I used to remember in the late 70's as a wee boy walls that were spray painted the Kiss army and that sort of thing, but as the 80's hit, and after the album Creatures of the Night where Kiss took the makeup off and two founding member(Pete and Ace) departed, things didn't seem the same. 1981's the Elder album was a huge departure for the group as well. I still remember stuff like Lick it up, heaven's on Fire, let's put the X in sex, better hide your heart and evern the comeback ballad forever still getting good video play, but I guess it wasn't the same for people who followed them in their 70's heyday. So were you guys still fans in the 80's or did the member changes, the song material and the makeup coming off turn you off?
Posted by Marty McFly (Member # 4403) on :
Well, I tend to prefer the '80s, as well as more pop-minded stuff, so I'd say no.
I've gotten into many, many bands from their more "pop/sellout" songs that I otherwise may not have. I was born in the '80s, so keep in mind, that Top 40 radio was the basic way I was introduced to music as a kid.
Some '80s music I didn't hear until the '90s, though. I think that was when I got to know who KISS was. Even though the first song I knew was "Rock and Roll All Night" (well, that's the one everyone knows anyway, LOL), today, my favorite album is 1987's Crazy Nights.
Alot of people diss that one because it's alot less heavy (if you're into Bon Jovi or Loverboy, it's a really good one to get), but it's really underrated, IMO.
Posted by Nice Guy Sammy_Hain (Member # 3150) on :
I was always a huge Kiss fan while growing up and had all their albums and posters, comic books etc... I loved all their albums from their Debut all the way through Dynasty(yes I even liked their disco album) but then things changed they released Unmasked and the Elder and things reall started to crumble. Then they came out with Creatures of the Night and even though both Peter and Ace were gone by that time i thought they were back as i really liked that album. Heck my first Kiss concert was from this tour and it also happened to be Vinnie Vincents first concert as a member of Kiss as they opened their tour here in Bismarck. Then they took off the makeup for Lick it Up which wasn't a bad album but without the makeup the mystique was gone and I feel the band was never the same. Their 80s albums all lacked the old Kiss pizzazz and they tried to be too glam and not enough balls to the wall. They might have had a n occasional song that was decent now and then but the band was never the same. Sure they had their incredible reunion tour of '96-'97 which also was my third time seeing the band but then they laid an absolute egg with their subsequent album. Now all they do is release greatest hits album after greatest hits album and stupid kiss memorabillia just to stroke Gene Simmons' over inflated ego.
In the beginning they had a winning formula but their became way too many missteps in their decision making to keep them at the top.
I still love listening to their old stuff but their post creatures of the night material just makes me want to cringe.
Posted by Marty McFly (Member # 4403) on :
^ True. I think the fandom in Kiss wasn't just the music, but the image. Their '70s makeup days were more about partying/fun/sex, not to mention just the overall feel. It was like stuff no one had ever seen before at the time, so I suppose I can see how it would be disappointing to someone who experienced it as it was actually going on, to see it change with their more pop/non-makeup '80s era.
There is a comforting familarity in where you've been before. I can attest to that. Heck, most of the music I like is before I was 13 (1994/95 was probably when I stopped loving almost every new song on the radio).
Posted by mamamiasweetpeaches (Member # 1715) on :
I wasnt really into KISS UNTIL the 80s. I mean, I hated their CRAZY NIGHTS stuff but around that time I had a friend who was into them play the older KISS ALIVE stuff for me and then I got into them. I like some of their newer stuff but most of their hits are from the 70s.
[ 23. September 2008, 05:14: Message edited by: mamamiasweetpeaches ]
Posted by AnGeL EyeZ (Member # 4595) on :
hell no.....Kiss has and always be one of my #1 fave bands....every year i used to dress up as ace with 3 others that dressed up as the rest of the band...we would go to the kiss conventions in hackensack, what a good time! my ten seconds of fame are now in the KISS DVD called "kiss my a**"
~ kiss forever
Posted by pettyfan (Member # 2260) on :
The 80s was when I listened to Kiss. My dad liked them, and I was (still am) a Daddy's girl so I liked them too. I didn't like the whole Crazy Nights album but I loved the song.
Posted by MotleyRulz (Member # 3598) on :
I didn't really discover them until the 80s myself as my dad was a huge fan of theirs in the 70s. I was too young to remember alot of their 70s stuff. I still like them today although I think their music has went downhill a bit since the 80s. I try to catch them everytime they are on tour. That's what I got my dad for his 50th birthday when they were on tour. We saw them from the 3rd row! Awesome...
Posted by Valley (Member # 1322) on :
I still have the Kiss Trading Cards from back in the 70's. They were more valuable than baseball cards when I was in 5th grade.
My mom was a bit concerned when I started singing....So call me Dr. Love, they call me Dr. Love(calling Dr. Love) or I wanna rock and roll all nite and party everyday.
Kiss used the make-up and stageshow as a gimick in the beginning, but I prefer when they took the make-up off and rocked in the 80's.
Posted by mamamiasweetpeaches (Member # 1715) on :
Every Halloween I try to get my friends to be KISS and they punk out on me. One year I started to get dressed up like Gene and they punked out so I just made re-arranged the costume and make-up to be a zombie.
[ 23. September 2008, 05:15: Message edited by: mamamiasweetpeaches ]
Posted by Cleon's choice, NOMS is Warchief (Member # 2688) on :
I never liked KISS!
There, I said it. To me the image didn't match the music I really don't enjoy bands that put image first.
Slipknot at least sing the music that matches their image but even so I wish they would lose the masks...
Noms Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
The Elder might be their worst album, but I seem to really like this song.
It doesn't sound like Kiss at all, Gene looks kind of ridiculous in the video, but it's just....catchy and different. I think Lou Reed gave Simmons the lyrics.
Posted by ISIS (Member # 1780) on :
I loved KISS the most in the 70's, but there are a ton of their songs that I liked from the 80's too-I did like them with the make up better though...I actually thought Paul Stanley looked more "Masculine" with make up on.
My favorite song they did in the 80's is:
Heaven's On Fire
Posted by 80'sRocked (Member # 6979) on :
80's Kiss is still great in my opinion. Sure it's different from 70's Kiss, but all music changes decade to decade.
Posted by Sam 'The Made Man' Hain (Member # 3150) on :
Kiss tried too hard to be hair metal in the 80s which they didn't do very well in my opinion.
AC/DC has been going for 30+ years and haven't changed one bit and they still have a huge fanbase.
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
I think they tried to hard or something once the two other original members left, seemed like it just became the Gene and Paul show. I tend to like Gene songs a lot more than the Paul songs.
Posted by aTomiK (Member # 6575) on :
80s KISS rules.
Crazy Nights is the best KISS album and Stanley´s songs are better ´cause there´s more melody in them.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
~ kiss forever
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