Quit Whining... You've Still Got The Best!
By: Chuck Eaton

My name is Chuck Eaton, aka NICK WEST, music critic for BeeRadio.com and a long-time KISS fan, and YES I'm still proud to be a KISS fan. So many of you have taken your little cheap shots at KISS in the past few months over various things, such as marketing, outside projects, album failure, and many more topics that are ludicrous.

I've heard all the whinning about how the Psycho Circus album failed to meet so many expectations. I say to this: What in the world did you expect? I will be the first to admit that I wanted to hear more of Ace and Peter on the album, but then again, that just wouldn't have worked under the direction of the album, according to the producer of PC. I was surprised at the lack of a sex song included on PC also. The closest thing to a sex song was the ballad from the Demon himself, "We Are One", which was quite a nice ballad to my ears, compared to the overly sappy "I Finally Found My Way" presented as Peter Criss' only contribution to lead vocals on the album. Would you have been happier with a Destroyer 1998 album? If so, please put down the disco records and the bellbottoms, and realize that PC was a 1998 album and not a catalog reissue.

When Carnival Of Souls was released, everyone just hated the direction that it took also. I LIKED IT! I'm all for a heavier version of KISS. It proved that KISS could just as easily have given in to the grunge crap that ruined the rock music industry in the early 90's. Just because KISS changes the stylings and texture of their music doesn't mean that they are "selling out" or anything of the sort. Combining the best songs from all their albums would make for an awesome concert experience that would satisfy the most critical KISS fan. I would love to see them perform songs from the 80's and 90's on the next tour, as well as the older classic tunes. It would be awesome to hear them play "Crazy NIghts", "Hide Your Heart", "I Just Wanna", "Master and Slave", and "Uh! All Night" live with the makeup on.

I'm a fan of what KISS represent in musical entertainment, and if they can market magnets and matchbox cars for $5.00 each, along with leather bomber jackets for $600, then let them do it. If you don't want them, don't buy them, but shut up about it already. While PC was a release that was unsure of a specific direction, it accomplished a lot musically for the band. I would have liked to see a few more songs on there, but we can't always get what we want. Granted, they could give us, the fans, more of what we want from them, but they have to keep this monster called KISS rolling 365 days a year, and have done so for the past 27 years, so obviously they ARE doing something right.

When one person in a group of four decides to do something that doesn't include the others, why does everyone freak out and immediately assume that there is trouble in paradise? Gene had his movies and directing projects in the 80's, and the band was still safe and sound and making some of the best music of that time. I am also a big fan of all the 80's albums from KISS, as I was a high school kid throughout the late 80's. In my opinion, that music had more to say about who and what KISS was than most of the music they made in the 70's, which was sex, sex, and "I love you, lets have Sex!" KISS has always done what they wanted to do, but they gave it all they had, as they still do.

Here you have a band that has been on trading cards, in comic books, lunch boxes, held press conferences on an aircraft carrier, survived the death of a great bandmate, sold out Tiger Stadium in Detroit in 47 Minutes, and yet you question their ethics and motives. How many bands can claim to do these things aforementioned... not even a handfull! When you have made history for over 25 years, you have alot to live up to and it becomes harder and harder to top yourself, and even KISS can fall short sometimes. I don't have ONE KISS album that is a "lame" or "poor" album. I have a few that are very diverse and somewhat eccentric, for instance "the Elder" and "Unmasked". Enough said on that topic.

Now, the time has come to put a little heat on KISS, and I can do so with one simple question: "Will KISS listen to the tremendous fan responses and do something strictly for the fans?" My synopsis... I say no, not UNLESS they will profit from the endevour in some way.

What about the boxed set? Will it be remakes of old hits with new songs and never before released songs? Will it represent all eras of the band throughout its extensive history? It would be wonderful to think that KISS will include rare songs never before released, alternate versions of songs (such as Paul singing Dr. Love), rare live songs, and all the hit songs included would be completely remade by the current lineup (maybe even bringing in Bruce, Eric S., and perhaps Vinnie). If they will follow these guidelines for the boxed set, I believe that it would be worthwhile of purchasing and many of the faithful fans would have to have the item, even with a high price tag. Fans would be happy with it, and KISS would be happy with the bucks that they would earn from such an exclusive release. Everyone would be happy, relatively speaking.

KISS are very intellectual beings, and I feel that the disapproval of late will cause a group like KISS to re-evaluate the situation that they are now in up to their grease-paint. Thus, they will indeed respond with a new venture into rock and roll that will see them re-emerge on top of the world once again, proving once and for all that they are still the hottest band in the land and that you, the KISS fan, got the best!

Thanks for all who take the time to read my thoughts on my favorite band, KISS. Rock til ya cant rock no mo!

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