Joe Polo

This week we discuss who we think was most important to the success of KISS.
Join Joe and Ken Mills (The Podkisst) as we discuss this subject.

Kory Grow | Rolling Stone

Kiss surprised the American Idol audience by accompanying contestant Caleb Johnson for a medley of the recent Rolling Stone cover stars and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‘ “Love Gun” and “Shout It Out Loud” for the season’s finale. The band appeared in a mire of smoke-machine fog, as Johnson stood with his back to the audience, mic stand in the air. As the group’s pyrotechnics went off and frontman Paul Stanley took the first verse, two of the show’s judges, Harry Connick, Jr. and Keith Urban, looked mildly amused; Urban sang along while Connick rocked his body while texting someone. Regardless, the audience put their hands in the air and it came off mostly like a Kiss concert. At the end of the performance, which found Stanley bashing his guitar into the American Idol stage, Johnson’s brother Houston came onstage in Paul Stanley makeup.

Kiss’ Top 10 Albums Ranked

Whether it had to do with the performance or not, Johnson emerged as the winner of the singing competition’s 13th season, besting Jena Irene, who sang a few songs with Paramore. The show also included appearances by Demi Lovato, Aloe Blacc, Darius Rucker, Jason Mraz and John Legend. The judges, including Jennifer Lopez and Randy Jackson, also performed a medley including Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own way.”

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Stef Lach | Classic Rock

Kiss icon Paul Stanley says he wants to record a third solo album – his first since 2006’s Live To Win.

And he says the project would be much more like his first – 1978’s Paul Stanley.

He tells Nashville Scene: “The next one I guarantee will be much more guitar-driven. Live To Win was really me wanting to push the envelope of what people wouldn’t expect from me. But my next one would hearken back way more to the first, I’m sure.”

It comes shortly after Stanley told member of San Francisco’s Jewish Community Centre that some of Kiss’ records were essentially solo albums anyway. He said: “My second solo album was really like a project for me to get away from what I do with Kiss, because some of the Kiss albums have been, basically, almost solo albums.

“Live To Win was me trying to really push the boundaries. But if I was to do another one, and I certainly plan on it, it would be a guitar through a Marshall amplifier.”

Stanley has been meeting fans on a promotional tour for his book Face The Music: A Life Exposed.

Mitch Lafon

Peter Arquette | KISSasylum.com

Mountainous

Entertainmentone

(New York, NY) – Founding KISS guitarist and 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Ace Frehley has tapped long time friend and artist Ken Kelly to create the album cover for his upcoming LP SPACE INVADER, due out July 8th. The reveal comes exclusively through Rolling Stone today.  Kelly, who created the iconic cover art for two of KISS’s best selling LPS, Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977), says,  “It was very exciting when I was approached with the idea of doing an album cover for Ace.”

Ken Kelly is also widely known for his paintings in the sword and sorcery and heroic fantasy sub genres, most notably for the Conan the Barbarian novels. He continues, “I had spoken to Ace on a few occasions about the possibility, so I was delighted when it actually happened.” 
Ace Frehley himself comments, ”I’ve been talking with Ken Kelly since 2007 about painting a CD Cover for me and it has finally happened! I couldn’t be more excited about the new Space Invader cover and the music behind it is also going to rock your world!”

With nearly 35 years between projects, KISS fans will surely be excited about this long-time duo working together again. Kelly concludes, “I am very pleased with the results and proud to play a part of Ace’s continuing successful career!”

ACE FREHLEY will release SPACE INVADER, his first new solo album in five years, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) on July 8th, 2014. The album will include at least nine brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller’s “The Joker.”  This album is the first release under Frehley’s new universal deal on eOne Music.

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Our man Dave in Las Vegas sent us this interesting taxi advertisement that has been put on many of the city cabs recently.  As a kid, who would have ever thought you would ever get to see something like this…

Podcast Rock City

Whats up KISS ARMY!! This week I did a show with the AMAZING Lace Frehley lead guitarist of the KISS TRIBUTE BAND PRISS! I loved doing this interview and she was a load of fun.If you get the chance check out the episode of Family Jewels her band was in…

PaulStanley.com

On Tuesday, May 13 at 12pm (PST) Paul Stanley will be hosting a special LIVE video event on Spreecast, where you, the KISS army, can ask him questions about his book, Face the Music! Purchase your copy today and get ready for what’s sure to be an exciting conversation. Visit here and click the “remind me” button to RSVP: http://bit.ly/1i3gVXW

Jim Powers

Gary Flannel

Chris Czynszak | Decibel Geek

The Decibel Geek Podcast has released the fifth installment of it’s Vinnie Vincent Special with Episode 135 – Vinnie Vincent Special Part 5 w/Andre Labelle.

