The offical Kiss thread

I'd go for that free stuff, BUT, that means having to buy the CD and I don't really want to purchase physical copies of albums anymore. Maybe a few more vintage albums if they are special, but, at my age, I've got too much stuff.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Hey, KISS fans - do you have enough stupid KISS junk yet? If not, check out what I just saw at the local Walgreens:



A set of 4 KISS Pez Dispensers in a way-cool tin collector's box. No, I didn't buy one (though I was sorely tempted!)... so hey, anybody who hooks me up with one of these for Christmas will automatically vault to the top of the Cool Mo-Fo List. (Just puttin' it out there...)

The kids in my Cub Scout den got me the KISS Pez set for Christmas and gave it to me at our Pack's holiday party the Friday before Xmas. So they're officially at the top of the Cool-Mo-Fo List, as promised.

That's cool Freddy!

Wow! Looks like Kiss' Monster didn't fare very well with record buyers... (from KissFAQ.com)

Following is a brief report on the album's sales and chart performances in the United States, with added information for both historical and current-day context.

Sales: To date, "Monster" has sold 132,000 copies in the United States since its release on Oct. 9, 2012. This total is less than half of the sales of KISS' prior album, 2009's "Sonic Boom," which currently stands at approximately 300,000 copies.

Chart Performance:
"Monster" spent seven weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. The album peaked at No. 3, becoming the ninth KISS album to reach the Top 10.

Week #1: No. 3
Week #2: No. 14
Week #3: No. 41
Week #4: No. 60
Week #5: No. 80
Week #6: No. 135
Week #7: No. 131

In terms of KISS studio albums, only "Carnival Of Souls" had a shorter stay on the Billboard 200 than "Monster." In 1997 "Carnival Of Souls" charted for just four weeks. The two other KISS studio albums that have yet to attain gold status, 1981's "Music From The Elder" and 2009's "Sonic Boom," lasted 11 weeks and 12 weeks on the chart, respectively.

I'm not sure how. I bought three copies myself, vinyl, special book edition and the Best Buy CD version.

I find it strange that Sonic Boom, which was only available at one retailer (Wal-Mart) on the band's own label, outperformed Monster, which had major label backing and was available everywhere.

They were better off doing it themselves!!!

Sales be damned ! It's a great album !

007 wrote:

Sales be damned ! It's a great album !

Yeah, some of my favorite albums are ones whose sales weren't very high.

The newest piece of collectible KISS junk: KISS-branded model rockets.



http://blog.rocketreviews.com/?p=537

Cool. Now I can combine my KISS geekiness with my 10 year old's Cub-Scout-fueled interest in model rocketry.

It would be bad-ass if it had a sound chip in it that played "Rocket Ride" upon ignition.

Fat Freddy wrote:

The newest piece of collectible KISS junk: KISS-branded model rockets.

KISS releasing a phallic symbol geared towards kids? Say it ain't so, Joe!

I'll pass on that one.

I'm happy to say KISS hasn't gotten any of my money since 1984.

SpectreFate wrote:

KISS releasing a phallic symbol geared towards kids? Say it ain't so, Joe!

When you put it like that, it suddenly sounds so...so dirty.

"Put your hand in my pocket....grab onto my rocket"

Fat Freddy wrote:

Anyway, Monster is growin' on me. It didn't blow me away on the first listen like Sonic Boom did, but then it didn't have the "first new album in ten years" build-up going for it like Boom did.

I'm starting to come around on Monster as well. Initial listens weren't all that impressive. A couple more spins and a drive in the car had my foot tapping along. Some albums just sound better blasting through a car stereo, movin' fast down '95, hitting top speed, but still movin much too slow, ya know?

I think I still like Sonic Boom a hair more, but Monster is pretty darn good too.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Some albums just sound better blasting through a car stereo, movin' fast down '95, hitting top speed, but still movin much too slow, ya know?

That's because the mastering is so horrid that all the car noise makes it less noticeable.

Oh, poop on you and your production nit-picking!!!

I've actually listened to both the cd version and the Cliffy re-do and I can't say I hear much difference (no offense to your work, Cliffy). I understand the whole "brick-walling" issue these days, but I'm not too bothered by it as a listener.

I fairness to Cliffy, he was trying to polish a turd. Not much you can do to improve a squashed mastering like that, he would need access to a pre-limited copy.

Yea, I would never disparrage Cliffy's work. He's a pro at what he does. I just fail to hear the big difference most of the time. Usually when it comes to that kind of stuff (Cliffy or otherwise), the only thing I tend to notice is that it's louder.

There is a limited amount of things you can do remastering from the CD source, to make a really noticeable difference you need access to the original stereo master tapes (which only record company folk have access to).

If you can't hear the difference, be glad, because for those of us with trained ears it makes it really hard to listen to most CDs released since 1997 or so without cringing.

Quote :

Yea, I would never disparrage Cliffy's work. He's a pro at what he does. I just fail to hear the big difference most of the time. Usually when it comes to that kind of stuff (Cliffy or otherwise), the only thing I tend to notice is that it's louder.

Same here, but that is probably due to the fact that I rarely listen to tunes anywhere else besides the crappy little boom box on my desk @ work and on the stereo in my truck, neither of which are high-end systems by any means.

...on the other hand, I give Cliffy mad props for including the iTunes-only "bonus track" ("Right Here Right Now") in his version.

Cliffy rocks (nuff said)

Anyone suprised at the lengths Kiss would go to for promotion never saw this:





Origionally, this was only suposed to be the first of 4 Kiss wreslters.

I love your current avatar, Fat Freddy!!

Fat Freddy wrote:

...on the other hand, I give Cliffy mad props for including the iTunes-only "bonus track" ("Right Here Right Now") in his version.

too bad Kiss didnt do the same.