Find a show you like and click the 
button. The show will be added to your My Playlist page and updated 24/7 with new videos.
Search Results
0 Views
02:55:55 05/16/12
Obama Is Gay, Claims Family Research Institute's Paul Cameron
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 02:55:55 05/16/12
Obama Is Gay, Claims Family Research Institute's Paul Cameron
Via Right Wing Watch/Huffington Post: "The Family Research Institute's Paul Cameron has joined the chorus of dissenting voices angered by President Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage last week. As Right Wing Watch is reporting, Cameron denounced Obama's stance on Crosstalk with Jim Schneider of VCY America (Voice of Christian Youth), even suggesting that the president himself might be gay...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down. *Read more from www.huffingtonpost.com Watch the original video: www.youtube.com Is Paul Cameron gay? www.youtube.com Subscribe to The Young Turks: bit.ly Find out how to watch The Young Turks on Current by clicking here: www.current.com The Largest Online New Show in the World. Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com From: TheYoungTurks Views: 35220 1128 ratings Time: 03:38 More in News & Politics
0 Views
05:41:04 03/16/12
As Tibet Protest Movement Continues, Concern From UN Secretary General About Possible Deaths
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 05:41:04 03/16/12
As Tibet Protest Movement Continues, Concern From UN Secretary General About Possible Deaths
For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me The wave of Tibetan self-immolation protests which started last year is still ongoing. Meanwhile, a separate Tibetan hunger-strike outside UN headquarters has drawn words of concern from Secretary Ban Ki-moon. The three Tibetan hunger-strikers outside UN headquarters in New York began the protest roughly three weeks ago. They are calling for international assistance in ending what they consider to be a crackdown underway against Tibetans who dissent with Chinese Communist Party rule. That crackdown, in turn, has been intensified as a string of Tibetan protests by self-immolation have continued gathering steam since they began a year ago. The latest to burn himself, a monk named Jamyang Palden, on Wednesday became the 26th to undertake the drastic protest measure. So far, governments and international authorities have expressed strong concern over the protest movement and the Chinese crackdown that has ensued, but have fallen short of calling for specific action. The response to the hunger-strike protest outside of UN headquarters in New York seems more or less similar. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement of concern about the health of the three New York protestors, while saying that he "affirms the right of all people to peaceful protest." Meanwhile the protestors themselves told Voice of America that they were visited by Ivan Simonovic, a top UN ... From: NTDTV Views: 251 6 ratings Time: 01:49 More in News & Politics
4 Views
22:00:00 02/17/12
Pat Buchanan Announces His Days at MSNBC "Have Come to an End"
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 22:00:00 02/17/12
I'll let the man himself confirm it : >
My days as a political analyst at MSNBC have come to an end.
After 10 enjoyable years, I am departing, after an incessant clamor from the left that to permit me continued access to the microphones of MSNBC would be an outrage against decency, and dangerous.
The calls for my firing began almost immediately with the Oct. 18 publication of Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? ? A group called Color of Change, whose mission statement says that it “exists to strengthen Black America’s political voice,” claimed that my book espouses a “white supremacist ideology.” Color of Change took particular umbrage at the title of Chapter 4, “The End of White America.”
Gosh, can't imagine why anyone would find that racist, Uncle Pat. But like all true white supremacy-championing , Hitler-excusing , Mexican soccer-hating , Palin-promoting isolationist s, it's not his fault that he's been kicked off the network. No, no, no. It's the fault of a conspiracy of liberal groups who think he's a racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic isolationist out of step and blatantly offensive to most people: >
The modus operandi of these thought police at Color of Change and ADL is to brand as racists and anti-Semites any writer who dares to venture outside the narrow corral in which they seek to confine debate. All the while prattling about their love of dissent and devotion to the First Amendment, they seek systematically to silence and censor dissent.
Without a hearing, they smear and stigmatize as racist, homophobic, or anti-Semitic any who contradict what George Orwell once called their “smelly little orthodoxies.” They then demand that the heretic recant, grovel, apologize, and pledge to go forth and sin no more.
Defy them, and they will go after the network where you work, the newspapers that carry your column, the conventions that invite you to speak. If all else fails, they go after the advertisers.
