KISS: Everything a Rock Band Shouldn’t Be! Plus: New Wall Art Unboxing!

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

Except for their first album, RUSH is another band that were lifelong friends. They also shared songwriting credit equally...so no conflict there. Respect.

[@rickr2029]

Not only that but they ended the band with class and dignity.

[@RogueReplicant]

@The Terrence Reardon Podcast Yes. Alex was no longer willing to accommodate Geddy's ballooning ego. He started to hog the limelight and the whole spectrum of sound with his synths. Good thing Geddy was smart enough to back off and do Counterparts in the old school way. Then Neil's tragedy started.

[@RogueReplicant]

@@rickr2029 The most fitting ending for a band that was pure class, musicianship and artistic integrity.

[@rickr2029]

@@RogueReplicant Yes all those superlatives! The antithesis of Kiss.

[@jamesjackson8058]

Kiss

[@jamessummerlin9516]

Someone once described Gene Simmons as the Steven Segal of rock music, even as a one time fan of Kiss from the Destroyer album back, I found that aptly put. Thank you for doing this.

[@ssssssssssssssssss50]

Is Steven Segal hold in such bad regard?

[@bluesteel5688]

@@ssssssssssssssssss50..Seagal is commonly regarded as a joke...his movies terrible, his 'acting' awful, pathetic and predictable scripts, his ego overwhelming and his personality non-existent...a pure narcissist

[@Holden_McGroyn]

I beyond idolized Gene from the same period, but after all the bands' books started coming coming out I saw Gene as the putz he really is. And it just got worse from there. This is nothing new if you've been paying attention.

[@colico14]

@@ssssssssssssssssss50 He's an embarrasingly portly/ weirdly-dyed haired/goateed textbook has-been (never was?) who enjoys kissing Putin's ass as a pastime. He's also known for sexually harassing/assaulting women. You tell me. The next time he goes over to hobnob with Pooty-Poot the diminutive genocidal maniac, the traitorous bum ought to be banned from re-entering the U.S. I think Gene is actually the better person!

[@stevenmaginnis1965]

Joe Queenan once said that the cast of 'Cats' reminded him of the original Kiss. Long in the tooth, frazzled, an resigned to their fate as an oldies act, yet convinced hat with a few breaks here and there, they could have been Van Halen. 😆

[@markrushton5108]

Gene has everything, yet nothing. Good life lesson.

[@jeffcathcart4759]

All this talk about Kiss being inadequate musically is horseshit! Sure, I’m a fan, but I like a lot of bands. I’ll be the first to say Kiss did a boatload of cheesey crap, but for simple, three or four chord rock songs, I can name 30-40 that are as good as anyone’s. They did hard rock, ballads, anthems, heavy metal, and disco. I’ve been involved with music for over 50 years, as a musician, DJ, writer, producer, and marketer, and Kiss’ place in rock history is well deserved. Does Gene have a big ego? A big mouth? Is he an asshole? Yes, yes and yes! Does he say outrageous things, is he money hungry and sexist? Again, yes, but he loves America, gives to charity, and is a tireless worker. When he says something off putting, many times it’s an act for his Kiss persona.

[@martinmurphy4852]

Gene has the same problem that has beset America in general. If its not about money it doesn't matter. Money junkies are like any other junkie. They start making bad decisions and alienating the people around them until they have there moment of clarity or die alone. Hopefully Gene and America will have this moment before its to late.

[@NormenHansen]

@@jeffcathcart4759 Its not about the complexity of the music, its about the performance. Not very tight, not very groovy, not always on pitch. The best thing in KISS is probably Pauls voice, the rest just isn't very pretty. Their place in rock history is mostly down to how much (especially gene) wanted that place. - At least thats my hot take 😘

[@jeffcathcart4759]

@@NormenHansen The performance?!? Not very groovy?!? What does that even mean? I’ve seen Kiss seven times, and like most bands that have been around for decades, they’ve had good AND bad shows. One show I saw they were lousy. Another show ranked among the top three shows I’ve ever seen, and yes they were tight. They’ve written many catchy, simple rock-n-roll anthems. They’ve done ballads, hard rock, pop, disco, metal and grunge. Not very pretty?!? What’s your definition of pretty? Ace Frehley kicks ass on guitar, and he’s influenced millions. Eric Carr and Eric Singer are BOTH excellent drummers, and Paul and Gene have written dozens of catchy songs, and are great showmen. I don’t get your sentence about their place in rock history…”…mostly down to how much (especially Gene) wanted that place.” What does THAT mean? Bottom line? The facts say they’re the #1 all time gold record leader among American rock bands; they’ve sold over 100 million albums, have millions of fans, influenced generations of musicians, have been together 49 years, and are HOFers. You can certainly like who you want, but it won’t change a thing about what millions already know.

[@NormenHansen]

@@jeffcathcart4759 Yeah, you already said that thats your opinion.

[@book3100]

You know, I've played in a few cover bands in my time. Never covered one Kiss tune, never had a request for one. Makes me think if it weren't for the makeup, they'd be entirely forgettable.

[@georgeedward1226]

Another great band that called it a day at the height of their career with their 3 original members was The Jam. They packed in an astounding body of work in about 5 years. They were not well known in the US however. In the UK they are legends.

[@billkingston4402]

Well said, that's entertainment

[@LSPalm]

Going Underground

[@MJ98774]

I never liked punk rock because I wasnt impressed with the musicianship but the jam JAMMED. Especially as a young bassist I saw them on Fridays (a TV show in the early 80s) and they did Private Hell and just annihilated....I still watch that clip to this day and its impressive AF. All musicians are top notch and I live in the US, so I can confirm...nobody knows of them here. But they should. Awesome talent.

[@georgeedward1226]

I actually saw them on their last US tour at the NY Palladium in '82. Went both nights and hung out with them in the hospitality room after both shows. Got to one show early and a bunch of us were invited into the sound check where they played Heatwave. They were the most fan-friendly band I ever seen and I went to plenty of concerts back in the day.

