During a recent engaging conversation, Bruce Kulick reflected on the Kiss album that caused a stir of anxiety for Gene Simmons. This pivotal moment in rock history is explored in an interview with Chaoszine, which is included below for your viewing pleasure. Kulick, who previously played as the guitarist for Kiss, shared that Simmons harbored doubts about the album’s direction, particularly its polished, keyboard-driven sound featured in the 1987 release of Crazy Nights.

Kulick elaborated, stating, “It was fascinating to involve Ron Nevison, a producer who had achieved remarkable success during that era, crafting hits for several major bands.” He noted that while Paul Stanley was enthusiastic about collaborating with Nevison, Simmons was less convinced about the shift in sound. This sentiment echoed the band’s ongoing struggle with balancing their musical identity with contemporary trends.

Before his work on Crazy Nights, Nevison had played a crucial role in revitalizing Heart during the mid-’80s, producing iconic tracks like “What About Love” and “These Dreams.” While the album succeeded in maintaining Kiss‘s commercial momentum throughout the ’80s, it ultimately fell short of achieving the widespread acclaim they sought. Longtime fans voiced their concerns, accusing the band of chasing fleeting trends, similar to their previous attempts during the disco craze of the late ’70s and the grunge movement of the ’90s, in a bid to mirror the success of pop-metal giants like Bon Jovi.

Explore More: The Time Kiss Attempted to Follow the Crowd on ‘Crazy Nights’

Kulick continued, “Ron had a distinct vision for the album.” He acknowledged that although Nevison introduced elements that sparked debate—such as the use of keyboards and samples on the snare drum—he remained committed to ensuring the lead guitar remained prominent, which was crucial for Kulick. “I was pleased with that aspect. Despite my memories of Gene’s palpable anxiety over the project, I believe Nevison executed a commendable job overall.”

Simmons’ apprehension regarding the album’s artistic direction may have highlighted another challenge the band had been grappling with for several years. Simmons himself recognized that his attention was divided between Kiss and various personal ventures, including managing his own record label and pursuing an acting career.

As a result of this divided focus, Simmons ended up contributing lead vocals to only four out of the eleven tracks on Crazy Nights, many of which leaned heavily towards guitar-centric arrangements. In his 2014 memoir, Face the Music, Paul Stanley recounted the moment he confronted Simmons about the unequal distribution of work within the band. “This isn’t acceptable anymore. I’m tired of this. You can’t expect to be my partner if you’re not going to fulfill your share of the workload.”

A few days later, Simmons, in an effort to mend the situation, offered to buy Stanley a Jaguar as a gesture of gratitude for the additional responsibilities Stanley had taken on. “It was a thoughtful gesture on his part,” Stanley reminisced. “However, I had my sights set on a Porsche. When we filmed the music video for the second single from Crazy Nights, titled ‘Reason to Live,’ the plot featured a stunning woman detonating a vehicle. It happened to be a sleek black Porsche 928. After the shoot, I drove it home, courtesy of Gene.”

Watch Bruce Kulick Analyze His Kiss Discography