IS *KISS* ACTUALLY A GOOD BAND?

[@ukiahsguitarsolos3436]

Peter Criss on the 100,000 Years drum solo from Kiss Alive was spectacular.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yeah it was great at the time, loved it, but compare that with a Neil Peart or a Danny Carey!

[@mooch514]

​@@morrisgautreau6704but the impact peter had on drummers was amazing, the influence kiss had on people and bands is second to none. I think you are clouded. All those bands you mention either opened for kiss or were influenced by kiss.

[@mooch514]

Acdc has great lyrics?? Acdc made a career of 3 same chords ! Wake up! Kiss can play. Dont listen to stupid people

[@kevinchandler179]

Rip 🙌 🙏 Neil Pert, and you don't understand that Rush opened for Kiss for about a year and a half, and Neil Pert said that Peter Criss was frickin amazing and fantastic and technically sound, he never hit the drums the same way twice, and had by far the best voice of any drummer ever!!! Try again, Peter Criss in his prime was one of the best drummers on planet earth 🌏!!!

[@mooch514]

@@kevinchandler179 of course i know rush opened for kiss. Are you 13 yeard old?.. keep trying! Great comedy.

[@tshouse2782]

I could give 2 shits what anyone thinks, they were fantastic

[@psemond72]

KISS has sold over 100,000,000 albums worldwide. With and without makeup. Yes, they are a great band. They wrote music that connected with people.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Because they have the best live act ever, they are a band that needed to be seen live, I like all their songs, but if it wasn't for the nostalgia, well, I think they are a touch, a tiny bit, a smidge overrated now. They live up to the hype in concert and I wish I could have see them live. They will always be my first favorite band!

[@danhickey5707]

Personally, I think if Kiss ended somewhere between Rock and Roll Over and Alive 2 that they wouldn't get dogged on so much. They squandered their Hard Rock Street Cred on goofy stuff like Kiss Meets the Phantom and action figures. Of course, they made truck loads of cash, but their reputation was diminished and it came back to bite them. Now, having opined that, I still like a lot of the "later"stuff, too: Creatures, Lick it Up. Went to a couple non-make-up era concerts, and they were kick-ass, especially Paul Stanley.

[@stevefournier6375]

So taylor Swift, as well and she sucks as a singer!

[@mooch514]

Like 150 million albums

[@andrewking4885]

@@danhickey5707 Why they made that movie ''Phantom of the park'' movie I've got no idea. Ace got sick of all the crap and this was the build up to it.

[@Kissfan96dr]

KISS understands the assignment. That's why they are a top tier band.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

If that assignment is entertainment, oh yeah, one of the greatest spectacles there ever was with the make-up, spitting fire, spitting blood, the lights, the hydraulic stages, and so on. You got your money's worth for sure.

[@ferox965]

​@morrisgautreau6704 You can't hear makeup on a record. KISS was perfectly fine. It was loud, fun and dumb rock and roll performed much better than you think it is.

[@danhickey5707]

​@@ferox965agree...the make-up and costumes got my attention, but the music kept it.

[@CrueLoaf]

Because they entertain! Sometimes people want entertainment...nothing too complicated! It's a primitive need of humans!

[@stringemup5941]

Hell yeah, they are! Peter’s jazz fusion drumming, Gene’s Bob Babbit/JPJ/Paul McCartney bass playing, ACE’s JP/JB Yardbirds guitar playing, and Paul’s a workman guitarist-but arguably the greatest frontman EVER (Fillmore East ‘75)! They were better than a LOT of the REAL bands out there at the time!!! But the SONGS-big riffing of Zeppelin, harmonies and chord structures of the Beatles, and swagger of the Sones…. Those first 3 albums in particular are astounding! I’d also say that KISS are one of a select group of rock with a verifiable 6-pack of great consecutive albums (the first 6 records, btw). Let’s see-Beatles, ZAPPA (who has 3 6- packs I can think of just off the top of my head!), Zeppelin, SABBATH, AC/DC, Rush, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, VH, Maiden… NOT a ton of bands with 6-packs…. Stones-no 6-pack, Steely Dan-no 6-pack, Def Leppard-no 6-pack, Dio, no 6-pack, Michael Jackson-a BANGER of a 3-pack (but no 6-pack), just to name a few. Why some 6 packs and none for others? SOMGWRITING and being able to be a BAND. KISS had that in spades. Several shitty albums for sure, but for anyone who’s ever made a living as a working musician, you know that some decent musicians can form AMAZING bands. You can’t always say the same of a bunch of virtuosos-more often than not, they’re so worried about being soloists that they forget to be a BAND! So, to address the original question, “is KISS a good band”? Of course!! Are they the greatest individual players? No. But NEVER doubt the power of “decent” players to make an amazing band. Learn to listen beyond the posters and merchandising-close your eyes, listen with your ears (not your eyes, and the comments of others-be objective) and you’ll hear what a good BAND sounds like. Remember, the 6-pack rule is a great way of distinguishing a good band from a GREAT band…. Also, I’m not saying that the absence of 6-packs=bad band-the Stones are obviously a GREAT band! They just may not be that consistent…. Anyway, sorry for going on so long! LEARN TO LISTEN LIKE A WORKING MUSICIAN and you’ll never hear music the same way again!! Slaínte, DVH

