I would have to agree completely. Kiss is rock and roll's biggest soap opera band, especially in the last couple of decades, and since they are still around there is still plenty of new fuel for the fandom fires to thrive as they do what they do. They have a rich lore and history, have been at the very top in the 70's (and rich), back to the bottom in the 80's -> mid-90's (and broke), back to the top again in 1996, and coasting on the 1996 reunion/makeup ever since (and rich again). Some of the members are gifted trainwrecks, others greedy, smug, and arrogant, others just..kinda out there lol. They were so big in so many peoples lives that all of these years later the fans are still with them (and buying their crazy expensive stuff), discussing them (Gene is greedy, but a softie; will Ace return?), arguing about them (Tommy and Eric vs Ace and Peter; did Kiss actually end when Peter left?), and going on sold out cruises with the Kiss Army. Kiss indeed is a band that is fun to talk about. A perfect soap opera band (compete with a reality TV show), full of wacky, memorable characters and stories
Check this out: Gene plays this song called Suspicious at the 18:00 mark which I assume is from the HITS sessions. Way better than most of the songs on that album!
You can hear a bit of the VH stuff in that Vault video. Christine Sixteen at about 10:06 & Tunnel of Love at 16:41
Thanks! Glad you liked them...I was happy I could contribute something to this thread even if I did join in pretty late. A 1,000+ page thread of Kiss talk has been very cool.
So, he mentions that if enough people in Perth want the vault, he'll fly down there and hand deliver it. Well, how many people is he talking about? Fifty?
Just saw this great picture on kissfaq. I feel like this might have already been posted in this thread somewhere but I can't find it, and it's just so good...so here it (maybe) is again. Detroit - April 13, 1974
Accepting the fact that it's a demo and a short clip, that song doesn't sound that good at all to me. If anything it sounds like it's very much in the vein of Little Caesar. Even what you can hear of the songs with Eddie and Alex Van Halen, I'm a major fan of those guys but those seem like much ado about nothing too. Maybe worth a few listens but nothing earth shattering. Truthfully I'd like to hear them in their entirety but it's not as if we don't have recorded demo evidence of Van Halen pre-1978. If nothing existed from VH before their debut these Gene/VH demos would be a lot more noteworthy. Still I'd buy this box set at $150 for the cd's. $2000 if he can throw in some Van Halen stage worn socks. I've got my pride!
This is just a disaster waiting to happen. Yeah, a guy in Perth spends the $2000 but he's the only one in Australia that does so. Gene isn't flying to Perth on his own dime for a single $2000 sale, so what happens in this case? How much would it cost to ship a 40 pound item from the United States to Perth Australia? Put the goddamn thing in stores, this was a terrible idea from the start.
Alex Van Halen has such a distinctive sound. The drums on Christine Sixteen there sound like they could be lifted right off of Jamie's Cryin'.
You and @SizzleVonSizzleton could be right. It may be Gene. I keep listening to it and trying to get a hold of it. I'm becoming obsessed now. It's one of those itches you.... just..... can't....... reach aaarrrggghhh!
I'd pay 2000. If he threw in Sophie & Shannon! I know Gene couldn't have been sleazier than that if he tried. I'm going to Hel... gonna burn.... yup
screw all those fancy stage sets. Lady Liberty, Sphinx, Stairs blah blah blah. That is bad f n a$$ ! Thanx bro I love shots like that.
Hey, Im back here..just listening to the Wicked Lester-demo in the background as writing these lines here. It's truly fascinating to hear and think these things and how they evolved around. Something really feels like different, the familiar songs but so totally different feel and take on them. Refreshing and odd to hear these. Im digging this different incarnation. Sure it gives odd feelings but as for thinking the whole history of Kiss, the roots and early times should have been documented better. Wicked Lester has it's own charm and insight to differents sounds of the early 70's. Previously I had only heard the few songs that were released in that Kiss Boxset (from 2001). I think they surely could have somehows released this even as bonus or some digital-download. So Are there specific reasons or are they just embarrassed of this material so that they haven't released it again in any format? Im gonna revisit this stuff as I need to hear it again.
One of rock's most distinctive drummers, for sure. Kind of surprised he's never guested or played on anyone else's records or live gigs. I wonder if it's because he didn't bother or care to, or if his sound is so distinctive that it'd stick out like a sore thumb on any record that didn't say "Van Halen" on it, so he was rarely asked?
I think it might be the fact that neither Eddie or Alex have been too motivated to do work outside of Van Halen. They both tend to focus on their band. Eddie did the “Beat It” solo and the project with Brian May, but that’s about it. Couple that with the fact, both brothers are very private and tend to insulate themselves with family (plus their both pretty lazy it seems). It could be they both decreed they just wouldn’t work with other musicians outside of their band.
I just borrowed this from the library yesterday, for I haven't heard 5150 in years as well. It's aged well, mostly because it's not as mid-80s sounding as other records of the time. There are, however, other nay factors about it, but I'll save that for the VH thread. I also ordered VH III from the library. I've never heard this album and certainly curious.
Well put. When listening to 5150, "Good Enough", for example, is Hagar's blatant, and laughable attempt at being Dave. When Hagar is Hagar, there's a lot of schmaltzy love songs Dave wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Come to think of it, there isn't many traditional "love" songs in Dave's VH oeuvre.
I would say its better (from just going by the clip) than all of the Gene songs on HITS. If we were comparing it to like Gene's Creatures, Revenge or even LIU material it would be a different story.
They just don't care re-releasing this stuff as they think it doesn't sell. If it won't go at least Gold they don't want anything to do with it. They weren't involved with the Destroyer remix. Tommy Thayer botched up the Love Gun Deluxe Edition. Paul could care less and aside from Gene's box set, Gene would rather be selling Kiss slippers and coffins. There's no $$ in reissues they think.
