POP MUSIC REVIEW : INSECURE KISS DOES IT ALL FOR LOVE AT LONG BEACH

Contrary to the claims of a few carcass-beating fundamentalist crusaders, the rock group Kiss has never stood for the worship of Satan--just the worship of self.

When a young Pete Townshend used to smash his guitar at the end of Who concerts, it was an angry and devastating act. When a not-so-young Paul Stanley smashed his guitar at the end of Kiss’ show Sunday at the Long Beach Arena, it was show business as usual, and the final, pathetic gesture of a band willing to do anything to get an ovation.

Or nothing to get an ovation, as the case may be. In a mammoth display of professional insecurity, a good portion of the set was taken up by rest periods in which the musicians would stop playing, preen, raise their arms and plead for more fervent adoration. We’re not talking pregnant pauses here--we’re talking pauses with time to give birth and send a kid through college.

The thunderous response this protracted posing engendered among the new guard of the Kiss Army had less to do with real admiration than fantasy role identification--which used to be easier for tolerant grown-ups to take when these guys were campy cartoon characters.

Now they’re a little more literal. The old, villainous makeup is gone, and the pyrotechnics and stage show are of a lesser magnitude than in the multi-platinum days of the ‘70s--which sometimes even leaves the focus on the music.

Bad idea.

After a pretentious stretch a few years ago, Kiss is back to the lowest common denominator with primal party-time metal of the most tuneless and thoughtless sort. Tall tales of sexual prowess practiced upon impetuous strangers compete with solos of less demonstrated dexterity. And whatever the other benefits of a gargantuan tongue might be, Gene Simmons’ vocals still aren’t half as good as your grandma’s.

Opening act Queensryche wasn’t exactly the walking embodiment of asceticism, either. But on an instrumental level, the band had no difficulty upstaging the headliner, enlivening its passable brand of Sabbath-derived metal with effective twin lead-guitar work. Kiss and Queensryche meet again Wednesday at the Orange Pavilion and Saturday at the San Diego Sports Arena.