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I don't mind it being long! You make great points! I will be getting all the rest of Kiss' albums eventually. And, I will give them a deeper listen when I do.

[@davidholland2827]

@@morrisgautreau6704 I totally appreciate the points in your video and I WASN’T attacking any of those points. I LOVE that you have a POV and that you defend that POV. It’s WONDERFUL to meet other who truly BELIEVE in something! I’ll be checking more of your videos out in the future. Keep on keepin’ on! Slaínte, DVH

[@morrisgautreau6704]

@@davidholland2827 Thank you! Hope you have a good time here on my channel!

[@mooch514]

Peter criss was a very good drummer from 73 to 77. The drugs got to him. Critics shit on them. Look at phil's review from " wings of pegasus" he praises kiss for their musicianship and live shows and their music.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Thank you, I'll have to check that out!

[@CrueLoaf]

if anyone slates KISS and their songs or musicianship, I direct them to KISS Unplugged! No flash bombs, no greasepaint, no overdriven Marshall Amps. Just quality songs played well!

[@morrisgautreau6704]

That's true. That is a wonderful performance.

[@russdance7959]

100% they are! Actually underrated! You can't last over 50yrs without being great! Look at the hundreds of bands that never last. Thanks

[@ooofuryooo296]

They are very competent at the style of music they choose to do. They are innovative performers. They have a lot of popular appeal and success. So it depends what you consider a "good" band. Now, were they particularly interesting songwriters or anything that would open the eye of a musician? Mostly, no. Paul and Gene are both competent lead singers and very good at harmonizing. Gene's early basslines are actually pretty interesting take on the McCartney style. Ace had some interesting but not ground-breaking or hard to play leads. I think their most interesting non-formulaic songs would be "She", "100,000 Years", "Black Diamond" from the early period. Later on, maybe stuff like "Sure Know Something" and "Thrills In The Knight" deviated a bit from the norms.

[@carloslozada470]

Kiss made millions and that's all that matters

[@camwatters-iz5bs]

Kiss was a marketing campaign as much as a band. There was some good songwriting for sure but they can’t be compared to zeppelin, sabbath,purple etc

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yes, exactly my point!

[@ericnelson7524]

YES!!! KISS is an awesome and influential band!

[@briandriver301]

Kiss is a good band. They are 100% guitar driven rock and roll. Not heavy metal. But good rock!

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yes they are a good band! I still love them. I was just speculating whether or not their image and hype didn't help them get popular. Basically asking, why don't I still like them as much as I did as a kid?

[@onelove1968]

I loved listening to KISS when I was a young teenager. But when I was first exposed to the musical brilliance of RUSH, I completely lost interest in my KISS albums. By that point, I had come to understand the difference between complex music with real emotional and intellectual substance compared with stylish pageantry set to music.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Very well said! RUSH was a phenomenally, awesome band!

[@derek9658]

As for Peter Criss, listen to dressed to kill and then criticise. He makes that record.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I don't actually think Peter is that bad, he does kill in on the first two ALIVE albums. I'm really not bashing the band as much as it may sound! I'm basically asking though, why don't I still like them as much as I did as a kid?

[@KISSFAN1970]

KISS #1

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I totally understand! There's nothing wrong with that! 😊🤘

[@ScottDavis-ch8ri]

I like their music.

[@mattstickle2725]

Popular music is not necessarily made by great musicians. It's about how they hit with the music they make. That involves Not just the music but marketing, image, and things you seem to have no idea about. They stayed on the music scene over 50 years for a reason. People like them. That's what pop means.. It means popular. And that means they make money.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I'm not going to argue with that. I'm still going to get all their albums regardless. I was just trying to view the music objectively. I still really love the band, just not as much as I did when I was a kid, they lost their magic for me when the replaced Ace and Peter and then took off the make-up. It was never the same again.

[@dmarqu11]

Where did you buy the chase lights behind you? I want to get them.

