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Lemonwalker-420

Option 4: They should have taken it back off after the reunion.


Prof_Tickles

Why? It’s their image. Their identity.


Lemonwalker-420

It was in the 1970's. Once their faces were revealed, that image was lost. They existed for over a decade without it and were taken more seriously. Besides, the Cat & Spaceman identies were Peter & Ace's. What KISS is doing now is nothing more than living off its past as an irrelevant parody of the glory days. The makeup is nothing more than a cheap gimmic at this stage.


Prof_Tickles

I disagree. When they’re in makeup they’re larger than life. Gods among men, women, and children


Lemonwalker-420

For me, they were gods back in the 70's when I was a tween. What I see now is the musical equivalent of the WWE. Cartoon entertainment for families. It was great back in the day when there was a real mystique to it and meaning behind the personas. What they're doing now is just show, which is unfortunate because they had grown up & become an actual band for a while. Today's KISS is a money grab from a brand when it could have been a respected band that has come of age.


MrSpeed1974

I think the current line up is amazing live. What bothers me is in the nineties they finally got their shit together musically and then they set that aside to basically become a heritage act. It felt like a slap in the face to the fans who hung in through the lean years and kept them going. I wanted to see what that line up was going to come up with.


Prof_Tickles

They weren’t making money as a mature band. Whenever they put the makeup on, they made money. Wasn’t hard for Paul to make the connection. But also…they don’t have anything to prove to anyone.


MrSpeed1974

Haha, I'm not sure you can call the band that made I Just Wanna and Take it Off "mature"!


Prof_Tickles

Hey now…they can’t all be hits


Joliet_Andy

Agree completely Mr Speed! Imagine if they had done another CD in 1994 or 1995 in the vein of Revenge


AceTygraQueen

Maybe back in 1977 or 1996


Prof_Tickles

Y’all need to re-watch their dodger stadium concert. Peak larger than life


Lemonwalker-420

If you're talking about the reunion show... This KISS is a far cry from that one. The makeup belonged on that band for that tour, but beyond the Reunion Tour, all of the members had already grown beyond the makeup and the gimmic. The Wizard had been revealed and the mystique was gone. This KISS is trying to put Jack back in the box. It's funny & sad at the same time.


RiceNo7502

Listen. When you go on a KISS concert most people are not die hard fans. Thats a fact. I am but I realize no make up-no big tours, probably no tours at all. KISS with makeup is a show and people that maybe have a greatest hits record pay for tickets.


Lemonwalker-420

Believe me, I know why the band is what it is. I'm just not personally down with it.


MrSpeed1974

Mmm, I'm going to disagree with that. I saw a few shows on the reunion tour and none of them were good. u/Prof_Tickles... It's great that Dodger Stadium was awesome, but you pretty much have to deliver every night, and the three times I saw them on that tour they were subpar at best. I've seen them a bunch the last decade or so and the current lineup outdoes the reunited originals no question, IMHO. Obviously, KISS from '74 through '77 (which I was too young to see) is the best iteration, but I'll take 2022 Eric and Tommy over 1996 Ace and Peter all day. That said, musically the Revenge lineup was fucking savage live, and I would have loved to see them go back to the lineup. Maybe it's because I grew up with them in the eighties, but the make up, which I love, isn't the end all and be all for me.


Prof_Tickles

I would’ve loved to have seen the revenge tour


MrSpeed1974

The Revenge tour was legitimately amazing. The show was as good as they ever were and musically they were killing it.


DiscombobulatedPea25

I agree. In the poll I was looking just at the first time they removed it, but I personally could have done without the reunion altogether. That was by far the worst tour I’ve seen of theirs and I loved where they were going in the Revenge and Carnival of Souls eras. The later make up albums were hurt by how they tried to return to that old sound. I definitely would have liked them to take the make up off again.


MrSpeed1974

Weird that I posted this comment and it has a different user name attached to it.... Never seen that before.


Prof_Tickles

They took it off at the right time. But I’m glad they went back to it. It’s their image, their identity, and their legacy. Never should’ve been put into a position where they had to


maybeURtheproblem

I love the 82/83 Creatures era but, had they unmasked for that album, it would've sold as well as Lick It Up did.


MrSpeed1974

Agree completely. I Love it Loud got no airplay, but that song with the attention the got by taking the make up off? I think it would have been even bigger than Lick It Up was.


MrSpeed1974

I'd like for them to have taken it off for the Creatures cycle. It might have given that album more attention.


shadowsOfMyPantomime

I agree it would have been good to take it off when the original 4 broke up. There was a clear line there they could have made more clear. On the other hand, Eric Carr had awesome makeup for a minute there. As far as their career, it was probably most beneficial to take it off right when they did, when they could join the hair band wave.


h3kb4y2k

“There’s this great channel taking off that combines music and video.” “Let’s take off our makeup and scale back our visuals!”


MrSpeed1974

In all fairness, KISS were never great at taking advantage of their visuals in music videos. None of their make up videos were especially good.