The United States of Esoterica

Just picked it up (it's a Walmart exclusive in the US) and it's a hell of a value. The Sonic Boom album, KISS Klassics (reworked classics album by the new band, which I'll get to in a moment) and a concert DVD for 12 bucks. I haven't listened to the main album yet, but the KISS Klassics portion is almost like a slap in the face to KISS fans (more specifically, Ace and Peter fans).

If you remember Strutter '78 on Double Platinum you'll remember how it changed the original version just a bit, but enough to change the tempo and some of the guitar work enough to differentiate it from the KISS album version. These versions aren't changed up that much. It's the original version just with a new drummer and guitarist. Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer play the exact same parts and solos that were in the original recordings. Save for a few production changes on vocals, you really can't tell the difference between the songs.

I'm not sure if they did it just to sell more records or if they did it to tell former members "See we can do this without you", but they seem to lack the soul of the originals, which may be due to the fact that they're recorded digitally instead of the old analog tapes.

The songs are played well and they sound good, but they aren't the same. It's a good thing they included it for free instead of charging for it (at least outside of Japan).

One other small thing, I really don't like them using the Cat and Spaceman makeup for Eric and Tommy. If for no other reason than it just reeks of gimmicks, like they don't think they could create new personas for them and instead have to resort to promoting the characters instead of the band itself. The music should stand on it's own instead of trying to recreate a once in a lifetime phenomenon.

I'll be back with thoughts on Sonic Boom itself, but for now I just wanted to give my thoughts on the re-recordings.

this is the reason i say gene and paul can 'kiss' my fucking ass. the catman and spaceman persona belonged entirely to peter and ace. it's their trademark. it's their invention. it's their alter ego while playing on stage. to allow other members to use it is inexcusable.

i just wonder if peter and ace could sue the band for using their creations? peter and ace should have the rights to those characters since they were the one who invented them.

I don't understand Kiss's popularity !!!!???? I think they suck !!! IMO.

When they quit, Ace and Peter signed over the rights to the designs of their characters. Even though they own them, Gene and Paul should show some commom courtesy to the guys who helped them get to the position that they're in, I mean how many other bands can have a decade long farewell tour? What was even worse was when they were still on tour and Ace left and Tommy took over in his makeup and costume and they didn't let the fans know.

If the shoe was on the other foot, I bet Paul and Gene would be pissed to no end if Ace and Peter did it. As a matter of fact, they should team up and get two stand-ins and oput them in a parody of Gene and Paul. If for nothing else but to see how litigious Gene is.

In other KISS news, Peter has a book deal now. I'm interested in hearing his side of the story since Gene and Paul's have changed more than a dozen times depending on if Peter and Ace are helping them at the time.

MM, that's cool. A lot of people can't look past their presentation to appreciate the music. They made a lot of good music (and a lot of bad to be honest) but do me a favor, pick up Destroyer or borrow it, listen to it and let me know if it changes the way you see them. But I can't criticize you, I hate a lot of popular bands from my time (Bon Jovi, Metallica among others) so not everyone has the same taste.

I don't hate them . I actually like a few of their songs . But for the most part ,I think they suck . Gene Simmons acts like he's some gift from God ! I don't see any talent from him,except for a long tongue ! lol. I saw him on American Idol judging other people . He would have been laughed off the stage !!! He's a dick !!! Paul can sing ! He is a star . I ''ve played drums for 27 years ,so I know what a drummer is .It isn't Peter Criss ! lol.

what a great idea. i'd love to see ace and peter get together and do a project. i wonder if ace and peter get along?

destroyer is a great album. it's classic. their newer stuff can't compare. i used to be a big kiss fan. it's just not the same band without peter and ace.

nonetheless, i thought eric carr was great. one of my favorite drummers. i read somewhere that ace and eric were pretty good friends.

KISS is my favorite band.
I've seen them several times, but only with the original four members. I passed on their recent shows at Cobo.

I have no interest in seeing anyone other than the original four as KISS and I won't buy Sonic Boom. Nothing against Eric and Tommy, but they're just fill-ins.

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"I didn't need to learn what I learned today." -- Jesse Ventura.
"There is but one special interest that we should be working for, and that would solve just about all of our problems, and that is our liberty. " - Ron Paul.

Yeah they're still good friends. On Peter's last album he did a song called "Space Ace" and the one before that Ace played acoustic on Beth. All of them loved Eric Carr, even Peter loved Eric lol. Peter called into Rockline when Ace was on a few weeks ago just to hype Anomoly (which blows Sonic Boom out of the water).

