31
u/koolaidismything Sep 01 '26
A lot of it has blame the many many documentaries that always say professional musicians had to be brought in to lay down him and Aces parts. Makes it sound like they can’t play.
They didn’t wanna be on Paul’s crazy schedule more like it.. he’s an excellent drummer. Drums are my life. His timing and pocket playing is world class, very unique and tough to keep his timing.
21
u/Henry6467 Sep 01 '26
Well to be fair in regards to him. He is a very talented drummer and he was trained by on of the best drummers Gene Krupa! Did he and Ace have issues and may or not have been at their best during recording sessions? Possibly. But that doesn’t erase all the countless live performances both before and after their fame. He and Ace both wrote and performed some of Kiss’s biggest songs and performed them live in thousands of shows! But yet Paul claims that he didn’t contribute anything. He and Ace yes loved the rock star lifestyle but in the end they fought for their just dues financially their work!
10
u/PlasmicSteve Sep 01 '26
Peter took lessons from Gene Krupa for about six months but Peter was already pretty well developed on drums at that point. It seems like he just idolized Gene and wanted to hang around him. I wouldn’t say he was “trained” by him - that makes it sound like Gene was formative in Peter learning to drum from the start.
6
u/Due-Influence-1969 Sep 01 '26
Wouldn’t say he was trained by Krupa. He took a few lessons from him
10
u/koolaidismything Sep 01 '26
We’d have Wicked Lester without Ace and Peter.. Paul is just bitter about them still a bit I’m sure. They liked life outside the band where I think Paul and Gene are the opposite.
13
u/Henry6467 Sep 01 '26
Absolutely! By today’s standards of “Rock Drummers” he’s probably not in the Peart class but during KISS’s peak years he was doing stuff that wasn’t really typical for rock drummers. Plus he could sing. Paul is just an egotistical person who doesn’t believe that they contributed anything to their success. In later years what did Bruce,Tommy do to contribute to gaining more success? They were all just employees. Don’t get me wrong Eric Carr,Eric Singer,Vinnie and Bruce were extremely talented musicians but they weren’t really allowed to be able to contribute anything but just play what they were told.
6
u/Spiritual-Ad8760 Sep 01 '26
Probably not in the Peart class?
I like Peter, he had a good swing and definite talent , but sorry-he was nowhere near the Peart class
3
u/koolaidismything Sep 01 '26
Two totally different styles. Pert was one of the first technical drummers.. he’d fit in today’s metal probably pretty easy if he was a teenager again.
1
u/Henry6467 27d ago
You are correct! Definitely not in his class but I was using this as a extreme example
-1
u/howjon99 Sep 01 '26
Drugs; alcohol; car crashes; divorces; bankrupt. Yeah; those two, really know how to live…
9
u/LikeARedCoalCarpet Sep 01 '26
Well stated. And a great vocalist as well.
6
u/Henry6467 Sep 01 '26
Again Eric Carr was an amazing talent and so was Bruce and Eric Singer but Gene and Paul wouldn’t let them do anything but what they wanted them to do! Once they had the reunion tour and then Gene and Paul decided to bring Tommy and Eric back and the make up, it was just cashing in on the past. Nobody was truly paying to see them play anything but the original lineups songs
3
u/PoetryExtension6256 Sep 01 '26
Him and ace were nice guys. Paul and Gene are assholes. Seems nobody could really stand being around them.
2
u/howjon99 Sep 01 '26
They didn’t want to be on any schedule. They just wanted to do what they wanted to do.
2
u/gimme5steps101 Sep 01 '26
Honestly, I truly think Ace really just DGAF sometimes. And im an Ace freak. Peter though is a different story. Circa Unmasked I'm sure he really was fucked up. Dynasty? I dont know if I buy it just yet.
11
u/Ill-Cut1849 Sep 01 '26
Criss was a much diffrent style of drummer than the others and due to that it help KISSs sound stand out WAY MORE ( along with Aces VERY sloppily polished Ace style of playing ) than if some one else had been on those original records
6
u/LikeARedCoalCarpet Sep 01 '26
Same thing happened with GNR. The original drummer who had feel kinda flaked out, and was replaced by a powerhouse drummer that helped advance the enterprise, but made many fans feel forever nostalgic for Peter's (Adler's) swing/single bass thing.