Oh, cry me a river, little man. Why is it that conservatives tout the "free marketplace" until it works against their privileged position? Buchanan's First Amendment rights haven't been abridged. The government isn't censoring him. He's still free to say every ugly little thing that comes out of his hateful little brain . But his First Amendment rights do not guarantee him a position on a national news network. The free market has spoken and decided that his voice doesn't need more airtime.
And that is a very good thing.
Now, it's time for PBS's The McLaughlin Group to come to the same conclusion.
1 Views
22:00:00 02/17/12
Pat Buchanan Announces His Days at MSNBC "Have Come to an End"
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 22:00:00 02/17/12
I'll let the man himself confirm it : >
My days as a political analyst at MSNBC have come to an end.
After 10 enjoyable years, I am departing, after an incessant clamor from the left that to permit me continued access to the microphones of MSNBC would be an outrage against decency, and dangerous.
The calls for my firing began almost immediately with the Oct. 18 publication of Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? ? A group called Color of Change, whose mission statement says that it “exists to strengthen Black America’s political voice,” claimed that my book espouses a “white supremacist ideology.” Color of Change took particular umbrage at the title of Chapter 4, “The End of White America.”
Gosh, can't imagine why anyone would find that racist, Uncle Pat. But like all true white supremacy-championing , Hitler-excusing , Mexican soccer-hating , Palin-promoting isolationist s, it's not his fault that he's been kicked off the network. No, no, no. It's the fault of a conspiracy of liberal groups who think he's a racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic isolationist out of step and blatantly offensive to most people: >
The modus operandi of these thought police at Color of Change and ADL is to brand as racists and anti-Semites any writer who dares to venture outside the narrow corral in which they seek to confine debate. All the while prattling about their love of dissent and devotion to the First Amendment, they seek systematically to silence and censor dissent.
Without a hearing, they smear and stigmatize as racist, homophobic, or anti-Semitic any who contradict what George Orwell once called their “smelly little orthodoxies.” They then demand that the heretic recant, grovel, apologize, and pledge to go forth and sin no more.
Defy them, and they will go after the network where you work, the newspapers that carry your column, the conventions that invite you to speak. If all else fails, they go after the advertisers.
Oh, cry me a river, little man. Why is it that conservatives tout the "free marketplace" until it works against their privileged position? Buchanan's First Amendment rights haven't been abridged. The government isn't censoring him. He's still free to say every ugly little thing that comes out of his hateful little brain . But his First Amendment rights do not guarantee him a position on a national news network. The free market has spoken and decided that his voice doesn't need more airtime.
And that is a very good thing.
Now, it's time for PBS's The McLaughlin Group to come to the same conclusion.
10 Views
20:17:26 01/30/12
Building Model Modernities in Shanghai & Mumbai
[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 20:17:26 01/30/12
Through the unique architectures of Shanghai and Mumbai, from their imperial origins to their current building booms, Black Mountain Institute fellow Daniel Brook examines the cities' volatile, continuing experiments in forging a Chinese and Indian modernity. Speaker Biography: Daniel Brook was born in Brooklyn, raised on Long Island, and educated at Yale. His first book, The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner Take All America, was published by Times Books/Henry Holt & Company in 2007, and he received a Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Fellowship in 2008. During the Kluge Fellowship, he will be writing about the architectural history and Westernization of St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Dubai. His writing about politics, economics, and architecture has appeared in publications such as Harper's, San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, Slate, The Huffington Post, The Nation, and Dissent, among others. While at Yale, he won the 2000 Rolling Stone College Journalism Competition and received the John Hersey Prize for an outstanding body of nonfiction work. He lives in Philadelphia. For captions, transcript, and more information visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5110.