[@clutch2827]

The Police

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

Ace Frehley has been touring the world as a solo artist for the past 15 years or so. One of those tours, he was opening for Gene Simmons so Gene has seen that Ace can still do it first hand. Maybe not as well as when he was younger, but he's still got it and doesn't need to hide behind backing tapes like his former bandmates have been doing for the past few years. As for Peter Criss, I think he's officially unofficially retired. He's not said it in so many words, but I think he's enjoying home life. He's an older guy with a history of various illnesses and injuries so his body may not be up to drumming for a full show at this point, he hasn't played a full show in years and during his most recent live performances, he only played drums for a few songs and was mostly just singing. With all that said, I think if he wanted to, he could pull off a short last tour with KISS, especially as they'd probably continue using tracks anyway. Paul Stanley can't sing anymore, he's lost the majority of his vocal range due to years of straining his voice and not taking care of it. As for Gene not having any friends, I think there are people who would consider themselves his friends, but he's probably not a good friend to any of them. He strikes me as the sort of friend who is only there when he needs something, otherwise you'll never see or hear from him. He's a very selfish person and he's very proud of that.

[@chipper2462]

Maybe that's why I never got into KISS much. As a kid in the 70s I knew exacly who they were and the craze was pretty real. I guess it was the heavy merchandising that kinda got me wondering. KISS seemed geared to kids.

[@Wyocaster]

As a younger fan of kiss who was never there for any of the glory days, their music died the day that the original lineup broke up. They aren't Kiss to me without Ace and Peter

[@jeffreyknight3884]

I did see all the original band members and I agree with you. Kiss died for me too when ace and Peter left.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

🤣 Simmons doesn't have time to just "hang out" with anybody, he's too busy thinking up schemes to fleece the KI$$ Army (and anybody else)!

[@treff9226]

Ace has been sober now for FREAKIN' years and has put out his strongest work, his last three or four albums have ALL of us Ace fans displaying miles of smiles! Excellent playing and rocking pretty hard, with those inimitable vocals, Ace is kicking ass over anything Kiss is doing (although, I did like Monster and Sonic Boom albums) and he simply doesn't need this insulting offer from mean Gene! That Beatles clock would look REAL nice in my bedroom/rock and roll museum! Awesome channel, Michael, and please send clock to Treff B. 1234 Hey Ho Let's Go St. Huntington Beach, CA. 66666. Good stuff, my friend.

[@treff9226]

Let's keep in mind that people like Gene Simmons who repel us all with their collosal egos and self important attitudes, are actually using this attitude as a crutch to cover up deep seated insecurities and shortcomings. These feelings of inadequacy usually stem from childhood and are hard to conquer.

[@brianstrutter1501]

@The Terrence Reardon Podcast - wrong. It was well after 1984. And Peter is/was a major prick. And a pathological liar. So if you believe everything Peter says you are a gullible fool

[@michaelkeller971]

I’m a huge KISS fan. Love the original KISS. But also very thankful for Eric Carr’s part in KISS. ….. The Beatles broke up for a reason. I’m sure it wasn’t because they were getting along. …. Aces’ last 2 CDs were horrible. He should stop recording and playing live until he gets off his ass and practices…. No excuse.

[@jawsartist]

@@michaelkeller971 Yes one of my favorite guitar players and the reason I started playing giutar at 12. He was a god to me, but I"ll be honest, he can't play his was out of a wet bag anymore. As much as I love the guy his playing is horrible and sloppy. People will argue with me about it, most the time because they aren't musicians and cant hear it. My favorite of all time but lets be honest, he sounds like an infant trying to play the thing now.

[@tedkoppel4199]

I always admired that Led Zeppelin ended it after losing a member.

[@tedkoppel4199]

As far as Kiss goes, I was never into them. As a late Gen X'er I grew up on radio/MTV classic rock. My favorite music is from the 90's I believe it's the last great era of Rock and Roll and I'm happy that I was a part of it. Bands I like recently are The Marcus King Band, Alabama Shakes (they really need to come back from their hiatus) Tedeski Trucks band (truly amazing live) and Billy Strings (he's such a talented picker) theirs so many gems still out there, just gotta find them.

[@claudebonenfant6700]

Corrwction: Only Plant refused to continue. To this day, Page is angry at him for refusing to reform.

[@tedunderhill9718]

Agreed. Many of these bands today have only one former member, they're not even shells of what they were, they're entirely different bands carrying on as the same thing. Cover bands for some of the original bands are better than the "actual bands" these days, at least musically speaking. One of the very few things to KISS' credit is that they're difficult to cover because of that, but that's because their concerts are based upon the show and spectacle first, the music second. And for the love of all that's decent, who TF wants to hear a 40 or 50 year old man, much less a 60 or 70 year old one, sing Shout It Out Loud, it's written for kids without any guidance in life. SMH

[@greg33770]

Not having friends is nice....no drama, no games, no back stabbing, peace and quiet !!

[@tektoniks_architects]

In the case of Kiss, you have to be able to separate their music from their theatrics, because they were one of the few bands from that era that were almost entirely about "THEATER." In a sea of great "musicians" from the 1970's, Kiss was all about the visual. If you try to evaluate Kiss in terms of their music or musicianship, they were not in the same class as their contemporaries. But if you bought a ticket to hear and SEE a great SHOW - they were great showmen. I give them lots of credit for understanding their musical limitations and instead concentrating on their ability to visually entertain.....which they certainly did.

[@markrushton5108]

You are wrong. Back in the day, all we had was Records, 8 track and cassette tapes. Except for magazines, we never saw the theatrics. We just Rocked.

[@tektoniks_architects]

I was there. I lived those times.

[@nathanlansford1882]

There were reel-to-reel tapes, too. KISS were definitely more about the music then, in their earlier years & also during the non-makeup years of the 80's & early-to-mid 90's. Anybody who thinks otherwise obviously wasn't really *LISTENING* .

[@mjt5576]

Frankly, I can't understand why Kiss is even discussed seriously as a musical entity. I always considered them a clown show. Still do.

[@mikesmusicden]

As a bass player I give Gene props for his playing; I respect him as a bass player. Gene created some iconic bass lines and was a big part of the KISS sound. I think it would be difficult to be around him for any extended period of time, though

[@NickS-lz5vk]

So true, this is one of the fundamentals that set The Beatles and Zeppelin apart from the other bands.

[@NickS-lz5vk]

@The Terrence Reardon Podcast Interesting... I didn't know that. You would think they would have been there for him. Bonham and Plant go back longer and were best buds, but still? McCartney sent a massive flower arrangement for Bonham when he passed away.

[@davidimrie6916]

I'm with you Michael, my 2 favorite bands are the Beatles and Led Zeppelin and one of the reasons is they only had original members play during their heyday.

