Ok, I have seen KISS only about a half dozen times since 1985. Saw them recently for the first time in a very long time and have to ask - Has Paul ever played a note on stage outside of his "solo"?

How do you mean a note? Like played live? Except for Kiss and his Solo outings?

I think he means does Paul actually play his guitar during a show, aside from dancing around a lot and singing)

Well Paul is definitely not a shredder but he actually played alot of the solos on the early Kiss Albums especially where the song required something melodic which really wasn't Ace's thing.

Starting on:
Dressed To Kill - Come on and Love Me
Destroyer - Detroit Rock City (Yes, Ace didn't write or initially play that melodic solo melody line)
Rock N Roll Over - 1st Part of I Want You and Hard Luck Woman
Love Gun - 1st Part of I Stole Your Love and Then She Kissed Me
Alive 2 Side 4 - Anyway You Want it
Dynasty - Sure Know Something,
Unmasked - Is That You, Shandi, What Makes the World Go Round, Easy as it Seems
Elder - Oath and World Without Heroes

After Frehley left it was seldom ever necessary for Paul to play lead

Interessting! A lot of the solos I thought were played by Ace himself not by Paul
But when you look a KISS concert today you have a feeling that Paul don't play the guitar live. It's hard to dance and sing and play every not correctly...but he did

Paul can do anything, he's very tactile on stage.. Even at 59!

While wearing 7 inch heals

And a new hip and knee surgery!!!

Pauls nothing short of brilliant..

Sorry for not being clear. While I do believe the StarChild to be a talented one, I just don't know if he actually plays on stage. Has there been any definitive discussion on this here?

We haven't discussed it. There were some times in the 80's where you might think so, but he's very good at what he does and by the 80's had perfected playing and singing and making it look easier.

In the videos he definitely changed things to where the guitar was an accessory and by the time X in Sex came out he wasn't even holding one anymore! I remember noticing that.

Genebaby wrote:We haven't discussed it. There were some times in the 80's where you might think so, but he's very good at what he does and by the 80's had perfected playing and singing and making it look easier.

In the videos he definitely changed things to where the guitar was an accessory and by the time X in Sex came out he wasn't even holding one anymore! I remember noticing that.

I think I noticed a bit before, on Heaven's on Fire, since more than half of the time he was just "holding" the guitar with one hand while doing something silly with his free hand.

In video clips he was using it as a prop more and more but live he was playing. He was getting really good at playing lots of parts with only one hand, using the volume and gain of the amps to sound the notes while he did other stuff with his strumming arm.

Great entertainer.

Heart and core of KISS...Paul has the most great songs
Gene's writing is a lot weaker especially on their mid-80s output
No wonder he never had a single since I Love It Loud till...Revenge 10 yrs later =P
Still I love listening to his voice more than Paul's
And I DO love GOOD GIRL GONE BAAAAD!
Anyone ever noticed that that song sounds kinda country?

Good Girl Gone Bad & Thief in the Night were both great Gene tracks from Crazy Nights

Brooklyn_Born wrote:Good Girl Gone Bad & Thief in the Night were both great Gene tracks from Crazy Nights

I agree - Both of them

I like the rhythm of Thief In The Night but the guitars on CN are too soft mixed..

That was Ron Nevisons production. The overall sound of Crazy Nights was very soft, they were trying to compete with Bon Jovi...Funnily enough Paul Stanley recommended Desmond Child to Jon Bon Jovi for song writing collaboration when Jon asked Paul if he had any ideas for a songwriting partner... The result? A number 1 album & multiple number one songs from Slippery when Wet!

Taking a close look at this I find it impossible to believe that Paul's guitar is on, his hand movements are way to erratic to maintain any level of consistency in the sound. I believe he can play and does on stage at times, but those are rare.
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To my surprise, Gene is not playing 2:05 or so on.....you can see it clearly
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Also, I am interested in others opinions in the Ace licking that takes place later in the vid.

