Category Archives: Music Review

Smashin’ Thrashin’ the Millenial Box or: Many Kisses

30 Friday Nov 2018

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Salutations™!!

Finishing out the month of November with KISS things, we have three more anniversaries this month.

Smashes_Thrashes_cover

©Mercury

First, what is, to me, the better of the two original US-based greatest hits KISS albums, Smashes Thrashes & Hits. I don’t know why they used this title as I think it’s kind of silly, but I liked the album itself. November 15 was the THIRTIETH anniversary of that album. THIRTY! Wow.

There are several things to note about this album, though.

One, it has two original songs written and recorded for this comp. I believe they may have been written for Crazy Nights but just didn’t make it on. I also think that those two songs sound more like Hot in the Shade material than they do Crazy Nights and it came out between the two.

Both songs are dripping with sex. Extra sex. I mean, the songs’ titles are “Let’s Put the ‘X’ in Sex” and “(You Make Me) Rock Hard.” I think that Paul was trying too hard, actually. Well, him and his writing partners. Both were co-written with frequent writing partner Desmond Child and “(You Make Me) Rock Hard” was co-written by Diane Warren. The second isn’t as obvious but the double entendre is “hard” to miss. Both had videos and both were pretty cheesy. But, I listen to them.

Another thing, with the exception of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” all the makeup songs (which were most of the album) were all remixes. Eric Carr recorded his version of “Beth” which I thought was a much better version. Another notable change was with “Love Gun” where they sang the outro chorus over what would normally be the solo spot. The solo spot still happened just under the vocals.

One more thing, there was nothing from Crazy Nights even though that was the most recent album. All the non-makeup albums and including Creatures of the Night were represented except Crazy. The UK version did have “Reason to Live” and “Crazy, Crazy Nights” but not the US version. The UK also didn’t have “Deuce.”

I wore the cassette and CD out of this album. The cover had Gene and Bruce looking kind of cool to the right while Eric was playing a little side-shy-peek-a-boo and Paul doing some weird jazz hands thing. They were surrounded by a bunch of reaching arms, I suppose of fans. It was billed as “15 Years of KISStory.” Overall, I really like the album. I had grown weary of Double Platinum and this included more than the first six studio albums. If you’re not a KISS fan or just wonder what I get out of it? This is a decent representation. More things came after this. Speaking of which…

Last Tuesday, November 20, which happens to be my birthday, was the 17th anniversary of the KISS Box Set. Now, I have mixed feelings about this album. I have the cool “box set” that is in the mini guitar case with five CDs. There’s also a 120-page booklet that has “commentary” and liner notes from Ace, Peter, Gene and Paul. There are a good bit of unreleased songs and demos.

Now, what I have a problem with is there should have been a lot more demos and unreleased songs. They remixed and remastered the Wicked Lester album, or at least they did three of the songs. I was hoping to hear the whole thing remastered. I had only heard a muddy mix of a dubbed tape of a dubbed tape of a dubbed tape of about 20 generations. I know that Gene and Paul didn’t write but a small handful of the songs, but I think they could have secured rights.

Plus, I think there should have been a better representation of all the albums to that point. In some shape or form, the entire debut album is represented on here (minus the cover of “Kissin’ Time”). Five songs are represented from Hotter Than Hell including demos. Four from Dressed to Kill, and then, and then, and then.

I have never known KISS to worry about how much something costs. I think they could have done two boxes. One just the demos, unreleased and rarities, the other more complete albums. Maybe that’s not feasible. Maybe it’s overkill. I just wish I had more of the stuff I’ve not heard my entire life over the stuff that I have. I know they have to assume that people who aren’t KISS fans will buy it and they need to give them the substance. But, again, make that a separate thing. Give us more of that. Give me more of that.

What is included? As I said, parts of the Wicked Lester unreleased album; “Stop, Look to Listen,” a 1966 demo by Paul; “Leeta” a 1969 demo by Gene; a six-minute live performance from 1973 of “Acrobat” which in part became “Love Theme from KISS”; the original studio demos that got KISS their record deal; “Doncha Hesitate” and “Mad Dog” both unreleased demos from the Destroyer sessions; the demo of “God of Thunder”; “Bad, Bad Lovin'” which became “Calling Dr. Love”; “I Want You” from a 1977 soundcheck; “Love Is Blind” an unreleased demo from the Love Gun sessions; a demo version of “Radioactive” from Gene’s solo album (each member has one solo album song); “You’re All That I Want, You’re All That I Need” a demo recorded in 1977 that would eventually become “You’re All That I Want” on Unmasked; ” Talk to Me” live in 1980;  an unreleased demo of Paul’s “Time Traveler” from the Crazy Nights sessions; “Ain’t That Peculiar” Eric demo that became “Little Caesar”; the demo of “Domino”; “Childhood’s End” with the special coda – previously unreleased; a previously unreleased demo of “It’s My Life” from the Psycho Circus sessions, which sounds like something that would come later on Sonic Boom or Monster.

So, really that is a lot of cool things, but with the vault they must have, can you imagine what this could have been? Now, also I recognize that with the “End of the Road” tour coming up and their impending retirement of the band, that there will be opportunities for more box sets. This was a great start, but I think it could have been much better.

And, then the last thing (or two last things) I’ll talk about for November is another box set of sorts. It’s KISS Alive! 1975-2000. This includes the same day release of Alive! The Millennium Concert, a show that was recorded on New Years Eve 1999 but not released until 2006 on November 21. The box set contained Alive, Alive II, Alive III and the Millennium Concert. I haven’t heard the last so I can’t really comment on it. But, it is from 1999 before Paul’s voice was completely shot. There’s really nothing that stands out to me about it. It was supposed to be Alive IV but that got shelved and we ended up with KISS Symphony: Alive IV. It’s okay.

So, happy anniversaries to each of the releases I talked about. This is all of the releases for the year. There were no KISS album releases in December, as of yet. So, I hope you enjoyed the KISS albums that I have touched on. I think it’s all true to the best of my knowledge.