[@danhickey5707]

I dunno...are The Ramones a good band? Are the NY Dolls a good band? I would say yeah: great songs and the band members vibe together. Same goes for Kiss. It doesn't matter to me one bit that the individual members wouldn't make it in Yes or Steely Dan. That's just my 2 cents. P.S. I am one of those weirdoes that liked The Elder. Don't get me started on Unmasked, though. Blech!

[@distonnelson-wq3po]

The Elder is a masterpiece!

[@illiteratealphabetagency9716]

Hehe, I’ve always thought that Kiss is basically a Corvette with a 100hp engine.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

@@illiteratealphabetagency9716 that is a great analogy!

[@kevinchandler179]

Original lineup Kiss legendary, because of Peter Criss and Ace!!!

[@Davy.J.Y]

In my opinion, KISS got better in the 1980's onwards . The quality of their songs increased drastically . However, i am very fond of their 1970's output . The songs lyrics are pretty bad though . They were an extremely entertaining rock band .

[@jessefinch4071]

All I need from KISS album wise is the albums from 1973-1978, The only good solo album was Ace's.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

That is the best era of Kiss for sure and yes Ace was always my favorite band member!

[@ferox965]

Paul's was better.

[@mooch514]

Like kiss or not ,kiss remains one of the biggest and most influential bands of all time

[@VideoHostSite]

As of July 2024, Kiss has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, including 21 million RIAA-certified albums. They also hold several other records, including: Most gold albums: Kiss has 30 gold albums, more than any other US band Most platinum albums: Kiss has 14 platinum albums, including three multi-platinum albums Alive remains one of the greatest Live albums of all time, and Destroyer literally changed the course of Rock music forever. You don't accomplish all of that just by wearing greasepaint.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I absolutely agree with that! I was just trying to look at them objectively to answer the question, for myself, why I don't like KISS nearly as much as I did before they took off the make-up. I do still really love them, just not like I do other bands.

[@KawaTony1964]

I think Kiss could have been a great band, but they fell victim to their own bombastic image. It was easier to get popular by being theatrical than by actually writing good music. Check out the live performance of "She" on the TV show "Midnight Special". That's a pretty awesome song and a very tight performance.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Well said!

[@MisterMooster]

I think so for sure- i skimmed a concert at random spot s and it was all good, but of course there are a bunch of bands with more hit songs and catchier songs.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

When it's good, it's good, and when it's not, it's not! It's really that simple. lol

[@rjc7289]

Depends on what you mean by "good". In terms of technical proficiency, the original lineup of Paul, Gene, Peter and Ace was anything but that. With Peter out and Eric Carr in, they got better. With Ace out and Vinnie Vincent in, they got better still, and even slightly better than that when Mark St. John replaced Vinnie. However, in terms of technique, musicality, melody, lyrical content and tightness, I believe they were at their pinnacle with Bruce Kulick on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums. After that, they slid back downhill for the reunion and haven't been the same since.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Don't get me wrong, I still love the band! I was just trying to be objective about the music, beyond the image. I'm still going to get all their albums, I still really like them.

[@nitemirror1]

I would say that they are good band. I’ve seen them take a song that was marginal and make it really good by playing it live.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

They are one of the best LIVE bands in the world. That's where they truly live up to the hype.

[@bunkeyscow]

hate them or like them but they are a market genius! Using makup and strange names to stand out.. that made people talk about them to promote the band. The later years, they threw their image on everything from pinball machines to hello kitty toilet paper. I still like kiss air guitar strings, lol. You cant beat that!

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Like I said: It was the image I was into more than their music. when they first took off their make-up, I was 12, it was time for me to grow up. 😂

[@bunkeyscow]

@@morrisgautreau6704 getting from a local band to playing music on the radio is very hard, its like winning the lottery. They knew it was going to be very hard to stand out in a crowd of other bands that was even better then them. They came up with and ideal and ran with it. When they was still small band, they must had indured some hate from the 70s men using makeup .

[@morrisgautreau6704]

@@bunkeyscow I agree! Gene could have been a fantastic Ad Man like Don Draper!

[@bunkeyscow]

@@morrisgautreau6704 ozzy wife is another great person for promotional of black sabbath and ozzy.. they owe her for thier popularity!

[@morrisgautreau6704]

@@bunkeyscow I keep thinking to myself, I wish I had a woman like Sharon to do for me what she did for ozzy!

[@karlshuler1011]

It's all opinion. They were great, pretty good in the 80's. Finished limping out.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yup, exactly right!

