Kiss were probably the first band i fell for. The first album I had. The first concert I saw. This was when I was twelve. Before that I listened to my Dad's music, and I still love that too, but when I got that first Kiss record it let me know I could have music too. Since then I have listened to and bought an awful lot of music. Without Kiss that may not have happened, so they were important in my life.
That's one of their best-known albums but it's not totally representative of how they sound/sounded. Bob Ezrin made them sound like the 'Bob Ezrin Houseband', something he does to most of the acts he works with. I rate him highly as a producer but if you want 'Kiss Naked', as it were, go to Rock & Roll Over or the (badly produced) debut album or Hotter Than Hell.
Maybe not, but their songs adapt surprisingly well: Kiss - I Wanna Rock & Roll All Nite (Bluegrass Version)
The second album certainly has a bad sound but the debut LP sounds great IMO. Is there the possibility to remix Hotter Than Hell?
It's often talked of but I don't think it'll happen. A lot of fans admit the 'bad sound' is part of the experience of listening to HtH and they'd miss it if it went! The sound on the debut is more acceptable, if somewhat anaemic. The band members were disappointed with it, yet they re-hired the same team to work on HtH.
And one of KISS' biggest influences, Slade, was more popular over here post 1983 than before. Go figure.
It's ok to bash Kiss saying they're for young kids, but it's not ok to bash rap because if you do you're an grumpy old man who don't understand youngsters. Very fair
Then there's the remix of Destroyer (subtitled ...Resurrected) which literally blows the dust of the original mix away. Think I like both versions equally though.
I'd argue that Rock N Roll Over should be in every serious music fans collection as one of the best albums of the 70's. Right up there with Ziggy and Rumors.
As I said, I avoid bashing bands that I don't like in general. If If I Can Dream or Zoot Marimba had started this thread, I wouldn't have said a thing because they don't run around trashing wide swathes of music indiscriminately at every opportunity, but when you set yourself up as the grand arbiter of good taste, you should expect to get scrutinized more closely. I guess that it's not as much fun when you're on the receiving end of the slams instead of dishing them out.
Big fan during their 70’s heyday......my interest in them tapered off in the 80’s. Loved Ace’s first solo album as well (as well as Space Invader from a few years ago) Important? In my opinion...yes.
Why on earth would you ask that? You replied to me with a question mark and nothing else. You'll have to put a bit more effort in if there's a question you want answered. I can't read your mind.
In his book, Gene states that, though he loved Slade, he knew they'd never break America 'because their singer sounded too Welsh (sic)!'
The irony for me is that I find Kiss' importance to be that they weren't important! It's simply great, catchy music. No strings attched. You either get something out of it or you don't. Then again, I don't find The Beatles important either. Other than they influenced a ton of people, left a mark on pop culture, and made a lot of people happy! All other notions of importance mean very little to me when it comes to the joys of music. And are usually just used to promote that one artist had a "greatness" or "complexity" than another artist didn't.
One other point I’d like to make. I strongly feel that if the whole thing had collapsed in 1975 like it came perilously close to doing, those first 3 albums would have underground status and critical acclaim very similar to what the New York Dolls enjoy today.
Amazing indeed. As a 10 year-old boy back in 1975 these guys blew my mind & were my gateway into hard-rock and heavy-metal. KISS occupies a special place in my childhood that I cherish to this very day. And let's not forget how many kids picked-up guitars because of Ace Frehley...