Until tomorrow, keep KISSin’!
Scorp out!

—
“Kiss is a Fourth of July fireworks show with a backbeat.” – Gene Simmons

Music from Rock And Roll Over the Elder or: Many Kisses

29 Thursday Nov 2018

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Salutations™!!

I failed you, Dear Reader. I had been keeping up with my KISS album release dates and missed two big ones this month, but in my defense, I have been a bit busy. Holidays, birthdays, work, and other things have kept me tied up. But, let’s just jump in. This may be long and I apologize for that. Or, I may split it into a couple of posts, I won’t know until I get to the end of this one. So, let’s hit it.

Rock_and_roll_over_cover

©Casablanca Records

On November 11 — a couple of weeks back, it was the 42nd anniversary of Rock And Roll Over. This was a big album for the band. It was the first record after their best-selling album, Destroyer. They had a point to prove after their foray into the Top 10 that they could still put out quality albums, especially now that they were in the spotlight they all craved.

Destroyer had knocked it out of the park, albeit weirdly with orchestras and choirs and such. But, KISS went back to their bread and butter on this album, rock and roll. Heck, it’s in the name of the album itself. KISS, manager Bill Aucoin and Casablanca Records brought in Eddie Kramer, best known at the time for his work with Jimi Hendrix, to produce the album. They also chose to record it at the Star Theatre just outside of New York City.

In the recording, they were in a big cavernous space, which was good for the live-like vibe. But, they also put Peter in a bathroom to get the proper tone on his drums. I’ve always said that the bathroom can be a great place for reverb because of the porcelain fixtures and tile and such. But, I bet it can be a headache at times, too. Kramer knew what he was doing, though.

The album starts off with a little acoustically-blended subtleness that eventually turns into a full-on rock fest, with “I Want You.” That song, written by Paul has some great riffs and I say it’s one of my favorite original studio album songs. “Take Me” is a Klassic rock and roll riffed song and while it didn’t make it to the Alive II release, it did get a bit of play on the tour. There is a “live” version of it on the You Wanted the Best You Got the Best live compilation in 1996 (when the reunion was going on). It wasn’t really live but okay. The song was co-written by Paul and Sean Delaney, whom I’ve talked about in other blog posts.

Next came the first time I ever heard a cowbell in a song. The intro to “Calling Dr. Love” has this cowbell and as a kid, I had no idea what it was but I know that I liked it! I have always thought that the intro to this song has a bad edit. It’s right when the drums kick in after the wonderful cowbell spot. There’s some weird skip or something that happens. I don’t know if anyone will agree with me or not, but I hear it. It’s there. When Gene isn’t called the God of Thunder he’s been referred to as Dr. Love. I think it’s funny that he wrote the lyrics at a Holiday Inn on one of the complimentary notepads.

The cowbell extravaganza continues into “Ladies Room,” a tune about a rendezvous or some secret tryst in the women’s room with one of the lovely ladies that Gene happened to encounter. Most of his songs were about doing that. Well, not in the restroom but hey, it was 70s “cock rock” and that is what he was known for. It is what it is, folks. I can’t say that I, too didn’t write my share in Heavens Sake.

Peter’s contribution, writing-wise, is “Baby Driver” which I think is probably my favorite Peter-penned song in KISS. Perhaps “Hooligan” from Love Gun, but I think this is it. It definitely isn’t “Beth” or “Dirty Livin’.” He co-wrote the song, as he usually did, with Stan Penridge, a bandmate of Peter’s in Chelsea. I figure Penridge probably wrote the music and Pete the lyrics.

“Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em” is a song that I really didn’t like as a kid but now, I really love it. It’s the same situation as all of Gene’s songs from this album. He’s the object someone’s infatuation and, of course, the ladies (probably young girls) can’t resist him and want to do cruel and unusual things with him. “She had an opening and I had a stiff proposition…” kind of things, as he would say. Some of the most prolific lyrics in Gene’s career, too (tongue firmly planted in cheek). Don’t believe me? Check the quote at the end! The promotional video for the song is just a “concert” setting but it’s still funny. I think it’s funny that even into the 80s when Gene was filming videos he always plays with his fingers but he’s actually a pick bassist.

“Mr. Speed” is Paul/Delaney’s rock and roller boogie. I say that because it has a little boogie-woogie swag to it. I don’t know, though, that I’d want the ladies to call me “Mr. Speed.” I’m just sayin’. This album has a number of titles, Drs., Messrs. Hmm.

“See You In Your Dreams” is a Gene tune and one that he didn’t care for. At least, not this version. He redid this on his solo album just two years later. I prefer this one, actually. I just like the straight-ahead rockingness of this one. It seems heavier. His solo album didn’t seem as fluid, to me. I also like Paul singing the call/response parts. Incidentally, all the Gene songs on this album were written solely by him.

Next is the Rod Stewart tune, “Hard Luck Woman.” Not really. It was written for him by Paul, but Mr. Hot Legs turned it down, I suppose. They say that it was on the success of “Beth” they decided to keep it for themselves, but I don’t know that I believe that. Anyway, Peter sang it and sounded just like Stewart doing it. I have always liked the song even if I didn’t know what the heck it was about when I was a kid. I couldn’t figure out what a “child of the border” was. It was, of course, “child of the water” but hey, I was young. Heavens Sake covered it a few times.

“Makin’ Love” closes out the album and is co-penned by Paul and Delaney again. It’s a rocker for sure. Paul is ready to pounce on this girl, he’s moving in and won’t take “no” for an answer. Maybe this is why they call him Mr. Speed? Anywhat! There is this weird heavy drum at the end that gets off beat a few times and I don’t think that was on purpose, I just think they left it in there. It has always bothered me, but I have also always liked it.

This is the first KISS studio album (out of 5) not to feature a writing credit from Ace. There were five songs from RNRO that made it on the Alive II release. Those are “Ladies Room,” Makin’ Love,” “Calling Dr. Love,” “Hard Luck Woman” and “I Want You.” Not a bad representation. And, I believe a few of the others made it in the set, sporadically, when the album was first released.

