Kiss had a rotating roster of lead guitarists over the decades – but one player in particular may very well have comfortably taken the crown for the shortest stint with the band.

Lauded L.A. studio musician and founding member and lead guitarist of the ’80s rock band Mr. Mister, Steve Farris, had the enviable, or – depending on who you ask, the unenviable – opportunity to join Kiss, at least for a few odd weeks.

Back when rumors were swirling that Ace Frehley was on the way out, Farris was well plugged into the Los Angeles music scene and, at the time, was playing with a couple of members of the country-rock band Poco.

“We started doing original shit and rehearsing down in Playa del Rey… or playing a gig at the Blue Lagune Saloon in Marina del Rey when that was still around, and [we were] playing original shit, [we had] a set,” Farris tells Vertex Effects.

However, the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself after one of those sets…

“Some tall guy comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, Ace Frehley is leaving Kiss. Would you be interested in auditioning for them? And I’m like, ‘Well, I eat peanut butter and jelly every day, and my Volkswagen Rabbit doesn’t start unless I push it off the clutch. Yeah, I would do that.’

“He writes down on a napkin – that's what you did those days – he goes, ‘Call this number; she’s handling all the auditions.’”

Farris frantically put together an audition tape with the help of his friend – record producer and Carpenters lead guitarist Tony Peluso – consisting of “demos I played with, songs I’d written while I was living in the Midwest, recorded in Chicago, instrumentals, things I sat in… just anything I could find that I showed I could play guitar well.”

Farris immediately drove down to an office on Sunset Boulevard, where he found the person who was handling Kiss’ auditions. “I gave her the tape, and she went and played it while I was there, which is kind of weird. So I sat there listening to the tape while she was listening to it.”

He drove off and didn’t think much of it until two weeks later, when he got an unexpected phone call.

“‘Is this Steve Farris?’ ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘This is Paul Stanley from Kiss.’ He said, ‘Gene and I listened to the tape last night. We really liked it. We're down at the Record Plant, cutting a record, and we just have guys come play on the records, kind of an audition. Want to come down? Come down tomorrow at 2[pm].’”

Valley Arts Strat, Goodrich pedal, and CE-1 Chorus in hand, Farris made his way to New York’s famed Record Plant studios. What he witnessed next is forever imprinted in his memory.

“There's four studios there. I’d been in there where somebody had some free time in the middle of the night, but I [had] never been in there to see anything real. They go to Studio D, and that's where Kiss was… sliding glass doors… You look through there, you see these tall guys with black hair, but at that time [1982] you’ve never seen them without makeup.”

After waiting for three hours, and even spotting a certain Bob Kulick – Bruce Kulick’s brother – being ushered out, Farris was finally summoned.

“Paul goes, ‘Hey, I got a Marshall out there, just plug into this.’ I got the engineer sitting here, Gene’s standing up, Paul’s on the other side, looking at me. He goes, ‘We need an eight-bar solo, it's in D or G – I can’t remember – We’ll scroll up the bridge, and I’ll count you in.’”

This turned out to be the title track of 1982’s Creatures of the Night – and, spoiler alert, his solo even made it onto the final record.

In fact, Stanley and Simmons were so impressed that they called it there and then.

“They go, ‘You dye your hair black?’ I go, ‘Yeah.’ ‘So you wear high heels.’ I said, ‘I’ll give it a try,’ and they go, ‘Don’t do a fucking thing, man. We got the guy.’”

“I was the guy,” Farris asserts. “Played two solos. So the next week, I go in and play a little more with them.”

Farris thought it was a done deal until around a month later, when he was asked to sing – a request which was less than ideal considering he didn’t see himself as a singer.

“I realized at one moment, ‘Well, I’m gonna take a stab at this… but if I don't sing, I don’t get the gig.’ So I have the dubious distinction of having played Honky Tonk Women with Kiss, with me singing lead vocal. I wish I had that tape.”

Alas, Farris’ strong suit wasn’t singing, and unfortunately, two or three weeks later, he got the dreaded call.

“Paul calls me and goes, ‘We don’t think you're the right guy for the band. We love your playing. We want to hire you to keep you in session.’”

While Farris ended up playing on a couple of other tracks as a hired gun, the job went to Vinnie Vincent, who stayed with the band until mid-1984.

And, speaking of guitarists who nearly joined Kiss, Punky Meadows, best known as the guitarist for glam-rock outfit Angel, recently discussed the time he accidentally turned the band down.

Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons are part of a newer crop of musicians continuing their parents’ legacy through their own music. And if their surnames sound eerily familiar to those of legendary guitar and bass slingers Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, it’s because, well, they’re their sons.

The two youngins have known each other all their lives, but making music together didn't happen until a chance hangout in December 2024, followed by an Instagram cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence.

“We were always homies but had our own things going,” Stanley tells Guitar World. “Then, since I moved back to L.A., we’ve hung out way more and were always kicking it. One day in December, we were hanging out. I thought, ‘I saw what he was doing, and I liked it.’ He saw what I was doing and said nice things, and we were like, ‘We should jam.’”

“It wasn’t a big idea,” Simmons relates. “It was just, ‘We should film a reel or something… people do that, right?’ We got together and figured, ‘Let’s do something we both love.’” And, just like that, Stanley Simmons was born.

Hailing from such a lineage comes with certain privileges that the two are quick to admit to, but Simmons also says that, “It's a double-edged sword. Doors are immediately opened for us because of our family relationships, like with any business. So, in entertainment and music, we get to meet these people. But once you're in the room, they don't necessarily give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“What’s working well for us is that at the end of the day, people will decide what works,” he continues. “It’s not the executives. They’re either gonna like the songs or not.

“If they connect with it and it moves them, it’s just a matter of time before people in the industry catch on,” adds Stanley. “For us, the whole thing has been about having fun.”

For more about the new dynamic duo, and new interviews with fast-rising band Geese and pop-star-sideman-turned-solo-artist Mateus Asato, pick up issue 601 of Guitar World from Magazines Direct.

Kiss have marked their first show in nearly two years by paying tribute to the late guitar hero Ace Frehley.

The Spaceman, who was absent from the band’s 2023 farewell tour, died aged 74 last month, with his death ruled to be accidental.

And while the American rock giants are enjoying a reunion of sorts at the latest – and now landlocked – iteration of their Kiss Kruise event, the band preluded an unplugged performance with a candelit two-minute silence for their founding member.

Electric candles, handed out to the crowd before the show, were held aloft as the band took to the stage. It was Paul Stanley, flanked by Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer, who spoke to the crowd.

“We certainly had differences, but that's what family is about,” he says. “Why don't we take a moment to think about him looking down on us, and let's have a moment for Ace.”

Indeed, Frehley, who left Kiss for the last time in 2002, was rumored to perform at their final show at Madison Square Garden in December 2023. However, he said that they later changed their mind.

Tributes to Frehley have come pouring in since the news of his death. Tom Morello said he owed Frehley a “life debt,” while Justin Hawkins reflected on his unusual run-in with the guitarist. Guitar World correspondent Andrew Daly, who spoke to Frehley a dozen times over the last few years of his life, also looked back on their friendship and reflected on the guitar great's legacy.

Founded in Japan all the way back in 1957, with roots stretching to the Hoshino Gakki company in 1908, Ibanez stands today as one of the key players in the guitar market.

The brand has always been synonymous with high quality – so much so, in fact, that there’s even a now-collectable ‘lawsuit’ period of instruments from a time when American brands felt threatened by their Eastern imitators.

And while it’s easy to think of Ibanez as a company that’s at the cutting edge of metal machines for the modern age, it's also innovated much further afield: producing timeless acoustics, semi-hollows, and hollowbody instruments – not forgetting, of course, some of the world’s best-selling overdrive pedals in the Tube Screamer series. Which is exactly why this list of the 25 most important Ibanez players crosses through various genres and styles.

It's become the go-to brand for all kinds of players, from original jazz cats like George Benson and fusion pioneers like Pat Metheny to acoustic renegades like Jon Gomm and Marcin and modern trailblazers like Nita Strauss and Yvette Young.

Steve Vai

Could Steve Vai be the most quintessential Ibanez player of them all?

After all, it was his first JEM signature in 1987 that inspired the RG series, which quickly became a bestseller for the company. And then just a few years later, his Universe signatures made history as the world’s first mass-produced seven-string electric.

More importantly, however, Vai ended up cementing his name as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, from his stints with Frank Zappa, Whitesnake, and David Lee Roth and game-changing solo records like Passion And Warfare, Real Illusions: Reflections, and his latest instrumental masterpiece, Inviolate.

Joe Satriani

How many guitarists can say they taught the likes of Steve Vai, Kirk Hammett, and Alex Skolnick? Joe Satriani is truly one of a kind in that sense, but more significantly, he took rock guitar to new heights with the double Grammy-nominated album, Surfing With The Alien, and continued to innovate on the releases that followed, most notably Flying In A Blue Dream and The Extremist.

The legato-loving legend has also been prolific as a collaborator, having conquered arenas as part of Mick Jagger’s band and Deep Purple, as well as starting the G3 supergroup alongside Steve Vai. More recently, he’s been busy working with ex-Van Halen members on the Best Of All Worlds tour.

Paul Gilbert

Alongside Vai and Satch, Paul Gilbert completes what many would consider to be ‘The Big Three’ of Ibanez shredders.

His work in Racer X and Mr. Big sets him apart as one of the most advanced minds to pick up a guitar, as well as one of the most ferocious alternate pickers the world has ever seen, fusing the neoclassical edge of Yngwie Malmsteen with the impromptu bluesiness of Edward Van Halen.

He’s had all kinds of Ibanez signatures through the years, from the PGM series to the Fireman models he’s usually seen with today, having designed the latter, reversed-body model himself.

Pat Metheny

Since the release of his debut album in 1975, Pat Metheny has continually proven himself to be one of the most revolutionary minds to ever work in jazz, cross-pollinating elements of the traditional with more worldly and experimental meditations.

He currently has two Ibanez signature models, the PM200 and PM3C, and his most famous works include Still Life (Talking), Letter From Home, and Bright Size Life.

As well as these sizeable contributions to the world of electric guitar, he’s also recorded unaccompanied acoustic albums like 2003’s One Quiet Night and last year’s MoonDial release, which saw him wielding a custom-built baritone guitar made by the luthier Linda Manzer.

Tim Henson and Scott LePage

The genre-smashing guitarists from Polyphia could very well be two of the most ground-breaking names in the company’s roster of signature artists, at least in terms of recent additions.

Their most recent album, 2022’s Remember That You Will Die, was voted as the best guitar album of that year by GW readers and was also notable for featuring fellow Ibanez endorsee Steve Vai on its mind-melting closing track, Ego Death.

By that point, both guitarists already had their own signature electrics, but what really got the industry talking was Henson’s TOD10N nylon-string electric, as prominently featured on the album’s lead single, Playing God.

Ichika Nito

As the very first Japanese guitarist to become an Ibanez signature artist, you could say Ichika Nito is making history for all the right reasons.

Much like Tim Henson and Scott LePage, his take on guitar is an incredibly contemporary one – combining the sounds of tech-metal with spanky and funky cleans while dazzling listeners with an array of legato and two-handed techniques.

He currently has two Ibanez models, the Talman-inspired ICHI00 and the headless Q Series-style ICHI10.

John Scofield

Having worked with everyone from Miles Davis and Charles Mingus to Herbie Hancock and Weather Report, John Scofield’s jazz credentials are as impressive as they come.

His most famous works include 1986’s Still Warm, 1994’s Hand Jive, and 1997’s A Go Go, as well as 1994’s I Can See Your House From Here – which saw him team up with fellow Ibanez signature artist Pat Metheny for an absolute tour-de-force of modern jazz. He’s also ventured into bluesier sonic pastures, having collaborated with John Mayer and Gov't Mule.

Josh Smith

Continually featured in lists of the best blues guitarists in the world today, it’s no wonder that Josh Smith ended up being recruited by Joe Bonamassa and has become a regular face in the blues giant’s backing band. The pair also work together regularly as producers, lending their expertise to fellow blues powerhouses like Eric Gales and Larry McCray.

The guitarist/singer currently has two T-style signatures, the FlATV1 and FlATV2, and is also highly regarded for his informative tutorials, some of which he has authored for this very publication.

Manuel Gardner Fernandes

As the driving force behind progressive metal band Unprocessed, German guitarist Manuel Gardner Fernandes is someone who knows how to blend the power of gargantuan riffs with blistering lead work.

Last year he was awarded his own signature guitar, the MGFM10 – a stunning headless model in Obsidian Black Low Gloss, boasting the same advanced switching system he uses to make his guitar go from apocalyptic roars to spanky cleans.

This year’s latest Unprocessed album, titled Angel, served as yet another firm reminder of his all-encompassing talents.

George Benson

Now at 82 years old, George Benson is one of the dyed-in-the-wool veterans of jazz guitar – a multiple Grammy-winning master who influenced the sound of an entire genre and ended up inspiring countless players that came after him.

Over the years, as well as releasing an extensive solo discography, he’s worked with mainstream greats such as Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra, making him one of the most prolific jazz artists of all time. He currently has six Ibanez signature models, all of them hollowbody designs.

Yvette Young

There’s a wonderfully abstract quality to Yvette Young’s sound – of course, there’s plenty of dexterity and technicality, but the real magic lies in the sheer amount of personality the Covet guitarist throws into every note she plays.

Part of this comes down to her alternate tunings, which she has often cited as a secret weapon for yielding interesting results, as well as her experimental approach to tone, but then there’s also her piano background – which has led to her unique sense of phrasing and ear for melody.

Marcin

Having just turned 25, it would be fair to say Polish wunderkind Marcin Patrzałek is spearheading a new generation of daredevil acoustic guitarists.

He rose to fame partly thanks to his viral videos that shocked listeners in how they were able to blur the lines between classical and contemporary music. This all led to the release of his first signature in 2022, the Ibanez MRC10, and a major label deal that started with last year’s debut full-length, Dragon In Harmony.

Nita Strauss

In 2018, Nita Strauss made history as the first woman to have her own Ibanez signature model, which she named the JIVA. It was certainly well-warranted, given her background playing in Alice Cooper’s band, as well as the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens.

Since then she’s worked with pop sensation Demi Lovato and has also released two solo albums, the latter of which featured an array of high profile guest stars, including Marty Friedman, David Draiman, and Lzzy Hale.

Andy Timmons

When it comes to tasteful shredding, Andy Timmons is up there with the likes of gold-standard legends like Eric Johnson and Steve Lukather.

He knows how to impress people, but more importantly, he knows when to focus on the melody. Which is exactly why he’s worked with high profile names like Olivia Newton-John, Paula Abdul, and fellow Ibanez endorsee Paul Stanley.

He currently has three Strat-style Ibanez signatures, which come fitted with three DiMarzio humbuckers, including his own AT-1 pickup in the bridge.

Jon Gomm

English guitarist Jon Gomm became one of the early standouts in the modern percussive acoustic scene thanks to the 2011 track Passionflower going viral, which led to both national and international coverage.

In 2020, he announced he’d joined the Ibanez roster, and two years later he unveiled a pair of signature models – the JGM5 and the JGM10 – tailor-made for wanting to implement two-handed ideas based on open tunings, while also using the body of the guitar for drum beats.

Lari Basilio

Over the last decade or so, Brazilian virtuoso Lari Basilio has established herself as one of the most tasteful players of her generation – striking that perfect balance between technical wizardry, emotional phrasing, and an inimitable sense of feel.

Her Seymour Duncan-equipped LB1 signature was debuted in 2021, making her the third female signature artist for Ibanez, with the latest update being this year’s version in black.

Her latest album, Redemption, was also released earlier this year, with no shortage of dazzling fretwork and earworm melodies.

James ‘Munky’ Shaffer and Brian ‘Head’ Welch

Steve Vai may have helped invent the world’s first mass-produced electric seven-string with Ibanez, but it was Korn who took that extended range to new (or nu) metallic heights, inventing a whole subgenre in the process.

For guitarists Munky and Head, the extra low-end only intensified the heaviness and helped them reinvent guitar music in the mid-90s.

Head left Ibanez for ESP back in 2016 but made his official return to the fold earlier this year with the launch of the K7 series.

Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström

Much like Munky and Head from Korn, Meshuggah guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström were early adopters of the seven-string, as demonstrated on the 1995 tech-metal landmark, Destroy Erase Improve.

Other releases like Chaosphere, Nothing, and Obzen would also become hugely influential on the tech-metal scene, with bands like Animals As Leaders, Periphery, and Tesseract taking metric modulations and polyrhythmic concepts to new sonic horizons.

The Swedish pair would later move onto eight-strings, leading to signature models like the M8M, M80M, and FTM33.

Paul Stanley

It’s easy to think of Kiss as a Gibson band, given the kind of instruments usually seen in the hands of lead guitarists like Ace Frehley and Tommy Thayer.

Singer and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, however, has been using Ibanez guitars on and off since 1977 – most notably the company's Iceman offset – which led to the five signature models that currently bear his name, including the striking Cracked Mirror PS1CM.

Kiko Loureiro

There’s a golden rule for anyone who plays lead guitar in Megadeth – you have to be, without question, one of the best shredders on the planet.

Brazilian virtuoso Kiko Loureiro had already proven his merits in Angra and was a perfect fit for the thrash titans when he joined in 2015. He recorded two albums with the band, 2016’s Dystopia and 2022’s The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, before announcing his departure in 2023.

He currently has three Ibanez signature models, all of which feature his custom DiMarzio pickups and a double-locking tremolo system.

Dexter Holland and Noodles

As the two guitar players in The Offspring, Dexter Holland and Noodles are well-known for dialing in tones that are guaranteed to cut through any mix.

The pair were at the very forefront of the 90s punk rock scene, with key albums like Smash and Ixnay On The Hombre setting them up for the mainstream success that followed with the 1998 bestseller Americana, which yielded hit singles like Pretty Fly (For A White Guy), Why Don’t You Get A Job?, and The Kids Aren’t Alright.

Holland sticks with ARZ and RG models while Noodles has had several signatures, the latest being 2020’s NDM5.

Daron Malakian

Joining Paul Stanley, Fredrik Thordendal, and Tom G. Warrior in our list of Iceman devotees, System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian is someone deeply connected to the striking offset shape.

“I went to Guitar Center, and I saw this Iceman sitting there, and I was like, ‘You know, that’s a guitar that not too many people use’,” he once explained.

The Armenian-American group became one of the biggest bands of their generation thanks to the world-conquering success of tracks like Chop Suey!, Toxicity, and Aerials.

Nili Brosh

Well-renowned for being one of the most versatile musicians in the Ibanez roster, Israeli-American shredder Nili Brosh has performed with Danny Elfman, Cirque Du Soleil, Dethklok, The Iron Maidens, and Tony MacAlpine – a list which perfectly demonstrates just how well-rounded her skillset is.

Her third solo album, titled Spectrum, was released in 2019 and her main guitars include an Ibanez LA Custom RG770 and a Desert Yellow RG550.

Jake Bowen

The sole Ibanez endorsee in Periphery’s trio of hotshot guitarists, Jake Bowen is also their longest-serving member after founder Misha Mansoor.

Over the course of seven full-length albums, they’ve become torchbearers for the modern tech-metal scene and in many ways typify the ‘djent’ wave of bands that arrived roughly 10 years after the new millennium.

He currently has three signature models: the JBM9999 and JBM10FX six-strings as well as the JBM27 seven-string.

Martin Miller

Martin Miller is a man of many talents. The German musician is a highly respected educator, with books and video courses to help rock guitarists expand into fusion.

He also writes, records, and tours original music, but his biggest calling card has been a series of live studio performances that find him enrolling guitar heroes old and new to cover hits of every kind. Hey Jude with Paul Gilbert, Kiss from a Rose with Lari Basilio, and Get Lucky with Kirk Fletcher are just three prominent examples.

He has a pair of Ibanez signatures to his name, the most recent being the MMN1, which was released in 2023.

Reminded that Kiss’ iconic Alive! album was released 50 years ago now, Ace Frehley cackles. “Man, it seems like another lifetime – but I believe it!” It’s an influential record, but detractors over the years have made much of the less-live elements it contains.

The band and engineer Eddie Kramer hit the studio to add a series of overdubs – and Frehley doesn’t deny it. “My parts are mostly live,” he states. “I did the least amount of overdubs … I’ll let the fans decide on why that is!” He continues: “But I think we did the best we could, and thank God people responded in a positive way.”

Frehley, 74, has a number of irons in the fire – new music, a travel guitar and more touring are on the horizon. But he won’t be seen at Kiss’ Landlocked in Vegas event in November.

“There’s no way I’m doing that,” he insists, citing “multiple reasons.” He’s previously referred to negative comments by Paul Stanley; but he says he’s over those, and that he’s open to reconciliation. “Jealousy can make you say stupid things,” he shrugs, dismissing his former bandmate’s words.

What are you working on now?

“I’ve been touring and now I’m working on Origins Vol. 3. I have a secret project that I don’t want to reveal too much about… it’s a collapsible guitar that fits in a briefcase. Like a travel guitar; but when it’s put together you can use it on stage, and you wouldn’t know the difference.”

Are you designing it yourself or working with a company?

“I’m not sure how that’s gonna work at this juncture. I’ve tried other travel guitars on the road and I don’t find them satisfactory. So I’m designing a nice prototype. There will probably be a cheaper version overseas and a high-end version here in the US. That’s all I can say now.”

The first two Origins volumes did well. What can you tell us about the third?

“It’s coming along nicely. It stays with the theme that Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 had, which was to mostly recording songs that influenced me in the late ‘60s when I was an aspiring guitar player.”

Why do you think fans enjoy your cover songs?

“I just have a knack for taking a song and making it my own, while still making it recognizable. But my approach depends on the song – for example, when I did a Paul Revere and the Raiders song, I added a guitar solo that wasn’t there. It was a harmony solo in three parts.

“It depends on how a song is built. If I can improve the arrangement, I do. But it’s funny – a lot of people still think I wrote New York Groove! But I never take credit for anything that I didn’t write.”

Is there a release date for Origins Vol. 3?

“By the time it’s finished, mixed, mastered and we have the artwork, it won’t be until next year. A lot of people put out records right before Christmas, so there’s a lot of competition then. After new year is when we’ll do it – probably sometime in the spring.”

Elsewhere, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Alive! album. In 1975 did you have an idea that you were onto something special?

“Well, we felt that our studio albums were good, but they didn’t capture the essence of our concerts. I think Alive! did. And a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon.”

It seems that after Alive! everyone was releasing live records.

“Yeah, they were. But that seems to have fizzled out because of YouTube. Every time I do a concert it’s on YouTube the next day. When I was gearing up to start Origins Vol. 3 my co-producer, Steve Brown, wanted me to do a live album. He was trying to talk my record company into it.

“I held my ground and said, ‘You know, live albums aren’t what they used to be.’ In recent times, I can’t think of anybody that’s done a live album that’s really been a big hit like Alive! was.”

The matter of studio overdubs in Alive! always comes up.

“Well, not so much for me and my playing – let’s put it that way!”

Does it bother you when people say it isn’t a true live album because of those overdubs?

