I loved reading this Michael, what a fabulous tale!
Interestingly, the first album I ever owned was by KISS, the 1975 album ‘Dressed to Kill’. I’m pretty sure I got it from my parents for Christmas but to this day I have no idea why they would’ve given me that. It certainly wouldn’t have been done spontaneously so I must’ve asked for it. Which is weird as I was only four when the album was originally released. Not sure what age I was when I received it, but despite it being the only album of theirs I ever owned, I considered myself a “big fan” as a little kid.
While that record didn’t turn me on to rock music, it was definitely important in my overall love of music (along with my dad’s old Beatles records and his reel to reel mixes including ABBA, the Bee Gees, Simon & Garfunkel and Neil Diamond).
It would be a few more years until I bought my first two albums with my own money which were Neil Diamond’s ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’ and the Bee Gees’ ‘Spirits Having Flown’ along with singles by The Specials (‘Ghost Town’) and Kraftwerk (‘Computer Love’).
The memories of those earliest records I was exposed to during my formative years still remain so vivid and powerful; it’s incredible.
Thank you, Mark. These early music memories are very crucial and opened the gate for so many journeys and paths in my life. One day I will write the story of my years following the Grateful Dead and going on a UK/European tour (as a poster artist) with the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Other tales include obscure psych bands from the '90s and '00s that will also be shared. Curiously, I don’t listen to much rock music in my house these days, nor do I spend a lot of time in the rock section of record stores. However, it all comes back to my young imagination first being blown away by KISS.
I loved reading this, picturing you as a child with your sister listening to Kiss as you colored! I didn't get interested in Rock until my teens, and then it was the Beatles and Rolling Stones, and eventually Hendrix and Joplin. Today my 12-year old granddaughter is plugged into pop music much more than I ever was at her age. She introduced me to Imagine Dragons when she was 9 and I thought it was going to be a sweet song about imaginary animals. I was shocked to hear the music and lyrics to Radioactive, her favorite! Although I really liked it, I wasn't sure it was the right music for her. Yesterday she introduced me to Yaelokre's "Harpy Hare,"--not Rock but dark, mysterious, folklore lyrics. She keeps me young and plugged into her generation: 12 going on 16.
Thank you, Deborah. Your 12-year-old's music is curiously opening many things for her creatively and emotionally. Music and art are something I often turn to when I need answers, and I think it's great she is discovering them. As a high school teacher, a lot of my female students are very into indie folk female singers/songwriters. I agree, that a lot of music these days is quite dark and self-loathing, but I also think that is what many younger people consume on social media, and it helps them not feel alone or, as I said, may present some answers to their questions.
Interestingly, I don’t listen to much rock music in my house these days, nor do I spend a lot of time in the rock section of record stores. However, it all comes back to my young imagination first being blown away by KISS.
You would no doubt be amused to know how many grim-looking, fiercely modern heavy metal guitarists have KISS fandom in their blood from their earliest days. Including the guy I work with in Bessemer Saints; who's an Ace fan to his core + has a KISS tattoo on his back (which 3 drinks will get him flashing, lol).
Alive 1 was one of my first records too; + one of the first riffs I ever played was "Black Diamond".
I don't doubt that. I know you and I are both bigger heads of the S.Trees and Lanegan, but I always appreciated Kurt for talking about how inspirational KISS was for him. As I said in another reply, by the 80s, KISS had been relegated to the "uncool" bin of rock 'n roll, and admitting you once liked them was putting oneself at risk of losing any sense of street cred. I'm not a metal guy, but I have to acknowledge the enormous impact KISS had on my life and for introducing me to music. Everything I listen to today goes back to when I was air guitaring to 'Parasite,' 'She,' 'Makin Love,' 'Rock Bottom,' and 'Strange Ways' in my bedroom.
That's quite an inspiring story, Michael! I know Gene and the guys would appreciate knowing how influential they were on you, and the "whole army" of single digit-ers that became their fans in the '70s! As a former teacher of 4th and 5th graders, your fully-involved devotion to rock in general, and KISS in particular is pretty damn adorable (if I may, from a decidedly adult POV, having lived through the days of having to confiscate Pokemon cards and other tools of the devoted)!