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

Much like RUSH except for the first album.

[@MarcPagan]

Kiss /Gene and Paul really don't sound too different than the Eagles ...Don Henley and Glen Frey even insisted on getting more money on tour, when the band reformed

[@bassislife-trh]

There have been an awful lot of bands who've put out some great music after replacing key members due to death or drug use or whatever (AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, etc). If they decided to just hang it up, we'd be without that great music

[@VoiceofHarold1]

Maybe they aren't considered cool anymore, but if we are talking longevity and intraband loyalty, you have to give U2 credit. Same four guys since '78, I think. If we are talking number of years together as a unit... I think they might hold the record for band consistency/ longevity.

[@mikee2923]

ZZ Top same 3 guys from 1969 through 2021 when Dusty Hill died. Neil Peart joined Rush in 1974 and stayed until his death in 2020.

[@stewartcash555]

U2 only had one good album

[@MsBenlane]

the rush band seemed to like each other and still do and there doesn't seem to have been an ego thing but when you read books on stars and bands and that seems to have been an exception. physical attacks,mean remarks, quitting firing playing but at as much of a distance as possible.

[@tedunderhill9718]

Neil went thru some real hardships, stuff that people typically don't go thru. Geddy and Alex were both very sensitive to that. I don't believe at any time, contrary to the suggestion of The Terrence Reardon Podcast implied here, that these tensions were between any members of the band. Neil lost his daughter in a car accident in '97, and then the following year lost his wife to cancer. I don't call that tension, it's tragedy. And much like the Beatles or Zeppelin quit after all four members couldn't play together, Alex and Geddy respected Neil and did the same. Again, hardly tensions as implied. The biggest tensions that RUSH faced was with the industry, the labels, and that generally speaking ended in 1981 with their release of Moving Pictures.

[@elvis5138]

The thing is people are different. And some people are not just compaitble. You can’t expect a band to simply stay togheter. If you know your Kisstory I can defently see where Paul and Gene is coming from and how and why it didn’t work out with Peter And Ace. I mean for example when Ace left the band in the early 80s he said himself if he had stayed he would’ve probably died due to the partying and rock n’ roll life style.

[@boseefusmacmurphy1156]

Pete Best anyone? I like a lot of the 80's kiss albums I'm glad they kept going without the original members instead of flaming out in under a decade. Kiss is amazing to see live. Are they the Walmart of metal?.. yeah probably. And that's probably what makes them more analogous to the Beatles than anything else. Also.. they have a bunch of gold records. Pink Floyd, heart, and even the holy Beatles, plenty of good bands have replaced members or played another's parts on record.

[@marcmarc1967]

I think there's been over 50 members of Heart.

[@ianmcnamara2100]

Pete Best was never THE drummer. They needed A drummer for Hamburg, any drummer. Pete was available.

[@BruceColon-BSides]

Gene Simian has always been more into business than music. The band is just a money vehicle for him. Never a KISS fan, but I understand why 70s teens were. Cool new wall art!

[@notforsale5967]

Yep, he was rightfully correct. He understood branding decades before many others. Give credit to Gene. Plus he was sober and clean. Big plus!

[@nathanlansford1882]

He changes his story sometimes about the "sober & clean" business, though... Not all the time, but sometimes.

[@sicksquid3258]

Never was a fan of Kiss,And when Simmons gave his views on those who refused 'The dart' he was toast in my book.

[@johndef5075]

Ok doctor😂

[@sicksquid3258]

@@johndef5075 Roll up your sleeve,big farma wants more money!

[@CapstoneTider]

I've had friends who are Kiss fans but never anyone I've been in a band with. They put money first. Excellent video as usual.

[@nietherniether7508]

Isn't 80 years of kiss enough already?

[@colico14]

Especially for a band that had a creative shelf-life of 5-6 years.

[@mooch514]

​@@colico14listen closely....they have lots of great music

[@boggy6060]

He must be a very happy man. I too got rid of my fake friends and couldn't be any happier. Most people are only out to get what they can. But if things start turning bad, hey are the first to fly the coup. One good friend is better than a hundred bad ones.

[@Chicken_Wing91]

Kind of reminds me of the temptations movie when Eddie Kendricks told Otis Williams “soon there’s going to be more ex temptations than temptations” they aren’t as big now but they still put out music and the only original member still in the group is Otis Williams

[@SlartibardfastMG]

Hi Mike, I would like to start by saying that Band Brotherhood as you know, is a real thing. I sang/toured in rock bands from the tender age of 15 years of youth (now 59), it was all pretty messy for the first few years but I met a Guitarist that changed my life, we got together and started actually writing songs that made sense to us both. We had a band that operated under several names over a 20 year period and he always referred to me as his brother. To me this was awesome, I lost my real elder brother to suicide when I was 13 so to have someone say that about me was like gaining acceptance from someone who I had always considered to be a few levels above me, his playing is amazing and I respect him eternally but shit happens and muddies the water between close bandmates and when that happens, stuff gets said and that friendship can disappear in an instant. Once it's gone, it never returns. I think that a lot of the shit that's going down between Paul and Ace is like that only Paul and Gene have such enormous egos that backing down from an argument is now not even on their radar. When was the last time Gene or Paul actually apologized for anything. Oh the pain of having millions of dollars and to want for nothing, I hope that they do sort it out, after all, Peter and Ace were the original members, do the first show together, do the last show together as a show of respect to the guys who actually started the roller coaster as a band.

[@suepeacock3342]

I love the new clock. I was 7 when the Beatles came to America. I remember all the craziness well.

