10/11/2012
KISS ROCKS "LIVE ON LETTERMAN!"
Kiss News
10/11/2012
PAUL AND TOMMY TALK MONSTER ON 92.5
10/11/2012
GENE AND ERIC TALK MONSTER ON DC101
10/10/2012
KISS TO ROCK "LIVE ON LETTERMAN!" TONIGHT!
10/10/2012
THE REVIEWS ARE IN: MONSTER ROCKS AND ROARS!
10/10/2012
WITH A PICK ON THE TONGUE
By Sebasti�n Esposito
Translated from Spanish for KISSonline by Jill Cataldo
With a forty-year career, the band has a new album, Monster, and comes to River Plate on November 7
MONTERREY- If there is any more emotional experience than seeing KISS, it's seeing KISS in Mexico. The affinity that these four superheroes of rock have for their historic fan club, the KISS Army, is most emblematic when the band talks about their relationship with their "fu**ing" great Latin American fans. The adjective belongs to Paul Stanley and, though it wound our sensitivity up, it also made us walk taller feeling that we are the "best audience in the world." A few words from Gene Simmons affirmed the sentiment with elegance, joking "But the Argentine public is at the same height," adding, "It's very passionate."
Gene Simmons, the man with the longest tongue in rock, musician and businessman, will celebrate 40 years with his band this January - and after tomorrow, KISS will launch their twentieth studio album, Monster.
Last Monday, the painted faces landed at the Arena Monterrey. That was the end of a 40-date tour of North America with M�tley Crüe, playing earlier in Foro Sol in Mexico City. That show was about to be cancelled due to rain, which flooded the area adjacent to the stadium. That night, the doors opened at 9pm, and the night extended longer than planned, but the shows were not canceled and more than 50 thousand people enjoyed their prize. Here in Monterrey, the climate and the number of fans was different, but the end result was similar: a strong set with a good handful of classics, explosions, several surprises and this author located in the third row, that, on more than one occasion, had the feeling of enjoying a custom, personalized show.
After Paul Stanley (vocals and guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass), guitarist Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer (drummer) left their personalities in the makeup room to become the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman) and the Catman, we met with them to talk about their new album -- its history and a fantasy that they themselves have already discussed publicly: a KISS after KISS, a formation that does not include Stanley and Simmons, but makes new chapters in its history.
The first thing the four KISS members say about "Monster" is that does not sound like any other album by KISS. But how does that a band that already recorded 19 albums make its mark? "First and foremost, we had to make sure that all the songs were new, not old songs," says Stanley. "In other words, we began to write from scratch, without ideas or anything that came from the past. If a song wasn't good enough for the previous album, why would it be for this? Songs are not like wine -- they do not improve with time. If they are bad today, they're likely to be bad tomorrow."
- Did the four of you write together exclusively?
Paul Stanley: We wrote all the songs together, without outside writers. We wanted to raise the bar in making this album. Many bands who have long careers fall into the temptation of repeating formulas. We wanted to record the album that we never made, which was in tune with our heroes, the bands and the artists who influenced us. It is no coincidence that Monster is called "Monster" - the name was chosen for a reason, and is it a monumental album from beginning to end.
By Sebasti�n Esposito
Translated from Spanish for KISSonline by Jill Cataldo
With a forty-year career, the band has a new album, Monster, and comes to River Plate on November 7
MONTERREY- If there is any more emotional experience than seeing KISS, it's seeing KISS in Mexico. The affinity that these four superheroes of rock have for their historic fan club, the KISS Army, is most emblematic when the band talks about their relationship with their "fu**ing" great Latin American fans. The adjective belongs to Paul Stanley and, though it wound our sensitivity up, it also made us walk taller feeling that we are the "best audience in the world." A few words from Gene Simmons affirmed the sentiment with elegance, joking "But the Argentine public is at the same height," adding, "It's very passionate."
Gene Simmons, the man with the longest tongue in rock, musician and businessman, will celebrate 40 years with his band this January - and after tomorrow, KISS will launch their twentieth studio album, Monster.
Last Monday, the painted faces landed at the Arena Monterrey. That was the end of a 40-date tour of North America with M�tley Crüe, playing earlier in Foro Sol in Mexico City. That show was about to be cancelled due to rain, which flooded the area adjacent to the stadium. That night, the doors opened at 9pm, and the night extended longer than planned, but the shows were not canceled and more than 50 thousand people enjoyed their prize. Here in Monterrey, the climate and the number of fans was different, but the end result was similar: a strong set with a good handful of classics, explosions, several surprises and this author located in the third row, that, on more than one occasion, had the feeling of enjoying a custom, personalized show.
After Paul Stanley (vocals and guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass), guitarist Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer (drummer) left their personalities in the makeup room to become the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman) and the Catman, we met with them to talk about their new album -- its history and a fantasy that they themselves have already discussed publicly: a KISS after KISS, a formation that does not include Stanley and Simmons, but makes new chapters in its history.
The first thing the four KISS members say about "Monster" is that does not sound like any other album by KISS. But how does that a band that already recorded 19 albums make its mark? "First and foremost, we had to make sure that all the songs were new, not old songs," says Stanley. "In other words, we began to write from scratch, without ideas or anything that came from the past. If a song wasn't good enough for the previous album, why would it be for this? Songs are not like wine -- they do not improve with time. If they are bad today, they're likely to be bad tomorrow."
- Did the four of you write together exclusively?
Paul Stanley: We wrote all the songs together, without outside writers. We wanted to raise the bar in making this album. Many bands who have long careers fall into the temptation of repeating formulas. We wanted to record the album that we never made, which was in tune with our heroes, the bands and the artists who influenced us. It is no coincidence that Monster is called "Monster" - the name was chosen for a reason, and is it a monumental album from beginning to end.