“Let them try and go make a record as successful as that, you know? It’s what – triple or quadruple platinum? [It’s quadruple.] Everybody likes to criticize when someone’s successful. It never bothers me.”

In all fairness, despite the studio cleanups, Alive! does a good job of capturing Kiss at the time, which was the point.

“Yeah, and it was not only the music; it was the whole package. Alive! was a complete package that captured the essence of Kiss as a live band. Prior to that, a lot of people who hadn’t seen us live weren’t aware of the fact that we were such a good live band.”

Have you considered its impact on guitar music?

“A lot of players have told me it was the record that made them want to pick up the guitar. Years ago I was in Texas and I saw Mr. Big. When Paul Gilbert did a solo, he pretty much did a complete copy of a solo from Alive!. He’s a very accomplished musician, but instead of coming up with his own solo, he copied mine. It was a form of flattery!”

Your solos on Rock and Roll All Nite, Black Diamond and Deuce, to name a few, are quintessential.

“I learned by copying guys like Page, Beck, Clapton, Townshend, The Beatles and The Stones. My style is just a conglomeration of all those great players. There were so many great guitar players in the ’60s who had their own style and technique. There will never be another Jimi Hendrix.”

The studio version of Rock and Roll All Nite had no guitar solo, but the live version did.

“I think the band pushed me in that direction because they thought it needed one when we played live. When we were recording it we thought of it as a single. Back then you tried to keep it short – for radio, the shorter the song, the more DJs would play it.

“So in the studio I kept it to the bare minimum. But live, yeah, I ended up adding the solo. Things change; you do things for certain reasons. With that song and the solo, everything just kind of worked out in the end.”

Fans have been wondering if you’ll be joining Kiss for their Landlocked in Vegas event this fall.

“They asked me and I declined. There’s no way I’m gonna be involved with that, you know? Their biggest mistake is that they should have done that at Madison Square Garden – not in Las Vegas in a 5,000-seater, or whatever it is.”

You’ve done Kiss Kruises before, so why not do this?

“There’s multiple reasons. About nine months before Kiss was going to play Madison Square Garden, both Paul and Gene were saying, ‘We’re going to bring everybody out on stage.’

“Then a few months before the concert, they both changed their tune and said, ‘Ace and Peter aren’t going to do it.’ In fact, Paul went on to say, ‘If Ace and Peter got on stage with us, the band could be called Piss.’ So, I kind of got into an argument with him.

“Ed Trunk let me use his show as a platform. But it was just… I got upset, and then I just kind of let it go. Paul says things off the top of his head without thinking sometimes.”

Is your relationship with Paul salvageable to where you’d consider participating in future Kiss-related events?

“Yeah; I’m the kind of guy that never says ‘never.’ I don’t hate Paul or Gene, you know? We’re rock and roll brothers. And Peter, too. So, anything can happen, just not at this point. I’m having too much fun doing my own thing. Maybe I’ll get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist!”

Do you see yourself stopping at some point, or will you rock until you drop?

“I’m probably gonna go until the wheels come off! But I’m contracted to do another studio record after Origins Vol. 3, so that’ll be next. After that, my contract runs out, but the sky’s the limit. Maybe I’ll start my own record label. Who knows?”

Tommy Denander’s musical experience includes work on over 3,500 albums, of which over 100 are gold or platinum, and credits on eight Number 1 Billboard LPs.

“The list of who I’ve worked with looks like a guy who couldn’t hold down a gig to save his life!” he happily admits. “Michael Jackson, Anastacia, Steve Perry, Yngwie Malmsteen, Stephen Pearcy, Bernie Marsden, Eric Singer, Bruce Kulick, blah-blah-blah!”

His A-list collaborations span from the late ’80s to the present day, and also includes Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley. “Those guys were on posters on my wall when I was a kid in Sweden,” Denander laughs. “So we really are talking about a dream coming true!”

He’s most proud of a quote from producer Mutt Lange – who rarely speaks in public. “Tommy has always been the consummate live player,” the rock icon said. “I recently found out that he’s the consummate studio guitarist as well. Excellent and so egoless to work with – great feel and a perfectionist, too.”

Denander, who signed his first record deal at the age of 15 and always knew he wanted to be “a studio musician, songwriter and producer instead of a rock star,” is also proud of his VGS signature guitar, which he states never goes out of tune thanks to the use of Evertune bridge and True Temperament frets.

“I’d been endorsed by Hamer, Steinberger, Yamaha, PRS and more, so when VGS asked, I said only if we could create my actual dream guitar. I’m close friends with Evertune, who asked me at NAMM one year if I’d like to be the first to have it on a real model.

“On the flight home to Sweden it just struck me that we should use the True Temperament invention, with the bent frets. It’s the first guitar to stay in tune and maintain 100 percent intonation.”

Denander’s guitar made it to a second model about 14 years ago, but then business issues got in the way. “The main company had the money – they just didn’t see a future in the products. What a miss!”

What’s the session industry like these days?

“Real music is coming back. Kids love great music played by top-level musicians again, so bigger studios are coming back as well. You need a collection of rare skills, gigantic determination and a strong sense of brand building – you need to find the balance of how and where to promote yourself, and when not to.

“Always answer people fast, deliver fast ,and leave your ego out of it, because no matter how sure you are of something, it’s always the client’s wish that matters. I like to suggest things and maybe give them too much, so they can pick the parts they like best.

“There are opportunities to become a solid touring musician too. It’s rare that the people you see on tour also play on the albums. It takes equal skill and time to do both, but in the studio no one can see you, so looks don’t matter. Live, they do!”

What’s the worst aspect of session work?

“Something that’s more important these days than in the ‘good old days’ – it’s when credits are missing. It happens more often now and it pisses me off big time. It happened with Paul Stanley, and he was pissed because I’d been in the album press release, that he put together himself. He said an idiot messed it up for the product.

“Then Ace Frehley ‘forgot’ that I wrote the music to a song on his latest album. I missed credit on, like, 25 variations of vinyl and all the CD and digital versions. It’s corrected now, but I lost a lot of media and PR was lost.

“Once, Ricky Martin decided he wanted big photos of himself all over the CD booklet of an album we did with Desmond Child, and put all credits on his website. I don’t even know what to say!

“I often work for much less money than than I should, because of the names involved. Getting those credits adds to my value which leads to income. When people are sloppy and miss it, we get screwed twice. So sloppiness bugs me!”

Regardless of the downsides, how was it to work on Paul Stanley’s 2006 solo album Live to Win?

“I saw a Kiss poster in a record store when I was 7 years old. That poster was why I started to play guitar, and to this day I’m a huge fan. Ace Frehley was my first guitar idol – I co-wrote Up In The Sky on his latest album 10,000 Volts.

“When I was asked to play on Paul’s Live To Win it was a surreal and beautiful moment. I ended up playing on the title track and Wake Up Screaming. First time I heard Paul’s voice through the big monitors in the studio, I just sat there smiling – I couldn’t even play!”

Working with Alice Cooper was another dream come true, wasn’t it?

“Yeah! In the mid ’80s I started writing songs with Alice in mind. I told my friends that I’d be perfect to write for him. My dear friend Desmond Child introduced me to Bob Ezrin around 2010, and that’s how I ended up playing on I Am Made of You on Alice’s Welcome 2 My Nightmare album.

“Then Bob and Alice asking me to work on Paranormal. I ended up co-producing it with Bob and I co-wrote half the songs. I play guitar on all the songs – including the ones with the whole original Alice Cooper Band.

“The song Fallen In Love started when Bob asked if I could write a take on Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water. I thought I’d done it quite well until Alice said, ‘Well, it has a ZZ Top feel to it.’ Then he asked Billy Gibbons to play on it. Cool!”

What about your rather minimal appearance on Deep Purple’s Infinite (2017)?

“When Bob Ezrin invited me to help with Infinite it meant I’d completed a triple of posters from my wall in the ’70s! They were almost done with the album, but Ian Gillan wanted to re-record his vocals and Don Airey wanted to add a keyboard part.

“They were in Stockholm and I worked at the biggest studio in Sweden, so it was perfect. Roger Glover and I recorded Ian’s vocals; it was stunning how professional these guys were. Don came over and nailed his part in one take, too.

“Then Roger said, ‘We’re missing one chord on the guitar.’ I said, ‘Can we get Steve Morse over from the hotel?’ Roger said, ‘No – Bob says you’re a great guitarist, so you can do it.’ I was like, ‘Did Roger Glover just ask me to play on a Deep Purple album?’

“I grabbed my Kemper and my VGS guitar. I knew that Steve used ENGL amps, so I found a profile that matched the recording perfectly. Roger was impressed! He showed me the missing chord – a missing D on a breakdown – and I recorded three takes: two mono for left-right panning and a stereo one with a small chorus.

“It hit me that I’d just had my Spinal Tap moment. I’d been playing guitar full-time for 25 years at that point, and when I got to play on a Deep Purple album it was just one chord!”

Your connection with Alice Cooper led to your work with the Hollywood Vampires, right?

“Right. I’ve done five or six albums with Alice. When we were doing Paranomal he invited me to play with the Vampires at a charity concert in Phoenix. Hanging for 12 hours with Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, Sammy Hagar, Korn and others, jamming and having way too many laughs, was a super-fun day.

“For their second album Rise (2019) the Vampires decided to recorded a song I wrote for Paranormal that hadn’t been used. Johnny wrote a cool lyric about a true event – it’s called Welcome to Bushwackers.

“Alice and Jeff Beck had talked for years about doing something together. To my big luck it ended up being my song! So it’s me, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry on rhythm guitars, and the stunning Jeff Beck on solos.”

You’ve also done solo work, usually under the banner of Radioactive. The first album, 2001’s Ceremony of Innocence, featured members of Toto. How did you swing that?

“I was living in Los Angeles and I’d become friends with all the Toto guys. I asked them if I got a solo deal would they play on it? I got an instant ‘Yes!’

“Luckily a friend at Sony Records was there too, and I got signed in a few days. Recording my first album, aged 23, with Jeff, Mike and Steve Porcaro and David Paich as my backing band was amazing.

“I was very close friends with Jeff and Mike Porcaro during those years. I miss them a lot. I’ve released six albums as Radioactive, and the list of legends on them all is pretty astonishing.”

Do you have any missing dream collaborations left?

“It sometimes feels like I have worked with them all! But Peter Gabriel has always been a major wish. I absolutely love his music, but also I feel deeply connected to it, and his way of writing. I think I’d be able to contribute something worthy. Then Sting, John Mayer, Stevie Wonder… the list is still long!”

And is there one who got away?

“The song Grace, from my first Radioactive album, was totally written with Richard Page from Mr Mister in mind. I managed to send him the song and he really loved it. But he said: ‘I’m aware of the value of my voice. I’d love to do but my price is …… dollars.

“He was and is worth every cent, but it was way out of my reach at the time, despite serious discussions about making it happen.”

• Keep up with Denander’s projects via Facebook.

Kiss have never been a band to follow trends. When they looked to capture the extravagance of their live shows after their first three studio releases failed to capture the band at their best, the chaos of their performances meant a little in-studio doctoring was needed to get the tracks sparkling.

Its title is a not-so-subtle nod to Peter Frampton’s mega-selling live record, Frampton Comes Alive!, and the man behind the album has revealed it wasn’t just its name the band lifted. Frampton’s gear was on the menu, too.

“Kiss was a new band and the effort they put out in those shows was monumental, so we did a bunch of guitar and vocal overdubs at [Jimi Hendrix’s] Electric Lady Studios,” Kramer tells Guitar Player in a new interview.

Both live records were being worked on simultaneously within Electric Lady’s walls, and Kiss looked at Frampton’s collection of electric guitars, amps, and beyond to sweeten their fumbles and foils.

“They kept on coming to us and asking if we had guitars, amps, or basses, as they were doing some fixing on their live record,” Frampton told GP in 2005.

“They just kept on coming in and borrowing all sorts of different stuff. So my equipment is on that album – but not me!”

The Kiss gang mainly had eyes for Frampton’s mid-1950s Les Paul Custom “Black Beauty.” It features on the cover of his iconic live album, and before that was used on Humble Pie’s 1971 live record, Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore.

Five years later, it was renamed “Phenix” after it survived a plane crash. He’s lost and recovered 44 guitars across his storied career, but the Les Paul’s survival is widely considered the most remarkable.

Kramer, meanwhile, says, “I remember Peter’s amps in Studio A other than the Marshall stacks that Ace and Paul had,” with more of Frampton’s rig borrowed.

The fact Alive! was treated to quite extensive post-production magic – owing to audio being marred by “bombs going off, Gene spitting fire, rockets from Ace’s guitar”, as Kramer has explained – was controversial upon its release. However, fans didn't seem to mind as it became the band's biggest success to date, and has since gone multi-platinum. Half a century on, Paul Stanley believes the band made the right call.

“We never claimed to be virtuosos, we were virtu-no-sos, he told Guitar World. Call them overdubs or call them replacing things that weren’t up to snuff. I make no apologies.”

He adds that the band had felt “unstoppable” during the tour, as well as revealing that Frampton’s work in Humble Pie was a big reason he played Gibson guitars during that era.

Meanwhile, Frampton continues to defy his health issues by playing guitar. He recently joined Pearl Jam for a guest spot in Nashville after taking on a Beatles classic with Grace Bowers and Trey Anastasio, making the most of his numbered playing days.

Inspired by Frampton's ability to overcome adversity, Andy Timmons wrote a song in tribute to the guitarist – and his hero ended up playing on it in a poetic twist of fate.

It's safe to say that the Kiss universe is never short of drama between the behemoth outfit's various members.

The latest? Many fans have been left wondering why Ace Frehley wasn't invited – or seemingly declined the opportunity – to join his former bandmates at the Kiss Kruise: Land-locked in Vegas event at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas this November, which will also include Bruce Kulick, Kiss’ guitarist between 1984 and 1996.

“They asked me and I declined,” he tells Guitar World matter-of-factly. “There’s no way I’m gonna be involved with that, you know? Their biggest mistake is that they should have done that at Madison Square Garden, not in Las Vegas in a 5000-seater, or whatever it is.”

When GW points out that Frehley has participated in Kiss Kruises – the long-running Kiss-themed cruise excursions – before, he replies, “There are multiple reasons. You know, Paul [Stanley], towards the end [of the End of the Road World Tour], about nine months before Kiss was going to play Madison Square Garden [for its final shows], both Paul and Gene [Simmons] were saying, ‘We’re going to bring everybody out on stage.’

“And then, a few months before the concert, they both changed their tune and said, ‘Ace and Peter [Criss] aren’t going to do it.’ In fact, Paul went on to say, ‘If Ace and Peter got on stage with us, the band could be called Piss.’ So, I kind of got into an argument with him.”

Despite their arguments throughout the years, Frehley isn't ruling out the possibility of reuniting with Stanley, despite their complex relationship.

“I’m the kind of guy that never says never,” he adds. “I don’t hate Paul or Gene, you know? We’re rock and roll brothers, and Peter, too. So, anything can happen.”

However, Frehley admits that, at this point, he's “having too much fun doing my own thing.”

“And maybe, I’ll eventually get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist,” he quips.

Guitar World’s full interview with Ace Frehley will be published in the coming weeks.

Paul Stanley recalls Kiss’ 1975 live record, Alive!, as lifting the band to stardom and being “the beginning of a rollercoaster ride.” The Starchild adds: “When the chain and the pulley is bringing the coaster to the top, and you know what’s ahead, all you can do is hold on.”

Their first three albums – 1974’s Kiss and Hotter than Hell, and 1975’s Dressed to Kill – hardly dented the charts while critics and peers sneered at their bombastic, kabuki-clad image. But despite its studio additions, Alive! captured the essence of Kiss at their brimming-with-energy best. “If it was a court, I’d say the defense rests,” Stanley comments.

Kiss have been off the road since wrapping up their End of the Road tour in December 2023. Stanley says he’s taken a break from guitar, but his instruments are never far from his grasp.

“I've found myself strumming acoustics more. Next to the bed I’ve got a great Les Paul, and I’ll pick that up too.

“But I haven’t played anywhere near as much,” he admits. “I guess after however many years of playing, I just wanted a breather. But it’s never far from me and I know I’ll be spending more time on it soon.”

In November, Stanley and his bandmates Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer will take part in the Kiss Storms Vegas fan event, performing without makeup. Former guitarist Bruce Kulick will also be there along with a boatload of other period-correct acts.

“I’m excited about getting together and playing,” Stanley says. “Getting to give everything a rest – my body and my voice – has been great. But I look forward to getting back out onstage.”

Kiss are celebrating the 50th anniversary of Alive! For many it’s the greatest live rock record of all time. How do you measure its importance?

“It broke incredible ground for us. We were building this rabid following, and yet we weren’t selling albums that reflected that. Alive! was a sonic souvenir where people could go home and say, ‘That’s what I saw and that’s what I heard!’”

There had been some live albums to that point, but they weren’t commonplace. Alive! changed that.

“When we did it, certainly, it was considered not acceptable to work on those recordings in a studio. But honestly, up until then, you only knew that an album was live when you heard some applause at the end of a song!

“We wanted to create the experience that you had at a Kiss show. For that, we had to surround you with other people. We had to find a way to make explosives that usually squash down a mic. We had to, I guess, enhance it so that it more [accurately] replicated the experience.

“Nobody wants to hear somebody break a string every time they listen to a song; nobody wants to hear a wrong chord. Alive! is thought of in the way it is because it captures a live experience. That can’t be done with just a bunch of microphones and a band – it just doesn’t happen.”

Purists may complain that Alive! features overdubs, but Alive! does an excellent job of capturing who Kiss were as a band in 1975.

“When people go to a show, they not only hear with their ears; they hear with their eyes. Both can be more forgiving when you’re at a live event, even when you look at it later under a microscope.

“We never claimed to be virtuosos – we were virtu-no-sos! What we captured was the power, the passion, and the commitment to our audience, and theirs to us. Call them overdubs or call them replacing things that weren’t up to snuff. I make no apologies; the album has stood the test of time, and if you don’t like it, you probably don’t like us.”

What was it like as a young man on the road in the wake of Alive!?

“It was overwhelming. It was intimidating. It was exciting. It was almost a feeling of helplessness, in the sense that what was about to happen was unstoppable. We had created something – a moment – and all we could do at that point was hold on.”

Many critics and peers had looked down on Kiss up till then. Did you notice a change after success came?

“Not really. I think, until you’ve seen a band live – and I’m talking about a lot of bands, and musicians who are held in high esteem – you don’t get it. When you see them, there’s no getting around it. You throw away any prejudices or preconceived ideas you had and it’s undeniable.”

You mostly played Gibsons during that era. Why?

“I grew up in a time where, almost any weekend, I’d pay four or five dollars and see Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, or Derek and the Dominos. And most of the bands I saw were Gibson players.

“But perhaps because I started on acoustic guitar, the idea of a neck being bolted onto another piece of wood seemed almost contradictory to something a little more organic. My first good electric guitar was an SG Les Paul, then a double-cut Special. So my roots are in Gibson.

“And now, what [president] Caesar Gueikian and [director] Mark Agnesi have done at Gibson is beyond commendable. I remember with heartbreak when Norlind was running the show.”

You started playing Ibanez guitars in the late 70s. Not many people in America used them at the time. What led to that change?

“When I was in Japan and met with Hoshino, the Ibanez people, I saw quality – I saw real, quality instruments. Whether it was Greco or Tokai Love Rocks Les Pauls, they, at that point, were making better Les Pauls than Gibson was.

“The Japanese knew how to make a great guitar. I’m not sure they understood why they did certain things – I think they were just emulating and copying. But they were very open to a real collaboration, as opposed to an endorsement.”

Is that what brought about your signature Ibanez PS-10, at a time when signature guitars weren’t so common?

“I – except in the very early days, [when I] needed free gear… and that’s sometimes the reason that people do endorsements – wasn’t looking for that. I was looking for a guitar that I would love. And the PS-10 – in the best ways, as a compliment – is based on my templates, and a lot of them came from my old Gibson guitars. The neck on my guitar is just fantastic; it’s based on one of my old Gibson guitars. The frets and the whole layout harken more toward those classics.

“And again, Gibson went through some times when I thought that the people there were clueless. When I did meet with them, it only reaffirmed my worst thoughts. So I’ve been with Ibanez for decades, and I love my guitar.”

Some people think you play an Iceman, but the PS-10 isn’t that, is it?

“It’s certainly become iconic, but sometimes people confuse it or interchange the Iceman and the PS-10. They’re not, by any stretch of the imagination, the same guitars.”

Since Kiss finished touring, how do you keep your chops up?

“I took a real break without consciously deciding to do that; most people who play guitar sometimes need to put it down. But other than the agility that comes from playing every day, there’s a lot of muscle memory involved, and that doesn’t go away. It’s fascinating how I can just pick up a guitar and play I Want You or C’mon and Love Me or Detroit Rock City. It’s just there; It’s part of who I am.”

Have you made any interesting gear discoveries lately?

“When I was in London about eight months ago I was at the Gibson Garage. I’ve always loved J-200s – but I have to add that I’ve never found a J-200 that sounded the way it looks!

“When I was a kid I’d see everybody – quite a few classic folkies – playing them. I got a ’39 J-200 with rosewood sides and back, and I got a ’55 one with maple; and quite honestly, they’ve always disappointed me.

“At the Gibson Garage they had some of Tom Murphy’s aged acoustics. Everybody is doing the tourified tops now, which I think is a fantastic idea. I think tourification brings incredible warmth and brings qualities that usually take decades to get.

“So, I saw a beautiful J-200 and I thought, ‘Okay, here we go, another disappointment!’ But I picked it up, and it may well be the best acoustic guitar I’ve ever played. It just sounds gorgeous! And looks – beyond cosmetically, somehow, there’s an age and personality that has been transplanted into some of these guitars. I’m blown away.”

It’s been made clear that Kiss, while no longer a touring act, are by no means over. What’s next?

“We tend to hear others talking about the Kiss ‘avatars.’ We talk about them too, just for identification purposes. But these are no avatars. I don’t even know what the technical term is. But the show we’re putting together is going to be absolutely phenomenal. It’ll be like nothing – you know, nothing – that anybody would expect. That’s really, really exciting.”

• Keep up with all things Kiss at the band's website.

Stanley Eisen, who you may know as Kiss' Paul Stanley, may have wielded a Gibson guitar or two during the band's game-changing Alive! era, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.

“I grew up in a time where, on almost any weekend, I would go for three, four, and five dollars, and see Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, or Derek and the Dominos. And most of the bands I saw were Gibson players,” he explains in an upcoming tête-à-tête with Guitar World.

However, it seems Stanley had a change of heart in the late ’70s, when he broke with tradition and opted to source his axes from the Japanese guitar behemoth Ibanez – a brand he still endorses to this day.

“When I was in Japan and met with Hoshino, the Ibanez people, I saw quality,” he says matter-of-factly. “I saw real, quality instruments. Whether it was Greco or Tokai Love Rocks ‘Les Pauls,’ they, at that point, were making better Les Pauls than Gibson was.

“So, the Japanese knew how to make a great guitar. I’m not sure they understood why they did certain things; I think they were just emulating and copying, but I sat with them, and they were very open to a real collaboration, as opposed to an endorsement.”

