Check out another text written by one of our WikiBrothers:

KISS turned 40 in 2013. Since then, they have been loved or hated in equal measure. But their influence on a generation of rock guitarists is immense. They have proven themselves, time and again, to be masters of marketing and self-mythologizing.

Luiz Fernando Sousa Spósito

I've been a Kiss fan since 1983, when they came to Brazil for the first time. As shown in the music video, I was mesmerized by the drum beat of "I Love It Loud." I ended up becoming a fan by searching for it on records that had nothing to do with that tour at the time. A classmate's brother had two Kiss albums – "Hotter Than Hell" and "Love Gun." I managed to get him to give me both albums just by filling up his motorcycle's gas tank.

Some time ago, I read an online article by a columnist who loves to criticize everything, praising and criticizing albums and artists on the market. I was disappointed that my opinion wasn't posted in the comments section, but I think it's valid, so I decided to write this article to post here on the site and get the opinions of other Kiss fans.

In the article, he slams Psycho Circus and praises Monster's work. And that's where all my outrage comes from.

I literally love all the songs from all the albums – from Kiss '74 to Psycho Circus. But let's get down to business. This whole thing about trying to convince people that the songs are good with phrases placed in an article to try and persuade fans that the album is good is nonsense. But, since taste is subjective and like a nose – everyone has one – I'm going to give my opinion about these two albums here.

To begin with, Psycho Circus didn't leave me with a bad impression at all, quite the opposite. This album is a real reunion with old fans. All the songs were very well crafted and have a great emotional depth. They managed to summarize the band's history up to that point in the lyrics – listen to "We are one" and "You wanted the Best". You can feel the naturalness of the songs as you listen to them.

Regarding Monster, the impression I get is that they forced the issue to compose songs just to release the album. When I first heard it, that's exactly how I perceived it. I haven't been able to listen to the whole album to this day. It doesn't sound natural to me. In fact, the only song I liked right away was "All for the Glory," sung by Eric Singer; and even then, only because I heard it on a website, separate from the other songs that come before it. Then I thought: if all the songs are as good as this one, the album must be good. But what a disappointment.

Ace Frehley wrote something interesting in his autobiography – “No Regrets”. He said that he likes to have time to work on his lyrics and music, and that Gene Simmons told him he should force himself to write. That he, Simmons, wrote at least one song a day. On this album, Monster, you can hear the result of that. Just for comparison, listen to Ace's last album – Anomaly (2009); or Paul Stanley's solo album – Live to Win (2011). Both sound much more like Kiss than Monster.

But they used to be better at making music in a hurry, as they've recounted about the hectic recording of Dressed to Kill (1975), when they had to find songs from who-knows-where to complete the album. And they composed great classics, such as: She, Rock Bottom, Come'on and Love Me and Rock and Roll All Night. The funniest thing is that Gene Simmons said it took him almost six months to compose Calling Dr. Love… okay… he composed Rock and Roll All Night, according to him, in 20 minutes… with Paul Stanley.

I know this is all a personal opinion and I won't be able to please everyone. But what did you think of these two Kiss albums – Psycho Circus and Monster?

40 Interesting Facts about KISS!*

*The text below is a translation of a text published by Michael Leonard in January 2013. The original text can be found on the Gibson .

KISS turned 40 in 2013. They played their first show in January 1973 in the Queens neighborhood of New York City. Since then, KISS has been loved or hated in equal measure. But their influence on a generation of rock guitarists is immense. They have proven themselves, time and again, to be masters of marketing and self-mythologizing.

Here are some interesting facts. If you want to read about Kiss's Gibson guitars, check out:
Ace Frehley “Budokan” Les Paul Custom, Gibson.com 2012 interview with KISS's Tommy Thayer and Tommy's recent interview at NAMM 2013.

Here are some interesting facts…

1. Before changing their name to KISS, the quartet was called Wicked Lester. As Wicked Lester, they recorded demos for an album for Epic Records in 1971-72 that was never released. Some of these songs were used on later KISS albums. Drummer Peter Criss joined them around April 1972; Ace Frehley in January 1973. Two weeks later, they performed as KISS.

2. Before settling on KISS, they considered the names Albatross, Rainbow (before Ritchie Blackmore's band, from Deep Purple, had the same name), and Crimson Harpoon. Gene Simmons is mentioned as having suggested the name "Fuck." But it's a joke. Simmons is smart enough to know that the name wouldn't be very commercial.

3. In the 1970s, some anti-rock preachers suggested that KISS stood for Knights in Satan's Service – which is not true.

4. The connection with Rainbow didn't end there. Ken Kelly, the artist who painted the covers for the albums Destroyer and Love Gun, also painted album covers for Blackmore's band.

5. Jay Jay French, guitarist for Twisted Sister, auditioned to be the lead guitarist for Kiss in late 1972, early 1973, when they were still called Wicked Lester. But Ace got the job, even though he performed wearing mismatched shoes, one red and the other orange.

6. Their fervent fans are known as the KISS Army. This event took place in the state of Indiana, where a local radio station refused to play any Kiss music in the early 1970s. In protest, the fans marched to the radio station calling themselves the KISS Army.

7. The first covers of KISS's debut album did not include "Kissin' Time ." The album was re-released in July 1974 to include their version of " Kissin' Time ," originally a classic by Bobby Rydell.

