Early KISS Footage Provides Inspiration

At little over a week ago, at the always awesome Ultimate Classic Rock website, they posted the earliest known footage of KISS in concert. And it is a remarkable thing to behold.



The show was from 21 December 1973 in the Coventry in Queens, New York. The nearly nine minute black-and-white video has about 1:30 minutes of silence at the beginning. Then, after whatever speaker/microphone issue was resolved, the announcer comes on around the 1:37 mark. He tells the assembled audience that they're "right on top of them [the band]." While he probably means they'll get to hear this new band early in their career, he might also mean the people are literally right up against the stage.

No matter. Once he tells the people to put their two lips together and kiss, KISS starts in on "Deuce."

I know the song. I've known it now for forty one years. I know the show and the stagecraft. I know what they do when this song plays because I've seen it live and on hundreds of YouTube videos over the years.

And they are doing it in this video. When Ace Frehley takes the solo, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley face each other and do their choreographed moves. Later, during the outro, all three guitar players face Peter Criss's drum kit and perform the now-famous swaying.

I just grinned. It didn't matter that they were playing to probably dozens of people. No pyro (except for the candelabra in the back). The song already was all but perfected. They had a vision of where they wanted to be and what they wanted their shows to be like, including Paul's between songs banter as they launch into "Cold Gin." They didn't have the money--yet--but the carried on like they were going to sell out Madison Square Garden (which they did in less than four years).

Why bring this up now, in January 2020 when the band is on their two-year-long farewell tour? Inspiration. They started small, but knew that every little step got them closer to how they viewed themselves.

And it reminds me, here at the beginning of the decade, that the little baby step I'll be taking in 2020 to start up an online bookstore won't be one giant leap from A to Z, but a series of baby steps--and missteps--to where I envision this online bookstore to be.

But everyone has to take that first step, and that's what I'm doing here in January 2020. More news to come as the weeks and months progress.

My Halloween-themed KISS Album

Over on The KISS Room Facebook page last week, Matt Porter posed a fascinating question: Create a spooky, Halloween-themed KISS album. I offered a few songs, saw some others, and did the obvious: make my own tracklist.

With this theme, naturally the songs of Gene Simmons would dominate. But he's not the only singer in the band. As such, I crafted a 13-song CD. Each song more or less has a darker vibe, and the sequence is intended to have a through-line.

Title: All Hallow's KISS

1. God of Thunder
2. Creatures of the Night
3. Within
4. Parasite
5. Psycho Circus
6. Naked City
7. Strange Ways
8. Rain
9. Goin' Blind
10. Almost Human
11. The Devil is Me
12. A World Without Heroes
13. Dreamin'

I originally had Dreamin' as track 8, but that would have left a rather depressing end to the record: Almost Human | The Devil is Me | A World Without Heroes. So the listener gets to experience the KISS Halloween album and then come out on the other end just a tad bit happy because it's only a dream.

One Last KISS in Houston

Forty-one years and nine months. The first is the number of years I've been a KISS fan. The latter is the difference between the day I bought my tickets for the last KISS show in Houston and the day they actually arrived in town. And in that span, time marched on.

Gene Simmons turned seventy. Paul Stanley turned sixty-seven. And then some of the tour dates got postponed. Crap! Was there some health issues? Was there something the band, which also  includes Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums, wasn't letting fans know about? Would we Houstonians get our last KISS?

I needn't have worried. The End of the Road Tour landed in Houston on Monday, 9 September, and it was about as perfect a show as I've ever seen by the band. It brought bittersweet emotions at the end, but it started with something that never, ever gets old.

You Wanted the Best...

After performance artist David Garibaldi painted three large canvases (ZZ Top; Mick Jagger; KISS), the crew altered the stage and raised the familiar KISS curtain. Various rock songs played during, and I was ecstatic to hear "Dirty Sexy Money" by The Struts boomed through the speakers.

But when Led Zepplin's "Rock and Roll" started, everyone knew it was time. The lights were doused, the synth notes vibrated the walls of the Toyota Center, and the two screens on each side of the stage--shaped in the familiar KISS Army logo--showed the band walking backstage. The the forty-year pronouncement of "Alright, Houston! You wanted the best, you got the best. The hottest band in the world! KISS!"

The eighth-note riff of "Detroit Rock City" greeted us, the stage lights blared on, the curtain fell, and the pyro exploded. There they were: Paul, Gene, and Tommy coming down on large saucer-shaped pads, smoke and sparks flying. Hexagonal video panels hovered over the stage. A monster screen dominated the backstage area, just behind a large metallic artifice that served as the pyro's portals.

As I told my son who attended with me: "This never, ever gets old." I can think of no other rock act--ever--who opens a show in a manner like KISS. Will there ever be another band like this? Never say never, but KISS showed the world how to open a show.

...We Got the Best (Setlist We Could Hope For)

Now, in preparation for this show, I looked at no setlist ahead of time, but you don't really have to. For the most part, the setlists have remained static with the occasional album cut gem thrown in. Sure, I'd love to hear "Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)", "Modern Day Delilah," "Danger Us," "Ladies Room," "Hell or Hallelujah," or "Naked City," but that simply is never going to happen. There is no reason to hope for something like that and walk away disappointed. Chicago's my other favorite band and they, too, have had basically the same setlist for a generation. If that pisses you off, don't buy a ticket.

Having said all that, this was about as good a KISS concert as I’ve ever seen. Five songs from the 1980s. Out of twenty total songs, that's 25%. Perfectly fine with that. Plus, we got a Sonic Boom cut ("Say Yeah") and the perennial favorite new song, "Psycho Circus." That left thirteen tunes from the band's 1970s heyday.

Let me go ahead and say this as well: When Eric Singer sang "Beth," he knocked it out of the park. Taking nothing away from Peter Criss, I have long since skipped that song when it comes up on shuffle on my phone. I had to sit through it that night, but I didn't mind. It was different. It was powerful. I want this version on audio.

And we even got a kick-ass version of "I Was Made For Lovin' You", 100,000 Years," and a personal favorite, "Let Me Go, Rock and Roll."

The Hottest Band in the World (Who Knows How to Entertain)

Knowing this was the final tour, KISS pulled out all the stops and lit all the fuses. The fire was felt by those of us on the far side and in the upper deck. The explosions were wonderfully loud. Ironically, this is the first time I've seen the band in a basketball arena. The Woodlands Pavilion is outdoors and has a sound ordinance. The new Sugar Land Smart Pavilion Center is great, but when I saw KISS there in 2017, they volume could have been turned up.

Not this time. The music was pleasantly loud. The vocals propulsive. The drums booming. Tommy's lead guitar tastefully screeching.

As the show kept going, there was plenty of time for Paul Stanley to chitchat with the audience. Because this is the last time he'll have all us Houstonians in the same room as the same time. It was all smiles all the time.

But the end was inevitable.

The Last KISS

I know myself. The older I get, the more emotional (sappy, as my wife says) I get. I had an internal debate on how emotional I'd get during the opening song and during the finale. For the opener, I was all smiles and fist pumping.

But as the opening chords of "Rock and Roll All Nite" started, I knew this was it. This was the last time I'd hear KISS play this song. This is their mission statement, their life outlook for the most part. It was a chorus everyone the world over can sing. This is their Hall of Fame song.

I had my phone in position, snapping photos, but I was not watching through the screen. I was watching with my eyes, my youth, my adulthood, my fandom, and everything else. As Paul started to break his guitar, the emotions welled up. I didn't exactly roll a tear, but they were there. The last few moments of me seeing KISS in person, it was through a mixture of confetti in the air and tears in my eyes.

KISS was my first favorite rock band. And now I've seen them for the last time. Sure, there will be more videos, maybe even a DVD of this tour, and maybe even a one-off show in the future. But I likely will never see them again. I will never see the band that captured my imagination as a boy and still resonates with me in middle age.

I walked out of that building thoroughly satisfied with the show.

Man! Has it been a great time.

Thanks, KISS, for being a part of my life (and the lives of millions more).

Top 10 Favorite KISS Albums

Yesterday's post on Dynasty compelled me to wonder where I'd rank it within the entire KISS catalog. This is my attempt.

A caveat: KISS Alive! is my favorite KISS album. It's in my all-time top albums list. Desert Island Record. The next two live albums I also enjoy. As a kid who never got to see the band in person in the 1970s, the opening of Alive II was magical. The live versions of "I Stole Your Love" and "Ladies' Room" are my preferred versions. And the Alive III version of "Deuce" is kick ass.

Moreover, Unplugged is also in my top 10 favorite KISS albums.

My only standard is this: which albums do I, now in 2019, return to over and over again, happy to hear the songs?

Other than KISS Alive!--my clear number 1--the rest are in chronological order.

Alive!
Rock and Roll Over
Alive II
Paul Stanley
Unmasked
Revenge
Unplugged
Psycho Circus
Sonic Boom
Monster


Rock and Roll Over is my favorite studio album of the original six (although I didn't own it as as kid).

Like Dynasty, I didn't own the solo albums or Paul, Gene, or Peter until 1997. I instantly enjoyed Paul's. He knew what kind of songwriter he was and wrote an album chock full of late 70s rock and roll. Nothing to hate. My favorite of the solo albums by far.

