![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/KISS-OPENER-SeptOct-2012.jpg\" "\\"KISS-OPENER-SeptOct-2012\\"")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nFor a long time, beginning in 1999, Paul Stanley wasn\u2019t sure Kiss would make another studio album. Worse, he wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to. Ironically, it was the making of the previous year\u2019s Psycho Circus<\/em>\u2014the much-ballyhooed record that featured original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley reunited with Kiss founders Stanley and Gene Simmons\u2014that put Stanley in that frame of mind. As he tells it, Criss and Frehley were recalcitrant participants, at best.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we learned is that you can\u2019t make a great Kiss album without Kiss,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen there are two people in the studio working, and two who are refusing to come in, or who have their attorneys on the phone all the time, that\u2019s not a good situation. Psycho Circus<\/em> was interesting in the sense that it made me never want to go back into the studio, and at the same time, I felt I\u2019ll be damned if that was going to be the last album we made. The band, during the reunion period, went south pretty quickly. It was something we managed to keep alive in much the same way a paramedic might keep a stroke victim from dying.\u201d<\/p>\n To say Stanley and Simmons have kept Kiss alive is an understatement. Since the group\u2019s 1974 self-titled debut, Kiss has released 20 studio albums, 10 live records and 13 compilation discs. Including solo records, they\u2019ve been awarded 28 gold albums, more than any American rock group. Worldwide album sales are colossal\u2014more than 100 million.<\/p>\n There\u2019s another facet to that success\u2014the group\u2019s merchandising empire, and it\u2019s unrivalled in rock. The Kiss brand offers everything from baby bibs to action figures to caskets (spelled Kaskets, of course). There\u2019s also a miniature golf course, a coffeehouse and even a Kiss Kruise. The vast array of goods is served up without apology. \u201cIt all begins with the songs, no question about that,\u201d says Simmons. \u201cBut there were never any rules for being in a rock band. People just thought there were. For us, it\u2019s not enough to just be a Radiohead or a U2. That\u2019s why we have 3,000 licensed products.\u201d<\/p>\n Kiss continued to tour after Psycho Circus<\/em>, albeit in ever-changing configurations. Criss left in 2001, replaced by Eric Singer, who had previously served as the band\u2019s drummer in the early \u201990s. Frehley departed the following year, and longtime Kiss associate Tommy Thayer stepped in as replacement on lead guitar. Thayer\u2019s position was made permanent, but in 2003 Criss returned for KISS Symphony: Alive IV<\/em>, a concert album with Australia\u2019s Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. A year later, Criss was out, Singer was back.<\/p>\n Since then, the lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Thayer and Singer has coalesced into a finely tuned rock machine that has achieved its greatest success on the road. World tours in 2008 and 2009 solidified the group\u2019s status as a premier live act, as the band\u2019s chemistry rose to a level commensurate with the group\u2019s spectacular stage show. In 2010\u2014following a decade of resistance to the idea\u2014Kiss released Sonic Boom<\/em>, a no-frills studio album that captured the band\u2019s sound from their mid-\u201970s heyday.<\/p>\n Kiss\u2019 latest, Monster<\/em>\u2014produced by Stanley and production vet Greg Collins\u2014fully embraces a stripped-down, back-to-basics approach. \u201cNo boys\u2019 choirs, no symphony orchestras, just meat and potatoes,\u201d says Simmons, alluding to the adherence to two guitars, bass and drums. The goal? Raise the bar while keeping things simple. \u201cWe sat facing each other as we recorded,\u201d he says. \u201cThe idea was to get things in the first, second or third take. I didn\u2019t want to lose any of the urgency and passion of what we were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Simmons and Stanley emphasize that no other Kiss configuration could have made Monster<\/em>. The spirit of camaraderie is evident in the song credits. Thayer wrote or co-wrote nine of the 12 songs, and Singer co-wrote one tune and takes lead vocals on the Stanley-penned anthem, \u201cAll for the Love of Rock and Roll.\u201d \u201cThis lineup is the embodiment of everything the band wanted to be,\u201d says Stanley. \u201cTo think any other lineup could have made this album would be enough to get you committed. I\u2019ve been there from the beginning, and I know.\u201d Stanley and Simmons discussed the music behind the theater, their creative partnership and the Kiss legacy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Was there a goal with Monster<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n STANLEY: To hark back to the music and artists who influenced us and capture that spirit. That doesn\u2019t mean copying anybody. It means finding that spot they touched. I grew up hearing bands at the Fillmore East nearly every weekend. Those bands played like their lives depended on it. There was also a joy. It almost felt like being in church, like gospel. James Brown didn\u2019t go for perfection\u2014he went for passion. Same was true for Motown, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Stones, early Elvis and on and on. Sonic Boom\u00a0<\/em>stayed close to our past, to things we had done previously. But for Monster<\/em>, I wanted to make the album we never made.