KISS , A good or a bad experience for Vinnie ?

[Streetbeat]

KISS , A good or a bad experience for Vinnie ?
what you think ?
Seems like KISS made him worldwide famous , a true and one of the best guitar players ever
They put his name in lights , that's no questions about it !

But seems like KISS destroyed his life as well, what you think ?

[doublev]

If he hadn't of joined kiss he would still have been famous, I am sure.

[wolfgang161272]

If he hadn't of joined kiss he would still have been famous, I am sure.

In which way? Writing song for other artists? As a session guitarist? He was and isn't able to be a part of a band. All the glory he got was from the fame with KISS. I dont't think he get the same succes he has without KISS.

[Genebaby]

Being in Kiss certainly made it easier for him after he left, people knew who he was and what he could do.

It seems for a few years after Kiss he had a fire to do great things, but something happened. It took eight years to release a four song EP after ASG and then nothing but the rather lame Speedball Jam disc.

In Kiss he would have learned how a band, a really big one at that, operates at a high level, touring nationally and internationally, so it was definitely a great experience for him. He just didn't gel with being in the band for too long, preferring to do his own thing rather than sign a contract. This bit him on the butt later on though.

[VeniceAngel]

If he hadn't of joined kiss he would still have been famous, I am sure.

I couldn't agree more. It was blazing fast though Kiss but it would have only been a matter of time before he was known world over ... and on his own terms.

Kiss was both a blessing and a demonic curse.

I only hope Vinnie still feels it was worth it despite it being the destiny he chose at the time.

[VeniceAngel]

Being in Kiss certainly made it easier for him after he left, people knew who he was and what he could do.

It seems for a few years after Kiss he had a fire to do great things, but something happened. It took eight years to release a four song EP after ASG and then nothing but the rather lame Speedball Jam disc.

In Kiss he would have learned how a band, a really big one at that, operates at a high level, touring nationally and internationally, so it was definitely a great experience for him. He just didn't gel with being in the band for too long, preferring to do his own thing rather than sign a contract. This bit him on the butt later on though.

Hi Vic,

I am responding to your first sentence:

People only knew a fraction of what Vinnie could do. He was held back and muzzled ... unable to shine in his true light until he chose freedom.

Also, things might have been worse ... much worse if he had signed the contract.
I'm sure the Kiss lawyers made it impossible to receive what would be due anyone but Gene and Paul.

[birnie]

Definately/ultimately a bad thing for him.

If without, he would have ...at LEAST.. had mediocre success.
And that would be better than what he has know, which is all of nothing.
PLus (well minus), i think the ego attitude woud NOT be there which would be great.
He would have such a happy life if he was just doin' the rounds at local pubs getting $500 a night.

(thinking of Rock Star with Marky Mark playing a solo/acoustic set in some club, with peeps happily watching whilst enjoy a beverage...if only that was Vinnie)

[metatron]

I don't know about a 'good experience' for him being in KISS.
Just it certainly gave him a window of opportunity that most people can only dream of. And catapulted him into the stratosphere of success.
What he decided to do with that was then up to him. One needs to remember he was in KISS. A band who had been around for around a decade when he joined. There was no way on Gods green earth that Gene & Paul were going to give him equal share & rightfully so. The writing credits issue is another matter & I agree without a doubt that he did get shafted. KISS is the band as Paul has put, 'people listen to with their eyes a we as their ears'. Paul & Gene, for good or bad had built a legacy & a legion of fans. As much as I hate the Corporatocracy that drives KISS, it does work for them. Reality check, KISS is still around playing huge venues & Vinnie is doing.........I think all great guitarist's need than anchor that stops them straying off into a sea nothingness. Steve Stevens has Billy Idol. And what is Steve Stevens best know for, Billy Idol. Steve Stevens has been quoted saying, that he did not really like playing in Vince Neil band cause Vince had no input into the songs. Unlike VV, Steve prefers the collaboration, throwing ideas around. A Symbiotic Existence which worked for a lot of artistes & most of the time produces the best results for the project. (Doesn't alway produce the best friendly relationship). Like I said works for Steve Stevens, but he is pretty close to a one of a kind & he also got to explore other avenues without Billy holding a grudge. Think with KISS, VV would not have had the same freedom to dabble in other projects. For Vinnie, what he got out of KISS was he got to play the first available Jackson Rhoads guitars. He went from a virtual zero to rock god hero. He got to pen the bulk of the material on LIU. And all this gave him a huge leap forward to creating VVI as well as (from what I recall) getting a pretty decent record deal from Chrysalis Records. He also had a ready made audience for him when the first album has release. Remember seeing the debut for 'Boys gonna Rock' on Australia's Mtv & the first thing the VeeJay, Richard Wilkins said was introducing, ex-KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent with.........

[Genebaby]

Hindsight is always 20/20 so it seems that being in Kiss was in reality bad for Vinnie as his life has not exactly been great since. A lot of this is of course his own doing, but we can speculate that in an alternative universe where Vinnie never joined Kiss he might be a musical superstar and very happy and nice in 2011, because he had to do things differently and therefore his projects turned out differently.

Or maybe in that universe where he didn't join Kiss he is still a nobody in 2011 because he is a jerk at heart so once again nothing works out for him and he's in the same boat.

Just speculating, I hope it makes sense.

Also, @ Venice, once Vinnie had been in Kiss people may not have known his full potential, as yes, he was leashed, but I love the stuff, especially the LIU album, where he was leashed with Kiss. It was classy, very well written and played material.

Just because people didn't get to hear him fully doesn't mean anyone paying attention wouldn't think Vinnie was a huge talent.

Once free we got to see what Vinnie would really like to to on the first Invasion album, and that was fantastic, love it to death, that's why I'm here, so that's good too.

[MeteoraXV]

Vinnie was already doing music and stuff before KISS. I'm...what year is it...I'm 2011% sure he would've kicked musical ass with or without KISS
Vinnie was a good experience to KISS, not the other way around
Then again who really knew him before KISS??

[erg2]

Let's not be crazy. When Vinnie joined KISS, he was in his 30's. He had been in the music business for a dozen years. He had some really BIG opportunities. He played in Felixe Cavaliere's band. He played in Dan Hartman's band. He was a songwriter for television.
As good as he was, he was in his 30's and in the business for years and hadn't broken big. By accounts I have gleaned from reading between the lines of different books and internet...he wasn't filling the bank account or moving up the ladder towards success.

He saw an opportunity in KISS to get his name into the international spotlight and by all accounts was relentless to get the gig.

My guess would be that any one of us could live very comfortably over the years off of the share of royalties Vinnie was contractually given for his work on KISS albums and the endless line of compilations that have followed. My guess is that Vinnie did not live responsibly or frugally.

Without KISS, Vinnie would have never been a name. He was in his 30's. He hadn't made it and wasn't going to make it. Was WARRIOR going to make him a household name? Not likely.

Should KISS have offered him a bigger slice of the royalty pie? Who. Gives. A. Fuck.
There's nothing like listening to someone who was making 5x what you make to PLAY A FUCKING GUITAR and complains about why they're not making 7x as much as you!!!