Unmasked is a fantastic power pop album that I enjoy top to bottom. It was the last KISS album I would buy until Revenge. It has, arguably, one of my all-time favorite Gene songs: "Naked City."

Psycho Circus was inevitable once the original four members got back together and put on the makeup again. The album is, for my money, really strong despite the fact I always skip the Peter song. The title track I absolutely love. "Within" is the crunchy Gene song still laced with grunge elements. "Into the Void" is a perfect Ace song. "We are One" is a wonderful love letter to the KISS Army while "You Wanted the Best" always gets my blood pumping. And I enjoy the outro of "Journey of 1,000 Years" and how it incorporates the guitar solo from the title track.

Sonic Boom is a terrific album and contains three songs I consider to be among the very best by the band: Modern Day Delilah, Danger Us, and Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect). When I break down the catalog into favorite songs by vocalist, all three of those tunes make the list. The vibe of the record is perfectly in 1976.

Monster is loud and over the top, but we are talking KISS here so I'm perfectly fine with it. Can you imagine a concert opening with "Back in the Stone Age"? "Hell or Hallelujah" is another terrific song by Paul. And Eric Singer's "All for the Love of Rock and Roll" is basically an outtake from Rock and Roll Over. If this is their last album--and it looks to be the case--then it's a fine one cap a career.

The Next Five

My initial list was just about at fourteen, so here, also in chronological order, are the next five.

KISS
Hotter Than Hell
Peter Criss
Dynasty
Crazy Nights

I'm a big fan of bands that come out of the gate all but fully formed, especially with the lead-off track. That's "Strutter" here. Then, with the second song, you get Gene's vocals on the verses of "Nothin' to Lose" and Peter's awesome voice on the chorus. A great one-two punch.

Hotter Than Hell is special. I didn't own it back in the day, but I've really come to appreciate it. The sound is unique, and it contains my all-time favorite Peter song: "Mainline."

My appreciation of Peter Criss's solo album has been a gradual understanding of what he was trying to do and I've come to really enjoy it. "You Matter To Me" is excellent. If it wasn't saddled with the KISS brand, this could have been a hit. "I Can't Stop the Rain" is great. About the only song I tend to gloss over is "Kiss the Girl" mainly because it's really just "Beth 2.0". Give the record a spin without any preconceived ideas and you'll be surprised.

Dynasty - See yesterday's review

Crazy Nights is one of those newly discovered gems. How did I miss this back in 1987? "Turn on the Night" is the epitome of late 80s power metal songs. The title track is just plain fun. And Paul's vocal range is outstanding. My favorite 80s/unmasked album.

KISS Dynasty at 40

Forty years ago today, a record came out that I didn't buy.

Actually, it was more like couldn't. In the height of KISS's initial 1970s popularity, there was a rumor among parents that these make-up wearing rock stars were not appropriate for a ten year old. My parents, therefore, restricted my acquiring of KISS albums after I purchased 1978's Ace Frehley solo album, the only one I bought that year. What I cannot remember, however, was how I came to own Unmasked (1980). Perhaps, by then, things had changed.

Be that as it may, it took me another twentysomething years to finally purchase KISS Dynasy (I bought the 1997 remastered version). I've now lived with "The Return of KISS" (as it was billed in 1979) for an additional twenty years. And I'm come to a conclusion: the album gets a bad rap for being a disco album. The truth is in the music.

Disco Permeated the Culture

By May 1979, the crest of the disco wave may have already passed, but the music was still everywhere: on radio, on TV, on commercials. Yes, the growing punk movement was already railing against disco and yes, there was the famous Disco Demolition Night in Chicago, but many established artists and bands brought elements of disco into their music. David Bowie did it. Chicago did it. Rod Stewart did it. The charts of popular songs and albums demonstrated the buying public enjoyed the music.

So why wouldn't KISS try their hand at writing a disco song?

The genesis was already out there. In 1978, they released Double Platinum with a remixed and discoized version of "Strutter." Now, it wasn't really a disco song. All that was basically added was a hit hat cymbal doing sixteenth notes. Nevertheless, Paul Stanley brought to the studio a song destined to overshadow the rest of the new KISS album.

I Was Made For Loving You

I may not have owned the album in 1979, but I knew the song. It was on the radio. It was featured in the commercials for the new record. It was even sung by Linda Carter on a variety show. Then, as now, I love this song. There are the high hat beats underscored by the bass played by Gene Simmons. I was not adept at musical knowledge to hear that it wasn't Peter Criss playing the drums, but Anton Fig. If any song on this album could be said to be disco (well, there are two), it was this one, but it's still not 100% disco. It's a power pop song, and a darn good one. Even the 1993 version on the Revenge tour when KISS created the harder-edged version, it remains a good song.

The Rest of Side One

If the opening track rang disco bells, then the intro of the next song, Frehley's cover of the Rolling Stones's song "2,000 Man," reminded listeners KISS remained a rock band. There's nary a disco note in this tune. It's all Ace, almost as if he wrote it himself.

"Sure Know Something," also written by Paul, could also be lumped into a disco bubble, but only tangentially. It's more mainstream pop than disco, and it is arguably one of the best songs Paul ever wrote. All performers are working at perk performance here. The bass kicks off the song and drives the opening riff. It is one of my favorite melodic bass lines Gene eve performed. The rhythm guitar lays in tasteful chord patterns. Anton Fig sets the tempo with tasteful and sure-footed playing. And Paul's singing is incredible. One of the best of his entire career. I never heard this song until the Unplugged version debuted, but have loved it ever since.

"Dirty Living" is Peter Criss's lone song on Dynasty, but it's a winner. Many people who hear it now (and maybe even in 1979) think it sounds like the theme song to some 70s cop TV show. Spot on. Peter's vocals are really good on this tune, a nice return to his early 70s sound. I'm thinking of Mainline, Strangeways, and Baby Driver. Yes, there is a definitive disco vibe, but the pocket is such a good groove, you don't care. The guitar solos that interweave throughout this song bring this song up in stature, especially the latter solos that go higher on the fret board. Great song. One of Peter's best.

Side Two

"Charisma" is Gene's first song on the album. That it arrives on side two might give you and indication of where Gene's mind was at the time. As a kid, I heard this song at a friend's house, and the only thing that shocked me was Gene emphasizing the word "sexuality." The Gene vocals from the mid 70s is on full display here, with all of his ad libs and peculiar vocal tics. The guitar solo is good, a nice respite from the driving rhythm of the main verses. And there's cowbell! What's not to like?

Over the years, I've learned that Paul either wrote most of songs during the studio sessions or only brought in a handful for consideration. That the trio of songs he contributed to Dynasty are so good is a testament to his songwriting prowess and keen ear for what works. "Magic Touch" is a nice, mid-tempo song that serves to highlight Paul's growing vocal ability. That it includes yet another melodic bass line and a good guitar solo is icing on the cake. What does Paul think of this song? He brought it out in 2006 during his solo tour. To think that all three of Paul's songs on this album have reemerged in later years is all the proof you need to know these are special songs.

Ace returns with "Hard Times," his autobiographical song about his time growing up in New York. Ace songs have a certain vibe. His 1978 solo solidified it, and "Hard Times" fits right in that pocket. Whimsy is on full display with the various background noises, too. Befitting a song with that title, this is a rock and roll song with zero disco. More evidence? The solo. A nicely composed piece that changes the feel halfway, basically giving listeners two guitar solos. And it ends without a fade.

"X-Ray Eyes" is Gene's second song. Like "Hard Times," there is no evidence of disco here. One of the criticisms of Dynasty is that it sounds less like a KISS album than outtakes from the four solo albums. That's very true here. I don't dislike the song, but it there's a throwaway song, this is it. I suspect, however, ten year old me would have loved the sound effects in the background.

"Save Your Love" closes out the album on a spare, rocking song. You get punched in the gut on the opening few beats before Ace starts lamenting the singer's recent breakup. He all but screams at her in the chorus. Paul sings in his lower register on the chorus, and that's always a treat. The solo is a quirky solo chock full of trademark Ace-isms. I also love Gene's "Save your lo-ove!" call backs toward the end. And cowbell again. This is a rock that drives straight to the end, allowing listeners to pump fists and know KISS as a rock band still lived.

The Verdict

By the time I finally purchased the CD in 1997, I knew Dynasty as 'the disco album.' But when you actually listen to the songs--especially far away from the later 70s--what emerges is less of a disco album but a power pop/rock record with disco stylings included in at least two songs, maybe three. At nine songs, that's only a third at most. Since when does a third of something define something?

Dynasty is a really good record with some terrific songs that have stood the test of time these past forty years. I never begrudge a band for seeing what's popular and, if compelled, giving it a try. That's how a band remains popular. It's the job of a band to produce records people want to buy. In 1979, that meant incorporating disco into KISS's original sound to try and bring in the new, younger fans (like I was) with their existing fan base.

And they nailed it. No, the album wasn't to everyone's tastes. The dangerous band from 1973 had given way to the superhero rock stars who starred in comic books and sold toys by 1979. But as a collection of songs in 1979, it was perfectly suited to that time frame.

I have enjoyed Dynasty ever since I first listened to it back in 1997. It barely misses my own person Top 10 KISS albums (tune in tomorrow for the list) but it's in the Top 15.

A Different Point of View

In the most recent episode of Ken Mills's excellent PodKISSt, they did something neat in regards to Dynasty. Many of the initial album covers listed the songs in a different order. The physical LPs always had the track listing I mentioned here, but the album sleeve was different.