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What was your role as producer?<\/strong><\/p>\n STANLEY: To set ground rules. It\u2019s important that everyone know what the expectations are. One rule was no outside co-writes, just like the last album. I wanted to make sure everyone was totally committed to making this album\u2014and that we all understood there were no quotas, no entitlements. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019ve been in the band 10 years or 30 years\u2014if the songs aren\u2019t good enough, they don\u2019t go on. Once those parameters are made clear, everyone is willing to work harder. That said, we never had more fun making an album.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tell us about the songwriting process.<\/strong><\/p>\n SIMMONS: We used to do demos on our own and bring them to the band. This time, we got together as a band and started tossing riffs and chord patterns and melodies at one another. That\u2019s why the songwriting credits are all over the place. \u201cBack to the Stone Age\u201d is a good example. It started with Eric talking about how much he loved the MC5 and their energy but the masses just didn\u2019t get it. We talked about where that energy came from, and out of that we started to jam. Within two hours we had a bed track. I had this back-to-the-stone-age lyric idea\u2014a battle cry against technology robbing your soul\u2014and we added that. That song was written and recorded in one day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Order the KISS issue to read exclusive content and see more photos >><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n What makes this lineup special?<\/strong><\/p>\n SIMMONS: This lineup should have been Kiss from day one. We\u2019re like marathon runners\u2014it\u2019s built into our DNA. Ace and Peter, bless them, were as important as Paul and me in the formation of the band, but they just didn\u2019t have it in their DNA to go the distance. Marathoners never run at full speed. You have to be mindful of the long road. A team is only as good as its members\u2014like legs of a table or tires on a car. One flat tire messes up everything. Everybody has to carry the load together.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What inspired the concept for Kiss?<\/strong><\/p>\n STANLEY: The Beatles, in many ways. Those \u201960s British groups all looked like real bands. No member of the Beatles could have fit into the Stones. No member of the Who could have been in the Dave Clark Five. You had unified images of those bands, and at the same time there was an emphasis on the individual members.<\/p>\n SIMMONS: We also took pride in having the same freedom the Beatles had. Their philosophy was, \u201cNo matter what kind of music we do, it\u2019s still the Beatles.\u201d That\u2019s what was amazing about them. The Rolling Stones were trapped in being the Stones, in a sense, whereas the Beatles were not trapped in that way. They could do music hall, psychedelia\u2014anything\u2014and they did. Yet somehow it always sounded like the Beatles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do you think theatrics and merch have overshadowed Kiss\u2019 musicianship?<\/strong><\/p>\n SIMMONS: It makes no difference. It doesn\u2019t matter whether people come for the show or for the songs. Passion and love for something depends on where you are in life. A 5-year-old who loves Kiss doesn\u2019t know about music. They just know that, visually, there\u2019s something that pulls them in. It\u2019s hard to imagine Elvis in a live situation without visualizing him shaking his hips or doing karate moves. If it\u2019s about nothing but music, then close your eyes and don\u2019t look at the stage. In fact, stay home and listen through headphones\u2014it will sound better.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is there an inherent conflict between artist\u00a0and businessperson?<\/strong><\/p>\n STANLEY: That notion comes from people who have no hand in it. Critics, in general, want you to live by rules they don\u2019t live by. They deem rock \u2019n\u2019 roll valid when somebody is tattooed from ankle to neck and walking a ledge of drug intake. Curiously enough, critics don\u2019t look like that and don\u2019t live like that. As far as merchandise goes, we\u2019ve never put anything out that there wasn\u2019t a demand for. I\u2019ve been doing this for 40 years. Whether it\u2019s the business model or the lifestyle, I\u2019ll be damned if someone is going to tell me what\u2019s valid and what\u2019s not. At some point people have to surrender and acknowledge the power, the credibility and the validity of this band.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What\u2019s the secret to your relationship?<\/strong><\/p>\n STANLEY: Focusing on priorities. Putting aside things that aren\u2019t important. Knowing its limitations. If you don\u2019t expect something from someone that you can\u2019t get, you will never be disappointed. We respect one another, and we put personal points of view aside for the betterment of the band. If one of us feels very strongly about something, the other acquiesces. It\u2019s a matter of being pragmatic and realistic.