The Contrarians Presents: Vinnie Vincent Genius or Hack?

[@SuperStrik9]

Didn't know one of Vinnie's songs was on a Bangles album. Now I'm getting visions of Vinnie in his Ankh makeup and costume in the Walk Like An Egyptian music video 😜 lol.

[@THEEArmoredSaint]

🤣😂

[@MrRoarkeFI]

“Make a Play for her Now”. A good song. You can hear elements of Vinnie’s sense of melody in the song.

[@alessandroneri8929]

I was there! Rio, Maracanã Stadium 1983. In front of 160.000 plus Brazilian Metalheads Kiss delivered on of the most AMAZING concerta of ALL time. Still today is their biggest crowd headlining a gig!

[@ziviaantjeverharius6165]

There's only one show by Elvis Presley I would have paid more to see. That said, that Creatures show in Brasil was so very very good. You lucky man!!

[@thecontrarians2438]

That's amazing!!

[@mikenealon4042]

that gig was 🔥

[@darylhall2198]

didnt most of the fans not have to pay? wasnt that the main reason the crowd got so big?

[@alessandroneri8929]

@@darylhall2198 we did pay. Each one of us.

[@ziviaantjeverharius6165]

Vinnie did NOT speed up the tapes, ask Slaughter, he was THAT good, Just saying

[@MrRoarkeFI]

He did not speed up those tapes on the first VVI invasion. Even Mark Slaughter, and Bobby Rock can attest to that in recent interviewS. He plays the solos note for note on his guitar instructional video from 88.

[@THEEArmoredSaint]

Other than the classic Kiss albums, Vinnie Vincent was involved during their best era and both Invasion albums rip! His eccentric personal issues combined with his musical acumen leads me to only one conclusion and that is ... Vinnie Vincent equals genius.

[@brennandre8234]

I knew Vinnie in the late 80's..he was always kind, thoughtful, generous and an all around nice guy. His work during the "Treasure" period and into the early years he spent with KISS proves he was full of talent and promise. If he strayed from that at some point over the last few decades, that is up for debate. But he surely had the goods for quite a number of years which dispels any notion he can be labelled a "hack". It's just an absurd accusation in light of his many creative triumphs.

[@ziviaantjeverharius6165]

A million to one was a done song written in the basement of Vinnie's parents before it got to KISS. They worked on it later for KISS.

[@benjaminbaird9303]

It's also an amazing song.

[@leswadley6792]

I so wish I could have been on this panel! Vinnie is definitely not a hack! I personally am in the camp that he pretty much saved kiss! He wrote or co wrote most of lick it up and a huge impact on creatures and revenge! I just think personally he has a lot of issues! I could go on and on about vinnie! Met him in Atlanta a few yrs ago, super nice guy! Most people don’t know, but vinnie has a great singing voice! Never understood why he didn’t sing more!!!!

[@sabbathoneseveneight8643]

Paul talking about Vinnie over charging fans for unplayed guitars🤣 That didn't age well.

[@thecontrarians2438]

haha right!?

[@wendelladams8060]

Another great discussion! I wish we’d had a few more Contrarians weighing in, but the group still presented some great info. As for me, I’m in the middle but leaning toward genius. Though I’m not a Vinnie fanatic, I find Vinnie’s work in KISS and VVI to be some of the most memorable songs from this period of Rock music. Sure, he goes too damn far with the guitar solos far too often, but the songs are still solid. Even Mark Slaughter in interviews consistently says Vinnie is an amazing guitarist, never sped up the tapes but could play his solos over and over again that fast, and is a great song writer. Paul and Gene pretty much trash everyone (especially Paul imo), so I don’t pay a lot of attention to their criticism of Vinnie. As far as Vinnie’s personality issues and lawsuits and failure to deliver, I can’t overlook, condone or excuse any of it, but the question presented referred to his musical ability not if I like the guy or would ever want to work with him, so I am not adding that into the equation.

[@aleksandarfrick2656]

Man who saved KISS with his input on three best post ''70 era . Creatures, Lick it up , Revenge 1992.

[@KaddysJamKave]

Pretty good discussion about the Vman. Greetings from down under.

[@thecontrarians2438]

Thank you and Greetings!!

[@damiankarras]

The Bangles clinched it for me. Now I have to say genius.

[@TommyNet]

Wow! I saw a thumbnail of the video and it reminded me of a horrible 'metal' panel video I've seen a handful of times and thought I'd give you a chance. Yes, you truly delivered with knowledge - there are just too many fans on KZbin without any industry knowledge. I especially loved the comment about songwriting in Nashville... and the big money that flows through. Awesome - Awesome - Awesome. You guys know your stuff. This was refreshing.

