On August 20, 1976 – KISS performed at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. An estimated 42,000 fans were in attendance. Ted Nugent, Montrose and Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band opened. Source: Kissonline.com
KISS were touring in support of their fourth studio album Destroyer.
By: Peter Criss with Larry “Ratso” Sloman
Hardcover releases on October 23rd, 2012
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Stone Says: I’ve read some excerpts already from this Peter Criss book and they are heartwarming, heartbreaking and hilarious. I don’t think you need to be just a KISS or Rock ‘N Roll fan to buy this book; all you need to be is a fan of life. I simply cannot wait to buy this book and read it entirely. Metal be thy name.
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* For more info on PETER CRISS, click on the links below!
facebook: Peter Criss
Stone.
KISS KOLLECTIBLES – That’s it at the top! That’s my KISS Peter Criss (Johnny Lightning) die-cast race car I bought many years ago. Each member of the Klassic KISS lineup was featured on a die-cast in this Johnny Lightning series. This series was featured as “Racing Dreams” and referred to by Johnny Lightning as “the greatest race cars that never were!”
Stone Notes: Yes, as any loyal visitor to Metal Odyssey knows, I keep most of my KISS Kollectibles sealed in their original packaging… unless they’re CD’s, magazines, comic books or books. Uh, you get the Metal point.
A (Johnny Lightning) KISS trading card was also a part of this package (see above photo). My Peter Criss car came with an Ace Frehley trading card; it is #20 of a 50 card set. Along with being card #20, “Ace… ready for a good time!” is the card designation within the set. I do own 1 die-cast of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Ace Frehley from this Johnny Lightning series as well.
I don’t own the complete trading card set from this line; maybe someday I’ll track the set down (for a reasonable price) and buy it. The year of issue for this really cool die-cast was 1997 (the date is found on the back of the packaging). Remembering which retail store I bought this KISS Peter Criss die-cast is fuzzy; Walmart or Kmart would be my best guesses for I’ve bought many die-cast cars at both locations, over the decades. Metal be thy name.
Depicted on the hood of this die-cast car is the Peter Criss solo album portrait:
KISS Peter Criss – Casablanca (1978)
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Here is what the back of the packaging looks like:
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* For more info on KISS, click on the link below!
Stone.
KISS DYNASTY – 1979 was an interesting year. In sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII by a score of 35-31, at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Five days later, I turned thirteen years old. (Yes, I am the same age as the Super Bowl, in case you didn’t notice). This was a grand year for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Pittsburgh Pirates also became World Champions too, by winning the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles in seven games. This was after the Pirates were down in the World Series three games to one. “We Are Family”! Yes, Sister Sledge will forever be most famous for this Pittsburgh Pirates theme song of 1979.
Jimmy Carter was serving as the 39th President of The United States, with Vice President Walter Mondale by his side. There were extremely long lines at the gasoline pumps in the U.S. due to an “oil crisis”. A partial core meltdown accident occurred at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility, on March 28, 1979, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Three huge news stories involved Pennsylvania in 1979: the World Series Champions, the Super Bowl Champions and Three Mile Island. Now that’s Pennsylvania trivia for you! Of course there were countless other news stories going on around the world in 1979… KISS releasing their seventh studio album Dynasty was one of them.
As a thirteen year old KISS fan, I was psyched-out when I first learned of Dynasty being released. I was not a full-fledged Metalhead just yet and KISS was heavy-duty stuff for my ears at that age. I remember seeing the KISS Dynasty advertisement on the back cover of many comic books, well before it’s release, making it all the more exciting to me. When I first heard I Was Made For Lovin’ You on FM radio, I was hooked! You have to look at my age and the time period of this KISS album being released, to truly understand why I Was Made For Lovin’ You was a big deal.
Fast forward to 2011 and many (if not the majority) of KISS fans both young and old, will wince at putting I Was Made For Lovin’ You at the top of the list of all-time KISS Klassics. Honestly, I still like this song, only it’s not the greatest KISS song ever recorded. I may not get the ostrich bumps up and down my arms from this song, as I did back in 1979, yet tastes change and so did this iconic KISS group. My biggest pet peeve about I Was Made For Lovin’ You is it being singled out as a (gulp) Disco song. Ouch. Sure, this song has some “dance in it’s step”, still, it isn’t Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park from 1978 either. The Village People were Disco. Metal be thy name.
Charisma and Sure Know Something are my two favorite songs from Dynasty. I’ve always loved hearing Gene Simmons play that rich, deep bass on Sure Know Something. Gene’s vocals on Charisma were fun then, they still are entertaining as ever for me today. 2,000 Man is a Hard Rock Klassic, Ace Frehley sings this song with timeless coolness. This was and always will be a fun KISS album to listen to, not to be misunderstood as a Classic Rock masterpiece. Dynasty is a very decent album from KISS. These were KISS songs that reflected this era of Rock ‘n’ Roll, not to be misjudged as songs meant to change the course of Rock history.
