In their five decades as a band, Kiss have had five lead guitarists. Here, the band’s core members reflect on each of them – their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they meshed with the rest of the band The following interview is taken from the April 2014 issue of Guitar World. In this classic from the GW archives, Kiss’s sole remaining original members – Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley – hold little back as they assess and reflect on the five musicians who have occupied the lead guitar slot in Kiss over the decades
Ace Frehley
Gene Simmons: “You have to give it to him; he’s a musician. He was knowledgeable. And he was fantastic when he cared—the first three records, if I may say so. Those solos are yours to sing. It resembled an opera. Additionally, his style’s honesty was immediately apparent. He played, and you knew right away that it was him. That’s arguably the best praise a guitarist can receive.
Paul Stanley: “As guitarists, we just clicked at first. And I still talk a lot about Ace now. I’ll say to them, “He was really good looking.” He is free to dispute and say anything he wants, as long as he stays within the boundaries of what he did and doesn’t go higher. Everyone is free to express their opinions. However, I witnessed someone discard a present.
Simmons: “He was essentially Ace—a kind, loving guy—before the drugs and the alcohol and everything else. He was loved by all of us. I cherished him. The straight Ace is my favorite. But any drug addict, I fucking despise them. due to their possession.
Vinnie Vincent Stanley: “Vinnie possessed extraordinary guitar knowledge and a remarkable touch.” However, if left on his own, he would hang himself. It became less about what he played and more about how much he could play for someone with his caliber and taste in music. In the end, I was unable to comprehend the choice he made. And that’s without taking into account all the other stuff about him, which I think has been well documented.”
Simmons: “He was [than Frehley] a far more accomplished musician.” Comprehended certain jazz. could perform more quickly. That kind of hurricane machine-gun crap was all he was into. But his personality was not quite so clean. Though he despised me for instructing him what to play in the solo, we wrote I Love It Loud together. But the man was a talented songwriter “The man had vocals. He was able to outsmart almost everyone. But that was a freaking nightmare, with due respect to Vinnie. And it still is. That individual lost 14 of his lawsuits against us. However, I wouldn’t wish his death upon anyone. He has suffered greatly. a huge hassle. And it saddens me that
Mark St. John Stanley: “My famous tale involving Mark is that one evening when recording Animalize, I sent him home to write a solo for one of the tracks. He returned the following day and gave me a performance that was at least a beginning. “Play it again,” I then instructed. And he responded, “I can’t.”
“The guy was just throwing notes, so he could never play the same thing twice. Nothing in it was structured. “Go home and listen to Eric Clapton,” I advised him. Take heed of Paul Kossoff. Pay attention to Jimmy Page. With a look in my direction, he replied, “I can play faster than them.” That pretty much covers everything. Please check!
Simmons: “Mark’s guitar playing made your head feel like it was being buzzed by a furious bee.” The sound that irritates me the most. And he would demonstrate to you that he could play 11 frets with his fingertips. He was all technique, but he could play very quickly. He lacked both elegance and soul.”
Stanley: “I don’t know how long he could have been in the band, but obviously health issues derailed his being in the band [shortly after recording Animalize, St. John developed Reiter’s Syndrome, an arthritic condition that left him unable to play].” In my opinion, he was the poster child for not knowing what excellent guitar playing was all about.”
Bruce Kulick
Stanley: “Kiss began in the Eighties for certain people, and Bruce is the man for them. He always wanted to give it his all and was a fantastic team player. Additionally, he was crucial to Kiss’s resurgence as a Platinum-selling group. One should not downplay his significance.”
Simmons: “At the time, Bruce was the ideal man for us. The irony is that he was Kiss’s guitarist after [his brother] Bob Kulick gave the band an audition. However, Bruce’s style was more adaptable, whereas Bob’s was more along the lines of Neal Schon. He was able to adjust and change.
Not only could he play quickly, but he could also play melodically. He was also a pleasant man. Although he was not a brilliant vocalist, his fingers were his strongest suit. Getting Bruce to open up on stage, to put up his arm or assume a Jesus Christ position, the whole “I’m so important thing,” would be like pulling teeth. His style wasn’t like that. The guitar was his strongest suit.
Tommy Thayer
Simmons: “I produced two records for Black ‘N Blue, Thayer’s glam band from the 1980s, which is how I first met Tommy.” He was a solid, professional man who was always well-organized. I was unaware at the time that he was also a member of Cold Gin, a Kiss tribute band. He therefore knew all of Ace’s solos by heart.
“Tommy assisted in assembling the Kisstory booklets when he first joined us. After that, he supported Kiss conventions. He was our road manager after that. He turned into the guy when Ace left again. And he’s the greatest thing that could ever happen.”
Tanley: “Tommy is an excellent musician who possesses both lead and rhythmic skills. It doesn’t matter if he worked with Ace on the reunion tour and that he was previously proficient in Kiss material. That only indicates his technical familiarity with the subject. That is not all that Tommy is. I adore the way he plays. I adore his dedication to work. I’d prefer not to play with anyone else.