Hey there, and a very Happy KISSmas in July! Just in case you’ve wandered in here by mistake, KISS is a huge band, commanding a huge and devoted following. Most fans have favourite eras and line-ups and enjoy them regardless but for some arguing about who & what is best seems to take up most of their time. Personally, I just like the music, and the performance, in and of itself, no matter what era or line-up.
It’s all Rawk N Roll to me.
So, channelling the great Matt Porter from The Kiss Room, I’m keeping it positive and showing my unashamed appreciation of the members who made KISS what it was, and is, and will always be.
Chosen as the replacement for Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent‘s relatively short tenure with KISS started surreptitiously during the recording of 1982’s Creatures of the Night and ended after the Lick It Up tour wrapped in March 1984. However, what happened in between those dates was enough to cement Vinnie’s reputation with KISS fandom forever. As a guitar player, Vinnie brought the band fully into the 80’s Rock model through his ability to provide pyrotechnic soloing with an uncanny melodic edge. However, as a songwriter he brought a much needed hit sensibility back to a KISS that had made a serious miss-step in a lot of fan’s eyes with the previous concept album, Music From “The Elder”.
My favourite Vinnie Vincent moment is from the first non-makeup album, Lick It Up. This Gene Simmons/Vinnie Vincent co-write, with vocals by Gene, shows off the best of everything VV; hypnotic guitar progressions and infectious melodies followed by an incredible but, frankly, maniacal guitar solo. I mean, the way the solo sirens into the track is worth the price of the album alone!
Enjoy!
(Photo credit (C)JSC )