[@spiritualhammer392]

Thing about KISS, for me, was...they were a gateway to finding really good music like Zeppelin, Hendrix, Cream, Sabbath, Van Halen, Priest, etc. I was raised with the Beatles and the Monkees as my intro to rock music by my parents. I was a kid in the 70s so KISS seemed exciting - they were easily identifiable visually (like the Beatles and the Monkees) and you could have your own "favorite" member - yet they were musically stripped down and their sound and image was mysterious/dangerous, which is why parents were freaked out. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were well-spoken in media early on, and I would read interviews with them saying how they were influenced by certain bands. So I dug back into music history and expanded, recognizing KISS's music was like an introduction, easily accessible and energetic, to better music. And agreed, that horrible 1978 movie was not the best representation/first impression you could have gotten from them. That was a major mistake and a low point in their career - they never recovered. I was a kid watching that on live TV and was hiding behind the couch from embarrassment. I never recovered either! KISS could almost be categorized a proto-punk band in their first 2 years if you really think about it. Yet they led me to discovering (for myself) YES, Captain Beyond, Alex Harvey and ELP somehow. haha Thanks again for the thought-provoking posts! Cheers

[@briteppr62]

Hi Michael, I'm a recent subscriber to your channel. True story here: Some years ago I was waiting in line with my young son to purchase tickets for a movie at Century City in Los Angeles. Standing in line in front of me is Gene and his son Nick. I knew that Gene had a reputation for being persnickety, but I couldn't resist the opportunity. I carefully approached Gene and Nick and in a low unassuming voice I said hi. He definitely gave off cold vibes. Nevertheless I attempted to make a low key inside joke, something that only he might catch onto. The line was ridiculously long so in a low and unassuming voice I said 'it feels like cold gin time tonight'. He turned around, looked down at me (yeah he's tall) peaked over his sunglasses and gave me a cold hard stare. Oh well. I've had other pleasant and quirky chance encounters with Ringo (same move theater, years before) and Rick Wright (also Century City outside of the food court). Both of whom were good spirited gentlemen.

[@jimschleich8753]

I love the invitation to sit in for the "encores". IF IT'S WRITTEN ON THE SET LIST IT'S NOT AN ENCORE! That is in fact a short (usually second) set. Once you play all the songs on the set list, and audience reaction inspires you to come out and do more, then that is an encore. In 100s of concerts I've seen exactly TWO true encores. I know it's just widely accepted corruption of language, but it's wrong.

[@markwilliams5606]

Remember seeing this Band at Bobalo. Amusement park in Detroit in 72-73. They got really popular Here because they were Rock and Roll. They named themselves Kiss. Gene Simians is a good Business Man. He's got friends in Monroe Wisconsin. Nobody's perfect. Not even you.

[@scottedwards33]

As far as bands continuing with lineup changes, I think there's a few flavors here. One is a member being ousted for various reasons like drugs or musical direction (Kiss, Rolling Stones, Van Halen). The next is a death but the rest have more to give and keep it going (AC/DC, Def Leppard). The last and hardest to forgive is an older band replacing members just to tour with the name (Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd). I think each one should be taken individually. It's important to consider a bands output after the change and the former member's contribution to the music.

[@GamingAnimator1]

I love Kiss but I can't disagree with anything said here.

[@shanewalton8888]

Led Zeppelin is interesting as it started out with Page being in charge and paid the most, but as the 70s went on they gradually became equals.

[@tektoniks_architects]

They were always musical equals....but it was Jimmy's band from day 1 until today.

[@danielmcevoy976]

I actually don't know what to say. I'm not sure what the point of this video was? You love the Beatles and don't like KISS?

[@BigBass-xf5yi]

I always say “George” first in the Beatles lineup. My favorite Beatle.

[@joemartucci4786]

Great video Michael. Unfortunately I have to disagree. Gene was one of the first musician to say it's a business. Tons of early bands lost millions of dollars because they didn't treat as a business. As far as changing members well if you run a business & two of your friends or associates start showing up so strung out & can't do their job unfortunately you have to let them go it sucks but when you have a machine like that you don't have a choice. I'd hate to be in that position. I don't know anyone in Kiss personally all I know as when the band I was in opened for them they were the nicest most accommodating bands that we opened for. I know Gene can come across as arrogant but actually I do understand were he& kiss are coming from. But they should retire.

[@avispielrein1360]

Thanks Michael for another brilliant video, I could not phrase it better. Thanks for the original fresh thoughts, the clear voice, and the dedication, thanks for being there. :)

[@jennifreak63]

concerning the Beatles, there were 4 different drummers prior to Ringo, Colin Hanton, Tommy Moore, Norman Chapman, Pete Best.

[@zumbifer]

thanks Gene and Paul for entertain my life and soul for 44 years and only believe in yourselves. thats the lesson i learned: I believe in me.

[@TheSteveBoyd]

The real KISS put out 6 quality studio albums (Hotter Than Hell is my favorite), and 2 larger-than-life live albums (Alive! & Alive! II). Are there a couple of scattershot moments of their former glory on later releases? Sure. "Creatures of the Night", "The Elder" and even "Dynasty" have a couple of diamonds in their respective turds. So how many iconic records does it take to make a legendary band? Pink Floyd had 5 (DSOM, WYWH, Animals, The Wall & The Final Cut), Van Halen and The Doors both had 6. Led Zep had 8 (9 if you count "Coda"). But it's not lost on me as a fan of ALL of these bands (in their correct configurations) that from March of 1963 to May of 1970, The Beatles released TWELVE Gold and Platinum studio records!! It's little wonder that they're widely regarded as the greatest rock n roll band of all time.

[@lib556]

The Who can be excused for replacing Keith Moon. He died young and they had more to give. Plus they're the greatest live act ever.

[@johndef5075]

But they were never quite as good without Keith.

[@ricardolopezrago1688]

To be fair, Deep Purple was designed from the beginning to be a band where members would come and go. Their original name was Roundabout.

[@timothydingman587]

KISS - Kiss Is Stanley and Simmons

[@nathanlansford1882]

It wasn't in the Seventies, though. It was also Ace & Peter, Bill Aucoin, Sean Delaney, et cetera...

[@erics9754]

Wrong!! Kiss with Stanley and Simmons were losers and their album went straight in the toilet. Kiss was and always will be Peter Ace Gene and Paul that's the lineup that made them rich and famous period!! Mic drop!

[@ClassicEra--PulseRuiz]

Totally agree with you regarding Simmons. Great analysis with the Beatles (the way it should be), and some bands like the Stones are made better by newer members like Mick Taylor. I was a kid fan of Kiss, however, nowadays I am totally put off by the Simmons/Stanley philosophy in all aspects of what a band should be. Thanks for the thoughtful video.

[@timfawcett1669]

Howdy again, good to catch up with you. Been incomunicado for a bit. Ya it doesn't take much to see where Gene's head is at. I still like the first 6 studio albums but I kinda lost track after that. I never got the impression that Gene gave a rats butt about friends unless they came with a vagina. Anyway, not our problem I guess.