And at a time when signature guitars definitely weren't as common as they are now, Stanley teamed up with Ibanez on his first signature model, the PS10.

“I was looking for a guitar that I would love,” he asserts. “And the PS10, when you close your eyes and play it, it’s basically, in the best ways, and as a compliment, it’s based on the templates, a lot of which came from some of my old Gibson guitars.”

In more recent Kiss news, the band that keeps on giving will be delivering a one-off unmasked show in November to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kiss Army fan club.

Guitar World's full interview with Paul Stanley will be published in the coming weeks.

The decades-spanning beef in the Kiss universe is well-documented. With insulting remarks, jabs, and dirt being traded freely in the media, one thing is for sure – Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and their various successors, always keep things interesting.

Now, the former Kiss guitarist is setting the record straight on his (multiple) departures from the legendary band – and how his truth differs greatly from what has been propagated over the years.

“Well, a lot of the misconceptions were created by Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons],” Frehley says matter-of-factly in a new Guitarist interview.

“They still say in interviews that they fired me, but I was never fired from Kiss. I hate when I hear that. And they say that both times I was fired; I quit both times [in 1982 and 2002].

“They didn't want me to leave; the first time I quit, Paul showed up on my doorstep, took me out to lunch, and was trying to change my mind, but I had already made up my mind.”

When asked whether it was better for him to go at it alone, Frehley responds with a resounding yes. “The success of my [1978] solo album [Ace Frehley] made me realize that I was more creative away from Paul, Gene, and Peter than I was around them,” he explains.

"And so, time marches on, but yeah, they've said shit, like, I'm late, and I'm lazy, and yeah, maybe not as much as they've said it, but it's true. As far as when I'm working, and I've got an idea, and I'm excited about it – I have tunnel vision.”

As for his former bandmates, Gene Simmons – ever the entrepreneur – is offering fans the unique opportunity to be his roadie and personal assistant for the day. The catch? It'll cost $12,495 for the privilege.

Paul Stanley has admitted how difficult it has been to leave the stage behind after Kiss wrapped up their End of the Road world tour. The tour, which started in 2019 and ended in 2023, saw Kiss take their final bow after five decades as a band. 

“Last week, I was trying to figure out why I haven't picked up a guitar. I haven't played much. And I couldn't figure out why. And then I thought if I started playing, I was afraid that I would miss playing with the band and doing what we do,” says Stanley in a new interview with Gibson TV. 

“It's my DNA that I just needed to back away for a bit. It's 50 years with Kiss. That's pretty phenomenal. And then to cut it off, at least in terms of being a live band, takes some acclimating to and adjusting to, so I needed a little time just to sit back and get my bearings.”

Stanley goes on to say that despite songwriting for a few other projects, he misses being onstage with his Kiss bandmates. “It always felt amazing. And I think losing sight of that would mean you don't deserve it – to the very last night, going out onstage, and doing what I aspired to do when I was a kid. 

“To end it the way we did was really exactly what I wanted. I wanted us to end in a way that was undeniable. I wanted it to end in a way that people can say once upon a time, there was a band. And certainly there were a lot of unique bands. But there's only one Kiss.”

Kiss's End of the Road world tour consisted of 250 shows around the world, with the final show taking place on December 2, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York. However, during their final concert, the band revealed that a new era for the band will begin in 2027, via digital avatars. 

Exact details have not been announced yet. However, following ABBA's immense success with their ABBAtars – and considering that the Kiss avatars are financed and produced by the same Swedish company behind the ABBA project – it's safe to assume that the KISS digital avatar show will offer something similar, possibly with a quintessentially Kiss twist. 

For the final time in his Kiss career, Paul Stanley donned the face paint, picked up a suite of his prized electric guitars and took to the stage at Madison Square Garden last weekend for the band’s final-ever performance.

It was notable for numerous reasons – Ace Frehley and Peter Criss weren’t there, for one, and Kiss were digitally immortalized via state-of-the-art avatar technology at the end – but when the band closed the set with Rock and Roll All Nite on Saturday, they also closed the final chapter of Kiss' live journey.

Owing to the occasion (and because it was a Kiss concert), the 23-song setlist played host to pyrotechnics galore and exemplary displays of showmanship, with Gene Simmons breathing fire and Paul Stanley ziplining between stages at various points throughout the evening.

It was an historic performance, which also saw Stanley make his way through a handful of different electric guitars – including a custom Gibson Flying V that he has now gifted to a high-profile vintage guitar dealer.

The model in question – an ebony-finished Custom Shop beauty with a curious star tailpiece, block inlays and split-diamond Gibson headstock logo – was wielded by the Kiss frontman at various points during both the band’s Friday and Saturday shows.

Specifically, Stanley slung the V over his shoulder to play Say Yeah and Cold Gin – but not long after the curtain came down on the Saturday, it had been passed on to a new owner.

Taking to Instagram after the show, Matt of Matt’s Guitar Shop – a showroom located in Paris that specializes in vintage gear and once sold Jeff Buckley's Telecaster to Matt Bellamy – revealed he’d been invited to the Garden for Kiss’ last show by Stanley himself, who then made the trip even sweeter with a very special gift.

“I can’t thank you enough the one and only @paulstanleylive from @kissonline for having me and my team at the very last KISS show at the madison square garden,” he wrote. “Can’t thank him enough as well for this beautiful Gibson Flying V Paul used the last show for couple of songs and extensively for countless concerts with KISS during the last tour! Thank you Paul, you are a true class act.”

We know what you’re thinking: if it’s been given to a vintage gear dealer, will it be making the rounds on the private collector’s circuit some time soon? Given the fact it was played at the last Kiss gig, we imagine it would command a pretty penny indeed.

But, understandably, the sentimental value of the whole experience is just too sweet for Matt, who has declared his intentions to keep the Flying V in his own personal catalog.

“This is unforgettable,” he continued. “This guitar will stay in my private collection, it sounds amazing!”

We imagine attending the last Kiss gig was a pretty special experience in itself, but to come away with a custom Gibson Flying V that actually saw stage action on the night? It doesn't get much better than that for a Kiss fan.

Head over to Matt's Guitar Shop's Instagram account for future glimpses of Stanley's Flying V.

Next year, Ace Frehley will release his eighth solo studio album, 10,000 Volts – and it’s set to make a strong statement aimed at his former Kiss bandmates.

Last week, Kiss brought a close to their 50-year career with their last-ever live performance (sort of) at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Though Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons were present, there were two notable omissions: fellow founding members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were not there.

Though Simmons originally said the pair were invited to join, that apparently wasn’t the case, with the band's former electric guitar player later claiming in a conversation with SiriusXM that Gene’s comments were merely a ploy “to sell tickets”.

“You know what it is? Those guys used my name and Peter’s name months ago,” he said at the time. “They said that they invited us to perform at that show. “I never got a phone call. Peter never got a phone call. They just said that to sell tickets.”

The result was a fairly sour footnote in the end of Kiss and Frehley’s intertwined journey, but not one that came completely out of the blue: for years now, the two parties have been locked in a less-than-amicable war of words.

One point of contention concerns the respective record release and creativity levels from each faction, with Frehley noting on many occasions now that Stanley and Simmons have been quick to critique his output.

This is where 10,000 Volts comes into play: the upcoming album, due February 2024, will be used in part to make a statement to his former Kiss bandmates and, in Frehley’s own words – taken from an upcoming Guitar World interview – “shut them up”.

When asked about the apparent perception generated by his former Kiss bandmates regarding a lack of creativity, Frehley responded, “Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] have tried to destroy my reputation over the years, we know that. 

“And unfortunately for them, 10,000 Volts is going to make them look like imbeciles. Kiss hasn't put out a record since 2012 [Monster], and here I am, 17 years sober, and it's my sixth record since leaving Kiss,” he went on. “I keep chugging along, and nobody can stop me. Creating amazing music is the best way to combat someone putting you down. That's how I shut them up.”

That Frehley claims he will let 10,000 Volts make the statement comes as no surprise, especially since the guitarist maintains that he’s “always been the kind of guy to let the music do the talking”.

“I think that sometimes, that's the best route to go,” he told Guitar World. “Paul and Gene always like to elaborate and put people down; not only me but if you listen and read back to old interviews through the years, they're constantly putting other musicians down, too. 

“Maybe it makes them feel better, or perhaps it's because they're just insecure. I don't know what the reason for it is.”

It’s not the first time Frehley has incited the name of 10,000 Volts as evidence of the differing levels of his and Kiss’ creative output over the years.

“I’ve been touring without Kiss for years,” he said in his previous interview with SiriusXM. “I mean, Kiss hasn’t put out an album in, what, nine years; I’ve put out five or six. And my [upcoming] album [10,000 Volts] I think is gonna really turn heads.

“I know Gene’s gonna really like it and tell the press he does like it. I have no idea what Paul Stanley’s gonna say. He usually holds back on any deep praise for me because he’s jealous of me.”

Keep your eyes on Guitar World for the full interview with Ace Frehley.

For 50 years, Paul Stanley has stood beside some of the more idiosyncratic lead guitarists in the classic rock world. But it's Stanley's immense rhythm chops that laid the bedrock for Kiss's sound, and have powered everything they've done since.

“I always wanted the band to have a sound that I've often referred to as, 'One big guitar,'” Stanley tells Guitar World. “In other words, it would be two guitar players, who together would make a singular sound through different yet congruent voicings.

“I saw bands like The Who and Humble Pie, and they inspired me. Those were guitar-propelled bands and were forces to be reckoned with. But it was the rhythm guitar that, when done properly, wasn't a knock on somebody who wasn't a lead guitarist, but the work of a person comfortable with the idea of working to be proficient at that specific skill.”

Stanley's viewpoint on guitar isn't only logical but downright illuminating. It's no secret that guitar is a competitive space, which is often more about keeping up with the guitarist beside you, rather than doing what you're best at. But Stanley, ever workmanlike, never saw it that way. 

“With some lead players, what's missing is the mentality of being proficient,” he says. “If you ask them to take over rhythm, they just can't do it. It's like they learned to run before they could walk [laughs].”

Pragmatic as he is, that's not to say that when given the chance, Stanley doesn't enjoy taking a solo: “I love when the opportunity comes up to play a solo,” he admits. “But I never wanted the responsibility of having to do it all the time [laughs]. It's too much; I'd rather lead the orchestra and let the other guy do the tap-dance.”

Be it Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, Bruce Kulick, or Tommy Thayer, Kiss have had their fair share of legends on guitar over the decades. Their influence is undeniable, but in recent years, support has grown for Stanley's equally impactful exploits.

And Stanley, a man who has owned the grandest stages with class, confidence and swagger, knows this. Musing on his influence on Kiss and guitar-driven music, Stanley says, “This is in no way demeaning to any lead player, but it's hard to tap-dance if you don't have music. But I've always hoped to elevate and bring attention to the importance of a rhythm guitarist.”

“But it's interesting,” he continues. “I've had some well-known guitarists at my house, and inevitably, we'd start playing, and I remember a couple of them on different occasions saying, 'Hey, wow, you can really play!' They were surprised, which maybe made sense early in Kiss’s career, because back then, it was easy to be dazzled by what we do live and have my ability be overshadowed.

“But at this point, you'd have to be shortsighted and perhaps more than a little hard of hearing not to get what's going on. So, if you don't get it, then you've probably never seen Kiss.”

Even with Kiss winding down, Stanley says that his overall approach hasn't changed all too much over the years.

“My viewpoint hasn't changed too much,” he says. “I still believe in plugging a good guitar into a good amp. I've never been a fan of tapping, tricks, or whammy bars. And sure, there have been a few greats, like Edward Van Halen and Randy Rhoads, who did, but what they did came from somewhere. And there are a whole bunch of people who are clueless about where that came from, which is why you need depth. You've got to have a foundation outside of what you're doing.”

He concludes, “I remember being on the corner of Eight Street in New York City in the '70s, and a young Stanley Jordan was on the corner, busking for money. We'd all go out and see this guy because, man, he was the real deal. But people don't always see that viewpoint, meaning they don't go beyond Eddie and Randy to see where things come from.

“To me, if you love playing guitar, don't just emulate who you love; find out who they love, and then listen to that. It's not always a matter of what you play but of what you know.”

1. The Three Kings (Albert, Freddie, and B.B.)

“In terms of routes, whether I applied them fully, I have to start with Albert, Freddie, and B.B. King. It's not a matter of whether you emulate the players who inspired you; it's that you ingest what they do and let that become a part of reference and vocabulary. I've always thought that if you listen to only one type of music, that one type of music becomes incestuous to what you're doing, and you won't bring anything new to what you're doing. 

“Once I got past Eddie Cochran and that era, I was a folkie with a harmonica around my neck. But I was also into Albert, Freddie, and B.B., along with guys like Sonny Terry, Brownie McGehee, Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy. To me, there's two kinds of music – good and bad – you're malnourished if you only listen to one.”

2. Jimmy Page

“Jimmy Page, to me, is the consummate guitarist. He's Beethoven. He paints with music in a way that's just so stellar. And I know there's a lot of British guitar players that we talk about where people say, 'Who is better, this guy, or that guy?' Well, I'll tell you this – there's only been one of those players who has been able to spread and work outside of the idea of what he was initially defined as, and that's Jimmy.

“He's not rock or metal; he's true world music that encompasses so much. His love of music is palpable; he's an amazing showman and a consummate all-around lead and rhythm guitar player.”

3. Pete Townshend

“Pete Townshend is someone who clearly prefers most of the time to steer away from flashy solos. All his songs are pretty much chord-driven, whether they're inversions or not, they're based on chords.

“That's something that I've always taken to heart and worked to apply in my own playing. He’s also a great showman, and a fantastic example of the importance of rhythm player, and not overplaying.” 

4. Richie Havens

“I mentioned him earlier as someone I took notice of, and it's with good reason. If you want to be a great rhythm player, I urge you to watch Richie Havens. But you really have to listen closely and understand what he's doing because it's just so incredible. What Richie Havens was capable of doing with his right hand was downright insane.

“Again, I’ve never really heard anything like that, but when I did, it made a huge impact on me in terms of what rhythm playing could be and should sound like within the structure of a song.”

5. Steve Marriott

“I've always loved Humble Pie; Steve Marriott was a huge part of why. Steve was no doubt a very respectable lead guitarist, but his rhythm playing was super-concrete to the point of literally being immovable.

“I saw Steve at the Fillmore as a much younger man, and what I saw had an indelible effect on me as a young guitarist. Humble Pie, and Steve’s playing was a big part of what I had in mind when Kiss first started.” 

6. Malcolm Young

“He came after me, but I have to mention Malcolm Young. Of course, we know that he's one of the greatest rhythm players of all time. If you spent any time listening to AC/DC's music, you'd know that while Angus is an incredible lead player, Malcolm Young is clearly the foundation that allows Angus to do what he does so well. 

“It’s not entirely the same, and Kiss is a different band from AC/DC, but I do have a similar mentality. And like I said earlier, if you understand what Kiss does as a band, you can hear that, especially when we play live.”

7. Jimi Hendrix

“Of course, there's Jimi Hendrix. I saw Hendrix twice with Mitch Mitchell, and that was like watching something from another planet. It was utterly indefinable.

“I mention Mitch Mitchell because, in Kiss, Eric [Singer] will often say he follows me and watches me for the changes. The relationship between a rhythm player and a drummer is significant, just as significant as the drums and bass. I learned that early on. Seeing Jimi was just so inspirational to me.”

8. Neil Young

“Another, who is perhaps less obvious than others, would be Neil Young. As an acoustic player, Neil is just fantastic. I actually prefer his acoustic playing over his electric playing, but that's just a matter of taste. 

“Neil Young has such subtlety in his rhythm playing and his chords. And his picking is just terrific. He's a truly great guitar player with a lot of nuance that I've always been drawn to. But that’s not to say he’s not a great electric player; it’s just to say that I prefer what Neil does acoustically more.”

9. Paul Kossoff

“I remember the first time I heard Paul Kossoff because it was extremely meaningful. I was in the car, and I was driving, but I hadn't had my license for long. But when I turned the radio on and heard Paul Kossoff playing on [Free’s] All Right Now, I had to pull over and catch my breath. 

“His command of chords was deceiving in what appeared he was doing vs. what he was actually doing. And the solo was more about what he didn't play than what he did play. I'll take that over the most overly powerful or supposedly exquisite solo.”

10. Lindsey Buckingham

“I can't believe I almost forgot Lindsey, but I mean, my God, the guy does the impossible. But what's seriously great about his playing is that it's kind of like a hybrid of Travis picking and a very traditional folk style that he really created all on his own.

“What Lindsey Buckingham does is timeless and genuinely unmistakable, and it made those classic Fleetwood Mac albums very special. I've never really heard anything like it or anyone else play the way he does.”

11. Nancy Wilson

“Nancy is such a great guitarist. And let me just say that I hate the idea of people saying, 'Oh, well, she's good for a woman.' Why do people have to say that? Saying that completely negates what follows, no matter what you say. You can follow that with, 'She's so good,' but it loses all meaning and impact. So, Nancy is great, period. No qualifiers. 

“That woman is a fantastic rhythm player and, again, another fingerpicker. That in and of itself inspires me because I've always been drawn to players adept at something rooted in fundamentals and basics.”

Kiss’ guitar tech Fran Steuber passed away in 2021, after contracting Covid on the band’s End of the Road Tour. Now Rolling Stone has revealed that Steuber’s family have filed a lawsuit against Kiss for wrongful death. 

The suit has been filed on behalf of Steuber’s wife, Catherine and Rolling Stone –which previously investigated the circumstances around Steuber’s death – has shared selected quotes from the filing. 

“As a direct and proximate result of the dangerous condition created by Defendants,” says the suit.

“[Stueber] suffered fatal injuries and Plaintiffs [i.e. his family] suffered damages, including, but not limited to funeral and burial expenses, the permanent deprivation of the love, companionship, affection, solace, society, comfort, assistance, services and financial contributions, and moral support of Decedent in an amount according to proof at trial.”

The defendants in the trial include Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the band’s manager Doc McGhee, tour promoters Live Nation, and Marriott International.

Steuber reportedly passed away after he and numerous other members of the touring party contracted Covid. Steuber then isolated at the Four Points Hotel By Sheraton in Detroit (part of a chain owned by Marriott International), in accordance with the tour’s Covid policy. 

The suit alleges Steuber later contacted McGhee to request help as his condition worsened and was told a health worker would be sent to check on him. 

The suit alleges that McGhee then sent another crew member (as opposed to a medical professional) to the hotel, who ultimately called the police when he could not reach Steuber. The guitar tech was found dead when the police entered the room.

Rolling Stone previously reported that 12 out of 70 of the touring party tested positive for the illness, including Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.  

As the suit puts it: “Defendants, and each of them, whether through acts and/or omission to act, breached their duty to Plaintiffs by their negligent production, operation, inspection, supervision, management and control over The End of the Road Tour that ultimately resulted in the death of Decedent.”

At the time of Rolling Stone’s initial investigation, Kiss commented to the publication that they had met and often exceeded standards when it came to required safety protocols.

“Our End of the Road World Tour absolutely had Covid safety protocols in place that met, but most often exceeded, federal, state, and local guidelines,” the band wrote. “But ultimately this is still a global pandemic and there is simply no foolproof way to tour without some element of risk.”

The band also alleged in turn that some of the touring party may have faked evidence of Covid vaccination. 

“We are now aware there were crew members who attempted to conceal signs of illness, and when it was discovered, refused medical attention…” reads the statement. 

“Furthermore, it has recently been brought to our attention that certain crew members may have provided fake vaccination cards which, if true, we find morally reprehensible (as well as illegal), putting the entire tour in harm’s way.”

For a band like Kiss, it can't be easy upholding the moniker of 'The Hottest Band in the Land,' nor can it be easy to perpetually put on 'The Greatest Show on Earth.' Still, they've managed to do it.

Over the years, the various guitarists amongst Kiss's ranks – Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, Vinnie Vincent, and Tommy Thayer – have also evoked plenty of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) through the use of some fantastic guitars.

Be it Frehley and Thayer's impressive cache of hare-brained Les Pauls, Stanley's bloodletting 'Cracked Mirror' PS-10, Kulick's presto 'Banana' M-1, or Vincent's Jackson Rhoads V, if you're a guitar aficionado, there's a lot to take in.

Through big chords, soaring solos, and a few bumps, bruises, and burns garnered along the way, Guitar World is taking a journey through just a few of the guitars that have defined Kiss over the years. Shield your eyes from the smoke, watch out for broken glass, and take cover from the rockets, and take in 10 landmark electric guitars that have defined Kiss's career.

1. Ace Frehley – 1973 Tobacco Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

It's long been rumored that Frehley auditioned for Kiss with a late-'60s Gibson Firebird in nasty condition. Once he'd entered the Kiss fold, he reportedly recorded all of Kiss's debut record with an Ovation Breadwinner. But no matter: by February 1974, the Spaceman had found a gorgeous 1973 Les Paul Deluxe – which sported a dashing Tobacco Sunburst finish – at Manny's Music in New York City.

Frehley's first single-cut was fitted with mini-humbuckers when he purchased it. Seeking the classic '59 sound, however, Frehley quickly swapped them with a combination of full-sized DiMarzio Super Distortion/Dual Sound pickups. The '73 Les Paul was also fitted with Kluson double-bar tuners, a pancake body composed of four-ply maple and mahogany, and a three-piece maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard laid over it.

At some point, Frehley contoured the heel with a screwdriver, making it more comfortable for him until he all but retired the guitar in 1976. It's unknown if Frehley continued to record with the guitar thereafter, but considering what ultimately became of it, we'd wager it's rather unlikely.

2. 1976 Cherry Sunburst Gibson Les Paul Custom, aka "The Budokan Guitar"

While it's been rumored that Frehley's '73 Deluxe had been stolen, the truth is that he painted the guitar black on a whim, didn't like it, and then turned it into a double-cut. The result was that it was time for a new guitar. And so, back to Manny's Music Frehley went, this time nabbing a '76 Les Paul Custom off the wall. When Frehley first purchased the guitar, it featured a distinctive two-pickup look, but Frehley quickly added a 'dead' middle pickup, simply because he liked the look of it.

Once again, the stock humbuckers were discarded, with Frehley opting for DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups, as he felt they gave him a 'hotter sound'. Now brandishing the guitar that would become synonymous with the Kiss sound and aesthetic, Frehley hit the road for some of the largest shows of Kiss's career, sporting the guitar during performances in Japan (where it was dubbed his 'Budokan guitar'), Europe, and the U.S.

Interestingly, Frehley is said to have often used Stratocasters on Kiss records and even fed his Gibson into Fender guitar amps hidden under the stage while on tour. This would have left those poor stacks of 100W Marshall amps idle and very lonesome if true.

Frehley would use guitars modeled after his '76 Les Paul well into Kiss's reunion era and through to today. These days, for his signature guitar, Frehley has his kabuki-clad mug adorning the headstock, a stopbar tailpiece, Grover tuners, and a gorgeous, flamed maple top.

