8 Comments
User's avatar
Steve Goldberg's avatar

Yes, for sure one of my favorites. I can’t recall if it was Beyond the Lighted Stage where I first learned about how Kiss would relentlessly tease Rush about Xanadu and specifically the “I will dine on honeydew” lyric. But I always loved that story. Especially as it was the era of them dressed in flowing kimonos.

I was supposed to see Primus play A

Farewell to Kings in 2020 and I had great seats. unfortunately, when it was eventually rescheduled, I couldn’t go, so that was a bummer. and yes, the video you shared from The Charismatic Voice is so great.

Expand full comment
Steve Goldberg's avatar

The pairing of Rush and Kiss always seemed an odd match to me, but I’m glad they got along.

Expand full comment
Lara's avatar

I think Ged talked in his autobiography about how he and Gene bonded over being weird Jewish kids who somehow lucked into being rockstars. Both are children of Holocaust survivors, so they probably had a lot of personality traits in common.

Expand full comment
Amos's avatar

Kiss is far weirder musically then they are given credit for, imho. "Hotter Than Hell" is really weird. "Parasite" into "Goin Blind", weird. To my ears, even their catchy songs are weird. They took the stutter stop riffing of Free to a strange place.

Expand full comment
Amos's avatar

Oh and I forgot to mention their own (failed) concept album. It's better than it gets credit for. But its also not exactly great.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5n3lkp6zBWg

Expand full comment
Lara's avatar

I had no idea KISS had a concept album!!! That's amazing, thanks for sharing

Expand full comment
Amos's avatar

Didn't realize it was a Coleridge poem. I actually think I prefer "Xanadu" to "...Kings". Weirder and lengthen but pretty much as catchy. At least to a certain type: Me

Expand full comment
Lara's avatar

Totally valid. The whole album is a gem!

Expand full comment