Another stupid Kiss blog

If you follow my scribblings, you may think I am a some huge Kiss nerd. I guess it depends on the mood. I never really find myself actually listening to Kiss for recreation. I actually prefer 80's Kiss over any other era. I guess I am hardwired to write about what I know about. Today, for some strange reason, I am back on Kiss.

Recently, Paul stated in an interview that he felt like Gene spends a lot of time trying to be PT Barnam. That is a great analogy of his life partner. I guess in my mind, it's easy to state that about a person, but you 100% benefit from coat tail riding. Maybe not creatively, but absolutely monetarily.

Paul gets residuals on the use of his image, as does Ace and Pete. For the latter, it may be the only actual income generated at this stage of his life.

Paul did have the reigns for a decade or so. The 80's belonged to Paul's vision of the band, which kept them alive (pun intended) way past their kooky shelf life. Kiss became a full fledged hair band, and rightfully so, as they are never given enough credit for being architects of the genre, and also really precursors Thrash and European Disney Metal in a way.

Paul and Gene are very much life partners, different from other rock duos in their solidarity. Paul has said some vanilla things to the negative, but really only in his emotional reaction to circumstances out of his control.

For instance: Paul has opened up about his disapproval of Gene become the dominant voice of Kiss during the Revenge era. However he is smart enough to understand that he was the driver of the 80's Kiss train, but come 1990, styles had changed. His effiminant style was out of character in the 90's, and the fans responded. Gene peaked in the more aggressive world with "Domino" and "Unholy." Paul did take a back seat, but was fortunate to be able to continue in his amazing career due to the diversity of his organization. We should all be so lucky.

Paul also makes no bones about his former bandmates inability to hang. I respect that completely. Even though they could be very negative about much more, typically Paul and Gene take the high road, not deep diving into the mud, rather taking well aimed shots and shutting down the line of questioning. Not in every situation, but they always conduct their business with dignity.

I may take some heat for the above paragraph in regards to session players and behaviors deemed unscrupulous by mega-fans, but aside from some sketchy artistic turns, the moves they made were for the betterment and continuation of the band AND the brand.

Gene and Paul deserve some credit for their commitment to each other. They didn't stray like Joe and Steven, and didn't publicly trash each other like the infamous duo's of Rolling Stones, Beatles, Kinks, and Oasis. To this day, 40+ years later, they stand united.

In a world where most partnerships are fleeting at best, a mutual understanding of solidarity is refreshing.

Nago

Uncle Phil and the Zen of Bel Aire

Time for a holiday deep dive into the beloved "Fresh Prince of Bel Aire" TV series. Why? Well, I was browsing YouTube this morning, and saw the reunion of Will and Alfonso on the Graham Norton show.

Believe it or not, I have quite often wondered if Alfonso was bitter about Will's success and riches. So, I looked it up. Alfonso is doing just fine financially. That leads me to wonder about Jazzy Jeff, who probably is really bitter about Will's second career as an actor after they came up and found sucess as a duo.

Here are the numbers (according to Celebrity Net Worth):
Will Smith: $260 Million USD
Jazzy Jeff: $8.6 Million USD
Alfonso Riberio (Carlton): $7 Million USD

It shouldn't come as a surprise Jazzy Jeff is richer than Carlton, he did have a pretty good run in the music industry. I assumed he was broke, as I have seen him advertised performing at Cheerleaders in Pittsburgh (that's a strip club, in case you didn't know :/). I guess a strip club tour is lucrative?

The year "Fresh Prince of Bel Aire" first aired (1990), I also found myself moving from the bustling metropolis of Erie, PA to the small town farming community of Union City, PA. The circumstances were not exactly the same as Will's move, but I was in a bit of heat with truancy from school, and was a trouble making street rat running with a like minded crowd. I was 15, and didn't want to move at all. After months of fighting it, I finally accepted my position, and made friends with a musician oriented crowd in my new enviroment.

I used to kid that I was the Fresh Prince of Union City, and in my mind, I absolutely was. The "new kid" syndrome fit my ego very well, and Erie was the big city to kids in the country community. I ate that shit up. The perception of knowing something others only heard about kept me feeling a tad dangerous, but in hindsight, it was a joke.

Will Smith's character suffered the same fate, as street kid struggling to fit in a prep school environment. Set to a comedic backdrop, it was a perfect marriage given the early 90's hip-hop culture.

These days, I am not a fan of laugh tracks, back then, I cared a bit less. I really loved the show, and I still do. It was a transition show of sorts, bridging the gap between family oriented sit-coms of the 80's and the new breed of comedy shows soon to become the norm (Seinfield, Friends, Mad About You, etc). It is still funny, and finding new life with snippets on YouTube.

It's hard to be mad at any move Will Smith makes these day. He has become one of the highest paid actors for good reason. His skill set is amazing, but I will always be a fan of his original comedic chops.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nago

Bad Hair Day, July 1987

For many years, I have avoided deep diving into my youth in regards to Bon Jovi. Last week, a picture popped up in my timeline that ended the cycle of avoidance. This photo, taken on July 25th, in the year of our Lord, 1987 (30 years ago), captures a moment of people waiting in line to see what was to become my first major concert experience.

I was 12 years old that summer, and a true, blue poser. My sister's friend somehow ended up with a few extra tickets to the concert event, a rare outdoor stadium show in Erie, PA. That fateful day, Bon Jovi brought his "Slippery When Wet" tour to the Veterans Memorial Stadium, located at the foot of what locals referred to as "the Whore House on the Hill," also known as Academy High School.

