Yeah, basically what he said, as far as Kiss in particular is concerned; then you mix in the comic book fantasy character factor. It was pure junk entertainment in a total franchise package. Now, to be honest, when Kiss came along, I was just a little too old to get caught up in it. I had been into TRex, Bowie, NY Dolls even(a band that was coming up in the NYC clubs along with Kiss)but when Kiss happened, I thought it was crass processed empty calories, AND they were a little behind the curve with the glam thing, it had already played out. But as the glam thing was artsy, tongue in cheek, fey, it wasn’t that huge in the US. But it did get audiences accustomed to a more theatrical presentation, so Simmons and company took that hook, butched it up, presented themselves as otherworldly comic book superheroes, recycled some Rolling Stones riffs and other bluesy hard rock of the time, and the rest is history, although they really didn’t break through until their third album, the infamous live one. They appealed to a much younger audience who weren’t that concerned about integrity or artfulness in music, and certainly apathetic to whatever happened at Woodstock or Monterey. It was all razzle dazzle circus. On that note, since I don’t have any idea how any of the rock of the 60’s onward might have impacted you, you’d have to tell us what ‘old’ bands, if any, impress you, or what you make of it all. Then it might be easier to explain the ebb and flow of the trends of those days.
(I had the 45)
