Back to Record Collecting

It all started for me when I was a young teen looking for a copy of the KISS classic KISS Alive II. For some reason none of the local music stores had any copies of the album so I was forced to order it from a record dealer that I found in a monthly rock magazine. Even though I was only looking for one particular album there was a title that caught my attention: KISS Killers. What was that? I already knew all of the albums and hadn't heard of this one. So after brief reading I learned that it was an album that the band had only released in Europe and Japan that was a compilation of classic songs with four new songs recorded in early 1982.

MOM! 

And this led to a passion of collecting not only every KISS album that had been released but also the band's rare, import and bootleg KISS albums that were being sold both my mail order, in special stores and of course from some interesting people that I met along the way. Sometimes they were packed in very creative ways as some people were very creative and made some really cool album covers. Sometimes they simply made a flier of the show and slid it into the packaging with the middle sticker of the record being written by hand. I didn't care because in both cases I had something that I didn't have yesterday as well as something that most fans didn't have at all.

It turned out the that album the version of Killers that I bought was the European release as the Japanese release had two additional tracks that were not included on the European release. Right away I felt the need to get both releases so the hunt began. That's when I also learned that some import records were sold as picture discs where the cover of the album was printed directly on the vinyl disc with many of these being rare collectibles since the record label would only print so many of them. Then I found out that it wasn't just European records that were of interest but also the German records specifically since they had a different KISS logo due to the normal SS looking too much like the Nazi SS. Therefore, KISS had to have a different logo for anything German including their stage logo whenever they toured in Germany.

I could see right away that I had a lot of work to do but I also knew that this would turn into a life long pursuit with me looking for things of specific eras and members. Also, I was only interested in records, pictures as well as magazines & books because I always loved reading interviews and other articles about the band (this also included merchandise put out by former KISS members who embarked on solo careers). Of course KISS has tons of merchandise with a lot of it being just rubbish in my opinion so I focused on the my main interests in order to keep me from overdoing it and from wasting money on things that are really of no value to me anyway.

Right away I started to do really well. First off, the company I purchased KISS Alive II and Killers from continued to send me catalogs. That's when I would ask my parents for certain things for my birthday and Christmas and to my surprise my parents were awesome about it. My mom was one of those mothers who took you seriously if something was important to you. She loved to encourage my passions and interests so whenever she could help she would. My father was a record collector himself as he had tons of Latin Jazz and Chicano rock albums so he understood how I felt about the music I wanted. Then we would frequent records stores as they were still a big part of our culture at that time and if you happened to walk into an independent record store it was amazing at times what they might have: KISS imports, bootlegs of both audio recordings & concerts and many other cool things. Many times my parents were more than willing to hook me up with these rarities so my collection continued to grow. Once I got a little older and was able to drive on my own I would frequent these special stores to see what they had and it was very rare for me to walk out with nothing in my hands.

Later on I would go to record shows and then meet some music dealers who will remain nameless who also had some interesting things to sell. That meant that a lot of what I had was not an official release and strangely enough, some of these bootlegs were also becoming collectors items. The music business is a dirty one so at times there were some homemade records that were either pressed to vinyl of put on cassette of everything from demo recordings of songs that had never been released (The KISS box set would not come out for more than 20 years), concerts from around the world that were copied onto VHS tapes and of course the audio of concerts from the sound board or from a radio broadcast. At times it might be a fan with a hidden tape recorder at a special show so while the quality of the recording might not be that great it was knowing that I had a special recording such as Eric Carr's first show with the band and/or recordings of KISS concerts that I had attended.

I kept everything that I collected over the years and have some records that are so rare that many KISS fans have begged for me to sell them. Of course I would never do that and now that vinyl is starting to pick up again the value of these records continues to go up.  Until recently the most valuable records I had were Peter Criss' first two post-KISS solo albums. Out of Control, which was released overseas in 1980 and Let Me Rock You, which was also released overseas with a different cover in Europe and Japan. Therefore, I have 3 records for 2 releases. On May 2, 1990 I attended a drum clinic of his in Hawthorne, CA and had the privilege of speaking to him afterwards. I brought these records along with many KISS items, all of which he signed but he was most surprised to see a 17 year old kid with these hard to find records.

As time went on I grew up and once I finished college I started my career, got married, went to graduate school, started having children, bought a home and all of the above so while I continued to buy music that I loved I wasn't really interested in the import and bootleg market anymore. Later, the internet changed everything for better and worse. The worst part was how anything and everything seemed to be on You Tube. Yes, it was kind of cool to have such rare recordings at my disposal but it also took away the thrill of finding something rare and then having it in my possession. The best part of course was eBay and other websites that still sell rare recordings as now I wasn't limited to the few record stores that still exist or to those anonymous music dealers.

Still, it wasn't enough to bring me back into the game until my son became a major Iron Maiden fan. Once that happened I started to see myself in him and it was nice to be on this end of things for a change. First, he wanted every CD he could get his hands on especially when he discovered rare recordings that needed to be ordered. Then, one day I showed him my vinyl collection and once I gave him my classic Iron Maiden vinyl records he was on a mission to get the rest. Right away I went back to my collector instincts and there I was again hunting things down for him and seeing the thrill on his face when he increased his music collection.

The next thing I know I started to get that itch again and there we were one day at our candy store, Zia Records in Tucson, AZ. While we were on our way to the cashier's stand to pay for his birthday present I decided to stop in the KISS section....and BOOM, I saw something that got me right back in the game. There was a German CD of KISS Killers with the altered logo and it was only $6.99. I grabbed it and brought it to the counter to pay and felt that surge again. Then I brought it home and was excited when I put it next to the Japanese release of the CD that I bought over 20 years ago!

My KISS Killers collection...so far! Japanese vinyl, Dutch vinyl, German vinyl, Japanese CD, English vinyl picture disc, German CD, Dutch cassette and German cassette

At this point I have no desire to be as committed to this cause as I was in my youth but there were still a few things that I never found and thanks to the internet I decided to take another look. One of them was the Japanese vinyl release of KISS Killers and the German release of the cassette. With that purchase I have just about everything one could have of KISS Killers: The Dutch, German and Japanese vinyl, the English picture disc, the Japanese and German CD's and the Dutch and German cassettes. This means so much to me because KISS Killers was the first import album I ever bought.

Aside from that there is also the what many call the Holy Grail of KISS collecting, which is a compilation called KISS The Originals II. It was released in Japan in 1978 in order to promote their tour of Japan that year and it is extremely rare because there was a limited amount of copies that were printed. Back in the 80's I was told that I would never find it but still, it never hurts to look. Then one day while searching on eBay I found it!!!!! The timing couldn't be better as I just had a weekend of good paying gigs so even my wife was cool with me making this big purchase.

Record collecting is a passion of mine and it's always fun to meet other enthusiasts so we can talk about all of the good stuff that we have. Here are some highlights of some "official" releases in my collection:

The Japanese release of the first KISS album. This was signed by Peter Criss

A Hotter Than Hell picture disc, which is rare since that was their second album

The Originals 

The Originals II

Creatures of the Night single. It is a double grooved album and features the autographs of each member carved into the album on the other side. This includes the late Eric Carr.

Dynasty picture disc and the I Was Made For Lovin' You extended vinyl single, which was an import.  This is one of my favorite KISS albums.

Music From the Elder Japanese release vinyl release with a different cover and the picture disc, German vinyl release and the picture disc single for A World Without Heroes

Japanese release of Lick it Up. It's the album where the band removed their makeup but they still had it on the Japanese release

Out of Control and Let Me Rock You, which were Peter Criss' first two post-KISS solo albums. These records were only released in Europe and Japan with Let Me Rock You having two covers, one for Europe and one for Japan. Peter Criss signed all three records.


Boy, it's good to be back in the game!


Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano

Ahead Drumsticks: Why Did I Switch?

For the past 5 years I have not only been playing country music but have also been playing 4 hour gigs! Aside from the toll it takes on my body it's also been pretty rough on my drumsticks! Most of the gigs aren't the hardest hitting gigs out there but let's be honest, 4 hours of hitting something will take its toll on you and your gear and that's on top of hitting drums for the past 35 plus years.

Recently I made the switch to Ahead Drumsticks and have never been happier. I am still surprised at my decision to do this because of the journey that brought me to using what is technically called a hyper-form engineered drumstick better known to the rest of the world as a non-wood drumstick. Let me share the details that led to this decision.

Let's start with my gear: Thanks to all that I learned regarding drumming technique from my old teacher Greg Alban I have never been known to destroy drum heads and cymbals. There are times when I do lay into my drums but I would never claim to be the hardest hitting drummer out there. Yes, you will definitely hear me from the drum riser but that's a combination of my playing and my drum sound (another gift from Greg as his tuning method is the best I have ever used). I have an open tuning yet many people are surprised to hear that I use Drum Dots on my toms. These dampening products help cut down the ring but don't choke the drum so my drums still have that big sound that people have come to expect from me. 

Then there are my sticks. Like just about every drummer out there I have pretty much used wooden sticks from the moment I started drumming. Regardless of the brand I was always told to use a hickory species of wood because hickory is good for rebounds. My preferred size was a 5B but would use a 2B for practice pad work in order to get a better work out. All of this worked just fine when I was younger and playing 1-2 hour rock gigs back in the Los Angeles club scene or gigs of various musical genres that I found myself in once I started performing in the Tucson music scene because many of those gigs were in venues smaller than a night club. Then I started doing 4 hour gigs back in the night club scene as well as at casinos and that's when I started to notice things that I didn't find to my liking.


