KISS fans are a disgruntled bunch. It's hard to blame them, because like Charlie Brown, they feel like they have had the football yanked from them one too many times. Ultimately all KISS fans want some kind of new music from them. Artists tend to believe fans only want to hear their hits, but isn't it ironic that aside from The Who, virtually no one has been able to be relevant without releasing a new album here and there. Hell, even The Who eventually relented and forged new songs. Since 1990, KISS has released three studio albums. For the record, when Guns N' Roses unleashes Chinese Democracy later this month, that will be their fourth record since 1990 (I'm counting The Spaghetti Incident). KISS fans are loyal to a fault. The love of their heroes is so devout that it often blinds them. Ultimately, people need something more than the same greatest hits on every tour, they need to feel like the artists care and want to create. This has been missing from KISS for well over a decade. I remember seeing KISS on their co-headline jaunt in 2003 with Aerosmith and ultimately, while I enjoyed the show more than I imagined I would, it was ultimately disheartening as I felt I was watching a band that was shadows of their formers selves. What KISS seemed to be missing was a mission and purpose.
A lot is said about Gene Simmons and most of it is hard to argue with as he makes no apologies for his love of money. His partner in crime, Paul Stanley, is most likely just as guilty in the marketing, re-release and merchandise schemes, but because he at least pretends to care, he is viewed as the lesser of two evils. It also doesn't hurt that it has always been about the music for Paul (at least I think it is). Back in the 1980's when Gene was consumed with movies, his own record label and furthering his ego, Paul was in the studio keeping KISS alive (no pun intended). From 1983-1989, Paul Stanley was KISS. We can credit Paul's solo tour from 1989 with opening the KISS vaults and having them dig deeper into their catalog on future tours. Next to Frehley's solo disc, Stanley's is the next best of the ill-fated 1978 solo albums and surprisingly to this day, it holds up incredibly well and doesn't sound dated. All of this brings us to the One Live KISS live DVD just released from Stanley's solo tour two years ago. I'm happy to say that his solo trek and show was brimming with vitality I haven't seen since the so-called "Farewell" shows in 2000. Stanley hired the house band from the "Rock Star" television show and they provide an oomph and slamming drive to KISS classics and Stanley's solo work.
The DVD sadly contains no extras but provides nearly two-hours of a revitalized and reenergized Paul Stanley proving he still has the need to create and prove people wrong. In fact, I preferred hearing the KISS classics with this band, than the counterfeit KISS currently touring. "Lick It Up", "Got To Choose" and "Hide Your Heart" sound as fresh and invigorating as they ever have and the band breathes new life into these classics. Then there were songs I had forgotten about, including "A Million To One" from Lick It Up and "Magic Touch" from Dynasty. Then there's Stanley's solo work including songs from his 1978 solo album including "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me", "Move On", "Tonight You Belong To Me" and "Good Bye". His 2006 solo album, Live To Win is represented by the title track, "Lift" and "Bulletproof", each an improvement over the album versions. This is why it's so vital to take your music to the road, the live performance peels layers off and reveals the music in a new light. After watching this DVD, I have already revisited both of Stanley's solo discs multiple times.
The only parts of the performance I found lacking were the inclusion of such obvious material like "Love Gun", "Strutter" and "Detroit Rock City". The KISS catalog is so rarely dug into in concert, I wish Stanley would have skipped any and all KISS classics in favor of forgotten gems like "A Million To One" and "Magic Touch". I'd still kill to see "Mr. Speed", "Flaming Youth" and "Love Her All I Can". Regardless, it's hard to complain when Stanley executed a stellar set list that proved there is still life in the Star Child.
The overall look of the DVD is spectacular. All too often I tend to find artists taking shortcuts when they put these DVD's out. They often go on the cheap not hiring a competent director, shooting on cheap video over film and documenting their legacy with half-talents. That is not the case here. It's clear Stanley has come to realize the importance of documenting all phases of one's career and he didn't cheap out here. Paul Stanley's One Live KISS DVD features an artist whose hunger still roars when he hits the stage. From the opening thunder of "Live To Win" to the finale of "Good Bye", One Live KISSis a document of an underrated musician whose hunger matches those of unproven artists and simultaneously reminding KISS fans why we became hypnotized by their image and music in the first place.
Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