Ken and co-host BJ listen to the album with this as the song order:

Charisma | Dirty Livin' | Hard Times | I Was Made For Loving You | Magic Touch | Save Your Love | Sure Know Something | X-Ray Eyes | 2,000 Man

Take a listen. The album takes on a whole new vibe. 

First Pop Cultural Loves: Are They Still Your Favorites?

No matter what type of pop culture thing we enjoy, there was always that first time.

The first time you heard a song from your favorite band.
The first time you saw your favorite movie.
The first time you read a book by your favorite author.

But do those particular firsts remain high on your Favorites Lists or do they fall in the rankings?

Let me give you some personal examples.

Star Wars

I am part of the Star Wars Generation. The first Star Wars movie I saw was the first one, in a theater, in 1977. It has remained my favorite on an emotional level primarily because if I sit and watch it just so, the movie is a time machine and I'm back to being a nine-year-old kid again with nary a care in the world. The Empire Strikes Back is also a bit of a time machine because it arrived just as I graduated from elementary school. The movie's ending showed me the heroes don't always win. What the heck was that? Return of the Jedi, at the time, was an awesome film, but over time, as I've become an adult and a writer, I can see its faults. So, too, the other films in the franchise. Some are better than others (Rogue One), some deserve a re-watch and re-evaluation (The Phantom Menace), while others deserve respect for trying to do something different (The Last Jedi).

My brain puts Empire as my favorite of the franchise, but my heart will always remain with Star Wars.

Music

KISS was my first favorite band. I discovered them in 1978 with Double Platinum (a hits collection) and then made my way to the studio and live albums. I was limited to the number of albums I could buy, but Destroyer ranked high in my list as a kid. Over time, however, Alive! (1975) is now my favorite KISS album.

When David Bowie landed on my radar in 1983, Let's Dance was everywhere. In the 80s, I loved his 80s material. The 1987 Glass Spider Tour was the first of three times I saw Bowie live. But over time, I've changed. Now, if push came to shove and I was asked my favorite album, I'd probably pick 2000's Live at the Beeb.

Chicago 17 was out when I finally discovered Chicago in 1985. A year later, Chicago 18 was my first purchased album. Now, it's not even my favorite Chicago album of the 80s. I rarely listen to it, instead focusing on the early material with their first record, CTA, my now favorite. Chicago 18 doesn't even crack my top 10.

Invisible Touch was my first Genesis album, but Duke and Foxtrot are the ones I like the best (I get two choices, a Peter Gabriel and a Phil Collins). Speaking of those two, it was So and No Jacket Required that were my first true introductions to them (although, for Collins, it was really "Take a Look at Me Now.") and those records remain my favorites. Synchronicity was my first and favorite Police record, yet Sting's 1999 solo record, Brand New Day, that tops my list now.

Authors

Pet Sematary was my first Stephen King novel, but it's nowhere near my favorite. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, on the other hand, remains my favorite by him. Right as Rain was my first George Pelecanos but Hard Revolution stands as my favorite. I first read one of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason novels, but now I prefer the Cool and Lam books.

Television

The same applies to TV shows. I discovered The X-Files in 1996 or so, but quickly grew to appreciate the early-to-mid 1990s seasons vs. the latter ones. I loved Castle from day one, but the midway part of the series was just spectacular. I didn't jump on the Friends bandwagon until a season or two in, but I actually enjoyed most of the later seasons. Star Trek: The Next Generation's first couple of seasons were good, but they hit their stride in season three. It must have had something to do with Riker's beard.

It's Bruce Springsteen's Fault

What prompted this was when I bought and listened to a 30-song 1992 concert by Bruce Springsteen (from nugs.net). For me, I discovered Springsteen in 1989 or so. Tunnel of Love was his most recent record. By 1992, when Human Touch and Lucky Town were released, they were my first new Springsteen records.

And I realized something: those two are my favorites of his. Yes, Born to Run is an excellent album. Yes, The Rising is amazing. Yes, Born in the USA is almost the perfect 80s album. But if I had to take one album from Springsteen's catalog, it would be Human Touch and Lucky Town. [I've always considered them basically a double album.]


I could think of others, but I think you get the idea.

So, has the first introduction to your favorite pop culture things remained your favorite?

Podcast Review: The KISS Room

On the little bonus track from 1976's Destroyer, KISS singer Paul Stanley exhorts the crowd by saying "It looks like we're gonna have ourselves a rock and roll party!" That may be true, but that's just one night. Now, we now have a monthly rock and roll party with one of the most congenial hosts around.

Enter Matt Porter

If you read yesterday's review of PodKISSt, you'll see that one of my favorite aspects of that podcast was the album round tables. When I finally discovered PodKISSt in 2012ish, I was able to binge all the existing episodes. One recurring guest was noticeable because you could hear the giddy smile in his voice.

Matt Porter works at Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania. He is my age so he was around for KISS' 1970s heyday. Like me, Matt scoured the newsstands for Circus or Hit Parader magazines, just hoping for an article with this awesome band. He never lost his enthusiasm for his favorite band. His is an infectious type of love for the band, and fellow listeners can't help but get swept away.

And, when the chance arrived, Matt took an opportunity to share the music of KISS with others.

Montco Radio: Where Music and Minds Meet

That I can quote, from memory, the slogan of a college radio station half a continent away is a testament to Matt Porter. If I remember the story correctly, Matt, who works at the college's radio station, noticed there was a dead block of air time that needed filling. Being the KISS fan he was, Matt simply played KISS. It proved so popular that he kept doing it. Soon, The KISS Room was born, with a recurring date: the second Friday of every month from 3-5 EST.

Yeah, that's today!

What is The KISS Room

Quite simply, The KISS Room is a party for fans of the band. If the PodKISSt podcast is the safe haven that celebrates all eras of the band, The KISS Room is the party version of that spirit.

Each month, live on the radio and on the internet, Matt serves as the ringleader for a ebullient two hours. He'll play some KISS songs, often throwing out deep cuts we fans love. The Facebook community is quite active and if you share the news on KISS Room Fridays, he'll read your name on the air. Still gives me a thrill every time.

With many years of episodes, the show has evolved into a certain format. There is almost always a monthly guest who calls in and has a discussion with Matt and his co-hosts. These guests run the gamut: from Bill Starkey (founder of the KISS Army) to Lydia Criss (former wife of KISS drummer Peter Criss) to great tribute bands like Klassic '78 and just about everything in between. And, because this is a celebration of KISS, all are welcome and all eras are represented.

I'm not sure how large the studio space is up there at Montco Radio (where music and minds meet; you see? I can't not think about the tagline), but it always sounds like it's jam-packed with KISS fans. Matt will exhort folks to come up to the microphone and talk about KISS. As always, a favorite question is how a person discovered KISS. For a band that's been around for 46 years, the answers are always fascinating.

The two hours always fly by, but in recent months, there's an added bonus.

The KISS Room House Band

I can't quite remember how it all started, but one month, there was a small group of musicians in studio. With acoustic guitars and percussion, they started performing KISS songs. And not just the main hits, either. They'll pull the deep cuts, the songs the band would never perform. It is a blast to hear these tunes played live and with reverence to the originals. We know all the little nuances of each KISS song. The KISS Room House Band does too, and they play it that way.

The KISS Room was already a raucous party. The presence of the House Band just took it up to eleven. It's the best two hours on the radio every single month.


Look, if you're a fan of KISS and you've never heard The KISS Room, you are missing out. Matt Porter is like the best friend you never knew who loves the same music you do. If you're having a bad day, find an old episode or listen live and you will be smiling after two hours.

Do yourself a favor and tune in today from 3-5 EST. I use the TuneIn Radio app to listen live (when the day job doesn't interfere). You can hear it on the main webpage. It is simulcast on Facebook. And if you miss the live broadcast, the replay is always available at the main website or via the PodKISSt podcast feed.

The KISS Room Mission Statement

I'm a writer so I'm supposed to have a way with words. Hopefully, I've turned you on to something you might not have known. But if I haven't, just read how Matt sees the beauty of music of KISS.

Remember when the only thing that mattered was the music?
​Remember sitting for hours spinning records, feeling the energy, playing your air guitar and covering your walls with posters of these rock and roll super heroes?
Remember talking to your friends about the mysterious, masked men who created the rock and roll that we all loved?
Do you remember wondering what they looked like without the trade mark make-up, drawing pictures of them and scribbling the logo on every text book cover, wall, and notebook?
Do you remember seeing them live for the first time? 
We remember.  And we still love it.
Are you ready to rock?
Welcome to THE KISS ROOM.
The bottom line:
This is a party.  If you are NOT a fan, or you are here to cause trouble....
....go away!
THE KISS ROOM is created by KISS fans, for KISS fans.
THE KISS ROOM is NOT sponsored by or associated with KISS or KISS Inc™.
THE KISS ROOM is a non-profit radio program.
We don't make a penny from this program.
We do it for the fun.
We do it because we love KISS. 

Podcast Review: PodKISSt

KISS is my first favorite band. They introduced me to rock and roll. I bought the trading cards and the comics and a few posters back in the 70s. I got a thrill when the put the make-up back on in 1996. They have brought me countless hours of joy and happiness despite some of the eye-rolling stuff the individual members or the band itself have done. They continue to provide me joy as I sing along to the songs with the windows of my car rolled down. I already have tickets to their Houston show in September.

