What Goes Around Comes Around!
By: Eric Mehta

Twenty years ago, as the Dynasty album and tour was launched, KISS fans found themselves with a subpar musical effort rivaled by an abundance of crappy merchandise. In 1999, we find ourselves with the Psycho Circus album, a gimmicky 3-D tour that did relatively poorly, and a plethora of KISS dolls, shot glasses, panties and Halloween masks etc.

My question is: Does anyone out there actually believe that the KISS members care about their music anymore?? All musical credibility KISS had gained evaporated after the release of the Psycho Circus album. I think the problem is that KISS fail to realize what the fans really want. Had they released an album on the level of Hotter Than Hell or Love Gun, they would have surely fared better. Instead they went off on a tangent that even rivals The Elder for eccentricity and ego-stroking.

Did anyone out there really want to hear a "Within" or Peter's take on Air Supply, "Finally Found My Way." I don't think so, and the poor album sales support my argument. Did anyone really want to spend an evening with goofy 3-D glasses listening to "Rock and Roll All Nite" for the two thousandth time and basically the same set list as the Reunion Tour? Why is it that KISS refuses to give the hardcore fans what they want? Would it have killed them to play obscure stuff like "Comin' Home" or "Hard Luck Woman?" Judging from the reactions of fans at the conventions of 1995, this is what fans really want to hear.

Furthermore, I believe another problem is Gene Simmons' ego and failure to mature as a human being. He fails to realize that the original KISS fans of twenty years ago are now grown up and have wives and kids. How many times can we hear Gene slagging off women as bitches and sluts. The neanderthal interviews have got to stop! It's time to put "Burn Bitch Burn" behind you Gene and give people the respect you seem to think you so richly deserve. Gene should also put his ego on the back burner as far as his half hearted, overhyped projects go, as ratings have shown his grandiose visions of KISS wrestlers and movies have failed miserably. Quality should triumph over quantity; let's get back to the music.

It is unfortunate in a way that the reunion occured in hindsight. With Revenge in 1992 the band was finally regaining its energy and hunger, and in so doing finally getting some respect. With the onslaught of crap after the Reunion Tour this respect is now gone. KISS will never have the respectability and honour that bands like Led Zep and The Stones have achieved.

KISS is now reduced to ripping off Aerosmith with their Diane Warren re-write of "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing" from the DRC soundtrack. I think the smartest thing Paul Stanley ever did was leave to do The Phantom. I witnessed it myself and it was terrific. Paul is a great artist and has carried KISS for much too long (i.e. the eighties!) - it is time for him to move on to bigger and better things. If in the end Paul chooses theater over KISS I will not blame him one bit. I wish him all the luck in the world.

KISS was once a living legend of rock music. This legend has now been reduced to faded memories of a bygone era of great music and theatrics versus the present day overkill of mass merchandising and concerts performed on auto-pilot. These are my thoughts and no one is obliged to agree with them.

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