RNRO is a KISS Klassic, for sure. It does fall in my Top 10, but I’m not sure where, right now. I am going to create my list, soon. It has a Klassic or iKonic kover, too. I went krazy with the “K,” I know. But, the cover has been used in many a tattoo, t-shirts, pins, patches, etc. The same person who did this cover, Michael Doret, also did the cover for Sonic Boom. This was a better cover and a much better album.

November 10 was the 37th anniversary of what I call “my favorite” KISS album, Music from ‘The Elder.’ Instead of rewriting the thing, I’m going to leave a link to last year’s post about it. You can read that, HERE.

There are three more November KISS releases to mention, but I’ll save them for another post. It will be much less verbose. I won’t promise that because I am verbose, but I can try, right? Right.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“My limousine is a-waitin’ and I see you comin’ my way, hey, hey, hey. I’m sittin’ by the window and you ask me which hotel I stay in. Well, make a reservation between the hours of ten and two, how do you do? You’ve got the time to remember, I’ve gotta stiff proposition, yeah! There’s nothing else I’d rather do. So, you lift your dress. You wanna impress. There’s one thing I’ve got to confess. Love ’em, leave ’em, love ’em, leave ’em.” – “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em” (Simmons)

Carnival of Dark Souls or: Many KISSes

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

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Salutations™!!

Happy Halloween, first of all. And, now, let’s talk about an album that was the last before the makeup came back for KISS. Almost as polarizing as Music from ‘The Elder’ was but for slightly different reasons. True Long-Time KISS fans have always been on the fence about it, some think it’s a great departure while others feel it had nothing to do with KISS. KISS fans who kind of kept themselves in the perimeter mostly gave it nary a thought and newer KISS fans thought that it was groovy but probably didn’t get that it was KISS. This album, of course, is Carnival of Souls.

Carnival_of_Souls_KISS

©Mercury

Gene, Paul, Eric and Bruce went back to the studio in 1995 after their successful release from 1991, Revenge. KISS started off as a trend-setter but after Dynasty and on, really, they were really followers. They did show some folks how to still party whilst creepin’ on their turf, though. Grunge and heavier rock was the thing at the time, so KISS decided it was their turn to do that, too. Really, Gene was already there with “Unholy” and “Spit” from Revenge. (which included some Vinnie Vincent songwriting).

I’ll be honest, here. I like this album, a lot, but I really don’t know much about it. I have listened to it only slightly more than Sonic Boom and Monster. I am listening to it as I write this to refresh my memory.

I’d say first, that there are a lot of “drop D” tunings on this album, even further if you consider that KISS (except on Dynasty and Unmasked) did almost everything a half-step down. It’s heavy, the heaviest they ever did. It certainly is the darkest-themed they have ever done; almost Black Sabbath-like. It also has a lot of odd time signatures. It’s “grown-up” songs, too. Not a lot of sex and party. It’s probably their most intellectually advanced album. Does that make for a good album? Probably not to most KISS fans. Someone once said, “where’s the f—ing!?” So, again, probably not to most KISS fans.

There were rumors of this album right after it started. This was right when everyday folks were starting to get and get onto the internet. BBSs were dedicated to KISS. Online chat boards were, too. I was part of a few of those. It was also about this time that I got hooked up with David and Bobby from Heavens Sake. David was a collector of KISS bootlegs and when the “leaked” bootlegs of this album dropped, David and I sat in my office above where the band rehearsed and listened to it. We weren’t quite sure what to make of it. But, I don’t think either of us disliked it. I don’t remember what Bobby thought when he showed up as we listened. The bootlegs didn’t really sound all that great and there was stuff missed with some of the songs misnamed.

The album starts with “Hate,” a Gene song. So, that makes three KISS albums (this being the last) where he gets to go first. I don’t know why I’m so hung up about that. Anyway, it was co-written by Gene with Bruce and Scott Van Zen, a commercial songwriter. Gene uses his “Unholy” voice here. A great, heavy groove sets this song on fire.

The only thing I don’t like about “Rain” is the lack of any effect on Paul’s voice. The whole thing is really dry which, I am not sure that it brings it out as dark as they wanted. But, it could be that it highlights the songs, but the vocals part is dry. Bruce played bass on this.

“Tell Me” is next. That’s not true. It’s actually called “Master and Slave” but the internet folks called it “Tell Me” probably because it sounds like it would be in the chorus. Oddly enough, this is the only non-Gene song on which Gene plays bass. I don’t know if he and Paul were having a spat or if he just didn’t do a good job (he’s not the most prolific bassist alive) or was he off doing something else? Who knows, I just find it interesting.

The next two are more melodic and ballad-like. “Childhood’s End” is named after a book by Arthur C. Clarke. It’s not autobiographical as many folks have said. The song is basically talking about when we’re born we don’t know hate; we haven’t killed anything or know a lot of bad. We grow into it and are taught those things. The subject matter, according to the box set’s liner notes, is “Two friends, one of whom died before his time, and the other one who lived and reminisced about his missing friend.” It was co-written by Tommy Thayer (who is now Spaceman in the band) and songwriter Curtis Cuomo who collaborates with Paul and Gene throughout the album.

“I Will Be There” is an acoustical ballad with heavy orchestration and allows Bruce to show off some serious acoustic guitar/classical-riffed solos. It’s dedicated to Paul’s son, Evan.

The only song to really be considered a single was “Jungle.” It did reach #8 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock charts (not to be confused with the Hot 200 where the Top 40 comes from) beating the previous best, which was “Heavens on Fire.” That’s a heavy-hitter, too. It also won Metal Edge Readers’ Choice Award for Song of the Year for 1997. It’s probably one of my least favorite tunes on the album but I still like it.

Gene recruited help from Van Zen and Black ‘N Blue’s Jaime St. James for “In My Head.” It’s heavy and mean. It’s weird but I feel that fits the scene for Gene’s head, indeed.

