. The second the band hit paydirt Peter completely fell apart and was on the curb within 3 years. He complained before he got famous. He complained while he was famous. He complained after he lost his fame. He complained when he got back in the band and was saved by those assholes Gene and Paul. After he lost the gig again, he complained.
What a dick. Don't take my word for it, read "Makeup to Breakup -The Peter Criss Story." Peter thinks he is a sympathetic character. I just feel sympathy for everybody who had to put up with his bullshit all those years. If it's any consolation for you fans of the pussy, Peter did write by far, the best biography of any KISS member, at least until Vinnie Vincent puts one out anyway. Videos below...
Colin Gawel is a founding member of website Pencilstorm and the band "Why Isn't Cheap Trick in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame?". You can read about his life in the best selling book Hitless Wonder
Below: Clip 1) Paul Stanley rocking in the supergay rocking way. Clip 2) Just plain gay.