[@suepeacock3342]

Hello Michael! Sitting outside relaxing after work today. It's a nice breezy 81°.

[@MD-wk3gj]

Thanks for saying Ace’s last name correctly. Even major fans say it wrong all the time.

[@BadNewsDave]

Simmons has issues. Talented, but he is way behind Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley when it comes to song writing. BTW, I agree with almost everyone about a lot of what you say. But, let’s get real, Paul Stanley is great. He and Ace are the sound of Kiss. And, keep one thing in mind, Peter and Ace are a huge reason for the bands slide.

[@nathanlansford1882]

Paul WAS great. Over the last ten years or so, he's been very hit-or-miss. 2017-18's "Kissworld Tour" probably stands as the worst one they've ever done & that's been largely because of Paul's now long-standing vocal problems.

[@nathanlansford1882]

Another huge reason for KISS' slide has been Paul's & Gene's misdirections--especially during the 1980's, to be brutally honest. Peter & Ace were already largely out of the picture, so to speak.

[@andrehb]

Gene Simian lol -- nice one Michael. Totally, completely, utterly unrelated: do you have any thoughts on the 2014 Led Zep Deluxe Editions, in terms of sound, sonics etc?

[@johnpatterson4272]

Gene Simmons stated in an interview many years ago, "you don't create or join a band to make friends, nor do you treat other band members as your best buddies". To support this statement GS added, "a band like KISS is a professional business, the other members are your business partners in that endeavor, we all have an obligation in maintaining what is this band's bread and butter...". It's well known in KISS fan circles, while Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons maintain this outward illusion of being 'brothers for life'. In-reality neither of the men frequent each other's private life outside of professional appearances and while on-tour as KISS. As you are a devout Beatles fan, perhaps you should explore the original GS concept for KISS as being a 'heavy Beatles' with four individual personalities, similar to the idea of Paul, George, John and Ringo.

[@TheJohnnyCotts]

Paul and Gene used to be "brothers by different mothers", but that changed somewhere along the line.

[@johnpatterson4272]

@@TheJohnnyCotts Money changes everything.

[@richardheadly7466]

Interesting you mention it, I'd forgotten but KISS was the reason I started playing Bass.

[@book3100]

Congrats on the channel growth man! It's a great show, whatever you want to talk about.

[@johnmiller5679]

U2 is another band theater who you see now in the band are the same boys that were playing in Larry Mullen’s kitchen back in 1976. U2 are those guys and if any of them leave then the name should leave also. Simmons has said that Kiss may go on without Simmons and Stanley. What would happen is they would get some musicians to replace them but the new members would only be hired hands and receive a paycheck from Simmons and Stanley. Simmons and. Stanley would be collecting the bulk of the money while sitting at home while younger musicians would be busting their asses touring. Simmons has always been more of a business man then actual musician.

[@tp3922]

They all have egos that makes each one is why KISS, but sadly, it's the entire four who established the group as a powerhouse. That been said, each did contribute to the success of KISStory around the world. If Peter Criss hadn't provided "Beth" there wouldn't have been KISS Alive II ... I have always thought that Gene was jealous of the success of that song - they promoted Detroit Rock City as the breakout hit which never happened. The final single was flopped to make Beth the breakout hit. Instead of embracing the success as a fab four, it created a wedge in the diamond and the band splitter. The solo projects were meant to prepare the fans of the foreseen breakup that was in the planning stages. They didn't even want the KISS logo on each project ... Peter Criss departed in 1979, and Ace Frehley in 1982.

[@Strutter72]

Gene chooses not to have any friends but he has a loving family which is more important

[@viadharmawheel]

Really? A wife that puts up with his BS because she was born poor and would be destitute without him.

[@debbiehoyt9018]

@@viadharmawheel she is more of a ass than he is and she hates paul

[@davemabee5798]

@@viadharmawheel Not sure about the destitute part. Or the "loving family" part either, but I'd bet she would have done just fine without him.

[@TimBee100]

So The Who was wrong to carry on after Keith Moon's death?

[@dr.roberts4508]

Baby Gene can do an acapella version of world without heroes.

[@leokimvideo]

Maybe it's time to Google this, What happens when two sociopaths get into a relationship or are friends? KZbin is always kind to new channels, your about to enter a dark period that's going to really test your mind and faith in the KZbin system.

[@darinhaller6034]

I agree to a point but I’m glad we got Van Hagar instead of the band just ending after 1984.

[@nathanlansford1882]

Especially since David Lee Roth's own solo career didn't hold up, as well. By the end of 1988, Billy Sheehan & Steve Vai had already quit.

[@mikee2923]

I remember when Van Halen replaced Dave with Sammy. I was excited because I really liked Sammy. Even though Van Hagar was more commercially successful than Van Halen, the popular opinion seems to be that they were a better band with Dave. And I have to agree.

[@rachelsghost]

So agree but Kiss has been like this seemingly forever. Yes to the Beatles, Stones and Zep. 😎👍

[@dmgcaster904]

Gene Simmons. What else can you say about such a legendary ego? I read Peter Chris's biography because I had the least emotional attachment to him. I was surprised to find out that he was as hard on himself as everyone else concerning the downfall of Kiss. One story I enjoyed concerning Gene's legendary sex addiction: While at a rehearsal Gene and Paul were singing face to face on a mike directly in front of the drums. They start singing and Paul flinches away from Gene's breath, practically gagging in disgust saying something like, " What the fuck have you been eating, Gene!?" Peter says that from where he was sitting he could clearly see the menstrual blood on Gene's teeth. " You know what I've been eating, Paul." Gene tells him with a knowing grin. "You know what I've been eating."

[@drrick8839]

RINGO Doesn’t want to do it! Michael, I didn’t know about that interaction between Paul and Lindsey-Hogg. Hard to believe, but I like the Beatles even more now! Peace my friend, DrRick

[@tbone21158]

One exception. AC/DC. After the death of Bon Scott, they came back in a huge way with Back and Black. My favorite album of all times. Pick any track!

[@stevenmaginnis1965]

Another exception was when Tom Johnston left the Doobie Brothers and was replaced by Michael McDonald. Some say the Doobies should have packed it in when Jeff "Skunk" Baxter left in 1979, though.

