Calling All KISS Fans, Let's Make KISS' Last Days Their Best
By: Aldo Loyola

First of all, there is something that I wanna tell you: This essay is just my opinion. I don't intend to have "the last word" about KISS. I don't think that I'm the "true keeper" neither. There must be as many "trues" as KISS fans around the world, and this is just another one. It's a story from my heart, my soul and my love for KISS. I just want to share it with you because it's my point of view. Another thing: I'm writing from Chile, South America.

My name is Aldo Loyola, I'm 37 years old, I'm married, I work at Warner Bros., I have a cat, a car, a five hundred CD collection, etc... etc... etc... but the most important thing to me is that I'm a KISS FAN since 1975 and I'm proud of it (and will always be). It means that almost 3/4 parts of my life are involved with KISS. I first knew about KISS when I was 13... but time goes on and I have changed, the world and the music changed, and even when they still are here... KISS changed. It's natural, it has to be like this, it's the way the world was made. Changes are the only secure thing that we have, believe it or not, want it or not, like it or not. I accepted this a long time ago (when Peter left KISS) and it really makes eassier my relationship with the Hottest Band In The World. (YES...they still are THBITW)

When KISS was born something new came to the world. It was like a twister, an earthquake, a new kind of life, it was KISS. They were capable to wake up even the most sleeping giant. They seemed to come from another time, another place. They were real heroes and took their place between us and God. If the ancient mythologies have Zeus, Apolo, Ulises and others, then we have KISS. Their destiny was to change the face of music forever. After them, it will be rock after and before KISS... but something was missed on the way to heaven, and the Semi-Gods began to look more human. And if you really think about it, it's logical. But, for the first KISS fans, they will always be a little more than just humans (in the first years) and a strange mix of what they could-should-would-can-must-fail-try and anything you want they be (from Dynasty to PC) according to each one point of view.

Why? It's simple. The first KISS fans knew something different, something magic and mysterious... we knew KISS at their genesis. When all the RnR bands were static, borred, fashion style and standardized...then KISS came. When nobody ever dreamed of a COMPLETE ROCK AND ROLL SHOW (not even Mr. Cooper)...then KISS arrived. When everybody was trying to obey every rule critics wrote...then KISS broke them all. To be a KISS fan those days meant a lot, and of course meant something really different from today or in the 80's. I'm not saying that we were best fans than the new ones, we are just different. I'm talking about 20 years ago. KISS was hated by the world and loved only by us, their first fans. Now it's different and today you can find even some people that do not know or care nothing about KISS. In the 70's it was something impossible to think: you love KISS to death, or you hate them and their fans. So... millions like me love them, we were behind them, fought for them and gave them a big name into the RnR scenary.

KISS changed my life forever. Since I knew them I had something to dream of, something to talk about, to be proud of, to be part of. At that time (until Alive II) my life becomes a crusade: I have to turn the world into a KISS World. Never mind if I was the only one that had to give the battle, I will do it straight from my heart. After all, KISS deserves it. That was the only way for me to say thank you guys, thanks for the greatest records of all times; thanks for the best music that I ever heard; thanks for the long hours that I spent singing your tunes; thanks for the illusion to see you alive one day; thanks for the opportunity to be a part of the greatest legend of modern times.

Everything seems to be controlled in the KISS Fantasy World: 6 great studio albums and two Alive (well, now it appears to be just one, but...KISS is KISS) was a dream come true for everybody who loved KISS. But, after Alive II the first cloud appears in KISS horizon: Double Platinum. DP was the first LP that had nothing new or specially good (Strutter '78 was a joke). It had a nice cover, a good song list and nothing more. Maybe all of us expected something different at that time... the continuing of the Alive II four side, a return to the Destroyer or Rock and Roll Over style...everybody had their own idea. I recall severall and different opinions, but in the end DP looked like a reasonable thing to do. Many fans -including me- thought that was something like a well deserved vacation time so this RnR Hungry Monster recovered his strength and power. And I really enjoy it. They can do everything that they want to do and it will be fine...KISS is still KISS.