-It sounds pretentious, but it's interesting to think that after almost 40 years, your best album has yet to come.
Gene Simmons: The soul of the band must continue, there must be a connection between the first album and the last one, but few bands have survived as long as we have, and unfortunately, their past albums were not so good. We hope to make the best of our albums at the end of our career. We still have no plans to stop playing, but we do want this album to be the best of all.
- They say that inspiration exists, but you must be inspired to work.
Stanley: You wake up every day, and the morning already inspires you. If that does not inspire your life, you're not living a good life. We wake up every morning and we are KISS! It is a great way to start the day and live great lives, not because we are rich, successful, famous. We live great lives because we live in the way in which we choose to live. We don't have to fight or rebel against anything -- ignore that. We don't have to fight against society, we run in our own direction, and in a while you'll see a lot of people who think like us. Life is inspiring. If it is not for someone, then he needs to change his life.
- Well, it is clear that all do not have your luck or outlook.
Stanley: Our job is to get you in the mood if you're not. Look at up the sky -- there's a better day and a better time than what you're living right now. You believe in yourself, live big and dream big. There is always bad news, but you have to think positive. Believe in KISS! (Paul laughs uproariously and his three companions join in laughing.) Life is a miracle even on the worst day. When things are very bad, the worst of the worst, get up and remember that you're part of a miracle.
- In Mexico, many people enjoy the luchadores with their painted faces, and few people came to your concert with bare faces.
Paul Stanley: That is what makes KISS unique. Fans dress up to look like us. Here in Mexico, a 6 year old told me that I was his superhero, and you could tell it was heartfelt and genuine. Those things give us strength to motivate us and inspire us.
- Someone imagined a KISS after KISS, continuing the story with other people.
Stanley: KISS should exist forever because people need it. When they go to a show they need to be treated with respect and receive something spectacular. We are on the team now, but it is a great team that can continue without the current stars.
KISS and a spectacular show in the city of Monterrey (sidebar)
"Ay, ay! ay! ay! Canta y no llores...." In Monterrey, we witnessed a segment added to the KISS show. The "element of surprise" consisted of a medley formed by two classics of the music of these lands, "Cielito lindo" and "La bamba", and the third song, the Cuban "Guantanamera." Thus they ended by "knocking out" the 10,000 people who came to the Arena Monterrey last Monday. They didn't have to wear the shirt of the national team or raise our country's flag to please us.
In little more than two hours, the quartet ran through its musical history with the initial "Detroit Rock City" (preceded by a video of the band walking from backstage, pumped up like boxers entering the ring) and other timeless gems of KISS' repertoire, such as "Love Gun" and "Lick It Up". Stage platforms that rose far beyond the platform shoes on the bands' feet; explosions from beginning to end, and the feeling that the band offers two shows at the same time: one for nearly everyone in the stadium, and another personalized show for those in the first rows. For example, the good Gene Simmons challenged this author, gesturing me to stand up instead of sitting down, and to cross my arms at attention. Sorry for the sacrilege!..
Translated from Spanish for KISSonline by Jill Cataldo
With a forty-year career, the band has a new album, Monster, and comes to River Plate on November 7
MONTERREY- If there is any more emotional experience than seeing KISS, it's seeing KISS in Mexico. The affinity that these four superheroes of rock have for their historic fan club, the KISS Army, is most emblematic when the band talks about their relationship with their "fu**ing" great Latin American fans. The adjective belongs to Paul Stanley and, though it wound our sensitivity up, it also made us walk taller feeling that we are the "best audience in the world." A few words from Gene Simmons affirmed the sentiment with elegance, joking "But the Argentine public is at the same height," adding, "It's very passionate."
Gene Simmons, the man with the longest tongue in rock, musician and businessman, will celebrate 40 years with his band this January - and after tomorrow, KISS will launch their twentieth studio album, Monster.
Last Monday, the painted faces landed at the Arena Monterrey. That was the end of a 40-date tour of North America with M�tley Crüe, playing earlier in Foro Sol in Mexico City. That show was about to be cancelled due to rain, which flooded the area adjacent to the stadium. That night, the doors opened at 9pm, and the night extended longer than planned, but the shows were not canceled and more than 50 thousand people enjoyed their prize. Here in Monterrey, the climate and the number of fans was different, but the end result was similar: a strong set with a good handful of classics, explosions, several surprises and this author located in the third row, that, on more than one occasion, had the feeling of enjoying a custom, personalized show.
After Paul Stanley (vocals and guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass), guitarist Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer (drummer) left their personalities in the makeup room to become the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman) and the Catman, we met with them to talk about their new album -- its history and a fantasy that they themselves have already discussed publicly: a KISS after KISS, a formation that does not include Stanley and Simmons, but makes new chapters in its history.
The first thing the four KISS members say about "Monster" is that does not sound like any other album by KISS. But how does that a band that already recorded 19 albums make its mark? "First and foremost, we had to make sure that all the songs were new, not old songs," says Stanley. "In other words, we began to write from scratch, without ideas or anything that came from the past. If a song wasn't good enough for the previous album, why would it be for this? Songs are not like wine -- they do not improve with time. If they are bad today, they're likely to be bad tomorrow."
- Did the four of you write together exclusively?
Paul Stanley: We wrote all the songs together, without outside writers. We wanted to raise the bar in making this album. Many bands who have long careers fall into the temptation of repeating formulas. We wanted to record the album that we never made, which was in tune with our heroes, the bands and the artists who influenced us. It is no coincidence that Monster is called "Monster" - the name was chosen for a reason, and is it a monumental album from beginning to end.