[@jimmycampbell78]

Which video/channel was that?

[@thecontrarians2438]

hey wow thank you that means a lot! Glad you enjoyed the content!

[@TommyNet]

@@jimmycampbell78 Definitely something a Vampyre wouldn't be watching. Lol!

[@the_motherfucker]

There a lot of people with industry knowledge, stop acting like there's only a few people with it

[@jcollins1305]

I have to say, this was a very interesting conversation! I remember the Vinnje Vincent Invasion back in the 80’s on MTV. After that, he seemed to have disappeared into the mists of time. Fast forward to the last few years, and he’s doing interviews and making appearances. 8its so bizzare. That being said, I really think he has some serious mental issues. Talented guy, no doubt, but he has conned many people, and is always at odds with whoever he works with that I can’t believe he’s in his right mind.

[@vaekkriinhart4347]

30:15 yeah, that appearance with Gene couple yrs ago: Gene basically said there that Vinnie wrote ALL of I Love it Loud and Unholy "That was all Vinnie", Gene said... Gene just had an idea, but Vinnie wrote it all.. U can't lie when the guy is sitting right next to u

[@amylacinski6797]

Vinnie did not murder his ex-wife. It was another man she worked for. I dint remember his name... but please do research before leading people to think he was the murderer.

[@termsofusepolice]

The only things Vinnie ever murdered were Ace's classic Kiss solos.

[@mikevillain666]

This is an extremely cool topic that I have thought about many times in my life, thank you for that. To keep it concise, I would say that he was an outstanding songwriter with his own signature, as well as a technically proficient guitarist with his own distinctive style. A combination that was very rare to find in the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal area of ​​the 80s, where everyone copied everyone else. Basically, he was a personality in his own right and the perfect version of an Ace Frehley for the 80s, a guy who isn't the backup guitarist on call, but a finished, complete artist who brings a total package, as was his predecessor. His stylistic input was already evident on "Creatures of the Night" (1982) and on "Lick It Up" (1983) you could hear the mature, elaborate and confident version of the new KISS sound that basically saved their existence, repositioned and equipped them even more powerful for the 80s. Unfortunately, that's about it for the objectively positive aspects, because unfortunately he was a prime example of a classic rock star ego problem, taken to the extreme where he himself is his own worst enemy, the one who stands in his own way the most. The man definately had the potential and skills to keep KISS more interesting, diverse and relevant than they ever were for the next 10 years to come - at least. Just imagine the song material on his solo album "Invasion" (1986) - apart from the completely over the top, superfluous and bizarre style of the guitar solos - in the upcoming KISS context and how albums like "Animalize" (1984) and "Asylum" (1985) would have sounded with him on board. This kind of creative input was not even remotely to be expected from typical - at that time - hired guns like Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick. So all in all a - at least musically/artistically - tragic, albeit fascinating "what if"-chapter in the long, exciting history of the band.

[@rumy6871]

Musical genius. Professional hack.

[@garyjoyce2160]

Vinnie Vincent Invasion the 1️⃣9️⃣8️⃣6️⃣album with Robert FLEISCHMAN is phenomenal IMO. Love it. SHOOT U full of LOVE to me / stone cold classic. I think this album is better than the 8️⃣8️⃣album with MARK Glad you guys tackled” Vinnie. Great job.

[@erikg2515]

Vinnie Vincent was definitely not a hack. I grew up in the 80's his songs and guitar playing was incredible.

[@Jay-ef2ii]

He is super talented. His Invasion needs to come back.

[@EvanBNW]

We need a post-Creatures Fest follow up!

[@drmidnight680-kz2le]

Kiss had to destroy Vinne's career by making up false stories about him. They had to destroy him. No way can Vinnie Vincent be allowed to become bigger than Kiss.

[@CausticEmissions]

Refreshing perspectives from fellas who're in the know. NICE!

[@thecontrarians2438]

Thank you!!

[@christophervigil7729]

How are these Bozos "in the know" ? Because they've bought every lie that Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have spewed out to their own fans throughout the decades ?🤔

[@thecontrarians2438]

@@christophervigil7729 haha thanks, we should call the show "the bozos"

[@CausticEmissions]

@@christophervigil7729 😂🤣

[@CorbieFields-rh8jl]

The new music Mr. Mars has been doing is great! "Loyal to the lie",etc. His 🎵🎶 music wakes up the squeaky 🛞 wheels in the mind and gets them turning.

