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The Who’s Pete Townsend has never watered down his words and prefers to share his thoughts in direct terms. Even his bandmates have been on the sharp end of his verbal barbs over the years, and Townshend has also been highly critical of his material.
However, Townshend is often the cruelest when it comes to the subject matter of his rock contemporaries. While it would have been easier for Townshend to keep his mouth shut and avoid upsetting anyone he encountered at future industry events, Townshend was never able to hide his true feelings.
Naturally, Townshend has a very clear vision of what he wants from a rock ‘n’ roll band, and when he sees a group that doesn’t fit his definition, the guitarist will happily mock them in public. After The Who was among the incredibly popular ones. Alice Cooper became a huge star, as did Kiss, who formed in 1973 and gained a reputation for their outrageous makeup and costumes.
Their larger-than-life presence on stage immediately set Kiss apart from the rest of the crowd. Their wild appearance created a sense of intrigue around them, which the audience was drawn to. Notably, each member of the group took on a persona that resembled a cartoon character, elevating them to the biggest stages.
Shaping their aesthetic took as much thought as composing their music, and by the mid-1970s they were one of the most prominent groups in America. Due to the unconventional package they offered, Kiss have always been a band that people either love or hate, with Townshend’s opinion falling into the latter category.
For the guitarist of The Who, Kiss embodied a very different kind of rock musicwhich would not have been possible in the UK or Europe. Considering that the band wore disguises and tried to hide their identities, Townshend believed this showed a lack of authenticity.
Speak with Blurry rock in 2014, Townshend explained why the group never convinced him. He noted: “One thing that Kiss absolutely and without a doubt is not – in any sense – is European or English. They come straight from Creem magazine meets Las Vegas. Or even New Orleans. There’s a bit of New Orleans in there, a very American kind of Mardi Gras thing.”
He added: “They couldn’t have happened here. They might have taken place in Berlin, in which case their music wouldn’t have been like their music. They would have looked the way they did. But they would have made a different kind of music. It is a very American phenomenon.”
Townshend’s brutal assessment of the American group went further, claiming they were a joke of a band, adding: “The early years of Kiss were difficult because there was a kind of parody of rock inherent in what they did. Also the thing about wearing disguises. I’m not entirely sure. You know, I think I should do an academic study to try to find out what’s really happening there.”
While Townshend may have seen Kiss as the antithesis of everything he expected from a band, they were somewhat inspired by The Who. Gene Simmons once celebrated it Townshend for smashing his guitarwhich he thought was an essential lesson in ‘showmanship’ and ‘stagecraft’ for Kiss.
Ultimately, almost every rock star, including Townshend, portrays a different version of themselves on stage. Although The Who did not wear elaborate makeup or masks, Townshend behaved while performing in a way that he never would in everyday life. The only difference with Kiss is that they went further than any other act and reaped the rewards.
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