[@johndef5075]

Im a huge Bon fan. Ac/Dc my favorite band. But I still think Hells Bells is their best song😅

[@poitor5915]

paul smashed that box big time☝🏻

[@nyguy5370]

The key creative elements of a band may not encompass all of the founding members. Some bands succeed with a changing lineup. Some need that fresh blood and even thrive because of (or despite) it. But in the case of Kiss, for me, their best days were in makeup with the original lineup. After that, I thought they should have called it quits.

[@markbrown7103]

I started playing guitar in 1974 and it wasn’t because of cast it was because of the Beatles I guess after watching them has an 11-year-old boy and as a 17-year-old young adult I really love the Beatles and Led Zeppelin and the Eagles and a host of other ones inspired me to play guitar still play today I see you play too I love your guitar it’s beautiful I gave you thumbs up on all on all of your videos from now on I think you’re super cool you have a Lotta knowledge about music so I try to listen to you as much as I can thanks for all of your videos have a great day👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🎸🎼🎶😃😎💖

[@georgeedward1226]

U2 has also had a very stable line-up for well over 30 years.

[@TimBee100]

What about John, Paul, George, Ringo and Billy?

[@jack5402]

So a band has to end because an original member leaves? Bullsh*t! Led Zep broke up after Bonham died. They said they were heartbroken and didn't want to continue without him. I respect that and appreciate the music they had given us, but if they had continued with someone like Ginger Baker or anyone who fit in, I would have loved to have had more Zep albums. There are lots of reasons to criticize Gene or the band, but to say they should have ended the juggernaut that they worked hard to build just because a couple of them couldn't keep their sh*t together is absolutely ridiculous. There's tons of great music we wouldn't have if every band that changed a member had quit instead. As for your example of how bands should be, John Paul George and Ringo used to be John Paul George and Pete. Imagine if they had given up instead of getting Ringo.

[@markhunter8554]

The Beatles, Cream, Led Zeppelin, Queen (until they reformed) all had only one line up.

[@lilajagears8317]

Also the Doors.

[@gameboycat05]

and The Monkees lol

[@lilajagears8317]

@@gameboycat05 If that was a lame attempt at humor you failed !

[@gameboycat05]

@@lilajagears8317 it's true tho. They did indeed become a real band and their album Headquarters proves it.

[@markhunter8554]

@@lilajagears8317 Technically speaking, while the Doors (and the Monkees for that matter, to respond to GameBoy's reply to your post) did not replace any members, they both lost members, so they had more than one line up.

[@tylerjsmithers8385]

I always have admired how ZZ Top kept the same lineup for over 50 years until Dusty Hill passed away..

[@mbankslje0nk]

My first concert was KISS in Nov of 75 when I was 14 and was a big fan in my teens. But i have always considered Gene Simmons a total asshole!

[@adamwade1808]

But Michael, in another video you named Jethro Tull as one of the best 13 Rock bands of all time...Jethro Tull has had membership by revolving door- Only Ian Anderson and Martin Barre were consistent members.

[@royceinthehouse842]

Hi Michael, another great show brother, I've spent some time around Kiss's current drummer Eric Singer as he is godfather to one of my granddaughters. Even walked around London with Eric. Great evaluation of not only Kiss but friendships and loyalties in other bands such as the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Like DaddyBog said below the Beatles clock is awesome and thank you for another great video.

[@daddybog7189]

Was never a member of the Kiss Army but I give them credit over the years despite some changes in band members. I have talked to current Kiss drummer Eric Singer on another show, and he's a great guy. Your Beatles clock is awesome, thank you for another entertaining video.

[@tedunderhill9718]

Simmons, or Simian as Noland says, LOL, held that band up musically. I'm not sure that there's one song that Simmons wrote that is musically anything but the most basic in terms of song writing. People can say what they want about Ace, but at least he could play well. Simmons has made fun of other guitarists that are so far out of his class that his blathering should be an embarassment. He's also a crass boor that if he weren't in that band, he'd probably have gotten the shit kicked out of him regularly for simply being an asshole. Not that Paul Stanley was all that in the musicality department, but he was better than Simmons, at least wrote Detroit Rock City, one of their best tunes.

[@jeffcathcart4759]

@@tedunderhill9718 I disagree. Early Kiss had some excellent bass lines, and Simmons wrote a bunch of good songs. He is/was an excellent showman and brilliant marketer, and his vocal, while not technically great, is uniquely good, like say, Bob Dylan. Mick Jagger isn’t a real good singer, but is one of the most iconic frontmen in history. Bobby Kimball was a terrific singer, but was largely unappreciated. It’s weird how things work out. Someone like Cardi B gets more fame and fortune!

[@tedunderhill9718]

@@jeffcathcart4759 Yeah, he was great with comic books and figurines. DRC is an outstanding bass line, but I can play it and I'm a hack. Now Geddy Lee or Chris Squire, ..., and entirely different story. Anyway, what songs are these of which ye speak? Again, my comment was largely about Simmons' lack of ability to write anything but relatively simplistic music. He can play bass, but he's hardly up there with Billy Sheehan, Lee, or Squire much less bass players like Ron Carter or Jaco, he's nowhere close. He has zero chance at a top-100 on any honest raters list. Anyway, give me the top 5 songs that he wrote that you think are the best in terms of musicality, and let's discuss that. Simmons had his hands in way too many things, and his dick too, to be focused on music enough to become the top musicians. As stated, their success fed off of their gimmick shows. Notice that they weren't very popular w/o makeup and "the act." BTW, notice that they only ever had one song chart in the top-10, ever. Beth/DRC, their two best musically despite the former being a ballad. Anyway, let me know, but as to showman and marketer, I've already admitted that, my references were to his musicianship.

[@jeffcathcart4759]

@@tedunderhill9718 1)I never said he was a “great” bass player. There are so many better-Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler, John Paul Jones, Flea, John Paul Jones, Billy Sheehan, and on an on. But Simmons is still good. Great baselines in Detroit Rock City, Dirty Livin’, Secretly Cruel, 100,000 Years, and several others. 3)Simmons’ writing? There’s no Mozart or Beethoven or Sympathy For The Devil-just simple, catchy, four chord rock songs like Nothin’ To Lose, Watchin’ You, Mr. Blackwell, She, Two Timer, Goin’ Blind, A Hell’s Breakin’ Loose, etc., etc. 3)Kiss is the all time leader for Gold albums by an American Rock band, and sold over 100 million records. Those are facts, and they sold millions in their non makeup years too. They never did get pushed on radio like say, Bon Jovi, but they’ve endured. I’ve been involved with music in many ways for over fifty years, and I try to keep an open mind, and I say Kiss is so much more than fireworks and light shows.