[@Drumdude74]

Great topic guys, KISS being one of my favorite all-time bands, I knew this would be a good one. Vinnie is a great guitarist and songwriter, he has had his own problems over the years, which I think stimeyed his career. He didn't SAVE KISS, as much as he PLAYED A PART in saving the band, he definitely helped them out on their last makeup album ( at the time ) by writing some cool stuff on Creatures, then without makeup on Lick It Up. He was the last guitarist to wear makeup and the first without makeup and like I said, he wrote a lot on those two albums. I have both VVI albums, like them both but as much as I like flashy solos, his could definitely go overboard, especially on the first record. I liked All Systems Go a little more than the first one, because thankfully he toned down the " bumblebee " solos on that one. The Revenge songs were good too.... long story short, he is/was very talented but unfortunately he's struggled mentally for too long, which has made him inconsistant over the years for sure. Too bad really! Good show boys!

[@thecontrarians2438]

Thank you! Ya i would have liked to have seen Vinnie grow as a songwriter along side KISS in the 80's, if it could have worked out at least for a while.

[@Drumdude74]

@@thecontrarians2438 Me too, he might have written some KISS classics, if he had stuck around. Always felt the same way about Mark St.John, would he have changed the band for the better or worse? Poor guy only played 1.5 shows and that was it, too bad. Have a good one, Marco.

[@thecontrarians2438]

@@Drumdude74 Thank you!!

[@Swanlord05]

VV1 was the best

[@eddieschneider8470]

Finally a subject I’m interested in

[@thecontrarians2438]

hope you enjoy it!

[@meatwad1]

I was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania and grew up 2 miles away. The armory he spoke of would be the Kingston Armory. I know it well. I saw Blue Oyster Cult at the Kingston Armory in September 1980. A few hours before the show started, it was announced that John Bonham died. I remember hearing people in the crowd talking about it. About 45 minutes into the show, there was a riot outside the venue. If I recall it correctly, some teenagers weren't allowed entry because they didn't have tickets and they got unruly. Cops showed up in riot gear and people were throwing rocks and bottles at them. And someone had their car picked up and stood on its side. A cameraman who worked for a local news station captured some footage and it's here on KZbin.

[@leswadley6792]

What do you guys think of the creatures fest footage of vinnie playing?

[@RockDaydreamNation]

A red hot mess..

[@thecontrarians2438]

Im honestly just amazed they got all three former guitarists of KISS on stage, to me that's incredible, I hope it happens again, however if Vinnie wasnt the way he is it may have been better planned

[@christophervigil7729]

@@thecontrarians2438 And what are you Loser's musical Legacy ?......

[@drmidnight680-kz2le]

@@thecontrarians2438 even when he's sloppy, he's sloppy in a cool way like Jimmy Page.

[@Kunta_Kinte478]

Very good Songwriter,as a guitar Player..i just couldn't make sense of that.

[@terjeweum3677]

Guitarist's in Kiss 1 Ace Frehley ( Never sloppy in his prime) Melodic solos / one of a kind a signature style KISS ALIVE 2 Vinnie Vincent ( like a firehouse on those 2 tours) Creatures/ Lick it up/ has his own style signature 3 Bruce Kulick ( kind of nice solos but typical 80 style 90 % sounds the same/ 4 Mark St John ( blasting out alot of notes a little cold not something you remember/ 5 That KITH guitarist in that brand 😅

[@psykodj67]

Just tripped on the channel here...Im not sure if Vinnie was a genius but truth be his stuff on Creatures and LIU are really good...when he co wrote for Revenge I was suprised honestly that for a moment he was back in the KISS Universe but even then those songs were some of the best on that record...That 1st VVI record I dig mostly..the video for Boyzz Gonna Rock still makes me lol...I only started hearing about the issues of VV after VVI broke up and Slaughter was born and then interviews started coming out about his mental state..My buddy was a bigger fan of VV then me..he did the preorder for that "Box Set" after a couple months he started getting pissed that it didnt arrive and then over time found out about the fraud issue..I also am in between on genius and hack only because of his history..did he save KISS...no but he did give it a shot in the arm that it needed then.Great video great topic.Thanx for sharing and take care

[@lowdzmusic823]

VV is certainly one to divide opinion. My view? He’s an excellent songwriter, very good guitarist and troubled person. I love his wild playing on VVI, even though it’s ridiculous. Maybe because it’s ridiculous 😀 He’s no Yngwie, Vai, Satriani and his shredding is tuneless noise, but he can play lyrically when he wants to.

