On paper, there appears to be virtually nothing to hyperlink theatrical laborious rockers Kiss and progressive metallic legends Rush. Kiss was all concerning the present they placed on, disregarding the variety of notes they missed and shunning difficult compositions in favour of direct rock and roll. In stark distinction, Rush have been technical masters who demanded near-perfection from themselves, in any other case their elaborate preparations would disintegrate. Seeing these two bands on stage collectively within the Seventies might have been sufficient to fry two reverse sides of your mind.
In case you have been hanging round North America within the mid-Seventies, nevertheless, you would have witnessed simply that. That’s as a result of Kiss recruited Rush as a gap act throughout a sequence of excursions throughout America and Canada throughout Rush’s early days, partaking in a prank warfare virtually as legendary as their respective careers.
Gene Simmons was notably keen on Rush’s debut, which he known as “Canadian Zeppelin” within the documentary Rush: Past the Lighted Stage. The inclusion of drummer Neil Peart pushed Rush in a extra progressive route as they continued to evolve, however they might nonetheless discover inspiration in Kiss’ distinctive model of laborious rock.
One music from Kiss’ sophomore album Hotter Than Hell served as an inspiration for a basic Rush album minimize. ‘Goin’ Blind’ was a music that targeted on a 93-year-old man’s try to speak, or probably flirt, with a 16-year-old lady. In typical Kiss vogue, the observe is an over-the-top rock quantity, this time slowed right down to grow to be a ballad about aged horniness.
Although Kiss not often performed the music reside, ‘Goin’ Blind’ nonetheless had a profound impression on Rush, who took the themes of age and shedding one’s method and made a seriocomic response: ‘I Suppose I’m Going Bald’. Featured on their 1975 album Caress of Metal, ‘I Suppose I’m Going Bald’ had its roots in each the unique Kiss music and a few of the band’s personal anxieties.
“We have been touring loads with Kiss in these days and so they had a music known as ‘I Suppose I’m Going Blind.’ So we have been type of taking the piss out of that title by simply arising with this,” Geddy Lee defined. Lee additionally shared that Alex Lifeson was paranoid about shedding his hair on the time and was utilizing “all types of components to placed on his scalp. And I feel it simply obtained Neil interested by ageing.”
Try each ‘Goin’ Blind’ and ‘I Suppose I’m Going Bald’ down under.
