Monday Muse: KIϟϟ
In August’s issue of The Stardust Gazette I made a joke about going back to therapy with my therapist Paul and his associate Gene. I hope that people got that this was a statement about what the band KIϟϟ means to me.
KIϟϟ has so many great songs and obviously the best gimmick in the music biz. When I was in 5th grade I went to see KIϟϟ at their “Farewell Tour” which it decidedly wasn’t. This was the year 2000. The openers were Skid Row and Ted Nugent and my 10 year old mind got blown in a lot of ways that night. From our nose-bleeders I watched the spectacle of The Starchild, The Demon, The Spaceman, and The Catman explode (literally the pyrotechnics were unlike anything I’d ever seen or have seen since) on stage.
A lot of people try to act like KIϟϟ isn’t a good band and cover up mediocre musicianship with over the top personas and stage antics. I would say that this isn’t a true characterization. KIϟϟ has some amazing songs and the songwriting is top notch. It’s easy to get caught up in the gimmick and dismiss the band, but you don’t stay relevant for 50 fucking years by being a joke.
I’m no KIϟϟ purist and I love music from all eras of the band, from the early years of the Eponymous album, to the solo quadruple album, to the Unmasked period and Vinnie Vincent Invasion era. It’s all good.
As an artist, and as a human being, the thing I find most inspiring about KIϟϟ songs are the lyrics. When you’re living your life by KIϟϟ lyrics, you can’t help but feel good. It’s really the best therapy, that I wasn’t joking about.
Take for example the song “Lick It Up” in their Unmasked era in 1983. Don’t need to wait for an invitation, okay already I’m in because I’m making moves not waiting around. You gotta live like you’re on vacation, I mean were truer words ever spoken? If I’m living like I’m on vacation then I’m having a great time. There’s something sweet you can’t buy with money, wow was this written by Karl Marx? The anti-capitalism is palpable. It ain’t a crime to be good to yourself, and if it is let them take us away Paul!
Next look at the lyrics to “Shout It Out Loud” from 1976’s platinum hit Destroyer. You got to treat yourself like number one Do you need to be reminded (need to be reminded), again putting yourself first, treating yourself right as a theme. It’s what you gotta do and don’t make Paul remind you! If you don't feel good every way you could Don't sit there broken hearted (sit there broken hearted) Call all your friends in the neighborhood And get the party started(get the party started), rally your community and get this party started. You’re not alone! There are many like-minded individuals out there that want to party with you, all you gotta do is hit them up. In this song when the beat drops and Paul scream-sings TURN IT UP LOUDAAAAAHH I can’t help but get super excited and I do as I’m told. He could sing SHOOT UP THAT HEROINNNN and I would probably do it.
Next let’s get to the original hot girl walk song off their 1974 KISS debut, “Stutter”. Everybody says she's lookin' good And the lady knows it's understood. Listening to this song is better than Botox and will have you feeling yourself. Play on repeat until you hit that strut.
Finally, for the dark days, which happen to all of us a lot lately, I recommend “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You”. Do you know what you want? You don't know for sure You don't feel right, you can't find a cure And you're getting less than what you're looking for. How many of you have felt just like this? Not sure of where life’s taking you but have a feeling it could be better. This is a universal archetype. You don't have money or a fancy car And you're tired of wishing on a falling star You got to put your faith in a loud guitar. You’re underpaid and overeducated and your car sucks (welcome to my life) but music will never let you down. You can take a stand, or you can compromise You can work real hard or just fantasize But you don't start living until you realize -I got to tell ya! Now the whole song really hits home for me but particularly this part. You can stand up for what you believe in or let others tell you what to think. You can work hard to make your dreams and goals come true or you can just think about it and stay in the same spot. But once you start living for yourself, life gets better. And just when you’re starting to think that yeah maybe life isn’t so bad, Paul comes in with the MOST EPIC pep talk of all time: I know life sometimes can get tough! And I know life sometimes can be a drag! But people, we have been given a gift, we have been given a road And that road's name is... Rock and Roll! I love this annotation on these lyrics from genius.com: “Similar to a preacher, Paul Stanley addresses the audience with words of encouragement to help them continue on their journey. Gifts are something we could never earn on our own merit, they are simply an extension of the affection someone has for us. In this example, rock and roll (music) is defined as the gift that God gives to the people.” God GAVE us rock ‘n’ roll man, God loves us and shit is gonna work out okay!
I know I may be being slightly facetious here, but- I GOTTA TELL YA!- listening to KIϟϟ is the best therapy. They have an answer for everything. When I’m not feeling my best and life isn’t going my way, I know I can practice what Paul and Gene are preaching in some of their songs, and my day will get better. God gave rock ‘n’ roll to us and KIϟϟ gave rock ‘n’ roll their soul, and without them I’d be a little bit more lost in life.
