KISS – It was a cold, dark and dank night this past Winter, when the family and I realized we had a very low supply of food and necessities to keep us alive. So, when a family of four knows they need the essentials to keep the cupboards and fridge stocked… a grocery store trip soon follows. Hello, Super Walmart. We took our sweet time inspecting and deliberating our vast grocery choices that Winter’s night. And why not? Once in awhile in life, a family of four has to stop to smell the groceries… you know?
Our grocery shopping experience was drawing to a close as we positioned ourselves and shopping cart into a check-out line, when all of a sudden, I hear my two daughters exclaim… KISS! Well, that word is Metal Music to my ears. Knowing that Walmart had some KISS merchandise hidden about the Super Store only made me all the more Metal giddy. My head turned to my daughters, then I saw my wonderful wife holding the most gorgeous KISS surprise! Check out the pics below… this is what the KISS figurine box set that I own looks like, both front and back!
Front:
The front of this box shows graphics that are slightly different from other retail store chains that carried this KISS “Super Stars” box set. This KISS box set was released in late 2009, when the KISS album Sonic Boom hit the shelves at Walmart. (I still have to take the price sticker off, located at the top right corner on box front).
Back:
(Photo’s and cropping of these KISS images were done by my graphic design guru wife and I thank her with a million Metal hugs!)
Apparently, when I had my head turned, my wife went into the trading card aisle of this Super Walmart… that is where this unreal cool KISS figurine box set was hiding. The price you might ponder? $20 (U.S.) is what it cost for a terrific piece of KISSTORY. If anyone thinks that is too pricey for this KISS gem, just think about the billions of dollars that BP is throwing away each day in the Gulf Coast. An alarming Metal perspective it is… a real Metal reality check I might add too.
Well, enough with BP… on with my KISS figurine story. I had a smile on my face like the Chesire Cat as I gazed at this KISS memorabilia. Guiding it from my wife’s hands onto the check-out conveyor was crucial… this was one item that could not be plopped down on top of the frozen foods. As this KISS box set made it’s way down the conveyor, I made certain no other item banged into it. Now, the next crucial step was getting it past the cashier’s hands without there being a mishap. The cashier that Winter’s evening was courteous and diligent in her handling of my KISS bounty. She deftly placed this KISS box set into it’s very own Walmart shopping bag too. Score!
With our shopping cart very much filled, (again, we really needed a major grocery order), I made certain that the bag containing my KISS booty was delicately placed on top of all the other bags. As we made our way out of this Super Walmart, concern quickly came over me… is it snowing? Could there be, (gasp), freezing rain? The last thing I needed was inclement weather descending upon my KISS box set, regardless if a paper-thin, plastic shopping bag was covering it. As we approached the exit doors, I noticed there was some very minor precipitation falling from the Winter sky… a very light snow. It was not enough however, to cause any Metal alarm or damage to my new found KISS item.
Placement of the bag, that contained this KISS box set, within the car’s trunk was critical. I could not afford another shopping bag the opportunity to fall or even lean against the KISS box set. No Metal way. My Metal mission was accomplished… the drive home proved a success with no bags moving about in the car’s trunk! Getting my new piece of KISSTORY into the house was now a piece of Metal cake. All of my corn dog worrying about transporting this KISS item from my beautiful wife’s hands at Super Walmart to our house was over. Phew. I have this KISS figurine box set on display now… in my Rock ‘N’ Roll room of course.
I truly thank my wife and daughters for scoping out KISS memorabilia at Super Walmart that Winter’s night… they are the heart, soul and light of my life.
LONG LIVE KISS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL!
Stone.
