Variation of a theme

Greetings, readers. The good news is that I decided to continue the weekly, Wednesday blog going through the summer and beyond. The ‘bad’ news is that the KISS top 100 will go slower than expected. Let’s get #s 80 and 79 done today. 🙂

80. Rock And Roll Hell – [ A Gene Simmons, medium-tempo song from the popular Creatures Of The Night album, it speaks of a musician who is under the gun and wants his time in the limelight. But, it’s been too long with too many sacrifices. He wants out. ]

79. Tossin’ And Turnin’ – [ Peter Criss’ fantastic version of a Bobby Lewis hit from 1961, it talks about a guy who just can’t sleep because he and his girl weren’t right. This song is on the Peter Criss solo album from 1978! ]

Now on to other happenings. I had therapy today, which always helps. This past weekend I ‘tortured’ myself by watching 6 straight hours of YouTube marriage proposal videos. OMG! Yes, I do that to myself at times. 😦

Well, my area of the country goes ‘green’ on Friday!!! Most, if not all restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic will be lifted. I just hope that people continue common sense and self-distance. It just takes one or two cases to spark a flare-up.

Lastly, during a flight simulation for my virtual airline I’m with, I flew the perfect flight and… almost the perfect landing. I hit the function button and the 1 button in stead of the f1 button. One ninety minute flight ruined. Grr! I think I’m not quite in reality just now. Lol.

Well folks, until next Wednesday, when I’ll list #s 78 and 77 and 76, do love one another, take good care and and always, happy reading.

 

Summer top ten list of KISS songs – #90 through #81!

Greetings, readers. Here we are with the week two installment of the top 100 songs from KISS. Today, it’s 90 – 81. So here we go!

90. King Of The Mountain – [ The first song on the Asylum album, speaks to me about going for what you want in life, and never letting anything stand in your way of reaching the top. ]

89. Who Wants To Be Lonely – [ A Paul Stanley song, a medium tempo song talking about not wanting to be alone. Find your love and be with them. ]

88. Exciter – [ The lead-off number to the Lick It Up album, Paul is the man who knows what you desire, and he’s the one who going to give it to you. ]

87. All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose – [ The first song on the second side of Lick It Up, don’t mess with these guys because they’re confident and will succeed in anything they do. ]

86. Not For The Innocent – [ This song is sung by Gene Simmons, again on Lick It Up, mean, dirty and definitely a bunch that you, “better lock up your daughters” from. Even though this song is raunchy, sexual and blatant, I like it because it’s in my vocal range. I can sing to it easily. ]

85. Two Sides Of The Coin – [ In this song from the Unmasked album, Ace Frehley talks about the fact that there’s always two sides to everything, including which woman to choose; popular stud! ]

84. She’s So European – [ Gene sings this song, also from the Unmasked album, and speaks of a woman drinking champagne, looking to snare a man in her web. A great song from KISS’ pop/disco era. Side note, in a Gene Simmons Band show, the were in Australia and changed the title to She’s Is So Australian. 😉 ]

83. Dark Light – [ A super-cool Ace song from Music From The Elder. He treats us to, what I consider, his very best guitar solo…, EVER! ]

82. Escape From The Island – [Only the second totally instrumental song by KISS, It provides us with some fantastic Ace guitar and a drum solo by 2nd. year drummer, Eric Carr. ]

81. Dirty Livin’ – [ This is the only song on the Dynasty album which Criss was a part of. He was basically on the way out, replaced by drummer, Anton Fig. His only other new song, I Finally Found My Way, would come years later on the reunion Album, Psycho Circus. It’s one of my all-time favorite songs.

I’ve added a poll…, a first for me. We’ll see if it works or not.

Well, there they are. Next week, 80 – 71. Until next week, take care, use social distancing, check on your neighbors, love one another, and as always, happy reading.

One day late, the top 100 KISS songs begins!

Greetings, readers. Today I start my spring/summer blog project. Folks tell me to write about what I know. Well, KISS is my favorite band of all time. I’m going to share with you my top 100 favorite KISS songs, from barley passable to top notch. So…, here we go with the first 10!