Then Solos came. Please don't get me wrong on this. I have all of them and hear them often, in different ways I like everyone, and I think that all four of them have something good, something not good at all, and something really great. Again, it all depend on the point of view. But, in the end I think the Solos changed everithing... after these nothing was the same again...it couldn't be. Doubts began to be something common on the, until then, shinning KISS sky. I'm not talking about music or marketing, but rumors and strange news. The Solos were very honest because they were each member's music declaration of principles and limitations. But they were a musical ego contest too, they were the human side of these RnR Gods.

For me, these albums still have some dark side: Were these records the continuining of the DP vacation time? were these records the only way to separate the band and give them a rest of each other members in a convenient way? were these records an effort to give the four KISS members an equal importance into the band, equalizing the roles of the Simmons/Stanley and Criss/Frehley teams?...I hope someday we all know the REAL TRUTH. Not to crucifice nobody but to know the real story.

Now I want to share two ideas, that I think are important at this moment.

1.- Something began to be clear: KISS was more a Stanley/Simmons idea than a Stanley/Simmons/Criss/Frehley force. The Starchild and The Demon took the ship control in many ways, they were the mind behind KISS (in music & merchandising), they were the owners of the circus, and the other guys began to seem more apart, an important part of the machine, but expendable (like tires in a car), and we have to face it, like it or not, agree or not...KISS was born because Paul and Gene dreamed about it, wanted it and did it. They chose the rest of the band, they hired Peter and Ace, they developed the whole idea and looked for the best guest musicians that they could find... or the more docile ones? Let's take an example. Counting ONLY the credits on the records (these supposed to be official) and the songs signed ONLY by KISS members, without any outwriters we have Simmons 16, Stanley 16, Frehley 5, Simmons/Stanley 4, Stanley/Frehley 2 and KISS...1. This should mean something. Please...can anybody tell me what's wrong with that?, why it's so hard to accept? Did anybody crucifice The Beatles for the Lennon/Mc Cartney team, or Zep for Page/Plant, the Rolling Stones for Keith/Richards. No,no and no. Then...why some "pseudo-fans" want to punish KISS for this "sin"? I don't understand. I think that it will be better for KISS and their real fans that the "pseudo-ones" try to open their eyes in front a BIG AND REAL FACT: KISS IS ALIVE AND WELL. How many RnR or Hard Rock bands can say that after 26 years? I'm not asking you to like this, if you want you can do it, if not...is up to you. BUT ACCEPT THIS. Nobody can change it...except KISS.

2.- In these pages I have read a lot about the things that KISS supposedly owes to the fans. Come on!. I agree that they have a duty, but not for anyone, not even for us their loyal Army...but for them. When Gene and Paul dreamed KISS for the first time, I don't believe that they thought of us, fans or any other thing but themselves and their own dreams. It's hard to believe that Paul was saying to Gene (or viceversa), "in 25 years more we will have a lot of fans and we will have to do everything that they want". Please, if they wanted to be something more than Wicked Lester I can assure you that it was for themselves, their dreams, their fantasies and ambitions. Do you really think that KISS was born for us or the critics or anybody else?...No. KISS was born for KISS, for the fame and the glory. The money, women and fans cames later, after none but them and their families believes in KISS. KISS was born to be the greatest RnR band in history. And for that reason KISS owes a last word to the world. Nobody runs a race to be number two... you have to win it. Nobody plays a game to lose... you have to be the winner... PLEASE GUYS (KISS), if you read this... for yourselves... do it. No matter when, if in 2000 or 2001, but do it. We are waiting, the world is waiting, the history is looking at you... be the legend that you dreamed at the beginning... complete the circle. If you don't do this, is alright, it will be your choice and nobody will forget you (not the real fans), but... do not this sound great, to be the greatest band of all the times? You already have more than 3/4 parts done...FINISH IT!