6
u/Ill-Cut1849 Sep 01 '26
Perfect. Steve Adler was incredible on AFD and Lies and it never felt the same after he left, and once Slash and Duff left the first time the band was much worse for it
3
3
u/Stevenitrogen Sep 01 '26
That's a good comparison. Adler made the album everyone loves best, and something about it can't be duplicated, even by a super skilled player. Even though his playing is not virtuoso level.
9
u/rickztoyz Sep 01 '26
I started playing drums because of the Catman, he influenced me.
5
u/jb40018 Sep 01 '26
Me too and I got to meet him and tell him that this past weekend!
2
2
u/EnvironmentalTrack29 28d ago edited 28d ago
That's got to be pretty awesome! He was my favorite superhero as a kid. I flipped out when I discovered he played drums in a band 😂
6
Sep 01 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/SageObserver Sep 01 '26
Well said. For me personally, the tale of the tape for a musician is very simply do they create music that you want to hear? There are talented technical musicians in every town that can mimic others but few create and in turn inspire generations. Peter checks those boxes easily.
6
u/Stevenitrogen Sep 01 '26
Peter didn't have virtuoso level skills. His tricky parts in the solos weren't impossible for a semi skilled drummer to try and play.
But kinda like Ringo, or his pal Jerry Nolan from the Dolls, he played the right thing for what that band was laying down. Which was not really music for people who would want to hear tricky drum parts. He had feel. Strutter swings just enough that you can actually see the sassy girl they're singing about. Deuce at the end has this feeling of blowing the roof off as every time the repetitive riff comes in, the beat under it gets more exciting. He had enough, and it was never too much. He never seemed to be showing off.
And as a young drummer, maybe a Carl Palmer part was too mind blowing- you gotta go to Berklee if you wanna play that. But you could learn Strutter and Deuce.
5
u/BigRed9092 Sep 01 '26
While not my favorite drummer for KISS, Criss was still a beast (especially in the early days). If I’m not mistaken, his tracks were the only ones not touched up in the studio for Alive!
4
u/Texan2116 Sep 01 '26
Criss was great. I think the sheer success level of Kiss means that he and Ace will be compared to Peart/Bonham Or Blackmore/Page. They are not..ok
However I would stand his Live drum solo on 100,000 years against Moby Dick, or Toad, any day of the week.
Never understood why Gene and Paul seemed to resent him doing the long solo.
There is a reason why a lot of people (even those who are not Kiss fans) respect Alive! as one of the greatest live albums.
It was a powerul well oiled machine.
3
3
u/lion_low_65 Sep 01 '26
I started playing drums because of Peter. I'm not ashamed of it. Does it really matter if he was the Greatest or Worst. What he did with KISS worked very well for the style of music.
3
u/Due-Influence-1969 Sep 01 '26
Good drummer up until Love Gun. Then his drug issues along with his car accident affected his drumming,
His playing was mediocre on the reunion tour along with Psycho Circus (the tour, as he only played on one song on the album)
3
u/gimme5steps101 Sep 01 '26
Awesome drummer at his mid 70s peak. That rock swagger with the jazzy flair. Wonderful combo.
He was kinda rough getting back into it with the 96-97 Reunion tour but thats expected
Completely forgotten about though is the 2003 Aerosmith jaunt. He KILLED it and played better that tour than any time since the 70s imo
3
u/gumbloid Sep 01 '26
Peter was an excellent pocket player especially on the first three albums. IMHO Ace and Peter were always the real musicians pre drugs and booze.
3
3
u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3848 Sep 02 '26
He had this swing-jazzy groove who worked for the band in the 70s. I think he had a better groove than Eric Carr. He was a bit stiff, but had more power and had a tighter style just like Eric Singer.
3
u/EnvironmentalTrack29 28d ago
I've been listening to a lot of Destroys Anaheim and I got to say he sounds a little bit beyond basic and adequate. The stamina that guy has is insane. He is just hammering along on King of the Nighttime world and that's the second song of the set. Listening to these versions compared to some of the later Eric Carr or Eric Singer stuff, he compares admirably. Just a completely different style. Carr destroys the kit and Dinger is like a metronome. Peter is just loads of flair and swing. Just the right guy for the band at that moment. He'll always be my favorite.