[@tedunderhill9718]

@@jeffcathcart4759 I think that we're crossing paths here. My original comments were based upon my first two sentences which addressed Simmons' musicality. You "disagreed" and then stated a bunch of things. I've already agreed that as a marketer he was good, but also that his focus was on "comic books and figurines," suggesting memorabilia more than focusing on their music. There's absolutely no way that you can separate that from the costumes/extravaganza. He would not have been able to do all that w/o "the show" and costumes. Again, I pointed out that their popularity began to wane once they ditched the costumes, it only came back once they went back into costume. And perhaps we disagree on the term "good bass lines," but coming more from the music side of the tracks, my idea of good bass lines are bass lines that are something other than the most basic ones possible. Again, I'm hardly a good bass player, I rarely play, so when I can play something with relative ease, as I can DRC for example, which IMO is one of his best bass lines, then I don't find it all that impressive from a writing standpoint. You're correct, enormous show, lots of crap to market to people that want to spend their money on stuff like that, a spectacle for the eyes much like people go to pop-shows today for the choreography as well, and the albums have sold based on their cult following per above, NOT because they wrote the best songs out there. I don't think that it's a reach to suggest that their popularity overall would have diminished substantially w/o their extravaganza show, costumes, etc. Also, unlike most other band members, as I hesitate to call Simmons a musician, he has openly criticized other far better musicians/guitarists. So say what you want, but there's no shortage of people that know him as an asshole and douchebag. Also, his incessant rantings in the past of having slept with over 1,000 women, ... SMH. Whatever. Come on Gene, grow up! As promised, I'll listen to those songs and pick apart hte bass lines, look at who wrote them, etc., and get back to you. Either way, you disagreed with my statements which were all but exclusively predicated upon Simmons' musicality, but then you seemed to backtrack after trying to retrack the argument to something that I didn't say, and in fact did support.

[@michaelwilson2340]

I love REM, but they should have packed it in after Bill Berry left. The quality control suffered. And I know they've put out good albums in recent years, but after Jamie Stewart left The Cult in 1990 they just weren't the same for me. Not just their bassist, he also played guitar and piano.

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

U2 are the only band that i can think of that have NEVER changed lineup in......45 years? I think Madness are back together but they split and reformed so I don't count them.

[@BAR-ct7ti]

What about Aerosmith???

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

@@BAR-ct7ti I refer you to 1982's "Rock In A Hard Place" which was recorded without Perry and Whitford who briefly left the band - as I said, I don't count bands that split and then reform.

[@BAR-ct7ti]

@@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587 No need to come off like a jack ass.

[@mikee2923]

ZZ Top

[@jimmyviaductophilelawley5587]

@@mikee2923 Dusty Hill, Lanier Grieg, Dan Mitchell and Billy Ethridge are all former members of ZZ top

[@StudioBeast7575]

Kiss was good with the original line up but my absolute favorite will always be Black Sabbath. Tony Iommi is why I picked up a guitar.

[@viadharmawheel]

Don't compare Sabbath with Kiss. Sabbath is great, Kiss is garbage music just like Ozzy solo work.

[@orvil9223]

The funniest part about him and Paul is Gene lives om Benedict Canyon Dr. and paul lives on the corner of Benendict Canyon Dr. and Mulholland, lol.

[@stevenmaginnis1965]

Fairport Convention - only one original member left. Jethro Tull - ditto after 1971.

[@vintagevinylvets1187]

I had been a KISS fan since it’s exception, but lost interest when Ace and Peter originally left(although I loved Eric and his playing). When they announced the “Reunion” and it’s tour, we attended a show. Then there was the “Farewell Tour” back in 2000, we attended two of those. We checked out permanently after those. KISS, can kiss our a#= after that. #justsayin🎧

[@monagarrison2389]

Thank you for the acknowledgement. I find it funny that its on a video of a person I have always disliked. I agree that the Beatle were a more cohesive group. Kiss was not my style. Never cared for them.

[@rabsmiff]

I have tried to be open-minded and listen to KISS' output objectively, even including the four solo platters from 1978. Although there are occassional highlights spread out here and there amongst their albums , to me their musical qualities are somewhat less than Earth-shattering, to me, KISS are musically competent at best, far more bland and uninspired than many other contemporary rock acts and without their undoubted over-the-top showmanship, I doubt if they would have gotten anywhere.

[@fbomb7184]

What hooked me was their ALIVE albums, especially Alive II. God of Thunder studio recording is trash but the live rendition - wholly balls, it rocks. Their MTV Unplugged was pretty cool too.

[@timleahy4279]

I will just say that Kiss wasn't the worst band I ever saw.

[@brianstrutter1501]

Hey some people just don't get it. That's not on the band, that's on you. KISS has a ton of great songs. If you don't like hard anthemic rock then i can't help you

[@timleahy4279]

Brian - what I meant was, they were pretty good. Nice name, BTW.

[@tedunderhill9718]

@@brianstrutter1501 That's a little biased. KISS only charted in the top-10 once, Detroit Rock City/Beth. Great tunes despite the latter not having been written by either Stanley or Simmons. Destroyer was a great album, but otherwise they were the album one-hit-wonders of modern Rock. What made it for them was their live performances and overall show, which IMO was designed for adolescents. Nobody can name one single song that Simmons wrote that is any good except to KISS fans. They sure as hell can't name one that was musically anything other than absolutely basic from a musical perspective. He's good in a costume, not good without one, which is why they sucked when they didn't have them on. What, Calling Dr. Love? Yeah, boy howdy, there's a real deep thinking philosophically inspirational song.

[@bweewiggy5829]

Love your channel. All of your videos rule. Would you please do a video about where you were, and what you were doing when you learned about the loss of John Lennon? I was 12; watching Monday night football. I heard from Howard Cosell. That is the day my childhood ended and I knew it. KEEP UP YOUR GREAT WORK!

[@doradedham9162]

It seems like a fair number of the classic rock bands that still work together have survived because the relationship is a working relationship; not buddies. Even the Monkees didn't live together like the Monkees! I see KISS enduring the same way the Stones do, " What are you doing? Let's go out on tour and make a bunch of money." For a while there The Beatles did everything together; even taking vacations together. Then a couple of them found new and interesting girlfriends.