Brooklyn_Born wrote:Good Girl Gone Bad & Thief in the Night were both great Gene tracks from Crazy Nights

Some of the best Gene writing since Lick It Up, IMO...and then Hot In The Shade came out and he was back to mostly crap...thank goodness for REVENGE!!!

wolfgang161272 wrote:I like the rhythm of Thief In The Night but the guitars on CN are too soft mixed..

I read an interview with Ron Nevison discussing Crazy Nights and he agrees now that the album doesn't hold up that well because of the production and the mix. He said he'd love to do a re-mix where he emphasizes the guitars and tones down the keyboards but he was sure that Gene & Paul have no interest.

Brooklyn_Born wrote:That was Ron Nevisons production. The overall sound of Crazy Nights was very soft, they were trying to compete with Bon Jovi...

I think the Bon Jovi album was a little more successful...

I read an interview with Ron Nevison discussing Crazy Nights and he agrees now that the album doesn't hold up that well because of the production and the mix. He said he'd love to do a re-mix where he emphasizes the guitars and tones down the keyboards but he was sure that Gene & Paul have no interest.

I read that too....pretty sure it is in the Eric Carr book.......it is a shame that G&P won't remix that album....I'd love ot hear those tunes all guitars blazing!

TheGoodDr wrote:

I read an interview with Ron Nevison discussing Crazy Nights and he agrees now that the album doesn't hold up that well because of the production and the mix. He said he'd love to do a re-mix where he emphasizes the guitars and tones down the keyboards but he was sure that Gene & Paul have no interest.

I read that too....pretty sure it is in the Eric Carr book.......it is a shame that G&P won't remix that album....I'd love ot hear those tunes all guitars blazing!

Well they think its "pop crap" or so Gene said I think
Its an alright album I guess. I used to hate it but I'm a little bit more receptive to late 80s stuff now
It kinda stand out from their catalogue because it's the only KISS album with heavy keyboards I believe, kinda like AOR nightlife rock (Crazy Crazy NIGHTS, Turn on the NIGHT, Thief in the NIGHT )

Hot in the Shade was just sad sad sad, I saw an interview with Paul saying they were "returning to their roots" or something and look what they got...I heard it one time and that was IT! Bleeergh! READ MY BODY??? LOVES A SLAP IN THE FACE???NANANANANANAAAA???

Then again KISS has always been a band that followed the the current trends, what's hot? and that's pretty cool. Disco with Dynasty (love it), prog with Elder, heavy metal with LIU, pop metal...AOR...

And then V. Meister came back on Revenge and BOOM Gene's first singles since COTN

Don't forget the grunge influenced Carnival of Souls The second most leftfield Kizz album after The Elder

Carnival sux the big one!

I don't see what you're saying Teen? G & P look like they're playing to me.

I like the production on Carnival Of Souls as the sound seems more natural with less effects and overdubbing and giant, flangy vocals. The songs themselves are just not really "KISS" in my opinion. All the downer subject matter and the pointless time signature stuff and Eric Singer (as usual) over-playing.
Not to sound boring, but I like a nice 4/4 heavy riff, meat and potatoes KISS.

I think what would be interesting would be to hear Toby Wright produce one of their albums now since they are getting back to the classic KISS sound and writing style. (Not that Paul did bad on Sonic Boom.)

erg2 wrote:I like the production on Carnival Of Souls as the sound seems more natural with less effects and overdubbing and giant, flangy vocals. The songs themselves are just not really "KISS" in my opinion. All the downer subject matter and the pointless time signature stuff and Eric Singer (as usual) over-playing.
Not to sound boring, but I like a nice 4/4 heavy riff, meat and potatoes KISS.

I think what would be interesting would be to hear Toby Wright produce one of their albums now since they are getting back to the classic KISS sound and writing style. (Not that Paul did bad on Sonic Boom.)