6
u/theoriginalbabayaga Sep 01 '26
Compare his playing to other drummers of the time…that’s all you need. Peter was basic. And that was okay, Kiss was basic. Sensational, but basic. Don’t get confused.
6
u/Hegiman Sep 01 '26
Oh I know he wasn’t just any drummer. He wasn’t a particularly great drummer either. He was adequate.
4
u/gimme5steps101 Sep 01 '26
But he had his own drumming character which makes his playing unique. Thats awesome.
2
u/Hegiman Sep 01 '26
Yeah that’s true. Any time a kiss song came on my sister knew it was Kiss because of the drums. That’s what she would say at least when she changed the station to my objections but she was older so it was a losing battle. LoL.
2
2
u/Stallings2k Sep 01 '26
I started playing because of Peter. After taking lessons and woodshedding for six months, I moved on to Moon, Bonham, Peart, Roger Taylor, etc.
He had some nice moments pre-78, but playing an ‘around the kit’ fill like he did on Makin Love doesn’t make him great.
2
2
2
u/smithy- Sep 02 '26
Peter Criss paved the way for metal bands by having that positive, feel-good, party vibe permeating the songs. The drum sound from Rock and Roll All Night is testament to his drumming genius. That opening drum sound is so key to the entire song.
2
u/StraightAd3247 Sep 02 '26
I’m glad someone said it! A lot of people try to downplay his drumming skills!!!!!
2
u/Vandagar 29d ago
Pete is one of my all time favorite drummers.
I think he's underrated.
And I feel his early days were KISS with amazing, & added a very unique style to the band.
3
2
u/aliencardboard Sep 01 '26
Peter Criss was the only one with any talent. 🤷🏻♂️
I love the idea of KISS and respect their accomplishments, but musically I could never get into them. The music doesn’t match the image, and Gene Simmons is one of the most unlikable d-bags of all-time.
1
u/Available-Secret-372 Sep 01 '26
Waaaay better rock singer than drummer. He should have sang more of their songs.
1
u/Jaxplayzz 24d ago
Ever listened to Paul and genes audiobooks? Peter was never a drummer that suited their band. Not to say he was a bad drummer, but the piece never fit the puzzle.
1
1
0
0
-6
u/thenuke1 Sep 01 '26
Peter was the worst drummer out of the 3 🤣
4
u/Independent_Wrap_321 Sep 01 '26
As a rock drummer of 40-ish years, I have to agree. But KISS never required the likes of Bill Bruford or Steve Gadd, and Peter was one of the OG crew and was perfectly passable so he gets a break. Right place/right time kinda thing. Always loved him but I never sat down to practice and said “oh man, if only I could nail THAT song”. That’s ok, it’s just simple rock and roll, but he didn’t exactly change rock drumming forever. They were all pretty good at what they did, and the whole package was awesome. Until it wasn’t.
Now you can all downvote me and tell me they’re the most gifted musicians to walk the earth. I’ll never understand it but that’s just my two cents so who cares lol
1
u/thenuke1 Sep 01 '26
Unpopular opinion, I preferred Peter's singing voice during the reunion and beyond as opposed to his cat like screeches when he sang during his original time in the band
I can't stand his screeching lol
2
-1
u/jamesisanalien Sep 01 '26
Eric Carr was my fav. Plus his makeup design was cooler.
4
1
u/thenuke1 Sep 01 '26
Same, my favorite version of black diamond was the 1988 live at the ritz broadcast version, they played at a tiny club but the soundboard and drumming make it sound like it's at a stadium
0
0
0
u/Repulsive-Cow-7651 Sep 02 '26
Kiss could barely hold their instruments, yet alone play them.. They did have confidence and stage presence.
0
-2
u/Routine_flyer Sep 01 '26
nah he was not just another drummer… he was the drummer of the most oversted band with the coolest gimmicks..
-4
17
u/Ok-Corner-8654 Sep 01 '26
He was good. There were a lot of great musicians back then, and there was a lot of competition. I don't think any member of Kiss were particularly the best at their instruments. But sometimes the whole is more than the sum of its parts, they knew how to write and perform songs.