"Man, if there’s one thing KISS will never do, it’s a...disco song!"—Lex, Detroit Rock City .
That line is hilarious for the same reason "...if you think Mick Jagger will still be out there trying to be a rock star at age fifty, you’re sadly sadly mistaken" from Almost Famous is hilarious.
Both of those movies take place before we knew it was possible for KISS to go disco or Jagger to belt out "Brown Sugar" well past 50. Ahh...the sweet ignorance of youth.
One year after Detroit Rock City took place (1978), Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace released “I Was Made For Loving You” to the dismay and horror of many a KISS Army soldier. The smash hit ushered in the Dynasty-era KISS, and not long after, founding members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley jumped ship.
But many rock fans who came of age in the ‘70s forgave them for that disco misstep because KISS were an unstoppable force, a keystone in every record collection, and cohorts for many-a-crazy teenage memory.
To this day, I get goosebumps when I listen to Ace Frehley’s solo during “Shock Me” from KISS Alive II. This morning I heard “Hard Luck Woman” on the radio as I drove to work—seven hours later, I’m still humming it in my head. And I will always, no matter what, list KISS Meets The Phantom Of The Park as one of my favorite films, right in-between Serpico and Ordinary People, because as cheesy as that 1978 made-for-TV movie was, it took the fantastic magic of KISS and condensed it...kind of like Jell-O.
And I, for one, am glad KISS received their very own Hollywood Walk of Fame Star on August 11th, 1999. It summed-up what the rest of us had known for decades—that throughout the various incarnations, musical experimentation (Music From The Elder, anyone?) make-up removal and reunion tours—they were always fun. Larger than life, in your face, “these go to eleven,” flying fireworks-fun. And these days, fun is pretty hard to find.
Who’s your favorite member of KISS? What’s your favorite album? Check out our Kiss-a-licious Kollection of memorabilia including the set of 4 Pint Glasses with album cover artwork, the Love Gun Long-Sleeved T-Shirt, the Gene Simmons T-Shirt and lots more!
And break out those KISS CDs, crank up the stereo and remember what good times are all about!
1 comment:
People should read this.
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