The Reality of Wooden Drum Sticks 

First, I had grown tired of being covered with wood chips. At times I felt like I was caught in the middle of a termite attack but I just figured it was part of being a drummer. I would find it all over my drums, embedded in my Drum Dots, all over my pedals and all over me! The worst part for me was when I would find it in between the edge of my drum heads and the rims because that had an impact on the sound of my drums.

Second, I would love the sound and the feeling I got when I started a gig with a fresh pair of sticks. The drums had such a full sound, the hi-hats had a nice crispness to them and those grooves where I played the ride bell with the shoulder of the stick really moved. However, by the 3rd set the shoulder was no longer the perfect shape it was at the beginning of the night so my sound wasn't quite to my liking and that wasn't cool because that's when the set really gets cooking. Some would say that I should just grab another stick but it's not that simple. Yes, I had a drumstick endorsement for many years but since I am not a rock star I don't get my sticks for free. Even though I received a most generous discount I still had to pay for them so I'm not going to just toss the stick away or into the audience. Wasted money and a potential lawsuit for poking someone's eye out weighed heavily on my actions.

Third, I hate the feeling I would get when I broke a stick in the middle of a song. In the past I usually tossed a stick out when the shoulder was worn down but now with all of these long gigs and constant hitting there are times when my stick would just split down the middle or when the tip would just fly off. Again, I just thought it was part of being a drummer but it's not something I like to deal with. Most importantly, it's an obstruction to my performance and while it's not a big deal to just grab another stick and continue with my groove it still serves as a temporary distraction. To speak further on such an issue, wood is wood and while drum stick companies insist that they use the best wood there are times when a stick will not live up to the what is advertised by the drum stick company. So yes, there were times when I would simply do a rim shot with a fairly new drum stick and BOOM, it splits. Really? I just bought this and now it's already broken? Yes, that does happen.  

Finally, since I order sticks in bulk I don't have the chance to walk in a music store and roll the sticks to see if they are perfectly straight. Sadly, even though it was a rare occasion, there would be a stick here and there that wasn't straight and of course you can feel that when you're playing. Again, I paid for this and while I could send it back do I really want to deal with the hassle of sending it across country and getting another stick? Further, am I getting what I paid for?


Finding Another Path

Recently I had a full weekend of gigs and experienced something that I had never experienced before, pain. It was nothing major but the sensation I felt in my finger joints concerned me for two reasons: First, was I doing something wrong from a technical point of view? As we all know, it's not unheard of to develop some bad habits and when that happens it's time to reevaluate one's playing. So, that took me back to my practice pad as I took a good look at my grip as well as how I executed my strokes, rebounds, etc. From what I could see everything looked okay so I started to think of other possibilities. Perhaps it was the fact that I've been drumming for over 35 years so the constant striking of a drum and vibration of the stick had now taken a toll on my hands. After all, I've had numbness on the palms of my hands for years but there had never been any pain so again, this was concerning. Finally, arthritis does run in my family so I wondered if this was the beginning of a new experience due to the fact that I am also getting older. Whatever it was, I didn't like what I was feeling and it started to preoccupy a lot of my thoughts. That was when I turned to something that had been sitting around my house for some time.

Earlier this year I joined the artist roster for Ahead Sticks and Percussion Products. For a while I was using their practice pads and other gear while also buying their products for my percussion class at St. Augustine Catholic High School. I wasn't using their sticks because I was already on the artist roster for another drum stick company so my Ahead rep and I worked out an agreement for me to use their other gear. Still, I was curious so I ordered a pair of sticks just to see how they felt. They were okay and even though I did order the the grip tape I didn't wrap them around the sticks. I think my old school sensibilities got the best of me because I have never used any kind of wrap on my sticks and I didn't plan on starting now. The snob in me took over even though the instructions regarding the sticks state that you have to use the grip tape because it is difficult to grip aluminum when one is sweating because it is still a type of metal.

So I just put the sticks away and didn't give them another thought...until I felt some pain in my finger joints.

One day while I was home alone the thought crossed my mind to give these sticks another try since I had gone back online and read how they in fact cut out more vibration than wooden sticks. Since there was no one around to see me commit the crime of wrapping my sticks with grip tape I decided to go for it. Once I became a drumming fugitive I took the sticks to my practice pad and all I could say was WOW! I couldn't believe how light they felt and how easy they were to play. The grip tape didn't have any effect on my rebounds and it felt almost as if the sticks were dancing in my hands. This was very important to me because playing country music requires a lot of dynamics especially when we play ballads, waltzes and shuffles.

The next step was to take the sticks to my electronic set. Again, there was a difference in what I felt with me seeing how easy it was to go around the pads. Aside from that, I could feel a difference in my rolls as well as my ability to play complex patterns with more efficiency.

Now it was time for the big test, which meant that it was time to take these sticks to the stage and the timing couldn't have been better because I had a three gig weekend coming up and I planned to see how well these sticks would hold up. I showed the sticks to my band mates and asked them to keep an ear open to see if they heard any difference in my drum sound as well as in my playing.

The first thing that turned their heads was a fill I did during a fanfare at the end of a song. I went around my drums before hitting the last crash and kind of freaked myself out because I couldn't believe how fast my single strokes were when I went around the drums before the final crash. Apparently some of my band mates noticed it too as they turned around and offered looks of astonishment. Aside from that I was told during our first break that my drums sounded bigger and seemed to have more attack.

I agree! I use birch drums so attack is an important part of my sound but these sticks really brought out a more focused attack that really cut through the sound of the band. Most importantly, I was able to perform without a whole lot of effort. Everything just felt easier to play but the sound still filled the room like never before. Playing country music also means that I do a lot of cross stick playing and I was amazed at the sound that came from these sticks with plastic sleeves on the shoulder.  I also noticed the clarity of my crash cymbals, how easy it was to do those swing patterns on the ride cymbal and of course, that big and consistent sound that came from the bell on the ride cymbal.

I was having a blast so getting to the end of the last set didn't seem to take long at all. I was not as tired as I had been in the past and my fingers didn't hurt anymore. I couldn't believe how much vibration these sticks removed. During the last set I was curious about how much vibration these sticks actually removed so I grabbed a wooden stick out of my stick bag and played one song with that stick in my right hand. Unbelievable! I couldn't believe how much vibration I could feel. Had I really been dealing with this for the past 35 plus years? How did I only start feeling pain in my fingers now when it was obvious that I had been dealing with this from the beginning of my playing career?  This was eye opening to say the least.

Finally, there would be seven more shows after this first gig with my new sticks and I am happy to say that the sticks felt the same way they felt the first time I used them live. Even though the plastic sleeves were a little worn there was no change whatsoever in terms of how they felt and how they made my drums sound. Now I have more sticks in my stick bag, mostly as spares in case I drop a stick as well as some replacement sleeves and tips so it makes me wonder how long it will actually be before I have to buy any more sticks or replacement parts. I don't see that happening for quite some time. 

I am happy to admit that this was a time in my life when I was more than happy to swallow my pride. Here I was using a non-wood pair of sticks with grip tape of all things! Then again, why should I care what someone thinks? I don't set up my drums in the traditional way because I have an ergonomic set up. I approach country music in ways that are not typical of most country drummers. Even my solo drumming act focuses on things that are not typical of what many other drummers do. So, why should my choice of sticks surprise anyone?


Myth Buster 

When I first researched Ahead Sticks I came across websites and message boards with claims that these sticks ruin your cymbals and drum heads. I am pleased to say that this is not true! Nothing of the sort has happened to any of my gear. Drummers who bash their gear are what ruin cymbals and drum heads. I have long believed this because I have seen it first hand for years and none of these drummers used Ahead Sticks. You take any drummer with bad technique hitting their gear that is angled in a non-constructive way and I promise you that they will be buying cymbals and drum heads on a regular basis.

I have been blessed to have good instruction over the years and while that has spared me many injuries that are common to many drummers it has also saved me lots of money as I don't have to buy new gear on a regular basis. In fact, I am so confident in the way that I play drums that I never feel hesitant to play another person's drum set because I know I won't damage any of their gear. Meanwhile, do you want to sit in with my band on my drum set? Sorry Charlie because it's not happening because I don't know what kind of technique you have and I won't sit there and watch you damage my instrument. Am I a hypocrite? You're damn right I am but I'm an honest hypocrite to say the least.

Money doesn't grow on trees and knowing that one pair of Ahead Sticks is the equivalent of 6-10 pairs of wooden sticks. I have 3 pairs in my stick bag so imagine the money I will save this year considering the fact that I usually went though about a dozen 5B sticks a year (I told you that I wasn't a basher). Yes, my wooden sticks got chewed up during 4 hour gigs but I have been known to be able to use the same pair of sticks for 2-3 weeks at a time. Of course that meant I had to deal with balance issues as the wood chipped away but that was just something that came with the territory, right? Well, not anymore.

I just wish I have discovered these sticks much sooner.

Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano

If you'd like more information about these sticks please read this link: http://aheaddrumsticks.com/e-training.html

Still the Hottest Band in the World

There is a saying that one should never discuss religion or politics because it will be like talking to a wall. Well, if you're a member of the KISS Army that also applies to KISS fans who accuse the current lineup of being nothing more than a tribute or cover band. Personally, I disagree with those who make that claim and I will present my case using facts from what has taken place over the years in both the KISS & Ace Frehley camps and from my experience as a working musician. Let's start with what I think qualifies me to have a bit of an understanding of what goes on within a musical group that is active in the music business. 