Big picture, we know the guys were "targeting" grade schoolers thru middle schoolers, and I've been guilty, in the past, of poo-poohing the notion that, compared with the Dolls, Iggy, and other hard rockers of the day, KISS was far too "unserious" or juvenile to be taken seriously.
But, as I know you know, Michael, as I was 8 when I was struck by The Beatles' "Ed Sullivan" appearance, the boarding, by a young'un, of the Rock'n'Roll Train, is always a personal journey, and certainly always one to be celebrated, and we're all the same giddy, happy-go-lucky music-loving passengers, regardless of where and when we boarded!✊😁Nicely told!
Thank you, Brad. I appreciate you reading and taking the time to leave your thoughtful comments.
You are correct about the fanbase becoming younger; however, I would say that was in full swing by 1977/1978. I think the songs changed for a changing audience (there is nothing like the soft, orchestrated "Beth" on their first three albums). Also, if you watch any videos from 1973, 1974, and even 'Alive!' era 1975 (essentially anything pre-'Destroyer' LP), there is a darker, more sinister vibe to the band in their early days. I can only imagine how wild they must have been to see live in a small bar or venue when they were still a relatively unknown band in 1973, '74, and even '75 (again pre-'Destroyer').
Initially, they took the glam and pushed it into a more Hammer Horror/Dark Shadows vibe. By 1977/78, the bombastic showmanship and the marketing machine were in full force. There were lunch boxes, dolls, board games, etc. There was also the terrible made-for TV movie "Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park," the failed solo LPs (Ace's being the only decent one), and then 'Dynasty' and 'Unmasked.' By the 'Dynasty' album, even at ten, I could tell the end of the road for the band (and me) was near (even though this was the tour I saw them, the album was terrible compared to the previous six and the two live LPs). By 1980, I had jumped ship and moved on.
There was also a time in the 80s when I was embarrassed to admit I once liked the band. But, over time, I have come to peace with it and realize, as I wrote in my post, they kickstarted my love for music, and as a young boy, I was very creatively inspired by KISS. I can never take that away from them. For that alone, they deserve to be honored.
"Yep" to all! I suspect Neil Bogart had a hand in getting the ephemera ball rolling....Gene picked it up and ran with it soon enough! But, there was no better band to take advantage of things like lunch boxes, trading cards, etc! If you're able to, you really must is the byword there! To grade school kids, they were a living cartoon with a cool soundtrack! To the pimple-besot set, they were perfect for pissing off mom'n'dad with the turning up of the stereo!
"Beth" seemed to be an attempt for the band to calculatingly (labels are allowed to guide their charges!) lure girls into the fan base. Something similar happened to my faves, Genesis, with yet another 95%-dudes fan base....even as early as "Follow You Follw Me," and certainly with Phil's '80s influence on the band, and his solo output, it HAD to be a conscious move to woo the birds, whether there was label-prodding or not!
My first album was given to me by my hippie big brother. I must of been around 6, probably younger. It was The Beatles Yellow Submarine. I love Kiss, never saw em live. Ya Gene is cringe but they all were even back then with their womanizing. Great story though, the kind I like to read.
I agree with the misogyny and sexist lyrics, young groupies, womanizing, etc. I was too young to pick up on a lot of those lyrics at the time, but to listen to them now is very cringey and, on some, downright awful. That said, a lot of '70s hard rock (and 80s rock and MTV videos) fall into similar territory. That era in particular has some very problematic, toxic male behavior and attitudes.
I loved reading this Michael, what a fabulous tale!
Interestingly, the first album I ever owned was by KISS, the 1975 album ‘Dressed to Kill’. I’m pretty sure I got it from my parents for Christmas but to this day I have no idea why they would’ve given me that. It certainly wouldn’t have been done spontaneously so I must’ve asked for it. Which is weird as I was only four when the album was originally released. Not sure what age I was when I received it, but despite it being the only album of theirs I ever owned, I considered myself a “big fan” as a little kid.
