re: Who was the genius who told KiSS to take the makeup off?

KISS fricking sucks.
One of the biggest frauds of modern rock music and that’s saying a lot.
Trash music for trash people.

Nirvana

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Destroyer ….

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Best album they ever released with the exception of side 4 of Alive II

Here, I found the interview where Gene lays it out

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Gene Simmons recalls why Kiss decided to take the makeup off

“So, Peter left. We got a new drummer, Eric Carr, who was just fantastic, and tried to come back from (Kiss’ 1980 album) ‘Unmasked’ and, you know, the disco stuff. And so he put out a heavier record, ‘Creatures of the Night.’ So, all that stuff was going on.”

“It did not do well in America. Music was changing, but at the very same time, we played Maracanã for 200,000 people in Rio. Vinnie Vincent was in the band. Half the band was gone. We just expect people to accept the new guys.”

“We liked the record. We’re kind of headed in the right direction. But it’s not working in America because, at the same time, you’ve got all these different… Punk and New Romance and Adam and the Ants and everything else happening.”
You’ve got a younger fan base that are more active. So we don’t know what to do. So, Paul comes up with the idea of, ‘Maybe it’s time to take the makeup off.’ And I’m going, ‘I’m not sure about that. We have a quote legacy,’ whatever.”

“You know, we lasted longer than The Beatles. Beatles lasted seven years and put out all this astonishing stuff and never, as far as I’m concerned, never decayed. Just kept moving, evolving. But of course, nobody is the Beatles. And so, I gave in. I said, ‘Okay, let’s see what happens.’ And this ‘Lick It Up’ record happened,” Gene Simmons said

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During their unmasked era, the band released the albums: “Lick It Up” (1983), “Animalize” (1984), “Asylum” (1985), “Crazy Nights” (1987), “Hot in the Shade” (1989), “Revenge” (1992) and
“Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions” (1997). LINK

I read Gene's book "Sex Money Kiss" several years ago. The guy could sell you an used underwear with skid marks for $20. This guy was not a rock star but an entrepreneur, a business man whose spending habits were borderline miserable. And it was hard to believe that he never drank or took drugs during the peak of his career b/c he thought "poor decisions while intoxicated led to bad financial consequences". Hard to believe but true story.

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Probably the same person who wrote Lick it up

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Hate that song. The rest of the album is great.

Also hate Rock and Roll all Night

Detroit Rock City should he their anthem. Jammin tune.

KISS was ICP before ICP

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Eric Carr never got his due. RIP Eric

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I remember the year he died, and Rolling Stone left him out of their list of Rock’s departed for the previous year. Gene and Paul sent them a letter knocking them for that. It was really pathetic on their part, but at least RS published it. It was still a shite move, though, all because Rolling Stone’s management hated metal and hard rock.

Still pissed they canceled their Assembly Center concert March 17th, 1983. Had 8th row.