My Background

I have been drumming professionally for over 26 years. My first 15 years of professional experience took place in the Los Angeles music scene. I worked in multiple original projects with some of them having management that were able to get us some great gigs along with some label interest. Sadly, none of those bands ever inked the big deal but each experience was a great lesson in the music business. Then I started working on my own original music and would go on to sign a distribution deal for my first EP since I had already finished the project on my own. At that time I also worked as a hired gun both live and in the studio with both of those experiences teaching me even more about the music business. This would also be the time I would earn my first drumming endorsement deal as I was starting to get around quite a bit in the music scene.

Now I live in the Tucson area and have been active in that music scene since I arrived in 2006. I have worked a lot in the country music scene as it keeps me quite busy while also giving me the chance to earn extra money for my family (I still have a full time career outside of music). I also continue to work on my own music and have now been involved with the music licensing world for the past several years. I have been fortunate enough to have my original music featured on television shows like CSI: Special Victims Unit, America's Top Model and on various shows on networks such as MTV, the BBC and E! Entertainment Television. Some time ago I was also in a local band that signed a recording contract with the an independent label with all of these accomplishment leading me to earn even more drumming endorsement deals.

So to be fair and honest, how many KISS fans have this kind of insight not only on the music business but also on what it is like to deal with people in the music business?

Therefore, I know what it's like to deal with disgruntled band members and have myself been one of those band members. I know what it's like when a band member betrays the trust of the group and having to make the realization that the band would be better off if that person was asked to leave. I also know what it's like to be unhappy with a group to the point where I had to walk away no matter how hard it was for everyone involved. On a positive note, I also know what it's like to form lifelong friendships with people because we have fought many battles together and stayed loyal to each other. Most of these battles were of course against those who gave us sour business deals, promoters who lied to us and/or stiffed us money that we had earned along with crooked record label representatives and so many other shady people in the music business.

Meanwhile, I still have the emotions that come with being a KISS fan.I know what it's like to be among the loyal members of the KISS Army as we celebrate the hottest band in the world. I also know what it's like to be ridiculed for being a KISS fan and having to stand up for what I believe in. I am not ashamed to say that my favorite member of all time is the late great Eric Carr with my favorite lineup being the 1980's lineup with him and Bruce Kulick on lead guitar. BUT....I too love the magic that could only come from the original lineup, even when they reunited after the death of my favorite member. It was so hard for me to see the band for the first time without my beloved drummer but dear God in heaven, they put on one hell of a show!

And I recognize that these are the same emotions that influence the opinions of many who insist that KISS is now a tribute/cover band so I definitely get where they are coming. But again, I disagree and here is why:


Unveiling the Spaceman  

(Note: some material has been taken from another recent blog of mine http://desertdrummer.blogspot.com/2017/10/another-kiss-reunion-i-hope-not.html).

What is the difference between a cover band and a tribute band? There is in fact no universal answer on the issue but I have performed in both and here is what I have found to be the case. A cover band plays a variety of songs from a specific genre so in my case, the two working bands I am in right now are cover bands because they both play country songs from several different artists. A tribute band focuses on a specific band and then has their vision of how they want to present their act. Some acts just focus on the music while others attempt to look like the band they are paying tribute to. I once performed in a Journey tribute band and it was true that we tried our best to actually become the amazing rock band from the Bay area so we studied their music and stage moves on a regular basis as we refined both our sound as well as the presentation of the group.

In my opinion, when it comes to KISS as well as their former members I would have to say that if any performing act is a cover band it's Ace Frehley's solo band. Take a look at his set list the night before his recent reunion with Gene Simmons in St. Paul, MN for the Hurricane Harvey fundraiser: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ace-frehley/2017/the-ardmore-music-hall-ardmore-pa-53e217b1.html About half of the songs are KISS songs along with cover songs from other bands with the best KISS songs on the set being ones that he didn't sing or write.  I find this to be most interesting because Ace supposedly left KISS both times because the success of his 1978 solo album showed him how much the band was holding him back in terms of what he could do on his own.  But this is nothing new because in so many ways Ace has led a cover band for years. In Peter Criss' biography he talked about touring with Ace in 1995 and actually criticized Frehley for performing 80 percent KISS songs in his set while Criss focused on performing his most recent solo material. (p. 270 of Makeup to Break Up: My Life In and Out of KISS by Peter Criss with Larry "Ratso" Sloman). Again, where was the break out solo musician that was now free to show the world what he was made of? Mind you, his two biggest solo hits were written by Russ Ballard with the both of them being, you guessed it, cover songs! (Of course we also can't forget that he didn't write "2,000 Man" either and the fact that he even covered the KISS song "Rock and Roll Hell" on his last album. Yes, it's a cover song because Frehley has stated for years that he didn't play a note on the Creatures of the Night album so it's even close to being a re-record like he did on other KISS classics on his cover song album).

Comments from the floor? Does anyone have any credible arguments to state the opposite of what I just said?

Meanwhile, KISS continues to do what they have always done and if you look at their set list the majority of songs were actually written by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons with the two of them still fronting the band that they co-founded in 1973. How in the world does this make them a tribute/cover band? Of course we know that they are called such a thing by some simply because they now have two other members wearing the makeup and costumes created by Criss and Frehley. Fair enough but we do know that they only reason this happened was because they went back to the makeup and costumes during the Reunion Tour and decided to maintain that image because it did well for the band in terms of resurrecting their career. Aside from that, I actually would like to question why those who accuse KISS of being a tribute/cover band aren't just as outraged at Frehley for covering KISS songs that he didn't write because they are creations of Stanley and Simmons. I mean, why not jump on Criss' bandwagon on that issue as well?

Yes, I am aware of the fact that original lineup shared the publishing on those early songs but again, here is a man who left the band twice to free himself from the shackles of what he thought was holding him back. Yet, here is he is making money by playing other people's songs because he knows that he has to not only perform KISS songs but the best KISS songs to get people to buy tickets to his shows with such songs being written by his old band mates Meanwhile, Frehley criticizes KISS for doing the something that also helps them push their brand. What's the difference? Is it about who created something or is it about makeup and costumes? To be honest we're actually creating different standards for different bands. 

Years ago Stanley said that they had invited Frehley to stay with the band but respected his decision to leave the band. However, Stanley said that Frehley's decision to walk away would not impact his own decision to continue with the band and brand that he helped create. Many hardcore KISS fans, including one of the band's biggest critics Eddie Trunk have not been in this position before as well as the position that Stanley and Simmons were in during the band's first run when they had to deal with Criss and Frehley's reckless behavior. If you don't want to believe me because of my lack of public stature in this business then let's hear from another person who would tell you the same thing, Scott Ian of Anthrax: http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/anthrax-scott-ian-has-a-message-for-kiss-fans-stop-questioning-gene-simmons-and-paul-stanley/ The fact is, if Trunk or any of these hardcore fans owned a business none of them would retain an employee who performed poorly, had a bad attitude or simply didn't want to be there. KISS, like every other successful rock band out there is a business and like any business it takes years to build your brand and just as much effort to maintain it. Welcome to the real world!


It's Not Even About the Most Important Thing, the Music! 

I have always hated it when people said that KISS was just a gimmick; nothing more than a bunch of guys in makeup running around a circus type stage. True KISS fans know that those two things are only a fraction of what we love about this band. When I listen to the music in my car I don't see the stage show nor do I see the members in their stage outfits or makeup. I hear the music that I have loved since the first time I heard them. This is the band that inspired me to want to be a musician. This is the band whose perseverance in an industry that just wanted them to go away gave me the courage to handle the struggles of being a teenage boy. This is the band whose song "Forever" was played at my wedding when I walked out with my new bride. Finally, this is the band that I have introduced to my children who now rock out with me in the car on a regular basis.

It's the music people and for real KISS fans, it's always been about the music! So why in the world are we talking about who is wearing the makeup when in reality, we only get a clear look at them when we look at a photograph of the band? Watch the band perform with Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. They are just as good as ever because KISS has always been committed to giving their audience the best show ever. If not, you end up like Peter Criss or Vinnie Vincent in that if you do anything to jeopardize the brand in front of a paying audience then you are gone!

Still, people want to fight over the makeup so let's go ahead and do that right now. And, let's do that with the help of our friends from Three Sides of the Coin. 

If you watch this Three Sides...episode Michael Brandvold is very clear on the ownership of the makeup and anyone is free to challenge his claim that the KISS Company (Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons) owns the trademark on Frehley and Criss' makeup (see 36:10-57:40). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUFLHP-NrP8  During the episode Michael invites everyone to look in the trademark database in order to see all that the band KISS has trademarked. They even cited Criss' statement in his book where he talks about giving up the rights to his makeup (p. 338).

Some of what isn't clear in this episode is made clear in another Three Sides...episode that featured  David Snowden. Here Snowden tells us that Stanley and Simmons got the rights to Criss and Frehley's makeup during negotiations for the Reunion tour that started in 1996 (See 1:28:45-1:31:12). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V-Tc1-SUoM. This makes total sense because the Kiss My Ass album (the record that featured Stanley's bandit makeup from the early days instead of Frehley's makeup) came out before the Reunion Tour so that was still a time when Frehley still owned the rights to his makeup. However, did Frehley and Criss not really see the value of their makeup or more importantly, who they were both as musicians as well as public figures? Obviously not because they were unable to negotiate better terms with Stanley and Simmons.

