What do you think about this band? Do you think they are important in rock history ? Overrated? Awesome? Too commercial? Personally I love their 70's records, a lot of fun
Great band with far fewer mis-steps in their recording career than is often stated. The music is wide and varied so every rock fan should find something to like.
I just think it's fun, theatrical rock and roll. The songs were catchy and the imagery was fun. As a kid of the 70s, we used to draw their faces on our book covers. Went over well at Catholic school! I really fell off after Unmasked, liked some of the 80s hits but my favorite era was the 70s as well.
Love some KISS, particularly the seventies stuff. I do love some stuff after that like Creatures, Lick It Up, The Elder, parts of other albums.
Horrible. Worse than rap. (I don't normally go out of my way to trash bands that I don't care for, but given the OPs history of indiscriminately slamming new music and entire genres, I figured that all's fair.)
Possibly my second biggest influence, after The Beatles. A large part of why I’m a music nerd and musician. Also, a much more talented band than most give them credit for. I mean, what band can go from power pop to progressive rock to almost-metal in the span of three albums (Unmasked, Music From “The Elder”, Creatures of the Night)? As for musicianship, Gene Simmons is probably the most underrated bass player, in my book.
In England glam rock was an entire subgenre. In America it was Alice Cooper and KISS (sorry, Dolls, you were too effed up to ever grab the brass ring). They took theatricality to a level never seen before and only equaled by a rarefied few since (due to costs as much as aesthetic choices). They made hard rock that was punchy and hookfilled at a time when most heavy bands were bloozy and drawn out. Yes, the lyrics were often puerile and at times so misogynistic as to be offensive (particularly to today's ears), but that wasn't necessarily unique to them. I do think the persona Gene has developed for himself (or maybe he really is just an a-hole, like his album says) has hurt the band's legacy, as has making the two replacement players dress up like Ace and Peter. But they definitely deserved their induction to the R&RHOF and should not have had to wait nearly as long as they did.
Used to love 'em in my younger days, but as one reaches the age of reason, you realize they're ouevre is mostly garbage. Still enjoy the Debut and The Elder. And occasionally will crank up Ace's solo album on 8 track!
I only like a few songs, but I think the lunchboxes and other products hurt music, and forced others to re-consider other things besides music.
A beautiful post that speaks far more volumes than the many bashings long-dumped onto the group (all of which are perfectly okay by the way). I said in a previous post that the three greatest things you can say about any artist are: 1. They defined, in your eyes, what the joy of music was all about. 2. They left a positive impact on your life. 3. They left a positive roadmap that inspired you to other musics and other artists of which you might have never found otherwise. Kiss are not the only artist who did this for me, but they were the first, and the biggest. If naysayers don't understand the above, then more power to them. My only wish for them is that they have found another artist that has brought them as much joy as Kiss has brought to me.
Very much a guilty pleasure for me... I have the first 8 or so albums and I can't really defend that in any objective way. But.... Kiss are so ingrained into my childhood that it's hard to leave them entirely behind (and believe me I've tried..!) (Oh, and 'Going Blind' from Hotter Than Hell (IIRC) is simply great as a standalone piece - sort of 'unkisslike' and all the better for it)
My late brother saw them on the bottom of a bill in Saskatoon and thought they were boring and he was on acid at the time - boring on acid, paint drying is interesting on acid.