By Sebasti�n Esposito
Translated from Spanish for KISSonline by Jill Cataldo
With a forty-year career, the band has a new album, Monster, and comes to River Plate on November 7
MONTERREY- If there is any more emotional experience than seeing KISS, it's seeing KISS in Mexico. The affinity that these four superheroes of rock have for their historic fan club, the KISS Army, is most emblematic when the band talks about their relationship with their "fu**ing" great Latin American fans. The adjective belongs to Paul Stanley and, though it wound our sensitivity up, it also made us walk taller feeling that we are the "best audience in the world." A few words from Gene Simmons affirmed the sentiment with elegance, joking "But the Argentine public is at the same height," adding, "It's very passionate."
Gene Simmons, the man with the longest tongue in rock, musician and businessman, will celebrate 40 years with his band this January - and after tomorrow, KISS will launch their twentieth studio album, Monster.
Last Monday, the painted faces landed at the Arena Monterrey. That was the end of a 40-date tour of North America with M�tley Crüe, playing earlier in Foro Sol in Mexico City. That show was about to be cancelled due to rain, which flooded the area adjacent to the stadium. That night, the doors opened at 9pm, and the night extended longer than planned, but the shows were not canceled and more than 50 thousand people enjoyed their prize. Here in Monterrey, the climate and the number of fans was different, but the end result was similar: a strong set with a good handful of classics, explosions, several surprises and this author located in the third row, that, on more than one occasion, had the feeling of enjoying a custom, personalized show.
After Paul Stanley (vocals and guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass), guitarist Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer (drummer) left their personalities in the makeup room to become the Starchild, the Demon, the Spaceman) and the Catman, we met with them to talk about their new album -- its history and a fantasy that they themselves have already discussed publicly: a KISS after KISS, a formation that does not include Stanley and Simmons, but makes new chapters in its history.
The first thing the four KISS members say about "Monster" is that does not sound like any other album by KISS. But how does that a band that already recorded 19 albums make its mark? "First and foremost, we had to make sure that all the songs were new, not old songs," says Stanley. "In other words, we began to write from scratch, without ideas or anything that came from the past. If a song wasn't good enough for the previous album, why would it be for this? Songs are not like wine -- they do not improve with time. If they are bad today, they're likely to be bad tomorrow."
- Did the four of you write together exclusively?
Paul Stanley: We wrote all the songs together, without outside writers. We wanted to raise the bar in making this album. Many bands who have long careers fall into the temptation of repeating formulas. We wanted to record the album that we never made, which was in tune with our heroes, the bands and the artists who influenced us. It is no coincidence that Monster is called "Monster" - the name was chosen for a reason, and is it a monumental album from beginning to end.
-It sounds pretentious, but it's interesting to think that after almost 40 years, your best album has yet to come.
Gene Simmons: The soul of the band must continue, there must be a connection between the first album and the last one, but few bands have survived as long as we have, and unfortunately, their past albums were not so good. We hope to make the best of our albums at the end of our career. We still have no plans to stop playing, but we do want this album to be the best of all.
- They say that inspiration exists, but you must be inspired to work.
Stanley: You wake up every day, and the morning already inspires you. If that does not inspire your life, you're not living a good life. We wake up every morning and we are KISS! It is a great way to start the day and live great lives, not because we are rich, successful, famous. We live great lives because we live in the way in which we choose to live. We don't have to fight or rebel against anything -- ignore that. We don't have to fight against society, we run in our own direction, and in a while you'll see a lot of people who think like us. Life is inspiring. If it is not for someone, then he needs to change his life.
- Well, it is clear that all do not have your luck or outlook.
Stanley: Our job is to get you in the mood if you're not. Look at up the sky -- there's a better day and a better time than what you're living right now. You believe in yourself, live big and dream big. There is always bad news, but you have to think positive. Believe in KISS! (Paul laughs uproariously and his three companions join in laughing.) Life is a miracle even on the worst day. When things are very bad, the worst of the worst, get up and remember that you're part of a miracle.
- In Mexico, many people enjoy the luchadores with their painted faces, and few people came to your concert with bare faces.
Paul Stanley: That is what makes KISS unique. Fans dress up to look like us. Here in Mexico, a 6 year old told me that I was his superhero, and you could tell it was heartfelt and genuine. Those things give us strength to motivate us and inspire us.
- Someone imagined a KISS after KISS, continuing the story with other people.
Stanley: KISS should exist forever because people need it. When they go to a show they need to be treated with respect and receive something spectacular. We are on the team now, but it is a great team that can continue without the current stars.
KISS and a spectacular show in the city of Monterrey (sidebar)
"Ay, ay! ay! ay! Canta y no llores...." In Monterrey, we witnessed a segment added to the KISS show. The "element of surprise" consisted of a medley formed by two classics of the music of these lands, "Cielito lindo" and "La bamba", and the third song, the Cuban "Guantanamera." Thus they ended by "knocking out" the 10,000 people who came to the Arena Monterrey last Monday. They didn't have to wear the shirt of the national team or raise our country's flag to please us.
In little more than two hours, the quartet ran through its musical history with the initial "Detroit Rock City" (preceded by a video of the band walking from backstage, pumped up like boxers entering the ring) and other timeless gems of KISS' repertoire, such as "Love Gun" and "Lick It Up". Stage platforms that rose far beyond the platform shoes on the bands' feet; explosions from beginning to end, and the feeling that the band offers two shows at the same time: one for nearly everyone in the stadium, and another personalized show for those in the first rows. For example, the good Gene Simmons challenged this author, gesturing me to stand up instead of sitting down, and to cross my arms at attention. Sorry for the sacrilege!..