“It Never Goes Away” is Paul’s dragging tune. I like it but it drags on at like 4 beats a minute. Not really, but it seems like it. It’s more around 88 BPM. Continuing on the “kind of crazy train” that this album’s lyrical content provides, in, from what I can tell was a podcast called KISSaholics (#13), Paul says “(“It Never Goes Away”) Is a pretty cool song that says basically there’s all kinds of evil stuff that goes on and misery in the world but there’s really not a whole lot I can do about it. It never changes.” Well, okay, then. Bottom of the list for me.

I love the exotic beat happening in “Seduction of the Innocent.” It’s one of the more laid back Gene songs on the album and I dig it. Gene had announced this was being worked on as a follow up to Revenge. Co-written by Van Zen, who co-wrote seven of the tunes (out of 12) on the album.

My favorite tune on the album is “I Confess” which was co-written by Sammy Hagar’s cousin and Christian songwriter (how’s that for contrast?), Ken Tamplin. I love the deep darkness that the song puts forward, both musically and lyrically. The reverse swells and orchestration, along with the melody are amazing. I love this song.

“In the Mirror” is still grungy but still is kind of previous-KISS-like. Another thing this and other songs from COS have going on are some great vocal harmonies. That’s really all I have for this song.

Bruce finally gets his vocal moment. He sings the closing track, “I Walk Alone.” I think it’s interesting that both he and Eric Carr were in the band for a long time and both of them finally got their vocal debuts on their last album with the band. Now, I don’t think Bruce has a great voice, but I think Bruce’s voice was great on this song. It fit perfectly, in my opinion. This song is also the second longest song on the album, over six minutes. I’m a fan of this song, too.

So, the recording of this whole album, as I said, started in 1995. It was also in 1995 that KISS did MTV Unplugged and that led to the original lineup getting back together. That roller coaster hit a crest and was on its way, which we’re still experiencing. The monster (no pun intended) that thing became put COS on hold. It was released on October 28, 1997 which means it turned 19 this past Monday. Next year… wow, 20 years! Jeez.

Overall, I think it’s a great album. I just don’t think it is a great KISS album. Just like ‘The Elder,’ and Unmasked before it, if you take it out of the KISS context or at least what you expect from a KISS album, it can stand on its own. Okay, I’ll admit it, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s not a great album, but I think it’s a really good album. It has many fantastic songs. Songs that I feel Gene outdid Paul on. These songs fit Gene’s voice and musical mindset better than it did Paul’s. If you listen to Gene’s solo album, Asshole, you’ll hear more evidence of his heavier styles.

If you decide to give COS a listen, again, keep in mind that it’s not what you’d think a KISS album would be, but it’s experimental and I think worth listening to, more than once. I’ve listened to it three times whilst writing this post. Happy listening!

Until tomorrow, Keep KISSin’…
Scorp out!

—
“When I look into the mirror, just can’t believe, what do I see. There’s no wakin’ from this nightmare and you’re lost in your reality. So you tell me all your secrets. And you tell me that you’re innocent. There’s something in your eyes I can see and my face keeps looking back at me. You Confess. You can’t help yourself. This living lie that you can’t go on. You’re possessed. You can’t fool yourself. You’re the crime and you can’t go on.” – “I Confess” (Simmons/Tamplin)

Sounds Like Saturday or: Y2K-1

27 Saturday Oct 2018

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Salutations™!!

Today is the 36th anniversary of Prince’s breakthrough album, 1999. Yes, he had albums prior and he was kind of known for them but 1999 was the one that broke him mainstream. And, yes, Purple Rain threw him to the top, but this started it. Far from its greatest hit, this is still a good representation of the album.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you. I only want you to have some fun.” – “1999” (Prince)

Hotter Than Most or: A True Klassic

24 Wednesday Oct 2018

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Salutations™!!

I am finding it hard to write this post because I’m singing along with the album as I’m writing it. And, let me tell you, Dear Reader, at 8:30am, that’s a feat.  Anywhat! Monday was the 44th Anniversary of the KISS Klassic Hotter Than Hell. It is one of my faves, for sure. It was one of the first albums I ever got in the 70s and it was one of two KISS CDs that I purchased when I bought my first CD player in Orlando, FL on December 27, 1989. I got the player at Wal-Mart (the first time I ever went to one) and purchased the Bad English CD from the band of the same name and when we were eating dinner, I went to Peaches Records and Tapes and bought this and Music from ‘The Elder.’ I just felt like I needed to. That was when CDs were still $24ish at Peaches. But, enough about me…

Cover_hth_large

©Casablanca

In February of 1974 young group of New Yorkers had donned greasepaint and put out their first album called KISS. Casablanca Records had put “Kissin’ Time” which had been a hit for Bobby Rydell on the album because Neil Bogart thought it was catchy and they needed a boost for the album. It wasn’t on the original version but subsequent copies had it. They did some novelty things like KISSing contests and the like. KISS was gaining speed as a live act, but that was on a somewhat smaller scale as it was only the people who went to see the band that knew about them. The album itself had a little momentum but then went nowhere.

Well, if at first you don’t succeed… do it again. So, here they were in August and disappointed with sales of the first record. Bogart shipped them to Los Angeles to record with Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise who both had just moved to LA. None of the band liked it out there (at first). Equipment theft, eccentric people, the list goes on for reasons, just didn’t sit well with the tougher New Yorkers.

Recording went okay, but any KISS fan can tell you it sounds like they recorded it in a bathroom. It’s more reverb-heavy or echoey and the sonic presence is somewhat thinner. That, despite the lyrical content being a little darker and the music heavier than on the first album. The producers can just blame it on their frazzled state after moving to Cali. Now, I’m sure, this being the 70s and such, that there were probably drugs involved, too. Despite that, as a kid, I never knew there was a difference. I just heard the songs. The songs spoke to me.

Ace and Peter were still in it at this time. I mean, they were in it. They were still hungry. Ace wrote two of the songs and co-wrote another with Paul. He still wasn’t in a position to sing as his confidence level in that area was quite low. But, the songs that he wrote were powerful. One becoming a concert staple and making it onto Alive! just a year later. More about that in a minute.