Yeah CoS is actually pretty cool (some songs)
i love the heavy bass on this one
Great vocals again! Esp. Gene
HAAAAAATE!!

I never understood why Ace would let Gene lick him like that.

Iceman75 wrote:I never understood why Ace would let Gene lick him like that.

He does the same thing to Tommy. Shock value?

Simmons had some good tunes in the 80s

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Am I the only one that likes "Fits like a Glove"?

The only one?......NO WAY!!!!.....Fits Like A Glove is fantastic!!!!

I like most of Gene's stuff from the 80's now.

Genebaby wrote:Fits Like A Glove is fantastic!!!!

You got that right!




Probably "stole" the flat fives after hearing Vinnie use them though!! He he he

Cernex wrote:Am I the only one that likes "Fits like a Glove"?

FITS LIKE A GLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OW!

fits like a glove is great.

they played fits like a glove on the hot in the shade tour even
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this is from quebec.

this is a good version
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Frequently there are cool riffs, but bad lyrics. I'm not speaking of anything off of LIU because I like all the songs of there...the worst ones are at least "good".

I'm talking about Animalize and Asylum where Gene's writing is clearly not in his own style, the lyrical content is laughable (I'm gonna put my log in your fireplace...even at 13 I was embarrassed for him) and his rough growl doesn't match up to the genre style.

Crazy Nights is a lot better, but Hot In The Shade feels like he is trying to write Paul Stanley type songs. They're not terrible, but not great. They're just meh.

All my opinion and I probably like a lot of music that others think is terrible.

erg2 wrote:Frequently there are cool riffs, but bad lyrics. I'm not speaking of anything off of LIU because I like all the songs of there...the worst ones are at least "good".

I'm talking about Animalize and Asylum where Gene's writing is clearly not in his own style, the lyrical content is laughable (I'm gonna put my log in your fireplace...even at 13 I was embarrassed for him) and his rough growl doesn't match up to the genre style.

Crazy Nights is a lot better, but Hot In The Shade feels like he is trying to write Paul Stanley type songs. They're not terrible, but not great. They're just meh.

All my opinion and I probably like a lot of music that others think is terrible.

Ah cmon man "my log in your fireplace" that line is classic
His writing on Asylum was a LOT worse...look at Stanley's songs (all hits) and Simmons' songs (all filler)...yeah

It's funny how everyone has such varied opinions on KISS' 80's stuff. I really dig Gene's songs on Asylum for example. I fricken love "Trial by Fire".

Eighties KIZZ is so good!

MeteoraXV wrote: Ah cmon man "my log in your fireplace" that line is classic

Two thumbs up here!
That's a great line!
Right up there with "when i go thru herrrr, it's just ilke errrr, a HOT KNIFE, thru butttteerrrrrrRRRRRRRR!!!!!"

80's Poetry

first time i ever heard this song. like it.

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727 wrote:first time i ever heard this song. like it.
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ah man havent heard that one in a while
by now KISS has become a caricature of themselves (or a caricature of the 80s) in my opinion
just watch Rock Hard and X in Sex
My uncle said that 1988-89 or whatever was the decline of rock music in general, much like pop and stuff is sucking hard right now

I don't mind those two new songs from Smashes, but they are not favourites or up there with the LIU stuff.

Can you see a pattern here? Lol....

Eeeww to both of them. Even Bruce hates "Rock Hard"!!!

Those two songs are turds. I can listen to X In Sex in a campy Steve Miller Abbra Cadabbra kind of way. You know it's not a strong artistic achievement, but catchy, fun and goofy.

727 wrote:first time i ever heard this song. like it.

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Yer I loved this song as soon as i heard it, Awesome clip too. X in Sex ok, but I hate the fake sounding syth horns in it.

Even paul himself said it was the best he could do around that time...
Anyways I can't wait for the new album + KISSOLOGY IV next January I think...

Listened to it, didn't like it, sorry,

Did Gene even know how to play this song????