Fans waited until 1979 to hear the next KISS album. Everybody was expecting and hungry...hungry for more raw and rebeld RnR, hungry for the next move of the RnR Hungry Monster. But Paul have a dream: "Why not a Disco-Rock song? This will be easy to me... I can do it while I'm sleeping and it will be a big success"... and it was. But, for who? It is hard to know exactly but it was for more than KISS and their fans. I always wanted that the entire world surrended to KISS feet... but it was not exactly what I wanted, I was thinking of something heavier. But time goes on and I used to hear IWMFLY at partys, in every radio station...and I liked that. I guess that this happened to a lot of KISS fans. I remember when a blond friend of mine asked "this one is from that ugly band that you like, the clowns with mask and the stupid shoes?...I can't believe you... they can sing!!!". It was really strange but it was real...and then I realize... KISS do it again! Suddenly everybody wanted to know something more about KISS, and some were converted. I really think that this was the most important issue of Dinasty: the big number of new fans. Anyway. It took a long time to accept this new record and realize that it wasn't too bad at all, and that had some good things too (Frehley's two originals and a good cover). Gene have just two songs on it... and we missed him. But after 10 years, KISS shows the world that they weren't wrong, Dinasty wasn't a bad record at all...it was different, IWMFLY is one of the best songs specially when it was "metalized" after Revenge. And KISS is still KISS.

Once again, time wheels roll and after one complete year (the first time in KISS story) we knew that a new album would be released...hope reborn...the illusion was really great after the Dynasty experiment...more than ever we wanted to recover the faith in our Super Heroes...everybody refused to believe that they lost their power and magic... we were more hungry than ever before, but...they gave us Unmasked. Another experiment, another disco-pop-soft music. And again the Dynasty story... the colors were brilliants, the capes, the lyrics, the sound. Everything looked new and strange to what KISS used to be, was it was still magic, still were mistery on the air. Again new fans come to the KISS Army. Unmasked was popular and bring another piece in the merchandising machine, another easy single... writed in dreams?. It was the same again. When anybody listened to Shandi, it was all the same "This is Kiss?...I can't believe it". And again you have to listen to the record time after time. At the end you have some options: you lose your faith in KISS, you accepted their new style, or just simply tried to become accustomed by listening to it many, many, times... and forgive them, remembering that KISS is still KISS. But this time they looked more humans. The rumours about Peter, a final break, and other stuff...these were the lowest point of Unmasked.

One thing was clear: the RnR Hungry Monster was tired. The Monster was definitely hibernating and the fans were waiting for the wake-up time. But again. Unmasked wasn't the record that we wanted...but KISS wanted (at that time) and it's ok. They can do it, and the record wasn't as bad as you think (you, the USA fans). If you don't like it is up to you. Maybe nobody like the record as the best KISS record but it have good songs, is a funny Lp. But out of the USA, Unmasked oppened severall doors to the band, and some of them were really great.

Now is time to include two more ideas:

1.- Just like today, in that time fans did not have the same taste. Many think Destroyer was the best album, and it was ok... I think it is Rock And Roll Over. Other ones prefer Love Gun or Hotter Than Hell . A lot of them think that Alive! is the best album, it's also ok... If someone likes Shandi or Beth it's Ok... I prefer Hard Luck Woman, Goin Blind & Great Expectations, etc... etc... etc... When we tried to find the best song of each record... it was almost impossible, ALL OF THEM COULD BE. One of the most wonderful things of that time was that it's really hard to find a bad song in any of the albums, it's almost impossible to say that one album had only just one good song. There were songs for everybody. Even songs for KISS enemies, specially after Dinasty and Unmasked (Beth, Shandi, Hard Luck Woman, IWMFLY, NY Groove, Peter's ballads, etc...) In one way or another, for good or bad, KISS was like a magic box with surprises for everyone. Never mind at all if Ace played or not on one song, never mind at all if Peter played on Unmasked or not. In those days, nobody cared completly. The magic still was so great, the music was so good, the records were so unique, the sound, the look, the shows... almost everything related to KISS was so mystical, so perfect that nobody cares at all about who played what. The fans were talking about KISS, and KISS was bigger than each part, KISS was OUR band (even with their two experiments) and all of us had to fight against the world to prove it. Now, 20 years later, it seems that who played what is more important than the complete first KISS era. No. it isn't. KISS wil be always KISS, and in the beginning we met the BEST OF ALL KISS. And now... we have they again, for good or for bad, with a different sound, with a new chance. If they want... they will take it, if don't... we will have to glorify the past... just like we do it in the 70's.