2 Views
01:00:00 11/16/11
POV - Better This World . Filmmaker Interview | PBS
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 01:00:00 11/16/11
The directors of Better This World sit down with POV to discuss the subjects of their film. They describe FBI informant use in post-9/11 America, the media's role in court cases relating to national security, and the two men who are the focal point of their striking documentary. (15 minutes)
17 Views
19:04:00 10/07/11
Historian: "Occupy Wall Street" has parallels from the past
[LESS INFO] 17 VIEWS | ADDED 19:04:00 10/07/11
Oct. 7 - Temple University Professor Ralph Young, author of "Dissent in America," says "Occupy Wall Street" is similar to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's and the Bread Riots in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
10 Views
19:04:00 10/07/11
Historian: "Occupy Wall Street" has parallels from the past
[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 19:04:00 10/07/11
Oct. 7 - Temple University Professor Ralph Young, author of "Dissent in America," says "Occupy Wall Street" is similar to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's and the Bread Riots in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
21 Views
19:04:00 10/07/11
Historian: "Occupy Wall Street" has parallels from the past
[LESS INFO] 21 VIEWS | ADDED 19:04:00 10/07/11
Oct. 7 - Temple University Professor Ralph Young, author of "Dissent in America," says "Occupy Wall Street" is similar to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's and the Bread Riots in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
2 Views
06:00:21 08/30/11
Pov | Better This World Documentary Trailer Pov 2011 | Pbs
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 06:00:21 08/30/11
POV | Better This World - Documentary Trailer - POV 2011 | PBS
Find out more at www.pbs.org "Better This World" will air September 6, 2011 on PBS. Check local listings. The story of Bradley Crowder and David McKay, who were accused of intending to firebomb the 2008 Republican National Convention, is a dramatic tale of idealism, loyalty, crime and betrayal. "Better This World" follows the radicalization of these boyhood friends from Midland, Texas, under the tutelage of revolutionary activist Brandon Darby. The results: eight homemade bombs, multiple domestic terrorism charges and a high-stakes entrapment defense hinging on the actions of a controversial FBI informant. "Better This World" goes to the heart of the war on terror and its impact on civil liberties and political dissent in post-9/11 America. A co-production of ITVS. (90 minutes) Related Videos: Prison Town, USA - Documentary Trailer - POV 2007 www.pbs.org Revolution '67 - Documentary Trailer - POV 2007 www.pbs.org The new season of PBS' award-winning documentary series POV (Point of View) kicks off on Tuesday June 21, 2011 at 10 pm (check local listings) with "Kings of Pastry," DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus' behind-the-scenes account of France's greatest pastry competition, an epic, three-day test of passion, perseverance, artistry and nerves. In advance of the new season, on Tuesday, June 7, POV will present a special encore broadcast of the Oscar-nominated film "The Most Dangerous Man in America," in honor of the 40th anniversary of Daniel Ellsberg's release of the ... From: PBS Views: 717 16 ratings Time: 01:50 More in Film & Animation
9 Views
01:28:08 03/29/11
Creating Leverage: Non-Electoral Strategies for Change in the Obama Era (1)
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 01:28:08 03/29/11
Subscribe to Essential Dissent Share this video to email, Facebook, Twitter, or embed into your website. Click the wedge-shaped icon under bottom right of video. See Part 2 of Creating Leverage: Non-Electoral Strategies
Left Forum 2011
Pace University, NYC
March 18-20, 2011
Panelists:
* Kevin Young - SUNY Stony Brook
* Michael Schwartz - SUNY Stony Brook
* Michael Zweig - Center for Study of Working Class Life - SUNY Stony Brook
* Tod Ensign - Citizen Soldier
* Steve Early - Former Communications Workers of America organizer, Author, Embedded With Organized Labor
Panel Abstract from the Left Forum 2011 Website:
This panel suggests ways in which movements can create political leverage. Schwartz and Young advance three arguments of theoretical relevance: 1) that the primary targets of protest should be corporate and institutional power-holders rather than their representatives in the main branches of government; 2) that movements should focus less energy on lobbying and more on creating
18 Views
04:18:48 03/25/11
Left Forum 2011 Opening Plenary: Toward a Politics of Solidarity (1)
[LESS INFO] 18 VIEWS | ADDED 04:18:48 03/25/11
Subscribe to Essential Dissent Share this video to email, Facebook, Twitter, or embed into your website. Click the wedge-shaped icon under bottom right of video. See Part 2 of Left Forum 2011 Opening Plenary
See all Left Forum 2011 videos on Essential Dissent
Left Forum 2011
Pace University, NYC
March 18-20, 2011
A unique phenomenon in the U.S. and the world, Left Forum convenes the largest annual conference of a broad spectrum of left and progressive intellectuals, activists, academics, organizations and the interested public. Conference participants come together to engage a wide range of critical perspectives on the world, to discuss differences, commonalities, and alternatives to current predicaments, and to share ideas for understanding and transforming the world. The conference is held each spring in New York City.
