Before you jump all over me, let me explain myself. First of all, let me remind you that the band was originally going to have the Psycho Circus tour as their last ever. That’s why most of the songs are reminiscent of “the good old days,” hence, “Raise Your Glasses,” “You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best,” and most of all, “We Are One” – Gene’s homage to the fans instead of the usual groupies. This album is basically KISS saying, “You know what? We did very well and we owe it all to the fans.” If you can’t appreciate that, then might I suggest that you re-evaluate your status as a KISS fan? With Psycho Circus, KISS didn't have to prove anything. They didn't have to prove that they could still kick ass after 27 years - they already had. They didn't have to prove anything to anyone. They took a step back and realized what they had and who gave it to them on a silver platter - the KISS Army.
Another thing the anti-PC fans point out is the lack of participation of Peter and Ace. I bet they haven’t read the book KISS and Sell yet. I know I did, like a good fan. What that nugget of joy tells us is after Ace and Peter left, KISS had to renegotiate their contract with PolyGram. From then up until this very day, KISS has legally only consisted of Gene and Paul; any other people have been “hired guns.” Until the reunion, there was no big battle of the egos. Gene was doing movies and Paul basically had sole creative control. On Revenge, Gene got hit with a lightning bolt we’ll call Eric Carr and realized, “Hey, I’m in a band - wow!” and there was a more collaborative effort between Gene and Paul, not to mention Eric singer and Bruce Kulick. Once the Reunion occurred, enter another two egos and demands to satisfy them both. Gene and Paul were accustomed to being the main contributors and didn’t bow down to the creative rights of Pete and Ace. I don’t blame them – know why? Because they’re human.
Back to the subject at hand for a moment: the album itself. The only song that I can’t stand is “I Finally Found My Way to You.” They’re basically trying to recreate “Beth,” which I think is stupid. Other than that one song, I can’t find a single thing wrong with the album. Even Ace’s song, “Into the Void,” makes actual sense – a rare occurrence. All in all, Psycho Circus isn't really a bad album; it just wasn't quite what we were expecting. Gene and Paul have gotten older and, somewhat, more mature, and this album reflects that. Like it or not, life goes on, people get older and evolve. Unfortunately, most humans don't deal well with change and those people get left in the dust as KISS keeps on truckin' into the next era - reverence. Amen, fellow KISStians. Amen.