The album, at first, went nowhere. The distribution deal that Casablanca had with Warner Bros. Records had expired. So, they had practically no heat behind it. It undersold the first album and that’s saying something. It did eventually reach gold a few years later but that was because the surprise popularity of Alive! boosted the public interest of the previous studio albums. The low sales/high potential led to the very quick recording of Dressed to Kill only three months later.

Musically, however, this album is chock-full of goodness. The album starts off with “Got to Choose” a tune written and sung by Paul. It’s about a guy who hears his girl is going to leave him or at least going to be double-dippin’ and he’s telling her it’s “him or me,” make up your mind. This song was the first KISS song that Heavens Sake ever performed live. The first of very many. There’s even a recording of it on our 1998ish WV EP that was never released as the sound quality was worse than this album, but we enjoyed it. We realized after we had already come back home that we had totally left off one of the harmonies in the verses. Oh well. It was still fun. And, so, I’d say if you asked Dave and Bobby about this song, we’d all three have the same fond memories of doing it in the HS. This tune was track #3 on Alive!

“Parasite” was another that made it to Alive! and was written by Ace. It’s heavy and is pretty much a song about a leecher or a woman holding on and it seems the guy can’t shake her loose. Ace played bass on this album but left the vocal duties to Gene. I have performed this one a good bit live. It’s fun.

The odd-ball song on this album, which is not to say it’s not one of my faves, is “Goin’ Blind.” It was co-written by Stephen Coronel and Gene when they were both in Wicked Lester. It’s subject matter, which you’d never get away with in today’s musical and political climate, is about a relationship (or wanted relationship) between a 93-year old man and an underaged girl. Gene did a couple of these over the years. I didn’t appreciate it when I was a kid but I love the song now, subject matter notwithstanding.

The title track is one of my faves, for sure. It also was the subject of a lot of misheard or misunderstood lyrics when I was a kid. I didn’t get the whole premise other than this girl was hotter than hell. I don’t really know what I thought he was saying. But, hey! There’s a gong in it! Great, marvelous, okay move on.

The album’s only single is my least favorite song on the album. It has always been just “okay” with me. It’s called “Let Me Go, Rock ‘n’ Roll.” I think because it’s the boogie-woogie style tempo and feel of the song. I don’t usually care for those type of songs. With that, I don’t have a lot to say about it, other than why was that the single?

“All the Way” is actually kind of a fun, punchy, and happy sounding song, even if it’s just about a guy being driven to the edge of crazy because of his girlfriend.

My absolute favorite song on the album is “Watchin’ You.” It’s a pretty tough riff to pull off and it’s one of the few KISS songs that has a weird time signature (at least in the interludes between chorus and verses). It’s heavy as heck and was an inspiration to my lyrical content for the Heavens Sake song “Cannibal.” In fact, the first line is “I’m watchin’ you…”

Peter gets to sing the next one. It’s called “Mainline.” It was written by Paul and is about a heavy want of this girl. I never really cared for it as a kid but I like it now. It’s 60s or 50s style rock with a harder 70s edge.

“Comin’ Home” was co-written by Paul and Ace, one of the few with that co-billing. I listened to it but never paid attention to it until KISS did it for their Unplugged album. Then, of course, Heavens Sake did it for a bit. Come to think of it, every song on this album got some HS love.

Another one of my faves on the album closes it out. Written by Ace but sung by Peter, “Strange Ways” is just mean and heavy. It is also one of my favorite KISS songs that Heavens Sake covered live. Bobby sang it because he sounded like Peter and was the drummer. Makes sense, yeah? A great solo by Ace on this one, too.

I remember looking at the album cover and think that Gene had some ironed, flipped hairdo and that Paul looked like he had his hand down Peter’s pants. I also couldn’t figure out all the Japanese things. And, what in the wide world of sports was with the green fingernails? The back cover, however, turned me on and confused me. Peter was sitting in a throne (which would probably be more Gene-like) with a naked woman (with stars over her nipples). Ace was sitting, virtually, on nothing in a big aluminum bag. Gene looked like something from “Planet of the Apes” breathing fire but the fire didn’t look real. And, Paul was either making out with a mannequin or doing his best impression of Captain Kirk because his picture partner looked like she was blue.

None of that (other than Peter) was actually what was going on, it just what it looked like to my 8-year old self. I loved, however, the amalgamation mask of the members, adding elements of them all to one face.

It turns out that there had been a party thrown and, other than Gene, all of the band were either drunk or high. So, probably, other than Gene, none of them really have any recollection of what happened during that shoot.

I would put this in my top 10 of KISS albums, possibly even top 5. It’s a great album, even with the shoddy production. Five of the ten songs made it to Alive! and some are still concert staples. It’s a great album and should be heard. If you are confused about what I’ve written, just listen to it and you’ll get it. Imagine an 8-year old kid just learning about rock and roll music in a house full of country and gospel. I was in heaven. Thanks, Paul, Gene, Ace, and Peter.

Until tomorrow, keep KISSin’!
Scorp out!

—
“She’ll always be there trying to grab a hold. She thought she knew me, but she didn’t know that I was sad and wanted her to go. Parasite lady, parasite eyes. Parasite lady, no need to cry.” – “Parasite” (Frehley)

Hot in the What? or: Yeah…

17 Wednesday Oct 2018

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Salutations™!!

In recent posts about KISS albums, you will have noticed that I always talk smack about one album in particular. And, today happens to be that album’s 29th anniversary.

Of course, I’m talking about Hot in the Shade (HITS).

Hot_in_the_shade_cover

©Mercury

Until Sonic Boom came along, this was my least favorite KISS album. I have two immediate (and probably several subsequent) reasons for this. One, the song “Boomerang,” and two, the lyrics to “Cadillac Dreams.”