BARBARA EHRENREICH is a social critic and essayist, and an honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America . Her book, Nickel and Dimed , was a national bestseller in the United States. She is the the author of twenty books, and has written for the New York Times, Mother Jones , The Atlantic Monthly , Ms , The New Republic , Z Magazine , In These Times , Salon , Harpers , and the Progressive . Her latest book is Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America .
One of America's most provocative public intellectuals, CORNEL WEST has been a champion for racial justice since childhood. His writing, speaking, and teaching weave together the traditions of the black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz. West has written more than 20 books, and teaches in the Center for African American Studies and Department of Religion at Princeton University.
Former Air America Radio host LAURA FLANDERS is the host and founder of GRITtv with Laura Flanders. She is the author of the NYT best-seller, BUSHWOMEN: Tales of a Cynical Species ; her latest book is At The Tea Party . She also writes for Nation and Huffington Post , and is a regular contributor to MSNBC. Flanders has appeared on shows from Real Time with Bill Maher to The O%rsquoReilly Factor .
PAUL MASON is the economics editor of the BBC%rsquos flagship current affairs program Newsnight and appears frequently on BBC World News America . He has covered globalization and social justice stories from locations around the world, including Latin America, Africa and China. His book, Live Working, Die Fighting , was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.
FRANCES FOX PIVEN is Professor of Political Science and Sociology at CUNY Graduate Center. Her books include Regulating the Poor, Poor Peoples
11 Views
16:50:46 12/29/10
Elliott Adams on Gaza - Part 1 of 2
[LESS INFO] 11 VIEWS | ADDED 16:50:46 12/29/10
Subscribe to Essential Dissent
Share this video to email, Facebook, Twitter, or embed into your website. Click the wedge-shaped icon under bottom right of video.
See Part 2 of Elliott Adams on Gaza .
In October 2009, Elliott Adams was part of a seven-day delegation to Gaza sponsored by Physicians For Social Responsibility .
The following short biography is provided by Veterans For Peace :
Elliott Adams was a paratrooper in the infantry serving in Viet Nam, Japan, Korea, and Alaska. He has served his local community in a variety of capacities such as: President of the School Board, Mayor, Committee Chair of BSA Explorer Post 17, President of Rotary, Master of the Masonic Lodge.
Elliott left politics to become an activist. Attending untold numbers of demonstrations, working at many levels, from stapling signs to doing logistics and organizing work for United For Peace and Justice and War Resisters League , School Of Americas Watch, Peace Has No Borders, Veterans For Peace and many other organizations, at events across the country.
Elliott moved from being a soldier to a nonviolent warrior. He is Nonviolent Training Coordinator for Veterans For Peace, is a nonviolence trainer for the Fellowship Of Reconciliation and on their CCP Leadership Team. He has also done nonviolence and social movement trainings for School Of Americas Watch, Peacemakers of Schoharie, Student Environmental Action Coalition, War Resistors League, and other groups.
He is now dedicating his life to stopping this war and stopping all war.
Sponsor: Broome County Peace Action
Thanks to: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton View this and related videos at http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com
27 Views
22:15:28 10/10/10
Woodsongs 593: Wanda Jackson and Billy Bragg
[LESS INFO] 27 VIEWS | ADDED 22:15:28 10/10/10
WANDA JACKSON is the First Lady of Rockabilly and America's first female Rock and Roll singer. When Jackson first toured in 1955 and 1956, she was placed on a bill with none other than Elvis Presley. The two hit it off almost immediately. Jackson said it was Presley, along with her father, who encouraged her to sing rockabilly. In 2009 Wanda was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen were just a few of the high-profile artists that encouraged the Hall to induct the Queen of Rock over the last few years. Wanda made a huge comeback a few years ago with the release of "Heart Trouble". An album that included cool collaborations with such artists as Elvis Costello, Dave Alvin, & the Cramps. With her career as hot as ever, she set to release another new album that Jack White of the White Stripes produced via Jack's Third Man Records. BILLY BRAGG is a revered folksinger and songwriter from England and recently described by The Times newspaper as a "national treasure" in America as well. In the two decades Bragg has become the most stalwart guardian of the dissenting tradition of the country's political, cultural and social history. It's a legacy that's brought Bragg fans the world over as an artist with a keen sense of political activism as well as a way with a pop hook, all informed with a sense of humanity and humor. His two albums collaboration with Wilco filled with unfinished Woody Guthrie songs were both nominated for Grammy Awards. Billy's latest CD is "Mr. Love & Justice."