Think about it: Frehley and Criss never saw how much leverage they had because without them there would be no Reunion Tour. Gentlemen, you didn't need better lawyers. You simply needed to stand your ground and ask Stanley and Simmons how bad they wanted their reunion pay day. Keep in mind that Stanley and Simmons bad mouthed them in the press for years before the Reunion Tour and now they wanted them back in the band? My guess is that they were trying to promote the brand of KISS that they were running at the time but they could never distract the KISS Army enough to squash the demands for a reunion of the original members. Stanley and Simmons are no fools, which is why they relented with their criticisms and brought Criss and Frehley back in the band because as Stanley has stated on many occasions, people hear with their eyes. And by giving such people what they wanted they all made a ton of money, including Criss and Frehley.

Still, we know for a fact that Frehley and Criss had, as Simmons would say, the keys to the kingdom. Criss himself in his book talks about how he wouldn't cooperate with the negotiations for the Reunion Tour because he refused to take less money than Frehley (Criss p. 278). Where would these negotiations have gone if Frehley hadn't pulled Criss aside and agreed to an equal share with him? Would Criss have agreed to do the tour for less money or would they have moved forward with only Frehley coming back to the band? Further, it wasn't just their participation on the tour that the fans wanted to see but also the whole band in their classic makeup. So, even more so, why agree to sign off the rights to the makeup? They had to see that there was a reason why Stanley and Simmons not only wanted them back in the band but also wanted the rights to their makeup so why give them everything they wanted? Perhaps it's as many suspected; both of them were so down and out financially that they sold the rights to their makeup to make ends meet. Whatever the reason, they gave those rights away and there is no one to blame other than the person who signed off on it.

Many people continue debate the issue of the Criss and Frehley's makeup but I would suggest we take it even further. What about the KISS logo? No one has ever denied the fact that Frehley designed the logo and that Stanley refined the logo. If it's all about a design that was created by someone then people like Trunk should have called KISS a tribute/cover band back in the 1980's when they did not wear the makeup because they still used the logo that was originally designed by Frehley who at that point was no longer in the band. Keep in mind that by 1987 when Frehley's Comet was active in the same music scene as KISS that Frehley was essentially competing with a band who used a logo that he designed.

Some may claim that the band logo is not as important as a person's makeup design but I disagree. I would argue that the logo is more valuable and memorable than the makeup of each member because people not only read the name KISS but also know the design of the logo and how the band's logo refers to the rock band and not some other brand. Do they really know the makeup design of each character in the band? The answer is no. The makeup design the general public knows the most is Simmons' design so most people would probably not know the difference between a picture of the band from 1976 or 1982. That is because the key to knowing if a picture of four guys in makeup is in fact KISS is if Simmons is in the picture. If it's another band that also wears makeup then they would probably think that this band is imitating KISS and not any specific member. So yes, let's admit which design or should I say designs have the most value. The KISS logo and Simmons' makeup. 


The Inner Circle 

Alright KISS fans from all points of view, let's talk about the thing that many of you don't know about and that's being in a band. The fans only see what's on the outside: the makeup, the show, the packaging on whatever merchandise we buy and whatever behavior the band displays when they are in the public eye. We are not privy to see what goes on behind closed doors.

If you have read any of the KISS members' biographies or read any of their interviews in the past 20 plus years you know that this band more or less NEVER got along. Sometimes that's just how it is because creative people always have different ideas and there are times when such clashing leads to some great things. In other cases, there is a point of no return and while our emotions want to see our superheroes stay together forever...well in the real world with real people behind the facade it's just not going to happen.

Even in the case of lifelong friendships I have made with former band members there is still the reality of knowing that I will never perform with some of the them ever again. Not just because of the fact that we have all moved on and in some cases have moved away from each but also because we are in different places musically with me not wanting to revisit my musical past. In some cases there are broken relationships where trust was broken and for that reason alone while there has been forgiveness and a willingness to be cordial on a personal level there is still enough of a scar for me to want to keep a respectful distance from those people when it comes to working together musically.

Do any of this think that the same isn't true for a super group?

As much as I hate to say it, maybe it's best that the original members never work together again. As fans we should just thank them for the memories and thank God that so much of what they have done has been documented so we can enjoy them over and over again. Consider the following and ask yourself if these people should in fact work together again:

http://loudwire.com/kiss-paul-stanley-farewell-tour-get-rid-of-ace-frehley-peter-criss/

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-farewell-tour-nightmare/

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ace-frehley-on-why-kiss-reunion-tour-stopped-being-fun/

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/gene-simmons-ace-frehley-and-peter-criss-no-longer-deserve-to-wear-the-paint/

...and this is just a taste of what is available for all of us to read.

If you don't want like what KISS is doing now then do what many KISS fans did back in the 1980's...disappear! The rest of us will stick around and enjoy the fact that the band is still around. Aside from that, let's also enjoy the fact that Ace Frehley is still out there performing, especially if he is indeed happy leading his own band and living a life of sobriety. Heck, let's even hope that Vinnie Vincent has some musical plans in the future and that perhaps even Peter Criss might consider releasing some new music even though he has retired from the stage.


Lacking Consistency

The first time we had an imposter (ugh, whatever) in KISS makeup was on April 5, 1997 in Columbus, GA when KISS had Criss' roadie Ed Kanon fill in for him for one night on the Reunion Tour when Criss claimed that his hands hurt too much for him to perform. It is true that Frehley felt that the show shouldn't go on but the band moved forward http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ed-kanon-peter-criss-kiss/ .....just like they did when Criss left the band a second time when the band brought Singer back to finish the Farewell Tour http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-eric-singer-replaces-peter-criss/

Of course if you read http://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-eric-singer-replaces-peter-criss/ carefully Singer reveals the hypocrisy of Criss, Frehley as well as some of the fans. When Frehley performed with KISS with Singer on drums there was no criticism from Frehley or the fans about Singer performing in Criss' makeup or costume. Many fans including Trunk state that Frehley did these dates because he was under contract but Singer, who was actually in the band at that point, has a different perspective on things when he claimed that Frehley was in fact happier without Criss in the band (I would like to hear Trunk press Frehley on that issue since he is a regular guest on Trunk's radio show). Interestingly enough, Singer also pointed out that the hardcore fans, Frehley and Trunk also said nothing about Criss returning to the band and making that KISS money when Thayer had now replaced Frehley on guitar, makeup and costume.

Hello? Anyone home? Are you people really against a KISS cover band or do 3 out of 4 original members make it okay based on a majority?

Here's what I see: Frehley is a hypocrite because if it really bothered him to see another person in Criss' makeup he would've have quit the band out of respect to Peter and let Thayer finish the tour. It's not like Thayer wasn't ready to take over because we all know of that moment when he almost filled in during the Farewell Tour when Frehley was late to the August 11, 2000 show in Irvine, CA.  As the band waited for Frehley to arrive Thayer was dressed for the occasion and ready to hit the stage as a last minute ringer (p. 400-402 in Face the Music: A Life Exposed by Paul Stanley). Oh, and guess who was scheduled to perform with KISS on drums that night?

Criss is a hypocrite for the same reasons as he did a full tour with KISS with Thayer in Frehley's makeup. And of course you can see this KISS lineup on the KISS Symphony CD/DVD with Criss looking completely miserable onstage and during the behind the scenes footage, right? Of course he tried to sell his participation on this tour as if he had been deceived (Criss p. 328) but the one thing that doesn't make sense is that he says that he was already rehearsing with the band in Los Angeles when he went to Stanley's birthday party and found out that Frehley wasn't going to be on the tour. Hmm...so is he saying that the band was only rehearsing as a trio at that point? Why would they not need a lead guitarist to be at such rehearsals? That just doesn't sound right to me because the only lead guitarist in the band's history that ever seemed to not show up at times was Frehley. Would Thayer, who has always conducted himself as a professional NOT show up to a KISS rehearsal? Stanley and Simmons are often accused of trying to re-write history (I'm not saying that they haven't or don't continue to do so) but I wonder if they are truly the only ones.  

My, my, my...isn't it funny how facts can be such an inconvenience? Let's face it folks, the hypocrisy that both Frehley and Criss have joined in at one time or another is not only a rusty wrench in the machine but also the wild card that proves that KISS is NOT a tribute/cover band. Because, if you really believe that then you have to admit that Frehley and Criss have also performed in this same tribute/cover band and did it for the same reason that many claim is the motivation behind Stanley and Simmons maintaining this tribute/cover band...the money! Believe what you want but the facts don't support the tribute/cover band claim. If anyone can prove otherwise...it's not hard to find me. Post your argument and let's do this.

I rest my case.


Now let's have some fun folks. I need some help with this last section. Help me find the real KISS!

Some would say that this is KISS because they have replacement members and they are NOT wearing makeup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4kTtGbNa-8

Not sure if this is KISS because it has 3 of the original members and since certain people love the original Catman they wouldn't want to take a shot at him for performing with this tribute/cover band: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFCnk1pcGhk

Here is Frehley performing with what some call the KISS cover/tribute band. He even sings lead vocals on one of the songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6FKb8ajVZY

For the hardcore Trunk circle, I guess this is KISS because they are NOT wearing makeup, correct? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S087ZJrhwZM

If you want more than an acoustic set just go to soundcheck in order to see the real KISS because once again, they are NOT wearing makeup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRZUzKNxQa4

Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano

The Catman: My First Drumming Hero

I remember the moment like it was yesterday...