[@Almeida5]

I understand the reasoning behind both feelings. As a guitarist, Vinnie is an exceptional talent and pretty good songwriter. My favorite KISS album of all time is "Creatures of the Night", for which he obviously had a huge hand in writing. I also enjoy both Vinnie Vincent Invasion albums. As a human being the guy is sort of pathetic. So, Vinnie resides in the middle for me. Thank God I never grew up a fanatic of his or I would be beyond disappointed in life.

[@trance9158]

Vinnie is no hack... talented and under rated.

[@DBTdad]

It took 36:40 seconds to get to the subject of Transition Vincent. Shaking my head

[@czarevich]

So is Transition Vincent a genius or hack move?

[@briankehew579]

Answer: genius

[@Protometal66]

Saw the Lick It Up tour and the Alice Cooper Constrictor Tour with Vinnie Vincent Invasion as the opener. For the life of me I do not remember anything of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion set. They must have been pretty boring. The Lick It Up show was fantastic though. Didn't hurt that Riot and Vandenberg opened for them.

[@Carlos-xz3vi]

The live shows Kiss had with Vinnie are epic. Vinnie breath new life to a lot of those old Frehley’s solos.

[@thecontrarians2438]

He definitely put a spin on the classic songs, which i appreciated, like love gun live he has a wicked solo in when they played that

[@Batlizard74]

I saw him on the Creatures and LIU tours. He butchered most of the classic Ace solos. Some aren’t even in the same key. I didn’t dislike VV at the time, but was glad when we finally got Bruce. Like Paul, I always thought VV was too ugly to be in Kiss during the MTV era. He wasn’t cool enough to be on the stage with Paul. I like some of his songs. Most of them. But, his songwriting and talent is overrated.

[@Carlos-xz3vi]

@@Batlizard74 Paul is a beautiful man, what are you talking about?. Lol. I’m not old enough to have seen Kiss live with Vinnie. Vinnie looked super odd, that’s for sure. But whenever I see footage of him with Kiss, he is like a firecracker. Definitely upstaged Gene and Paul. I like that he goes off on the solos, like here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKDdlIqYdrF2f7s

[@salemstone]

@@Carlos-xz3vi I think he meant that he agrees with what Paul says, that Vinnie was too ugly to be in KISS at that point, rather than that he thinks both Paul and Vinnie are both too ugly. That said, I've met exactly one woman in my life that thinks Paul was ugly, and only one other woman that thinks Vinnie was ugly, and both changed their mind after seeing them in action, i.e. music videos / liver performances. Some people either forget or don't seem to fully understand how attractive charisma and presence are, especially over just raw looks.

[@user-tf1mw7ju1u]

​@@Batlizard74you better go back and listen to some of those live recordings of Bruce playing the classic stuff. He didn't do a half bad job of "Butchering" those Ace solos either. It's amazing what people think they remember

[@sadekx5251]

A comeback? the guy is almost 70yo. The days of spectacular comebacks are way over. It's not like he's up there with Jimmy Page. Even one of my favorite guitar player John Sykes is pretty much done for.

[@janiterinadrum1627]

You would think that Joe Satriani or Steve Vai, or Nuno, or any of the guys that are shredders would be able to pick a part Vinny Vincent guitar solos and play them note for note and explain them and say look it’s not all that hard. This is what he’s doing….. I cannot find those videos anywhere on the Internet and I’m wondering why that is

[@booshting3520]

He was a great writer and player. Sadly he's a horrific person to deal with and back stabs everyone In the end. I have my own experience dealing with his true nature. He pretends to be a nice guy as long as he thinks he's getting something, but its fake.. I wouldn't pay a dime towards anything he does now. He can't really play anymore, which is sad.

[@aeromurph]

Hack, hack, thief, liar, hack.