Yet, there's a certain number of music fans out there who take pleasure in zeroing in on all that bad stuff, elevating it above all the good. There's enough bad in the world. Why spend the energy in the negative when you can revel in the positive?

Naturally, with the growth of podcasts, there emerged KISS-themed podcasts. Pod of Thunder examined every KISS studio track in detail per weekly episode. There is Podcast Rock City, KISS FAQ, and KISStory Science Theater to name but three more.

But there is one podcast that stands head and shoulders above all the rest. It was the first, and one of the members who was there at the beginning is now nicknamed the Podfather.

PodKISSt

By 2007, newer members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer had taken the place of Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, wearing the iconic make-up. That never sat well with some folks, and they often voiced their disapproval. Vocally and loudly, including on various podcasts.

Needing a haven for some positive comments combined with constructive criticism, Gary Shaller and James Hager started the PodKISSt,  with the tagline "The fanzine for your ears! We celebrate all." First and foremost, they are fans of the band. PodKISSt was intended to be a place where people can listen to various episodes, interact with fellow fans on Facebook and other places, and just revel in the broader KISS family.

Twelve years later, PodKISSt is still going strong. There have been a few personnel changes over the years. Now, Ken Mills, the Podfather, is the man behind the microphone, and he has maintained not only the high level of quality but reinforced the positive vibes PodKISSt promotes. His genial laughter always lightens the mood. His personality brings a calmness to the proceedings, making PodKISSt one of those places where you can listen and just smile.*

Everyone Has a KISS Origin Story

Whenever a new guest comes on the show, one of the first questions asked is how the person discovered KISS. There are quite a few of my age who first encountered the band in their 1970s heyday. Others arrived via the non-make-up years of the 1980s. Still others came on board in the 1990s. No matter the origin story, it was the music that brought people together, and it is a show like PodKISSt that celebrates all eras.

I particularly enjoy the origin stories from the 70s when then-young kids first heard about this dangerous band called KISS. Ken Mills has a particularly great story. I wasn't able to pinpoint the exact episode in which he delivers this fun story, so you'll just have to listen to all the episodes.

Album Spotlights

It's the music that brings everyone together, so naturally most episodes talk about that particular blend of rock and rock KISS produces. For these episodes, the hosts gather a round table of fans as they discuss albums track by track. They dive deep into what was going on at the time, and each person gives their takes on the songs.

Not everyone likes every song. Shocker, I know, but there is room for everyone here at PodKISSt.

I always learn something on these album spotlights. Sometimes the content is so in-your-face obvious that you wonder why you never noticed it yourself. This month is the fortieth anniversary of Dynasty. On some of the first pressings back in 1979, the songs were listed in a different order. In the latest episode, the PodKISSt folks listened to those same nine songs but in this other order. Viola! A whole new perspective. Who knew?

But there is one episode I've heard more than once.

The Album That Never Was

Episode 76 is one that makes the observation that 1978 is the only year KISS didn't release an album from 1973-1983. They released the four solo albums, containing 41 (?) songs. Each member of the round table took turns making their own KISS 1978 album from these songs, complete with marketing plans, album covers, and the like. It's a great episode. Not coincidentally, I think 6 or 7 of the same songs were picked. It would have made for a really good 1978 album. I even did it myself.

Celebrity Guests

This is not a podcast purely made up of folks talking about KISS. As the PodKISSt has grown and acquired a good reputation, various celebrities have been interviewed. It might be JR Smalling talking about touring with KISS in the 1970s or Adam Black discussing about KISS comics. There's something for everyone.


I love KISS. Maybe you do, too. If you love this band that's touring for the last time and you haven't discovered PodKISSt, then I highly encourage you to do.

Why? Well, you wanted the best...

Tune In Tomorrow...

...for the monthly KISS party!

*Ken has even opened my ears to the music of Cheap Trick, the subject of another podcast he hosts.

Favorite Songs by Year - 2019 Edition

I saw a tweet by writer/podcaster Marc Benardin last week in which the exercise was to choose a favorite song for each year you've been alive. Easy. The only caveat: you can only choose one song per artist. Not easy.

You see, I am a hard-core fan of my Four Pillars of Rock. They are, in chronological order of how I discovered them: KISS, David Bowie, Chicago, and Bruce Springsteen. For each one of these bands I could pick a favorite song per year. Mostly. But with this exercise, that was off that table. Then comes the real question: what song do you pick for your favorite bands? Throw in Genesis and Sting into this conundrum as well. I went ahead and applied this rule to composer John Williams because, let's be honest: I could easily select fifty great pieces of music by the composer of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

There were some years in which the favorite song leaped into my head (1969, 1999, 2015, 2016). Other years in which I had to select a song that I liked but don’t love (2011). Then there were years (like 1975, 1977, 1984, 1989, 2004, 2016) in which there were so many good songs I ended up having to cast aside songs I truly love and listen to constantly.

But what ended up happening was by restricting the number of songs I could select, it actually ended up becoming a more freeing exercise. For example, if I could not choose Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4" fin 1970, then I was now able to choose a Beatles song.

So, here's my list, broken out by decade, with notes on a few.

1968 - All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
1969 - Introduction - Chicago

1970 - Let It Be - The Beatles
1971 - One Fine Morning - Lighthouse*
1972 - Supper's Ready - Genesis
1973 - Band on the Run - Wings
1974 - Miles Out to Sea - Slade
1975 - 100,000 Years (live) - KISS**
1976 - Hotel California - Eagles
1977 - Star Wars, Extended Version - Meco (aka Disco!)***
1978 - Summer Nights - Grease soundtrack
1979 - Rainbow Connection - Muppet Movie

*Another favorite horn rock band out of Canada. I take a daily walk around my office building and this song is one of the ones I choose often.

**Not my favorite KISS song, but if I have to choose only one tune, here, I get an 11-minute tune with Paul's singing, Gene's bass solo, Ace's guitar solo, and a Peter drum solo. Plus, Paul's stage rant.

***I love the disco version of Star Wars, and this 15-minute song gets every major theme from the movie. Plus disco!


1980 - Back in Black - AC/DC
1981 - Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie
1982 - Hooked on Classics
1983 - Separate Ways - Journey
1984 - Heaven - Bryan Adams
1985 - The Power of Love - Huey Lewis
1986 - Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
1987 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2*
1988 - Lead Me On - Amy Grant
1989 - The End of the Innocence - Don Henley

*Brilliant Disguise was the song that turned me onto Springsteen, but it doesn't make this list.

1990 - Silent Lucidity - Queensryche
1991 - Enter Sandman - Metallica
1992 - Pull Me Under - Dream Theater
1993 - Rock and Roll Dreams Come true - Meat Loaf
1994 - Singin’ with the Big Bands - Barry Manilow*
1995 - Peace Prayer - Clarence Clemons
1996 - Christmas Eve (Sarajevo) - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
1997 - Follow Me - Pat Metheny Group
1998 - Basic Instructions - Burlap to Cashmere
1999 - Desert Rose - Sting

*I could have easily selected The Brian Setzer Orchestra's "Lady Luck" but the historian in me is drawn to Manilow's recitation of famous big bands in this tune.

2000 - Absolute Beginners (live from Bowie at the Beeb) - David Bowie*
2001 - The Middle - Jimmy Eat World
2002 - The Rising - Bruce Springsteen
2003 - It's a Groove, This Life - Robert Lamm
2004 - Black Crow - Diana Krall
2005 - Mother India - Caedmon's Call
2006 - Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
2007 - One More Night With You - Brian Setzer Orchestra
2008 - Sister Lost Soul - Alejandro Escovedo
2009 - Haven't Met You Yet - Michael Buble

*Absolute Beginners (1986) is probably my favorite Bowie song, and this live show is my favorite concert he's released. Only bad thing: Had to jettison The Howland-Imboden Project's "Inching Towards..." (2000), but I got the Bon Jovi song on 1986.

2010 - City Noir - John Adams (as performed by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic)*
2011 - I Am Made of You - Alice Cooper**
2012 - Cinnamon Tree - Esperanza Spalding
2013 - Give Life Back to Music - Daft Punk***
2014 - Gimme a Feelin' - Ace Frehley
2015 - Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson
2016 - Put Your Money on Me - The Struts****
2017 - Cumberland Gap - Jason Isbell
2018 - On the Soul Side of Town - Tower of Power
2019 - In and Out of Love - Perfect Plan*****

*Saw a performance of this classical piece on PBS and was hooked. Even got a chance to see Adams conduct the Houston Symphony Orchestra doing this work. Turned me on to modern classical music.

**Here's ironic timing: as of 4 January 2019, I had never heard this song or album. But I love it. This song, with its dramatic entry of electric guitar, is everything you'd want to hear in an Alice Cooper song.

***Had never heard of Daft Punk, but I bought this album because of this song. The entire album is one of the best of this decade.

****This was THE song that turned me onto The Struts. In fact, it was purely the opening chord. This will likely be my favorite song of the decade, edging out Uptown Funk by a hair. And, in a week, I finally get to see the band live!

*****As of 26 April 2019, with the debut of the new Bruce Springsteen song, "Hello Sunshine," the category of Favorite Song of 2019 is now over. One word review: Gorgeous.