9 Views
23:36:26 09/30/10
POV - The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers . Filmmaker Interview | PBS
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 23:36:26 09/30/10
Filmmakers Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith talk about the making of "The Most Dangerous Man in America," parallels between the Vietnam War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the importance of the press and more. (14 minutes)
37 Views
14:14:10 12/23/09
Music Video Reform School vs Selena Gomez and KISS - MeVIO Music
[LESS INFO] 37 VIEWS | ADDED 14:14:10 12/23/09
MEVIO MUSIC OFFER:
Find a great pair of athletic shoes and apperal at Footlocker.com . Use the promo code below and save money:
AFEM0GFL - 15% off any order.
If you like that offer, there are many more offers available. Just go to offers.mevio.com .
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Music Video Reform School. Jackie and Martina managed to survive Christmas, and they are back with some new videos to grade. First up is the latest from Selena Gomez, and then they go back to the 80's with a classic video from KISS.
Selena Gomez:
BIO: (from myspace.com )
Selena Gomez took her sweet time before recording her debut album. After all, she had her hands full starring in her hit Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverley Place," not to mention appearing in a string of movies and other TV shows. Still, music had been a core passion of hers going back to childhood. A child no more, Selena comes on strong with her Hollywood Records premiere CD, "Kiss & Tell." It is nothing less than the emancipation proclamation of a young artist with a lot to say.
She didn't get there alone. Producer Ted Bruner, along with songwriters Gina Schock , Tim James & Antonina Armato and Selena's band, The Scene, wrap her vocals with fire and ferocity. "Because it is my first record I wanted it to be amazing," Selena says. "I think of this record as a huge learning journey. I wanted to find my sound and see where I wanted to go musically."
On that journey, she clearly found her musical home base. And it rocks. Selena's blazing rock 'n' roll chops may surprise fans, especially on songs like "Kiss & Tell," with its battalion of drums, tight harmonies and Jane's Addiction-like lead guitar work. Says Selena with a laugh, "Basically this is my harsh song, but in a good way."
Selena decided to make the album "passionate, fun and empowering,' as she puts it. Thus, for the most part the 17-year-old singer bypasses the puppy love and goes straight to a righteous "guys are dogs" attitude. Songs like "Falling Down" and "I Don't Miss You At All" simmer with feminine scorn, while the pop gem "I Won't Apologize" (which Selena co-wrote) takes a stand for self-affirmation. "Girls my age tend to change themselves for others," Selena says. "Whether it's a boyfriend or trying to fit in with the 'cool kids,' this song says you're not going to apologize for who you are."
Selena tackles ballads on the wistful "The Way I Loved You" and "I Promise You," the latter a love song steeped in unadorned romance. She shakes off the sentimentality in the sophisticated put-down rocker "Stop and Erase," "I Got U," "Crush" and "As a Blond," perhaps the edgiest song yet from the legally brunette Selena. "Every girl goes through a break-up at some point," she says, "and they never feel good. I wanted to make sure that the songs about heartbreak were all empowering rather than sad. When I perform these songs I don't feel I am dwelling on pain."
She ends the album with a full-circle moment, re-recording "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," an upbeat hip-hop-flavored track she first cut several years ago and now revisits with a more seasoned point of view. "I thought it would be a fun to redo the song and add some cool techno beats," says the ever-adventurous Selena, who today stands at the brink of a thrilling new phase of her career.
Born July 22, 1992 in Dallas, Texas, Selena started acting at age seven when she landed a role in the popular television series "Barney & Friends," on which was a regular for two seasons. There she met her best friend, actress/singer and fellow Hollywood Records recording artist Demi Lovato. Their connection has endured. "I was very lucky to have had the opportunity to go through so much with Demi," says Selena. "We have known each other for so long now that we're more like sisters."
