Rocktober Day Five: God of Thunder

Obviously a KISS song had to make it into Rocktober but I surprised myself with this particular choice. I've recently written about Beth and my feelings for that song, so I didn't think it necessary to revisit it so soon. Other "big" songs like Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud came to mind but it was God of Thunder which jumped out at me as I was listening to Double Platinum on the iPod while I was driving home from Port Macquarie on Friday.



This song was sung by Gene Simmons, which is reasonably uncommon with Paul Stanely being the main singer. Over the years they all had a go at singing and even came out with their own Solo Albums (Ace's song 2,000 Man being a favourite of mine).





To me this song IS Gene Simmons: dark, arrogant, a little creepy, sexual, powerful. The words alone don't really give you a full picture because it is Gene's menacing vocals which really give this song it's style and presence.





Gene symbolises charisma to me (if you look up the word in the dictionary I'm sure there's a photo of Gene learing at you); I'm sure he could sell ice to the Eskimos. It's funny because KISS had a song called Charisma and I used to giggle when I heard it as an 11 year old because I thought the word "charisma" was rude.





Speaking of rude, KISS symbolise my innocent sexual awakening as a pre-teen. I would listen to the albums over and over in the semi darkness of our spooky attic as an 11 and 12 year old and I knew I wanted to do something with Paul Stanley but I wasn't quite sure what it was I wanted to do.





God of Thunder (live clip from YouTube)

You've got something about you
You've got something I need
Daughter of Aphrodite
Hear my words and take heed

I was born on Olympus
To my father a son
I was raised by the demons
Trained to reign as the one

God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul



I'm the lord of the wastelands
A modern day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me
And I command you to kneel



Before the
God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul

I am the lord of the wastelands
A modern day man of steel
I gather darkness to please me
And I command you to kneel



Before the
God of thunder and rock and roll
The spell you're under
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul

Beth I hear you calling

I learnt an interesting factoid the other day.

Beth was Kiss' first US Top 10 hit. It was actually the B-Side of Detroit Rock City (or was it Shout It Out Loud?). Either way it's not a song which yells "KISS" at you. It's a ballad, a love song, it's accoustic. It's a song I absolutely love.

Like its sister Hard Luck Woman it's a song written and sung by Peter Criss, the drummer, and for me both songs are fantastic. They both pull at my heartstrings (yes, there are some there, well buried) and make me wonder how a drugged out rocker like Peter Criss could come up with such incisive lyrics.

But really the surprise is that this little song struck more of a chord with US radio listeners in the late 1970s then the real Kiss songs, the big songs. For my money Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud are what Kiss are all about; the big stadium anthems which I just love singing along to in the car.

Sorry to bother you with that weird little tidbit. Just thinking out loud (as oppossed to shouting, I guess).

Are you havin' a larf? Is he havin' a larf?

Someone is certainly having a larf!

Vanessa Amorosi is the support act for KISS at the upcoming Sydney concert...

That's like Nana Mouskouri supporting Megadeath.