I remember buying this album. In the days before the internet’s popularity, you had to read the music rags to know when things were coming out. I hadn’t read one in a while and didn’t know when the album was coming out. I was a freshman in college and hated every minute of it. I had the morning off, which I believe was a Tuesday. I went by Peaches Records and Tapes on Peters Creek and looked at the new release section and saw the cover to this album on cassette. Other than the “postmark” there was no indication that it was a KISS album. My eyes grew wide when I saw it was KISS. Heck yeah!

I bought it, ran straight to my car and put it in the cassette player. Hey… what’s Cinderella’s “Bad Seamstress Blues” doing on this tape? Are they covering it? No. It was a ripoff, though, I still think. The rest of the song (“Rise to It”) isn’t bad, but I get tired of “cheerleading” songs.

Fast forward a few songs and you hear Paul attempt to rap. “Read My Body” is one of the most ridiculous songs I think I’ve ever heard him do. Now, that being said, I don’t really mind it, I just understand it’s not at all good.

Let’s talk “Cadillac Dreams” a second. I hadn’t heard the song yet (it’s the first song on the second side of the cassette), but I took the cassette cover into class with me and I remember sitting in the communications building at WSSU waiting for class and reading the lyrics. What in the wide world of sports is this!? “When I was seventeen, found out just what it means. If you can get it free, it just ain’t worth a damn. When I heard the preacher say, don’t throw your life away. I got that message, and I wrote it on the wall.” I think I was just worn out on that same song mentality over and over. I had lived it since I was seven. Perhaps I was maturing? Perhaps I just needed something new? I don’t know. Then I heard it and it was not better than I had imagined it to be.

I know Paul had stated in an interview about the album (I did read that) that “there won’t be any hammer-ons on this album.” I know they were trying to get back to basics-ish and scale things back. But, most of the songs seem uninspired to me. They lack any real feeling and depth. Yes, I know I’m talking about KISS here but, to me, they were innovative (if but to and from themselves) and always put out things that I liked. As I have stated, this is the first time I was able to see through my KISS “fog” and see that they weren’t infallible. With the exception of a few tunes, I really did not and still do not like this album.

It does seem that Gene was present for this album. The production credits are given to him and Paul. They did use outside writers for most of this album. Both “Rise to It” and “Read My Body” were co-written by Bob Halligan, Jr., who is probably best known for his writing with Judas Priest and Kix (he co-wrote “Don’t Close Your Eyes). Five of the tunes were co-written by former KISS producer/songwriter Vini Poncia including “Love’s a Slap in the Face,”  “Cadillac Dreams,”  “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell” (with Gene), “Silver Spoon” and  “King of Hearts” (both with Paul). Some of those are good some are bad.

Bruce Kulick co-wrote a few songs on the album including “Prisoner of Love” and “Boomerang.” Let’s talk the latter, now. This song makes no sense to me. Not, lyrically, but musically. It seems disjointed and sounds like it’s about to go off the rail. It’s KISS’ attempt at speed metal. It’s a good showcase for what Eric could do, but the rest of it just seems like a blur of noise. And, Paul’s assessment about pull-offs and hammer-ons is total BS on this song. I really, really, really dislike this song.

Future Spaceman Tommy Thayer co-wrote two songs with Gene, “Betrayed” and  “The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away.” Eric finally gets to sing lead on an original tune, that he co-wrote with Gene and long-time KISS collaborator, Adam Mitchell. The song was called “Ain’t That Peculiar” but they reworked it to become “Little Caesar” which was what Gene playfully called Eric when he was being a badarse. It’s okay, not great, but at least he got to do something that wasn’t (and doing a better job of) covering  Peter’s vox on “Beth.”

Pop music songwriting superstars Desmond Child and Holly Knight collaborated with Paul on “Hide Your Heart” which was on not only this album, not only two different albums but FIVE different albums in 1989. My fave is the KISS version but it was also covered, and probably most successfully, by Bonnie Tyler on her album of the same name, Robin Beck on her album Trouble or Nothin’, Molly Hatchet on Lightning Strikes Twice and oddly enough, Ace on his Trouble Walkin’ album. Ace’s wasn’t bad. Bonnie Tyler’s sounded like “Total Eclipse of Hiding Your Heart” and Robin Beck’s version is Bonnie Tyler Lite. I don’t like anything Molly Hatchet does and this is no exception.

But, the most eyebrow-raising collaboration has to be the album’s biggest hit and the band’s second-highest charting single ever, “Forever” which was co-written by Michael Bolton. Yes, that Michael Bolton and NO, not Michael Bolton from Office Space. “Forever” was a ballad and it was a very well-written song. It reached #8 on the Billboard Top 100 chart (only “Beth” did better on the charts). The video was great. Simplistic. To the point. Bruce’s solo was magnificently done.

The tour that followed this album was my first concert ever. I finally got to see them live. I finally got to see anything live. I had to put my foot down to my mother who wouldn’t let me go to concerts. So, on July 27, 1990, I saw Danger Danger (who I loved), Slaughter (who I liked a lot) and KISS. It was the only time I would see Eric Carr play as he passed away just two years later. But, the band came out of “LEON” the Sphinx’s (get it?) mouth followed by lasers and smoke. Eric’s drum solo with the Simmons pads was great to watch, too. I was in awe!

But, back to the album. This was their longest and longest-running studio album. It was barely shy of an hour and it had 15 songs. I think they could have left off “Boomerang,” “Cadillac Dreams,” “Read My Body,” “Prisoner of Love” and “Silver Spoon” and made it a reasonably-tracked ten-song album and it would have been better for me. I felt they just tried too much filler. I know that the minimalist approach of the album and worrying about budget had them overdubbing on demos instead of rerecording them. That could be part of my problem with the album, too. Not enough production, cutting corners, fluffing the album with filler crap. All that just made for a bad experience overall, even with some shining moments. For me that is. It sat at the bottom of the barrel (15 to that point) until the clunkers Sonic Boom and Monster came out. One day I’ll do a countdown of my own of KISS studio albums. A few people have asked about that.

This was the last KISS album I bought on cassette, as I got my first CD player in December 1989.