100. Just A Boy – From ‘Music From The Elder‘ [ A medium tempo song sung by Paul Stanley. It makes the list at last place because of Paul’s horrible falsetto in places. I can’t even figure out some of the lyrics. However it is one of the few good songs on the disastrous  Elder Album. ]

99. A World Without Heroes – [ Another selection from the Elder album. Sung by Gene Simmons, it’s a hauntingly beautiful, slow song. KISS didn’t sing many slow songs, but this one is a winner. Listen to it once and you’ll be hooked. ]

98. The Oath – [Paul’s best effort on the Elder album, it talks about a young boy being transformed into a confident and loyal man and warrior. I think it’s the best song on the Elder. ]

97. Is That You? – [ The first song on the Unmasked album, it’s a Paul Stanley song about girls who use guys to just get what they want. On a side note; even though Peter Criss got the album cover, he was no longer part of the band. Eric Carr would soon join. ]

96. Torpedo Girl – [ The first Ace Frehley song to make our list, it’s a cool song about a guy and a girl having fun and probably have sex later on. ]

95. Naked City – [ A Gene Simmons number which talks about “older women who love younger men”, throwing their inhibitions away and going for it. ]

94. Young And Wasted – [ The title says it all, but it’s interesting that though sung by Gene Simmons on the album, Eric Carr, the drummer at the time, sung it on the video, KISS: ANIMALIZE LIVE. ]

93. Fits Like A Glove – [Okay…, this is as explicit and self-explanatory as it gets here people. Gene talks about how his, “snake’s alive”, and background vocals scream about, “wet dreams”…, it’s a cool song if you’re not easily offended. Snappy beat and good drums. ]

92. Under The Gun – [ 1st. song on the Animalize album, it’s a top-notch, fast-paced song sung by Paul Stanley. In this era, the band just loved writing songs about women, sex and their own impressive packages, and weren’t afraid to be blunt about it. ]

91. I’ve Had Enough {Into The Fire} – [The leadoff song to the Animalize album, a very upbeat Paul Stanley song about going for it, and not letting anybody stop you. It’s definitely my favorite song on this album.

Well, there are the first 10 in this long list. 90-81 will be up for next Wednesday. Until then, take care, love one another, and as always, happy reading.

 

What a busy day we’re having, and I nailed my 3 Dots performance

Greetings, readers. Between getting ready for next week’s shoulder surgery – complete with its follow up appointments – and other office goings on – such a meeting with my accountant – it has one heck of a busy day. As it just so happens, today is also what we call pay everything day. That means checks for rent, Rebecca, and other such end of the month expenses. Usually Rebecca and I are done with the blog by now, but we are just starting it at 12:07.

Speaking of the blog, while I am in the hospital overnight next week, Rebecca will take care of the mid-week blog entry. I’m certain it will be a great one. When I come back from having my shoulder worked on and can use that arm and hand to type, I plan to get back to the second entry of the week, probably on a Monday since Sunday Football is back. So look for that within a few weeks.

Well, my performance at 3 Dots (the local artists hangout) was a smashing success. I sung a set of Beatles songs, and a set of KISS. It was extremely unfortunate that the weather did not cooperate. The pouring rain kept the attendance very low. But the folks who were there loved it. Also, it gave me the opportunity to show my work ethic that whether I’m playing in front of 200 people or 2, I gave the same all-out performance. The entire show was captured on video and at some point I might put it up here on the blog or my Facebook page.

You know me, readers, I love to talk about the weather. This early morning was beautiful. A cloudless sunny day. Now some white puffy clouds are appearing and I don’t know if that means rain tonight or not. For those of you who were or are still in the path of Hurricane Dorian, my prayers go out to you.

Please send prayers my way for a successful arthroscopic procedure next Wednesday. Rebecca will have a blog post for that day, and I’ll be back with you the following Wednesday with a blog entry. Until then, have a good week, take care, and as always happy reading.

I’m coming out of retirement to perform at 3dots!

Greetings, readers. My playlist is set for my short performance at 3dots. That is a relatively new hotspot in town where folks can come to look at art, enjoy the seating area while enjoying their brought lunch, but most cool of all, a place to listen to music by local artists. My friend Smith introduced me to 3dots a little over a month ago, and I love it! I love it so much that I’ve decided to come out of retirement, say the heck with the aching shoulder, and do one more show.

The lunchtime performances are exactly that; between noon and 1 PM. I had to whittle my Spotify music playlist by three songs. The show is titled, The Beatles KISSed. Now you might be asking yourself why I would dare commit that sacrilege by performing KISS songs during the Beatles show? The answer is simple; I love both bands. That’s all it boils down to.