She landed her first feature film role in 2003, when she was cast in the sci-fi action adventure film "Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over." Selena went on to lend her voice to "Horton Hears a Who!" in 2008, and made guest appearances on "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."
But she made her greatest impact as an actress starring as girl wizard Alex Russo in the hit Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverly Place," which premiered in 2007. For their work on the show, Selena and her cast mates won a 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. "I don't think I'm too much like Alex," Selena says. "She gets into a lot of trouble, and my parents would never let that happen. Overall she's confident and doesn't let anyone negative get in her way, which is a good quality to have."
Her busy schedule in front of the camera did nothing to dampen her musical dreams. Selena recorded three songs for the "Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie" soundtrack, as well as tracks for "101 Dalmatians," "Another Cinderella Story" and "Tinker Bell." But she had broader ambitions. "I have always loved music and write all the time, but to make a career out of it seemed scary," she says. "I focused more on acting at one point, which blessed me with my show and other projects I had the honor of working on. Now I'm putting more into my music."
With a new album, a hit show and more movies on the horizon, it's a wonder Selena has time left for anything else. But she makes time to give something back. She has volunteered for St Jude's Hospital for children, Disney's Friends for Change and she was twice named youth ambassador for UNICEF, a role that recently took her on a fact-finding trip to Africa. It all served to expand her perspective on life. "I am constantly growing and changing," she says, "but I like to think my morals about family and friendships haven't changed."
She's not done dreaming. In the years ahead, Selena plans to push her career to greater heights, while always remembering her fans and the faith they place in her. Summing up her goals, Selena says: "I want to inspire others, help and make an impact." With "Kiss & Tell," she won't have long to wait.
MYSPACE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
KISS
BIO: (from allmusic.com )
Rooted in the campy theatrics of Alice Cooper and the sleazy hard rock of glam rockers the New York Dolls, Kiss became a favorite of American teenagers in the '70s. Most kids were infatuated with the look of Kiss, not their music. Decked out in outrageously flamboyant costumes and makeup, the band fashioned a captivating stage show featuring dry ice, smoke bombs, elaborate lighting, blood spitting, and fire breathing that captured the imaginations of thousands of kids. But Kiss' music shouldn't be dismissed -- it was a commercially potent mix of anthemic, fist-pounding hard rock driven by sleek hooks and ballads powered by loud guitars, cloying melodies, and sweeping strings. It was a sound that laid the groundwork for both arena rock and the pop-metal that dominated rock in the late '80s. Kiss was the brainchild of Gene Simmons (bass, vocals) and Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar, vocals), former members of the New York-based hard rock band Wicked Lester; the duo brought in drummer Peter Criss through his ad in Rolling Stone and guitarist Ace Frehley responded to an advertisement in The Village Voice. Even at their first Manhattan concert in 1973, the group's approach was quite theatrical; Flipside producer Bill Aucoin offered the band a management deal after the show. Two weeks later, the band was signed to Neil Bogart's fledgling record label, Casablanca. Kiss released their self-titled debut in February of 1974; it peaked at number 87 on the U.S. charts. By April of 1975, the group had released three albums and had toured America constantly, building up a sizable fan base. Culled from those numerous concerts, Alive! (released in the fall of 1975) made the band rock & roll superstars; it climbed into the Top Ten and its accompanying single, "Rock 'N' Roll All Nite," made it to number 12. Their follow-up, Destroyer, was released in March of 1976 and became the group's first platinum album; it also featured their first Top Ten single, Peter Criss' power ballad "Beth."