10/09/2012
KISS INVADES NY TO LAUNCH MONSTER!
10/09/2012
PAUL STANLEY ROLLING STONE Q&A
By Steve Appleford
Photo by Neil Lupin/Redferns
Nearly four decades on, Kiss remain an ongoing and unlikely rock & roll success story, standing high on platform heels and painted in kabuki black-and-white, unloading fireballs and grinding hard-rock hooks around the world. Led by founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Kiss has been back touring arenas and stadiums since the mid-Nineties, but the onetime platinum-selling quartet finally returned to the studio as a fully functioning recording unit with 2009's Sonic Boom.
The band has a new album, Monster, released today by Universal, and produced by singer-guitarist Stanley. He's taken the leadership role in the studio, and he wouldn't have it any other way, guiding Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer to a sound that's loud and swaggering. It's given Kiss some new material to chew on for their ongoing road show, which just ended a successful tour across North America with M�tley Crüe.
"We're best off prowling the stage," Stanley tells Rolling Stone, during an interview about the new album, the current state of Kiss and the music that first inspired him. The makeup hasn't changed much since the Seventies, and neither has the attitude: "It's the embodiment of everything I am and have nurtured and created. I look in the mirror and go, 'Hey, there's Paul Stanley � he's so fu**in' cool!'"
You took the producer's role beginning with the last record, Sonic Boom. What did that mean for Kiss?
Democracy in the studio is overrated. What you wind up getting is compromise on everybody's part, which means that nobody has their way, and that means nobody wins, including the fans. I thought it was really important, and in my mind it was a deal-breaker � if I wasn't going to produce the albums, we weren't going to do albums at this point. Somebody had to set parameters and boundaries and voice expectations. To make sure everybody was committed, some things had to be spelled out.
It didn't change anything. I think we had more fun. All the cards were on the table and everybody knew what the game plan was. We're more productive. I never thought being the producer was being the dictator. It means being the director and being the coach. It's a way of keeping everybody focused on the goal, and also having final say. Everybody can be in the same car, but somebody has to drive.
By Steve Appleford
Photo by Neil Lupin/Redferns
Nearly four decades on, Kiss remain an ongoing and unlikely rock & roll success story, standing high on platform heels and painted in kabuki black-and-white, unloading fireballs and grinding hard-rock hooks around the world. Led by founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Kiss has been back touring arenas and stadiums since the mid-Nineties, but the onetime platinum-selling quartet finally returned to the studio as a fully functioning recording unit with 2009's Sonic Boom.
The band has a new album, Monster, released today by Universal, and produced by singer-guitarist Stanley. He's taken the leadership role in the studio, and he wouldn't have it any other way, guiding Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer to a sound that's loud and swaggering. It's given Kiss some new material to chew on for their ongoing road show, which just ended a successful tour across North America with M�tley Crüe.
"We're best off prowling the stage," Stanley tells Rolling Stone, during an interview about the new album, the current state of Kiss and the music that first inspired him. The makeup hasn't changed much since the Seventies, and neither has the attitude: "It's the embodiment of everything I am and have nurtured and created. I look in the mirror and go, 'Hey, there's Paul Stanley � he's so fu**in' cool!'"
You took the producer's role beginning with the last record, Sonic Boom. What did that mean for Kiss?
Democracy in the studio is overrated. What you wind up getting is compromise on everybody's part, which means that nobody has their way, and that means nobody wins, including the fans. I thought it was really important, and in my mind it was a deal-breaker � if I wasn't going to produce the albums, we weren't going to do albums at this point. Somebody had to set parameters and boundaries and voice expectations. To make sure everybody was committed, some things had to be spelled out.
It didn't change anything. I think we had more fun. All the cards were on the table and everybody knew what the game plan was. We're more productive. I never thought being the producer was being the dictator. It means being the director and being the coach. It's a way of keeping everybody focused on the goal, and also having final say. Everybody can be in the same car, but somebody has to drive.
You must have thought something was missing from Kiss albums.
It's important to make sure [Kiss] is everyone's primary focus. One way of doing that was to say "no outside writers." We recorded everything facing each other in a room. There's no substitute for collaboration within a band. We all like each other and enjoy each other's company and respect what each other is capable of doing.
I didn't get the producer role by default. I read some comment from Gene that he doesn't have the patience anymore, so he was happy to have me do it. The truth of the matter is, there wouldn't have been any albums if it had been any other way.
It isn't as if Kiss never wrote any hits on your own. How did you get into the habit of having outsiders contribute?
There were times where we weren't quite as focused. It's great to have talented people come in and ignite a spark and perhaps point you in a direction you might not normally go. That's great in its time. Look, Desmond [Child] and Diane [Warren], off the top of my head, are incredible talents and good friends of mine. But at this point, it was more important for us to dig deep and define who we are as an entity.
What was your plan for Monster?
I wanted to make an album that really harkened back to why I got into this in the first place. I was lucky enough as a kid to spend most of my weekends at the Fillmore East. On a great night, that was like a Holy Roller evangelical church. When rock & roll is done with that fervor, it's close to gospel. That's what I wanted to go for with this album � passion as opposed to perfection. James Brown wasn't perfect. Motown, the Beatles, the Stones, Zeppelin, early Elvis � I wanted to maintain the essence of it, getting a first, second or, if you really had to push it, a third take and record on analog tape and capture the intensity of what you're doing, and not compromise it.
Was there a particular night at the Fillmore East that changed your life?