KISS. I have the fever… it is the addiction to this enormous American Heavy Metal juggernaut that hooked me back in grammar school… the (gulp), 1970’s that is. Over this past Summer of 2009, (actually it goes back to last Winter too), I have ultra consistently listened to the KISS album “Unmasked”… after each listen I am a better Metalhead for it. Unmasked was released back on May 20, 1980, right before I embarked on my High School years. By now, for anyone who reads my stuff regularly, may be tired of my mentioning that I owned 8 track tapes… still, I need to tell the world that I owned Unmasked on 8 track, thank you all for understanding. The memories that get stirred up inside my Metal mind, each time I listen to Unmasked are good ones… the Summer of 1980… going to the UCONN Basketball Camp, collecting odd and evil looking spiders in my backyard and having no worries in the world other than entering a new teenage chapter in my life.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
Why I feel KISS gave Rock n’ Roll back to America and other KISS points too
Posted in 1970's classic rock albums, 1970's classic rock bands, 1970's classic rock songs, 1970's hard rock bands, 1970's hard rock, 1970's heavy metal, 1970's heavy metal albums, 1970's heavy metal music, 1970's Rock, 1970's rock music, 1980's classic rock bands, 1980's heavy metal albums, 1980's classic rock, 1980's heavy metal bands, 1980's heavy metal music, 1990's heavy metal bands, classic hard rock, classic hard rock bands, classic hard rock music, classic heavy metal albums, classic rock, classic rock albums, classic rock bands, classic rock music, classic rock songs, current heavy metal music, essential classic rock albums, essential heavy metal albums, Gene Simmons, glam metal music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands this decade, heavy metal memorabilia, heavy metal music, heavy metal this decade, Metal, metal music, metal music today, metal odyssey, Music, old school heavy metal, Rock, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock and roll hall of fame complaints, rock music, rock music commentary, vintage hard rock albums, vintage heavy metal albums, vintage heavy metal bands with tags 1970's classic rock music, 1970's hard rock music, 1970's heavy metal music, 1970's rock music, 1980's heavy metal bands, ace frehley guitarist, american rock and roll bands, bruce kulick guitarist, classic heavy metal music, classic rock, classic rock music, eric carr drummer, eric singer drummer, gene simmons bass guitarist, Heavy Metal, heavy metal music, history of rock and roll, kiss albums, kiss army, kiss hard rock band, kiss heavy metal band, kiss rock band, mark st. john guitarist, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, paul stanley guitarist, peter criss drummer, rock and roll hall of fame, rock and roll history, rock and roll music roots, rock music, rock n' roll music, roots of rock and roll, the british invasion of rock and roll, tommy thayer guitarist, vinnie vincent guitarist on August 28, 2009 by Metal OdysseyKiss being introduced to the world in 1974 may have had more of an impact than some Rock historians think… The Grateful Dead, with their extremely loyal and abundant following with unmatched touring was American – I will never disagree with this bands unique impact on Rock Music history. However, Kiss was not about peace and love… this was the loudest band in the land Dressed To kill, singing about girls that are Hotter Than Hell, partying, Makin’ Love, God of Thunder, a Love Gun and all things against the norm in ways that were not quite presented before in Rock Music history. What Rock Band from the 1960’s used Pyrotechnics like Kiss? How many Rock musicians could spit up blood and still play the bass and sing? Who used such an elaborate and eye defying stage show before Kiss? Kiss not only made Rock n’ Roll powerful, they (gasp) made it fun and entertaining too. The marketing blitz of items that portrayed the Kiss logo and band were everywhere during the 1970’s… if you look around today, these same items plus new products bearing Kiss are around us. Any Kiss tour during the 1970’s was nothing to ignore, the Kiss Army was never just a fictitious entity… it was and still is real.
After Kiss broke all the Rock n’ Roll rules, more Rock bands than I could ever mention here took their lead and emulated Kiss either musically, with make-up, through stage shows and/or marketing. When I stop to think about it, what other Rock or Heavy Metal Band garnered more media attention during the 1970’s than Kiss? With their all around power of Rock, Kiss let it be known, through their albums, that they were not fooling themselves or the fans all along. Kiss is setting the stage again, ready to unleash their brand new album Sonic Boom onto the masses… October of 2009 should be quite the month in the life of this middle aged Metalhead, for Kiss shall return… giving back their brand of Rock n’ Roll to us all again. That is why, in my Metal opinion, Kiss gave back Rock n’ Roll to America back in 1974, they are now only going to remind us as to why their music lives on.
It is high time for the so called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, to stop playing nonsensical games and induct an American Rock Band that redefined American Rock n’ Roll history through their music and pop culture impact, Kiss over the decades has become an American institution. Since I am on the topic, I could care less about the voting process or who votes at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, all I know is that the ignorance is growing by leaps and bounds over there in each passing year of it’s existence. I do have one word of advice for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, (if you can consider this an actual word), DUH? I would guarantee this… more fans will go to this Hall of Fame to see Kiss than than anyone could ever imagine. Once again, this is my Metal opinion and I am steadfast about it.
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