 |  | |||||||
|
 All news should be considered an unconfirmed report unless verified, and all information published at KISS Asylum is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves. All information is confirmed where possible, and all publication is governed by common sense.
From: Good Times Magazine Hello, and Happy New Year! Here in the New York City/Long Island area, there has been a cool, complimentary entertainment newspaper for the last 37 years called, Good Times. KISS has graced the cover numerous times. In the latest issue dated January 17th to January 30th, 2006, there is a great story on KISS. There is a cool, posed, color photo on the cover taken from the 'Rock the Nation' tour. The caption says: KISS continues to 'Rock The Nation'. The story by David J. Criblez is on page 24. On that page is the same photo that's on the cover, but it's much smaller and in black & white. Scroll down and read the great story! Paul very candidly talks about Eric and Tommy, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gene, Peter, Ace, the Farewell Tour and his upcoming solo CD and tour. Enjoy! ------ KISS is an institution that is more than 30 years strong and will not die. Their new double DVD, "Rock The Nation," proves how - despite the loss of original members drummer PETER CRISS and guitarist ACE FREHLEY - the band marches on determined to prove to the world their validity. Fouding members guitarist PAUL STANLEY and bassist GENE SIMMONS keep the dream alive by adding drummer ERIC SINGER and guitarist TOMMY THAYER to the mix, trumping up the band's song. As you may remember, all four members of the original KISS lineup went on a farewell tour in 2000 with a plan to retire the band. However, they changed their minds. "What became clear after the end of the farewell tour is that I didn't want to stop playing, I just wanted to stop playing with those guys," said PAUL STANLEY. "We had done something monumental by coming back together but it started to wane when the old problems reared their heads. The limitations of the band started to creep in again. It became difficult if not impossible to change the set list. We ended up playing the same set for three tours. It became old and tense when people's quirks and personality problems just became evident." The fans resoundingly didn't want the band to end and KISS responded to their needs. "I realized that our restrictions were self-imposed. Everybody is entitled to change their mind," said Stanley. "The line-up changed and took its natural course. First Peter was gone, then Ace decided he didn't want to go back on tour. The question is: do we stay home because somebody doesn't want to tour or do we continue because we want to?" The first call the band made to replace Criss was their old drummer ERIC SINGER (Badlands, Alice Cooper band) from the early 1990s. "It was natural to get Eric and he was ready to come back," Stanley said. "He's a great drummer, a fantastic singer and a real team player." TOMMY THAYER, originally from the band Black N' Blue, worked as Frehley's guitar tech and wound up in the band. "Tommy was the first choice because he was always the relief hitter sitting on the bench," said Stanley. "He was the guy who would work with the members of the band so everybody knew their parts. Once he joined the band, his playing was phenomenal." New guys Singer and Thayer not only joined the band but also jumped into Criss' and Frehley's make-up and costumes, which raised a few eyebrows. Stanley felt the transition was natural. "We resolved ourselves clearly that over 30 years had been spent building four iconic images. To suddenly bring in giraffe-boy or ant-man was ridiculous. KISS is those four personalities and images," he said. "You can take a picture of KISS anywhere in the world and show it to somebody and say, 'Who is this?' Can they name every member, absolutely not, but they know those images because they are undeniable." When asked if this move upset Criss or Frehley, Stanley said, "I'm sure - maybe some more than others, but you don't always get things your way. In a perfect world, the original band would have been together. When circumstances and personalities make it impossible then I'm not going to suffer for those bumps in the road." While the band has no plans to record a new album they will continue to tour. "Rest assured there'll be another tour," said Stanley, "As far as new material goes, the bottom line is people want to hear the classics. They'll tolerate a few new songs, But why work my ass off to make new songs when they prefer the older stuff? We have a tremendous amount of archival materialand we are currently putting the finishing touches on a series that will be similar to the one Martin Scorsese did with Bob Dylan." Even though KISS is not recording, Stanley recently completed a new solo album. He's currently shopping for a label and plans to release the album in 2006, which will be followed by a solo tour. Regarding the sound of the album, he said "It sounds like me but with more flexability." Stanley also hopes to perform "Phantom Of The Opera" on Broadway at some point after his successful run in Toronto. "That's still in the cards, it's just a matter of finding the right time," he said. "The work ethic and discipline of theater is something that would leave most bands in a crying heap. There's no room for complaints but I thrived in that environment." Stanley and Simmons have been partners for decades. Although their personalities differ heavily, the relationship seems to work. "We have a deep and complex relationship based on understanding it's possibilities and limitations. I think the key to having a good partnership is to not expect what's impossible and make the most of what is," said Stanley. "We are different people, always have been, but we use that to the best advantages of the band. We're brothers in business." The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame recently announced their new class to be inducted in March 2006. Although KISS has been eligible for years, the band has been constantly overlooked. Stanley is not surprised. "The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is a joke. They prove that year in and out with their nominations. It's about being part of an exclusive club," he said. "If I decided tomorrow to start my own organization called The Society Of Rock Legends - who the hell am I? Somehow this organization got some sort of clout. It has nothing to do with mass impact or mass sales. The question is: what does it represent? At some point they'll have to cave-in but it won't change me." Despite their omission from the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, KISS has been one of the most influential bands of all times. Many bands steal from KISS and Stanley doesn't mind. "I think I'm an original in the sense that I created something that became identified with me. But, my ideas were based upon my heroes and influences. It's just the sum of those parts that equaled something new," he said. "I'm very flattered that people have borrowed from what I've done. I did the same. I didn't come up with windmills and jumping in the air. The road I walked was paved by Steve Marriott, Pete Townsend, Keith Richards and Robert Plant. It's in the mixture of influences that you come up with something that yours." At this point, KISS knows that they can't top themselves but they strive to maintain the high level of quality that they've established. "We can go horizontal. I don't know if we can go vertical," said Stanley. "Our new DVD is proof of that. It shows who we are today and how we've never changed. The band not only still exists, but we are better than ever. It's not a matter of who's in the band - it's a matter that it's KISS. KISS has to be more than a name and a bunch of songs." There has been a rumor circulating for years that Stanley & Simmons plan on continuing KISS without them, bringing in younger guys. Stanley said, "Anything is possible. KISS in the sense exists without us becaues the merchandise is all about the four iconic images. It could happen." |
     | ||||||
|
 KISS Museum
News Archive
Features
Tour Dates
Photos
KISS ASYLUM © 1995-2008, all rights reserved. KISS ASYLUM is an unofficial, fan run KISS web site. KISS ASYLUM is optimized for 800x600 screen resolution or higher using Internet Explorer 6.0 and it is recommended that you have the Flash, Real Player, and Quicktime plug-ins to experience the rich audio and video media. Have KISS News to report? Email us at news@kissasylum.com | | ||||||
| | | ||||||
