Lump It Or Leave It?
By: Rod Russell

My name is Rod Russell, and like everyone else who reads and ponders the various postings to the "Sound Off" pages, I too have an opinion.

I read Joe Spinelli's posting with great interest. I feel for him, as well as all of the newer ("younger") fans who haven't had the years (in my case, 25 years) to enjoy this thing called KISS. I would like to address his points one by one.

The Reunion Tour - Yeah, Joe's right. No one was bitching when the tour started. We were all blissed out of our heads with the news! This tour was heaven sent and seemed so "pure" in its intent. Then, things started going south. And pretty damn quickley too! As much as I love and idolize the group (especially Gene), I could see were things were leading... $$$. Sure, wanting and making lotsa cash is a great thing, but Gene's love of all things green - plus the way way he starts to see the fans as some sort of quickcash ATM - gets to be a bit sickening. But this all leads to Joe's third item and I'll get to that soon enough!

Psycho Circus - Well, Joe, I hate to tell ya the bad news, but opinions are like a**holes and everyone has one. Yours is just as valid as the next guy's. You like it; a lot more people didn't. That's not opinion, but is a matter of fact. The album's sales were poor-to-fair. If the album had been any good (in the masses' opinion, which includes yours truly), it would've sold like hot cakes. Plain and simple. The first mistake was hiring Bruce Fairbairn to produce. Who's brilliant idea was this and has this person been shot yet? Twice (just to be sure?). This is the guy who screwed up Aerosmith, for christsakes. Why not Sean Delaney or Eddie Kramer? Or even Michael James Jackson? These guys know what KISS is all about and should have been given the job. PERIOD. Take this from a fan of 25 YEARS! You'll have to trust me on this one, Joe. The minute Fairbairn suggested HORNS (???!!!) on PC, he shoulda been shit-canned.

The Collector Craze - Well, now we're back to that. Gene needs to get a grip and quit selling out the band to the highest bidder. This constant whoring around with marketing ruined the band in the late seventies and will be its downfall once again. It WILL happen. Hell, it's already happening now! Again, Joe, take this old-timer's word for it. I watched the group crumble in the late seventies and history IS repeating itself. But, instead of taking 7 years it's taken only 3 this time. Too much of a good thing is just that. Hell, ask the folks from England just how sick they are of Spice Girls Candy and Spice Girls Tampons! They flooded the market and now everyone's sick of them. A lesson Gene should study and learn from.

80's Songs - Hey, we actually argee on this one! Yeah, they should play all their stuff from all the different eras. No question about it. 'Nuff said.

It Won't Last Forever - Damn right, and I certainly hope NOT! I don't know about every other KISS fan out there, but I for one want them to go out in a blaze of glory. That, rather than to limp aside and fade into obscurity once again. I think that would be much too painful to endure. Here's a sugestion for the guys: Get together with Delaney or Kramer and really work together on the new album. Put your hearts into it. Do it as a team, not this long distance crap. Let Peter and Ace be equals and not hire-on underlings. And finally, forget the toys, the trading cards and the side projects. No more plays, movies or wheeling and dealing. Give the group (and the fans) 110%. Save all the other - pointless - crap for afterwards. It is the music that counts, RIGHT?

A KISS FAN - YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW.

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