[@HellenKillerProject]

Until KISS started trying to replace the original members, they were great. Strange how such incompetent musicians managed to write such good songs and play lead guitar or drums .. Peter Criss, KISS’ signature ballad, “Beth,” is still the band’s highest-charting US single (it peaked at No.7) .. Ace was amazing and the first modern rock player I saw that was "finger tapping" long before Eddie Van Halen. Paul and Gene are businessmen. Something Peter and Ace weren't. I was there when Ace got shocked and when the stage broke and Peter is doing an extended drum solo while Paul, Gene, and Ace tried to push the drum kit back. Now they are considering a KISS without any KISS members .. or Video KISS (Virtual) .. Anyway, anything up to "I was made for loving you". I also remember KISS saying they were a four-piece band and would stay that way.... then how did the Orchestral KISS happen? 50 years or close to it I have listened to KISS. After they started to rid the band of original members that built the group it just wasn't the same.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Exactly, that's all I was trying to say!

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

Greatest American Hero!!!

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Oh yeah, I drew that picture that's on my wall. Loved that show as a kid.

[@TheKitchenerLeslie]

​@@morrisgautreau6704 Me too. I was him for Halloween in 1983. All of the episodes are on KZbin for free, btw... the show holds up.

[@AvysWorld1]

short answer: yes

[@bentheredonethat-lx6nh]

The original 4 were Kiss. After Ace waked away not once, but twice, should really say a lot about Gene n Paul.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yes it does!

[@brademerick9181]

Actually says more about Ace's attitude towards work ethics .

[@bentheredonethat-lx6nh]

@@brademerick9181 Learn the history

[@ooofuryooo296]

I also "walked away" from jobs where I showed up drunk, did not do my work and missed many days without calling in.

[@bentheredonethat-lx6nh]

@@ooofuryooo296 Their were key reasons for Ace doing that. He certainly spoke of them. Perhaps you should listen to what he said, instead just being some silly mouth and saying what pops into your head.

[@carloslozada470]

They sold out arena's for decades

[@AchyBonesBassMan]

Fair points on my favorite band (on the impact of Rock on my lifetime). I Agree to disagree on a few other points, but I enjoyed your perspective. Thank you 🤘

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Thank you. As Performers KISS puts on a fabulous show, 10/10. I still love the band, but I wanted to be objective about the music, I know I can be bias to the way I felt about the music in my formative years. After Kiss, it was Metallica for about 8 years and now it's TOOL since 1992 as my favorite band of all time. I had never seen Kiss Live, I wish I would have had the chance!

[@AchyBonesBassMan]

@@morrisgautreau6704 you made some good points. My ratings of bands that are 10/10 is where some of our views differ somewhat. Music is personal, which makes it a great thing to share opinions on. Subscribed - looking forward to more of your Content. Rock on 🤘

[@morrisgautreau6704]

@@AchyBonesBassMan Thank you, look forward to my shout out!

[@jonvisser1509]

Obviously, they are one of the best bands of all time. There 80's stuff is great. Tears are falling epic solo. Whats your boys in Tool doing now? How long does any band do great The Eagles not so great Fleetwood mac? Aerosmith in the 90's? Very pop stuff and those videos with clueless chic not great 30 years later. Kiss made it 50 years. They didn't end playing state fairs like Loverboy Cheap Trick Reo Speedwagon ect. They are ledgends

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I don't disagree with you. I was just speculating whether or not they may be just a touch overrated, that maybe it's because of their stage presence and Gene's marketing genius that may have influenced it's fans to think the music was better than it may have been. It's just that I am not in a hurry to get their other stuff just yet, but I will. And with TOOL, they just take too f**kin long to make albums, but I will always love them the best, even if they fizzle out.

[@stevesmith7344]

Man you cant rock for 50 yrs and sell over 100,000 albums and not be good

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yes they are a good band! I still love them. I was just speculating whether or not their image and hype didn't help them get popular. Basically asking, why don't I still like them as much as I did as a kid?

[@freedomisntfree2089]

Kiss was a really good band when they were setting trends, Kiss wasn't so good when they started following trends, the money changed a lot of things

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Money amongst other things!

[@freedomisntfree2089]

@@morrisgautreau6704 Peter and Ace were all about the party life, Gene and Paul were all about the business life. It just became a mess after 77.

[@michaelrublesky2178]

Harder than Hell? Try Hotter.. smh

[@kevinchandler179]

Peter Criss was the best damn musician in the band!!!!!

[@TerenceCooper-w2o]

There not a good band. They are a brilliant band that will never be bettered. A kiss fan for nearly 50 years. My kids and grandkids have seen them too. The elder is brilliant too. Never disappointed live. Never be bettered.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yes they are a good band! I still love them. I was just speculating whether or not their image and hype didn't help them get popular. Basically asking, why don't I still like them as much as I did as a kid?