It's been three years since I had an emotional reaction to a song on first listen. That one, The Struts' "Put Your Money on Me," was joy. This one was simultaneously happy, melancholy, and nostalgic. It was like a song from my childhood I hadn't heard in decades, yet it's a tune my fifty-year-old self experienced for the first time. I didn't roll a tear, but they were in there. And, as I listened to this song about fourteen times on Friday, the emotions came over me more than once. Still don't understand it, but I'm good with it. Beautiful song. Instant classic Springsteen song for me.

If this is any indication of how the rest of the new album is, then the contest for Favorite Album of 2019 is done.

Yet as much as I love that song, I'm still going to keep "The Rising" on this list.


I hope you enjoyed this list. Turns out, I did something similar back in 2017. I'd love to see your list. Post the link in the comments.

Tune in Tomorrow...

For thoughts on Avengers: Endgame

Forty Years with KISS and the Solo Albums

It was forty years ago today…

The year 1978 was dominated by a few things: Star Wars. Comics. KISS. And more Star Wars. Yeah, Star Wars was like a pop cultural supernova that, in my distant memory, seemed all consuming. But KISS was right up there. I have no memory of what or how I first got interested in the band. I suspect it was the comic book--with real KISS blood! For a comic book geek like me, super hero rock stars were right up my alley.

But what was my musical alley? In case you didn’t know, I’m an only child, so I didn’t have any older sibling passing me LPs and telling me to listen. Up until 1978, my music consisted of the Star Wars soundtrack, my parents’ Roger Miller album...and little else. Maybe the Village People. Maybe the Bay City Rollers. So when I dropped the needle on Double Platinum, KISS’s first greatest hits collection, the drums of “Strutter ‘78” greeted my ears and likely shaped much of my musical tastes from that moment on.

The haziness of memory won’t let me remember what order I purchased subsequent albums. But the ones I had were the debut, Alive, Destroyer, and Alive II. Now, the big obstacle for my KISS fandom was the knights in satan’s service stuff. My parents were good, however. They reached what I suspect was some sort of compromise: I could keep listening to KISS, but my purchasing of new albums was limited.

So, by September of 1978, when the four solo albums were released, I suspect I had to pick only one. While my album consumption was limited, I consumed all information about the band I could find. That meant constant trips to U-Totem and 7-Eleven looking for magazines like Circus, Hit Parader, and such. I bought lots of trading cards, both comics, and even a few posters. I had one of those monster posters, measuring at 3 feet by 4 feet on my wall. The fall of 1978 was destined to bring four new albums (!) as well as a TV movie. It was, even looking back now, arguably the high point of KISS fandom...until 1996 when we did it all again.

Which album to get? Well, one was immediately off the table, likely by parental decree. Gene Simmons, the Demon himself, would not be found in my house. The little drip of blood on the cover pretty much secured that fact. Okay, what next? KISS was my first rock band so I had no preconceptions about drummers, but I don’t think I seriously considered Peter’s record. Paul or Ace? Well, being the science fiction fan I was, I think the choice was pretty obvious: I bought Space Ace’s album. Plus, I was a follower: “New York Groove” was on the radio and I wanted that song.

I was a music novice so all the songs were good to me. I had no clue about what Ace was singing about, but that didn’t matter. His album sounded like SF so I was good. Poster on the wall. Album spun over and over.

I have a distinct memory of a friend who lived down the street. He arrived home one day and, as he passed me in his dad’s car, simply put the Gene Simmons record up to the window for me to see. Lucky guy. I think he may have had all four. What never occurred to me at the time was to record the other three albums on cassette. If I had, my history with the solo albums would have been different.

The last new KISS album I was allowed to buy was Unmasked. I did--and still do--love that album. But, for whatever reason, KISS faded from my attention until 1983. Of course, I was fascinated by Lick It Up and the real unmasking, but didn’t purchase the album. It wasn’t until 1988 and the release of Smashes, Thrashes, and Hits reminded me of my first rock and roll love. The girls in my high school group of friends loved the sexiness of Paul, but I remembered fondly the make-up years. It wasn’t until Revenge was released that I picked up my first new KISS CD in over eleven years.

And I never looked back.

Cut to 1997 and the CD remasters. Those are the ones I own. Naturally, the albums that beckoned me most was Music from the Elder (never heard it) and the other three solo albums. By that time, I was nearing thirty, had decades of music listening under my belt, and knew music. What would those albums sound like?

Well, at the time, I immediately gravitated to Paul Stanley. His album was the most KISS-like. It became and has remained my favorite of the four. Gene Simmons was ...interesting, but nothing like I expected, even in 1997. Then there was Peter Criss. By 1997, my other favorite band--Chicago--had planted roots in my life, so I was actually cool with Peter’s record. It wasn’t KISS, but that was okay.

Over these last twenty years, I kept listening to the four solo albums. Paul’s remains my favorite. You can’t argue with the pure rock and roll swagger of this album. “Wouldn’t You LIke to Know Me” is all but perfection. “Tonight You Belong to Me” is the kind of song you’d end a concert with, while “It’s Alright” and “Goodbye” are so good. This might be the first record in which the vocal brilliance of Paul Stanley really shines. Peter’s is now my second favorite. I think Paul’s musical stylings line up perfectly with KISS, so his record sounding KISS-like was a natural. But so was Peter’s. His R&B vibe, complete with brass, was who he was. I have grown to appreciate this album more and more. “You Matter To Me” is a dang fine song. The album is admittedly filled with “Beth”-like songs, but “Easy Thing,” “I Can’t Stop the Rain,” and “Don’t You Let Me Down” are much better songs. And the vibe of “Hooked on Rock ‘n’ Roll” is just plain good old fashioned rock and roll. The same, however, cannot be said about Gene’s. Yes, “Radioactive” is a good song and I really enjoy “Mr. Make Believe” and “See You Tonite” but most of the other songs are just this side of good. He, like Peter, took chances. I applaud him for that, but the material is not to my liking.

Forty years is a long time to be a fan of anything, but I’m really happy to have discovered KISS when I did. Why? Because the solo albums were smack in the middle of it all. What a remarkable, bold feat. Were all the songs good? Nope, but much of the 40 (?) songs were pretty good to gold standards based on the vocalist.

What are some of my favorite songs? I’ve listed some. All of Paul’s, most of Peter’s and Ace’s, and a few from Gene. A few years ago, the PodKISSt folks did a “What if KISS made an album in 1978?” episode and used the solo album songs plus the five studio cuts from Alive II. It remains my favorite single episode. I was fascinated that the top 9 songs were all the same. It’s a great episode by the godfather of all KISS podcasts.

Forty years. Man, has it been that long? Yes and no. Yes because we can look at Paul, Ace, Peter, and Gene and see the years their faces. Heck, all we need to do is look in the mirror and we’ll know it’s been forty years. I was a nine year old boy when I bought Ace’s album. Now, I’m forty nine, and still loving this band.

A memorable moment in my KISS fandom was last year in which I took my son to see his first KISS concert. It all comes full circle.

It’s difficult to escape one’s first love. It gets embedded in our souls like few things rarely can. Star Wars. KISS. Those were the things I loved as a boy in 1978. They are still the things I love in 2018. And the KISS solo albums are a part of that legacy.

Happy anniversary, Paul, Peter, Ace, and Gene. Thanks for making those albums so long ago.

Albums of My Early Years

I've enjoyed seeing everyone's list of formative albums, so here's mine. For those who only want to know the list, they're at the top. The reasons are below.
KISS - Double Platinum

Star Wars Soundtrack

James Bond - Cassette of title songs (through "All Time High")

Amadeus - Official soundtrack

Queen - Greatest Hits

Chicago IX

Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles

Genesis - Invisible Touch

"We Are the World" - single

Paul Simon - Graceland

KISS - Double Platinum

I can't exactly recall how KISS landed on my radar. Perhaps it was because they were everywhere in 1977. Another possibility was the 1977 Marvel comic book (printed in real KISS blood!) Nevertheless, sometime after April 1978 when this two-LP, 20-song package of KISS Klassics was released, I bought it. That was all she wrote. I was enthralled, and, except for a few years in the 80s, have never looked back. KISS is my first, favorite rock band.

Star Wars - Official soundtrack

I'm an only child and much of the music I learned I discovered on my own. The music of Star Wars was a natural thing for me to get because it was Star Wars! I'd try and get anything related to the movie. Little did I know that the music of John Williams would lay the groundwork for much of the music that came after it. With this soundtrack, I was introduced to long-form instrumental music. I could "see" the movie in my head. I learned about themes and motifs (although I didn't know the terms yet). The Cantina Band song was arguably my introduction to jazz and the primary reason I selected the alto sax as my instrument in 6th grade band. Over the years, Williams has scored some of my favorite films and added numerous themes, but this original soundtrack with its original track listing remains foundational for my love of music.

James Bond - Cassette of title songs (through "All Time High")

Whenever I drove in a car with my dad, he'd almost always have the car radio tuned to KPRC-AM, talk radio. My mom's musical tastes while driving was KODA, i.e., elevator music. Most of the albums I had were actual albums and I had no means of transferring them to a cassette. Somewhere along the line, we got a compilation of James Bond theme songs from Dr. No's instrumental opener to "All Time High" from 1983's Octopussy. This was common ground for all three of us. My parents loved the movies--they also had the novels--and this was my introduction to singers beyond KISS. It was here my love of Tom Jones began. It was with these songs I heard how the same titular character could be conveyed in various musical styles. You had it all with these songs: 60s pop (Jones), early 70s rock (McCartney), mid-70s proto-disco (LuLu), and early 80s pop (Sheena Easton), all as filtered through the Bond sound. 