2.- In those days the Internet was just a dream, and we had to wait for the news on the local TV or newspapers, and with these old communication systems there was some things that were never known (ex; the who play what rumors, became apparent severall months later) until it was not important... if it was true. The only thing that was real and important was KISS itself. Today, we can know everyday some news about KISS. Some are real, some are jokes, some are lies. Everybody can express -including me- some feelings, ideas and points of view about KISS and their members (the eight still alive) and their future, and not all is good. As we think that some records are better than other ones, a lot of fans have some good points on KISS, but others are really... weird? (to use an innocent word).

3.- If you ask to any KISS fan out of the USA, maybe all will tell you something similar. We lived KISS from another point of view. We knew everything later than you, we had to fight to be the first to got the albums, posters and everything. We had to learn English to know the news, to sing the songs, to know the lyrics, etc... etc... We could only expect to see KISS alive in our best dreams, and many of us had to wait 15 or more years to see them in 1994, without the stages, without the make-up, without Peter & Ace. So, at the beginning we really appreciated all the KISS paraphernalia, if in USA things were different... I'm so sorry, but remember that KISS doesn't belong only to you; THEY BELONG TO THE WORLD.

4.- I'm not forgetting the other albums, I let them out of this essay just because I will need a lot of additional time and pages to talk about everything that I want. All of you can have some different ideas about the KISS story after Unmasked. I really enjoy all the records (not all equal of course, but I love all of them because they are KISS records). Now I don't want to talk about these records just because I preffer to do it another day.

Well. For me, this is the end of the Super-Heroes-RnR-Super-Band. This is the point where all changed for ever, the end of the first day in KISS live. At the beginning it seemed that this band would have no bad days, they were Semi-Gods...how could they be wrong!. But they were just humans, and sometimes they seemed trying to be just another music band...not the HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD...not the Best Band Of All Times...not the ONLY RNR BAND THAT WILL DESERVE THE RECOGNITION OF EVERYBODY... not the Greatest Piece in the RnR/Heavy/Hard/Rock Music World... they seem to be just another piece. This is the end of the first day in KISS life...and we have to respect it like the first day. The next six days were different and strange -the second began with (Music From) The Elder-, some good some bad, and now it's time to assure that ON THE 8 DAY...KISS WILL WRITE THE STATE OF THE ART RNR CHAPTER.

And time goes on, the names were changed several times, the look, the rumors, the drugs, the anger and the frustration. Everything that you can imagine happened to KISS after Unmasked, and now we have... the hope, the memories, the dream... the band. We all must agree that KISS in their original concept died a long time ago, like it or not. And everybody must agree that KISS in any other combination will die sooner or later, and that is a fact. The point is not how much time left in the KISS watch, the point is: how does everybody want the time finish. Full of power and glory or just like an ordinary day?, with a legend behind or with a story about something that could be but isn't?, with a path to be imitated for the rest of times or with a way that nobody wants to talk of?

No matter what we think, KISS always was capable to do almost everything that they wanted to. They are from a long time in the pages of the most important bands of music, but...why not try to be THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL TIMES?.I don't really care what they do, I'm just a fan who wants that KISS remains in the history of RnR like the BEST, like THE GREATEST. And I know they can do it...with all of us behind them. We have to support them, not to destroy them. If we we want that our beloved band takes the BEST place in RnR history, we have to accept that KISS is much more than Criss/Simmons/Stanley/Frehley. KISS also are Kulick/Singer/Carr/Vincent/St. John, KISS was more than only RnR, they were also soft/semi-disco/concept/glam/make up/animal fur, etc...etc...These ARE FACTS and nobody can change them. All that they do IS DONE, and nobody can change it. We may like it or not, we can agree or not...but nobody will ever CHANGE IT.

So, my final point is: all of us know that there is not much time left for KISS as a unit, why not work together for the BEST FINAL SHOW, why not help the guys to create an immortal FINAL CHAPTER. Time to make a deep analysis of everything done by KISS...we will have it. Now WE HAVE A DUTY, the fans -the new and the older-...GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO MAKE HISTORY, let's give them all of our best ideas. In these pages I have read a lot of good stuff. I have my own too (ex. why not a final double or triple album and not a single one?...this is just one idea. I have others).

EVERYBODY, KISS AND US...LET'S MAKE THE RNR HUNGER MONSTER ROLL AGAIN...IT'S OUR DUTY TO MAKE KISS LIVE FOREVER AND EVER.

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