Something I read that shows Gene's feelings about Ace, Paul has taken almost as long as Ace to release his next solo album but according to Gene, Paul is taking a long time because he's "A meticulous poerfectionist who wants to give the best to the fans" while Ace took so loong because he's "A lazy drunk".

RSS, I know what you mean. KISS is my favorite band, too. I bought SB just out of habit of buying KISS albums. I'm not disappointed in it, it's some of their best stuff in years, but when they say it's Love Gun meets Rock and Roll Over they're full of shit. After a few more listens I'll give a review of it, but it does sound like classic KISS, but doesn't feel like CLASSIC KISS if that makes sense.

I'll also do a review of Anomoly, but my quick take, just buy it. It's worth the 11.88 it goes for.

what did you think of the psycho circus album?

I'd have to relisten to it. At the time it was the most awesome thing since it was a new album by the original members and came on the heels of Carnival of Souls (that one still annoys me in it's boringness). Now that I know it's still not "really" a KISS album with all the session players they had I really don't know. I loved "Into the Void" and the title song, they felt like KISS back during the latter part of the 70's before Dynasty.

But even then it's up there with Revenge as their best post Creatures album. Even if most of it is nostolgia filled.

listening to alive II right now. what a great album. love ace's rocket ride. great song. shock me is another frehley classic.

I don't think I will buy it because of the way Gene and Paul have treated the legacy. Yes, occasionally in a band it is necessary to replace members for reasons....however, if you have seen Simmons Family Jewels (which I really like) but...they paid Ace and Peter for their costumes...but, still it doen't matter if you put Singer or Thayer and let them wear the makeup, they just don't have the same guitar ability as Ace.

Sorry...I want to hear Ace's guitar lines (Even if they were mostly Bruce Kulik's on Destroyer). His string bends are unique and no one besides him can produce them inside Kiss.......I don't really care if Paul and Gene have a new cd.

If I may ask a question of the KISS elite, I'm a casual admirer of their work and have bought a few albums in the past - just so you know my background.

OK, so the question is: how in the world did Paul and Gene carve out such a piece for themselves? Shouldn't all 4 founding members get equal shares? How were the other two guys get shoved out and brought back at Gene and Paul's whim over the years? Also, why don't people get more pissed or give shit to them about it. If U2 shoved Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton aside, there would be soccer-style riots going on (well, at least in Europe, lol).

I know you guys are annoyed about it, but what about KISS fans in general?

Is the KISS brand just so bullet-proof that it can withstand anything and everything, including a Christmas or country album??

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"This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture. The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine."

Gene and Paul were slick in how they handled it. When Peter quit, they still had their usual vote only this time ionstead of having four guys voting you had three. Gene and Paul always voted the same way so there was no way Ace's opinion mattered.

After Unmasked, they were discussing doing another "real" KISS album but then Gene got distacted by Hollywood and came up with the lame idea for "The Elder". He imagined it as an epic fantasy movie that would be made and the album be the soundtrack for it. Paul went along with it and Ace pretty much said, "here's a couple of songs for it" that he did in his home studio and then quit the band out of disgust. Gene and Paul knowing that the fans would mutiny after losing OPeter the year before decided to honor his resignation (while giving them full power in the band) and acted to the public like je was still a member. In fact, Ace's last appearance with them before the reuinion tour was the filmoing of a video for "I love it loud" which he hadn't played on. After the shoot, he went and changed clothes, took off the makeup and didn't appear with them until almost a decade later.

During the subsequent lawsuits, etc. Gene and Paul claimed to own the characters because they quit on their own free will but (rightly so) Ace claimed that he had been forced out of the group. SO as a way to end it Gene and Paul had to buy Ace and Peter's rights to the band from them. In fact, during the reunion and farewell tours, Ace and Peter weren't members as much as they were contracted preformers.

It's a sticky situation really since KISS was built off of Wycked Lester, so the core of the group was in place with Gene and Paul, but the soul of the group didn't get there until Ace and Peter joined. It's funny though, you always either think Gene and Paul or Ace and Peter but never mix the names. It was like a clique within the band.

As for a Christmas album with them, I doubt we'd see one since Paul and Gene are both Jewish-but just for shits and giggles, check out Twisted Sister's album "A Twisted Christmas"; it's an album of Christmas standards done in the TS style and it is awesome. It's become one of the favorites of my family during this time of year.