Amadeus - Official soundtrack

If Star Wars was my introduction to instrumental music, then this soundtrack full of Mozart's music was my bridge into the world of classical music. This 2-LP soundtrack was a greatest hits collection of Mozart's music, starting off with the thrilling opening movement of the 25th Symphony. Moreover, Mozart himself, as played by Tom Hulce, educated me in how to listen to classical music. In the film, he describes the third movement of the Serenade for Winds in B flat major, K. 361. That scene in the film was eye opening.

Queen - Greatest Hits

Most folks my age can remember taping a penny to the card of a Columbia Music service postcard and getting 13 cassettes in the mail. This album was one of them. I had known who Queen was since 1978 and even had the Flash Gordon soundtrack, but this collection of songs did two things for me. One, it gave me a taste of a band competant enough to change style on almost every song. From rockabilly to theater to disco, this band could do anything. Secondly, and most importantly for me, was the inclusion of "Under Pressure" with this other guy named David Bowie. I liked Bowie's voice and sought out his records. Let's Dance was first, then two compilations--ChangesTwoBowie and Golden Years. After that, a radio broadcast on 101 KLOL-FM in Houston (which I taped) was enough to send me on a Bowie trajectory that I never left. And it all started with Queen.

Chicago IX

The summer of 1985 was THE summer for me. First car, first girlfriend, and glorious music on the radio. A fellow friend of mine in band loaned me a cassette of this band called Chicago. He said I'd probably know a few songs, but love them all. Chicago IX was the band's first hits collection. Not knowing a thing, I slipped the cassette into my Walkman, got the leash on the the dog, and starting walking. I pushed play. Track 1 was "25 or 6 to 4." In my headphones came the sound of Terry Kath's opening guitar riff, then the in-your-face horns, then Peter Cetera's clear vocals, then the incredible guitar solo, and finally the ending. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. Track 2 was "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is" and it delivered a completely different sound and voice in Robert Lamm. But those horns were still there! Third came "Colour My World," followed by "Just You n' Me" with its soprano sax solo. I literally ran home and called my friend. As low-key as every teenager is, I declared this music the best ever. Quickly, I started collecting all the other albums, never realizing I already owned--but never played--Chicago 17. I can't even remember how I got 17 but I was hooked. Still am.

Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles

I owned Synchronicity (who didn't?) but few of the other Police records. So when Sting left the band to make a record with jazz musicians, I was intrigued. Frankly, I expected Police-like songs with...I didn't know what. The first single was "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free," a great tune of which I've never grown weary. But it was the rest of the album that helped introduce me to the then-contemporary world of jazz. Branford Marsalis's sax, Kenny Kirkland's piano were wonderful. All of that, filtered through Sting's songs really paved the way for my love of jazz.

Genesis - Invisible Touch

If you were a kid in the 80s, Phil Collins was EVERYwhere. If it wasn't a solo tune, it was a Genesis song or a one-off soundtrack song. Being a sheltered person, all of Genesis's music sailed under my radar until 1986 and this album. Here was Phil with this other band (?). What the heck? But this led me to learn more about this band that played, in "Domino," long songs. Little did I know at the time that this other guy (Peter Gabriel) who had a hit song called "Sledgehammer" used to be in Genesis. I can still remember my astonishment. I like the older material better now--"Supper's Ready," the 24-minute song, is my favorite--but it all started here with the bright sheen of 80s Genesis. 

"We Are the World" - single

Not a record--although there was one--but a phenomenon, a cultural milestone. The song is a near-perfect snapshot of 1985 in music. All those artists singing together in a song that, for me, has held up. I distinctly remember that song playing on multiple radio stations at the same time, including KLEF, Houston's defunct classical station. It showed me that celebrities can do things besides sell records and tickets. As an interesting experiment, listen to the original then the 2010 version recorded for relief in Haiti. Note how in 1985, you had multiple voices that sounded different, then note in 2010 there was a homogeneaty to the sound.

Paul Simon - Graceland

I'm not alone in confessing that this 1986 album opened my ears and mind to the wonders of world music. Before this, I knew little if any world music. Afterwards, I fell in love with it and sought it out. The beats of the world still pulse in my ears.

Favorite Songs of 2016

 

The year 2016 produced some fantastic albums and songs. Here are my Top 10 favorite songs of the year, presented in random order…except the first one. That is my favorite song of 2016.

“Put Your Money On Me” by The Struts

 

The Struts put out my favorite album of 2016. They are my favorite new discovery of the year. I listened to this album far and away more than any other album released this year. I first discovered the band via an article in Rolling Stone. The article name dropped “glam rock” and that’s pretty much all I need. I then went to Spotify to give the record a virtual spin. The first three cuts (can’t remember them because I have the free version of Spotify and it shuffled the songs) were great, but “Put Your Money on Me” sold me this album with the first chord. Not kidding. It is the sound of summer, a Mountain Dew commercial, unabashedly fun music, with an infectious chorus. The words, as sung by Freddie Mercury’s musical descendant, Luke Spiller, is all about winning over his girl. That this song includes brass is icing on the cake. The MVP of this song—other than the person playing the tambourine—is guitarist Adam Slack. His ferocious solo grounds this song in the rock world so it’s not always just a shiny pop song. And the song ends with a final chord, not a fadeout. By far my favorite song of 2016. “Uptown Funk” was already my favorite song of the decade. We now have another contender. Video.

“Going All the Way is Just the Start (A song in 6 movements)” by Meat Loaf

 

This song comes from Meat Loaf’s new album, Braver Than We Are, a collection of songs all written by Jim Steinman, the man behind the songs from Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell. To be perfectly honest, this album is a mishmash of styles and influences. Meat’s singing voice is all but shot, but there’s still an earnestness behind it. Much like other long-time singers, Meat singing less powerfully than he used to gives the songs here a unique quality. This song is special as it features both female co-singers from his Bat Out of Hell Days, Ellen Foley and Karla DeVito (vocalists from the studio and live versions "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", respectively). I’m a sucker for Broadway-like rock songs and Meat Loaf is perhaps the best example. This song clocks in at nearly eleven minutes, and it is excellent. The two ladies certainly carry the song, but when they both sing together, it’s magic. To give you an idea of the type of song this is, were this song part of a Broadway play, it closes the show. It builds and builds to a magnificent ending, especially when the counter melody kicks. When I first listened to this album at work, this song captivated me. It made me want to hurry up and finish the record so I could come back to this song. Video.

“Still That Boy From Texas” by Reagan Browne

 

The discovery of this album, Rhapsodic Roar, is proof that words can still sell albums. I was sitting at a convention in Austin, Texas, and I read a Waterloo Records ad that mentioned Browne’s new album was a great example of melodic rock. I got to the store and listened to a few cuts…and bought the album. He’s new to me, but this is his fourth album. The songs range in heaviness from the opener, “Accelerate to the Straightaways,” to terrific cuts like “The Universe Gives Me What I Want” (my other favorite song) and “Gypsy Woman’s Got the Groove,” featuring Texas guitar wizard, Eric Johnson. “Still That Boy From Texas” is the song I kept returning to. Browne’s powerful, deep baritone voice soars over this song about a guy who longs to be back in Texas even though he’s plying his trade in California. Browne was born and raised in the Texas Hill Country so the song comes from the heart. It’s evident on the song. Here’s a link to his website’s video page where you can listen to the song and hear some other cuts.

“Victorious” by Wolfmother

 

Sometimes, albums can be sold merely by the cover. Wolfmother’s new album, Victorious, got my attention with a cover that evoked those great painted rock covers from the 1970s. Heck, all their covers have that in common. Well, that’s not all that the band, formed in Australia in 2000, draws from. This entire record is chock full of influences from 70s rock, prog rock, and even metal. It’s a fun listen, especially when  you try and guess the song Wolfmother was listening to when they wrote their songs. When I got/persuaded/trapped her in a car and played the record, she said it was good, but that she liked it better the first time. No matter. The entire record is good, but “Victorious” is my favorite cut. A fast, adrenaline-fueled driving rocker that is best listened to when driving, windows down, and singing along at the top of your lungs. Here is the tripp video.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake

 

I can’t say exactly how/when I first heard this delightful pop song, but my son—who discovered music this year—had it on his iPod. He played it more than once and I latched onto it. I don’t have any of Timberlake’s albums, but then again, everything I heard from him I like. He’s immensely talented, and this song is an effervescent slice of pop goodness. The bass line during the break is funky and dirty. This is the aural equivalent of a smile on a summer’s day. And the video is charming as just about anything I saw this year. Video

“Go Big or Go Home” by American Authors

 

Speaking of my son finding music I like, this is another one. This band takes a slice out of the Mumford and Sons jangling pseudo folk playbook with mandolins spicing up this song. Its all-ensemble sung verses lead into a fist-pumping-in-the-air chorus. This song played a lot in the car in our various commutes so much that I started really to like it. Video

“You Bring the Summer” by The Monkees

 