My parents were visiting some friends and my older sister and I came along. The family whose house we were visiting had some kids that were a bit older than us and we were invited to hang out with them in their oldest son's room. He was a big KISS fan and was spinning one of their records while he ate a popsicle. As I listened to the music I was looking at all of the pictures on the wall and was fascinated by the makeup as well as the stage costumes. Even though I was a little kid I had already fallen in love with the drums so right away I wanted to know who the drummer was and that was when I saw the man in the cat make up... Peter Criss!

Before I knew it I was hounding my parents to buy me KISS records and that was when the love affair with their music really started for me. Many people speak of gimmicks and such but the bottom line is this: when you're sitting in your room spinning their records or rocking out their songs in the car there is no stage show. There is no make up. There is no image because all you hear is their music. Love them or hate them, they really don't care and I am not ashamed to say that I love KISS' music and still listen to them. No apologies.

Why the strong words, you ask? Because not only was it their music that helped get me started on my musical journey but it was also the drumming of Criss that helped shape me into the drummer that I am today. Here I will share some of my insights on his great drumming to show why he had such an impact on me and so many drummers today.


The Early Records 

Criss was a veteran of the local New York music scene and he really paid some serious dues before hooking up with KISS. In fact, he has said on many occasions that he was close to quitting all together and that if things with KISS didn't work out that he was probably done.  So when you hear his drumming on the first KISS album you can hear how hungry he was to push the band to the top. Many people talk about the feel he had as a drummer and that is definitely something to think about. On the first three albums there are so many classic songs but if you want to get to the highlights then let's get to what I think are his best performances.

1) "Deuce:" Original Lead guitarist Ace Frehley has said on many occasions that this is his favorite song because it has attitude. The Spaceman is spot on and part of that attitude it the Catman's groove. This song demonstrates the 'tude that someone would have growing up on the streets of New York where they have a no nonsense way of life. No one plays this song like Criss and no one ever will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGE_1MqrAKQ

2) "Black Diamond:" This song is always a highlight of a KISS show and part of what makes this song great is Criss' drumming and lead vocals. The drumming on this song is both powerful and smooth. Aside from that Criss' fills are placed perfectly within the guitar riffs with just enough space to give it a dramatic effect. This is another song that no other drummer has been able to duplicate, which is why it was smart for Criss' first replacement, Eric Carr to take it in another direction. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0nNZ5wAWZE

3) "Parasite:" This is such a unique song for the early 1970's as it is both heavy and kind of sexy. The sexiness comes from Criss' groove as once again, that jazz background of his allows him to layer the song with a rhythmic presence that is not common for most rock drummers as they are much heavier handed with their ghost notes.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw5-pGKpRHk

4) "Goin' Blind:" It might seem odd to praise a drummer's performance on a ballad but this song features a tasteful groove and some beautiful melodic fills that help fill in the spaces. The musicality of Criss' performance is why I never get tired of listening to this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZa6tpq6Wzo

5) "She:" The album Dressed to Kill is one of my favorites because I think it is where Criss shines the most. He gets to employ many of the techniques he used in his jazz upbringing and he's playing that beautiful Ludwig kit that has that beautiful open sound. This song allows his to both pound those drums and to throw in those sexy ghost notes and ride cymbal work. It's the perfect compliment to the song's story line about a dangerous woman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wAo-LAZlkc

6) "Love Her All I Can:" This is my favorite studio recording featuring the Catman. I love the way he drives the cowbell beat with those carefully placed ghost notes. Then there is the drum break where he gets to throw down some powerful fills before he works the snare and toms together, which I think is the highlight of the song. Go Catman! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6WYUyRIMrA


The Stage is Mine!

The Catman performed one of the greatest drum solos in rock history on KISS Alive!  The tribal drums are the perfect thing to get the crowd going and Criss' jazz background affords him the ability to play 12/8 rhythmic figures with ease and with that great feel he is known for. He really nails it when he drops the dynamics down before doing his famous tribal beat with the cowbell pounding between the toms. Of course he also helps Paul Stanley get the crowd going by continuing the groove under the Starchild's diatribe. It is truly a beautiful display of drumming. (see 2:48-5:48) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxNtRX7qI-Y

When the Catman returned to KISS he incorporated much of what he did from both Alive! and Alive II while adding some new ideas to many of the familiar beats we have come to know and love. One of my favorite solos was the one he did on the opening night of the Psycho Circus tour at Dodger Stadium (by the way, I was there!). My favorite parts are when he does some kicks and then develops some nice fills within those kicks. Of course he still has his signature tribal grooves along with some showmanship that was fun for the crowd because they got to take part in his solo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jBeKPeoSkk


Phase Two 

KISS' next three studio albums have many gems as well and the Catman continued to work his magic on those drums. Again, it's very hard to choose which songs to highlight because there are so many but here are some of my favorites along with my reasons:

1) "Detroit, Rock City:" This is possibly Criss' most famous groove as it is an amazing shuffle with a great feel. This really helped KISS come out of the success of Alive! with a strong song that also had a slightly different feel. Criss' shuffles on songs like "100,000 Years" were a bit more traditional but if there was ever a rock shuffle it's the one on "Detroit, Rock City." His fills are also tasteful and the feel is just so smooth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R5J6dvpujs

2) "God of Thunder:" Sometimes it's more about setting the mood and Criss does a great job during this performance. This song is very dramatic and Criss really anchors the whole thing brilliantly. The snare hits are just right when it comes to announcing the presence of the deity that is the character singing the song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmHZ9vrcgxA

3) "Calling Dr. Love:" A rocking classic and a total rock star song when it comes to the lyrics. This is another song with attitude and to paraphrase Gene Simmons who once said about Criss' playing: It is in fact deceiving as the rhythms are harder than people realize. Criss' grooves are smooth and sexy on the verses and he just rocks out o the choruses. Aside from that his fills are very melodic as they help tell the story of the song. It's a fabulous performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDTE8DpkKE4

4) "Makin' Love:" If there is such thing as a song that is harder than it appears it's this song. Criss plays simple beats but such beats are not easy to maintain because the energy that KISS brings can tempt a drummer to speed up more than they should. He does a great job anchoring things down before that beautiful fill of him going around his drum set. Thank God for the engineering of the great Eddie Kramer because those concert toms are gorgeous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSMc0UAxgyo

5) "I Stole Your Love:" This is a great opener to the album Love Gun and features some amazing drumming by the Catman. His tom work through it so unique to a rock song and really adds to the drama of the song. His snare sound is amazing so when he goes from a tom driven groove to a regular back beat it just kicks the band into overdrive. This was the first studio album my parents ever bought me and I will never forget the mark it left on me when I first heard it because it still gets to me to this day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3MZnxJ-lYM

6) "Shock Me:" This song is both Frehley's lead vocal debut and has what many consider to be his best recorded guitar solo. I won't argue against any of that but I will insist that people must also cite the fact that it is also one of Criss' finest recorded performances. Frehley's riff is very unique and has a nice flow to it thanks to Criss' groove. Aside from the smooth grooves that feature a nice hi-hat feel and occasional ghost notes he also offers some pounding drum fills with his drums again having a heavenly sound thanks to the great Eddie Kramer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iauaDVVPGW8 

7) "Rocket Ride:" Here is a track that was one of the studio cuts on Alive II and it's awesome. It's one of Frehley's most exciting songs as it features some cool riffs and solos but such a song could not exist without Criss' powerful drums supporting the ride. You also have to love that drum break at the end where the Catman lets out what is probably the most amazing drum roar that he ever recorded. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ9nQoNuAZs


Don't Overlook This

Criss' raspy almost Rod Stewart type voice is so sweet to listen to. However, don't let the reference fool you because the Catman can rock with the best of them. Yes, we all know about his beautiful lead vocals on classics like "Beth" and "Hard Luck Woman" and like many people I love those songs. But, let's not forget songs like "Getaway" and "Baby Driver" where the Catman holds his own with any great rock singer out there. I still love rocking those songs in my car.

Finally, even when I was a kid who loved KISS and other rock bands I still listened to other types of music with one of those genres being R & B. With that being said I am not ashamed to say that I love a lot of Peter's KISS solo album. It has so much soul and most importantly, we get to hear him sing a lot more than usual. I never get tired of "I'm Gonna Love You," "You Matter to Me, "Don't You Let Me Down," and my favorite song off of the album, "Easy Thing." The Catman deserves a lot more love than he gets for what I think is a great album.

Finally, I have to give a nod to Criss' adaptability when it comes to his approach in the studio and his approach onstage. The studio allows the artist a little more room to do what they think is best in terms of their performance but the energy that comes from an arena filled with rowdy rock and rollers will dictate how a song should be performed live . To see Criss' adaptability in such situations I would suggest you listen to recorded versions of "She" and "Calling Dr. Love" on their respective albums and then check out the live versions on Alive! and Alive II. It's is truly night and day and kudos to Criss for being able to drive both ships.

Beyond KISS 

One if the things that never made sense to me was that so many KISS fans speak of their wish for Peter to have remained in KISS due to the musical contributions he made to the band. With that in mind, how many of these fans even know what Peter did away from KISS as his musical talents were still without question. 

It is understandable that many KISS fans may not care for much of Peter's solo work because that was when he returned to a lot of his jazz and soul roots. We saw hints of this on his KISS solo album in 1978 and to me that's a true sign of an artist making a true solo effort. In other words, you go in a direction that you are not able to go into in the band you are known to work with. the Let's check out some tracks that many KISS fans may not be aware of.