3. 1977 Black Gibson Les Paul Custom, aka "The Smoker"

Frehley first developed the idea for what became known as 'The Smoker' in 1976 and reportedly used a Black '76 Les Paul Custom. Ever the mad scientist, Frehley is said to have modified the guitar himself. 

While the guitar initially acted as intended, soon enough, the homemade electronics proved faulty. The Spaceman gave it a second go in '77, using yet another Black Les Paul Custom. This time, the guitar and its hot-wired innards held up, seeing that the '77 version stuck around through the '70s and into the early '80s.

Sure, it might have technically worked, but that didn't mean 'The Smoker' was remotely safe. To keep himself from being burned by the gobs of smoke spewing from the guitar's middle dummy pickup during his Shock Me guitar solo, Frehley installed a cardboard shield. It's worth noting that Frehley's smoking guitar returned during the reunion era, along with another insane guitar – a '57 Gibson Black Beauty, which shot rockets. We'll get to that one later...

4. Late '50s Gibson TV Les Paul, aka "The New York Groove Guitar"

As far as we can tell, the exact year of Ace Frehley's infamous New York Groove light-up guitar is unknown. But we do know that Frehley took what would now be considered a sacred guitar – a late '50s TV Les Paul – and had the face routed to hold upwards of 1,000 incandescent lights. 

Of course, this was an era before the advent of LEDs, so Frehley instead went with bulbs powered by a Ni-Clad battery pack, leading to a mostly reliable unit.

The guitar was the brainchild of Frehley, but instead of doing it himself, this time, he solicited the services of Milton Bradley toy designer John Elder Robison. The guitar first surfaced in 1979 while on the Dynasty tour and was exclusively used by Frehley when playing New York Groove, which featured on his 1978 self-titled solo record.

While generally reliable, the guitar wasn't always user-friendly, and the old-school lights often became red-hot, leading to burns. These days, Frehley still deploys an updated version of the guitar, now decked out with LEDs powered by an RC battery. It's also worth noting that John 5 – ever the Frehley fan – created his own version: with a Telecaster, of course.

5. 1957 Les Paul Black Beauty, aka "The Rocket Shooting Guitar"

It's a bit cringeworthy to think that a '57 Black Beauty was ultimately used in this way, but far be it from us to challenge the wisdom of one of rock music's most eccentric characters. Anyway, in Frehley's early rocket-shooting days, he would shoot bottle rockets from his headstock while tufts of smoke spewed from "The Smoker".

Eventually, that wasn't enough, leading him to push the proverbial envelope further. The most famous of his rocket-shooting Les Paul guitars would be this '57 Black Beauty.

Not that sound or accoutrements mattered much in this instance, but dig into the specs we shall – the Black Beauty "Rocket Shooting Guitar" featured classic Grover kidney-bean tuners, and Frehley's typical dummy middle pickup, surrounded by DiMarzio Super Distortions. This time, though, Frehley had Steve Carr design a double-barreled contraption that shot rockets at the ceiling of whatever venue he was playing at. Wild and crazy, indeed.

6. Paul Stanley – 1977 Black Ibanez PS-10

First and foremost, it's essential to get the facts straight on Stanley's Ibanez. Many often mistake the Starchild's guitar for an Iceman, but it's not. While the Iceman had existed in various forms before Stanley's PS-10, later versions of the Iceman came about as a means for Ibanez to copy Stanley's guitar en masse without paying the rocker a royalty. If you were to ask Stanley about it, or make the mistake in his presence, be forewarned; he shall bristle and assertively correct you.

The PS-10 came about after Kiss's tour around Japan in '76 exposed Stanley to multitudes of guitar shapes he'd never seen before. Upon returning home, he knew he wanted to craft a guitar bearing his signature. But as a disciple of Les Pauls, he also wanted the guitar to maintain the feel of those sacred talismans if he were 'to close his eyes'.

So, after a meeting with Ibanez in late '76, in 1977, the PS-10 was born. Sure, it looks nothing like a Les Paul, and it's debatable if its neck or weight distribution are similar, either.

Nevertheless, Stanley nailed the LP Deluxe sound, which is unsurprising considering the PS-10 features two chrome-plated mini-humbuckers. Beyond that, the PS-10 is made of mahogany, which Stanley finds to be the 'ultimate tonewood', and features a 14" radius neck, jumbo frets, and a very Les Paul-like set up of two-tone knobs and two volume knobs. 

While it might not look like a Les Paul – or feel like one, despite Stanley's intention – the heart and soul is there. Moreover, there's no denying that the PS-10 is a hallmark of the Kiss visual experience to this day.

7. 1977 Ibanez PS-10 CM, aka "The Cracked Mirror Guitar"

Stanley was fitted out with his PS-10 model before Kiss hopped on tour to support Love Gun. The guitar traveled the world with him, instantly replacing most of his previously used Gibson Firebirds and Explorers (though Stanley, as he does to this day, broke out his Gibson Flying V during Black Diamond). The PS-10 was sleek, to be sure, and its prominent 'wall of sound' vibe aided in the creation of Alive II and his self-titled 1978 solo record.

By 1979, though, preparations for Kiss's Dynasty tour were underway, as were discussions for the updated costumes and stage show Kiss would deploy. Stanley felt that he needed to update the PS-10 to fit into the disco theme Kiss was adopting, so the PS-10 CM was born.

Of course, the CM stands for 'Cracked Mirror,' which came about due to Stanley asking Ibanez to shatter a mirror and glue the pieces to the top of a PS-10. At first, Ibanez thought Stanley was crazy, but the company did it anyway. The result was a gorgeous guitar that Stanley still uses to this day.

The PS-10 CM is identical to a standard black PS-10 in terms of specs, with the biggest difference being its weight. With oodles of glass glued to its face, the PS-10 CM was heavy, leading to many sleepless nights due to a sore shoulder. Moreover, playing the guitar was dangerous for Stanley, considering the shards of broken glass would often slice Stanley's hands. 

The guitar's most infamous moment, however, came early in the Dynasty tour, when Stanley – who had forgotten the guitar was covered in shards of glass – smashed his PS-10 CM at the end of Rock and Roll All Nite, leaving glass all over the stage, and Ace Frehley cackling with laughter.

8. Bruce Kulick – 1987 Yellow ESP M-1 Custom, aka "The Banana Guitar"

Like all of Kiss's six-stringers, Bruce Kulick has played a ton of lively guitars over the years. But he's primarily associated with ESPs, and if we dial back to the late-'80s and early '90s – smack in the middle of Kulick's time with Kiss – you'd find that, among the many guitars he used, his ESP M-1 Superstrat stood out more than most.

When he first joined Kiss in '84 during the Animalize tour, and then during the Asylum era in '85, Kulick often used his 'Flip Flop Blue' M-1. Kulick loved the guitar so much that it became his primary guitar, leading to many trips to the ESP factory, where he eventually created several custom M-1 guitars. 

The most infamous of these is 'The Banana' guitar, which was lovingly nicknamed by Kiss's roadcrew in reference to its bright yellow finish. Those involved were so committed to the name that the roadcrew adhered a Chiquita sticker to the M-1s body, just under the strings. Kulick loved it, and to this day, the sticker remains.

In retrospect, it's not hard to see why Kulick loved the M-1, as it sounded as good as it looked. The M-1's rosewood fingerboard and sleek neck made the guitar uber-playable. Also sporting a Seymour Duncan pickup, Floyd Rose tremolo, and simple, two-knob control setup, the guitar was a staple of Kulick's recording and live career with Kiss.

Along with his red B.C. Rich 'Radioactive' curio, Kulick used his custom ESP M-1 extensively during the late-'80s Crazy Nights era and well into the '90s. Its status as a legendary Superstrat, playability, and sweet-sounding tones are just a few reasons why Kulick's 'Banana' ESP is one of the most beloved Kiss-related guitars.

9. Vinnie Vincent – 1981 Jackson Rhoads V

Vinnie Vincent is probably more well-known for his antics within Kiss than the guitars he used during his time in the band. Still, the 1981 Jackson Rhoads V Vincent used between 1982 and 1983 remains an iconic staple of his time with the rock icons.

Of course, Vincent – with his penchant for flash and bravado – had to have a guitar that would match his supposed virtuosity. Indeed, Vincent was never one to be upstaged – even as a newcomer – and so, a simple Strat or Les Paul would never do, much to the dismay of his bandmates. 

To that end, the insertion of the V was odd within Kiss's ranks. The band had always preached the 'keep it simple, stupid' mantra and preferred decidedly classic-looking and sounding guitars.

Undeterred, Vincent moved to insert his V into the mix, a guitar he had been given by Jackson not long after Randy Rhoads' untimely death. For the uninitiated, the Rhoads V, with its asymmetrical design, maple neck and body, ebony fretboard, medium frets, Strat-style tremolo, and Seymour Duncan pickups, was designed by Jackson after being commissioned by Rhoads. 

Soon after receiving the guitar, Vincent modified the V, adding a second V at a slight rotation to the first, mimicking a shadow. 

While with Kiss, Vincent mostly used white-colored Vs, but after he was fired from the band, Jackson began production of about 25 of the Vincent-modified versions in bubblegum pink from 1985 through 1988. Finding one of those, however, is about as tricky as getting a hold of the reclusive Vincent himself.

10. Tommy Thayer – 2013 Signature Electric Blue Epiphone Les Paul

Tommy Thayer has long used Les Pauls, dating back to his days with Black 'N Blue in the '80s. When he first joined Kiss, that trend continued, with Thayer using various Gibson 'Burst models when touring with the band. It's no surprise, then, that when Thayer finally got together with the fine folks at Epiphone, he stuck with a classic single-cut, but added quite the twist.

Kiss have featured a great many guitars on stage over the years, all of which are decidedly unique. Thayer's signature Epiphone Les Pauls, however, stand out with their Electric Blue and White Lightning finishes. Thayer had a few models adorned with his namesake prior, sure, but the Electric Blue version of his signature guitar truly takes the cake.

The story goes that Kiss's drummer, Eric Singer, had turned Thayer on to the work of John Douglas, a custom painter. Douglas then worked with Thayer and Epiphone in 2013 to create the custom Electric Blue color.

As for specs, Thayer's signature models are usually equipped with Seymour Duncan humbuckers, medium jumbo frets, a Graph Tech nut, and an Indian laurel fingerboard with trapezoid inlays. Some snazzier features include a gorgeous chrome-finished pickguard, a Spaceman logo on the back of the headstock, and Thayer's signature engraved in the metal truss rod cover. All told, despite its budget nature, Thayer's Epiphone signature model is a sight to behold, indeed.

NAMM 2023: Ibanez has kicked off its NAMM season in classic Ibanez fashion by premiering its 2023 lineup of signature guitars, which contains updated, upgraded and limited-edition electric guitars for six of its standout artists.

In the limited-edition camp, new models have been bestowed to Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Paul Stanley, with the latter celebrating the 45th anniversary of his PS10 six-string by way of a celebratory anniversary model, the PS3CM.

There are further anniversary offerings on the cards for both Vai and Satch, with 2023 marking the 35th anniversary of both Vai's partnership with Ibanez and Satriani's famed JS model.

As such, these iconic instruments have been reimagined with never-before-used finishing techniques, eye-catching aesthetics and fresh pickup configurations.

In the second half of the drop, Lari Basilio, Ichika Nito and Martin Miller have all been awarded new signature six-strings, with Basilio’s long-awaited LB1-WH – a white-finished version of her flagship LB1, which she teased back last year – staking a strong claim for being the nicest of the bunch.

Having said that, Ichika Nito’s surprise sophomore signature model is equally intriguing, having swapped out the headless Quest template of his first-ever Ibanez guitar from 2021 in favor of a guitar design much closer to his heart: the Talman.

Miller’s own model also marks a drastic departure from the fusion maestro’s original MM1 and MM7 models, boasting a new HSS pickup configuration.

Read on for a full breakdown of each of Ibanez’s 2023 signature models.

Ibanez Steve Vai PIA77BON

2023 marks 35 years of partnership between Steve Vai and Ibanez, and the two parties have celebrated in the best way possible with quite possibly the most dazzling PIA mode yet. Boasting a hydro-dipped multicolor swirl finish inspired by classic JEM and UV models and crafted using a finishing technique not used on any other Ibanez production model, the PIA77BON features an alder body, five-piece maple/walnut neck and a rosewood fretboard.

The finish has been passionately labeled by Vai as “Brilliance of Now” (hence the BON model name), with the striking six-string pairing its premium looks with characteristically premium PIA appointments, including jumbo stainless steel frets with Prestige fret edge treatment, a Lo-Pro Edge tremolo, DiMarzio UtoPIA pickups and Gotoh machine heads.

Other notable specs include a scalloped fretboard between the 21st and 24th frets, Luminlay side dots and a high-pass push/pull pot on the volume control.

The PIA77BON will be available for $8,499.

Ibanez Joe Satriani JS1BKP and JS3CR

2023 is also a big year for Joe Satriani, who celebrates the 35th birthday of his Ibanez JS line. As such, the Japanese brand has unveiled not one, but two luxurious iterations of Satch’s go-to guitar.

The first, the JS1BKP, reflects Satch’s passion for the Paisley aesthetics, and specifically pays homage to the personally commissioned, Custom Shop-built model that has become a staple of his touring arsenal in recent years. This one-off model has been rebooted as the limited-edition JS1BKP, featuring an alder body, three-piece maple/bubinga neck and rosewood fretboard.

Elsewhere, the Paisley patterned beauty boasts Sustainiac Driver and DiMarzio Satchur8 pickups – with the former working alongside a three-way mini mode switch – as well as an Edge tremolo, Gotoh machine heads and a high-pass filter push/pull volume control.

Satch’s second signature six-string of the drop, the Chrome Boy-inspired JS3CR, is perhaps more familiar, though swaps the original’s HSS configuration for a dual humbucker setup – DiMarzio PAF Pro and DiMarzio Satchur8 – and returns a basswood body to the chrome-finished JS lineup.

According to Ibanez, the two DiMarzios were carefully chosen by Satch “in order to offer the best tonal combination with the JS3CR’s basswood body”.

Other appointments include a maple neck, rosewood fretboard and 22 medium frets with Prestige fret edge treatment. An Edge tremolo, Gotoh machine heads, coil-tap tone knob switch and a high-pass filter on the volume control also make the cut.

In terms of price, the Paisley JS1BKP is slightly cheaper at $3,499, while the Chrome Boy reboot will be available for $5,399.

Ibanez Paul Stanley PS3CM

Paul Stanley’s PS3CM is the final limited-edition signature guitar on offer from Ibanez – this time a 45th anniversary model – with the black mirror acrylic-equipped Iceman looking to painstakingly recreate the Kiss maestro’s classic “Cracked Mirror” PS – but with “an added visual twist”.

Each piece of black mirror acrylic was cut to be an exact match to Stanley’s original Cracked Mirror model, and affixed to the guitar at identical angles. Under the mirrored mosaic, the PS3CM features a three-piece maple neck, ebony fretboard and an African mahogany body with maple top.

As for hardware and electronics, the guitar’s tones come by way of Seymour Duncan ‘59 model and Custom 5 pickups, which are joined by lots of Gotoh gear: a GE103B-T bridge, GE101Z-T tailpiece and Gotoh machine heads.

The PS3CM will have a price tag of $6,999.

Ibanez Lari Basilio LB1-WH

Ever since Lari Basilio took to social media and gave guitarists a glimpse of what seemed to be a white-finished version of her flagship LB1 signature, an official re-release of one of Ibanez’s best-selling signature models in recent years was only a matter of time.

Well, that time is now, with Ibanez treating its 2023 signature lineup to the LB1-WH – that very same model we all saw and drooled over back in November 2022.

According to the brand, the new finish was Basilio’s idea, with the virtuoso hoping to heighten the LB1’s appeal through a classic white finish. Admittedly, it’s not as eye-popping as the original’s trademark Violet colorway, but it is arguably cleaner.

You won’t be surprised to hear that, other than the cosmetic tweak, the LB1-WH is otherwise unchanged, boasting an ash body, oval S-Tech Wood roasted birdseye maple neck and fretboard and jumbo stainless steel frets with Prestige fret edge treatment.

Another highlight appointment is the dyna-MIX9 switching system and Seymour Duncan Lari Basilio S-S-H pickup set – one of the most versatile HSS sets on the market, which received a standalone release from the pickup brand earlier this month.

The LB1-WH is available for $2,699.

Ibanez Ichika Nito ICHI00

Fans of Ichika Nito’s mind-boggling approach to guitar playing will probably associate the boundary-pushing YouTube guitar star with two main models: his flagship ICHI10 headless signature model – which headlined Ibanez’s premiere headless Quest series – and his beloved Talman model.

Now, Ichika’s prized possession has been reborn as his second Ibanez signature model, though purposely altered with a few modern updates. That means the nyatoh body is paired with a roasted maple neck and original ICHI-S single-coils, with the ICHI00 also boasting a rosewood fretboard, Gotoh MG-T locking machine heads, a T106 tremolo and Luminescent side dots.

Notably, Ichika’s model is the cheapest Ibanez signature of the whole lot, with the Japanese virtuoso wanting to make the Talman reboot as accessible for his fans as possible. As such, it weighs in with an estimated street price of $699.

Ibanez Martin Miller MMN1

Last but certainly not least is the MMN1 – Martin Miller’s third Ibanez model after the release of the MM1 and MM7. Arriving in the fusion titan’s favored Transparent Aqua Blue, the new model takes inspiration from the brand’s AZ-N series, and as such swaps dual humbuckers for a HSS alternative.

Owing to Miller’s fondness of the original AZ-N – which he tested out as his “musical activities have diversified”, according to Ibanez – the guitar retains many of the same specs, including the Seymour Duncan Fortuna pickup set.

Some appointments have been altered, though, with the MMN1 drafting in an African mahogany body and flamed maple top over the original’s alder. Elsewhere, the guitar utilizes a roasted maple neck, compound radius rosewood fretboard, and Gotoh hardware, with the brand’s dyna-MIX9 switching system with Alter Switch ensuring maximum sonic versatility.

The MMN1 has an estimated street price of $2,599.

To find out more about each of the above signature models, head over to Ibanez.

Kiss have announced the next installment of their Off the Soundboard live bootleg series, this time showcasing the band’s gig at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York on November 28, 1984.

Arriving April 7, the bootleg – which was recorded during Kiss’s Animalize world tour – will be the fifth in a series of live bootleg releases by the band, and will be available to stream and download, and in 2-LP standard vinyl, CD and limited-edition 2-LP custard yellow vinyl formats.

Notably, the upcoming release showcases the band’s only known soundboard recording that features guitarist Mark St. John, who appeared on the band's 1984 album, Animalize, but only performed with them a small handful of times.

With St. John in tow, the band tore through an 18-track set that fall evening, featuring energetic performances of Kiss favorites like Detroit Rock City, Creatures of the Night, Love Gun, Lick It Up and more.

Most of the tracks are intact, though performances of Young and Wasted, from 1983’s Lick It Up, and the classic Rock And Roll All Nite, from 1975’s Dressed to Kill, are incomplete due to tape changes.

See below for the bootleg’s full track list.

1. Detroit Rock City
2. Cold Gin
3. Creatures Of The Night
4. Fits Like A Glove
5. Heaven’s On Fire
6. Guitar Solo
7. Under the Gun
8. War Machine
9. Drum Solo
10. Young and Wasted (Incomplete)
11. Bass Solo
12. I Love It Loud
13. I Still Love You
14. Love Gun
15. Black Diamond
16. Oh! Susanna
17. Lick It Up
18. Rock And Roll All Nite (Incomplete)

For more information, and to pre-order Off the Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, New York, 1984, head to Kiss's official web store.

In a classic 2014 interview with Guitar World, in which Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons waxed lyrical on Kiss’s past lead guitarists, the pair had some rather choice words for the late St. John, who would go on to be replaced – after his brief tenure – by Bruce Kulick.

“My classic story with Mark is that during the making of Animalize I sent him home one night to come up with a solo to one of the songs,” Stanley recalled. “And the next day he came back and played me something that was at least a start. Then I said, 'Play it again.' And he said, ‘I can’t.’ 

“The guy could never play the same thing twice, because he was just puking notes. There was no structure to any of it. So I told him, ‘Go home and listen to Eric Clapton. Listen to Paul Kossoff. Listen to Jimmy Page.’ And he looked at me and said, ‘I can play faster than them.’ So that about sums it up. Check, please!”

“Mark’s guitar playing was like an angry bee flying around your head,” Simmons added. “The most irritating sound. And he would show you that his fingers could stretch 11 frets. He could play very fast, but he was all technique. He did not have a style or soul.”

“Obviously health issues derailed his being in the band,” added Stanley, referring to when St. John developed Reiter’s Syndrome, an arthritic condition that left him unable to play, “but I don’t know how long he could have been in the band. He was the poster child for, as far as I was concerned, not understanding what great guitar playing was about.”

Back in 1974, Kiss – then a new band hellbent on conquering the world of classic rock – released their eponymous debut studio album. 

The group originally featured guitarists Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley, bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss, but has undergone a considerable number of lineup changes over the years.

The lead guitar spot has been the most volatile, with a host of shred-savvy six-stringers taking the post since Frehley's first departure in 1982, second only to the role of drummer, which has been filled by only three men, Criss, Eric Carr and now, Eric Singer.

But the two pillars keeping the temple of Kiss standing all these years have been Stanley and Simmons, The Starchild and The Demon, respectively.

In this Prime Cuts feature, originally printed in the August 1992 issue of Guitar World, the pair reflect on Kiss's first two decades of music, diving deep on the likes of Strutter, God of Thunder, I Was Made For Lovin' You and more.

1. Deuce

Album: Kiss (1974)

Gene Simmons: “That was the first song I ever wrote for Kiss; it was thrown together in about half an hour. I ripped off the lick from Bitch by The Rolling Stones and changed it so it starts in A and goes to a C. 

“I purposely set out to create a repetitive lick – like in Satisfaction or Bitch. Lyrically, I had the slight thread of a story line, but I was more concerned with conveying attitude than making sense of the word ‘deuce’. I'm not quite sure what the line, ‘You know your man is working hard, he's worth a deuce!’ means, but it sounded right.”

2. Strutter

Album: Kiss (1974) 

Paul Stanley: “This was one of the first songs I ever wrote for Kiss. It started with an old chord progression Gene had written five or six years earlier for a song called Stanley the Parrot, which, by the way, had nothing to do with me. [laughs] 

“We sped the Parrot song up and gave it a Stones-ish strut, hence the name. At that point I was using a Les Paul TV model. I was already real keen on vintage guitars – although my extremely limited finances meant that I could only afford one guitar at a time. 

“So I went from a Les Paul/SG that I bought for $120 in a pawn shop to a double-cutaway Les Paul Special that cost about $200.”

3. Black Diamond

Album: Kiss (1974)

Stanley: “Kiss was originally heavily influenced by Humble Pie. We wanted to make two guitars sound like one – it was the ‘Big Guitar’ theory. Ace [Frehley] and I worked hard on blending our rhythm parts on a lot of those early songs. We experimented with doubling rhythms, writing counter-rhythms, or playing different inversions against each other. 