3dots is on the corner of Beaver Avenue and Pugh Street. My performance is not until mid-to-late August, and when I have an actual date, I will let you know here in the blog. All my local readers are invited to join and cheer me on. Bring your lunch or a snack, and enjoy yourselves.

Let’s see what else is going on today. For the third straight day, we have sunny weather! For this region, that’s almost a record. State College did not get its nickname, State Cloudy for nothing. This area of Pennsylvania is third in the country in most cloudy days per year. That’s not exactly good for someone suffering from mild depression. What can you do? There is one thing I can do. Later on, I am going to take my digital camera, walk around the area…, perhaps on campus, and take some pictures. If I do, I’ll go around 4 PM. It won’t be quite as warm, and the sunlight could be just right for certain natures shot. Yes readers, I like taking pictures of nature. 😉

I have a very busy week planned. Tomorrow, I have to go to the dentist. Boo! Rebecca comes in to work on Wednesday, and that’s great. 😊 Then on Friday, I have an appointment with my orthopedist to see if we can’t get this right shoulder pain under control. I think rain is coming tomorrow, because my shoulder is killing me today. ☹

That’s today’s blog entry. Until Wednesday, I wish all of you a great few days, love one another, take care, and as always, happy reading.

I am officially semi-retired from performing

Greetings, readers. Although I am not discounting doing standup comedy or some other kind of light entertainment for the residents of Addison Court, my days of performing KISS tribute shows are now over. This morning I could barely get my hoodie over my aching shoulders. Rebecca made a good point when she mentioned that I was like someone who had never gone to a gym before and tried to lift every weight in the place for three solid hours. I expected to hurt today … but not quite this bad. Lol.

In my last rehearsal, in the wee hours of yesterday morning, I realized I did not know the words to “King of the Night Time World” as well as I needed to, so, yes, at the very last second the song “Watchin’ You” was added in its place. This is something I have never done before. Usually my playlist is set in stone two week’s in advance.

After fingernails were painted black and make-up was applied I was primed and ready to go. Only one problem. The pizzas had not arrived yet. So I held my position while Mike checked the lobby door again, and again, and again. I was trying to keep my face war-paint a secret, but from my perch I could tell that we had a full room. Eventually I had to tell Mike please just hit the play button. We couldn’t let the folks wait endlessly.

It was quite a surprise when I came out to my first song, “Deuce.” I was full of energy and I was raring to go. At the end of the third song, “Ladies Room,” I was most happy that I had my water bottle, with a hefty splash of grape flavored 5 Hour Energy, because I knew that my energy levels were already declining. Even though the face-paint job looked good, my lipstick application, that I did myself, did not turn out as planned, and every time I took a sip of water, more of the lipstick got stuck in the bottle’s drinking hole. After a while I began to taste grape with lipstick. Not a good combination.

I must say that Mike Weaver stole the show. Where I performed a KISS tribute show, where not many people know the words to the songs, Mike chose soft rock numbers and had the entire audience singing along. Even our friend Julie, who knew the hand signals to “YMCA,” came up front and helped the crowd follow along with the song. My friend Smith told me at the time that Mike was having the time of his life and he was so happy that I included him in the show. I think I will be turning the entertainment over to Mike the next time around while I do the half-time show. Folks, I’m gettin’ to old for this kind of thing.

Well, there is today’s blog entry. After Rebecca and I are done, I will relax the rest of the day. This morning I was up in arms thinking I had a dentist’s cleaning appointment this afternoon, where I would have been horribly uncomfortable in their chair, but I found out that appointment is not until next Thursday. Yay! Around 1:00pm will begin R & R time. I might listen to the show’s playlist one last time for pleasure before erasing it from Spotify.

Until Sunday, when I dictate a new entry, have a great couple of days, take care, and as always, happy reading.

P.S. Thanks to Rebecca, for catching the goofs that the auto reader on my speech recognition program failed to catch on Sunday.

Showtime in three days!!!

Greetings, readers. With only three days left before my big show on Wednesday, I have been concentrating almost all my efforts on practicing. I am pleased to announce that the show is taking shape nicely, and stands to be one of the best ever! My friend, Greg Brown, will be recording it for me. That way I’ll have something to use as uploads to Facebook and YouTube.