[@markrushton5108]

I gave up on them when "The Elder" dropped. I used to rush to buy every album, and I took one LOOK at the album cover, and walked away, cursing Gene.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I know exactly what you mean, it took years to finally warm up to that album!

[@RayInfante-n4b]

*KISS IS THE GREATEST AMERICAN ROCK N ROLL BAND OF ALL TIME*.....1973 - 2023

[@mikesyria1787]

Yes they are good.

[@MarkLloyd-zr3oz]

Raw RR roll that was tight as yes they were a great band until they weren't peace lloydy

[@TomJarmusz-bb5yy]

They had plenty of good songs!

[@ferox965]

Easy answer, yes. The songs are there. You can't hear makeup on a record. At their best, they were raw, loud, fun, dumb rock and roll. They were absolute road dogs. KISS have been pissing off the squares since 1973. The real players know and understand their influence. If you are only worried about makeup, you didn't get it. As far as image goes, that is NO DIFFERENT than ANY OTHER BAND.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Okay, very fair points. Yes they are a good band! I still love them. I was just speculating whether or not their image and hype didn't help them get popular, because I could say for sure it worked on me. Basically asking, why don't I still like them as much as I did as a kid?

[@ferox965]

@@morrisgautreau6704 Tool pays just as much attention to their image as KISS does. There's a certain degree of anonymity that Tool has that mirrors KISS.

[@tbone7679]

If you don’t like KISS but you do like hard rock, fine. You’re probably a snob, but fine. Just own up to being a snob is all I ask😀

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Never said I didn't like KISS, just asking myself objectively, why I don't like them as much as I did when I was young, during their original make-up days in the 70s! I still love kiss.

[@tbone7679]

@@morrisgautreau6704 i get it. But there are a lot of love Zep, love Floyd, love Rush, love whomever, think Kiss sucks types out there that I think completely miss the point of what hard rock n roll is all about. And when they do that it is all about the “musical abilities those bands possess” in a real snobbish way that has nothing to do with whether a song rocks or not. In fact the more artsy classic rock bands had to be countered with the simple punk movement as the 10 minute ridiculous opus’s had gotten ridiculous

[@timsears951]

I think for some of us they were good BUT ..started to get stale after a few years ..I respect Gene & Paul for starting KISS from the ground up but frankly their music gets boring after awhile

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yes it does, they were great when I was a kid, but got more and more same old same old! I needed music with more energy or more deeper meaning and with soul! Not always about Making Love And Rockin And Rollin All Night And Every Day!

[@scottnorris8071]

What’s good mean?

[@morrisgautreau6704]

I was just speculating whether or not they may be just a touch overrated, that maybe it's because of their stage presence and Gene's marketing genius that may have influenced it's fans to think the music was better than it may have been.

[@IAMTHERAZOR]

You mean was

[@morrisgautreau6704]

That would be more accurate actually! I'm not going to change the title now, but you're right!

[@raynaRobichaud]

Kiss Alive is the only album that I like of them. 😎👍

[@morrisgautreau6704]

It is their best album for sure, I agree! And Kiss Alive was the album that put them on the map, I was a fan from the beginning, around 4 to 5 years old!

[@johnmcneill175]

Short answer no they are not a good band don't need a video to watch

[@AdrianJeffreys-fj2fv]

When your putting out two albums a year your song writing suffers if they would do what bands do now ever three years they and the record company probably though let's make money til this shit goes backwards and dries up

[@bunkeyscow]

the only song i like is " do you love me" but i like the nirvana cover version better.. lol

[@morrisgautreau6704]

Yeah, that one's a good one!

[@davidmartin-kd6hk]

i don't like ac dc

[@morrisgautreau6704]

That's okay, you don't need to.

[@illiteratealphabetagency9716]

@@davidmartin-kd6hk I’m not an AC/DC listener, but their musicianship is far better than Kiss.

[@annex4398]

Paul Stanley has been lip syncing large portions of the shows since 2018. Not even a real band once they started cheating like that.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

That doesn't surprise me at all!

[@seanfay2848]

Not really lip synching. Using enhanced backing vocals because his voice isn't as strong as it once was.

[@mooch514]

No lip synching

[@LarryGravesCanadianStudmuffin]

I love their debut album but none of their later albums really interest me at all but they certainly have a lot of fans.

[@morrisgautreau6704]

You are right, it is their best album, I was too blinded by the hype after that to know what good music really was. I was hypnotized by the spectacle! Damn you Gene! 😂

[@captaincripple280]

I concur. Nothing else they did measures up to 100KY and Black Diamond.