More Aged Rockers Taking The Wal-Mart Route To Relevance

That wheezing you hear...that unmistakable click of walking stick on linoleum...that is the sound of another beyond its prime musical act trying to climb the Wal-Mart stairs back to relevance (and more importantly, larger record sales).

You might of course remember exclusive deals with The Eagles, Journey, and AC/DC with its “Black Ice” album. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, made a similar deal, only to prove that he really was “born to run”...as quickly as he could from a PR nightmare. Aerosmith too has (perhaps accidentally) acknowledged the possibility of a deal.

The list is distinguished...but wait...aren’t we missing something? Where is the glam rock? Where is the long, permed hair? The Star Trek inspired spandex jumpsuits?? The face-paint reminiscent of Japanese Geishas??? KISS!!!!!!! Fine...we can cross glam rock off the Wal-Mart list.

“We’re about four days from finishing the new Kiss album. Eleven tracks, and it IS everything I’ve told you. It IS classic. It IS all written within the band. And IT ROCKS BIG TIME!,” guitarist Paul Stanley writes...However, when Kiss do release their new album, it will apparently be a Walmart exclusive.

With regards to Kiss’s predecessors, only Springsteen and his blue collar legend status seemed to face significant backlash:

Facing accusations that he had sold out on his principles after decades chronicling everyday working struggles in songs such as Born to Run and My Hometown, Springsteen accepted that he should not have got into bed with the retailer.

For the most part, the rest of the deals appeared to be money driven, with bands looking to jumpstart aging fan bases. I think we can safely put KISS in this category as well. So good luck to them - hopefully they’ll be able to afford all the face paint they can handle.

Kiss “Days From Finishing” New Album, Walmart Deal In the Works [Rolling Stone]

Kiss “Days From Finishing” New Album, Walmart Deal In the Works
6/22/09

Kiss are wrapping up their first new LP since 1998’s Psycho Circus, guitarist Paul Stanley revealed in a post on the band’s official Website yesterday. “We’re about four days from finishing the new Kiss album. Eleven tracks, and it IS everything I’ve told you. It IS classic. It IS all written within the band. And IT ROCKS BIG TIME!,” Stanley writes.

In news that will likely distress old school Kiss fans, Stanley also revealed that guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer will both handle lead vocal duties at some points on the album. “The songs, sound and playing will knock your socks off. You will all be as proud and excited as we all are,” Stanley added. When Rock Daily spoke to bassist Gene Simmons in March, the God of Thunder described the LP as having a “classic ’70s rock & roll vibe. Meat and Potatoes.” “There’s nothing to prove to anybody,” Simmons said. “We’re not interested in musical trends or anything else. We’re too long in the tooth for that.” No release date has been announced yet.

However, when Kiss do release their new album, it will apparently be a Walmart exclusive. Simmons revealed the news to an unlikely source — actress Denise Richards — during a Sirius XM visit. The promotional blitz will include Walmart dedicating an area of their stores to the band and dubbing it “Kiss Korner,” Simmons told Richards in the video posted at Blabbermouth. Rumors of a deal along the lines of AC/DC’s massively successful exclusive with the retail giant first emerged after Simmons and Stanley attended an Arkansas Walmart shareholders meeting on June 5th.

Posted by Corey Himrod on Tuesday, June 23, 2009

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