Happy anniversary HITS, meh…

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Would you want to know what I’m thinking about? Do you wonder do I wanna make you scream and shout – shout it out. Would you like to see what’s in my brain? Does your curiosity make you insane – insane? Baby, you’re just wastin’ precious time, if you want to know what’s on my mind. Read my body, are the letters big enough? Read my body, do you like the book of my love? Read my body, turn the page, get to the good stuff, read my body.” – “Read My Body” (Stanley/Halligan)

Creatures Alive, Too? or: Many KISSes

14 Sunday Oct 2018

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Salutations™!!

My Saturday was awesomely fun, but it didn’t include Underdog Records, so instead of a haul for today, we’re going to talk about (as promised yesterday) two major KISS records that have anniversaries this weekend.

COTN_album_cover

©Casablanca Records

Yesterday was the 36th anniversary of the “comeback” album from KISS, Creatures of the Night. After the publicly-admonished “disaster” that was Music from ‘The Elder,’ KISS realized that had a lot to atone for.

The guise was that Ace was still part of the group. He took pictures for the cover, did a video for “I Love It Loud,” and did some appearances, but the truth was, he was nowhere near the album, at all. He had had enough with being outvoted and really, he absolutely knew that The Elder was a mistake. Take those factors with the fact that he was a slave to substances (just listen to “Rock Soldiers” from the debut Frehley’s Comet album) and he was either done on his own or done from Gene’s and Paul’s perspective.

Also, removed from the mix was long-time manager Bill Aucoin. Bill had basically hyped Gene and Paul to make The Elder and really, the Unmasked album, too. Paul, in his book, has called them both “disasters.” I disagree, but, I can see where they alienated the fan base or “KISS Army.” Bill was dismissed.

Here they were, three main components of their history, their success, all gone. First Peter, then Ace, then Bill. So, what next? Paul says he wanted to take the makeup off and Gene wouldn’t have it. Paul suggests that he wanted to make a clean sweep, a whole new beginning. Truth be told, while I don’t believe everything Paul wrote in his book, I have to agree with him that it was probably time to remove the disguise at that point. However, if they had, we’d not have one of the most iconic album covers in KISStory (or to me, even ever – across all albums).

So, here they were in search of yet another replacement member. They held auditions in the industry but the public didn’t know. Again, Ace was still “officially” in the band. So, in essence, the auditions for a new guitarist was executed by the players actually playing on the album.

With that, they got Steve Farris, who went on to found and play with Mr. Mister. He did the solo on the title track, “Creatures of the Night.” They got Robben Ford, a well-known blues guitarist doing the solos on “Rock and Roll Hell” and “I Still Love You.” Adam Mitchell, who was best known for writing poppier songs and who ended up co-writing “Creatures,” “Keep Me Comin'” and “Danger” with Paul on the album doing some guitar work on “Creatures.” Bob Kulick, from Paul’s solo album, did guitar overdubs across the album, which I figure includes a good bit of rhythm guitar. And, the one that got most of the solo work on the album was a mostly-unknown smoker on the axe, Vincent Cusano. He played the solos on “Saint and Sinner,” “Keep Me Comin’,” “Danger,” “I Love It Loud,” “Killer” and “War Machine.” At one time, was the staff writer for both Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi.

Cusano also got the gig with the band. As Mick Fury! No, not really. That’s what he wanted to go by but Paul nixed that idea (according to him). They decided on Vinnie Vincent and Paul designed the Ankh Warrior makeup. No one knew what the Ankh was all about. Not Vinnie, not the fans, not even Paul who designed it. That should have been more an indicator to the band that the makeup needed to go.

The songs, though, they were really fantastic. They made it heavy; the heaviest they had done to that point. They needed to let the fans know that they were back! They were ready to rock and rock. They were ready to rock and roll hard! They were ready! THEY WERE READY!

The problem was, the fans didn’t care. They weren’t ready. They weren’t ready to let KISS back in. They had a hard time letting go or forgiving KISS for the Dynasty, Unmasked and especially The Elder. I wasn’t one of those, though. I still loved it. I didn’t realize (I was 11) that Ace wasn’t there. I did, however, know that this was a heavy album. It was booming, even on my crapola cabinet record player (but I wish I still had that).

At the time, there were a few songs that I didn’t like. I didn’t care for “Danger,” “Keep Me Comin’,” or “War Machine.” I loved the title track, “Saint and Sinner,” “Rock and Roll Hell,” “I Love It Loud” and “I Still Love You.” “Rock and Roll Hell” and “War Machine” were written by Gene along with Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams. The album was produced by Michael James Jackson who had done some poppier things and co-produced by Gene and Paul.

More indicative of the fact that the fans had given up was the tour that followed. The same stadiums and arenas that KISS had been selling out, ones that held 18,000 people or more, were now only selling 1,000 tickets or so. Paul said in his book you could tell by how loud the opening bands were or the announcements were how empty the arenas were. Also, Paul would flick his pick and it would sail over the heads of the audience and land on the floor. Sad, really. They canceled the rest of their North American tour.

That was in North America. In South America, they played to record (for them) crowds. They played at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with over 250,000 people in the audience. Still, they knew their home fans (US) were giving up. They had to change something and that something was the makeup. Get back to music. It worked.

Mercury Records, who had bought out Casablanca Records, had some weird notion that they wanted to upgrade the awesome Creatures cover to something more “indicative” of current KISS in 1985. They changed it to a group photo of the 85 lineup with Bruce Kulick. So, both covers featured members that weren’t on the album. At least Ace was still technically part of the band. The closest Bruce was to being in the band was his brother Bob’s overdubs.

Now, I love this album and think it’s one of their best of the 80s. One of the best of the catalog, really. And, the tables turned. I went from not liking the songs mentioned earlier to really liking them and, now, “I Love It Loud” is one of the “big three” that I wish I never had to hear again (along with “Detroit Rock City” and “Rock and Roll All Nite” even though DRC has re-grown on me). The album was just a victim of circumstance, I think.

Today, however, is the 41st anniversary of my favorite of the “Alive” albums, KISS Alive II. Do I think it’s the best of them? Not really. I just love that era. The costumes, the feel, etc. The songs from Alive II were all from Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun.