“Black Diamond was one of the earliest songs Gene and I wrote together, even though it's credited to me. Gene came up with the riff that's incorporated into the chords. The tag at the end of the song reminds me of early Neil Young or Stairway to Heaven. It needed something extra, because we just didn't think the song was over.”

4. Goin' Blind

Album: Hotter Than Hell (1974)

Simmons: “The idea here was to create something that sounded like a theme to a Western by strumming minor chords on an acoustic guitar. There's a lick in the chorus that I ripped off from Layla and played backwards. 

“The bassline doesn't have anything to do with the melody or the chords. I was listening to a lot of Cream, and although I never really understood what songs like Tales of Brave Ulysses were about, they still summoned up strong images in my mind. The lyrics to Goin' Blind are like that – they don't make a whole lot of sense, but at least lines like, ‘I'm 93, you're 16’ are easy to visualize.”

5. Hotter Than Hell

Album: Hotter Than Hell (1974)

Stanley: “I was always a big fan of Free, and All Right Now really meant a lot to me – it was a perfect song. Hotter than Hell was basically me re-writing that song. There's nothing wrong with stealing, as long as you do it right – and make sure that you're stealing a diamond, not a piece of glass. 

“All bands start off being fairly derivative, and copying others is the first step toward developing your own style. At that point I had gotten my first real custom guitar. A guy in New York named Charles Lobue built me something similar to a ’58 Flying V with two humbuckers – pretty similar to what Albert King was playing, but with one wing shorter than the other. Randy Rhoads’ Jackson V had a similar design.”

6. C'mon and Love Me

Album: Dressed to Kill (1975)

Stanley: “We were in LA on the Hotter than Hell tour, and the president of Casablanca Records, Neil Bogart, came to us after the show and said that Hotter Than Hell wasn't selling anymore. He wanted us to go back to New York the next day and start working on another album. 

“It was a real interesting concept – especially since we hadn't written any new songs yet. [laughs] So we packed our bags and went home, and every morning Gene and I would write. When Peter [Criss] and Ace would show up, we'd say, ‘Okay, guys, here's today's song.’ It wasn't unusual for us to write a song in an hour and a half.

“The verses to C'mon and Love Me were probably written in half an hour, and yet it's one of my favorite songs to this day – in fact, we may bring it out on the next tour. It sounds every bit as good today as it did back then.”

7. Alive! (1975)

Simmons: “We were at the peak of our career when we recorded Alive!, and we knew it. Alive! was real, and was very much a product of its time – it wasn't just Kiss, it was the mid-'70s. People had had enough of the hippie, political thing and just wanted to rock out and have a good time.

“At that time live records didn't sell, and we knew we were doing something that the industry thought was stupid. But Alive! changed all that. Frampton Comes Alive was released shortly thereafter, and then everybody started putting out live records. But we weren't aware of it as a marketing thing; it was just real – a lot like our first record. To me, it's one of the two or three records we've done that still holds up.

“With anything good, there's always more than ingredients – it's how long you cook it and how hungry you are when it's ready. As much as I'd like to take all the credit for Alive!, it was a lot more than just Kiss. All the planets lined up, the fans were right, radio didn't matter and there were great rock and roll magazines like Creem. 

“It was just a very pure, innocent time. And the music reflected that, which is why that album works so well. A lot of the musicians who are happening now wanted and needed what we gave them then. It made kids want to pick up the guitar and put a band together.

“It was recorded mostly at Detroit's Cobo Hall, as well as in Wildwood, New Jersey and Davenport, Iowa. Detroit Rock City was written as a result of those shows, because we did three nights in an 11,000-seater. People thought we were out of our minds for playing there, because up until then we had been playing the 5,500-seat Michigan Palace. But in those days we thought excess was best.”

Stanley: “We didn't think that any of the first three albums captured what we were about – being a live band. To this day, most of the studio versions pale in comparison to those on Alive! Our live show was akin to four people leading 12,000 in a church revival. Everybody there had tremendous commitment.

“The cover of that album was shot at the Michigan Palace in Detroit. We did it in the afternoon while our crew was setting up the stage at the Cobo Hall, which is where we recorded most of the album. We wanted the perfect live shot, so we set everything up and played in an empty theater. We got our picture.”

8. God of Thunder

Album: Destroyer (1976)

Simmons: “By the end of our third record [Dressed to Kill], we had gotten very used to each other's songwriting styles. Paul's songs were always a little snappier and happier, and mine were always darker and gloomier. So we'd poke fun at each other sometimes, and Paul once said to me, ‘Anybody can write a Gene Simmons song.’ To prove his point, he came back the next day with God of Thunder. I changed some of the lyrics, and sang it.

“When I first heard the song, I immediately had visions of the scene in Fantasia where the mountain top opens and this big winged thing is standing there – something from the dark shadows. But Paul's God of Thunder lyrics totally missed the point – they were all about Aphrodite and love.

“The sound effect of the little kid was actually done by Bob Ezrin's two sons, who ran into the studio wearing toy helmets and carrying walkie-talkies and ray guns. The weird voice on the song is one of the kid's voices coming through a helmet, which we miked. It wasn't planned, and we had no idea what it all meant, but it seemed right. It's real Twilight Zone stuff – very weird.”

Stanley: “I won't say that Gene is lying about God of Thunder, but maybe he was trying to entertain you. It's in Gene's nature to glamorize a story and make it more interesting than it really is. 

“Here's the real story: I wrote that song about myself, and the original lyrics were almost identical to what was recorded. ‘Hear my word and take heed’ was originally ‘We make love 'til we bleed,’ but that was the only thing that was changed. 

“When I wrote it, I had every intention of singing it, but Bob Ezrin thought that it would be more appropriate for Gene to sing. Although it became known as a Gene Simmons song, it certainly wasn't written for him or as a joke.”

9. Detroit Rock City

Album: Destroyer (1976)

Stanley: “From the very beginning, the people of Detroit took us in as one of their own. While we were still an opening act in most parts of the country, we were headlining there, and I wanted to write a song about that. Then someone was hit by a car and killed outside one of our concerts in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

“I found it very strange that somebody on his way to see something that would have been so much fun, something that was such a testament to being alive, would get killed – which is where the song's car crash intro comes from. The whole song is really about somebody getting ready to go to a concert to have a great time, and ending up dying.”

10. Shout It Out Loud

Album: Destroyer (1976)

Simmons: “Before Kiss started, Paul and I had a group called Wicked Lester, which recorded a never-released album for Epic Records. We already had She and Love Her All I Can, but the producer was screaming that we didn't have any singles and suggested that we find another song at a publishing house. 

“When we did, we heard a Hollies song that wasn't quite good enough to record. It had a chorus that said, ‘We want to shout it out loud, but we can't let people know.’ I thought the idea of shouting out loud was great, so I ripped off the title.”

11. Calling Dr. Love

Album: Rock and Roll Over (1976)

Simmons: “This is gonna sound warped, but Calling Dr. Love started off with the title, which I stole from an episode of The Three Stooges. I also had that silly little word rhyme, ‘They call me Dr. Love/I've got the cure you're thinking of.’ I went into the Record Plant in New York and recorded the song as a demo, playing all the instruments myself, and then I took it to the band – and that was it.”

12. Hard Luck Woman

Album: Rock and Roll Over (1976)

Stanley: “I was a big fan of Rod Stewart, who around that time had a big hit with Maggie May. I figured I could write a similar song, and came up with Hard Luck Woman with the idea of giving it to Rod. But we recorded it ourselves because we needed a follow-up to Beth, which had just been a huge hit for us. 

“We wanted something similar to Beth, so we let Peter sing Hard Luck too. He had a real raspy voice, and when people heard it on the radio, they thought it was Rod Stewart. I also used my Guild 12-string acoustic, which helped it sound like a Rod Stewart song.”

13. Christine Sixteen

Album: Love Gun (1977)

Simmons: “That song started as another great conversation with Paul: ‘You write dumb songs!’ ‘No, you write dumb songs!’ Paul had stolen some of my titles, like Black Diamond, and when he came up with the title Christine Sixteen, I stole it. I had just discovered Van Halen, so I had Eddie and Alex play on the demo. They also played on the original demo of Got Love for Sale.

“For the spoken part in the middle that goes ‘When I saw you coming out of school that day, I knew I've got to have you – got to have you!’ I always pictured myself in a black car across the street from a school, watching a young girl.”

14. I Was Made For Lovin' You

Album: Dynasty (1979)

Stanley: “Dance music was so big at that point that every band from the Stones on down seemed to be having hits with dance material. I would listen to it in New York clubs like Studio 54, always thinking it was very simple music and that I could write songs like that. 

“So I went home, set my drum machine to the 126 tempo – like every damn song during that period – and worked on a chord progression with Desmond Child and Vini Poncia. The first line of the song was ‘Tonight, I wanna give it all to you’ – which is basically what club people were thinking in those days.

“We stopped playing it live a decade ago, but people started saying we should bring it back. We said, 'Are you crazy? That's a dance song!' We finally tried it again when we were doing the Monsters of Rock tour in Europe in '89. We were ready to put the guitars up in front of our faces to keep the tomatoes from hitting us, when, instead, we had a sea of fists in the air. And this was in front of hardcore headbangers!”

15. A World Without Heroes

Album: Music from the Elder (1981)

Simmons: “That started out as a mushy Paul Stanley song – stuff like, ‘With every bit of my heart, I love you and can't live without you.’ I just wanted to throw up in his lap. I thought the music was cool, but he was just singing about crap. So I said, ‘You spineless excuse for a man, you're just drooling over this girl. Have some balls!

“But I thought the chord changes were fantastic, so I started fooling around with the melody. Bob Ezrin had flown Lou Reed up, and we sat down to talk about some ideas. Lou had a scrap of paper with 'a world without heroes' written on it. 

“I asked what it was, and he said it was just an idea he had about how awful the world would be if we didn't have heroes like John Wayne, Superman or King Kong. That gave me the idea for the lyrics: ‘A world without heroes, is like a world without sun, you can't look up to anyone, in a world without heroes.’”

16. Creatures of the Night

Album: Creatures of the Night (1982)

Stanley: “We were coming off the Music from the Elder album, which was a left turn down a very dark street for us. After that, who we were and who we weren't became clearer to us. 

“We needed to get back home – and I think we did it with a vengeance with Creatures of the Night. It was a very heavy, dark album, and it was probably my first real declaration of who we were. There's a certain ferocity to a lot of that material, like the title track, Danger and War Machine.”

17. Domino

Album: Revenge (1992)

Simmons: “This song started out with a bass lick, much as Deuce did. Once I had the meter down, I started writing rhyming words, but without a melody – so it was almost a rap. 

“Then I talked the song through with the lick, and the melody just came naturally. The melody that came to me was the bass lick, so I just shadowed my melody with the lick on guitar. The spoken part sort of reminds me of Christine Sixteen.”

18. Tough Love

Album: Revenge (1992)

Stanley: “I wrote that with Bruce [Kulick] and Bob Ezrin. I alternated between a two-piece Les Paul maple top reissue – which can be a good substitute for a ’58, ’59 or ’60 – and a Steinberger, which recorded fabulously through a Marshall. 

“The Steinberger was the only guitar that really held its tuning well when dropped down a whole step to D – probably because it's made of graphite. I've always been a fan of hearing every string when you play a chord, and on this album my sound is very big and clear – the attack is great.”

Less well-known than other Kiss lead electric guitar players like Tommy Thayer, Bruce Kulick and, of course, the original, Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent nonetheless came along at a crucial point in the band's history.

It was 1982, and Kiss's commercial fortunes had yet to recover from their disastrous, widely-mocked 1981 concept album, Music from "The Elder." Though publicly a member of the band until the end of that year, Frehley was for all intents and purposes out of the picture, leading Kiss to cycle through a number of session guitarists for their new recordings in 1982. 

Soon though, the band settled on one Vincent John Cusano, who immediately made his mark on that year's Creatures of the Night album, playing lead guitar on all but three of the LP's tracks, and even co-writing three. Soon re-named Vinnie Vincent, the guitarist brought an explosive, of-the-moment edge to the band's sound, one that stood in marked contrast to Frehley's more old-school leanings. 

His no-holds-barred solo on A Million to One, from 1983's Lick It Up, in particular, still stands tall as one of the finest six-string moments in the Kiss catalog that don't feature Frehley.

Vincent brought that same lightning-rod energy to the stage, where – during the band's tours from 1982 through 1984 – he took center stage night after night with frenzied guitar solos that grew increasingly outlandish as his time with the band went on.

The below example – captured at the band's March 12, 1984 concert at the Colisée de Québec in Québec City, Canada – is one of the best-preserved ones on the internet. 

While flying around the fretboard, Vincent gives an A+ lesson in showmanship, falling to his knees while holding single notes for all they're worth, pausing for dramatic effect, and incorporating the crowd throughout. The solo also shows how Vincent wasn't afraid to explore dissonant sounds either, with some particularly daring and cacophonous moments that wouldn't sound out of place on a Sonic Youth album. 

As much as the audience seems to enjoy the display of fretboard pyrotechnics, the rest of Kiss – particularly the band's co-leaders, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley – were significantly less impressed. 

As Vincent's solos, such as the Québec City example above, grew wilder and longer, Simmons and Stanley in turn became increasingly irritated with what they saw as the guitarist's excessive showboating.

In his 2014 memoir, Face the Music, Stanley wrote that Vincent "was hell-bent on using every solo as an opportunity to showcase himself.

“We used to call it the high point of the show," Stanley wrote (via Rolling Stone), "because everybody in the audience left to go get high.”

"He [Vincent] could play rings around most anybody," Simmons offered in a 2014 Guitar World interview. "But with all due respect to Vinnie, it was a fucking nightmare."

Stanley, for one, shared Frehley's love of the late '60s/early '70s blues-rock guitar heroes, and had little regard for the shred tidal wave sweeping the guitar world at that point (an issue that, as Stanley pointed out in a 2014 Guitar World interview, reared its head again with Vincent's eventual, short-lived replacement in the band, the similarly speed- and flash-minded Mark St. John.) 

“He had no sense of what to play or when,” Stanley wrote in regards to Vincent, “and he had no ability to self-edit.”

Inevitably, Vincent wasn't long for the band, and parted ways with them just days after the March 12, 1984 Québec City show, when the band wrapped up the North American leg of their Lick it Up tour. 

Despite his one-time bandmates' dim view of his onstage soloing though, and their acrimonious parting of ways, Vincent has expressed few regrets about his playing with the band in the years since.

“I’m an over the top kind of guy,” Vincent said in a 1987 radio interview (via Rolling Stone.) “I like it. It’s extreme and excessive. I think as spectacular as Kiss was with their live show, they were conservative musically. I think they were looking for more a generic, old school kind of guitar player. I think that’s what they wanted me to do. But that wasn’t in my blood.”

Now and Then, an album that founding Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley released earlier this year with his “other” band, Soul Station, might catch some Kiss fans off-guard, especially if they haven’t been paying attention to his recent extra-curricular activities. 

For instance, if you’re expecting Kiss-style rock, or even the kind of fare served up on Stanley’s previous solo albums, 1978’s Paul Stanley and 2006’s Live to Win, you’re in for a shock. 

This time around, Stanley has delivered a set of classic Motown and Philly soul covers, with a handful of like-minded originals sprinkled in for good measure. 

Rather than a slavish retread of the golden age of soul, Stanley has revisited the likes of You Are Everything, The Tracks of My Tears and Just My Imagination, and invested them with punchier, fuller arrangements. 

Stanley’s vocals are a revelation, bravely taking on songs synonymous with the superlative vocal stylings of Smokey Robinson and Al Green, and coming out with creditable performances that might actually silence at least some of the Kiss-haters who accused the band of lip-syncing on recent tours.

For people who might not be aware of your Soul Station shows, Now and Then will probably come as a surprise. Are you hoping you can bring these songs to a different audience?

"I’m not doing this to make converts, I’m doing it because I love this music – it’s music I grew up with. I was fortunate enough to put together a band of amazing musicians who feel the same about it and want to see this music get the props and attention it deserves. These songs are timeless and the idea of a living, breathing, flesh-and-blood band playing this music was something I wanted to hear." 

The album mixes nine classics with five songs you wrote for the album. For the uninitiated, it would be hard to tell which were the oldies and which were your own songs, which is quite an achievement.

"I’m totally comfortable writing in this style; I wrote those songs because I was living Soul Station. I’m humbled by the comments that so many people have made where they’ve used the word 'seamless.' The old songs and the new songs go hand in hand. I didn’t want to write new, improved versions of the old songs; I wanted to pick fruit from the same tree."

How much guitar did you play on the album?

"I played rhythm parts and acoustic rhythm on the basic rhythm tracks to accentuate the dynamics and make sure that the feel was right. There are licks on Lorelei and Tracks of My Tears that I was playing along with in the studio and everybody said we should use those. I was thinking of Curtis Mayfield, that kind of approach. 

"The accompaniment that guitars tend to do on this style of music is more about flourishes; they almost float around like a butterfly. A lot of times, the guitar in classic soul serves to drive the rhythm. 

"I think part of what made Jimi Hendrix interesting is that, besides his blues roots, he clearly had roots in soul and R&B. You hear him accompanying himself with those great Mayfield licks, especially on something like Little Wing.”

You’ve worked with guitarist Rafael Moreira for some time now. He played on your last solo album and solo tours. What does he bring to the mix?

"I know he can play anything. He’s pure; we’re very much on the same page. I still remember the first day of rehearsals, before we went out for my solo tour for Live to Win. I said to him, 'You’re really good; you’re so good that you don’t know these songs and you’re faking it.' [Laughs] He said, 'You’re absolutely right; I’m gonna go home and learn them.'"

How did you work up the songs?

"I played them on an acoustic and fooled around with the capo. A lot of those songs were written on piano, so as a guitarist I had to think piano and think of chord changes that were more piano based. I had to take a different approach."

Your vocals are very much in the Smokey Robinson falsetto range. Is that a comfortable range for you?

"It is very easy, actually. It’s a part of my voice that I’ve always had. I’ve used it from time to time. In The Phantom of the Opera [Stanley appeared in the title role in a 1999 Toronto production of the show] there’s a scene that’s in falsetto – and the middle section of I Was Made for Loving You as well, of course. 

"It’s a comfortable range. I’m not Smokey Robinson or Eddie Kendricks, but the idea isn’t to imitate; it's to get the intent of the songs and then deliver them my way, staying true to the original without imitating it."

It is interesting that you've adapted the original arrangements and made them a little fuller and punchier. Was that done with an awareness of the way modern music is so compressed that everything has to be louder in order to compete?

"It stays true to the originals. It’s a bit like the originals on steroids, you know? There is quite a bit more size. Live, the band is a wall of sound, it is all-encompassing. A lot of people have heard the album and said we really captured the sound of the originals, but that's not really the case. 

"I think we captured the passion and the vibrancy and joy of the originals. I think the music sounds true to the past. But sonically, it's very much in the present."

Your previous solo albums had some mellow moments, but you never actually recorded any soul songs. Was that because you felt there was a certain expectation of you from Kiss fans?

"My first solo album was very much a reflection of who I was at that time. I thought my second, Live to Win, was too much of an effort to sidestep what I normally do, and that’s not necessarily a good thing. In hindsight, I have some issues with that album in that I avoided the obvious. I think it would have been better served to stick with some of those roots of mine."

Do you feel comfortable up front without a guitar on the Soul Station shows, or do you sometimes wonder where your axe is?

"I was a massive fan of Steve Marriott. I loved the idea of being a lead singer and using the guitar almost as a battle axe. I also love the great frontman singers and I’ve always felt comfortable with that as well. Many of the songs I’ve written over the years with Kiss needed me to play the guitar to give it the flavor, direction, intensity and accents. 

"That isn’t necessary with this, and actually, singing these tunes is kind of like threading a needle. You don’t necessarily want it to be perfect, but these songs need a certain accuracy and focus, and I can do that better live when I’m concentrating on the vocals."

You’ve said you don’t feel like it is your duty to act as some kind of torchbearer for rock ’n’ roll. Does the new record almost feel like a decompression after the years of playing rock with Kiss?

"I think I just can’t live within the boundaries that other people set for me, because those boundaries have more to do with them than me. It has to do with their limitations or the limitations they’d like me to work within. I got into music for the freedom of it. If it’s not to everyone’s liking, I guess nothing is. [Laughs]"

Given how artistically successful the last two Kiss studio albums were, is there any likelihood of a final studio album appearing in a couple of years after the dust has settled on the live shows?

"I don’t think it’s likely to happen; I don’t think it serves any purpose. All the older albums are steeped in your memory of what you were doing at that time. You go to see Paul McCartney and he may play a new tune, but as soon as he starts that tune, everybody thinks, 'Well great, now play I Want to Hold Your Hand or something!'

"I don’t know how much we have to say anymore that we haven’t already said. Modern Day Delilah or Hell Or Hallelujah are as good to me as anything I wrote, but they’re relatively new, so they don’t have that patina."

Is Soul Station an ongoing project or are there other areas you’re planning to explore?

"We’re all like family. We hang out together and it’s like a great tribe, almost. I don’t see any reason to stop that. I’m having a ball doing this, the same way I’m having a ball painting or being in The Phantom of the Opera or Kiss. 

"I think when people limit themselves, they limit finding out who they are. Everything I do helps me to know myself better."

• Paul Stanley's Soul Station's Now And Then is available now.

Kiss founding guitarist Ace Frehley has spoken of his keenness to reunite with the band’s original lineup, saying that “anything’s possible”.

In a new conversation with SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, the guitarist speaks on the potential reunion, and offers an update regarding his relationship with co-founding members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons.

“That’s the first question so many people have asked me over the years: ‘Would you ever consider doing a Kiss reunion?’” Frehley says. “I said, ‘I never closed the door on anything.’ If the money’s right and it’s presented to me in the right way, anything can happen.”

He continues: “I’m on good terms with Paul [Stanley, guitar/vocals] and Gene [Simmons, bass/vocals], which is nice, because we created something really special in the early ‘70s that has outlasted so many other bands.

“And God bless ‘em. They’re still doing it; I’m still doing it. Peter [Criss, drums] is still around. I’m not quite sure why Peter hasn’t toured over the years as much as I have, but it is what it is.”

When Kiss announced their End of the Road farewell tour in 2018, fans speculated as to whether Ace Frehley and Peter Criss would take part. In a 2018 interview with VintageRock.com, Frehley said that the “only way” he would consider taking part in the trek is “if I took back my make-up and costume and my character – which I designed”.

He also spoke of current Kiss lead guitarist Tommy Thayer. “[He’s] not a bad guitar player,” he said, “but he basically just mimics everything I wrote, and tries to imitate my persona. He’s been doing it for 15 years. But the reality is I’m the original guy. And nobody can really copy the way I play guitar.”

The End of the Road tour isn’t the first farewell trek Kiss have embarked upon. Speaking on the band’s 2000 farewell tour with Guitar World in 2019, Gene Simmons explained that “the circumstances were so different”. 

“I was short-sighted and it wasn’t too long after we finished with it we realized we didn’t want to say farewell to Kiss, we wanted to say farewell to the two people [Ace Frehley and Peter Criss] who had become a ball and chain on Kiss.”

Kiss frontman Paul Stanley has confirmed he has tested positive for COVID-19 and that the band’s forthcoming show in Burgettstown, PA will be postponed.

Stanley first broke the news on Twitter, responding to incorrect rumors that he was in ICU and reassuring fans that he was “fine”.

The frontman then followed up, explaining he had been suffering from “flu-like symptoms” and had received multiple negative tests, before finally testing positive on the afternoon of August 26.

The rest of the band and crew have reportedly tested negative. A later press release confirmed the postponement of the band’s show at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania tonight (August 27) and reiterated that all of the band and crew, including Paul Stanley, are fully vaccinated.

At the time of writing, there has been no further update issued about other tour dates, though in the press release the band promise the information will be made available “ASAP”. 

The band had been playing the shows as part of their farewell End Of The Road world tour, which first began in January 2019 and had already been postponed due to the pandemic.

For more information, keep a close eye on the official Kiss site.

Kiss will pick back up on their End of the Road final tour soon, and the long-running rockers are set to continue the career-spanning celebration with a new four-hour documentary set to air this June.

Biography, the A&E channel’s long-running documentary series, will present a two-part feature on the band, titled Biography: KISStory on June 27 and 28.

The four-hour doc is directed by D.J. Viola and chronicles the band’s 50-year history. There will also be interviews with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, as well as current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

Additional figures interviewed for the program include Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, as well as Kiss manager Doc McGhee and producer Bob Ezrin.

“Through the Biography lens we are able to give fans a backstage pass to a two-night event that honors the legacy of the rock icons behind Kiss,” said A&E’s Head of Programming, Elaine Frontain Bryant. “This documentary event is a special tribute to a one-of-a-kind band and the incredible Kiss Army fanbase that has idolized them for generations.”

For more information, head to A&E TV.

Recently, Gene Simmons announced a multi-year line of custom guitars and basses with Gibson. He spoke to Guitar World regarding the collaboration, and you can read all about it here.

Here at Guitar World we’re big fans of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, which has been making bandmates out of rock stars and fans for 25 years.

Now the endeavor, which was created by David Fishof in 1996, is being celebrated in a new film, Rock Camp, featuring many of the camp’s biggest “counselors,” among them electric guitar players like Slash, Paul Stanley, Joe Perry and Nancy Wilson, as well as Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Gene Simmons, Sammy Hagar and more.

The movie, directed by Doug Blush and Renée Barron, follows four campers as they learn how to play in a band and perform onstage, and features commentary from the counselors about their experiences.

“One guitar player was shredding like a mutha and I was thinking, ‘What are you?’ ” says Sammy Hagar. “He goes, ‘I’m a doctor.’ ”

“I can’t think of a more fun thing to do,” Alice Cooper says. “I mean, it’s better than stamp collecting.”

You can check out the trailer for Rock Camp above, and for more information on the film, which will be released in “virtual theaters” on January 15, head to Rock Camp the Movie.

One of the musical bright spots in this time of coronavirus has been seeing legendary artists – Brian May, for one – reach out through the web to communicate, and sometimes even play electric guitar, with fans.

Now we can add to that list Kiss’ Paul Stanley, who recently sat down at his LA home, Les Paul burst in hand, to rip out some vintage Kiss licks for all of us.

“Are we bored? Yeah,” Stanley begins. “But it’s great to be able to spend some time with you.

“This isn’t a performance, it’s not a concert, it’s not a recital. It’s me and you hanging out.”

He continues, “Maybe I’ll play some riffs, some little guitar parts and you can sing if you want. You’re in the band. If you know the parts of the song, sing along. It’s just us.”

Before digging into the music, the Kiss singer and guitarist takes a moment to “remember that there are doctors, hospital workers, sanitation people, police, people in supermarkets, delivery people, all these people are making this possible for us,” he says.

“Some of them are under horrific conditions and really trying to keep their heads above water and in a real dangerous situation. My prayers for all of them and let’s not forget about all those people.”

With that, Stanley plays pieces of two '70s Kiss Klassics, Makin’ Love and Hotter Than Hell.

Finally, he wraps up with 1974’s Got To Choose, a song that, he explains, “was probably somewhere between the Humble Pie stuff I was hearing and Ninety-Nine and a Half Won’t Do," the latter a Wilson Pickett tune that had been covered by a New York band named Boomerang.

Says Stanley, “These are awesome songs. Now, am I giving myself a pat on the back? Not really. I love these songs like you love these songs. Because luckily for me I’m not only a member of the band, I’m a real fan of the band.”

You can hear him play other awesome Kiss songs, including Love Gun and Every Time I Look At You, above.

Whether it’s with Santana, Journey or his own solo material, Neal Schon has spent over 50 years delivering some of the most melodic guitar playing on planet Earth - and it’s fair to say he’s amassed a fair few famous friends along the way, many of whom have lined up to wish the guitarist a very happy birthday.

But you’ve never seen a birthday message quite like this one. To celebrate his 66th (which takes place on February 27), some of the very biggest names in guitar - and music in general - have banded together to send their best wishes to the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, including the likes of Slash, Rick Nielsen, Steve Vai, and even Dolly Parton.

• Video credit: Dean ONeal

Particular six-string highlights include a funky performance from John McLaughlin; KISS’s Paul Stanley revealing what he loves about Schon’s playing; Joe Satriani playing a very Joe Satriani take on happy birthday; and Chris Jericho, who generously donates a song he believes will be bigger than Don’t Stop Believin’ (good luck with that).

The full list of birthday well-wishers includes:

• Michaele Schon
• Mario Andretti
• John McLaughlin
• Steve Miller
• Paul Stanley
• Slash
• Chris Jericho
• Rick Nielsen
• Steve Vai
• Joe Satriani
• Tony Stewart
• Narada Michael Walden
• Dolly Parton

Genuinely heart-warming. As Michaele Schon puts it, “My husband Neal is my heart, and all his friends who love him so much respond with genuine joy and love of Neal!”

Kiss have been out on the End of the Road tour for more than a year now, and they’ve already announced the date of what is being billed as their last-ever show – July 17, 2021 in New York City.

Now, in a new interview, longtime manager Doc McGhee has hinted that that final performance might include more than just the four current Kiss men – singer and bassist Gene Simmons, singer and guitarist Paul Stanley, electric guitar player Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.

“It’s going to be great,” McGhee told Pollstar. “It’s going to be worthy of the end of the road. It will be worthy to the 45 years of Kiss, the last month for sure.

“We want to celebrate everybody and we might bring out all the former members. We’d like to. Nobody says we hate this guy; we hate that guy; we want everybody who wants to come out.”

As for whether it’ll actually happen? In a Guitar World cover story last year, Simmons was asked this very same question, and his response caused, well, some waves. 

Regarding original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, he said:

“Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life.”

His reasoning? “So life doesn’t give you three chances. You get one chance. But Ace and Peter have gotten three chances. They were in and out of the band - fired - three times. For bad behavior, being unprofessional… all the clichés are clichés. So the only reason Ace and Peter were let go the first time, and then the second time and then the third time, is that they weren’t carrying their load.”

Frehley, for his part, hit back on social media, stating that Simmons and Stanley are “control freaks, untrustworthy and too difficult to work with.”

As for early '80s-era guitarist Vinnie Vincent, Simmons said bluntly:

“Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never.”

One of Vincent’s successors, Bruce Kulick, however, fared much better in Simmons’ estimation.

“I can never say anything bad about Bruce. Total professional. Great guitar player. Just a real stand-up guy. I would call him a friend.”

Stayed tuned to see if all current and former Kiss men will, as Doc hinted, get up onstage to Shout It Out Loud together. One thing’s for sure – if it were to happen, it would be Hotter Than Hell.

Thank you! Goodnight!

"It's a celebration," Paul Stanley says, when asked what fans can expect to witness on Kiss’ End of the Road tour. And whether or not you’re a tried-and-true member of the Kiss Army, one thing that can be agreed upon is there’s certainly plenty for Kiss to be celebrating. The band, always with co-founders and main songwriters Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals) at the helm, have experienced incredible highs and more than a few lows in the 45 years since the release of their self-titled debut album. But one thing that has never wavered is their commitment to delivering a show worthy of four guys who call themselves the “Hottest Band in the World.”

“The RIAA tells us we have more gold records than any American group, in any category, in history,” Simmons tells Guitar World with his characteristic bluster. “I could give a fuck, by the way. The only thing that means anything to me is you get up onstage and people love what you do. The rest is just blah, blah, blah.”

That commitment to the live experience is largely the reason the band — which these days also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — is calling the End of the Road tour their final outing. “You want to go out on top,” Simmons says.

And as Paul and Gene explain in the following interviews, when they say “final,” they mean it. “It’s one of those great occasions where you know what’s coming next,” Stanley says. “You get to cherish the moment, knowing that the moment will pass. You hear so many times people say, ‘I wish I had known…’ Well, this is a chance for all of us to have that one last hurrah together, because we know that’s it. And there’s nothing bittersweet about it. It’s all just sweet.”

Guitar World recently sat down separately with Stanley and Simmons (“often when we do interviews together, there’s not enough oxygen in the room,” Gene explains) to discuss the End of the Road tour and the long journey they’ve taken together to get to this point. In addition, the two talked about the various members who have been in and out of Kiss over the years — including guitarists Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick — and whether any or all of them might show up for this last “hurrah”; the particulars of their long-lasting relationship; and just what they’ll be up to after the curtain finally closes on Kiss.

Until then, expect to find them out on the road doing what they’ve done, arguably better than anyone, for close to half a century.

“You come to see Kiss, you walk in through those gates and it’s electric church,” Simmons says. “You know, glory Hallelujah. All hail rock ’n’ roll.”

GENE SIMMONS

A lot of bands embark on farewell tours, only to come back out a few years later and pick up right where they left off. How do we know this is really it for Kiss?

I understand, I understand. People might not believe it. But let’s just call it for what it is — it’s the final tour. Because you want to go out on top. I’m 69. Still strong. Still look good. Still have hair on my head… although I have a lot more on my back now. But by the time this tour finishes I’ll be 72. So if I was in the Stones or U2 I could run around onstage in sneakers and a T-shirt and never break a sweat. And both those bands are great. But Kiss is a different animal — we’re like heavy artillery. We’re armored. I wear eight-inch platform heels and it takes hours to put on the makeup and the studs and all the stuff, and then I fly through the air with no net, shoot fire out of my ass, Paul flies off at the stage wearing 40 pounds of armor… We all love Jagger and Bono, but if they put in the amount of work we put in, they’d drop dead in a half hour.

Lazy guys.

I love them to death and respect those guys. But all they have to do is sing.

Kiss has always been celebrated for its live show. But do you feel you’ve gotten your due as a songwriter or a musician?

I don’t care. Means nothing to me. ASCAP gave myself and Paul the songwriters medal of honor, whatever that’s called [the ASCAP Founders Award]. It means nothing. The only thing that means anything, that includes boxers or baseball players or anybody, is when you get up to bat or when you get in the ring and your bosses are standing on their seats. And, by the way, that’s our job. We’re not political. We don’t talk about the secret of life because we don’t have a clue what it is. Our job is to make you forget the traffic jam, the fact that your girlfriend is elbowing you because you’re looking at that girl over there with the set of double D’s, all that other stuff that tortures everybody. With Kiss, it’s magic time.

Your relationship with Paul Stanley goes back almost half a century…

I’ve known him longer than anyone…other than my mother.

Well, there you go. Had you not met Paul all those years ago, where would Gene Simmons be right now?

Where would I be? Nowhere. Because there is something called chemistry. Although it’s fair to say Paul and I are completely different people. But we’re two different sides of the same coin. I don’t have any brothers or sisters on my mother’s side. But certainly Paul would be the brother I never had. And we constantly disagree about all sorts of things, but we share the important values that make great relationships last a lifetime. Love of family. Don’t abandon your kids. Show up on time. Do the work. Be gracious. Have a work ethic. Do all that stuff. And if you’re lucky, goddammit, and if you’re blessed to have the right thing at the right place at the right time, then you’re even more lucky if you find somebody else you can work with. Because if Jagger has an off night, the Stones aren’t so good. But if I have an off night, I know Paul’s going to push it through to the goal. Same as when he has an off night. And don’t kid yourself — Tommy and Eric often give us good kicks in the pants, too.

You bring up chemistry. It’s no secret that fans are hoping to see the original Kiss lineup, with Ace and Peter, reunite somehow, somewhere, on this tour.

Well, let me address that. You know, in life, mother nature is nonjudgmental. Whether you’re a baby and have never experienced life or whether you’re old and grey and have gone through the trials and tribulations, both of you, when you put your hand into the fire, get burned equally. So life doesn’t give you three chances. You get one chance. But Ace and Peter have gotten three chances. They were in and out of the band — fired — three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behavior, being unprofessional… all the clichés are clichés. Even suicide is overrated. It’s been done many times. So the only reason Ace and Peter were let go the first time, and then the second time and then the third time, is that they weren’t carrying their load. You can’t be in a car with two flat tires. It’s not going to go anywhere. It’s your responsibility to change the fucking tires so that the whole car doesn’t stop. It’s nothing personal. Because remember — being in a band is a gift. You hardly work. Physically, anyway. So the short answer to your question is we’d love to have Ace and Peter join us here and there. And if they don’t, it’s not going to be because of us. But they’re never going to be in Kiss again.

That’s pretty definitive.

Three times is the charm. “I promise I’ll pull out” doesn’t work. It’s the boy who cried wolf : “Oh, I’ve been straight for a million years.” Terrific! Have a good life! Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life.

On that note, Vinnie Vincent recently resurfaced following decades out of the public eye. You played a short acoustic set with him in Nashville earlier in 2018. Any chance he could be welcomed back into the Kiss fold?

Listen, there’s personal and there’s business. It’s worth stating that Vinnie has sued the band and lost 14 times. I’m not here to cast any aspersions. He’s a talented guy. That’s why he was in the band. But would I depend on him to get up onstage and do anything? Never.

What about having him come up on stage and play, say, “Lick It Up”?

No. Never. Never happen. No. How many times do you want to get sued before you say that’s enough?

So he’s a guy that wouldn’t even necessarily be welcomed as a guest at one of the End of the Road shows.

Can he come to the shows? Of course! Anybody can. But onstage? Never.

I’d imagine we might see Bruce Kulick up there.

We love Bruce. Bruce and Ace were on the Kiss Kruise and they both came up and jammed a few songs with us and all that stuff. And Bruce never did anything wrong. He was always professional and showed up on time. But, you know, times changed and we decided to do what was right for the band [Kulick’s tenure in Kiss ended when the band reunited with Frehley and Criss in the mid Nineties]. So I can never say anything bad about Bruce. Total professional. Great guitar player. Just a real stand-up guy. I would call him a friend.

Okay, so it sounds like there’s a possibility of seeing Ace and Bruce up onstage at some point.

You know, we’re gonna find out a lot of stuff. But we’re not doing anything thinking, How do we sell tickets? Because the tour’s already sold out. But people will say whatever they want to say, and think whatever they want to think, and that’s okay. Social media is, you know, the garbage fill of all time, where everybody, whether they’re qualified or not, can say whatever they want and then it either catches fire or not. I know somebody very close to me who believes the moon is hollow and the aliens are inside. And you may be able to guess who that is.

Vinnie Vincent?

No, but you’re close. [laughs]

To finish up, let’s look a few years into the future. Kiss has just played the final show on the End of the Road tour. What does Gene Simmons do when he wakes up the next day?

Well, I have nine other businesses that take up my time, including my music festival, Titans of Rock, which launches this August in Grand Forks, North Dakota. We’ll have, oh, I don’t know, 40,000 or 50,000 people. And we have 20 shows lined up. Then I have real estate, I have restaurants… I think I’ll be busy.

Will you miss Kiss?

Oh, of course. Are you kidding? When we started this thing — and it’s really important to give Ace and Peter credit along with Paul and me — we didn’t know shit. We were the four most unqualified bums off the streets of New York. I don’t know, they call it a singularity in signs, but it just happened. Without managers, without marketing, without anybody. We’re not One Direction without Simon Cowell. We ain’t the Monkees. We were just four guys in a rat-infested fire trap of a loft. We really did it ourselves. The honesty, integrity and authenticity of Kiss, it came from our hearts. And that’s great. So I don’t know what will happen in the future, but Kiss will not tour anymore, I can tell you that. But I’ll always be known as that guy with that tongue. And that’s okay. Who wouldn’t want that?

A lot of bands embark on farewell tours…and then come back a few years later to do it again. How do we know this is really it for Kiss?

Well, our age for starters. [laughs] Obviously there are people who are cynical, but those people are cynical to begin with. And yes, we did a farewell tour 19 years ago, but to qualify that, the circumstances were so different. It was short-sighted and it wasn’t too long after we finished with it we realized we didn’t want to say farewell to Kiss, we wanted to say farewell to the two people [Ace Frehley and Peter Criss] who had become a ball and chain on Kiss. So to do this now, we’re doing it for the total opposite reasons. The band gets on great. Everybody’s having a great time. Everybody enjoys each other’s company. We sound great. With that said, we’re also aware this doesn’t become easier as time goes on. For us to maintain what we do at the level we do it, it’s finite. There’s an expiration date.

PAUL STANLEY

Kiss has always been lauded for its live show. Do you ever crave that same recognition for your own songwriting or guitar playing?

I don’t crave anything I don’t have. The people who choose not to see what should be fairly apparent are choosing not to see it. So I have no wishes for accolades. My track record speaks for itself. Let me put it this way: the people who understand us see the totality, and the people who don’t, don’t. Life’s too short to waste your time trying to make converts of people who don’t like you. It’s barely long enough to spend time with the ones who do.

As a songwriter, was there a first Kiss song, or even a pre-Kiss song, that you wrote that made you feel, “I can do this”?

Well, some of my pre-Kiss songs became Kiss songs. So that says something. “Firehouse” was written when I was in high school. “Let Me Know” was written before Kiss. So I had a very clear understanding of what I wanted to do and what I thought made a great songwriter and great songwriting. And I was a huge fan of songwriters. I was a fan of everything that was coming out of the Brill Building — Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, Neil Sedaka. You had all these amazing songwriters who were schooled in how to do this, how to have a good song with a verse and a chorus and a bridge. There’s a structure that goes beyond just rambling. That’s why the chorus is called a hook. I have always tried to adhere to that, and write songs that, by the time you hear the second verse, you can sing the second chorus.

What would you say are your strengths as a guitarist?

I think that I’ve always managed to be the foundation and the core of what we build together. For example, in the past when we’ve tried cutting a basic track without me, once I put my guitar on we usually find out that we have to recut it. Because there’s a swing to what I do. So I’m a big believer in the absolute necessity of a great rhythm guitar to not only hold this kind of music together, but to propel it forward. And propelling it forward doesn’t necessarily mean being ahead of it. A great rhythm guitarist basically leans on the drums. You’re closer to being on the backbeat then you are to being in front of it.

What’s your main setup onstage for the End of the Road tour?

I’m a dedicated Ibanez PS10 user [Stanley’s signature model]. That guitar, with a few diversions for different reasons along my history, has been my guitar of choice. I certainly collected a lot of vintage guitars at one point, and my PS10 was spec’d on some of those guitars. So it really is a classic guitar in many senses. In fact, if you were to put it into someone’s hands and they weren’t looking at it and just went basically on feel and sound, they would perhaps think it was a different guitar by a different company.

As for amps, I’ve been using Engl for quite a while and I’ve had great success with them. They do some amps that aren’t really my taste, that sound more like a jackhammer [laughs]. But they also build some really classic, well-refined tube amps. Mine have been fine-tuned to how I like them, and in the best way hearken to the sound of bands that I’ve loved over the years. So my guitar and my amp are rooted in the classics. Whether or not they are the actual classics they’re rooted in is moot.

You’ve known Gene almost half a century. Had you not met him, would you have been able to accomplish everything that you have?

I can’t imagine having accomplished a fraction of what I’ve accomplished without Gene. It was clear to me early on that we should be together in spite of whatever differences there are in our personalities. And let me also say that Gene — perhaps because of his personality and a desire to incite emotions in people — has really not gotten the accolades that he deserves as a bass player. The fact that he plays what he plays and sings at the same time, and that the roots of his playing are so classic — it’s like Ron Wood when he was with Jeff Beck, or Paul McCartney or Jack Bruce or Felix Pappalardi — he’s just a terrific bass player. And when he puts his mind to it he’s a terrific songwriter. So I’m well aware that what we created and built together could never have been done by either of us alone. And the older we get, I think the more we covet and cherish that.

Fans have been speculating about the possibility of a reunion of the guys that started Kiss alongside you and Gene on this final tour. What are the chances we’ll see Ace and Peter get up onstage with you at some point?

It’s really not up to me. But I’ll say that this is a celebration of this band and its accomplishments and its history. So anybody who was short-sighted enough to think this should be a reunion is missing the point. That being said, I would love to see everybody at one point or another be onstage. And if that doesn’t happen, it’s their choice, not mine.

If you’re talking about everybody, does that include former guitarists like Bruce Kulick and Vinnie Vincent?

Well, Bruce’s band played on the Kiss Kruise [the band’s festival at sea], and they were phenomenal. I was listening to some of the Eighties and Nineties Kiss songs that he did live and frankly it made me very proud. He did a terrific job. So Bruce is somebody who shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated as far as his role in this band. Now Vinnie, that’s one exception, and for so many reasons. I would say that’s not someone who I want to celebrate.

You’ve talked about having an expanded setlist on this tour, but you’ve also been adamant about the fact that you don’t feel there’s room to include obscurities in the show. That said, are there any Kiss deep cuts out there that you would love to play, even if you won’t actually get around to doing them?

There really aren’t, quite honestly. There are songs from my first solo album [1978’s Paul Stanley] and those got taken care of on my solo tour for Live to Win [Stanley’s 2006 solo album]. And last year on the Kruise we played “Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me?” [from Paul Stanley] But I think the public has it right. I think the songs that are the most popular are the ones that should be the most popular. And to appease or satisfy a really minute handful of people in an 18,000-seat arena, we’ll leave 17,990 people going, “What was that?” So what we want to do is celebrate all the eras of the band, and there’s enough songs — whether you go from “Firehouse” to “Black Diamond,” “Heaven’s on Fire” to “Hell or Hallelujah,” “Psycho Circus” to “C’mon and Love Me” — that are well known that to take up space in the show to play something that nobody knows is just beyond me. I mean, I remember going to see the Stones once at the Wiltern in L.A., and they did a whole night of rarities. It was pretty damn boring.

Let’s look a few years into the future. Kiss just played the final show on the End of the Road tour. What does Paul Stanley do when he wakes up the next day?

More. The idea that I would ever retire, that’s kind of like retiring from life. I’m not Yoda, but let me tell ya, if you don’t wake up every day excited at the prospects of what the day has to offer, you’re either depressed and should see somebody about that, or you’re not living. So what am I going to do? What I do now. I paint. I’ll probably write some songs. Maybe go in the studio and do an album. Spend time with my family. The only thing I won’t be doing is touring.

Will you miss Kiss?

I am Kiss! And I mean that in the best way. I consider Kiss my band. And I do think and hope everybody else in the band feels the same. It’s a big part of who I am and who I always will be. So I don’t see missing Kiss, because Kiss is always here with me.

Current Guitar World cover artists Kiss played an intimate gig at the Whisky a Go Go on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip last night, February 11. The 12-song set for SiriusXM subscribers marked the first time in more than 20 years the band had played a club show, and their first time ever playing at the Whisky. The 12-song set featured tracks from throughout their more than 40-year-career, including “Deuce,” “Lick It Up,” “Heaven’s On Fire” and “Detroit Rock City.” 

You can check out fan-filmed footage of “Detroit Rock City” above and "Love Gun" below.

Kiss’ performance at Whisky a Go Go launched SiriusXM’s “The Party Continues,” a new live series that will feature music’s top artists performing in an intimate venue for SiriusXM subscribers following the Grammy Awards.

The performance will air on Tuesday, February 12 at 5 PM ET on KISS Army Radio, channel 30, and through the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at SiriusXM.com. The concert will air on Howard Stern’s Howard 101 channel on Friday, February 15 at 9:00pm ET.

The full setlist was:

01. Deuce
02. Shout It Out Loud
03. Say Yeah
04. Heaven's on Fire
05. Cold Gin
06. Lick It Up
07. War Machine
08. Love Gun
09. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
10. Do You Love Me
11. Black Diamond
12. Detroit Rock City

Kiss have announced the release of a new greatest hits package, Kissworld—The Best of Kiss. The set is out January 25 via UMe on CD and digital, with standard black vinyl and limited edition color vinyl released on March 29.

The new package is timed to coincide with the kickoff of Kiss’ End of the Road final tour, which begins January 31 in Vancouver.

Kiss initially announced the End of the Road tour during an appearance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent in September.

"This is gonna be our last tour," singer and guitarist Paul Stanley said following their performance of “Detroit Rock City" on the show. "It will be the most explosive, biggest show we've ever done. People who love us, come see us. If you've never seen us, this is the time. This will be the show."

Kissworld—The Best of Kiss is available for pre-order here. You can check out the album art and track list below. 

For more information, visit www.kissonline.com. 

During an appearance on NBC’s America’s Got Talent last night Kiss announced that they will be embarking on a farewell tour beginning in 2019.

"This is gonna be our last tour," singer and guitarist Paul Stanley said following Kiss’ performance of their classic 1977 song “Detroit Rock City" to kick off AGT’s season finale. "It will be the most explosive, biggest show we've ever done. People who love us, come see us. If you've never seen us, this is the time. This will be the show."

The outing, which will be called the End of the Road World Tour, will be a multi-year run. Bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons told Sweden’s Expressen magazine in June: “It will be a three-year-long tour starting in January 2019. It will be our most spectacular tour ever. We [will] go to all continents, exactly where [I] cannot tell you now.”

The band said in a statement:

"All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who've filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years. This will be the ultimate celebration for those who've seen us and a last chance for those who haven't. Kiss Army, we're saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we'll go out the same way we came in... Unapologetic and Unstoppable.”

Back in 2014 Guitar World sat down with Stanley and Simmons on the occasion of Kiss’ induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. At the time, Stanley spoke to Kiss’ enduring popularity four decades in: “[W]hat we’re doing now is, for my money, the best show we’ve ever done,” he said. “We’re surviving. We’re thriving. That’s our victory.”

For more details and pre-sale information on the End of the Road World Tour, check out Kiss’ official website.

Ace Frehley has announced a new solo album, Spaceman. You can hear its second single, "Rockin' with the Boys," above. 

Spaceman—which will be available October 19 via Entertainment One (eOne)—is Frehley's eighth solo album. The former Kiss guitarist unveiled the album's first single, "Bronx Boy," back in April.

You can check out Spaceman's cover and track list below.

Aside from this newly announced solo album, Frehley has also recently been busy mending the fences with his former bandmates, particularly Kiss bassist Gene Simmons. Frehley took the stage with Simmons for the first time in 16 years at a Hurricane Harvey benefit concert last September, and joined Simmons again at a Q&A for Simmons' Vault Experience at Walt Grace Vintage Guitars in Miami, Florida in February.

For more on Ace Frehley, be sure to follow along on Facebook.

Ace Frehley—Spaceman track list:

01. Without You I'm Nothing
02. Rockin' With the Boys
03. Your Wish Is My Command
04. Bronx Boy
05. Pursuit Of Rock and Roll
06. I Wanna Go Back
07. Mission To Mars
08. Off My Back
09. Quantum Flux

Hard Rock recently teamed up with former Marilyn Manson and current Rob Zombie axeman John 5 for a fascinating, deep dive into guitar history.

With the help of Hard Rock historian Jeff Nolan, John 5 got to play Jimi Hendrix’s SG Custom, Paul Stanley's Ibanez Iceman, Brian Jones’s iconic Vox Mk. III “Teardrop”, Paul Kossoff’s ’57 Les Paul Jr., the ’58 Les Paul from the cover of the Rolling Stones’ live classic Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!, Jason Becker's Peavey "Numbers" and Duane Allman’s Telecaster guitars.

Luckily for us, the Hard Rock crew was on hand to film the whole thing. You can watch the clearly awestruck John 5 play them all above.

For the record, John 5 is also using a Valvetrain 416 head and 1x12 cabinet, an Analogman Beano Boost and an Origin Effects Cali76 compressor in the video.

Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons will perform live together for the first time in 16 years for The Children Matter benefit concert in St. Paul, MN, which will benefit victims of Hurricane Harvey.

It's a sure sign—along with Paul Stanley's guest appearance on Frehley's 2016 covers album, Origins: Vol. 1—that the hard feelings in the Kiss camp, which Frehley revealed in a 2014 interview with Guitar World, have mostly subsided.

The concert—which will take place on September 20 at CHS Field Stadium—will also feature Don Felder and Cheap Trick. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Matter, and their hurricane relief efforts for the victims of Harvey.

You can purchase tickets for this one-off show at thechildrenmatter.ngo.

We’re thrilled to premiere the latest episode of Ernie Ball’s String Theory, a web series exploring the sonic origins of some of music’s most influential and innovative guitar players.

Featured in this new episode is Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley—and here are five surprising facts revealed in the video:

1. He grew up around really diverse music, but the acoustic guitar stands out to him (0:45): “I was blessed that I grew up around very diverse music. My parents are European, and music is much more important to people in Europe. It really started more on the acoustic guitar. Not coincidentally, you know, when you saw Elvis playing those early shows, he was playing a Martin.”

2. Stanley holds rhythm guitar playing in high regard (1:27): “For me, being a rhythm player was never a stepping stone to being a lead player. Too often, people either forgo spending time learning and understanding rhythm playing, and think that it’s more important to know how to solo. Surprisingly—or not so much so—I can remember guys who were very flashy on lead guitar, but as soon as you asked them, ‘Now back me up,’ they were lost. I think you can spend a lifetime working on your rhythm.”

3. He was first drawn to Ernie Ball strings because of the bright packaging—and his first sets were flatwounds (2:27): “One thing about Ernie Ball I could always remember was the packages that your eye immediately went to because of the colors. Funny enough, when I first started playing electric guitar, I got flatwound strings, because they didn’t squeak. It took a while to realize that the squeaking is part of what makes it cool.”

4. Stanley is a big fan of higher-gauge strings (3:00): “To me, to play great rhythm, you need stiff strings. Whatever your fingers can handle is the way to go. When you have those wobbly strings, to me that’s not rock ’n’ roll. Rock ’n’ roll is about the glory of the arm swing, the down push. I want the glory of those big chords. Think of a piano—there’s that great authority when you hit a chord. The strings aren’t undulating. There’s a definitive quality to it. Those thicker strings make for a much more emphatic chord.”

5. He doesn’t play as much guitar as he used to, but the instrument is still a huge part of him (5:52): “The guitar is something I can always go to. It’s always there for me. And, honestly, I don’t play it as often as I did, but it’s so much part of the foundation of who I am and what’s made me who I am.”

Of course, these are just five facts pulled from the clip. Be sure to watch the entire episode below.

For more information, visit ernieball.com.

EDM (electronic dance music) duo Snaked recently released a new track titled "Paul Stanley."

The only "vocals" included on the EDM track are various bits of stage banter by Paul Stanley of Kiss. "Paul Stanley"—which was produced by New Jersey-based DJ Depressed Teenager—perfectly merges the age-old experience of a Kiss concert with the new sound of EDM, complete with some appropriately larger-than-life guitar leads from video game composer Hugh Myrone.

Check it out below.

We got this story from The A.V. Club, by the way. Enjoy!

Here's where my story with Kiss began.

I was in the seventh grade and was a young hell-raising thrash kid into Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, Overkill and Metallica.

One day my best friend brought a Hit Parader magazine to school and said, “Dave, check these dudes out." When I saw Kiss on the cover, they had that whole "Japanese Kabuki meets outer-space warrior" vibe to them, and as a 12- or 13-year-old kid, I thought they ruled instantly.

I didn’t even really care what kind of music they played or if they even played music at all. I was hooked. To me, Kiss is the most underrated band of all time. I know some of you out there reading this are saying, WHAT!?!?! But here goes. When I talk music, I always bring up Kiss because, pound for pound, they are probably my favorite band of all time. It’s a toss-up between them and Megadeth.

But from a lot of people what I hear is, “Oh, man, I could just never get into Kiss." I really feel like a lot of people are missing out on the greatness they have to offer. Some say they sold out because of their vast product line, or they say they are not great musicians or whatever, but you just can’t argue with their incredible live show, and the songs are just unbelievable. I just don’t think they get the respect they deserve as songwriters. They have hooks for days, those big over-the-top choruses that hit you like a ton of bricks. That’s what has set them apart from other bands: They have memorable songs that stand the test of time.

To thrive and to still be hugely relevant in the music business for 40 years is pretty much unheard of. If they were good enough for Dimebag Darrell to love them, then hey, who can argue with that? I already loved the band’s image, but they blew me away musically with Kiss Unplugged. It’s an absolutely amazing live record. The musicianship they showed in that performance was incredible.

Paul and Gene are spot on with the vocals, the band is firing on all cylinders and Bruce Kulick’s wailing acoustic guitar solos made me a huge fan instantly. I loved it. After hearing that record, I had to own every song the band had ever done. I quickly learned that their back catalog was equally impressive, spanning tons of genres and vibes. I saw Kiss for the first time when I was around 16. I took a couple of friends with me to see them in concert in Columbus, Ohio. Ted Nugent and Skid Row were opening up for them on “The Farewell Tour." I remember my friends came along just to get away from our boring little small town.

They poked fun at Kiss during the whole car ride there, saying things like “Kiss is dinosaur rock” and making fun of Paul’s legendary in-between song banter. But when the band fired up and the 100-foot drum risers came out and the fireworks started popping and the pyro blazed, they melted away into a couple of 10-year-old kids. I had a good laugh because when the show ended, the same guys who were talking smack on Kiss were now like, "Oh dude, I need to buy a shirt” and “I’m getting Peter Criss’ signature drum sticks." I will never forget it. It was one of the best shows I’d ever seen. The truth is I say that after every Kiss show I go to. I actually just got back from seeing them last night in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The great ones ripped the roof off of the place. If you haven’t seen them yet, go see them. You wont regret it. It’s a blast. Before I go, everyone knows “Rock and Roll All Nite,” but I feel with those best-of collections, you are never truly getting “the real best of” stuff. So here goes: These are the Kiss songs I feel are “must own” songs. Every rock fan should check them out.

“Shandi,” from Alive IV

This comes off of Unmasked originally, but this version is awesome. It has the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra backing them up. It is a truly great song.

“I Will Be There,” from Carnival of Souls

I don’t know who wrote the lyrics, but it’s a message to one of their kids and it is really heart felt. I love the whole Led Zeppelin-esque instrumentation that is going on as well. Very cool tune.

“I Still Love You,” from KISS Unplugged

This is a really well-written song and on this version Bruce Kulick makes the acoustic guitar sing like very few have ever done. Also Paul turns in an unbelievable vocal performance here holding one note out for what seems like ten minutes. Another favorite for me on this one is “Sure Know Something.”

“Carr Jam 1981,” from Revenge

First off, let me say that “Revenge” is a killer record and one of the band’s finest hours, but I put this one on here, which isn’t even a song but a band jam, just because Eric Carr was such a monster drummer and newer generations of drummers need to study this guy. He was the real deal.

“Shout It Out Loud,” from You Wanted the Best You Got the Best

This is one of my favorite songs ever. This always puts me in a good mood. It’s such a rock anthem. And on this version no one captures that live concert feel on record quite like Kiss. Also check out “I Stole Your Love” from this CD.

“King of the Mountain,” from Asylum

I love the drum intro on this one, and it’s just a cool song. “I’m Alive” from this record also rules.

“Dirty Livin',” from Dynasty

This album leaned super heavy toward disco, which lost Kiss a lot of fans at the time, but this record has stood the test of time and is now a favorite among fans. “Dirty Livin” rocks, and Peter Criss sings it well. I love the whole vibe. “Magic Touch” is another classic from that record.

“Under the Rose,” from The Elder

I heard this song for the first time about a year ago when I stayed up all night in my new home unpacking. I had my iPod on shuffle and this track came on. I felt like I was on some weird drug just hearing it. I am totally clean and sober but when I heard this, I was like “WHAT”!!!! I Love this album though. It takes a few listens to get into and then you're hooked. “The Oath,” “A World Without Heroes” and "Mr. Blackwell” are all classics from this record.

“Exciter,” from Lick It Up

Great song. I like the tone of the whole album. It takes me right back to the Eighties. “Young and Wasted” is worth checking out as well, and, of course, “Lick It Up,” which is a live staple for them. Last night everyone in my section kept screaming for them to play “Lick It Up,” and when they did the place went insane.

“Nowhere to Run,” from Kiss Gold

A hidden gem almost no one knows about.

“Stand," from Sonic Boom

I loved the Sonic Boom album; there are a lot of cool songs on that one. This one stands out because that Beatles and Mott The Hoople influence is very evident. I love the chorus; it reminds me of “All the Young Dudes.” The harmony vocal part after the guitar solo is great and reminds me a lot of the harmony part in “God Gave Rock and Roll to You,” another Kiss must-hear.

“King of the Night Time World,” from Alive IV

This song rules, plain and simple. A fun fact on this song is it was co-written by the manager of the Runaways, Kim Fowley, the same dude who co wrote “Do You Love Me." Kiss has always brought in various co-writers like Bryan Adams on “Rock and Roll Hell” or Michael Bolton on “Forever." Yes that Michael Bolton, and yes, that Bryan Adams.

“Strange Ways,” from Hotter Than Hell

Kiss does a cool job on this, but check out the Megadeth version from the “Warchest” box set. It's awesome.

“I’ve Had Enough (Into the Fire),” from Animalize

Great song!

“Saint and Sinner” and “War Machine,” from Creatures of the Night

These rock! Also the version of “Creatures of the Night” from the Alive III record is awesome. It also totally captures the live Kiss experience on record.

“Burning Up with Fever” and “True Confessions,” from the Kiss Gene Simmons solo album.

Very cool album, I love these two tracks especially.

“Raise Your Glasses,” from Psycho Circus

This song should be taught in a “great songwriting 101” class. Intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, middle eight, then guitar solo. Brilliant!

“I Want You,” from Rock and Roll Over

Amazing song. For me it really sums up what made the Seventies-era Kiss so great.

“Black Diamond,” from Kiss My Ass

This is the tribute album version by Yoshiki. The Kiss version, of course, is amazing, but this one is so cool. I urge people to check it out. It’s a beautifully arranged epic classical version.

Till next time, rock on! Dave Reffett is a Berklee College of Music graduate and has worked with some of the best players in rock and metal. He is an instructor at (and the head of) the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal department at The Real School of Music in the metro Boston area. He also is a master clinician and a highly-in-demand private guitar teacher. He teaches lessons in person and worldwide via Skype. As an artist and performer, he is working on some soon-to-be-revealed high-profile projects with A-list players in rock and metal. In 2009, he formed the musical project Shredding The Envelope and released the critically acclaimed album The Call Of The Flames. Dave also is an official artist endorsee for companies like Seymour Duncan, Gibson, Eminence and Esoterik Guitars, which in 2011 released a Dave Reffett signature model guitar, the DR-1. Dave has worked in the past at Sanctuary Records and Virgin Records, where he promoting acts like The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Korn and Meat Loaf.

June 2016 Guitar World cover star Ace Frehley—who, by the way, was born on this date in 1951—has premiered his new music video for "Fire and Water," his cover of a classic 1970 Free track.

The song, which is from Frehley's new album of covers, Origins: Vol. 1, features his former bandmate, Paul Stanley of Kiss, on vocals and guitar.

"It was great working with Paul again," Frehley said. "All the years we've spent apart doing other projects seemed to vanish once we hit the stage.

This is the first music video to feature Frehley and Stanley since 1998's “Psycho Circus” by Kiss.

"We've always been friends," Frehley added. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."

Paul Stanley has teamed up with his former Kiss bandmate, Ace Frehley, for a new version of "Fire and Water," a classic 1970 track by Free.

The song can be found on Frehley's new album of covers, Origins Vol. 1, which will be released April 26.

This marks the first time the Kiss co-founders have appeared on an original album together since 1998's Psycho Circus.

"Ace was doing an album of covers, songs that influenced him and that he loved, and called me," Stanley told KBAD 94.5's "Morning Crash" radio show. "And it's always very funny, because with caller ID, I look, and the phone's ringing, and I see Ace's name come up. So, of course…

"Look, for all the bickering and stuff that we may say about each other, we go back to a very magical time. We started this together. So in spite of whatever we may say from time to time or things that get blown up, we are a family, and a dysfunctional one, but nonetheless a family. So Ace said, 'Would you do something on the album?' I said, 'Sure. Of course.'"

This morning, the crew over at RollingStone.com premiered a new recording by former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley.

You can hear the song, a cover of "White Room," the classic 1968 Cream track from Wheels of Fire, below.

The song is from Frehley's new album, Origins Vol. 1, which is described as "a collection of 12 newly recorded classics from Ace’s formative years, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and roll."

Some of those names include Kiss frontman Paul Stanley, who joins Ace on Free's "Fire and Water." This marks the first time Stanley and Frehley have appeared on the same studio recording since Kiss' 1998 reunion album, Psycho Circus.

"We've always been friends," Frehley told RollingStone.com. "The press seems to amplify negativity. I guess it makes good copy."

Yeah, it's OK.

Anyway, other six-string-centric guests on Origins Vol. 1 include Slash, who trades solos on Thin Lizzy's "Emerald"; Lita Ford, who sings and plays lead guitar on the Troggs' "Wild Thing"; John 5, who plays guitar alongside Ace as he sings his classic Kiss composition "Parasite" for the first time (as well as Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic"); and Pearl Jam's Mike McCready plays guitar with Frehley as he finally sings his Kiss Alive! mainstay "Cold Gin."

By the way, "White Room" is available an iTunes instant-gratification track; humans who pre order the album on iTunes will receive "White Room" instantly. Use Google to help you find that link.

Here's the complete track list:

• 1. White Room (Cream)
• 2. Street Fighting Man (Rolling Stones)
• 3. Spanish Castle Magic (Jimi Hendrix) *John 5
• 4. Fire and Water (Free) *Paul Stanley
• 5. Emerald (Thin Lizzy) *Slash
• 6. Bring It On Home (Led Zeppelin)
• 7. Wild Thing (The Troggs) *Lita Ford
• 8. Parasite *John 5 (KISS)
• 9. Magic Carpet Ride (Steppenwolf)
• 10. Cold Gin *Mike McCready (KISS)
• 11. Till The End Of The Day (Kinks)
• 12. Rock and Roll Hell (KISS)

Ace also has announced a three-week-long U.S. tour, and you can check out the dates below. Carry on.

Ace Frehley on Tour:

2/26 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
2/27 - San Antonio, TX - Fitzgerald's
2/28 - Dallas, TX - The Bomb Factory
3/2 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
3/4 - San Miguel, CA - The Ranch
3/5 - Beverly Hills, CA - Saban Theatre
3/6 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl - Las Vegas
4/1 - Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
4/2 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre
4/3 - Sunrise, FL - Markham Park - Rockfest 80's
4/5 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
4/7 - Danville, VA - Carrington Pavilion
4/9 - New Hope, PA - Havana New Hope
4/11 - New York, NY - BB King's Blues Club
4/12 - New York, NY - BB King's Blues Club
4/13 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
4/15 - Wilkes Barre, PA - The F.M. Kirby Center
4/16 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance

Late last week, when Foo Fighters told the universe about frontman Dave Grohl's "surprise" birthday show scheduled for this past Saturday at the Forum in LA, we knew we'd have some interesting clips to share with you this morning. Turns out we were correct!

Below, check out freshly posted, fan-filmed videos of Foo Fighters performing with:

01. A newly bald David Lee Roth for a version of Van Halen's "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love"

02. Tenacious D and Slash for Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"

03. Paul Stanley for a version of Kiss' "Do You Love Me?"

Of course, we'll have more videos for you as they become available on YouTube. In the meantime, enjoy the following three clips!

According to Rolling Stone, Zakk Wylde, Lemmy Kilmeister of Motorhead, Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction and Trombone Shorty also made appearances during the marathon set. That didn't stop the band from making their way through a host of Foo Fighters hits, including "Learning to Fly" and "Everlong."

DAVID LEE ROTH, "Panama" and "Ain't Talkin' Bout Love"

TENACIOUS D and SLASH, "Immigrant Song":

PAUL STANLEY, "Do You Love Me?":

In 2000, Kiss guitarist Paul Stanley appeared in a commercial for Folgers coffee.

Although the commercial never aired, audio from the ad has circulated in recent years. But now—thanks to the wonders of YouTube—you can watch the entire ad.

As Ultimate Classic Rock points out, the long-lost commercial was finally uploaded onto YouTube recently. In the clip, which you can watch below, Stanley walks around a circus where a trapeze artist is practicing her craft.

"This is your wake up call / Time to reach and go for it all / Folgers stirs inside of me and I know what I can be," Stanley sings, mug in hand. "Limit is the sky / Hey world, watch me fly / The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup."

Thoughts?

In 1976, Ibanez approached Kiss frontman Paul Stanley to collaborate on a signature guitar that would become the instrument with which he would be forever associated.

Now, for the first time since 1996, Paul and Ibanez have reunited to re-issue three exciting new versions of the original Paul Stanley Signature Model.

"Renewing my collaboration with Ibanez feels like going home to where it all started,” Stanley said. “The guitars we created remain iconic and we will celebrate them and more as we move forward into our future together."

“We’re very excited to be partnering again with Paul Stanley,” said Ibanez Artist Relations Manager Mike Taft. “It’s been an amazing year for Paul and the band, including the release of his best-selling autobiography, the band’s long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the ongoing world tour to commemorate their 40th anniversary together.

"I couldn't think of a better time for Paul to reunite with Ibanez. Along with their distinctive styling, these historic instruments have proven themselves on albums and in concert worldwide, where their sound has made them sought after by guitarists for decades."

Stay tuned for more details soon!

Paul Stanley has risen to international fame playing the role of the Starchild in Kiss.

However, in his upcoming autobiography, Face the Music: A Life Exposed (HarperOne), the guitarist discusses two other roles he has played that have affected his life as much if not more: the Phantom of the Opera and family man.

The market for rock autobiographies has been fertile lately, and many tend to follow the same formula of addiction, conflict, conquests on the road and business deals gone bad.

Stanley’s book takes a more unique path as he opens up about nagging feelings of emptiness, even as the band was at the height of their Seventies mega-stardom. He also is candid about his relationship with Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to Stanley about Face The Music.

GUITAR WORLD: All of the other original members of Kiss have written books. What made this the right time for you?

I never saw writing a book. I think, just by nature of what they are, autobiographies are fatally flawed. Most of the time they tend to be grandiose in their perspective because someone is writing about themselves. I had no desire to do that. Honestly, I’ve looked at most autobiographies and thought they should have been on soft tissue paper on a roll and they would serve a better purpose. Just to write about real or imagined victories or successes or achievements isn’t what I wanted to do.

When I finally realized I could write a book that could be inspirational, that could show that everyone has obstacles and even the people we might look up to and aspire to be have been through their own trials and tribulations and can succeed, that was intriguing. The idea of writing a book my children could read to understand what I've been through to be where I am was what really made me do a 180-degree turn.

I didn’t want to write a book about Kiss. I wanted to write about my life. I wanted to write about somebody who faced a lot of adversity and obstacles and thought they knew how to resolve them and found out I wrong. I was fortunate enough to achieve the success I thought was the answer, and then I was fortunate enough to roll up my sleeves and figure out what it really took to find contentment and happiness.

The book has a happy ending. Otherwise, I couldn’t have written it. People have told me it’s a great book. If I were still stuck in the middle of it, I wouldn’t have written it.

Everyone has written the book about their rock star life. Yours takes the reader on a journey. You had a goal, you had obstacles as a young man. What I found most interesting was that even when achieving success, there was discontentment and isolation.

I think that’s the beauty that can be passed along to other people. How other people perceive you doesn't affect how you perceive yourself. No matter what you achieve and what you hide from others, you can never hide it from yourself. True happiness and true contentment in life have to come internally. That may be a cliche, but it was certainly never more glaring than in my life. Once you realize you're still unhappy, you either start medicating yourself or start figuring out what’s next.

In the book, you can see how the arrival of your first child, Evan, brought about a change in your outlook. It seems your family brought you a real sense of contentment.

I think it is eye opening that if we choose to be great parents it’s because we move ourselves from the center of the universe and give it to the people we love around us. Having children can be incredibly healing, and it also can make us better people because we are supposed to lead by example. If we set a good example, we live better lives. I found a lot peace and a lot of joy in being a parent.

Whether or not you're a fan of Kiss, the father angle makes it an interesting read.

I would think somebody is going to do themselves a disservice if they don't read the book just because they don’t like the band. It is not a book about the band. It’s a book about a person who, although on the surface might seem very much unlike the reader, I’m very much the reader.

One of the things you discuss is your role in The Phantom of the Opera. Can you talk about throwing yourself into that challenge? Obviously everyone knew you as the Starchild and the voice of Kiss.

I think you have to remember I stepped outside of character to be in a rock band. I was a shy, insecure, unpopular kid. Innately when I saw the Beatles and even before that with Elvis Presley, I had this epiphany that that's what I wanted to do. I didn’t play guitar. I hadn’t written a song before in my life, but I think so often we lose sight of our potential because as kids we believe we are capable of everything and that gets beaten out of us by people who fail.

The same thing happened to me with Phantom of the Opera. I had seen it in London in 1988, and while I was watching it I had that same thought. I had never done musical theater. I had no idea what went into it. Ten years later I found myself auditioning for the part and getting it. So at that point I got thrown into the deep end of the pool. Don’t wish for something unless you are ready to get it. At that point my determination was to be great. Not to denigrate something, but to do it justice.

The stakes were high and interestingly when I watched Phantom in London. I never connected the dots and never saw how much of it was me, somebody hiding behind a mask and incapable of really giving. I only learned and connected those dots as I was doing the show. It was eye opening for me and also very freeing.

Anyone who is familiar with the story and looks at the first half of your book can see there's a parallel with his character and your character.

Absolutely.

In the book, you mention your guitar playing and realizing your strengths and limitations. Was your pursuit songwriting because you felt that was your strength?

I always saw myself as a very solid guitar player, but we should never fool ourselves because we lose time and we can’t bring that back. If we do a hard assessment of ourselves we can better plot our course. I didn’t feel I could be the gunslinger guitar player I loved, but I also knew I could be a pretty consummate rhythm player, which is an art in itself. Some people see rhythm guitar as what a lead player does before he’s good enough to play lead. And there are others that are great lead players that are not able to play rhythm. They learned to run before they could walk.

As I played, I found myself more to the rhythmic elements like Pete Townshend or Keith Richards or even Jimmy Page, who is a brilliant rhythm player. I had no aspirations to go beyond that. My guitar playing worked as a vehicle and a foundation for my songs. I became a better guitar player as time went on and I also became a better songwriter.

It was interesting to read how you came full circle in your relationship with Bill Aucoin [original Kiss manager]. Was that closure something that helped you in your road to where you are now?

It was incredible. It was something so special to reconnect with Bill in a way where we could resolve old tensions but also revel in our lives now. It was so fulfilling and perhaps in many ways that was what I was looking for with the band reunion, but that wasn’t to be.

With Bill I was blessed to become very close to him, and he was somebody in the formative years of the band was pivotal. We could have never made it without him. He is somebody whose importance can’t be overstated. The bitter sweetness of becoming good friends and having him come to art shows and concerts, even when he was very sick, was more than poignant. It was an incredible addition to my life.

Face The Music: A Life Exposed will be available in hardback and e-book April 8 from HarperOne Publishing. Stanley and Kiss will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame April 10 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. They've also announced their 40th anniversary tour with Def Leppard. You can find more about Stanley at PaulStanley.com.

Paul Stanley Book Signings:

• Monday, April 7Barnes & Noble, Tribeca, NYC 6:00 PM
• Tuesday, April 8Barnes & Noble, Staten Island, NY 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 9Bookends, Ridgewood, NJ 6:00 PM
• Wednesday, April 16 Barnes & Noble, The Grove, CA 7:00 PM
• Thursday, April 17 Warwick's, San Diego (La Jolla), CA 7:00 PM
• Friday, April 25 JCC, San Francisco, CA 7:00 PM

Maybe it’s the makeup. Maybe it’s the merchandising. Maybe, at the end of the day, it’s just the music itself.

Whatever the source, it is safe to say that few bands have inspired as much fervent devotion—and also rabid derision—as the self-proclaimed “Hottest Band in the World,” Kiss.

But love them or hate them (and really, is there any area in between?), Kiss—and in particular its stalwart co-founders, visionaries and greatest proponents and protectors, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons—continue to not only exist but also scale greater heights.

Here we are in 2014, and the band, now roughly 10 lineups in with current guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, are experiencing yet another renaissance.

Their most recent (and 20th) studio album, Monster, was an unusually strong effort, more energetic and enjoyable than should reasonably be expected from any band at this stage of its career. Meanwhile, on the live front, Kiss continue to push the limits of just how much of an over-the-top spectacle a rock and roll show can truly be (for evidence, check out videos of recent performances that feature their newly designed Spider stage).

But 2014 is also offering up another nice pair of victories for the band. This year marks Kiss’ 40th anniversary (their self-titled debut was released in February 1974), and in April, Stanley and Simmons, along with former, and now estranged, original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

To celebrate these dual milestones, Guitar World met separately with Stanley and Simmons at their Los Angeles homes to discuss just a few of the many triumphs and tribulations that led the band here.

Additionally, they were asked to examine the inner workings of their unique partnership as well as to offer a few candid thoughts on the many guitarists that have passed through Kiss’ ranks, from Frehley to Thayer and everyone in between. (As for the ones that almost made it? That list includes Eddie Van Halen…depending on who you ask.)

Which is not to say that Stanley and Simmons, now 62 and 64, respectively, have much time these days for reflection. A week before meeting with Guitar World, both, along with Thayer and Singer, were in Milan for Fashion Week, walking the runway in full makeup with designer John Varvatos.

A few days after our talks they were back in their gear, playing “Rock and Roll All Nite” in front of more than 50,000 people at Dodger Stadium for the NHL’s first-ever outdoor hockey game in California. The next week brought a trip to Maui to open the newest location of the Simmons/Stanley restaurant chain, Rock & Brews. And in April, Stanley will release his excellent, and refreshingly candid, autobiography, Face the Music: A Life Exposed (HarperCollins).

Finally, come the summer, Kiss will likely be back out on the road, once again playing to sheds packed full of several generations of screaming fans—the very same ones that Stanley and Simmons have always publicly credited with keeping the band going through their many ups and downs. And, just maybe, Stanley reasons, those fans had more than a little to do with Kiss finally becoming Hall of Famers. “At some point,” he says, perhaps also summing up the band’s raison d’être, “you just can’t ignore the roar of the crowd.”

GUITAR WORLD: Congratulations on your long-awaited Hall of Fame induction. Along with Rush, who were inducted last year, there is possibly no other band that has been both as successful in music and as ignored by the Hall as Kiss.

But to ignore somebody with the kind of fervor that we’ve been ignored, that’s clearly a conscious decision. For better or worse, that’s not being ignored at all. When it happens year after year, that’s a choice. But on the other side of it, to me rock and roll has always been about doing what you want to do and ignoring not only your critics but also your peers.

For 40 years, we’ve rarely wavered from that. So I would have to say that the same criteria that has kept us out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is the same criteria that now has gotten us inducted into it.

The debate over whether or not Kiss deserved to be in the Hall of Fame was in a way a microcosm of a larger and much longer-running argument about Kiss’ artistic merits in general. The classic “Kiss Army vs. the Critics” battle, if you will.

But ultimately, who gives a shit about the critics? To pontificate or pass judgment on what’s good or bad, I leave that to the audience. And let me say this: the makeup and the stage show have never been there to cover anything up; it’s there to embellish and enhance what we do. I’ve seen us onstage without any makeup, I’ve seen us play in a club setting. We’ve got the goods. If some people are turned off by the way we look, that’s their prerogative.

One thing that has always struck me is that, for how flamboyant and over-the-top the Kiss image was right from the start, it was also incredibly focused and direct.

Even though the characters were diverse, the fact is that the image was always cohesive. One guy isn’t wearing red leather and the next guy is in a silk suit. There’s a color scheme. There’s a unity. Growing up, what I loved about all the British bands was that group unity.

For the most part, the guys in one band would have never looked right in another band—you couldn’t take one of the Stones and put him in the Beatles. I also think that what made it ring true for a lot of people is that it was deeper than paint. We’ve always worn what we feel as a second skin, whereas other bands might have thought, Get a silly outfit and a big logo and you can be Kiss.

Even before Kiss, you and Gene were playing around with the concept of having alter egos. Back when you both were in Wicked Lester, you considered dressing up as a cowboy, and Gene was going to be a caveman. Not quite as compelling, character-wise, as the Starchild and the Demon.

Well, I don’t think anybody hits a homerun the first time they’re at bat. If they do it’s luck, and then they don’t hit another. Gene and I knew where we wanted to go, but we weren’t quite sure how to get there. We were groping in the dark. At the beginning of Kiss, for one show I think I had a red face and Gene was in a sailor suit. So there was an evolution, only in hyper speed. It didn’t take years—it took months, weeks.

What do you feel are Gene’s strengths as a musician?

For all his bullshit and his joy in rubbing people the wrong way, the fact of the matter is the guy is a great bass player.

He has the right roots as far as I’m concerned—Paul McCartney, Felix Pappalardi, Jack Bruce, Ron Wood when he was with the Jeff Beck Group. And he’s one of those guys who can play anything and sing at the same time, which is a whole lot more difficult than it looks.

With Gene, bass playing is not the first thing people tend to think about.

Gene’s assets and what he brings as a musician sometime get overshadowed by his desire to shake things up. But some pretty serious heavyweights have said to me, “Gee, I didn’t realize how great a bass player he is.” And from the beginning I could tell he was a good songwriter, or that he had the ability to be a really good songwriter.

I think his early stuff before Kiss was kind of questionable. Some of the songs he brought in initially were very odd. But his musicality and his sense of melody were great. And when we started writing together, it was just that magic that happens when one plus one equals five.

In your new autobiography, Face the Music, you chronicle a childhood filled with a fair amount of struggle, including being born with microtia, a deformity of the ear, and much conflict with your parents and sister, all of which could have led you to recoil from the world. And yet you became a classic example of the extroverted rock and roll singer.

True, but nobody has ever thought of me as the classic extroverted guy on the street. I was never that offstage. In social environments, what some people saw as snobbery was actually complete intimidation by a situation. When I would be at a party and I wouldn’t interact with people, it wasn’t because I thought I was better than them.

It was probably just the opposite. But we find different ways to deal with our handicaps and our shortcomings and our limitations. Mine was to charge forward because, innately, I knew I could do it.

You also write about having a desire to find your own family, and thinking that you did with Kiss. But that didn’t necessarily turn out to be the case.

But maybe it turned out to be more of a realistic family and less of an idealized one. Brothers don’t always get along. Brothers have egos. Brothers want to win. So what I was looking for was maybe a distortion of what, most of the time, family really is.

When I met Gene, it was invigorating, because it gave me support, because trying to make it on your own is very lonely and scary. Now the other two [Frehley and Criss], what can I say? There was a chemistry. But chemicals ultimately combust. It was volatile and it was exciting, but eventually it just blew up.

How did you and Ace work together as guitarists in the early days?

What we had at the beginning was magical. Not because we were virtuosos. Magic in rock and roll isn’t dependent on virtuosity. Ace and I played great together. But in my mind it’s a crime what Ace did. He threw away incredible potential and talent. The Ace I played with when the band first started out was a comet. And not [Frehley’s late-Eighties band] Frehley’s Comet!

But he was burning bright and really had the ability—and this would rub him the wrong way—to be a real contender. But he stopped practicing. He got involved with a whole lot of things that really diluted and diminished his craft. I saw that comet grow dim.

By the turn of the Eighties, Ace and Peter were on their way out, and Gene was off trying to make a name for himself in Hollywood. Did you feel like you were on your own in Kiss?

Totally. Absolutely. I didn’t feel it. I was. There wouldn’t have been a band without me. Because when your partner is off doing all kinds of questionable side projects and not only taking time but also involvement away from the band, sure. For me it ultimately came down to, I love what I do; I don’t want this to end. So I decided to bail water, for my own survival.

How did that make you feel?

It certainly was more lonely and more stressful to know that the only person who was going to get us through the icebergs was me. But I didn’t mind that. I only minded the fact that I was still splitting the income and royalties as though I had a partner. That bothered me. The fact that I was running things? Honestly, that’s probably what got us through that decade.

As far as navigating the icebergs, as Kiss’ popularity declined, it was your idea, in 1983, to take off the makeup in order to reinvigorate interest in the band.

I didn’t see any other choice at that point. And I take my hat off to Gene that, although he was uncertain about it and maybe less comfortable with it, he came to realize that it was the right move. Or at least he saw that I was very committed to the idea. I felt that we had diluted everything the band was to the point where it was becoming a farce. What happened was, we kicked Peter out of the band—“we” meaning Ace, Gene and myself.

But rather than saying, “We’ve built these iconic figures together and we’re going to continue on with what we built,” we bought into the idea of, “We have to have a new character.” That watered it down. Some people may argue with me, but I feel that Batman is Batman whether he’s played by George Clooney, Christian Bale, Val Kilmer and on and on.

So are you saying that when Eric Carr replaced Peter and Vinnie Vincent replaced Ace, you feel they should have come into the band as the Catman and the Spaceman, respectively?

Absolutely.

Was there ever talk of doing that?

No. Never. So to suddenly have the Fox, who takes the place of the Cat, and the Ankh, who takes the place of the Spaceman…it just didn’t hold. And then couple that with the music we were making, which was marginal at best. Although we were giving 100 percent, when you’re more involved with who you’re hanging out with and the social strata that you’re in, and you’re enjoying your big house and all your money, you wind up gumming things. Your teeth don’t bite anymore.

When do you feel that things got back on track for the band?

Creatures of the Night. I wanted us to take the makeup off for that record. But we missed the opportunity, and it was met with a tepid response. But by Lick It Up Gene was willing to do it. And coincidentally that album sold, I don’t know, seven times what the one before it did.

There have always been rumors that around the time of Creatures of the Night, Eddie Van Halen had asked to join Kiss.

I never heard that. Eddie did come down to the studio during Creatures, and he spoke to me on the phone during that period. There was real dissention in his band at that time, that much was clear. But as far as him wanting to join Kiss? No, not that I know about. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, but I never heard it. But you have two interviews here.

Your two recent albums with the current lineup—Sonic Boom and Monster—have been exceptionally strong efforts. Are there plans to go back into the studio?

I don’t know. After we established ourselves as a live band with Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer], the desire to do a studio album was there so that we wouldn’t be resting on our history but building on what we’re doing today. So they were important albums to do, and I think to not have done them would have been a big mistake.

And actually, I love those albums way more than some of our early ones. It’s been well documented that, as far as I’m concerned, some of those early records were not competitive sonically with what else was out at the time, and they certainly didn’t sound like us live. So I’m really happy with our recent albums. They are everything that I always hoped Kiss would sound like on record. Whether we’ll do another? Time will tell.

This year is also the 40th anniversary of the release of Kiss’ self-titled debut. Is anything planned?

Well, every year is an anniversary. So what should we do this year that’s special? We should go out and be great. We’ll probably tour this summer, and we should go out with the Monster stage show that hasn’t really been around the States. We should show people that what we’re doing now is, for my money, the best show we’ve ever done. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re surviving. We’re thriving. That’s our victory.

Photo: Ross Halfin

It’s no insult to the band to say that Kiss have always been about window dressing.

For years the members hid their true identities behind cartoon personas and hard rock anthems that were powerful and exciting, but did little to reveal the men behind the music. Kiss is undeniably good fun, but if you’re looking for deep insight into the human condition or deep emotional catharsis, there are other musical avenues to investigate.

That’s why guitarist Paul Stanley’s new autobiography, Face The Music: A Life Exposed (HarperOne), comes as such a surprise. After years of carefully maintaining his Starchild superhero identity, Stanley lets down his guard and unleashes a torrent of pent-up feelings that erupt and flow over 400 pages like molten lava.

Starting with his genuinely disturbing childhood, and continuing with the difficulties he’s had with various band mates over the last 40 years, the guitarist spares no one—including himself.

We already know he thinks that founding members, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, are total screw-ups, but his feelings toward his lifelong partner in crime, Gene Simmons, will no doubt shock hardcore fans. While the current status of their relationship is fine, Paul recalls years of betrayal and neglect, which almost sunk the band during the Eighties.

The most interesting recurring theme of the book, however, is how Stanley, one of rock music’s most extroverted frontmen, struggled with his own fears and insecurities.

Face the Music is filled with passages like, “The character I created—the Starchild—would go up on stage and be that guy, the superhero, as opposed to the person I really was.” Or “During the short periods when Kiss was not on the road I would sit on the sofa in my New York City apartment and think, Nobody would believe that I’m home and have no place to go.”

If you’re looking for dirty sex and rock and roll, I’d suggest buying the supremely entertaining Nothin’ To Lose: The Making of Kiss (It Books) by Ken Sharp. But if you’re really interested in what continues to make Kiss tick, pick up Paul Stanley’s refreshingly honest tome.

Ain’t truth always stranger than fiction?

Face The Music: A Life Exposed by Paul Stanley will be published April 8 by HarperOne.

Brad Tolinksi is the editor-in-chief of Guitar World magazine.

[[ The all-new April 2014 issue of Guitar World features Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of Kiss on the cover! For new interviews with Stanley and Simmons, plus much more Kiss (not to mention the Scorpions, three kings of acoustic shred, the hottest gear from the 2014 Winter NAMM Show and more), check out the April 2014 issue of GW at the Guitar World Online Store. ]]

In the all-new Holiday 2012 issue of Guitar World magazine, Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler give you the scoop on everything from their new album, Music from Another Dimension!, to their battles over Aerosmith's destiny. Check out an excerpt of that story here.

Then, Paul Stanley discusses Kiss' new album, Monster, how the band is celebrating their 40th year together, and how they keep going and going.

After 16 years away from the studio, Soundgarden is back with their return album, King Animal. Kim Thayil discusses the group's reunion and tells the secrets behind his tunings and tone. Check out an excerpt of that story here.

After spending much of 2012 wowing music festival crowds with his fiery blues-rock fusion, Gary Clark Jr. completes his breakthrough year with Blak & Blu, his major-label full-length debut.

Plus, there's a holiday gift guide featuring:

• Vox Amphones
• Marshall Headphones Hanwell
• The Beatles Stereo Vinyl Box Set
• Casa Noble Santana Tequila

... and more!

And four songs with guitar and bass tabs:

• Asking Alexandria, "A Prophecy"
• Aerosmith, "Sweet Emotion"
• Curtis Stigers & the Forest Rangers, "This Life"
• Rick Springfield, "Jessie's Girl"

You'll also find Tune Ups on Down, Peavey's Self-Tuning Guitar, Jimmy Herring, Dave Keuning of The Killers, Steve Vai, Jerry Horton of Papa Roach and a Dear Guitar Hero feature with Martin Barre of Jethro Tull. There's also a 2013 Album Preview.

And then there's the gear reviews, featuring columns on:

• DigiTech 5th Generation Whammy Pedal
• Framus Mayfield Legacy Guitar
• Dean Rusty Cooley Signature RC7X Wraith Seven-String Guitar
• Electro-Harmonix Supergo Pedal

... and more!

On August 21, Kiss will publish what they're calling "the largest rock book ever to be published."

Kiss Monster Book is 3 feet tall, 2.5 feet wide and 2 inches thick.

The launch price? An equally massive $4,250.

"This book is way beyond my expectations," says Paul Stanley. "The photos are incredible at this size. It's not a coffee table book, it's a coffee table!"

The limited-edition book chronicles Kiss' 40-year career and includes 127 photos by renowned rock photographers, including never-before-seen images from the band's archives.

Only 1,000 copies of Kiss Monster Book will be made; each copy is individually signed, dated and numbered by the four members of the current lineup of Kiss. The books were printed in high-definition links by one of the world’s finest large-format printers, and they were hand stitched-and-bound in Italy by the same binder used by The Vatican. (Does the Pope know about this?) There are 10 different covers with matching signature pages; buyers can choose their cover when they place their order.

Kiss worked closely with the publishers and chose the best and rarest images. The photos include unseen gems, 35mm slides, famous moments and new pictures that bring the band right up-to-date. It includes photos from Richard Aaron, Fin Costello, Bob Gruen, Ross Halfin, Tom Hill, Steve Jennings and more.

The band will officially launch the book 2 to 4 p.m. August 21 at the Viper Room in Los Angeles.

For more information, visit kissmonsterbook.com and the official Kiss website.