Tag: Kiss

Oct192011 by Andrew RatliffNo Comments
Why The Hell Should I Like… Kiss? (The Rebuttal)

Why The Hell Should I Like… Kiss? (The Rebuttal)

Music
Why the hell should I like… ?” is an experiment of sorts between Popblerd and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. What we’re going to attempt to do is to pick 10 songs from our favorite artists — one for which the other has professed dislike or disinterest — and show them why they’re wrong. I'm a fairly simple man. I like unique, intricate, interesting music, sure, but I'm also a tenacious advocate of the simple, three-minute pop song, and a staunch defender of the notion that, sometimes, a fistful of chords and a catchy chorus is the stuff pop music glory is made of. With that in mind, I'm not sure why I've never found it in my heart to appreciate Kiss. It's not that I grow weary of their party-hearty, sex drugs and rock n' roll mentality: I'll defend to the death the early career
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Oct132011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Pop Culture Capsule: Iron Maiden through the years

Pop Culture Capsule: Iron Maiden through the years

Capsules, History
It's no exaggeration to say that Iron Maiden has not only been one of the most influential heavy metal bands of the last thirty or so years, but they've also been one of the greatest. They were one of my first musical loves and to this day are part of my personal trinity of unshakable favorites (next to Kiss and Rush). It's high time I devoted more space to the mighty Maiden, so I thought a trip down memory lane would be nice. Here are the numerous lineups Iron Maiden has known since Steve Harris formed it on Christmas Day 1975. Up the irons! December 1975 – December 1976 The very first Iron Maiden lineup! From left to right are -- Dave Sullivan (guitar), Ron Matthews (drums), Paul Day (lead vocals), Terry Rance (guitar), and Steve Harris (bass guitar and backing vocals).
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Sep222011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Listening booth — Kiss, “Escape From The Island”

Listening booth — Kiss, “Escape From The Island”

Listening Booth, Music
Legend has it that before the album that became Music From "The Elder" turned into Kiss's half-baked attempt to imitate Genesis, it was supposed to be a straightforward hard rock LP. But then producer Bob Ezrin (fueled by massive amounts of cocaine) and Gene Simmons (fueled by massive amounts of ego) thought that what Kiss fans really wanted was a concept album with a threadbare "plot" and lots of orchestra. Oops! We'll never know if Music From "The Elder" would have sold more in 1981 had it contained more songs like Ace Frehley's kickass instrumental blast "Escape From the Island," but it sure would've been less reviled. And fans might have gotten more than one album out of the fairly potent Simmons/Stanley/Frehley/Carr lineup. Related articles 10 things you probably didn't kn...
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Sep72011 by Chris Holmes3 Comments
My favorite music: 1983

My favorite music: 1983

Music
If there's one thing the internet lacks, it's pointless music lists. So to fill that void, here's a sampling of my favorite albums from some random year. Let's say, 1983. (Spotify users, check out the accompanying playlist and subscribe!) Robert Plant, The Principle of Moments -- While I would in no way claim that Robert Plant's solo output bests Led Zeppelin's music, a lot of times I simply prefer to listen to Plant. In fact I'd say that Plant has enjoyed one of the most artistically rewarding solo careers of any artist who was part of a popular band that I can think of. The Principle of Moments is probably my favorite Plant solo effort (next to Fate of Nations) -- he sounds freed from the constraints of creating larger-than-life rock and the music just crackles with energy. "In the...
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Aug52011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Is Wikipedia dying? Thoughts from an admin and former contributor

Is Wikipedia dying? Thoughts from an admin and former contributor

Internet
Wikipedia founder Jimmy "Jimbo" Wales recently bemoaned the current state of the site -- specifically, he said that the number of contributors is decreasing at a rapid rate. According to an Associated Press article, Wales stated at the most recent Wikipedia conference in Haifa, Israel, "We are not replenishing our ranks. It is not a crisis, but I consider it to be important." Wales cited Wikipedia's Byzantine editorial guidelines and the site's demographic challenges -- the core group of geeky men in the 20s apparently discover women eventually -- as the main reasons for the attrition. To be honest, I can't even remember the reason why I stopped actively contributing to the project. But there was a time when my involvement with Wikipedia bordered on obsession. I made my first edit ju...
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Aug32011 by Chris Holmes1 Comment
10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Kiss

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Kiss

Featured Posts, Music
It's been nearly 40 years since Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss put greasepaint on their faces and took the stage as Kiss for the first time. Since then they've amassed 24 gold albums in the United States, took the makeup off, got a bunch of new members, put the makeup back on, and toured seemingly in perpetuity. In those four decades a lot of facts, rumors, and myths about Kiss have circulated. Of course the diehard members of the Kiss Army usually know what's what, but for everyone else, here are ten things you probably didn't know about Kiss. 10. Katey Sagal was a backup singer on Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album. Before she gained fame with American television audiences for her portrayals of Peg Bundy (Married... with Children) and later Leela (Fu...
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Jul262011 by GFS Staff2 Comments
30 for 30 — Our Favorite MTV Music Videos of All-Time

30 for 30 — Our Favorite MTV Music Videos of All-Time

Featured Posts, Music, TV & Radio
It seems like forever since watching videos on MTV was a regular part of our lives, but once upon a time it was. We could go on and on about how the station -- which turns 30 on August 1 -- turned to crap years ago for one reason or another, or about how the "M" in MTV seems to stand for Mook now, but let's not go there. Let's make this post a happy remembrance, one in which we celebrate what was rather than lament what isn't. So in that spirit of celebration, here is a list of our 30 favorite music videos of the MTV era (which kicked off on August 1, 1981). Not the best videos, necessarily, but the ones that had the most impact on us. Oh, and for you ranking junkies -- sorry, this is strictly in alphabetical order. 1. Daft Punk, "Around the World" In college we had a primitiv...
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Jul222011 by Chris HolmesNo Comments
Cross-pollination: My favorite instrumentals (on Popdose)

Cross-pollination: My favorite instrumentals (on Popdose)

Blogstuff
It's been a long time since my last super-awesome Popdose mixtape, so I decided to jump in again. I imagine this week's mix would win the approval of Eddie Van Halen, noted hater of lead singers (he did coin the phrase Lead Singer Disease after all). Of course my inclusion of one of VH's lesser-known tracks ("Sunday Afternoon in the Park") helps. Here's one track that didn't quite make the cut, although it is certainly as worthy as the others. It's "The Sheltering Sky," from King Crimson's Discipline. And yes, I threw Kiss into the mix. Related articles The Popdose Podcast: Episode 18 (popdose.com) The Popdose VIDEO Interview: Nick Offerman ("Parks & Recreation") (popdose.com)
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Jun282011 by Chris Holmes3 Comments
Listening booth — Kiss at the Cow Palace, 1977

Listening booth — Kiss at the Cow Palace, 1977

Listening Booth, Music
As the Fourth of July approaches, I felt it only right to dedicate an edition of the Booth to one of my favorite all-American bands -- Kiss. This show captures the original foursome during a stop on their Love Gun tour, August 16 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Fans will note that this setlist is nearly identical to that found on Alive II. A few noticeable differences are the order of the songs and the fact that Peter Criss's "Hooligan" is in this set. Oh yeah, and this recording wasn't completely doctored and fabricated. I'd say that Kiss was still firing on all cylinders at this point, although history tells us that the end wasn't too far away. Although Alive II continued the band's hot streak later in 1977, they were just a year away from the commercial fiasco of the four solo al...
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