{"id":279,"date":"2007-02-15T00:20:06","date_gmt":"2007-02-15T05:20:06","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2008-12-10T23:07:36","modified_gmt":"2008-12-10T23:07:36","slug":"letters-from-the-kiss-army","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/letters-from-the-kiss-army\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters from the KISS Army"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Townspeople of a certain age were queried on their KISS memories. Let’s begin by calling roll.<\/em>
\nROLL CALL!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Randy:<\/strong> I can’t stand KISS. Or their army. In fact, it wouldn’t bother me a bit if all our troops were pulled out of Iraq and replaced by the KISS Army. Kill two birds with one stone.<\/p>\n

Chickenfrank:<\/strong> KISS Army deserter.<\/p>\n

JimmyMac:<\/strong> I’m not a KISS Army vet per se. However, I was an avid KISS fan and am somewhat versed in their history. I also have a modest repository of memorabilia that surfaced during my recent move. Metaphorically speaking I guess I had musical “flat feet” and never was drafted. (I never dressed up like KISS and didn’t attend a concert until my 30s. By that point, they had already become a lampoon of themselves. Two 50-ish Jewish men lumbering around the stage in fancy dress desperately in need of a schvitz<\/em> by mid-set.)<\/p>\n

Rich:<\/strong> I wanted to join, but I failed the physical. Had to become a Ted Nugent Weekend Warrior<\/strong> instead.<\/p>\n

Chris: <\/strong>Officially? No. I was a diehard fan; they were my first concert (AC\/DC<\/strong> opened). I have all the vinyl, but I never enlisted<\/em>. I have painted my face before, actually with two of my brothers and a bandmate for the reunion tour in ’96. I was Ace<\/strong>, if you’re wondering.<\/p>\n

Al:<\/strong> I never joined either. I was one of those kids that members of the KISS Army liked to beat up<\/em>.<\/p>\n

General Slocum:<\/strong> The KISS Army, as far as I can remember, first came to us via an insert to the album Rock and Roll Over<\/strong><\/em>, which was the album that burst my bubble, and confirmed for me that the direction they were going on Destroyer<\/em> was only going to continue, and worse. And in the mid-70s, most of us were at least hippie enough to resent anything that so smacked of little-league fascism as to be called an “army.” For their first 4 records (up to Alive<\/em>) they were one of my fave bands. Those albums still have a simple idiocy<\/strong> which appeals to me. We went last summer to a church fair up here, and there was a kid running one of the toddler rides, and while John was on the ride, we complemented his KISS Army tattoo<\/strong>. He said he had just gotten it. I said they were my first concert, and he said “me, too!” I said, mine was 32 years ago, and I saw them when Dressed to Kill<\/em> was out. His eyes got big, with a combination reverence, and what may have been fear of diseases to which modern humans may no longer have antibodies.<\/strong><\/ins> It was a perspective-stretching excercise for us both. But, no, I never joined up.<\/p>\n

Dean:<\/strong> I never joined and will confess to never owning or liking KISS. Good for a laugh but nothing more…<\/p>\n

A good friend in high school was an uber<\/em> fan (and almost certainly an Army recruit), but I didn’t join him. He did however introduce me to prog-rock<\/strong> and we both attended my first rock concert – ELP<\/strong> at the Spectrum.<\/p>\n

So, my question to you KISS fans – Is Paul Stanley gay?<\/a><\/em> Not that there is anything wrong with that. But I have seriously wondered.
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