Imagine a radar, the old-school kind with the rotating green line that would blip whenever something was within range. Got that? Well, The Monkees was beyond my radar. Frankly, I basically knew who they were…and that was it. Then their new LP, Good Times, dropped this year and this song was the lead single. Talk about starting off the summer of 2016 with a slice of pop goodness. I ended up buying this album and loving it. This cut wraps up what I know of the Monkees and produces a song that at once could have been a hit in 1967 but sounds fresh and modern. The video is out-of-this-world great, made to look like an animated segment from their TV show. I was ThisClose to picking “Me and Magdalena” (an achingly beautiful song) as my favorite song from this album, but “You Bring the Summer” was the tune I listened to most. Video

“Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow” by Michael Buble

 

Michael Buble is a modern anachronism. He’s got a voice that could have been heard in the 1940s or 1950s but he can write wonderful modern pop songs. Buble’s song “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is one of my favorite songs of this decade. He can write a pop song that earworms itself into your brain that you’ll be humming it all day long. To be honest, some of the cuts off this new album, Nobody But Me, tries to replicate the vibe of that song. The title track is the obvious contender. He gives you two versions, one with a rap interlude (yeah, it really works) and the other with a trumpet solo in the same spot. “Someday” is a beautifully infectious duet with Meghan Trainor that is reminiscent of  “Lucky” by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat as mixed by Train. Their harmonies on the chorus nearly got in this list. But it is “Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow” gets the nod. It is the most obvious kin to “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” in musicality and style. The verbal wordplay, with its rapidly spoken verses, are rap-like, but still musical. The chorus is another aural smile (see a theme of these songs?) that’ll make you tap  your foot, even if you’re at your desk. Video

“I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” by Sting

 

Sting is back with a rock record! That was the headline this year. Yeah, kinda. Sting is a pop star who dabbles in rock (and just about everything else). But this is his first album of new pop/rock music since 2003’s Sacred Love. If there is a theme of this list, it’s that light, poppy music seems to be where my head was this year. By that standard, “One Fine Day” off this new LP would fit on this list. It is right in that poppy groove. Heck, Michael Buble could cover it and you’d never know Sting wrote it. But the lead single, “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” gets the nod. This is Sting at his pop/rock best. A tight band, a song that will get your head nodding up and down, and Sting singing about the often melancholy aspects of love. Is he the best one ever for that aspect of love? Video

“I Can’t Give Everything Away” by David Bowie

 

The elephant in this year’s list is David Bowie. He was one of my four pillars of rock for me. Here is my essay from January about his death. But we’re here to talk about my favorite Bowie song from Backstar, his last album. In the days leading up to the release on 8 January (his birthday), I was so excited. Bowie had recruited saxophonist Danny McCaslin’s jazz ensemble. He was going to make a jazz record! And it is so good. Repeated listenings reveal added layers of emotion and musicality. And then Bowie died two days after the record was released, and Backstair took on a different shade. To be honest, after a certain point, I stopped listening to the album. The emotions were too great. Heck, I even bought the Lazarus soundtrack, with three new Bowie songs, but I haven’t listened to them yet. I’m waiting for 8 January 2017, his 70th birthday, to play them.

Any of the songs from the record could be on this list, but I’m going with the last song. I wrote a review of Blackstar back in March, so I’ll just quote the paragraph about this song. “‘I Can’t Give Everything Away’ starts before “Dollar Days” is even over. Bowie’s voice is very “close” in the mix, especially in headphones. It gives the listener the distinct impression that he’s singing directly to each one of us. Which, of course, he is. The harmonica flourishes harken back to 1987’s “Never Let Me Down” while McCaslin’s sax does its own thing, almost as if the song belongs to it and Bowie is merely the guest singer. Death lances through the last words Bowie sang. They sting, but there’s joyous defiance in his voice and delivery. Yes, death will take me, Bowie seems to say, but I still possess the gifts God gave me and I’m going out on the top of my game. Fittingly, “I Can’t Give Everything Away” ends with a guitar flourish that at once would gracefully end a concert but also directly echo the guitar work on “Look Back in Anger” and “Heroes.” Guitar and strings and drums end triumphantly what is effectively David Bowie’s last will and testament.” Video

Honorable Mentions

“Since You Been Gone” by The Heavy. Dirty rock, soulful singing, and in-your-face brass. Right up my alley. Video

“Parasite” by Ace Frehley. The original writer of this KISS classic put his own, modern spin on this song. Heavier than the original and still pile-driving into your head. The solo is a clinic of Ace-isms. Video

“Love Makes the World Go Round” by Santana, featuring Ronald Isley. Santana has always had that great latin/rock vibe. It’s the aural equivalent of smoking a joint, especially in the song “Fillmore East.” This new record reunited the original band, and Ronald Isley sings on a couple of tunes. Having his soulful voice mixed with Santana’s vibe is eclectic, but ultimately rewarding. Video

“Stranger Things” by S U R V I V E. Even though I came of age in the 80s, I don’t always revisit that time in my music, especially the very 80s synths. So imagine my surprise when the TV show “Stranger Things” tapped into that perfect vein of 80s nostalgia not only with the visuals and the story but with the John Carpenter-esque soundtrack. Survive is another new-to-me Texas band (ironically, they were in the same ad that featured Reagan Browne; Thanks Waterloo Music!) that makes synth soundscapes music using old technology. It really shows, and I’ve already bought the soundtrack and Survive’s new LP. Video

Rogue One soundtrack by Michael Giacchino. I’m still processing the new Rogue One soundtrack so I cannot give definitive song yet. Giacchino is an excellent composer, a true heir to John Williams. His music for TV’s Lost, a number of Pixar films, and the new Star Trek movies show his range and ability to create a soundtrack that can be heard on its own as well as in the movie. If the movie Rogue One contained a lot of visual Easter eggs, Giacchino’s score does the same for the music. He interweaves old Williams melodies and instrumentations that hearkens back to the other seven movies. For longtime listeners of the Star Wars soundtracks, Rogue One is great listening experience.

Is James Patterson the KISS of the Publishing World?

Ever since James Patterson announced his Bookshots initiative, I was curious. For those that don't know. the world's #1 bestselling author wants to provoke folks who might not normally read longer books to try out shorter books. As the slogan goes, "Under 150 pages. Under $5." I've read exactly zero Patterson books, but I own a few. In fact, I had picked up Private: India the other day at the grocery store because I wanted to see what that series was like. Last night, I picked up the first two Bookshots books: Crosskill and Zoo 2. I started Crosskill, and dang it if I didn't blow through five chapters. I had to get to sleep, but I can see this kind of thing catching on.

What I'd really like to see is is these books available at Starbucks, drug stores, or grocery stores at the checkout lines. Make them impulse buys.

This Patterson talk had me remembering a post I wrote back in January 2015 for DoSomeDamage entitled "Is James Patterson the KISS of the Publishing World?" Some of my comments can apply to Bookshots today. Anything that gets people reading is fine by me. And, as an author of a book (WADING INTO WAR) that easily fits in a Bookshots format (Under 150 pages. Under $5), I welcome shorter books. In fact, I'm writing one now...

If you're here reading this, chances are good you're already a reader. You don't mind reading giant tomes like the Outlander books or short stories or anything else in between. We can enjoy Bookshots, but, I suspect, they're not aimed at us. Just imagine the person who says "I stopped reading after high school" and then picks up a Bookshots book and sees how fun reading can be. There. Patterson's just made a new reader, and that helps everyone.

Here's the older article. I welcome y'all's comments.

I discovered some new friends this week. I'm a big fan of the rock band KISS and there are a good number of podcasts out there. Up until now, my two favorites have been PodKISSt and Kisstory Science Theater. To quote Yoda, there is another.

 

Pods and Sods is technically a music podcast (a podcast for the musically obsessed...) but Craig Smith and Eric Miller are avid KISS fans. As such, a good chunk of the 82 episodes involve KISS. A fun thing they did last month during the “12 Days of KISSmas,” was cover, in detail, the first 12 KISS LPs, one a day and one an episode. They know their stuff and I found myself nodding to points they made and disagreeing with others.

 

But what utterly surprised me was how funny they are. The key to their humor comes with the intimate knowledge of the subject matter. With that knowledge comes the ability to look at the absurd nature of some of the antics the members of KISS have foisted on the public in their forty years. Craig's impersonations of Gene Simmons is hilarious! Some fans, you can imagine, take lots of umbrage with any humor at the expense of their rock heroes. Not so Smith and Miller. They see the absurdity for what it is and laugh at it *while still being fans.*

 

Now, I understand that being fans of a rock band like KISS and being fans of authors are different realms but I couldn’t help think about the similarities of the two this week while devouring 21 of the 22 KISS-centric episodes (that’s about 20 hours of listening, by the way) and reading about the latest news from James Patterson. Evidently, he’s trying to garner interest in his new book with his so-called “self-destructing book.” According to his website, 1,000 fans get a code to download an advance copy of his latest PRIVATE book and have 24 hours to read the story before “the book self-destructs in a spectacular fashion.” You can follow readers’ progress. Three readers here in Houston got the novel. The website claims it’s a revolutionary reading experience.

 

Yup, it is. And I’m totally cool with it. Why the heck not? Is it a stunt? Absolutely. It is unique? Unquestionably. It is fun? Yessiree bob. It it for everyone? Nope.

