“Remember rock ’n’ roll? You guys used to rock ’n’ roll real good.” – Creem Magazine Dynasty Review

Episode 588. We go back to October 1979 and read and react to the Creem Magazine review of Dynasty…

“We had some good times, but now they’re gone. So long,.”

—Ace Frehley,
“Save Your Love”

So long, Ace, it’s been good to know ya.

And, uncool as it may be for someone my age to admit it, y’know, five years ago I held high hopes that you guys would ultimately transform yourselves into the great American white (faces) rock ’n’ roll hope. But hey, Ace, the Ramones now have that title—and they don’t even wear make-up. But they sure can rock ’n’ roll, eh?

Remember rock ’n’ roll? You guys used to rock ’n’ roll real good. As a matter of fact, Dressed To Kill and Rock ‘n’ Roll Over still rank, along with side four of your second live album, as your supreme studio moments (and that’s not even considering Hotter Than Hell’s “Parasite,” which features your most homicidal guitar solo ever). I mean, the original Alive! still packs enough punch to render Helen Keller senseless.

But then something went wrong, beginning with the dreaded (for the wrong reasons) Love Gun, foreshadowed by the equally ominous (again, for the wrong reasons) Destroyer. And Ace, what happened to the much-vaunted “Strutter 78” which appeared on the Double Platinum album? It was actually weaker than either of the original -’74 or live ’75 versions. Then came the glut of solo albums, TV specials and comic books— each new enterprise a coin in the coffer and a nail in the coffin.

By this time, Ace, the low points were beginning to greatly outnumber the highs. Somewhere along the line, you guys lost your demons.

And I miss that. There just aren’t any demons on your new album, Ace. Why don’t you leave the pop diddling to Abba and the disco stuff to Giorgio Moroder? You guys were born to rock ’n’ roll and, although I know you think you’re making a good move career-wise by recording this stuff, believe me, you’re making a lot of your vintage fans (you know, the ones who put you where you are today) angry and—even worse—sad.

Go back to Eddie Kramer and tell him you want to rock ’n’ roll. He’ll know what you mean.

– Jeffrey Morgan

Gene Simmons and his fellow Kiss members might be some of the only musicians in the world who you think of as personalities before you think of them as musicians, despite them being initially famous for the latter. Kiss were a well-oiled machine of a rock band, with a clear idea about how they wanted to perform and how they wanted to brand themselves, and the result is one of the most instantly recognisable rock bands on the planet.

It wasn’t enough for Kiss to just make music. Sure, that was a fundamental part of what they were doing, but they wanted to give fans something more than that. This resulted in them painting their faces, using heaps of pyrotechnics and working on a stage presence that was, to put it plainly, completely unforgettable.

Bands like Black Sabbath have previously admitted that they regretted taking Kiss on tour as a support act because of how monumental their stage show was. They were one of the first rock bands to use pyrotechnics, and this meant audiences were given something completely new the moment they set eyes on the band. After that, if you took to the stage and just played your music, you were performing to a lesser extent than what the audience had suddenly become accustomed to.

Since then, Kiss has only gotten bigger and better. Their shows are spectacles in and of themselves, with their face paint making them look like superheroes, Paul Stanley’s guitar reflecting light like a mirror ball and the band playing while on raised platforms, in the air and surrounded by fireworks.

The spectacle of the band is often considered a double-edged sword, though. While it makes for one of the most exciting live shows out there, it can also drown out the music, as people go for the image instead of the sound. It has been said time and time again, but it bears repeating: Kiss’s music is fantastic and some of the greatest stadium rock out there. Each member contributes to this, but the melody embedded within Gene Simmons’s guitar playing is a huge component.

When you listen to their hits such as ‘Detroit Rock City’, ‘Love Gun’ and ‘Lick It Up’, it’s hard to deny that Simmons brings an exciting component to the band that few musical outfits can match. It begs the question, what is the bassline he believes to be his best?

“’Deuce!’” he said when the question was put to him. The track was a part of the band’s self-titled 1974 album and is packed with energy from the outset. The sound they manage to embody on this track is a perfect representation of what fans ended up becoming attached to. Pair that with Gene Simmons’ distinctive vocals, which would equally become synonymous with the band, and you have yourself a Kiss hit.

“I’ve written lots of songs,” said Simmons, “Some on bass and some on guitar – because that’s what I started out on – though I don’t play very well.”

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