Kiss' drummer, Peter Criss, arguably had the best voice in Kiss. He sang that line in the old song "Black Diamond." His scratchy Rod Stewart-esque voice graced hits like "Beth" and "Hard Luck Woman." Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley monopolized the vocal mics in that band, for sure -- only letting "the cat" out of his drum cage once every album or so.
Chapter 7 of Soul Cravings talks about sex and love. While sex is certainly a God-given and beautiful gift and expression of love, turns out it is a lousy substitute for it. McManus brings up how sad the 55-year old womanizer looks. While he may have looked cool at age 22, guzzling beer and claiming he'd be single for life, it's not too hard to see through the conquest and brag facade they put up.
A better definition of lover and love than the Don Juan "love 'em and leave 'em" would be the one McManus throws out:
"Love is not about how many people we have used, but about how much we have cherished one person."
That's why seeing a couple celebrate their 25th and 50th wedding anniversaries is so cool and special.
On a much less serious level, I am glad that I didn't burn any bridges or lay waste to any of the 80s metal rockstars of yesterdecade. When some of these artists make a comeback and we see each other, it's nice to know that our friendship can pick up where it left off (some of them also have been ongoing by staying in touch over the years), as opposed to avoiding them for some bitter-fueled diatribe I could have written to get my friends of another genre to pat me on the back. Changing over time is a good thing that shows growth, but being loyal to friends of an "old guard" is a good thing that can be treasured. I'm glad for the friendships I've got ... and I hope I can be a good friend.
I certainly want to be a better lover. Giving to others and putting them above yourself is certainly a practical way to love. Sometimes it doesn't feel all mushy and romantic, but I'd say it fits the biblical, self-less definition.
Posted by Doug Van Pelt at August 13, 2007 09:47 AM