[@pontifexvonhummer9459]

You’re off base on this one, Michael. Bands are like marriages. If they’re bad, or rocky or dull, that’s the business of the people involved. For the marriages that last, no one outside the marriage can say anything for sure but that it lasted. Gene has no time for friends? Gene has a family! Past a certain age, most high-performance men realize they don’t have the time or inclination to hang out. Paul and Gene kept the music going. Ace and Peter went their own ways. Ask any divorced person how much money it would take to get them to go back and live with their ex and be married again for a year or two. A band reunion is like that. Some could do it for the money, some never could.

[@jamesbyersmusic]

Great video! Mick Taylor was there for the best period of The Stones for me. How come you don't name him just out of interest? As far as KISS goes, I like some of their tunes well enough, but I've just never been able to take them seriously. Gene Simmons reminds me of somebody like Don Henley. Uber talented, yet miserable and not somebody I would actually want to spend any time around.

[@neonskyline1]

Hawkwind must have had 50 members, gotta be the record, only one permanent original member for years

[@beeragainsthumanity1420]

True...lol.

[@R_SENAL]

If Gene is selfish and has his own interests he doesn't share with others, that's perfectly fine and reasonable. Not everybody needs tons of friends or associates to "hang" with. If they're perfectly happy on their own, then there is nothing wrong with that, as long as they are happy. If Paul Stanley is his brother and he hardly sees him, that's cool too. I've seen my own brother 2 or 3 times in the last decade, and that's fine with both of us. We love each other but we're just not that needy. And btw, If the Beatles were a box that would be 8 points to make it 3D, so it has to be 2D... just a geometrical point. 😉

[@alexflemming5982]

Michael, you are so obviusly a Beatles fan, As a Stones fan from Day 1 in London I have trouble seeing the Beatles as a rock band. To Kiss: Here in Europe they were never and have never been a huge act. I would like to say like Lennon said about Bowie in the early days this is rock and roll with lipstick. We had bands like Sweet and so on who produced pop music as so-called early glam rock. While this all might be a matter of location and definition I felt I had to let this loose. Keep going and we look forward to your expert views from the West Coast

[@nathanlansford1882]

A lot of times, KISS couldn't use their pyrotechnics in the UK & (Western) Europe, is what I understand. That was back in the Seventies.

[@DavidSmith-ni7ow]

Ask Peter Criss, Who is Anton Figg? I’ll tell you. He was the gun for hire on several KISS albums

[@tektoniks_architects]

Longtime Letterman drummer.

[@DavidSmith-ni7ow]

@@tektoniks_architects ⭐️ Yes 👍 He was a member of The Worlds Most Dangerous Band. A band which consisted mostly of studio musicians. Paul Schaeffer was the conductor for The SNL orchestra for decades.

[@TheRealBKSchyster]

OK Michael... I gave you a thumbs up 👍🏼 on this video!! I myself have reservations on KISS, and especially "CHAIM WITZ," as his legendary, "I AM MIGHTIER THAN THOU," & "R-n-R RULES FOR THEE, BUT NOT FOR ME" attitude's that have destroyed any and all relationships he has had, including with his wife "Shannon!!" Don't believe me... just Google his, Shannon's and "Joy Behar's" ridiculous interview where Shannon just got up and walked out after Gene decided that he would do something stupid, that he thought made him... "KEWL!" I dare say the only "cooling" was probably the "boudoir" in which he and Shannon shared...!! 🤔... Although, I can imagine in that big ole' LA mansion they had, a "cooling off period, room" for either him or Shannon ( more than likely him... ) and was always ready to go, more than likely, used frequently by Gene!!! SHANNON TOOK NO SHIT FROM GENE!!!!!! I will say one more thing about Gene and his "ability to make money..," He certainly has done a fine job of that... his whole attitude of "Eff em' if they can't take a joke" certainly has kept the "cash register" on KISS MERCH RINGING ALMOST NON STOP FROM DAY ONE!! But that is enough on "CHAIM" and his overstuffed ego for today!!! I do have to address the "ELEPHANT" in the room Michael... albeit, I may be the only one who has noticed it, but what about the whole "FAUL MCCARTNEY" ( AKA: "F."ake. p."AUL." ) Thing!! I don't want you to be P/O'ed at me, but I DO WANT to hear your take on this...!! KZbin has hours, if not days of information on the fact that the man we know as Paul McCartney, REALLY isn't the REAL Paul, but a very clever and oh so proper replacement for the real Paul!!!! ANYWAY, KEEP ON KEEPING ON BROTHER ENGINEER!!!!!!!!!! PEACE !!!!!!!!!!🤘🏼

[@reactivearmour5126]

I don’t think Daltrey and Townshend should continue to call themselves The Who. I think two old men and a bunch of hired musicians cheapens the memory of the greatest rock band ever. I accept and even celebrate the Kenney Jones Era (1979-1988) because he was a fully-fledged member rather than a hired gun - perhaps Rabbit Bundrick should have also been a fully-fledged member. But after they effectively fired Jones, the band just became a nostalgia act. They were great at the 9-11 Concert but then Entwistle died and I just don’t see how they could continue to call it The Who.

[@gringopines3476]

HAY MICHIEL GOOD TO SEE YOU'RE STILL RIPPIN' ON GENE. REMINDS ME OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. I GUESS SOME FOLKS JUST CAN'T LET GO... STAY COOL BROTHER... PEACE... HAY MICHIEL I'VE BEEN WITH YA FOR 6 MONTHS OR SO AND STILL HAVEN'T SEEN MY SHOUT. JUST CURIOUS, YOU'VE COVERED 🦍 3 TIMES SINCE THEN. MAKES ME THINK YOU LIKE HIM BETTER. LOL

[@hendrsb33]

Gene Simian, hahaha! From what little I've heard from interviews, Gene sounds pretty conservative and money oriented. I've never been much into Kiss music but it would've been fun to have attended at least one of their concerts back in the day, just for the spectacle.

[@chuckmadden2251]

If you've ever toured, been in a band, many don't see each other once off the road. They just spend so much time together they need time apart. Beatles have said the same about each other at too. Shitting on Gene just seems to be too easy a way to get clicks these days.

[@davemabee5798]

The only thing better than shitting on Gene would be actually shitting on Gene.