It's so incredible to think of how many amazing bands were featured there on a weekend. Tickets were $3, $4, $5, so it was a safe bet to go on any weekend, because there were three acts. I remember Traffic, Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer. Derek and the Dominos, or the Who with Buddy Guy opening, or Jimi Hendrix with Sly and the Family Stone opening. The bills were just crazy. They were eclectic, and it made it so much more fun. The diversity of it was like going to a buffet. There was no monotony. You could see Led Zeppelin with Woody Herman's Orchestra opening. That's cool!
You recorded Monster on analog tape?
And as much vintage gear as possible. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. I have nothing against technology. When technology trumps emotion and feel, when somebody will tell you something is good by looking at a computer screen rather than seeing if they're sweatin' or tapping their foot, I'm out of there. We recorded analog and we sat around with our amps next to us. It was great. It's always exciting when you're doing something without any input from outside sources. Nobody heard the album until it was done. I wasn't interested in what anybody else thought. There were three other guys in the room whose opinions I valued, and that was it.
The last Foo Fighters album was recorded on analog, too. Are you expecting others to do the same?
Yeah, when it becomes clear that people have strayed from what the essence of what we're doing. As a matter of fact, I was talking to Dave Grohl this morning when we dropped our kids off at school. He's doing a documentary [about the studio Sound City], on the great history of it. The music and the people it inspired were recorded on tape. They didn't have pedal boards where you push a button on the right and it gives you cappuccino. Gear that looks like Star Trek isn't what any of our heroes played on. If you can't get a great sound with your guitar plugged into an amp, you need a new guitar or a new amp.
The album starts off with a snarl with "Hell or Hallelujah."
Our albums usually start with a song that's almost a battle cry. It sums up what the album's going to be like. "Hell or Hallelujah" immediately became the frontrunner. It's timeless. It doesn't matter how rich, how old, what your lot in life is � you have to stand up for yourself and stake your ground. That shouldn't change. I'm still a rebel, but being a rebel doesn't mean that you have to fight anything. You just live your own way.
"Eat Your Heart Out" opens with a bit of a cappella, and has that recognizably Kiss vocal harmony.
It's just classic harmony. Even as a little kid, when everybody was playing cowboys and Indians, I was in the house either watching Alan Freed or Dick Clark. Somebody else wanted to be Hopalong Cassidy, I wanted to be in Dion and the Belmonts. You go back to doo-wop and that worked its way into the Everly Brothers, and the Everly Brothers gave us the Beatles. Those triad harmonies are elementary, and also pretty classic.
Has the writing process for Kiss changed over the years?
On the last two albums, we wrote together, and that really hadn't happened with the same spirit or the same surrender of ego for a long time. Plus, Tommy [Thayer] is in the mix, and he should not be underestimated. There's a great riff on "Wall of Sound" that's Tommy's. Tommy had a lot of input. This is the embodiment of everything Kiss wanted to be or intended to be. We're well aware of what we've done in the past, and we celebrate it every night. We're also living in the present and looking to the future.
Kiss has been pretty active on the road for years, but only recently have you been back in the mode of recording new music. What changed?
The stability of the band. We've been together long enough that it seemed a shame not to take advantage of what we were doing as a live band and transferring that to the studio. The band's just great at this point. Psycho Circus, which was the last album [in 1998, with the reunited original band] prior to Sonic Boom, was such a debacle and such a nightmare � in essence you had two guys in the studio trying to make a Kiss album while talking to two other guys' lawyers. And those lawyers didn't play well. After that album, I was torn between never going into the studio again and having to go in the studio again.
Fans had waited a long time for that album to begin with.
It was started with the best of intentions, but just like the reunion tour � it was done with high hopes and the glimmer that perhaps we could pick up where we left off and soldier forward. Unfortunately, the same problems, the same dysfunctions, and the same tolls took some of those guys back down.
Do you have contact now with original members Peter Criss or Ace Frehley?
No. It's not out of animosity. It just has no point in my life today. Safe to say, the band wouldn't be here without those guys having been in it. The band also wouldn't be here today if those guys were still in it. I respect and love what we created together, but that was a long time ago.
Some of your fans are openly upset that Kiss hasn't been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Does it bother you?
Or indicted into the Hall of Fame. No, because I think it's so transparent. You have the East Coast music Mafia � they are clearly more motivated by each other than reality. Filling their criteria is leaving them at this point some pretty slim pickings. Would we accept? Of course, because it matters to our fans. So I would be gracious. But honestly, it means nothing to me. My life is far beyond anything I could have anticipated and will continue to be so without a new doorstop.
You just put out a $4,000 Kiss book. When people talk about Kiss licensing, they often point to Kiss Kondoms and the Kiss Kasket. Do you have a favorite item of unusual Kiss merchandise?
Clearly, some of the things we do are not to be taken too seriously, except by the people who hate us. For that alone, it's worthwhile doing. The fact that our merchandise sells so incredibly well is not because we're marketing geniuses. We listen to our fans. Why not give them what they want? We're Kiss. We set the boundaries. Our fans understand that, and the people that don't like us want to tell us the definition of rock & roll, and I'll tell you I'm living it.
Photo by Neil Lupin/Redferns
Nearly four decades on, Kiss remain an ongoing and unlikely rock & roll success story, standing high on platform heels and painted in kabuki black-and-white, unloading fireballs and grinding hard-rock hooks around the world. Led by founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Kiss has been back touring arenas and stadiums since the mid-Nineties, but the onetime platinum-selling quartet finally returned to the studio as a fully functioning recording unit with 2009's Sonic Boom.
