Paul Stanley says some really dumb things sometimes.
Like in his book he claims "People didn't buy the first three records because they didn't like the way they sounded"
What in the hell is Paul talking about? The first 3 didn't sell because listeners DIDN'T LIKE the way they sounded? Really? Who are these people? Names, please Paul because the fact is all the Rock n' Roll/ Punk fans LOVE the sound of KISS and DRESSED TO KILL and all the Grunge guys name HOTTER THAN HELL as the #1 influence on the sound they would adopt.
Yes, the mainstream didn't buy in until Alive, why? I don't know, Alive to me has always been fine, but it's not the revelation everyone makes it out to be if I want to hear a song on the first three records I go to those records not Alive, Why it struck a major chord with the mainstream, I'll wager, is that for all the people who were buying tickets to see the bands show, it was kind of a compromise, they could listen to the songs and remember the shows they attended. Thus with KISS has become not only a national attraction but a curiosity as well that attracted non-fans who wanted to see what the spectacle is all about, a souvenir now could be had, something that you could close your eyes and relive the experience. And so the mainstream music fans decided it was worth buying.
Then came Destroyer and what Paul doesn't seem to remember about Destroyer is that upon release, it sold a solid chuck then STALLED DEAD well short of platinum, Destroyer entered not a holding pattern in the summer of 1976, but an out and out free fall.
The plan to score another hit to follow up Rock n' Roll all night (Live), which reached #12 on the Billboard charts, and was, therefore KISS's very first top 20 hit, using the anthem formula, in this case with Flaming Youth and Shout it out Loud (The latter briefly entered the top 40 before the record stalled) had failed, Casablanca had even made sure there were TWO bullets in the anthem gun to implement this strategy, but both had fired and one only grazed the target, while the other was a complete miss.
The point is, that EVEN WITH DESTROYERS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SONICS, KISS did NOT sell.
Not the first three records, not Destroyer. UNTIL....well get to that in a minute.
I'll play Devil's advocate if Paul were here he would no doubt say "Well, Destroyer wasn't exactly what we were about either" WHOAAA....hold on there Paul, you are on your 4th record of original songs and you STILL haven't sounded "Like yourself" yet? And what does "Yourself" sound like Paul?
"Led Zeppelin"
I have zero doubt that THAT is what Paul would say was he debating me, his entire musical career has been an ill-advised craving to copy Led Zepplin, a craving he satisfied perhaps once (Creatures) but never again, and never before,
Listening to Paul talk about KISS's musical output is to see the man bare his soul without intending too. There is no KISS record, not even Creatures, that escapes his scathing self-hatred, of course, it's never focused on him, it's ALWAYS someone else's fault...
This year, he really crossed a line. Whether Rock N' Roll over is your favorite KISS record or not (It isn't mine) few could ever argue that R.A.R.O is the most KISS record KISS ever did, it defines their sound. What people think of when they think of KISS's music is the sound of R.A, R, O. KISS fand fight about everything, agree on nothing and are some of the most contentious people on the planet, but there is ONE thing they all agree on R.A.R.O is a classic career-defining record.
What does Paul think?
He thinks it wasn't very good, the fault? For this, he takes aim at his two favorite targets: The producer and Peter Criss.
This year, Paul called out Eddie Kramer for not doing a great job on R.A.R.O (And one would assume Love gun and side 4 of Alive 2) Before he launched into his usual tiresome "Peter sucks" speech.
THIS is why Paul Stanley should NEVER produce a KISS record, for as much as people credit Paul for KISS it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that Paul doesn't UNDERSTASND KISS (No one who uderstands KISS would burry "It's My Life" possibly the greatest KISS song ever written, because he "didn't like it" but there's more going on there, and I'll do a whole blog on that one song at a latter day, truth be told, you could write a BOOK about it)
I wonder, has it ever occurred to Paul that KISS fans don't generally think Led Zeppelin are all that great? KISS fans like short, energetic, upbeat, fun music and aren't interested in musicianship, only songwriting, and energy.
Has it ever occurred to Paul that millions of people LOVE Peters drumming? I'm not saying he's a great technical drummer, he's not, I'm a professional musician, I've produced records you've quite possibly bought, I understand what a challenge it must have been to record Peter, I've been there. But the end result is the end result, and if you put Bonham himself on any KISS record, that record is going to sound BAD.
..Now, to conclude, let's get back to Destroyer and that fateful summer of 76' when the record was in a freefall, the label, not knowing what to do threw out a double "A" side single with what they thought were the two best songs on the record, Detroit Rock City, and Beth, the rest is history.
You have to remember, as far as glam rock went IT DIDN'T SELL IN AMERICA. Yes, Alice Cooper sold, but music fans could file that under "Theater Rock" a place KISS and their new Destroyer-esqe sound could comfortably sit, all it took was a push...
A study of listening habits reveals that humans search for the familiar when looking for music to listen to and once they are familiar, it is difficult to incorporate something new into their Cannon.
Beth was just such a bridge. It was the familiar piano ballad, that so many other artists had done, it made KISS musically "familiar" to the American mainstream, who had rejected Bowie, T-Rex, Slade, Sweet EVERYONE only Alice Cooper and The Rolling Stones were acceptable listenings in the "Glam" genre, because the public didn't have to consider either act to BE glam, now KISS had bridged the gap and predictably, the record started to sell again...
This blog is just a small biopsy of the creative character of KISS and one of it's greatest flaws, that a guy who doesn't really LIKE what all his fans like about his music is in firm control of it and usually has been.
Since the release of his book, it's been very hip to sing Paul Stanley's praises, I think that is unwise, his low-self-esteem continues to hurt the band's musical output in his never-ending quest to be who he isn't.
If the next KISS record is the last, pray god Paul Stanley isn't producing it, he is the greatest obstacle the band faces and needs to be put back in his place. Singer/Songwriter/Guitar player
NOT PRODUCER
Because I have a saying, it goes like this:
IF YOU ARENT IN YOUR FAVORITE BAND, THEN YOU NEED TO QUIT AND GO JOIN IT