While that record didn’t turn me on to rock music, it was definitely important in my overall love of music (along with my dad’s old Beatles records and his reel to reel mixes including ABBA, the Bee Gees, Simon & Garfunkel and Neil Diamond).
It would be a few more years until I bought my first two albums with my own money which were Neil Diamond’s ‘You Don’t Bring Me Flowers’ and the Bee Gees’ ‘Spirits Having Flown’ along with singles by The Specials (‘Ghost Town’) and Kraftwerk (‘Computer Love’).
The memories of those earliest records I was exposed to during my formative years still remain so vivid and powerful; it’s incredible.
Thank you, Mark. These early music memories are very crucial and opened the gate for so many journeys and paths in my life. One day I will write the story of my years following the Grateful Dead and going on a UK/European tour (as a poster artist) with the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Other tales include obscure psych bands from the '90s and '00s that will also be shared. Curiously, I don’t listen to much rock music in my house these days, nor do I spend a lot of time in the rock section of record stores. However, it all comes back to my young imagination first being blown away by KISS.
I loved reading this, picturing you as a child with your sister listening to Kiss as you colored! I didn't get interested in Rock until my teens, and then it was the Beatles and Rolling Stones, and eventually Hendrix and Joplin. Today my 12-year old granddaughter is plugged into pop music much more than I ever was at her age. She introduced me to Imagine Dragons when she was 9 and I thought it was going to be a sweet song about imaginary animals. I was shocked to hear the music and lyrics to Radioactive, her favorite! Although I really liked it, I wasn't sure it was the right music for her. Yesterday she introduced me to Yaelokre's "Harpy Hare,"--not Rock but dark, mysterious, folklore lyrics. She keeps me young and plugged into her generation: 12 going on 16.
Thank you, Deborah. Your 12-year-old's music is curiously opening many things for her creatively and emotionally. Music and art are something I often turn to when I need answers, and I think it's great she is discovering them. As a high school teacher, a lot of my female students are very into indie folk female singers/songwriters. I agree, that a lot of music these days is quite dark and self-loathing, but I also think that is what many younger people consume on social media, and it helps them not feel alone or, as I said, may present some answers to their questions.
Interestingly, I don’t listen to much rock music in my house these days, nor do I spend a lot of time in the rock section of record stores. However, it all comes back to my young imagination first being blown away by KISS.
Oh I love Alive and Alive II. Always thought things ended after the solo albums but those first three and Alive are superb.
Agreed on where things ended. That said, Ace's is the only good LP of the four (just my 2 cents on those particular records).
My view is...
Ace: brilliant - love it all
Gene: Some good stuff especially side 1
Paul: Couple of nice glam rockers
Peter: Oh dear. Although I like I Can't Stop The Rain
You would no doubt be amused to know how many grim-looking, fiercely modern heavy metal guitarists have KISS fandom in their blood from their earliest days. Including the guy I work with in Bessemer Saints; who's an Ace fan to his core + has a KISS tattoo on his back (which 3 drinks will get him flashing, lol).
Alive 1 was one of my first records too; + one of the first riffs I ever played was "Black Diamond".
I don't doubt that. I know you and I are both bigger heads of the S.Trees and Lanegan, but I always appreciated Kurt for talking about how inspirational KISS was for him. As I said in another reply, by the 80s, KISS had been relegated to the "uncool" bin of rock 'n roll, and admitting you once liked them was putting oneself at risk of losing any sense of street cred. I'm not a metal guy, but I have to acknowledge the enormous impact KISS had on my life and for introducing me to music. Everything I listen to today goes back to when I was air guitaring to 'Parasite,' 'She,' 'Makin Love,' 'Rock Bottom,' and 'Strange Ways' in my bedroom.
That's quite an inspiring story, Michael! I know Gene and the guys would appreciate knowing how influential they were on you, and the "whole army" of single digit-ers that became their fans in the '70s! As a former teacher of 4th and 5th graders, your fully-involved devotion to rock in general, and KISS in particular is pretty damn adorable (if I may, from a decidedly adult POV, having lived through the days of having to confiscate Pokemon cards and other tools of the devoted)!