A 1977 Gallup poll named Kiss the most popular band in America. Kiss mania was in full swing and thousands of pieces of merchandise hit the marketplace. The group had two comic books released by Marvel, pinball machines, makeup and masks, board games, and a live-action TV movie, Kiss Meet the Phantom of the Park. The group was never seen in public without wearing their makeup and their popularity was growing by leaps and bounds; the membership of the Kiss Army, the band's fan club, was now in the six figures. Even such enormous popularity had its limits, and the band reached them in 1978, when all four members released solo albums on the same day in October. Simmons' record was the most successful, reaching number 22 on the charts, yet all of them made it into the Top 50. Dynasty, released in 1979, continued their streak of platinum albums, yet it was their last recorded with the original lineup -- Criss left in 1980. Kiss Unmasked, released in the summer of 1980, was recorded with session drummer Anton Fig; Criss' permanent replacement, Eric Carr, joined the band in time for their 1980 world tour. Kiss Unmasked was their first record since Destroyer to fail to go platinum, and 1981's Music from the Elder, their first album recorded with Carr, didn't even go gold -- it couldn't even climb past number 75 on the charts. Ace Frehley left the band after its release; he was replaced by Vinnie Vincent in 1982. Vincent's first album with the group, 1982's Creatures of the Night, fared better than Music from the Elder, yet it couldn't make it past number 45 on the charts. Sensing it was time for a change, Kiss dispensed with their makeup for 1983's Lick It Up. The publicity worked, as the album became their first platinum record in four years. Animalize, released the following year, was just as successful, and the group had recaptured their niche. Vincent left after Animalize and was replaced by Mark St. John; St. John was soon taken ill with Reiter's Syndrome and left the band. Bruce Kulick became Kiss' new lead guitarist in 1984. For the rest of the decade, Kiss turned out a series of best-selling albums, culminating in the early 1990 hit ballad "Forever," which was their biggest single since "Beth."
Kiss was scheduled to record a new album with their old producer, Bob Ezrin, in 1990 when Eric Carr became severely ill with cancer; he died in November of 1991 at the age of 41. Kiss replaced him with Eric Singer and recorded Revenge (1992), their first album since 1989; it was a Top Ten hit and went gold. Kiss followed it with the release of Alive III the following year; it performed respectably, but was not up to the standards of their two previous live records. In 1996, the original lineup of Kiss -- featuring Simmons, Stanley, Frehley, and Criss -- reunited to perform an international tour, complete with their notorious makeup and special effects. The tour was one of the most successful of 1996, and in 1998 the reunited group issued Psycho Circus. While the ensuing tour in support of Psycho Circus was a success, sales of Kiss' reunion album weren't as stellar as anticipated. Reminiscent of the band's late-'70s unfocused period, few tracks on Psycho Circus featured all four members playing together (most tracks were supplemented with session musicians), as the band seemed more interested in flooding the marketplace with merchandise yet again instead of making the music their top priority. With rumors running rampant that the Psycho Circus Tour would be their last, the quartet announced in the spring of 2000 that they would be launching a U.S. farewell tour in the summer, which became one of the year's top concert draws. But on the eve of a Japanese and Australian tour in early 2001, Peter Criss suddenly left the band once again, supposedly discontent with his salary. Taking his place was previous Kiss drummer Eric Singer, who in a controversial move among some longtime fans, donned Criss' cat-man makeup (since Simmons and Stanley own both Frehley and Criss' makeup designs, there was no threat of a lawsuit) as the farewell tour continued. With the band scheduled to call it a day supposedly by late 2001, a mammoth career-encompassing box set was set for later in the year, while the summer saw perhaps the most over-the-top piece of Kiss merchandise yet -- the "Kiss Kasket."
The group was relatively quiet through the rest of the year, but 2002 started with a bang as Gene Simmons turned in an entertaining and controversial interview on NPR where he criticized the organization and berated host Terry Gross with sexual comments and condescending answers. He was promoting his autobiography at the time, which also caused dissent in the Kiss camp because of the inflammatory remarks made towards Ace Frehley. Frehley was quite angry at the situation, leading to his no-showing of an American Bandstand anniversary show. His place was taken by a wig-wearing Tommy Thayer, but no one was fooled and the band looked especially awful while pretending to play their instruments during the pre-recorded track. The appearance was an embarrassment for the group and for their fans, but Simmons was quick to dismiss the performance as another in a long series of money-oriented decisions. The band kept touring the globe with no new album in stores, but in 2008 they returned to the studio, re-recorded their hits, and released Jigoku-Retsuden aka KISSology or Kiss Klassics. The release was exclusive to Japan until a year later when it became a bonus disc for the band's first studio album in 11 years, Sonic Boom. Produced by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins, the album was exclusively distributed in North America by the Wal-Mart chain of stores.
OFFICIAL SITE
LAST FM
MYSPACE
Keep connected with MeVIO Music on Twitter .
For the latest news, videos, and special offers, go to the MeVIO Music Blog .