In this in-depth discussion, hosts Aaron Camaro and Chris Czynszak are joined by former Vinnie Vincent and current drummer of The Sky Andre LaBelle. Andre was tapped by Vincent for the recording of the still-unreleased Guitars from Hell album that was in production from 1989 – 1992. LaBelle shares his memories of auditioning for the enigmatic former KISS guitarist, the amazing amount of equipment available, and the meticulous recording techniques that seemed to define Vincent as the extremist of which he has been described.

The album went through numerous titles during production. In this long-form discussion, LaBelle recalls a period where Vincent was bouncing between projects; his own and his contribution at the time to KISS’ upcoming 1992 release and how one of his titles plays into KISStory.

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KISSmuseum.com

Click HERE to see the eBay auction An amazing Vinnie Vincent artifact – Vinnie’s personal studio tapes of various demos from the mid-’80s soon after leaving KISS. These were basically tapes Vinnie would copy from the masters for his personal use away from the studio. What makes these tapes extra-special is that the song titles were hand written by Vinnie himself!    Before being in KISS, Vinnie was a studio musician and then, as he is doing here after leaving KISS, is writing songs to shop around to various artist or record companies. Two of the songs are notable – Tears, was recorded by John Wait in 1984 and went on to become a huge hit. Back on the Streets was recorded later by his band Vinnie Vincent Invasion, but was also recorded for the 1984 movie Voyage of the Rock Aliens and later by John Norum in 1987. It also showed up on unreleased Ace Frehley demos and was rumored to have been recorded by KISS for the Creatures of the Night album, but was dropped from the final cut.   Many of the same song titles appear each on the tapes, but they are all TOTALLY different mixes.   Sound on the tapes is crystal clear, as they were recorded straight from the studio masters. Auction ends Sunday evening. Click HERE to see the eBay auction

Chris Stern

Recently at a charity auction I bought this signed Paul Stanley photo from Scarlet Page’s Resonators collection.

The Resonators are the guitarists who created the sound we call rock, this epic collection revealing 29 portraits

features a host of names and faces including Sir Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Brian May, Slash, Jeff Beck, Joe Walsh and Paul Stanley.

Scarlet Page, daughter of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, A photographer for more than 20 years,

Page has turned her lens on these guitar heroes for Teenage Cancer Trust.

With an exebition at The Royal Albert Hall in London and an charity auction on Ebay.

With all the profits going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the six young people aged between 13 and 24 diagnosed with cancer every day.

The charity builds specialist units within NHS hospitals that bring young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts in a place designed just for them.

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William Michael Redman

1. Preamble

   

   “You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world … 

   What a great time to be a KISS fan! 2014 marks 40 years since their debut album, and tickets for the summer tour with Def Leppard have just gone on sale.

   April 2014 in particular is notable due to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where the four original members will be honored. In the same week, Paul Stanley’s long-awaited autobiography will be on the shelves, completing the quartet of published life stories told by each of the original members of KISS.

   And on a completely different note, the professional arena football team, The LA KISS, have made their debut this year.

   I’ve been a KISS fan most of my life, and I’ve decided to take this month of April 2014 — which I am declaring as KISS Month — to write down some things: what songs I like, what album covers appeal to me most, and what each band member has meant to me.

   I’m also going to present a series of writings which will try to explain why I have such a fascination with the band and the brand. I’ve titled this series: Unmasking the Masks of KISS.

   My hope is that my musings here are as interesting and entertaining as KISS is to me. It wasn’t always easy being a diehard fan of this group, but I feel proud to have backed a band which has finally beaten down their detractors and is getting the recognition that they deserve of being one of the most important rock bands of all time.

2. 1 Apr

   The Unmasking of the Masks of KISS, Part One of Five

   

   First Smack to the Head

   I received my first rock music album in 1980 when I was 9 years old. It was a birthday present from my best friend, who had himself been given the exact same gift fifteen days before on his 9th birthday. The album was KISS Alive II, released in October of 1977 over two years prior, which accounted for the sliced off lower left corner indicative of its rescue from a cut-out bin. My pal had fallen under a spell of KISS fever in those two weeks between our birthdays, and he most graciously went to Camelot Music or Musicland at the mall and searched out another copy to present to me as a gift.

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Aidin Vazari | JCCSF

Mitch Lafon

Producer Toby Wright sits down One On One with Mitch Lafon (rock journalist) to discuss his work on the KISS album ‘that fell through the cracks’ – CARNIVAL OF SOULS. As Toby walks the listener through the minutiae of that late ’90s album, he also talks about working with Alice In Chains and Metallica. Toby had engineering duties on Metallica’s …And Justice For All album and explains what exactly happened to the much talked about (and often maligned) “bass sound.”

If you live in the Tri-State area or Eastern PA, you need to come on down to the KISS Mart This Sunday, May 10. Free admission – see your friends and browse the tables of KISS merchandise.