Friday, July 1, 2011

Rock and Roll All Night by Kiss (Winter 1976)

I really wasn't into "hard" rock and roll at the time.  I was still listening to The Bay City Rollers, Wings, and similar music.  So when this group came along, I had no idea what the big deal was. The boys at my bus stop would play air guitar and wear KISS belt buckles and t-shirts. And why the hell did they keep sticking their tongues way out?  It was bizarre.

One of the boys, John, got my brother liking KISS.  My brother was only five, but admired older boys, as little kids will do. So John would play KISS on his portable tape recorder for us after school.  I liked the music, but was really into it like so many of my peers were.  Plus, they looked a little scary.

Well, my brother begged my mom for one of their albums (look it up, kids).  They went to the record store and once my mother saw the cover and those made-up crazy faces, she said absolutely not.  Now, my mom wasn't really religious at the time yet, but we were Catholic and there were sins, and this group had to be committing loads of them.

Then she heard from someone that KISS stood for Kids in Satan's Service.  Well, that sealed the deal for my brother; he wouldn't be getting his own album anytime soon.  


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I'm still not that into KISS, but I wouldn't mind catching them in concert now.  I read Gene Simmons's autobiography, and he's actually a pretty interesting guy.  And their music is pretty good (except I hate Beth).  But I will always remember John playing air guitar and my little brother wishing he could have his own copy of a KISS album.