For several years after the release of Dynasty, I had the KISS poster that came inside the album jacket hanging on my bedroom wall. My wife remembers, as a young kid, having this same poster hanging on the back of her bedroom door for years as well. Neither one of us kept this Klassic KISS poster, however, we both still have our respective copies of Dynasty on vinyl! Go figure. By the way… my copy of Dynasty is in better condition than my wife’s copy. Don’t anyone tell her I said that.
* KISS DYNASTY was released in May of 1979, on Casablanca Records.
* DYNASTY was produced by Vini Poncia.
I Was Made For Lovin’ You
2,000 Man
Sure Know Something
Dirty Livin’
Charisma
Magic Touch
Hard Times
X-Ray Eyes
Save Your Love
* Per request of Tokyo Five who sent me the pic of the KISS DYNASTY poster, here it is, in all it’s KISS Klassic glory:
* For more info on KISS, just click here: KISS
LONG LIVE KISS.
KISS SHOULD BE INDUCTED IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME… DAMMIT.
Stone.
KISS – just about any and every item you can think of, has had the KISS logo or images of the band put on them. From lunch boxes to boxer shorts. Over the years, (since the late 1970’s), I have collected KISS collectibles. Still, I would not consider my KISS kollection to be very huge at all. In fact, my KISS kollection is quite modest, I have for some reason or another, showed much restraint in buying “anything” that has the KISS logo on it. One KISS kollectible that I did purchase back in the mid 1980’s was a comic book, from a comic book store that was quite messy and cold. I still have this cool comic book, (see the two pics below this post).
This KISS comic book was put out by Marvel Comics back in 1978. This comic book has 56 pages, a four page/pull out KISS poster and two pages dedicated to the making of the KISS movie – KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. A KISS interview is also included in these same pages, in regards to their making this movie. I remember when network television carried KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, it was on NBC, sometime around 1978. If my Metal memory serves me correctly, this movie was rather corn dog… still, it was KISS! I have not seen this KISS movie in probably 30 years now… quite a few years. I will most likely seek out this KISS movie on video or if it’s even on DVD? It would be a Metal hoot to just watch it again… for old times sake!
Going back to my KISS comic book… it is in excellent condition, not mint, yet that is still fine with me. I keep it in a protective plastic comic bag too, just to preserve it all the more.
Here is what the front cover of my KISS comic book from 1978 looks like:
Here is what the back cover of this same KISS comic book looks like:
This back cover advertises the four KISS solo albums from 1978!! The heading on this back cover ad could never be more true – A Milestone! Man, does this bring back some vintage KISS memories! Plus, 1978 was the year that my beloved New York Yankees beat down the hapless Boston Red Sox in a one-game playoff for the American League Eastern Division Title!! Another Milestone! That same legendary Yankees team went on to win the 1978 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers too!! Ahhh… the memories, the milestones, they are truly priceless.
1978… KISS… a KISS comic book… and Bucky Dent hitting a home run over the infamous Green Monster at the ever historic Fenway Park. It’s funny how one memory leads to another from a particular, remembered year.
LONG LIVE KISS!
LONG LIVE BUCKY DENT AND THE 1978 NEW YORK YANKEES TOO!
Stone.
Well, another year has gone by and the “astute” historians and archive keepers of Rock and Roll History – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has bumbled another induction. WHERE IS… KISS? You know, the four guys known as GENE SIMMONS, PAUL STANLEY, ACE FREHLEY and PETER CRISS? Oh, god forbid if I dare mention the extended family of musicians that are/were members of KISS as well. I guess ABBA contributed so much more, to the “history” of Rock and Roll. I forgot, that ABBA is so damn hot right now in 2010 as well. Hey, disco needs it’s just due in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame too… of course. While these Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation dorks were at it, why didn’t they just induct The Wiggles right now, alongside ABBA? Get it over with. At this point, Bananarama and The Partridge Family will get inducted well before KISS ever gets their rightful induction into this snobby, uneducated in Heavy Metal, white collar, Pop Music is king… cheap excuse of a building.
Genesis, Jimmy Cliff, The Stooges and The Hollies deserve their rightful and historic recognition. Arguably, it is not ABBA’s fault they are recognized either… but give me a Metal break here. ABBA over KISS? That’s like choosing a glass of warm milk over a cold draft beer.
As quoted directly from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website:
“The 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performer inductees were chosen by more than 500 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. Artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twenty-five years after their first recording is released.”
* Uh, yeah… what about… anything other than 25 years after their first album is released? Is that the only damn criteria? Crap, I’ll make a record then and wait 25 years to see if I get inducted.
* Who really is… this mysterious… 500 voters of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation? Are they all scholars, who are afraid of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? Do any of these voters listen to Rock Music in the first place?
* It’s almost as if, these 500 voters of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation receive a copy of Rolling Stone Magazine, a few times a year, read about bands that get the good ol’ Rolling Stone Magazine seal of approval… and then… these voters decide, these are the bands! They must be good if Rolling Stone Magazine says so!
* Apparently, these 500 voters of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation get more psyched out by listening to Dancing Queen and Waterloo instead of Rock and Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City.
