Is it me? Is it them? Did grunge take all the fun out of music for me? Gene takes another turn already with Revenge hit “Domino.” I remember a verse of this song saying “Got you by the balls” but in this version it was “Got to have it all.” I’m not sure if this was an MTV thing or not. Again though, I didn’t like this song on this album. This is the album that got me into KISS and probably so many of you as well. “Do You Love Me” was next on the album, taken from the album Destroyer. I had a theory as to why it happened though… cuz Gene said so and it was MTV after all.
Gene Simmons then takes over singing duties for two songs - “Plaster Caster” and “Goin’ Blind.” For me, I was not a fan of these two songs and wondered why they were included in the setlist, let alone two in a row from the Demon. KISS have had 10 different lineups since 1972, and this one may have been version six or seven, but who’s counting? Bruce and Eric are excellent musicians, but not from the original line-up, so most fans always rank and treat them as second class citizens. Now remember, playing the drums is Eric Singer and on lead guitar is Bruce Kulick. The album starts with “Comin’ Home” from their 1974 release Hotter Than Hell. All right, this is something that I can get behind! Very clean, tight and on point. As of today, I have seen them live 10 times. I don’t own all of the KISS albums but do consider myself a member of the KISS Army. I couldn’t wait to hear the whole album after some highlights were aired on Much Music. While the performance took place on August 9, 1995, the CD was released the next year on March 12, 1996, and I was a first day buyer.
To feed my curiosity of the happenings of what would become a historic performance, I had to rely on coverage from the rock magazines of the time ( Metal Edge), as well as Canada’s music video channel, Much Music. I learned there were a few surprises from the show, but none bigger than the eventual reunion with original guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. Living in Canada, I didn’t subscribe to MTV, and the internet was in its infancy. But KISS? Unplugged? Could they pull it off? I could imagine a few songs that would translate to acoustic versions, but not their big thumping arena anthems. It was also the year that KISS took the stage at Sony Studios in New York City for MTV’s Unplugged Series. I was 22 at the time and living in Toronto where KISS would frequently make stops. I was a fan of and purchased previous performances from the Unplugged era including Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and probably the most successful one of them all – Nirvana’s performance. Kendall Jenner and Patrick Mahomes were born, and drinks at a bar were $2.50.
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