KISS - EXPOSED

This is where it all began…KISS – EXPOSED served as the catalyst that eventually led to my bedroom walls being plastered with KISS posters. From the first night Dan popped this cassette into a video machine to the following 100,000 viewing's in my basement, Brett’s basement, or countless other hangouts, my love for this video has never diminished.
Had I viewed this video at my current age (34), more than likely it would not have had the same effect. In fact I can be almost sure of it. When I first saw KISS – EXPOSED, I was 14 years old. Young enough, immature enough, and full of enough hormonal rage for everything to fall into place exactly as it was intended. KISS – EXPOSED served as my initiation into a world I had never dreamed of…the world of rock and roll and KISS.
Of all the images on the screen a few choice cuts left the biggest scars. "Who Wants To Be Lonely" had the ultimate impact on me. Beyond outer visions of fancy cars and platinum albums, this was the video that punched me in the gut. The song literally knocked me on my ass. I fell in love with Paul Stanley’s ‘rock swagger’ at that moment. "Uh! All Night" still has a bizarre effect on me even to this day. I was a sucker for hot blondes in their bare feet when I was 14 and those affections still ring true today. Something about that video turns me on like no other…pure rock and roll pleasures; a killer guitar groove set to hot chicks pouncing up and down on a bed…it just doesn’t get any better than that.
As a kid it was nice to believe that Gene and Paul really did live in the same house, bang the same groupies and truly keep all of their memorabilia in a "KISS ARCHIVES"…honestly it is still fun to imagine that same thing today. I believe if you ask any KISS fan they will tell you this segment of the video is by far the coolest. For the first time ever, in crystal clear VHS formatting you can watch; Gene spitting blood, Ace’s smoking guitar, Peter singing "Beth", and above all the absolute ‘tops’ of all KISS performances…the 1980 Sydney Australian Tour version of "Detroit Rock City"…. Yes…its overdubbed beyond belief, but my lord…. no outdoor rock and roll classic has ever sounded sweeter!
Finally getting to see an actual video for "I Love It Loud" (and a somewhat menacing one at that) was the icing on the cake for me. Along with the Houston 77’ performance of "I Stole Your Love", a song that had already taken a small piece of my heart thanks to KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK…the entire package of KISS – EXPOSED was racing through my brain for weeks after the first viewing. I lived, slept, and dreamt KISS.
I can clearly remember one fine summer afternoon, mowing the yard at my mom’s house on 2523 Carter Avenue and imagining I was Paul Stanley…and once I got done mowing a bevy of gorgeous gals were awaiting my return to spend the afternoon with me in my rock and roll kingdom. Embarrassing? Yes. Heart warming? You better believe it.
At the end of the day…in all reality…that was the purpose. That was the goal…set out by KISS, their management, and their record label. The goal? "Sell yourselves…sell yourselves to an unknown 14 year old kid who has never really heard of you before and in the process you’ll maybe win over a few kids who will buy your records for the next 20 years." Well…it worked. The girls…the mansion…the rock and roll decadence…I bought into it hook line and sinker. As Paul Stanley ran around his Hollywood Hills home; scantily clad girls passed out around every corner; the entire home wreaking of sex and rock and roll…I (at the tender age of 14) believed this all to be true. It was then that I slowly fell into the magical make believe world of KISS and have gladly never looked back.