Why such a large structure was constructed at the foot of an inner city high school in a somewhat small city is a story not found on any current Wiki page, but, Veterans Memorial Stadium was constructed in 1924 as a large football playing field. Officially, it seats 10,000 in the stands. That day, the field was open to general admission. The recorded head count for the Bon Jovi concert was 15,608 people.

We all remember it being hot that day, as several people were treated for heat exhaustion. For Erie, a city that sees 101 inches of snow (on average) per year, it was blistering. According to the web, the temp was 84 deg. F, with 91% humidity. In an era of long hair, jeans and high tops, I am sure the ozone layer had a huge hole over Erie County due to the large amount of Aqua Net represented by the crowd in attendance, which most likely added to the heat index of the day.

This L.P. and tour were breakout moments for Bon Jovi. It cemented them in the eyes of pop culture as more than just another Hair Metal band. Their production, songwriting and promotional values set the bar for the next wave of pop-rock, including the "live setting" music video trend that every single band followed for years. Bon Jovi quickly rose to the top, and somehow even managed to survive the Grunge trend a few years later.

Women loved the look and easily accessed hooks of what became an instant classic. "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Living on a Prayer," and "Wanted Dead or Alive" were the three huge hits off the L.P., and justifiably so. Guys quickly gravitated to the harder edge of the album, which may have been the first true successor to Def Leppard's massive 1983 release "Pyromania" in terms of pop metal production.

The lines were very blurry then, and "Heavy Metal" fandom encompassed Maiden, Crue, Bon Jovi, and Metallica somewhat equally. Even the heaviest of the previous generation released lighter offerings around this time (Judas Priest "Turbo" and Iron Maiden's "7th Son of a 7th Son" for example). Bon Jovi fit the mold perfectly, and if I am being honest with myself, "Slippery When Wet" was awesome for this young music fan at that time. Already a fan of the previous 2 releases from the band, having spent many an afternoon jumping off of my bed strumming a broom to the sad, yet catchy af, and hugely underrated "Only Lonely" from 1985's "7800 Deg. F," I was primed and ready for the radio friendly follow-up. I am sure the concert was a major deal in my young life. The timing was perfect.

Jon Bon Jovi had family ties to the Erie area. Every now and again a pic would surface of him standing with a local person. I remember seeing one of him with his arm around the lunch lady from my middle school. I had known several people claiming to be his "second cousin" or some such rubbish. Honestly, everyone knew someone claiming to be related. I guess Erie needed that connection at the time. We were a town struggling with identity, grasping to the positivity of a world wide connection to greatness. We were, and remain, a rebellious lot. Today the city is alive with bike rallies, outdoor shows and block parties. Back then, were a culture straight out of  B Movie Hollywood, equal parts American Graffiti, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Breakfast Club and Heavy Metal Parking Lot.

The excitement of that day, mixed with the heat exhaustion and confusion of the first time concert experience makes the whole thing a blur to me. My best memory is of a girl I had never met before giving me some water. I guess I looked rough, and ready to pass out. Again, it was hot.

If a picture is worth 1000 words, the pic shared by the Erie History FB page did not disappoint. From what I do remember, neither did the band. Erie is full of human history, and is a special place for its resilience. It has been 15 years since I came to the 'Burgh, yet I still identify myself with Erie. It is the land of my youth and the ground that my forefathers helped shape. 

That hot July day was one many will cherish, and have cherished for some 30 years. Whether it be untrue tales of opening band, Keel, besting the headliner, memories of a long ago romance making out in the crowd to "Never Say Goodbye," or the immense sound of Sambora's acoustic opening of "Wanted Dead or Alive," the day will live on in the hearts and minds of many Erie-ites in infamy.

Nago

Nothing at all...

In six years of blogging, I sometimes write about Dad Rock, sometimes movies, and sometimes its just cathartic ramblings. I often wonder if this medium will hang around for a long time, like maybe someday my great grandkids can look back and be like, "that dude was crazy."

Putting that idea into perspective could be interesting. My kids were able to meet and hang out with their great grandparents. Would they have cared to read their weird thoughts, especially if it was in regards to pop culture and music?

Black Sabbath released their first L.P. in 1969. Let's say an adventurous 24 year old fell in love with dark undertones of the band and followed them through their career. Now, let's say that same year, he fathered a son.

1979, this same person could have very likely been into Judas Priest at age of 34. Meanwhile, his 10 year old could realistically like the same music his father turned him on to, and was minutes away from the next generation of Metallica.

1989. This father, now 44, and his son, now 20, both like Metal, and both share a passion for heavy, dark undertones. This same year, his son fathers his first grandson.

1999. The now Grandfather, 54, who is probably less concerned with trends in heavy music, takes his son, now 30, and his grandson, 10, to see Black Sabbath at Ozzfest during the Reunion Tour.

2017. The grandfather, now 73, his son, now 48, the grandson, now 28, go to see the Black Sabbath "The End" tour, marking the final time the original band will play live. It is entirely possible that the 28 year old has a child of his own, and it is also entirely possible that the child could fall in line with the music his Great Grandfather fell in love with 48 years earlier.

This is not my scenario, but it stands to prove that maybe, just maybe, someday my great-grandchildren may actually care about my ramblings? Probably not.

One other note: Heavy Metal is gonna be 50 in less that 2 years. Wow.

Nago.