Would you believe I was still tinkering with the playlist as of yesterday? But I know all the KISS songs which I am performing, so it’s not that big of a deal. Seeing as how this show might be my last, I am hoping for perfection. I’ve told myself though that I won’t get too upset if I make a boo-boo.

My friend, Mike, has been practicing his halftime show diligently. He’s worked so hard, and I think the audience is going to love his efforts. Where I am performing KISS songs, Mike is doing some softer material, such as tunes from Glen Campbell, Ronnie Millsap and two numbers by the Village People. Imagine going from heavy metal to soft rock and disco! What a show it’s going to be. I’ve been asked by a few people, “Is this really your final show?” My answer… “You never know.” If I do any more public performing at Addison Court Apartments, it might be some stand-up comedy or some dramatic skits. Time will tell.

On to another topic. The Mercury has finally reached the 40s F. Thank God! I was tired of going for morning coffee, and freezing my derrière off. Luckily, our destination is only a block away. Between the temperatures rising and daylight savings time now upon us, I’m going to be much happier than I was a few weeks ago. Yay, spring is coming!

That’s today’s blog entry. As most of my Facebook followers know, my performance is on Wednesday, so Rebecca and I will be back with you with a new entry on Thursday. Until then, I bid all of you a wonderful weekend, be kind to your loved ones, take care and happy reading.

 

One week to go before what could be my final musical performance

Greetings, readers. I can’t believe I only have one week to go until the big day, my KISS tribute show in the Addison Court apartment’s community room. I had two months, I blinked and sneezed and all that time went away. Seven days is not much time when you’ve only had two full-scale rehearsals, one of which was ruined by an argument with an outside party. I’m going to practice in my room this afternoon and I hope to have at least one more full-scale rehearsal down in the community room; possibly this weekend. With the aid of a lot of prayers, and some 5 Hour Energy shots, combined with lots of agua, I think I can pull it off.

I’ve had to be very careful in selecting my playlist. The song “Take Me” almost had to go, for its first two lines are, “Put your hand in my pocket and grab onto my rocket.”  Yes, I want to imitate my favorite band, but I also don’t want to embarrass any of my friends of the female gender. This is why I did not include songs such as, “Love Gun,” and “Rocket Ride.” I think I’ve selected a very good playlist, with most of KISS’s famous standards well represented. From “Strutter” to “Detroit Rock City”, from “Calling Dr. Love” to “Rock and Roll All Nite,” I think I have chosen the ultimate assortment.

After we publish today’s blog entry and have our weekly meeting, Rebecca and I are going to Amazon to find some stage props, in the form of posters. I think it will help the audience who don’t know KISS well to see an image of whom I am portraying. If I can find four posters or T-shirts for a decent price, I’m going to make the purchase. When we get on the site, I’ll have to hunt for a good deal. If not, I’ll dig out my old record albums and use those.

I’m 53 years old now, with an aching right shoulder, bad hips and feet. But hell, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons are in their late 60s. If they can do it, so can I. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

There’s our blog entry for today. I shall post another new one on Sunday; on a brighter topic than last weekend. Rebecca and I will be back on Thursday. If my show turns out well and is recorded I intend to put it on either my Facebook page, YouTube, or both. Wouldn’t it be a gas if one of the members of KISS somehow saw this tribute? That would be awesome! 😉

Until Sunday, have a great week and early weekend, bundle up if you are in the cold, spread love around, and as always happy reading.

Last evening, full scale reheasals for my show did NOT go as planned

Greetings, readers. Last evening, my friend Mike and I began full-scale rehearsals for the March 13th show. It did not go as planned. Mike knew exactly what he wanted to do with his songs, and performed them quite well. As for me… well, let’s just say I have to build up my stamina. I was only two songs into my ten-song first set, and I was huffing and puffing. That’s not good. I would say my stamina meter is at 10%. Can you say, “Five Hour Energy?”

I don’t like drinking those types of products, but I might have to. If tonight’s rehearsal doesn’t go any better, I’m either going to have to cut down my playlist, or sit down to do the whole show. To me, that would be a wimp-out, but there might not be any other way if I truly want to perform as KISS would perform.