1) "By Myself:" An obvious ode to leaving KISS and starting a solo career. This is a beautiful song with a beautiful vocal performance. You can see in Peter's performance how determined he was to the best of his solo career. It's just too bad that the label and fans were not there to make it happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuKKF3hi6uw&list=PLkK4ovn_8Er2E6bXc_yypt2_RT1Zl11P_

2) "Out of Control:" The title track from Peter's first post-KISS solo album and while this song sounds a bit dated it is pretty cool when you're in a nostalgic mood. The drumming has the expected solid feel that we have come to know from the Catman while delivering a great lead vocal performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-4z7e2Jzzg

3) "Destiny:" This has a nice moving groove with a great chorus. There is also a lot going on with the background instruments with the Peter's voice doing a great job adding the final piece to the song. A very underrated song for that time period. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzSsQSN0mFw&list=PLQUVYGgOvzcp5WeSJOMYL6G_aldXt6Li7&index=5

 4) "Tears:" Ironically, this song was co-written by future lead guitarist of KISS Vinnie Vincent under his real surname of Cusano. It has a nice groove with a nice lead vocal performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVU3XnJ0P9o

5) "Bad People Burn in Hell:" This is a cool track. Peter's vocals are spot on as is his drumming as they round out and support some nice guitar riffs. There is always something about the way the Catman grooves with that cowbell, a la "Black Diamond" and we see in again on this track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNK9TDq1T5g&list=PLA2-nXsHvm3Kjea6NBlIop_A4yff_OzL3&index=4 

6) "Strike:" This is a very interesting track as it has a nice dynamic opening with some jazz hi hat work, a nice number of groove changes while allowing Peter to display some nice snare drum work on the chorus and outro of the song. This is definitely not something we are accustomed to hearing from the Catman as his drumming and vocals are definitely stretched on this track. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5A4waqEme6I

7) "What a Difference a Day Makes:" Talk about Peter being in his element. This is the kind of stuff he grew up on and his soulful musicianship is all over this song. Here he gets to display his abilities as a crooner along with some nice brush work on the snare drum, which I'm sure he loved doing since he is a band fan of jazz drumming.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsQm7sw9wTs&list=PLB60DB51EB022FC2A&index=9

8) "Falling All Over Again:" One listen to this song and it's more than obvious that the same lead vocalist who recorded "Beth" had to be the one to perform on this track. His vocals are so beautiful while his drumming is smooth and sweet, which offer support and a rhythmic reflection of his vocal performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck5tc7rm5bs&list=PLB60DB51EB022FC2A&index=11

 

Saying Goodbye 

On June 17, 2017 Criss performed for the last time at the Cutting Room in New York. Each song that is posted on You Tube is a party in itself. It was so good to see him get the accolades he deserves because we all know that he has fought so many demons in his life. Aside from that, he performed as a professional musician for over five decades and we know that many of those performances were not always on the biggest stages with all the amenities. That is a real trooper who obviously did it for the love of the art. I also know is that he always loved and appreciated his fans and you could really see that in his farewell speech. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8oDv6KCFT8

I also know this from first hand experience.

On May 2, 1990 I attended one of his drum clinics at Guitar Center in Hawthorne, CA. I was a young seventeen year old drummer and brought a ton of stuff for him to sign. Our first connection was when he looked in my direction and I offered him a fist pump, which he returned as he had just done a great drum solo. Later on I brought my stuff for him to sign, which included some KISS records & pictures as well as his post KISS solo albums. He was stunned to see me with these albums because they were only released over seas. He asked me where I got them and I just smiled and said that I am a true fan. He was really touched by that. When he finished signing my stuff I gave him a mask I made for my high school art class, which was a Plaster of Paris of my face with his KISS make up on it. He really liked it and then put it on his face, which took my breath away. As he did that a bunch of fans complimented my work. Then the Catman almost brought me to my knees when he said that he was going to put it in his trophy room with all of his gold and platinum records.WOW!!!! Finally, when it was time to leave so I wished him well and he said, "God bless you man!"

Thanks Catman but I must return the favor: "God bless you!"

 Even though it's been a few years since that special night at the Cutting Room I still have a hard time believing that the Catman has called it a career. That's one of the reasons why it has took me a long time to write the first version of the this blog before I took some time to update it.  All I can say is thank you Peter. Thank you for being my first drumming hero and for giving me the inspiration to pursue my dream of being a great drummer. Thank you for those amazing performances when this man who was too young to go to a KISS concert during your first run with the band got a second chance to see you with the band during your second run with the group. Thank you for being an inspiration from your farewell speech to your openness about your breast cancer. Your courage inspires me to be the man I should be. Thank you for being you because you are still a hero to me and always will be.

Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano

Eric Carr: Looking Back at the Brilliance of the Fox

Better Late Than Never is something we hear a lot and this seems to apply a lot to the late Eric Carr, who was the drummer for KISS from 1980-1991. While many hardcore KISS fans loved his drumming during his time with the band there are still many who did not show such appreciation until many years after his tragic death in November of 1991. Perhaps it was out of loyalty to the great Peter Criss, who was the original drummer of the band or perhaps it was because the KISS Army had to experience the reality of Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone. Either way, many are finally seeing how great he was and even going as far as stating that Carr was in fact the best drummer KISS ever had.

With this blog I will give many examples of how his time in KISS allowed him to both add new life to some classic songs while also showing how creative he was when it came to what he brought to the new music that he performed on. 

1) New Life to Some Classic Songs 

To begin, this section does not seek to take anything away from the magic that the great Peter Criss brought to the band. In fact, my next drumming blog will be about the brilliance of the Catman who retired from active performing this past summer.

When a new member comes into the band there is going to be change and the most obvious one when KISS made their first lineup change was that Carr made KISS a heavier band. Criss came from a more swing/big band/R & B background and while Carr loved all kinds of music his main drumming influences were from much heavier rock music. So one listen to a KISS concert video (sadly, they never released a live album with Carr on drums) and you will hear that the older songs now had a drive to them that they never had previously. This was important because such drumming was in the fact the trademark of 80's rock music so KISS was able to be right there with any band that was hot at that time. 

However, Carr brought more than just a heavier feel to the groove, He literally changed some parts of the classic songs that again gave them new life. Consider the the way Carr played the main groove on the KISS classic Detroit, Rock City. This is a live mainstay and also featured one of Criss' best performances. Carr having a totally different style and approach added some double bass to what was Criss' smooth shuffle beat and then did many fills that focused more on upbeats than the straight drive that was part of Criss' amazing performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DUv1zyYJOA

Black Diamond is always one of the highlights of any KISS show and that's where Carr got to shine the most. Most people focus on the fact that he sings the lead vocal on that song, which is true but his drumming approach is totally different than what Criss did. First off, during the chorus he doesn't drive the band with a cowbell driven beat between vocal lines. He uses the toms with both a pounding pulse along with some quick 32nd notes that added some flavor to his beat (see 1:53-1:56) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo1XTATfup8, which seemed to fit the story line of the song as it is about a woman who walks the streets at night. During the guitar solo he adds more to the accented section by adding some nice fills and even some cool double bass work (see 2:53-3:18). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo1XTATfup8 In KISS' later years they removed the halftime outro of the song, which is really sad because it is a very dramatic part. Eric added much more drive to the section and then gave it a different dimension when he went around his whole set in the middle of the groove while his band mates did their famous choreography (see 3:27-3:31). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtVwbT3anoM These are some real phenomenal performances on the drums and this says nothing about his stellar lead vocal part. The man was a true talent.

Finally, I have always been intrigued by the way Carr played the chorus on the KISS classic "Cold Gin." On the original version of the song Criss played a figure between his hi-hat and snare in between the vocal lines on the chorus. Carr on the other hand plays a downbeat on the snare while he keeps his right hand on a bigger tom while his left hand travels around two higher pitched toms. This means that he has to play the fill leading with his left hand. For most drummers this is a little more challenging because leading with one's weaker hand requires more concentration (see 2:18 and 2:22). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtVwbT3anoM What might have helped Carr with this figure is that he was naturally left handed but played a right handed drum set. Either way, it's a tough fill to play with the power one needs to drive KISS in an arena sized show.


2) Creativity 

The first thing that I would like to comment on are some drum fills he does on the song "Under the Rose," which is a song Carr co-wrote with Gene Simmons on the album Music From the Elder. This album was also Carr's first recorded performance with the band and features a beautiful guitar part that he wrote. This is a very atmospheric song with a lot of dynamics and the chorus is absolutely amazing. It has a dramatic vocal line with an amazing guitar lick that comes after the vocal part. The drumming on this guitar feature are accented crashes with some light tom fills but what Carr plays is just beautiful. He does what sounds like some quick 32nd notes on the toms that give an almost flam like effect that leads to the crash along with some powerful sixteenths that are placed in just the right spots to help drive the riff (see 1:08-1:28). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOTUPhS7cPA

The song "I Still Love You" is another special song if you're a fan of Carr. Aside from it being what many KISS fans consider to be Paul Stanley's finest recorded vocal performance Carr is in fact the rhythm section on the song as he plays not only his drums but the bass line as well. The drumming performance is absolutely brilliant as it's a great combination of power groove and some heartfelt fills that support Stanley's emotional singing performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IU93xQL2lc Then there is the bass line that has a strong presence along with some nice tasteful runs that sound like a seasoned bass player. For those who do not know Carr played drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano and sang. In other words, of any member that was ever in KISS he was the most diverse. If you listen carefully to his drumming you can hear that musicality is his playing as no drummer in the band had such musicality in their drumming both before and since Carr's tenure in the band.