[@vaekkriinhart4347]

21:16 , 40:30 I take issue with Joe: I read the story too about Vinnie playing Jeff Beck note for note, and the reason VV gave as to why he didn't play like that was NOT that he just 'wanted to play fast' but that, in Vinnie's words, 'because it's boring.' THAT'S the answer Vinnie gave. U misquoted him to suit ur position.. And how could u not know VV was gonna play in Ace's place on Creatures tour? I knew it. I read every mag on the rack. I saw the Creatures tour in St.Louis. Maybe Iowa didnt have as many mags as STL(?). And Vinnie DID use the violin bow in STL. He later dropped it from what I've read.. Before Joe spoke, the 3 prior guys nailed it imo. I lived thru that whole era and Vinnie most def helped resurrect KISS. Taking the makeup off for Lick it Up would not have succeeded if they didnt have the songs to back it up, and Vinnie was the main songwriter. Giving credit to Paul for co- writing LIU is like giving co-writing credit to Gene for Cold Gin- writing the middle section. It's absurd. Vinnie wrote ALL of I Love it Loud, Unholy, LIU, etc, etc, with small contributions from P n G. Vinnie is a disturbed GENIUS. But he was treated UNFAIRLY by P n G.. VV wanted to be in KISS, but the contract was insulting. $300/ wk (!)

[@Kyle7K]

He cowrote some of the best songs. I find his lead guitar playing extremely underwhelming both back in his prime and today. As a person he really seems desperate and a bit terrible.

[@janiterinadrum1627]

If we were to make a list of musicians that have had questionable, or maybe even illegal business practices, that list would go on for eternity The question is, is he a good guitar player and can other people be talented enough to copy his guitar solos and I say no they can’t because no one has done it as of yet

[@maxmustardman298]

I wonder if theres ever a rock guitarist so controversial in terms of rythm and lead work. Usually people hate everything or love everything about a certain musician.

[@vaneipontes3824]

Mr. Vinnie "Vincent Cusano" Vincent ⚡🔥🎸😎

[@christianpoint0888]

Those 3 KISS songs u mention are pure KISS meathead songs !,

[@janiterinadrum1627]

The fact that Paul Stanley forced Vinny Vincent to play a two chord guitar solo on, lick it up.. That sounds very close to the guitar solo of that dude the corner from U2.. or whatever his name is… It sounds like that song still haven’t found what I’m looking for…. You know that guitar solo that is literally two cords… I guess if you are brainwashed into thinking that less is always more than you will always think less instead of thinking more… that’s a fact of life that all players have to deal with… if you can’t do it just say that you can’t do it instead of using an excuse that less is more. Because nobody is buying it.

[@johnpatterson4272]

Referring to Vincenzo Cusano as a 'genius' is a serious 'stretch'. He is undoubtedly a gifted songwriter and an accomplished guitarist, and he gave many other artists some substantial musical energy which in-turn gave their own catalogues a big boost at the time. It's evident he has struggled with mental health issues most of his life, and he was unable to separate those inherent issues from the business-end of his professional life. "VV never played well in the rock and roll sandbox". His Vinnie Vincent Invasion band members have nothing good to say about him, and VV's inability to focus on the continuity of his product has plagued his intermittent pro-musical career since the 80s. I will say I saw VV only once play live with KISS in March 1984 on the 'Lick It Up' tour in Toronto. His lead guitar gave the KISS live experience a welcome updated sound for the 80s, after his brief work with the VV Invasion (which showed promise at the time) Vinnie disappeared and that was it for his time in the spotlight.

[@SteveBello]

I don't know what he was like before Kiss, but it seemed like after his tenure in Kiss, he lost his mind. I enjoyed his guitar work on the VVI albums (his acoustic solo "Ya Know I'm Kinda Shot" is really great!) He's not a genius/gifted songwriter, but he had some cool stuff.

[@kth351twinvasion5]

Lol thats exactly what he is...a genius, gifted songwriter...hes just fucking nuts.

[@justinfendelet8675]

Heavy metal kiss HTH is Heavy Metal In most peoples onions

[@apocalypsenow317]

All these years and they are still talking about Vinnie! The real question that should be asked is why Gene & Paul were dumb enough to let him go? Ridiculous.

[@christophervigil7729]

LONG LIVE VINNIE VINCENT !!!!!!!!!!!

[@christophervigil7729]

@Abe Froman YOU'RE SIMPLY JEALOUS BECAUSE VINNIE VINCENT SAVED KISS TWICE AND ALL HATERS KNOW IT BUT CAN NEVER CHANGE THAT OR TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIIM. Yes. LONG LIVE VINNIE VINCENT !!!!!!!! What is YOUR musical legacy ?

[@guillaumechabason3165]

Saw the lick it up tour Vinnie soloing was not genius

[@Mr-SRG]

He was just half ass playing on that tour. I thought it was borderline terrible.

