Rock and Roll Over

Nearly three years ago, after a long and storied career, Kiss launched a worldwide farewell tour, with bassist Gene Simmons saying the band wanted to go out on top. Now, however, it looks like they want to go out again. On the band's website, guitarist Paul Stanley says the band still wants to rock and roll all night, and party ev-e-ry day.

''People do change their minds, and in this case that goes along with being a living, thinking person,'' writes Stanley, explaining the about-face. ''What one says one day with total commitment may at another time turn out not to be so. Am I doing this for the money or the fans? BOTH, and let's not forget I'm doing this for me. That is the reason I originally started playing: because I wanted to, and only I can decide ultimately when to stop.''

Aside from a February appearance at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Kiss have not performed together since the farewell tour ended in Australia in spring 2001. Since the ''final'' tour, Simmons published a memoir, ''Kiss and Make-Up,'' which included big kiss-offs to guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, whom Simmons called unprofessional musicians and drug addicts.

New dates have not been announced, but Launch.com reports that the band would likely tour in the fall and winter, in support of ''The Very Best of Kiss,'' a 20-track greatest hits collection that hits stores Aug. 27. Presumably, Criss (whom the band fired partway through the farewell tour) and Frehley won't be participating.