Thank you Paul!!! But don't gimme that "it's not the money" bs ok Paul?

I came in on the banana boat but not last night.


KISS' PAUL STANLEY Comes Clean On "Farewell" Tour, THE RAMONES Tribute Contribution - July 24, 2002

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has admitted that he and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons have changed their minds about "going out on top" with the group's never-ending Farewell tour, but has denied that money is the sole motivating factor behind the decision to keep touring.

"People do change their minds and in this case that goes along with being a living, thinking person," Stanley stated in a question-and-answer session posted on KISS' official web site. "What one says one day with total commitment may at another time turn out not to be so. Am I doing this for the money or the fans? BOTH, and let's not forget I'm doing this for me. That is the reason I originally started playing: because I wanted to, and only I can decide ultimately when to stop. As you know (assuming that you have a job) it is great to have both the appreciation of those around you and to be compensated financially."

Stanley also shed some more light on KISS' contribution to the upcoming THE RAMONES tribute album, We're a Happy Family, which includes the group's rendition of the classic "Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?"

"I frequently run into Johnny Ramone and about a month ago he told me about the THE RAMONES tribute album and asked if we would participate. I can remember our club days and seeing Joey Ramone standing a head above everyone else! Having come after us, we certainly can't say we were influenced by them, but they were from New York and this seemed like a fun project. Gene, [drummer] Eric [Singer] and I recorded a track called ['Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio?'] We used a big saxophone section done by Scott Paige who tours with PINK FLOYD and Derek Sherinian on piano, you may remember him from playing keys on the Revenge tour. Gene and I trade off vocals, and I have to say this is as cool and kick ass as it gets! It's a really cool track and I think you'll love it!"


Story here

This sounds interesting - KISS doing a Ramones song.

Looks like the critics are going to have KISS to kick around for a couple more years.....

Gawd I hope so...

what more products can they put there name on "for the fans"?

Ok - I respect their place in the big-hair, head-banger pantheon. They even penned a few catchy tunes and have some kick-ass 70s action figures.

But the fact that anyone can take anything that comes out of either Gene or Paul's mouth as anything other than unadulterated bullsh1t is way beyond me.

These two are the most disingenious, two-faced celebrities out there today. Nothing they ever proclaim in an interview can be trusted or relied upon. I swear that everything that comes out of Gene Simmons mouth is a flat out lie. And he relishes the fact that he's lying to the reporter or the cameraman or whoever as he's doing it.

I'm amazed that they still have such loyal fans with the way they coldly and calculatingly tug on the heart-strings with these so-called endless "farewell" tours.

Bono would have hell to pay if he ever did something like this.

Maybe, but Bono's never been as entertaining as the guys in KISS.

KISS is about BIG entertainment - which is NOT to be taken TOO seriously. They have TONS of great FUN songs, and a few serious songs that are really good too (but they get slammed by their fans whenever they get serious, so that phase never lasts too long).

If you're looking for deep meaning and important lyrical messages, KISS is the wrong place to look.

So if Gene and Paul have bent the truth (or out and out lied) it just fits in with the whole "marketing is everything" approach that KISS has always had.

Personally, I want one more studio album from these guys with Eric Singer on drums. Revenge and Carnival Of Souls were two of their best albums - and Eric was on both of them.

Looks like Ace may not be back, though....

Them's fightin' words, sonny.

As I would beg to differ.

Copious amounts of kabuki makeup and half-ass pyrotechnics do not "entertainment" make.

Actually, Kabuki make-up, GREAT pyrotechnics, fireworks, good (some great) Rock and Roll - it all makes for GREAT entertainment.

I'm not talking about lyrical substance or anything significant or life altering. Hell, I think Bono's pretentious - after all, it's ONLY Rock and Roll! Bono is WAAAAY too serious - he wouldn't know fun if it hit him in the head!

Seriously, though, KISS is FUN entertainment - like a good summer movie, or an amusement park ride.

U2 attempts to be too thought provoking to be fun and entertaining in that sense.

I'm not saying that U2 isn't good - hell, they're great at what they do - they just aren't entertaining in a fun sense like KISS is.

KISS wasn't as fun either when they got serious (The Elder, Carnival Of Souls). And, not coincidentally, they didn't tour in support of either of those albums.

Apples and oranges. KISS and U2.

I prefer KISS, you may prefer U2 - both are great at what they do.

But you can NEVER discount the fun and entertainment value of KISS. That's what they're all about! (Usually.... well, that and making tons of money. )

grunter baby?

you holdin' back on me? Tell us how you really feel

truer words have never been spoken

It's like what Penn and Teller said...

"Sure Chariots of Fire is great film, but Plan 9 from Outer Space is more fun. I mean how many times have you seen Chariots? But Plan 9 is fun to watch over and over"

WHAT??!?!?!?

half assed?

i think not.

FULL ASS BABEE!

Gene and Paul may make me wanna slit my wrists when I hear them talk...but you can't really say they put on any half assed fireworks/shows.

Hey Giant, when you hear them talk and feel like slitting your wrist, remember to use the KISS switch blade. that way you can go out in style, not to mention the kiss total death package. Kiss suit, Black lipstick to put on your pale dead face, and of course the kiss coffeen

Ok - so I slipped.

I never meant to kick this "conversation" into a U2 v. Kiss thread. (Besides, it'd be no contest. No contest, at all. )

What I meant by the Bono reference was simply this: when Bono says he's going to do something, he actually goes out and does it. For example, he said he was going to do something about third world poverty and since then he's had an audience with just about every head of state of every economically powerful country on the planet to work on the problem.

When Gene Simmons says he's going to do something (besides it usually being cooed in some bubble-headed Playmate's ear), chances are, if it don't make him $$$, it ain't happening.

"Oh it's our final farewell tour. We're putting away the makeup and the boots forever. Buy your (premium priced) tickets now to see us ONE FINAL TIME in Detroit Rock City, 'cuz we'll never play there again."

But wouldn't you know it. The tour never ends. The band never actually says farewell. And chances are, there'll be a date scheduled in Detroit for another pyrotechnics workout.

And as for the "U2 takes itself so seriously, they're not fun" comments. How perfectly "1987" of you. Have you people even been to a U2 show in the last decade? How could a 3 story gilded lemon ever be considered "too serious?"

Again - please - this is ALL IN FUN. I'm not being drawn into some blood-oath throwdown between the Kiss Army and the U2 fans.

I'm just, y'know, sayin'.

I know what you're saying. But here's the difference - when U2 has a 3 story gilded lemon on stage they're trying to make a "statement" (Like the golden arch of the Pop-Mart tour).

When KISS has effects and stage props the statement is merely this, "Let's Rock and Roll and have a good time!"

It's really hard to compare U2 and KISS anyway since they are so different in so many ways - like I said, apples and oranges.

Yeah, but the gilded lemon "statement" was: "look at how dorky we look descending from a glowing, spinning, smoke-spewing citrus fruit."

And then they lead the stadium in a karaoke version of a NEIL FRICKIN DIAMOND song!!

The consumer culture tweak with the pseudo-McDonald's arch - that I'll give you.

I love how RICH ROCKSTARS bitch about consumerism(sp?).


Bono, GIVE THE MONEY BACK

I wouldn't exactly call it "bitching about consumerism," really.

Commenting snidely on how big businesses seem to control the average "joe's" wallet isn't really a "bitch."

Now Eddie Vedder on the other hand - that man should just hand all his wealth over to me.

yeah I know grunter but still I think Gene said it best...

"no one wants to hear rich white kids from Seattle bitch about how bad their life is".

Gene