[@guillaumechabason3165]

Here's a genius kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3u8hquXmLGIsMU

[@janiterinadrum1627]

I’m not sure if Vinny was a musical genius, but he was definitely not a Hack If he was a fake, then there would be hundreds of people on KZbin doing guitar solo covers of all of his songs … Show me one of them You can’t do it and people will use the excuse. Well, you know I don’t like this music or it’s not worth doing. It isn’t done because it can’t be done His technique like it or despise it It’s tough to let alone comprehend I would like to see someone play the guitar solo even close to baby shoot you full of love animal or invasion any of those guitar solos go ahead and film it and post it if he is that easily copied

[@nIIe]

Is it true that he charges 200$ to fans to enter his facebook group?

[@kevinkaple3615]

He’s in the middle pretty good songwriter for sure ..need a adult in the room to reign him in on his solos..no one wants to hear a ten year old picking up a guitar chicken picking solos for a minute straight…it works on boys are gonna rock though

[@doctordetroit4339]

VV saved Kiss. In that regard I lean towards genius, although that is a bit much. We need to go back to those times and see who brought the goods, when the chips were WAY down for Kiss. VV brought the guitar shredding and song writing. Kiss was a 70s rock band, the 80s and MTV era were not kind to those bands unless they radically changed their sound and styles (Aerosmith, Yes, Starship, Heart, Van Halen, etc. etc. etc.)....VV saved them. The 80s were shredders in the guitar world if you recall. Now all that being said...VV is a hack when it comes to business skills and ripping off fans.

[@rjc7289]

Vinnie was blessed with a lot of talent, but he focused on the wrong stuff. Instead of concentrating on his songwriting, which he was apparently good at, he focused too much on non-stop shredding, and those two VVI albums sounded like a swarm of angry bees on steroids. His playing was much more melodic and song-oriented with Dan Hartman, Treasure and Kiss. He has a serious problem with self-restraint and being a huckster for making a boatload of empty promises to his fans.

[@jayjaytee9944]

I think he walks a fine line between genius and hack. Saved Kiss with his song writing, I know he still has a small cult following but what else has he really done? Has had several opportunities for comebacks and blew all of them including his band walking out on him to form the much more successful Slaughter. His story would be of little interest to anybody other than us Kiss fans...so no real reason for a movie imo.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

There’s a lot of tabloid drama here that in the right hands could make an interesting movie or doco to the general public

[@jayjaytee9944]

@@RockDaydreamNation As a Kiss fan, I would want to see it, but I just think if the general public didn't care about Detroit Rock City (which imo is a fantastic fun film) they really wont care or even know who Vinnie Vincent is.

[@darylhall2198]

Hes definitely a Genius, saved Kiss twice and wrote some of the most beautiful songs ive ever heard.

[@Mr-SRG]

I saw Vinnie on the Creatures tour and he just killed it with his character and playing. But on the Lick It Up tour he looked disinterested and I knew the end was near for his Kiss tenure. Btw Lick it Up is the last Kiss album I ever choose to listen so I didn't get the saved Kiss argument

[@parismetaphysics6214]

Definitely a mental genius with some (extreme) quirks. Sadly we will never witness what could have been with VV . He could have been a household name, not just for his insane guitar skills, but more importantly for his canny ablity to write great songs. Just like that other Marvel guitarist Super Hero Steve Stevens (who has worked with loads of artists besides Billy Idol). VV could have beed an artists who could have been playing lead for Mega Kings & Queens of Pop & tearing it up his own monumental classics like Dirty Diana and Beat it. Think about both VV & Steven Stevens share alot of common traits . Both manged by Bill Aucoin atsome stage of their professional lives, both shred, both had mega Image and both could write songs. The difference between VV & SS is SS kept going. SS kept making music. VV did not.

[@vaekkriinhart4347]

36:40 "the elephant in the room"

[@robintaylor485]

A lot of both

[@MorryB]

"Eddie didn't sabotage his career" - I would disagree.

[@___and_memes_for_all]

How so?

[@hubridgell4511]

Vinnie Vincent Invasion Bio of Drummer, Bobby Rock. -Read It

[@lynnrinaldo6795]

I meet him ,long long time ago ,I think he is a strange man, he could be a genius most genius' are a little off .

[@mikenealon4042]

vv=geniack

[@jimilove7773]

Genius...just listen to all of his demoes . Period! More than friends, Gypsy in your eyes, maybe it's the rain, Tears, I'm pretty shot. He should have went back w/ Warrior [New England sans John Fannon], after KISS . They would have been huge! With Vinnie singing of course! Paul and Gene were jealous of Vinnie. Genius! Plus he looked massive in the Ankh makeup!