3) The Thunder 

In hard rock music double bass drumming is a signature of what power drummers do. Carr took a backseat to no one as his double bass abilities were up there with the best in the business. When he first joined the band his power and double bass drumming gave new life to a group moving into a new decade where rock music was changing. He also gave KISS a drive that hadn't been heard before and it was most evident on the opening track of Music From the Elder titled the "The Oath." Unfortunately, the mix on the song was horrible but one can still hear the power that Carr brought to the band. Fortunately, one can get some idea of how the song should sound when you hear the only live performance Carr did of this song with the band from the old television show called Fridays: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAINgNyL-7w.

Thankfully some of the later albums such as Asylum give us a better presentation of Carr's double bass abilities. On the opening song, which is titled "King of the Mountain," there is a nice double bass figure that is consistent throughout most of the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d91t5jQt6nw There is also some double bass work with some nice movement around the toms on the intro to "I'm Alive" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cibvfYuMTF4. Of course there are times when you just have to drive the point home and kick the audience in the face. The song "Boomerang" off of Carr's last album Hot in the Shade is far from KISS' best song but the drums are worth mentioning as they feature some of Carr's powerful double bass drumming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrqmAqulaIU


4) The Creative Force 

What happens when a drummer who not only plays other instruments and write songs creates a drum solo? You get something much better than what's expected from most of his peers because frankly, many drummers still fail to see for the impact their drumming will have if they simply expanded their musical vocabulary beyond the world of percussion. Over the years Carr not only created an entertaining solo that showcased both his drumming abilities and showmanship but also his ability to create music on his own. His solo at Budokan in Tokyo in 1988 during the Crazy Nights tour was probably the best he ever did. Along with doing things that had become a signature of what he was known for as a soloist he started to add electronics to what was already a brilliant solo. You will see that he does more than hit pads to end the solo. He is also able to rock out a cool riff while he pounds away on those drums. And, since it was 1988 he was definitely a pioneer of a movement that is still rarely done by drummers today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adkoL615NS4

As stated earlier, Carr was also a songwriter and while he did earn some co-writing credits during his time with KISS (1981 "Under the Rose" and "Escape From the Island" from the album Music From the Elder, 1983 "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" from the album Lick it Up, 1984 "Under the Gun" from the album Animalize and 1987 "No, No, No" from the album Crazy Nights) it wasn't until 1989 when the band finally let him sing his own song on a KISS album. The song was called "Little Caesar," which was the nickname given to him my band mate Gene Simmons with the song featuring him on drums and bass guitar yet again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp3qq8uUYA4

Thankfully, even death didn't take away the fans chance to hear more from Carr. Former band mate and close friend Bruce Kulick along with songwriting partner and close friend Adam Mitchell have partnered with Carr's family to release a lot of demos and finished songs that really showcased Carr's amazing talents. So far we have his posthumously released solo CD's Rockology and Unfinished Business with fans hoping for more in the future. Some highlights from these releases are:

"Somebody's Waiting:" A powerful ballad in the spirit of the 80's power ballad era. Some great drumming and beautiful vocals by Carr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3lldR4Lmdw 

"Eyes of Love:" A demo of a great rock song again that is in the spirit of the 80's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eznHcfVtZeQ

"Tiara:" A beautiful love song.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSvBjGhsu1E

Even KISS put out a recording that featured the only drum solo that Carr ever recorded. It is titled "Carr Jamm 1981" and is available on their album Revenge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2XNYwTCIVM 

Many KISS fans hope for much more, especially since Kulick once stated that Carr was able to write and perform songs with an edge that one would hear from a band like AC/DC to something with a folk feel that one might hear from The Beatles. Most of this was because Carr worked in cover bands for years so he not only had to learn a lot of songs but also had to perform them properly. That requires a certain amount of musical diversity.


Conclusion  

I am a KISS fan and continued to follow the band after Carr's tragic death.  It has never been the same for me but I know that life goes on and am glad that the band continued. They still put on a great show and have released many great songs beyond their years with Carr and like most fans I am happy to have been a part of that.

In some ways I think I saw his passing coming. I attended his last performance in the Los Angeles area on September 14, 1990 at Long Beach Arena and I first noticed that something felt wrong during his drum solo. It's hard to explain but there was just something in his playing that didn't seem right. Many years later I got a hold of a bootleg cassette of that show and to my surprise the solo was fine. Still, I trust what I felt that night so what was it? It wasn't just Carr's solo though that bothered me. I remember at one point Stanley told the crowd that the band would return next year for their their 20th Anniversary tour and while the audience cheered I shook my head as I looked at each member of the band. In my heart I knew one of them would not be there and it was not a pleasant feeling.

About five months later is when Carr's health problems started. Soon after that is when they found out that he had cancer with him leaving this earth later that year on November 24, 1991. To me, it all made sense after leaving a concert five years later when I saw the the original KISS members reunite for the what would turn out to be the biggest tour of the year. Yes, the fans were more than excited with me being one of them to see the guys who started it all put the whole thing back together. But of course we are dealing with people here and it's never as pretty as it seems.

I believe that God took Carr home because the music business is vicious and even though Carr would have been in the band sixteen years at that point profit would dictate decisions made so it would be safe to say that he would have been pushed aside to allow Criss to return. Not to take anything away from Kulick and drummer Eric Singer who had to go through that themselves but this would have destroyed Carr. He gave his heart and soul to the band and to have the dream taken from him would have ruined him. I truly believe that. So, in all of God's mysterious ways He found a way to take Carr out of that chaos in order to spare him the agony. I could be wrong but that makes perfect sense to me and at this point nothing can change my mind.

Thankfully, even though so many of his fans miss him we still have so much of his musical legacy to celebrate his life. He was a true talent and those who knew him say that he was the nicest person that they ever knew. To know that he was a better person than he was a musician tells me that I chose my drumming hero wisely. Thank you Eric Carr for the good times. I will always remember you.

My tribute to the Fox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2qu_-d4uII

 Carlos Solorzano
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano 

Another KISS Reunion? I Hope Not

Recently KISS co-founder and bassist Gene Simmons and former KISS lead guitarist Ace Frehley have been reconnecting at some of Gene Simmons' Vault Experiences. Before that they reunited onstage for the first time in 16 years during a charity concert in St. Paul, MN. This came about a year after the band's other co-founder Paul Stanley made an appearance on Frehley's last solo album (an album of cover songs....more on that later) along with a music video in support of that song. So once again the rumor mill has started talking about Frehley returning to KISS...again. Interestingly enough, Frehley is also fueling these rumors by saying that he would be up for another run with the band but that nothing has been discussed yet.

Please God, make it stop!

Here are my three reasons to oppose what I know is probably the inevitable:

1) KISS is NOT a Cover Band! 

I saw the current KISS line up perform in Phoenix during the Sonic Boom tour and they were awesome! It was one of the best KISS shows I ever saw and since then I have given a nod to current lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer who perform every night knowing that many fans in the KISS Army despise them taking Frehley and original drummer Peter Criss' spot both musically and in terms of their characters. No pressure at all, right? Such an idea is ridiculous because no one called KISS a cover band when they took off their make up and had the late Eric Carr on drums as Criss' first replacement and a string of replacements for Frehley in the 80's. Yet, somehow having replacement members wear the make up and costumes designed by two original members make KISS a cover band even though the two founding members are still leading the group (keep in mind that their set lists features songs mostly written by Stanley and Simmons so again, how is this a cover band when you're playing your own material?). That and of course the fact that both Frehley and Criss had signed away the rights to their trademarked makeup to Stanley and Simmons who are the current owners of the KISS brand regardless of what Frehley says about leasing his makeup to the band. First of all, one simply has to look up the register of trademarks to see who is telling the truth in terms of who owns Frehley's makeup. Further, if Frehley is so disgusted by Thayer performing in his makeup why would he have given KISS permission to do this in the first place? And let's not forget that Frehley is also scheduled to be on KISS Kruise VIII later this year, which means that he'll be on the same boat as Thayer while he performs in Frehley's makeup. Come on people, this isn't complicated.  

If any performing act is a cover band it's Ace Frehley's solo band. Take a look at his set list the night before he reunited with Gene Simmons: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/ace-frehley/2017/the-ardmore-music-hall-ardmore-pa-53e217b1.html About half of the songs are KISS songs along with cover songs from other bands with the best KISS songs on the set being ones he didn't sing or write. Wow, I thought Ace left KISS both times because the success of his 1978 solo album showed him how much the band was holding him back in terms of what he could do musically.  But this is nothing new because in so many ways Ace has had a cover band for years. In Criss' biography he talked about touring with Ace in 1995 and actually criticized Frehley for performing 80 percent KISS songs in his set while Criss focused on performing his most recent solo material. (p. 270 of Makeup to Break Up: My Life In and Out of KISS). Again, where was the break out solo musician that was now free to show the world what he was made of? Mind you, his two biggest solo hits were written by Russ Ballard with the biggest hit of all being, you guessed it, a cover song (New York Groove)!