 

Neither is KISS. I know many who discount KISS because of their make-up, over-the-top shows (“They only do that because their music isn’t good”--to which I say just listen to some of their songs), and their unabashed salesmanship. That’s all true, but I’m one who learned about rock and roll through their antics. They are my first favorite rock band. Sure, I’ve come to love Chicago, Bowie, Springsteen, Genesis, Sting, and others, but KISS will forever have a special place in my heart. And they have a particular outlook on music and their role in it. They are entertainers, pure and simple. As the guys from Pods and Sods point out, there’s a whole lot of positive messages laced in KISS songs...if you can get past the clunky lyrics and debauchery.

 

Might Patterson be the KISS of the publishing industry? He’s unapologetically commercial. So what? It helps him get product out that the public enjoys. He's not the #1 best-selling author for nothing. He uses co-writers. So what? As the December issue of Vanity Fair points out, he has such a heavy hand in the writing that’s it’s basically his work by the time the books are published. As I’ve piled up manuscripts, I’ve often thought it would be nice for someone to take my first draft and clean it up -- while I write a first draft of a new novel and then come back around to revise the cleaned-up draft later. But that’s just me.

 

Anyway, those are some of my thoughts for this week. I’ve also been working on my new website and I’m close to being done with it. News will be coming soon on that front.

 

What are y’all’s thoughts on Patterson’s stunt? And if y’all like KISS or just in-depth music talk, I wholeheartedly recommend Pods and Sods

Forgotten Music: KISS - Unmasked (1980)

Let’s get one fact out there: KISS was my first, favorite rock band. In fact, they were my introduction *to* rock music. My nine-year-old self went from listening to the Star Wars soundtrack straight to 1978’s Double Platinum. They were the template of how I thought rock bands were supposed to act. When a friend of mine brought Foreigner “4” to show me, I wondered why those guys didn’t wear make-up. My parents didn’t like KISS at all and limited the number of albums I could purchase. The last one I was allowed to buy as a youngster was 1980’s “Unmasked.” My love of KISS waned during the eighties as they shed their make-up and became just another hair metal band. Even when I was old enough to return to buying their CDs, I didn’t. With 1991’s “Revenge,” my interest in the band returned. Then came February 28, 1996 at the Grammy’s: the original band, in make-up, stepped out on stage. KISS had returned. And I’ve been back in the KISS Army ever since.

I’ve been in a serious KISS mood in recent days after finally buying last year’s “Sonic Boom” (it’s really pretty darn good) so I thought I’d break out an old album I really liked back in the day and see how it held up. After leaning toward 1997’s Carnival of Souls, Unmasked won the lottery.

By 1980, KISS was almost imploding under the intense weight from two fronts. One was the marketing and merchandising. KISS dolls, KISS lunch boxes, KISS comics, KISS trading cards. KISS was everywhere. In a pre-Internet age, KISS was over saturated. (BTW, at the time, I didn’t care.) It got to the point where critics looked at the band and accused them of caring more for merchandise than the music.

Ah, the music. If I say “late 1970s,” you will likely think of one thing: disco. I don’t have a problem with disco, per se, especially from bands like Abba. The music was made for them. For other bands, however, disco could be unkind. KISS brought in some disco elements with 1979’s “Dynasty” to much derision from the hard rock crowd. They didn’t care that “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” was a darn good song. It was just too light and fluffy to be a KISS song. For the folks who hated Dynasty, they would hate Unmasked more.

But they shouldn’t have.

Released in May 1980 (thirty years ago!), Unmasked took the newly-altered sound of KISS--lighter, more pop oriented, easier to get on Top 40 radio and appeal to new, younger fans--to the next level. Almost banished from the album was any sense of a heavy metal band (not that they were ever really a metal band). Heck, you could argue that music wasn’t really hard rock either. Paul Stanley’s rhythm guitar had that constant eighth-note riff that would be such a trademark of hair metal in the 1980s. Gene Simmons’ bass, such an integral part of KISS’s sound for its melodic lines, was pushed to the back of the mix. Ace Frehley’s idiosyncratic lead guitar was tamed. And Peter Criss was gone, replaced by session drummer, Anton Fig (of David Letterman’s band now). Fig brought a fuller sound to his percussion work. At the control board sat Vini Poncia, who co-wrote eight of the eleven tracks. He smoothed the edges and produced something shiny and pretty. In short, Unmasked was KISS as a pop band.

So, how does the music itself hold up after thirty years? At the time, I didn’t get any of the musical distinctions I just wrote about. My only criteria for a song was simple: did I like it. And I remember liking every one of the songs. Ah, youth. So easily impressionable, so innocent. But my younger self was on to something.

“Is That You?” kicks off the album with Stanley singing lead. For his vocal stylings, Unmasked was crucial to him becoming one of the more powerful and melodic rock and roll singers of the 1980s (and of all time). Instead of yelling into the mics, he sings, carrying phrases in a way he hadn’t really done up until then. This song is fun pop. It may not be memorable five minutes after it fades away but you’ll move for its three minutes.

The second song, “Shandi,” did something to me that I’ve never tried to restrain. “Shandi” is an out-and-out ballad, pure late 70s sound, acoustic guitar, strings, soul guitar, and “ooo’s” all over the place. It’s a beautiful song and it was instantly my favorite of the album back in 1980. If I had to pinpoint the time and place where my love of ballads started, I’d probably point to this song over “Beth.” If Paul Stanley needed to prove his singing chops to anyone at the time, all he’d have to do is point to this song. Besides, it’s all in his range, unlike that horrible falsetto at the end of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.”

In 1978, all four members released solo albums on the same date. Ace Frehley’s was the most popular and he parlayed his higher stature in the band into three tracks on Unmasked. “Talk to Me” is the best of the bunch. Ace’s guitar work has always been distinctive and you can hear it here in his solo. Never a strong singer, Paul backs him up with some good harmonies at strategic places. An aside: I’ve always been impressed with KISS’s studio recordings where you can hear every member sing backing vocals. I can’t stand it when producers overdub the lead vocalist to harmonize with himself. As much as I like 1980s Chicago, it got tiring hearing Peter Cetera sing with himself.

Gene Simmons finally makes an appearance on the fourth track (if that don’t show you how popular Ace was, I don’t know what does). While Gene leans on his demon persona in concert (and recent recordings), his studio work in the 1970s showed he could actually sing pretty good. “Naked City” is one of my favorite Gene songs in the entire discography. Not only does he bring up some cool imagery (All the victims have turned to stone\no one is happy, they're all alone; Street vampires in the night, young lovers and love at first sight\This is my flesh and my fantasy) but his nasty bass playing shows up. If someone were listening to this album and wondering where KISS went, he’d smile on this track.

At this point on the album, four tracks in, you have four distinct songs, each trying to do something different (largely well done), their coherence lacking. It’s still KISS, just a different KISS, a band experimenting with a new sound. It’s not bad. It’s just different. I’m not going to mistake the fact that I can still along with every tracks with my forty-one-year-old discerning ear. “What Makes the World Go Round” is “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” part 2. “Tomorrow,” as danceable (yes!) as it is, has friggin’ hand claps in the middle of the tune. Hand claps! And backing synthsizers. Now, Ace’s solo, brief as it is, brings some muscle to this song. “Two Sides of the Coin” and “Torpedo Girl” are Ace’s other two contributions. They are easily-identifyable Ace Frehley songs, so much so that they could have gone on an Ace solo album. I’d think you can use your imagination about what kind of words he uses to describe a torpedo. Oh, and it starts with some sound effects from a submarine captain ordering a torpedo run. Yes, really.

Gene’s “She’s so European,” is an eye roller from a guy who writes eye-rolling songs in his sleep. Put it this way: “She’s so European” makes 1991’s “God Gave Rock and Roll 2 U” seem like something Bob Dylan wrote. “Easy as it Seems” is the best of side two, a nice ditty that lays down a good groove, the synth notwithstanding. It’s a keeper. “You’re all that I want” ends the album. It’s really nothing more than the sequel to 1977’s “Any way you want it.” It does have cowbell.

The album sold well at the beginning but soon faded. A planned US tour was cancelled. Peter Criss officially left the band replaced by Eric “The Fox” Carr. He made his debut on German TV. While their popularity may have faded a bit in America, 1980 was the year of Kissteria in Australia. Unmasked was the album and tour of note when KISS invaded and took the country by storm. “Shandi” was a huge hit there and it’s pretty much the only place you’ll hear it live nowadays. Speaking of Australia, the video footage of the Unmasked songs live in concert show a band that have taken their new pop songs and given them the hard rock veneer. For all the studio magic on the album, the songs really rock in the live setting.

Unmasked has remained one of my favorite KISS album these past thirty years. It’s the middle record of a trilogy of albums where KISS experimented before returning to their roots with a vengeance (1982’s “Creatures of the Night). It’s a really good pop record and captured music at a crossroads. It’s a decent KISS album. Unmasked is nowhere near as good as “Destroyer,” “Rock and Roll Over,” or “Revenge,” and it’s not even in the same stratosphere as “Alive” (still my all-time favorite KISS album) but it remains in my Top 10.

Official Studio Videos:

Shandi

Talk to Me

She’s so European

Live Videos:

Is That You?

Shandi

Talk to Me

Shandi (with orchestra, 2003)