[@careful__Icarus]

Bruce Kulick can and did play just as well as Vinnie. And Mark. And Ace. Most importantly he was a consistent,dependable team player. Vinnie was an ok shred guitarist,but it seems he was trying too hard to fit himself into a mold that he was about 10 years late in age for. Loads of 80s players were better. Paul Gilbert for one.Loved KISS up until I was about 24/25. Kinda grew outta them and had to stand back and realize well damn KISS wasnt really as great as younger me thought.

[@a.azazagoth5413]

People who have sacrificed everything to be a guitar player in KISS. He took his millions to one chance and blew it all because of his massive ego. As a musician he brought an entire new fire to KISS and I truly believe that if he did his job without bringing in all of his personal BS into the fold he most likely would have stayed in the band far longer than he did. But he was so insecure that he threw his entire career away. He hasn’t played guitar for so long that he lost all of his chops. He could have just quit the band and write songs for other artists and make an incredible living from it.

[@thedragonzord_]

Let me save y'all 50 minutes. HACK!

[@janiterinadrum1627]

I’ve been following Vinny Vincent’s career since he was Vincent Cuzzano back in the day before kiss I thought he was good then… he has all kinds of problems as a lot of musicians do it would be easier to come up with a list of musicians that do not have problems then it would of musicians that are screwed up in one way or another Vinny has a guitar style but I’m a big fan of ... You played the guitar and you are not one of those people that think less is more like that dude from U2.. whatever his name is the corner or is it the side? Doesn’t matter Vinny Vincent has a style that people just are unable to copy because if you go on KZbin .. and try to find Vinny Vincent song cover, and the guitarist plays his lead solos note for note or even close… does not exist And there’s a good reason for that People can argue all they want, but produce video of someone playing any of his guitar solos note for note or even close and I’ll be satisfied

[@kth351twinvasion5]

Bottom line, he's a mad, fucking genius "wizard"...no debate. He's his own worst enemy but he literally wrote some of the best tunes of the 80's...better than Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, AND KISS, etc., etc.

[@kengyang1908]

All this time,,l thought Elvira imposter was dead,,,in Vinnie mind no one can play better or faster

[@benjaminbaird9303]

Hack

[@j-rod6420]

HACK. Just nonsense solos

[@MrWeisbrodt]

If Vinnie Vincent was such a genius he wouldn't have flaked out on so many people throughout the years. He would have released the boxed sets and not ripped off his fans. I don't think he ever intended on releasing any boxed sets to begin with. I think he's a hack desperate for money now and that's why he was doing all of these conventions capitalizing on the fact that he was in Kiss.

[@thecontrarians2438]

he's definitely capable of playing guitar at a high level... I wish he had more output over the years, I feel like he had an inflated ego, according to interviews with people he played with, I think if he was a little more down to earth and realistic he would have been grateful for the opportunity with KISS and would have stayed longer and had a more successful career there, i think he bounced out way too quick and thought he could have made it on his own, he probably should have stayed for 4-5 albums before doing solo stuff, but it is what it is and its easy to say what he should have done in hindsight

[@MrWeisbrodt]

I definitely agree. He should have stayed in Kiss for sure. Like Joe said now it's wasted talent. Yeah he was great in Kiss and wrote some great stuff. I like Not For The Innocent and Unholy the best as far as what he helped write for the band.

[@DrMetalpin]

Doesn’t deserve to be mentioned with John Sykes. He’s screwed over way too many of his contemporaries and I’ve seen so much footage of him playing poorly over the years, with KISS, solo, and with others. I used to really think he was great until he proved my opinion wrong over and over. I won’t call him a hack simply because he wrote some good songs. The more I’ve listened to the Invasion music over the years, the more I think it’s fairly overrated.

[@oskarsalvador7414]

Where are my 2 box sets?! What a prick…

[@shoominati23]

If they had of taken those ridiculous overblown solos off of VVI , it would be a much better album for it . having said that, there are 3 or 4 very listenable songs there still. .. It's like Mark Slaughter said - he did a lot of things that didn't make sense , like he was pissed off at something and he and Mark were on the way to a radio interview and he says "I'm not going!" and leaves Mark to go WTF? that hurts YOUR band not just Mark lol

[@oskarsalvador7414]

Anyone can play the chromatic scale…

[@Strutter72]

I appreciate the Vinnie Era in Kiss but overall I think his Career has been a Disaster

[@72seasonsofwither]

Good songwriter, but I don't think that was ever reflected on his VV Invasion albums. Those records were just noisy shred-fests.