8. For the KISS album cover, the band wanted it to look like the Meet The Beatles cover. Oh, and Warner Bros. Records initially threatened to cancel the band's contract if they didn't remove the makeup.

9. To achieve the silver "Spaceman" look in his hair on the KISS album cover, Ace Frehley used commercial hairspray thinking it would wash out quickly. Ace was wrong.

10. Ace started using blue eyeshadow in the late 70s – he also developed an allergic reaction to his silver makeup.

11. “Dimebag” Darrell (Pantera/Damageplan) was buried in a “KISS coffin,” as he requested in his will. Gene Simmons said, “There were a limited number available, and I sent mine to Dimebag Darrell’s family. He asked to be buried in a KISS coffin in his will. For some strange reason, he learned to like rock and roll listening to us.” For those considering cremation, KISS urns are also available.

12. In the early 1970s, Peter Criss flew to England to audition for Elton John's backing band. He didn't pass the auditions.

13. Ace Frehley was known for his love of drink, but his classic “Cold Gin” wasn’t based on his favorite beverage. “I didn’t drink gin: I didn’t drink liquor of any kind very often,” he wrote in his memoir No Regrets. “I loved beer, I wasn’t a connoisseur. Give me a can of whatever you have in the fridge! I’d be happy. I wanted to write a song about drinks, and ‘Cold Gin’ sounded like a great title.”

14. KISS was offered the role of the Future Villain Band in the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The band refused, fearing it would damage their image. The role was then given to Aerosmith.

15. The hand that appears on the cover of the album Music From The Elder is not Paul Stanley's, as some fans assume. According to his former manager, Bill Aucoin, the hand is from a hand model.

16. The door that appears on the cover of the album The Elder is from a Methodist church on Park Avenue in New York.

17. Gene Simmons is one of the world's greatest fire-breathers. The bassist's flame is a Kiss attraction, but Simmons is really good at it. His flame reaches 4.60 m. Not as good as the 2011 world record of 8.05 m, achieved by American Antonio Restivo; but impressive nonetheless, in what can be described as a "minority" occupation.

18. Ace Frehley sings lying down! He says: “Every time I record lead vocals, I have to do it lying on my back. If I stand up and try to sing, sometimes I can’t reach the notes.”

19. Paul Stanley wrote many of Kiss's early songs, including "Firehouse" and "Let Me Know ," while he was still in high school.

20. Stanley studied art at Bronx Community College before dedicating his time to Kiss. ​​He still paints – see Paul Stanley's paintings.

21. Kiss never had a #1 single in the United States. But, I Was Made for Lovin' You reached number one in Canada and the Netherlands.

22. The collar of the "fox" outfit that drummer Eric Carr wore in 1980 was made of real fox fur.

23. Most of the songs that appear on Peter Criss's 1978 solo album were originally written in 1972 for his band's album at the time, called Lips.

24. In 1986, Paul Stanley came close to accepting the job of producing Guns N' Roses' debut album, Appetite for Destruction. But Stanley eventually changed his mind and declined.

25. For his 1978 solo album, Gene Simmons wanted to include Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Shore, Chaka Khan, and Arthur Liberace. However, other commitments prevented them from participating. Simmons also invited Paul McCartney, but "scheduling conflicts" also prevented that from happening.

26. According to Peter Criss, Ace Frehley played bass on many songs from Kiss's early career.

27. Early in their careers, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss recorded vocals for commercial jingles, including some for AMC trucks.

28. Sammy Hagar was dropped as the opening act for a Kiss tour in the late 1970s for using foul language on stage.

29. The "news" heard at the beginning of the song Detroit Rock City , from the album Destroyer, was read by the producer, Bob Ezrin.

30. Shortly after leaving Kiss in 1982, Ace Frehley flew to Los Angeles to produce the first WASP demo tapes.

31. Although Stanley was an excellent art student, it was Ace Frehley who designed the KISS logo.

32. When Eric Carr recorded his vocals for the 1988 Beth

33. When he was young, Gene Simmons enrolled in a Jewish rabbinical school with the intention of becoming a rabbi.

34. Ace Frehley was a roadie for drummer Mitch Mitchell during Jimi Hendrix's last performance, Band of Gypsys, in New York in 1970.

35. All the instruments on the song "Little Caesar" from the album Hot in the Shade were played by Bruce Kulick (all guitars) and Eric Carr (drums and bass).

36. Immediately before joining KISS in 1982, Vinnie Vincent was a composer for the television show Happy Days – he composed all the songs that the characters Joanie and Chachi sing on the show. (We hope this is true!)

37. The guitar solos for the songs "All American Man" and "Exciter" were played by Rick Derringer (of "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo").

38. In 1977, Kiss became the first band since The Beatles to have four albums on the Billboard Hot 100 album chart – Alive, Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and The Originals were all in the Top 40 at the same time.

39. In 1983, Gene Simmons said he turned down the lead role in the movie Flashdance for fear of damaging his image. Apparently.

40. In the early 90s, Gene Simmons claimed to have written a song with Bob Dylan. Still very superficial.
As always regarding KISS, some of the "facts" above may be more truthful than others. Thanks to all the great KISS fansites, biographies, and autobiographies of the members, there are their own versions of some of these crazy events…

*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.