<\/p>\n SIMMONS: Also there are no drugs and no booze. We both come from working-class families, so we understand the work ethic. We know that but for the grace of God, we\u2019d be asking the next person in line, \u201cWould you like some fries with that?\u201d There\u2019s always a huge debt of gratitude to God, to our fans, to everybody who\u2019s given us a chance to get onstage and make a complete spectacle of ourselves. We also have a particular respect for each other. We disagree on all kinds of things, but we agree on one thing: No one\u2019s allowed to touch or hurt Kiss. It\u2019s our baby, our child. Brothers understand that. Brothers can fight like cats and dogs, but let someone say something bad about the family, and watch out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Advice for aspiring musicians?<\/strong><\/p>\n SIMMONS: Study the things that came before you, and then turn that upside down and make it your own. Listen to Hendrix, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin\u2014whomever you like\u2014and learn to do what they did, really well. Call it influence, call it a rip-off, call it what you will\u2014but Hendrix did it, the Beatles did it, everyone did it. A chef who creates a new dish is using ingredients that already exist. He or she is just preparing them in a new way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What will be Kiss\u2019 legacy?<\/strong><\/p>\n STANLEY: That story will be told by the fans who love us. But I will say a couple of things. First, we continue to serve as a wake-up call to fans regarding what they should expect from bands. Fans do us a favor by showing up\u2014not vice versa\u2014and we\u2019re a reminder of that. Second, you only have to look at any band out there doing a real show to see that our DNA is in that. Those shows will always be categorized as Kiss-type shows. I don\u2019t care who it is\u2014from rock to country\u2014if there\u2019s a theatrical element, or any kind of bombast, it\u2019s Kiss.\u00a0 M<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n KISS\u00a0<\/strong>– After nearly 40 years, the juggernaut known as Kiss goes back to rock basics for their new record.<\/p>\n THE WALLFLOWERS<\/strong> –\u00a0It\u2019s been seven years since the band\u2019s last record, and the time off has been good to them.<\/p>\n HEART\u00a0<\/strong>– With 35 years and 35 million records under their belts, the queens of rock refuse to mellow.<\/p>\n MATCHBOX TWENTY<\/strong> –\u00a0Following a couple of solo efforts, Rob Thomas reconnects with the band for true group effort.<\/p>\n RICHIE SAMBORA\u00a0<\/strong>– Life tribulations pave the way for the Bon Jovi ace guitarist to release his most personal record yet.<\/p>\n ZZ TOP<\/strong> –\u00a0The iconic rock trio still pushes the envelope, this time working with noted producer Rick Rubin.<\/p>\n FOCAL POINTS\u00a0<\/strong>– Photographer James Minchin III shares vivid shots of Ryan Adams, Tom Waits and more.<\/p>\n TONY BENNETT\u00a0<\/strong>–\u00a0There\u2019s no stopping the iconic crooner whose career has spanned six decades.<\/p>\n RON ANIELLO <\/strong>– Meet the producer behind Lifehouse, Barenaked Ladies, Gavin DeGraw and Bruce Springsteen.<\/p>\n JOHN MCLAUGHLIN\u00a0<\/strong>– This jazz master guitarist continues to blaze uncharted musical paths of his own design.<\/p>\n SOUL ASYLUM\u00a0<\/strong>– Twenty years after their triple-platinum break-through album, the band is back.<\/p>\n Q&A: PITCH PERFECT VOCALS<\/strong><\/p>\n TOP GEAR<\/strong><\/p>\n REVIEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n SOUNDCHECK<\/strong><\/p>\n WHO\u2019S NEXT <\/strong>– Tamar Kaprelian,\u00a0Anderson East, \u00a0Amanda Mair<\/p>\n SPOTLIGHT<\/strong> –\u00a0Corin Tucker Band,\u00a0Dwight Yoakam,\u00a0Ellie Goulding,\u00a0Shemekia Copeland,\u00a0Jeff Lynne<\/p>\n REVIEWS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n INDIE SCENE<\/strong> –\u00a0Don Felder<\/p>\n BEHIND THE\u00a0<\/strong>CLASSICS \u00a0<\/strong>– Queen<\/p>\n ENCORE\u00a0<\/strong>– Fleetwood Mac<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KISS For a long time, beginning in 1999, Paul Stanley wasn\u2019t sure Kiss would make another studio album. Worse, he wasn\u2019t sure he wanted to. Ironically, it was the making of the previous year\u2019s Psycho Circus\u2014the much-ballyhooed record that featured original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley reunited with Kiss founders Stanley and Gene Simmons\u2014that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4835,23],"tags":[4265,4498,4262,5260,5255,4260,5254,5257,5259,4264,4263,5253,5077,5258,5256],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7920"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7920"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7920\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7926,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7920\/revisions\/7926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/KISS-layout1-SeptOct-2012.jpg\" "\\"KISS-layout1-SeptOct-2012\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/V3M6-cover-small-rgb-228x300.jpg\" "\\"V3M6-cover-small-rgb\\"")
<\/a>Order this KISS issue to see more photos and exclusive content for only $5 >><\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\nFEATURES<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n\nQ&A \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
GEAR \u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
DEPARTMENTS <\/strong><\/h2>\n