"Hey KISS..... Why Not?"
By: Bill Francavilla

I just read the latest article of "Diamonds In the Rough" and it was sooo true. Just the other day I was in Spencers and saw a pack of KISS trading cards for 15 dollars. I thought it was preposterous. Then when I saw that it was already marked down from 20 dollars that didn't really sit well with me.

Another thing that I don't like (although I'm sure the members of KISS have nothing to do with it) is how unclear the merchandizers are about the products I actually do want. At first, when ESP came out I heard a few tracks from it on the internet but was dissapointed to hear that it was only available via ordering. I normally hate ordering anything by mail, but I bit the bullet and ordered it. When I got it I thought it was incredible. It was weeks before it finally left my CD player. Anyway, about a month later I was in Circuit City and I saw a copy of the beloved ESP with extra tracks, a different cover, and (probably the most frustrating part) a cheaper price. The Eric Carr video and CD are now supposedly available only through internet ordering, which I don't want to do again. But at the same time I'm just dying to hear what he recorded while he was alive.

Dale Sherman's idea about the ONCE AND FUTURE TOUR is pure genius. The two main words that KISS needs to learn are, "Why not?" Why can't they play "Under the Gun," "Move on," or let Peter sing "Out Of Control?" However, as far as an opening band I don't agree with him fully. Maybe ESP or UNION can open. Why not a band with Bruce, Eric, Mark and Vinnie (even though that would be a whole other thing to worry about as far as attitudes go, specifically with Vinnie)? Maybe they can jam on one of the encores with KISS, say on "Let me go Rock and Roll" or another good song to jam on with everyone trading off on solos. They did it on Unplugged, why not now?

And speaking of unplugged, I think that one of the reasons it was so successful was because of the obscure songs they played. Whose favorite KISS song was "Coming Home" until that album? Who knew that they would do "A World Without Heroes," or "See You Tonight?"

One night last year I found a website with old KISS concerts that you could download. The one from Largo in 1979 I found had them doing at least one song from each solo album. As a KISS fan, I wanted to hear these someday and still do. Another one I found from the Crazy Nights tour had "Reason To Live." It's not that I was surprised that they did it, but it was just really cool to hear live since they've probably never done it since.

They should have a new tour book too, with an updated geneology like from Alive III (only this time with certain names spelled right and dates correct!). The book should go into the history of the band, and that doesn't mean stopping at the year 1980. We know what happened before that. Talk about Bruce with Meatloaf or Vinnie with the Bangles. Put on obscure pictures from different times in their lives. The fans would get a kick out of seeing pictures of Gene as a fat little boy, or Paul with the Phantom makeup. Possibly their own comments on their favorite songs and/or albums, and comments from other bands about what KISS means to them (good and bad) would be funny and great too.

Intermission with the big screen should have a tribute to Eric Carr, that's a given. How about clips from Peter on the Phil Donahue show, or the clip when they took the makeup off on MTV? Maybe even Letterman's Top Ten list, "Why KISS put the makeup back on." I remember seeing OZZfest one year and before Ozzy went on they played movie clips with Ozzy incorporated into them. It was ingenius and funny and it was almost the best part of the concert (but keep in mind, Ozzy isn't KISS so they wouldn't have to worry about the screen upstaging them).

They should sell T-shirts, tour books, and possibly CD's, which would basically be rare tracks from say Wicked Lester, Chelsea, UNION, White Tiger, ESP and something catchy from the new Eric Carr CD. If not, put this compilation in stores or just throw them on the boxed set (IF IT EVER SEES THE LIGHT OF DAY!).

Speaking of a boxed set (if they do one), I don't want something like Led Zeppelin's. The songs on LZ's you can buy on any album. It's basically a collection of all their material which was ever released (and they wonder why they are bootlegged so much). Recently I bought Alice Cooper's boxed set and was very happy to hear the rare stuff that was never on albums. I read a great article on KISS ASYLUM by Bob Rodrick about the ideal boxed set. If KISS would just follow those guidelines it would sell like hotcakes, I promise! Every die-hard KISS fan should want to hear a Molimo track.

As for a new album.... do it. But as Dale says, with only the four members on it and each one should have 2-3 tracks. Every member has his own following. Personally, I love to hear Paul on vocals, but does that mean that the Ace fans have to be so frustrated with him on only one track, and to add insult to injury, on the B-side of the single? "In Your Face" REALLY should have been on the album. Peter too; he didn't even write the song he sings on PC. The man who wrote Beth deserves to have more of a say.

Last of all, forget the compilations, new concept album, Gene's acting job, and others. They've done these things before. I love compilations, but I can't begin to express my confusion as to why they have Double Platinum, Smashes Thrashes and Hits, Greatest KISS, You Wanted The Best You Got The Best, and Chikara, all with the SAME SONGS?!

As for the talk of a new concept album (?!), drop it now. Take this idea to the end of the earth and bury it. You've already tried it guys, and it didn't work. It resulted in a slump which they didn't get out of for years, and they lost fans as well as one of the most important members of their band because of it.

Gene, as far as your job as producer, you did that too and it almost consumed you. Same with movies. Yes, I'll be the first to admit you're not a bad actor, but it affected the albums you did during that time. I'm not saying that you can't do them at all, but don't let it get in the way of your priorities (AHEM... KISS.)

To wrap things up, I will leave you with my ideal set list from this ONCE AND FUTURE TOUR (and yes, I did incorporate a lot of what Dale Sherman said).

ESP opens. Vocalist is in parenthesis: