FRANK GIRARDOT: KISS DOESN’T BELONG IN THE ROCK N’ ROLL HALL OF FAME

kiss-return Frank Girardot of the Pasadena Star-News reports:

I can’t think of a more plain way to say this, so I just will: KISS does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Period. End of Story.

I will argue my case, but the facts speak for themselves: KISS does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Over Commericalized Garbage Hall of Fame? Sure.

One-hit Wonder Hall of Fame? Right up there with the best of ‘em.

Don’t tell me that Rock and Roll All Nite is the Rock and Roll national anthem. It isn’t. That’s like saying We’re the Monkees is one of the ‘60s enduring classics.

In short, there is nothing that qualifies KISS for entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

And yet, on Thursday, KISS along with the E Street Band, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, Cat Stevens — aka Yusef Islam — and Daryl Hall and John Oates, will be inducted into the Cleveland shrine glorifying Rock and Roll.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m attacking KISS here, but I’m not sure Hall and Oates belong in it either. Unless a nomination is akin to a popularity contest.

Explain to me though how KISS beats out Deep Purple? You want an anthem? What the heck is Smoke on the Water?

Machine Head with Highway Star, Smoke on the Water, Lazy and Space Truckin is better than the entire KISS catalog.

For that matter how does KISS get into the winner’s circle ahead of Paul Butterfield? I mean the Butterfield Blues Band played at Monterey with Hendrix and at Woodstock with Hendrix and The Who. I think a better argument can be made for Butterfield as he opened the doors for Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn and played alongside Muddy Waters and Albert King.

Name one artist even slightly influenced by KISS or a style of musicianship influenced by the high-heeled poseurs. You can’t.

So what other bands and artists should be honored before KISS?

I would definitely put The Cure, Chicago, Journey, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Barry White, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jethro Tull, Los Lobos and Willie Nelson in ahead of the make-up boys. How do we really know who is up there playing anyway?

Even Devo and Soundgarden deserve spots in the Cleveland waterfront museum.

To make matters worse, KISS’ guitarist isn’t happy with the induction. But that’s because the HOF has some — albeit limited — standards. CEO Joel Peresman said Thursday’s ceremony will only honor the band’s original members: cat guy, dude with the long tongue, starface and silver eye make-up freak with shoulder pads.

“I don’t need the Hall Of Fame,” Starface told Rolling Stone Magazine. “And if there’s not reciprocity, I’m not interested. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, practically every member was inducted, and virtually all 175 members of the Grateful Dead. Rules need to apply to everybody.”

Probably embarrassed, Peresman nonetheless defended the limited selection.

“…There are certain acts that are nominated and brought in on their entire body of work, up until the day before the nominating committee meets,” Peresman told the Rolling Stone. “They are still evolving bands that are breaking new ground. With KISS, there wasn’t a single person we spoke to that didn’t feel the reason these guys were being inducted was because of the four original members.”

Sadly, even that’s a stretch. But as my friend Dion Lefler points out, “It ain’t the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Quality.”

source: pasadenastarnews.com

89 Responses

  1. He’s right up to a point,the kiss today are money hungry,immature brats that belong in the RRHF with current lineup,Ace & Peter makeup the 50% that do need to be in R&R HF.

  2. Let’s get this induction over with. I am sick of reading how the current and former members of KISS don’t like each other. Let’s be done with this already. What a joke this whole thing has been.

  3. This dude is an idiot!! Obviously, he must not pay attention to music at all, because Kiss has influenced countless bands, including Nirvana, who is going in too!! Complete Moron!!

    1. Exactly ! How many kids picked up the guitar or drums because of kiss…. Say what you will about there music but they influenced the many.

  4. The guy is right about DP…over 100 million albums sold…countless impacts/inspirations/influence on a ton of bands…and yes many hits…what about all the splinter bands – let me count them
    Rainbow – should be in the hall on its own merits, launched the careers of Ronne Dio, Cozy Powell (although he was a name before entering the band), Graham Bonnet, Don Airey, Joe Lynn Turner, Bobby Rondinelli, David Rosenthal, Doogie White (later day Rainbow for Doogie)
    Whitesnake!!!
    Black Country Communion!
    Ian Gillan Band – not big in America, but big elsewhere
    Blackmore’s Night – not my cup of tea, but they are successfull

    and of course a who’s who of musicians
    Ritchie Blackmore – IMHO the greatest hard rock guitarist ever and he is constantly reinventing himself see BN
    Ian Gillan – the greatest vocal ability in the 70s, and can still belt it out pretty good today for an old bastard
    Ian Paice- one of the finest drummers ever and can still play like a mofo – see the burn clip from April 4, 2014
    Jon Lord – the greatest keyboardist in hard rock ever – virtually made the organ into a snarling beast!
    David Coverdale, Roger Glover, Glenn hughes, Tommy fucking Bolin!!!, Steve Morse (won Guitar Player’s magazine best guitarist 5 years in a row!!) and of course Don Airey!!
    few bands can meld individual talents and have great/hit songs like DP

  5. Brilliant move Dana! After all the infighting with the ARMY lately, you post an article to galvanize us and bring us together like the KISS-loving bunch of knuckleheads we all are. Its good to know the qualifications of being a ‘writer’ at Pasadena Star-News is that you just need to make bold statements with no factual integrity or research. As much as the RRHOF is as big a joke as Mr. Girardot, it is humorous to suggest that any band that has been labeled a joke for 40 years because it has actually been around for 40 years is not worthy of a corporate, made up, so-called hall of fame. It is truly mind boggling to think of what has to happen for a band to stay in and out of the spot light for that period of time. Bands like KISS, Aerosmith, ACDC, Priest, Maiden, DP, Scorpions, and so on – who have given us all a lifetime of music, memories, stories, friendship deserve our thanks for the memories and dedication to their craft.

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