[@vaekkriinhart4347]

Look, Paul n Gene both have lied soooo many times, so often, that I just don't believe them anymore- and I certainly don't believe them about Vinnie. They talk about Vinnie not signing the contract for KISS, but they NEVER address WHY. Vinnie said he was paid $300/ wk (!) That's insulting. One could almost make that amount working at McDonalds back then(!). They treated Vinnie like shit, and he didn't deserve it after filling in for Ace on Creatures tour like a pro, writing the single and writing nearly every song on LIU. He was a great talent, and it's just one more mistake among many firing him, after Unmasked n The Elder huge errors in judgment. Those were such big mistakes that Ace had to quit(!). KISS fkd up firing VV. They couldve ruled the world once more with VV n Eric Carr. That lineup was formidable ps. Animalize SUCKS- and it's bc there was no VV. That tour sucked too. They bounced back with Asylum, but after that, it was all downhill until the Reunion Tour- except one great song, Unholy- and guess who wrote it?! yep, Vinnie Vincent... And Psycho Circus sucks too. Why? Because P n G make stupid decisions I think I'm completely done with those 2 libtard j*ckoffs now.. They were good till they fired VV.. end of Kisstory

[@user-tf1mw7ju1u]

Talking heads and pod cast guy can be hacks as well. Especially, pod cast guy who has convinced himself that his opinion is fact.

[@thecontrarians2438]

🙏

[@ShawnHall]

I dunno but his live solos sounded like an 8 year old that never had a guitar before play on acid.

[@SuperStrik9]

Definitely not a genius but I wouldn't say a hack either. Somewhere in the middle. I like the Ankh Warrior character and he wrote some good songs with Kiss over the years. I dug his guitar playing with the band as well. Not a fan of Vinnie Vincent Invasion. In terms of his interactions with fans etc. That's a whole other discussion. All I'll say is I haven't heard the best things.

[@thecontrarians2438]

I pretty much agree, i think he's in the middle, he's definitely talented

[@SuperStrik9]

@@thecontrarians2438 I totally agree with you when I think of a musical genius I think of Frank Zappa or if you want to talk songwriting Paul McCartney. I also totally agree with you on that Kiss Brazil show from '83. Vinnie's playing is great at that show. Love his guitar solo on Calling Dr. Love.

[@atmaweapon2803]

Vinnie was a great session player and an awesome songwriter. Some of my favorite songs by Kiss are the ones he had a hand in writing ("Lick It Up," "A Million to One," "Heart of Chrome"), but something cracked inside him once he joined Kiss and whatever it was that cracked broke after he left Kiss. People often talk about how good VVI was but for me it's probably a heavy dose of "you had to be there." All I see at that point is someone really mad at Kiss and overcompensating. His struggle to create the most extreme hair metal band ever conceived is too contrived for me to enjoy it even on a guilty pleasure level. My favorite guitarists in that scene made it look effortless (Van Halen, Vito Bratta, George Lynch, John Norum, Ty Tabor, etc.), but Vinnie always looked like he was in furious mortal barbarian combat with his guitar, his skeleton very close to ejecting from his flesh entirely and firing through the ceiling, his guitar left on the floor in a heap of smoldering ash and smoke. Maybe that's what some people want, but it always seemed like desperation to me. A sort of "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!!!" vibe that I just don't have a lot of time for.

[@drmidnight680-kz2le]

I would study his songwriting and learn from it, as much as possible, if I were a professional musician.

[@mpmonzon]

He is a genius but dont make comparison with his playing in 2022 , he is not in the best shape , try late 80s

[@christopherbentley578]

Not sure which. Definitely a bell-end though.

[@janiterinadrum1627]

All of the people that don’t like him I completely understand Vinny obviously seems like a very disturbed messed up guy. Maybe even mental problems Please go ahead and post videos of anybody covering guitar solos of Ven Vincent you got 23 albums to pick from And I’m not talking about kiss records Copy a solo off of any of Zen, Vincent solo album I dare you

[@miked9112]

Vinnies ex wife was murdered over a decade after Vinnie divorced her, he had nothing to do with her death

[@jimmycampbell78]

Not a hack, but very far from being a genius.

[@michaelgarcia2050]

Neither. He practiced a lot and got seriously good, but I can't imagine him being any more than average IQ.

[@amazingcaucasian4679]

As far as a lead guitar player he's a hack. His leads are elementary and blow