The band has a new album, Monster, released today by Universal, and produced by singer-guitarist Stanley. He's taken the leadership role in the studio, and he wouldn't have it any other way, guiding Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer to a sound that's loud and swaggering. It's given Kiss some new material to chew on for their ongoing road show, which just ended a successful tour across North America with M�tley Crüe.
"We're best off prowling the stage," Stanley tells Rolling Stone, during an interview about the new album, the current state of Kiss and the music that first inspired him. The makeup hasn't changed much since the Seventies, and neither has the attitude: "It's the embodiment of everything I am and have nurtured and created. I look in the mirror and go, 'Hey, there's Paul Stanley � he's so fu**in' cool!'"
You took the producer's role beginning with the last record, Sonic Boom. What did that mean for Kiss?
Democracy in the studio is overrated. What you wind up getting is compromise on everybody's part, which means that nobody has their way, and that means nobody wins, including the fans. I thought it was really important, and in my mind it was a deal-breaker � if I wasn't going to produce the albums, we weren't going to do albums at this point. Somebody had to set parameters and boundaries and voice expectations. To make sure everybody was committed, some things had to be spelled out.
It didn't change anything. I think we had more fun. All the cards were on the table and everybody knew what the game plan was. We're more productive. I never thought being the producer was being the dictator. It means being the director and being the coach. It's a way of keeping everybody focused on the goal, and also having final say. Everybody can be in the same car, but somebody has to drive.
By Steve Appleford
Photo by Neil Lupin/Redferns
Nearly four decades on, Kiss remain an ongoing and unlikely rock & roll success story, standing high on platform heels and painted in kabuki black-and-white, unloading fireballs and grinding hard-rock hooks around the world. Led by founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Kiss has been back touring arenas and stadiums since the mid-Nineties, but the onetime platinum-selling quartet finally returned to the studio as a fully functioning recording unit with 2009's Sonic Boom.
The band has a new album, Monster, released today by Universal, and produced by singer-guitarist Stanley. He's taken the leadership role in the studio, and he wouldn't have it any other way, guiding Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer to a sound that's loud and swaggering. It's given Kiss some new material to chew on for their ongoing road show, which just ended a successful tour across North America with M�tley Crüe.
"We're best off prowling the stage," Stanley tells Rolling Stone, during an interview about the new album, the current state of Kiss and the music that first inspired him. The makeup hasn't changed much since the Seventies, and neither has the attitude: "It's the embodiment of everything I am and have nurtured and created. I look in the mirror and go, 'Hey, there's Paul Stanley � he's so fu**in' cool!'"
You took the producer's role beginning with the last record, Sonic Boom. What did that mean for Kiss?
Democracy in the studio is overrated. What you wind up getting is compromise on everybody's part, which means that nobody has their way, and that means nobody wins, including the fans. I thought it was really important, and in my mind it was a deal-breaker � if I wasn't going to produce the albums, we weren't going to do albums at this point. Somebody had to set parameters and boundaries and voice expectations. To make sure everybody was committed, some things had to be spelled out.
It didn't change anything. I think we had more fun. All the cards were on the table and everybody knew what the game plan was. We're more productive. I never thought being the producer was being the dictator. It means being the director and being the coach. It's a way of keeping everybody focused on the goal, and also having final say. Everybody can be in the same car, but somebody has to drive.
You must have thought something was missing from Kiss albums.
It's important to make sure [Kiss] is everyone's primary focus. One way of doing that was to say "no outside writers." We recorded everything facing each other in a room. There's no substitute for collaboration within a band. We all like each other and enjoy each other's company and respect what each other is capable of doing.
I didn't get the producer role by default. I read some comment from Gene that he doesn't have the patience anymore, so he was happy to have me do it. The truth of the matter is, there wouldn't have been any albums if it had been any other way.
It isn't as if Kiss never wrote any hits on your own. How did you get into the habit of having outsiders contribute?
There were times where we weren't quite as focused. It's great to have talented people come in and ignite a spark and perhaps point you in a direction you might not normally go. That's great in its time. Look, Desmond [Child] and Diane [Warren], off the top of my head, are incredible talents and good friends of mine. But at this point, it was more important for us to dig deep and define who we are as an entity.
What was your plan for Monster?
I wanted to make an album that really harkened back to why I got into this in the first place. I was lucky enough as a kid to spend most of my weekends at the Fillmore East. On a great night, that was like a Holy Roller evangelical church. When rock & roll is done with that fervor, it's close to gospel. That's what I wanted to go for with this album � passion as opposed to perfection. James Brown wasn't perfect. Motown, the Beatles, the Stones, Zeppelin, early Elvis � I wanted to maintain the essence of it, getting a first, second or, if you really had to push it, a third take and record on analog tape and capture the intensity of what you're doing, and not compromise it.
Was there a particular night at the Fillmore East that changed your life?
It's so incredible to think of how many amazing bands were featured there on a weekend. Tickets were $3, $4, $5, so it was a safe bet to go on any weekend, because there were three acts. I remember Traffic, Iron Butterfly and Blue Cheer. Derek and the Dominos, or the Who with Buddy Guy opening, or Jimi Hendrix with Sly and the Family Stone opening. The bills were just crazy. They were eclectic, and it made it so much more fun. The diversity of it was like going to a buffet. There was no monotony. You could see Led Zeppelin with Woody Herman's Orchestra opening. That's cool!
You recorded Monster on analog tape?