Big picture, we know the guys were "targeting" grade schoolers thru middle schoolers, and I've been guilty, in the past, of poo-poohing the notion that, compared with the Dolls, Iggy, and other hard rockers of the day, KISS was far too "unserious" or juvenile to be taken seriously.
But, as I know you know, Michael, as I was 8 when I was struck by The Beatles' "Ed Sullivan" appearance, the boarding, by a young'un, of the Rock'n'Roll Train, is always a personal journey, and certainly always one to be celebrated, and we're all the same giddy, happy-go-lucky music-loving passengers, regardless of where and when we boarded!✊😁Nicely told!
Thank you, Brad. I appreciate you reading and taking the time to leave your thoughtful comments.
You are correct about the fanbase becoming younger; however, I would say that was in full swing by 1977/1978. I think the songs changed for a changing audience (there is nothing like the soft, orchestrated "Beth" on their first three albums). Also, if you watch any videos from 1973, 1974, and even 'Alive!' era 1975 (essentially anything pre-'Destroyer' LP), there is a darker, more sinister vibe to the band in their early days. I can only imagine how wild they must have been to see live in a small bar or venue when they were still a relatively unknown band in 1973, '74, and even '75 (again pre-'Destroyer').
Initially, they took the glam and pushed it into a more Hammer Horror/Dark Shadows vibe. By 1977/78, the bombastic showmanship and the marketing machine were in full force. There were lunch boxes, dolls, board games, etc. There was also the terrible made-for TV movie "Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park," the failed solo LPs (Ace's being the only decent one), and then 'Dynasty' and 'Unmasked.' By the 'Dynasty' album, even at ten, I could tell the end of the road for the band (and me) was near (even though this was the tour I saw them, the album was terrible compared to the previous six and the two live LPs). By 1980, I had jumped ship and moved on.
There was also a time in the 80s when I was embarrassed to admit I once liked the band. But, over time, I have come to peace with it and realize, as I wrote in my post, they kickstarted my love for music, and as a young boy, I was very creatively inspired by KISS. I can never take that away from them. For that alone, they deserve to be honored.
"Yep" to all! I suspect Neil Bogart had a hand in getting the ephemera ball rolling....Gene picked it up and ran with it soon enough! But, there was no better band to take advantage of things like lunch boxes, trading cards, etc! If you're able to, you really must is the byword there! To grade school kids, they were a living cartoon with a cool soundtrack! To the pimple-besot set, they were perfect for pissing off mom'n'dad with the turning up of the stereo!
"Beth" seemed to be an attempt for the band to calculatingly (labels are allowed to guide their charges!) lure girls into the fan base. Something similar happened to my faves, Genesis, with yet another 95%-dudes fan base....even as early as "Follow You Follw Me," and certainly with Phil's '80s influence on the band, and his solo output, it HAD to be a conscious move to woo the birds, whether there was label-prodding or not!
My first album was given to me by my hippie big brother. I must of been around 6, probably younger. It was The Beatles Yellow Submarine. I love Kiss, never saw em live. Ya Gene is cringe but they all were even back then with their womanizing. Great story though, the kind I like to read.
Thank you, Lori. YS is a great first album!
I agree with the misogyny and sexist lyrics, young groupies, womanizing, etc. I was too young to pick up on a lot of those lyrics at the time, but to listen to them now is very cringey and, on some, downright awful. That said, a lot of '70s hard rock (and 80s rock and MTV videos) fall into similar territory. That era in particular has some very problematic, toxic male behavior and attitudes.
I love Cymande and I have an Ace Frehley tattoo. I get where you’re from and where you’re at completely.
10,000 Years has been my go to for the past few years but Parasite, oh man. I love Kiss because I can always rediscover them.
Thanks, Jamie! Your comment means a lot, and I appreciate it. The bass on '100,000 Years' is definitely one of Gene's best riffs!
And, I gotta ask... Which costume is your Frehley tattoo wearing (Hotter Than Hell, Alive, Destroyer, or Alive II-era)? 😎