Yes, I am doing a KISS show, possibly complete with war paint in my own design. I am the mimic, and if I decide to go all out, I would have a white face, a black M, black lips and fingernails. I am 53 years old now, and I am intending for this show to be my last. If I do any other type of performing, it might be stand-up comedy or a dramatic skit. Time will tell.

Both my sets are approximately 45 minutes long, while Mike’s halftime show is roughly 30 minutes. I’m going to ask him to add a few more songs, to give me more of a break. Yes, dear readers, I am getting older. Notice I didn’t say old. 😉 I’ll never say I’m old.

I have a couple of errands to do today in the afternoon, and a friend of mine is coming to visit at 5 PM, so I really can’t rehearse the way I want to until the evening. I have to hope that the community room is free to use. If other folks are playing cards, well they got there first, and I’m out of luck.

I would greatly appreciate any good thoughts and energy you can throw my way for the next few weeks, and especially, the day of the show. I’m planning to video this show and put it up either on Facebook or YouTube. Maybe the members of KISS will somehow see it. Wouldn’t that be cool?

There is today’s blog entry. Until Wednesday, stay warm if you’re going to be in the windy part of the country; 40 to 60 mile an hour winds here today. Also, please pray for one another, take care and as always, happy reading.

Top ten list of things I would have liked to do in life

Greetings, readers. This is not a list to bash my self-esteem, but it might just serve to open my eyes and let me see some of the jobs or occupations I dreamed about having when I was younger. So here we go, and as always this is not in any particular order, except for #1.

#10. Be a writer with a lot of books and screenplays under my belt. [Over the last fifteen years or so, I’ve had many good starts on writing projects but they all seem to fizzle out quickly. Sometimes it is a problem with the story line, other times people beat me to the good idea, and a lot of times it is my body not cooperating.]

#9. Own my own vehicle again. [After my 2008 crash and other issues I won’t get into, my monetary situation is such that owning a vehicle is impossible. It’s too much money for maintenance, repairs, gas, parking, etc.]

#8. Play sports. [At age 52 and a half, my days of playing a pick-up game of football or softball are long behind me. My legs and knees are stiff and sometimes it is a chore just to jog across the street.]

#7. Have a son to carry on my name. [My plan to have a family young, in my 20s or 30s. is long gone. For me to be a father, I would either have to adopt a child or marry someone young enough to have a child. Most women in the age bracket of 20s or 30s would find it creepy to marry someone in their 50s.]

#6. Be a professional entertainer. [For years I was so shy, I lip-synced in all my musical performances that I did for family, friends, and, later, for my pals in my apartment building. Now that I’ve learned to drop my shields and actually sing, I’ve found out that I am not all that bad. Another chance wasted. I could have been the next member of KISS. Lol.]

#5. Own a house. [Yes, good old pride of ownership. I know it comes with its costs. I’d have to pay property taxes, mow the lawn, and fix the pipes. But I would have loved every minute of it. When I go to visit Dave and family in their house, I feel like I’m home. Here, it just feels like I’m in my apartment.]

#4. Be a TV sports broadcaster. [When I was a child, I loved watching Curt Gowdy call NFL football games. He had a style all his own. Later, there were the teams of Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy, and of course, Dick Enburg and Merlin Olsen. My favorite sportscaster though was the incomparable Howard Cosell. He knew his job inside and out, was incredibly intelligent, and covered every event from football to boxing with style and dignity.]

#3. Be a truck driver. [For a while when I was younger I had the notion of being a truck driver. I would have been able to see the country and do something I love to do; drive. Health reasons killed that idea.]

#2. Be a talk show host or D.J. [When I was a little boy, I had an old-fashioned tape recorder and I would pretend I was a D.J. I would announce the songs and then play them on my record player. It was so much fun. I also loved Johnny Carson of the Tonight Show. I had a fantasy that one day maybe I would have my own talk show or take over for him when he retired.]

#1. Be a pilot [I’ve always been fascinated by aircraft and my dream as an early teen was to be a commercial airline pilot. My health issues at age 16 ended that dream promptly.]

Well, there it is. Again, I’m not trying to throw myself a pity party. I’m just showing you, my readers, and me, my missed opportunities. I’m starting to find my niche in life and it could very well be that I write plays and either adapt them to a novel or give it to someone else to do it. Dialog just seems to be my thing.

Until tomorrow, have a great day, take care, and happy reading.