And as much vintage gear as possible. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. I have nothing against technology. When technology trumps emotion and feel, when somebody will tell you something is good by looking at a computer screen rather than seeing if they're sweatin' or tapping their foot, I'm out of there. We recorded analog and we sat around with our amps next to us. It was great. It's always exciting when you're doing something without any input from outside sources. Nobody heard the album until it was done. I wasn't interested in what anybody else thought. There were three other guys in the room whose opinions I valued, and that was it.
The last Foo Fighters album was recorded on analog, too. Are you expecting others to do the same?
Yeah, when it becomes clear that people have strayed from what the essence of what we're doing. As a matter of fact, I was talking to Dave Grohl this morning when we dropped our kids off at school. He's doing a documentary [about the studio Sound City], on the great history of it. The music and the people it inspired were recorded on tape. They didn't have pedal boards where you push a button on the right and it gives you cappuccino. Gear that looks like Star Trek isn't what any of our heroes played on. If you can't get a great sound with your guitar plugged into an amp, you need a new guitar or a new amp.
The album starts off with a snarl with "Hell or Hallelujah."
Our albums usually start with a song that's almost a battle cry. It sums up what the album's going to be like. "Hell or Hallelujah" immediately became the frontrunner. It's timeless. It doesn't matter how rich, how old, what your lot in life is � you have to stand up for yourself and stake your ground. That shouldn't change. I'm still a rebel, but being a rebel doesn't mean that you have to fight anything. You just live your own way.
"Eat Your Heart Out" opens with a bit of a cappella, and has that recognizably Kiss vocal harmony.
It's just classic harmony. Even as a little kid, when everybody was playing cowboys and Indians, I was in the house either watching Alan Freed or Dick Clark. Somebody else wanted to be Hopalong Cassidy, I wanted to be in Dion and the Belmonts. You go back to doo-wop and that worked its way into the Everly Brothers, and the Everly Brothers gave us the Beatles. Those triad harmonies are elementary, and also pretty classic.
Has the writing process for Kiss changed over the years?
On the last two albums, we wrote together, and that really hadn't happened with the same spirit or the same surrender of ego for a long time. Plus, Tommy [Thayer] is in the mix, and he should not be underestimated. There's a great riff on "Wall of Sound" that's Tommy's. Tommy had a lot of input. This is the embodiment of everything Kiss wanted to be or intended to be. We're well aware of what we've done in the past, and we celebrate it every night. We're also living in the present and looking to the future.
Kiss has been pretty active on the road for years, but only recently have you been back in the mode of recording new music. What changed?
The stability of the band. We've been together long enough that it seemed a shame not to take advantage of what we were doing as a live band and transferring that to the studio. The band's just great at this point. Psycho Circus, which was the last album [in 1998, with the reunited original band] prior to Sonic Boom, was such a debacle and such a nightmare � in essence you had two guys in the studio trying to make a Kiss album while talking to two other guys' lawyers. And those lawyers didn't play well. After that album, I was torn between never going into the studio again and having to go in the studio again.
Fans had waited a long time for that album to begin with.
It was started with the best of intentions, but just like the reunion tour � it was done with high hopes and the glimmer that perhaps we could pick up where we left off and soldier forward. Unfortunately, the same problems, the same dysfunctions, and the same tolls took some of those guys back down.
Do you have contact now with original members Peter Criss or Ace Frehley?
No. It's not out of animosity. It just has no point in my life today. Safe to say, the band wouldn't be here without those guys having been in it. The band also wouldn't be here today if those guys were still in it. I respect and love what we created together, but that was a long time ago.
Some of your fans are openly upset that Kiss hasn't been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Does it bother you?
Or indicted into the Hall of Fame. No, because I think it's so transparent. You have the East Coast music Mafia � they are clearly more motivated by each other than reality. Filling their criteria is leaving them at this point some pretty slim pickings. Would we accept? Of course, because it matters to our fans. So I would be gracious. But honestly, it means nothing to me. My life is far beyond anything I could have anticipated and will continue to be so without a new doorstop.
You just put out a $4,000 Kiss book. When people talk about Kiss licensing, they often point to Kiss Kondoms and the Kiss Kasket. Do you have a favorite item of unusual Kiss merchandise?
Clearly, some of the things we do are not to be taken too seriously, except by the people who hate us. For that alone, it's worthwhile doing. The fact that our merchandise sells so incredibly well is not because we're marketing geniuses. We listen to our fans. Why not give them what they want? We're Kiss. We set the boundaries. Our fans understand that, and the people that don't like us want to tell us the definition of rock & roll, and I'll tell you I'm living it.
10/09/2012
KISS MONSTER IS HERE!
10/09/2012
KISS MONSTER: A MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT!
I haven�t been this excited about a KISS CD since Psycho Circus back in 1998. Being a KISS fan for over 35 years, I found myself enjoying their 2009 release, Sonic Boom ,but feel Monster is a more unified and stronger sounding effort with the band having found their unique writing style.
Through-out their career KISS have racked up 28 U.S. gold albums, along with 40 million U.S. and 100 million in world sales. Monster will be the bands 20th studio album in their historic forty year career and is set to be unleashed to the world on October 10, 2012.
This incantation of the band with Gene Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums has been together for roughly 11 years. Monster will be their second release together. It combines the KISS flair and catchy hooks from the early �80s CD with the sonic crunch and song writing bite from their early �90s releases.
The 13 tracks on Monster (including the bonus track) range from the raucous prehistoric pop tune of �Back to the Stone Age� with Gene on vocals to the heavier rally cry for individually and independence on �Freak� with Paul taking the helm. All songs on this CD have an infectious groove that lasts with you even after the first listen just like their first single, a full-throttle rocker, �Hell or Hallelujah�. As you would come to expect with any KISS song, the lyrics are laced with sexual innuendos and overtones.I haven�t been this excited about a KISS CD since Psycho Circus back in 1998. Being a KISS fan for over 35 years, I found myself enjoying their 2009 release, Sonic Boom ,but feel Monster is a more unified and stronger sounding effort with the band having found their unique writing style.