Of course it's not just hardcore KISS fans who accuse the current lineup of being a cover band. Dee Snider and Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister also accused them of such but many don't know a dirty little secret: Twisted Sister actually opened for this same cover band at a gig in Mexico: http://bravewords.com/news/kiss-twisted-sister-and-lamb-of-god-to-headline-corona-northside-rock-park-meeting-fest-in-november-2016  It sure is funny how people reevaluate their view of this cover band when they have a shot at a good gig with a good payday.  Then again, that might be why Twisted Sister called it a career because it must not feel too good when your band was once in high rotation on MTV and then are reduced to open for a cover band in Mexico.


2) The Full Original Lineup? 

People seem to forget that Singer first donned Criss' cat make up when he helped the band finish the Farewell Tour while Frehley was still a member of KISS. Of course many people (most notably Frehley's good buddy Eddie Trunk who is the most notable of persons calling today's KISS a cover band while now politicking to get Frehley back in the band since Frehley seems to talk about it more and more) point to the fact that Ace continued with the tour because he was still under contract (Trunk is consistent with that assumption because he has said it on his radio show and gave me the same answer via email). Fair enough, but then when Criss returned to the fold a couple of years later it was when Thayer officially replaced Frehley as the spaceman with Criss not having a problem sharing the stage with this so called imposter who now wore his buddy's make up and stage outfit. Of course Criss didn't make such claims at that time since he had another shot at being in the band while most importantly, making that KISS money. And when I challenged Eddie Trunk on this issue that was the one email that never got answered. Hmmmmm......Then again, Criss did say in his book that he returned to the band the first time because he wanted to make enough money to retire (p. 274). I guess another round of KISS money doesn't hurt since he recently said that he and his wife are building a new home on the water as we speak. Perhaps this why Frehley wants another run with the band because he is living in San Diego now and perhaps would like to do the same thing Criss is doing in terms of building a home on the water. Of course, such facts mean nothing to those hardcore KISS fans who swear that only Simmons and Stanley are about the money.

The reason why I bring this up is because Criss has retired from touring with many saying that he is done performing for good. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/7833992/peter-criss-founding-drummer-with-kiss-is-retiring-from-touring So if Frehley does return to KISS who is going to play drums? Is it going to be Singer in Criss' makeup?  Even if he wore say Carr's makeup is he still not an imposter since he would be wearing the make up design and stage outfit of a character that he did not create? Or, he could always wear Vinnie Vincent's make up because that was in fact designed by Stanley. But still, it's not the original lineup so I am guessing that the hardcore fans who can't let the 70's go would still insist that it's not the real KISS! But what if they performed without makeup or costumes? Would that make a difference? Maybe because the makeup seems to be the only thing that matters to such fans.  On a funny note, it they didn't perform with makeup maybe Singer can go back to being a blond. But still, it's not the original lineup so is it in fact the real KISS? 


3) It's More Than Frehley's Sobriety 

The original KISS had a magic that cannot be duplicated. No one denies that and I am a still a big fan of that time period as well as other time periods and lineups. But most people who are fans of the original lineup have also never played in a band before and don't know what it's like to be in such a relationship. Even though Frehley's contract required him not to abuse substances during the Reunion Tour Criss has spoken openly about knowing that Frehley was bombed many times with him calling Frehley out on his irresponsible behavior. This was cited in Criss' biography (p. 293 & 316) as well as  in Gene Simmons' book KISS and Makeup (p. 248 ). For some reason (probably money) Stanley and Simmons put up with that for 5 years and then Frehley decided to leave the band again. Aside from dealing with what appears to be Frehley's past sobriety issues (he claims to be sober now and if that is true then that is indeed great news) there are other issues that can be just as annoying for those working in a band together. There was Frehely's frequent tardiness to everything from rehearsals to performances, his crazy demands, him accusing Simmons and Stanley of lying about concert attendance because he doesn't know that an arena's capacity is X thousand but loses X thousand seats when a stage is set up....I mean, how does a business (yes, a rock band is a business) put up with such unprofessional and annoying behavior?

Being in a band is tough and being a pro musician myself I know how there are times when a member leaving the band is a good thing. It's not something that fans understand but until you're in that situation you just don't understand what I'm talking about. Trunk, the biggest critic of the current KISS lineup has worked in the music business for many years but to my knowledge has not been in a pro band before or even plays an instrument with any type of proficiency. If I am correct in my observation then I can safely say that even someone that close to our favorite rock stars, like many die hard fans who hate the current KISS lineup, does not know what it's like to be in a band when a member who causes problems is no longer there. There is a sense of freedom that one doesn't want to give up. Of course KISS isn't the only band that is willing to go through the struggle of bringing back such members for the money but I do know this much, if you can't trust the people you're in a band with then it is just not fun, regardless of how much money you make. Meanwhile, Simmons and Stanley have had a run of over 15 years of problem free touring with Singer and Thayer so again, what would anyone else do if they were in this position? And, it's not like the KISS brand isn't making any money these days.

Now let's address something that no one wants to talk about. Frehey's playing is not as good as he claims. It's obvious that his past substance abuse has done great harm to his body so that along with his age doesn't give him the ability to do the gig better than Thayer. I listened to his previous solo album Space Invader and it was absolutely horrible (Anomaly was slightly better only because I liked the song Space Bear)! I read the "stellar review" of the album given by Metal Sucks that was on the sticker placed on each CD and couldn't help but laugh. So, I decided to contact them in order to challenge them on such nonsense and did receive a reply where they admitted that the album was in fact horrible and that the review wasn't accurate (sounds like someone in the Frehley camp called in a favor). Is this why his latest album is a collection of cover songs and re-records of KISS classics that he wrote with him saying that there is another CD of more covers and re-records on the way? And if you listen to his solos on Space Invader they are nothing more than a rehash of the same old licks we have heard for years with a lot of them not sounding as good as they did in the past. For me this was sad because I love the work he did on the first Frehley's Comet album as well as Trouble Walkin' but I guess this is another example of what happens when you are busy partying your life away.

Also, the current KISS lineup performs songs from all eras and let's face it, Frehley doesn't have and never had the ability to play solos done by his replacements as they used techniques that were common for their musical eras. Why do you think the band only played songs like Lick It Up, Heaven's on Fire and I Love it Loud on the Farewell Tour? Those songs don't have any real solos! Then when Stanley did an excerpt of I Still Love You he did it on his own even though it has a blues based solo. Why? Because Frehley can't play it! Aside from that, imagine Frehley trying to play the solo to Crazy, Crazy Nights, Unholy, Tears are Falling, etc. with each of these songs being featured on recent KISS tours. Sorry folks, it's not happening and Frehley needs to be honest with himself because the truth is, he can't blow Thayer off the stage http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ace-frehley-tommy-thayer/ because his "guitar tutor" prior to the Reunion Tour plays leads from every era of KISStory...and plays them very well! But he will never admit that because as even Criss admits in his book that Frehley has an ego comparable to Simmons (Criss p. 293). So if Frehley does return to KISS it will be a set list of old songs like they did on the Reunion Tour.


Conclusion 

The word on the street is that KISS is going to retire soon http://tonedeaf.com.au/kiss-going-retire-soon-gene-simmons-planning-farewell-party/and that they have a big surprise for the fans.  Some speculate that this surprise might include bringing Frehley back for the fans. I'm not so sure of that because I can't see Simmons and Stanley pushing Thayer aside for one member. Perhaps both Thayer and Singer if they could get Criss to come along as well but that's doubtful as Criss' age more or less tells us that he can't handle the demands of a full production KISS show along with the schedule that KISS demands. After all, he had physical issues during the Reunion Tour and that was over 20 years ago. Now that he's in his 70's....

If I am wrong then it is because bringing in a lesser than Thayer guitarist will work financially speaking because as Stanley has said on more than one occasion, "People listen with their eyes." If that's the case then I say this to those who choose to attend such performances to enjoy it and that there will be an extra seat because I won't be there. Make sure you're caught up in the emotion of the moment because that will be the thing that carries you through the performance because even during the Reunion Tour, there were many moments when Frehley showed that he wasn't the guitarist he was back in the day. Why do you think the band put out a chronicle of the tour when they released the Second Coming home video instead of a complete concert? Well, for those who dare to know, watch the concert footage of the original lineup on the KISS Anthology III DVD set, which came out many years after Second Coming and that will give you the answer. You will see a distinct difference between the musicianship of some members at that time compared to their abilities on KISS Anthology I, which featured footage from the 70's. A big difference! 

I am not saying all of this out of malice towards Frehley because I love many of the KISS songs he wrote as well as many of his solo songs from the 80's. But the proof is in the pudding and he is just not what he used to be. What I find most interesting about KISS fans when it comes to Frehley's playing is that he is the one member that they are the least honest about. For example, no one has a problem stating that Criss in his 50's wasn't the same drummer during the Reunion Tour and onward that he was back when he was still in his 30's during the early days of the band. Not to say that he played bad but he didn't have the same power and drive that he had when he was younger. These same fans certainly hear and comment on the condition of Stanley's voice now with Stanley himself addressing the issue more than once publicly. When will Frehley do the same about his playing and just as important, when will KISS fans do the same when it comes to what they see and hear in Frehley's playing?

In other words, at least on a musical, professional and personal level it just doesn't make sense to bring Frehley back. But when it comes to KISS, it's all about the money so I guess it's likely that we'll see Frehley back in the band real soon. If it were up to me the surprise on a final tour would be to bring back Frehley, Criss, Vincent and Kulick and celebrate the history of the entire band by giving them all spots during each show. After all, the real fans are the ones who didn't jump ship just because the band looked and sounded a bit different from the early days.


Carlos Solorzano 
@csolorzano18
https://www.reverbnation.com/carlossolorzano