* I’m not going to blab about how many Gold and Platinum Records KISS has achieved, chart singles, concert tickets sold, their impact on American Pop Culture, nor how many total albums they have put out… what’s the use? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn’t give a crap. ABBA is Back! ABBA = Rock Legends.
* Man, what would Elvis think and say of this mess they call The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Some “important” dude, named Joel Peresman, (who thinks he knows about Rock and Roll by the way), gives this lackluster and embarrassing statement on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website:
“We are very happy to present this year’s inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as they represent a great cross-section of artists that define the broad spectrum and history of rock and roll and people that have contributed immeasurably to our business” says Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation President & CEO Joel Peresman.
* HEY JOEL: I guess KISS are not considered to be part of the people that have “contributed immeasurably to our business”… huh?
* HEY JOEL: Go slap down some vintage opera vinyl and eat your caviar. Then light up a $10,000 stogie and make a wet fart in your imported silk pajamas.
* HEY JOEL: You really, really, um, really, need to change your sign outside that building in Cleveland, Ohio, to read: ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF SHAME AND EXPENSIVE MUSEUM
LONG LIVE KISS!
KISS – IS HEREBY, THE FIRST BAND EVER, INDUCTED INTO THE METAL ODYSSEY ROCK AND ROLL AND HEAVY MUSIC HALL OF FAME!
I SHALL INDUCT BANDS AND MUSICIANS, WHENEVER I DAMN WELL FEEL LIKE IT, AND HAVE THIS LIST POSTED ON THE METAL ODYSSEY HOME PAGE FOR THE WORLD TO SEE AND ENJOY. A REAL ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME. A REAL HEAVY MUSIC HALL OF FAME.
ON FEBRUARY 21, 2010, KISS HAS BEEN INDUCTED INTO THE METAL ODYSSEY ROCK AND ROLL AND HEAVY MUSIC HALL OF FAME.
CONGRATULATIONS KISS, ON BEING THE FIRST INDUCTEE INTO METAL ODYSSEY’S ROCK AND ROLL AND HEAVY MUSIC HALL OF FAME!
KISS. The makeup, the attitude, the stage show, the costumes, the KISS trading cards from the 1970’s, the marketing machine which throws the KISS logo on just about anything. Wait a minute, there is of course… the music, uh, I mean the Heavy Metal. Since about 5th grade, (a long time ago, in a parochial school, far, far, away), I have been a KISS fan. You betcha. I am not a closet KISS fan either. No way will I disregard to anyone, a lifetime love I have for such a behemoth of a Heavy Metal icon, which is KISS. I will not part with my unopened wax box of KISS trading cards from 1978. No sir. What in the world is there to be ashamed of? KISS is the epitome of Heavy Metal success, both commercially and musically, in my Metal opinion.
I have had the opportunity to see KISS live, albeit without makeup. I unfortunately, never had an opportunity to see them live with makeup. Quite honestly, the only drawback about seeing KISS live was… the venue where the concert was. The New Haven Coliseum, (which no longer exists), was by far, the creepiest, most decrepit, armpit of an arena, ever to exist on planet Earth. I mean, this building was not even cool creepy, it was just a plain nightmare gone wrong. This arena was located in New Haven, Connecticut, of course. Alright, enough about that incompetent structure. The KISS concert was loud, bright, festive, loud again and darn right good. I have seen better live shows in my day, yet I am not complaining about anything that KISS did on that stage. It was a night to celebrate Heavy Metal, with a band that carried the flag for Heavy Music since their introduction to the world. This was the KISS “Asylum” Tour, back in good ol’ 1985. I will tell you this, it is a real Metal treat, to see my daughters revel in the KISS tunes, to know and see how much the music of KISS means to them, as it always has for me. My daughters were extremely excited when they saw KISS on television the other night, (I absolutely refuse to discuss this show on Metal Odyssey, let’s just say it is on the Fox Network and is a Pop music show). Hey, anytime KISS can get exposure to a new generation of fans is fine with me.
I remember being in High School, when all of a sudden, it was uncool to like KISS anymore. Well, that was what was happening in the penitentiary like High School I attended. Metalheads were abundant, yet KISS became almost taboo to talk about. So, I took advantage of this situation. I asked all the super cool know-it-alls that no longer liked KISS, if they were willing to sell their KISS albums and anything KISS. I made out like a bandit. I had more KISS posters, albums and fanzines than I knew what to do with. Plus, I acquired it all dirt cheap. Then, one day, in 1982, KISS made a loud and triumphant return with their release “Creatures Of The Night”… all of a sudden, these fair weather KISS fans are asking me, if I would sell them any of my extra KISS memorabilia and/or albums. Go figure. Since the mid ’70’s up until present day, I have embraced the Heavy Metal that KISS has created. Even the ballads and Gene Simmons dating Cher I have accepted. Yes, the made for television movie “KISS Meets The Phantom In The Park” I have always accepted too. The changes in the KISS lineup never has made me flinch either, any KISS fan knows that the original four are the best. I am not ashamed to say this, for once a KISS fan, always a KISS fan. What other reason was there not to believe this, back in the day when I joined the “KISS Army”? I enlisted into the KISS Army decades ago, I have never gone awol since.
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