Through-out their career KISS have racked up 28 U.S. gold albums, along with 40 million U.S. and 100 million in world sales. Monster will be the bands 20th studio album in their historic forty year career and is set to be unleashed to the world on October 10, 2012.
This incantation of the band with Gene Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums has been together for roughly 11 years. Monster will be their second release together. It combines the KISS flair and catchy hooks from the early �80s CD with the sonic crunch and song writing bite from their early �90s releases.
The 13 tracks on Monster (including the bonus track) range from the raucous prehistoric pop tune of �Back to the Stone Age� with Gene on vocals to the heavier rally cry for individually and independence on �Freak� with Paul taking the helm. All songs on this CD have an infectious groove that lasts with you even after the first listen just like their first single, a full-throttle rocker, �Hell or Hallelujah�. As you would come to expect with any KISS song, the lyrics are laced with sexual innuendos and overtones.
Were you expecting anything different?
What separates this release from Sonic Boom is that the music has more dimension and depth. It�s the subtle nuances on the guitar work and leads that add the texture to each of the songs as well as provide a level on complexity, breaking the mold of verse, chorus, verse that KISS has always been known for.
I think that Tommy Thayer has stretched out of the Ace Frehley box for this CD and is on his way to perfecting his own signature guitar sound, just like Vinnie Vincent did on Lick it Up in 1983. He even takes lead vocals on my favorite track, �Outta This World�, a story about taking you out of this world on a midnight rocket!
The songs are split up pretty evenly between Paul and Gene on lead vocals and even have Eric Singer getting in on one, �All for the Love of Rock n Roll�, which Paul wrote specifically for his singing style.
Gene�s songs really shine on Monster; they are reminiscent of his efforts on Revenge, being dark and malevolent like on �The Devil is Me� and �Wall of Sound�. �Long Way Down� and �Shout Mercy�, with Paul on vocals are soulfully slinky, rock driven songs just what you would come to expect from the �Starchild�.
The songs flow perfectly into each other, offering continuity from the first song to the last. I think Monster is a monumental achievement for Kiss that will please the diehard KISS fanatics and thrill any newcomers.
Through-out their career KISS have racked up 28 U.S. gold albums, along with 40 million U.S. and 100 million in world sales. Monster will be the bands 20th studio album in their historic forty year career and is set to be unleashed to the world on October 10, 2012.
This incantation of the band with Gene Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums has been together for roughly 11 years. Monster will be their second release together. It combines the KISS flair and catchy hooks from the early �80s CD with the sonic crunch and song writing bite from their early �90s releases.
The 13 tracks on Monster (including the bonus track) range from the raucous prehistoric pop tune of �Back to the Stone Age� with Gene on vocals to the heavier rally cry for individually and independence on �Freak� with Paul taking the helm. All songs on this CD have an infectious groove that lasts with you even after the first listen just like their first single, a full-throttle rocker, �Hell or Hallelujah�. As you would come to expect with any KISS song, the lyrics are laced with sexual innuendos and overtones.I haven�t been this excited about a KISS CD since Psycho Circus back in 1998. Being a KISS fan for over 35 years, I found myself enjoying their 2009 release, Sonic Boom ,but feel Monster is a more unified and stronger sounding effort with the band having found their unique writing style.
Through-out their career KISS have racked up 28 U.S. gold albums, along with 40 million U.S. and 100 million in world sales. Monster will be the bands 20th studio album in their historic forty year career and is set to be unleashed to the world on October 10, 2012.
This incantation of the band with Gene Simmons on bass, Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums has been together for roughly 11 years. Monster will be their second release together. It combines the KISS flair and catchy hooks from the early �80s CD with the sonic crunch and song writing bite from their early �90s releases.
The 13 tracks on Monster (including the bonus track) range from the raucous prehistoric pop tune of �Back to the Stone Age� with Gene on vocals to the heavier rally cry for individually and independence on �Freak� with Paul taking the helm. All songs on this CD have an infectious groove that lasts with you even after the first listen just like their first single, a full-throttle rocker, �Hell or Hallelujah�. As you would come to expect with any KISS song, the lyrics are laced with sexual innuendos and overtones.
Were you expecting anything different?
What separates this release from Sonic Boom is that the music has more dimension and depth. It�s the subtle nuances on the guitar work and leads that add the texture to each of the songs as well as provide a level on complexity, breaking the mold of verse, chorus, verse that KISS has always been known for.
I think that Tommy Thayer has stretched out of the Ace Frehley box for this CD and is on his way to perfecting his own signature guitar sound, just like Vinnie Vincent did on Lick it Up in 1983. He even takes lead vocals on my favorite track, �Outta This World�, a story about taking you out of this world on a midnight rocket!
The songs are split up pretty evenly between Paul and Gene on lead vocals and even have Eric Singer getting in on one, �All for the Love of Rock n Roll�, which Paul wrote specifically for his singing style.
Gene�s songs really shine on Monster; they are reminiscent of his efforts on Revenge, being dark and malevolent like on �The Devil is Me� and �Wall of Sound�. �Long Way Down� and �Shout Mercy�, with Paul on vocals are soulfully slinky, rock driven songs just what you would come to expect from the �Starchild�.
The songs flow perfectly into each other, offering continuity from the first song to the last. I think Monster is a monumental achievement for Kiss that will please the diehard KISS fanatics and thrill any newcomers.