As far as live albums go, it’s hard to even call it a “live” album. A lot of it was live, recorded at the Los Angeles Forum. Then a few of the songs were recorded from soundchecks at those shows. Notably, “Hard Luck Woman” and “Tomorrow and Tonight” were both soundcheck recordings and weren’t actually played on that tour. But, also, “I Stole Your Love,” which was the opener of the shows. Eddie Kramer just went in afterward and put in canned crowd noise.

The energy was up but it seems they weren’t as hungry as they had been on Ailve! The sound on the album wasn’t as full. It seemed a little thinner. I’m still confused as to why they started the album with “Detroit Rock City” when it was “I Stole Your Love” that started them actual shows. I know it was “Detroit Rock City” that went into “King of the Nighttime World” on Destroyer and perhaps they wanted to recreate that. That’s all I can figure.

Another odd thing to me was the fourth side of the album. It was five studio songs, including a cover of the Dave Clark Five tune, “Any Way You Want It.” It was claimed that it was all the original members, but in reality, it was Bob Kulick playing Ace’s parts except for “Rocket Ride,” which he played all guitars and bass. That was the beginning of the end for Ace. I love “Larger Than Life” which I just think sounds bad arse. I also dig “Rockin’ in the U.S.A.” that I kind of “borrowed” from to write “She’s Got What It Takes” on Heavens Sake’s debut album. “All American Man” is also a good song.

Don’t get me wrong, I actually like the side four songs but why not give us more live songs? Perhaps they could have done some more in soundcheck? With that, though, three songs (that I know of) were soundcheck songs, the five studio songs, if they knew they didn’t have enough to do a full live album, why not strategize the setlists better?

Couldn’t they have done “Do You Love Me?” or left “Take Me” in there? If they were going to do soundcheck recordings anyway, why not “Mr. Speed” or “Almost Human?” “Hooligan” was in the set for the “Love Gun Tour,” they could have left that in. I don’t know. There seemed to be more options that they didn’t take advantage of. Then again, when I was 8-years old, I loved the album. I really didn’t listen to the fourth side much but as I got older, I appreciated it more and more.

So, happy anniversary to Creatures of the Night and KISS Alive II. I love ya both.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Wanna bite the hand that feeds me, wanna turn the tides. Set the demons free and watch ’em fly. Strike down the one who leads me, I’m gonna take his place. Gonna vindicate the human race. Better watch out ’cause I’m a war machine.” – “War Machine” (Simmons/Adams/Vallance)

Monsterous Sonic Collections or: Missteps

09 Tuesday Oct 2018

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Salutations™!!

Just like September, October has a lot of KISS album releases. Some of them Klassic and some of them… pure crap. Yeah, I have finally come to grips with the reality that not everything that KISS did was awesome. Most of it, yes, but not all.

We’ll go first with one that actually has its 12th anniversary tomorrow as it’s not really that important, just a compilation album. It’s called The Best of Kiss, Volume 3: The Millennium Collection, which actually marks the first time there has been a KISS album that features 90s-era KISS only. It has songs from 1992’s Revenge, KISS Alive III, the “throw-away” Carnival of Souls (I don’t believe it was a throw-away), MTV Unplugged: KISS, Psycho Circus and one from the Detroit Rock City film soundtrack. Interesting mix, but it’s a compilation album of stuff that I already have.

Okay, let’s get to the crap, or is that Krap?

Kiss_sonicboom111

©KISS/Roadrunner

In 2009, KISS wanted to “get back to basics” with their stuff, they had Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer donning the “Spaceman” and “Catman” personas so they wanted to try to do what they didn’t do with Psycho Circus nine years prior, they wanted to produce a “Klassic KISS” album. I actually feel they got closer with Psycho Circus. What they came up with was Sonic Boom on October 6.

There are a couple of songs on this album that I can listen to, like “Modern Day Delilah” (which was the lead single). Even with that song, though, Paul tried way too hard to bring back the early 80s magic by hitting high notes he no longer has any business hitting and pitting it against the grungier, more mid-90s Carnival of Souls. Tommy tries to capitalize on his taking over of “Spaceman” and co-writes and sings “When Lightning Strikes” to what I feel is a nod or knock on “Shock Me” from Ace. I can’t really tell. Eric gets a turn at lead vox on “All for the Glory.”

“Russian Roulette” by Gene isn’t too bad. It shows how done Gene is with singing, as well. He basically talks through it. Musically, it’s probably one of the best on the album. I think there are a couple of things that bother me about this album the most. One: It’s touted as Klassic and it’s not. It’s subpar in that realm and is even further down from any run-of-the-mill rock band. Two: 60s-aged KISS singing about things they would have sung about as 20-somethings is just creepy and sad. I claim this as my least favorite KISS album and with Hot in the Shade in the mix, that’s saying something. Three: It was distributed exclusively (and still is) by Wal-Mart in the US and Canada. I can see doing individual store exclusives so that they could sell more, but perhaps the worst part is that I had to go to Wal-Mart to get it. At least all the songs were written in-house for the main album and with no outside writers.

The one great thing – or is it two – about this album I can say is that they included the KISS Klassics album which was a re-recording of 15 KISS songs from most of the KISS albums from KISS to Hot in the Shade. That was released a year prior in Japan under the name Jigoku-Retsuden which translates to “Intense Transmission from Hell.” That was great. Somehow Paul and Gene don’t sound spent on those, at least as much. Another thing was a DVD from April 2009 in Argentina with all two songs each from the first three KISS albums (KISS, Hotter Than Hell, Dressed to Kill). So, there was some consolation here. But, man, this album, as a whole, isn’t that great. It had three singles, “Modern Day Delilah,” “Never Enough” and “Say Yeah.”

KissMonsterAlbum2

©Universal

That brings us to today, which is the sixth anniversary of Monster. I remember getting that album and totally thinking the album cover seemed unoriginal and “thrown together.” It was produced by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins (who incidentally produced Sonic Boom as well).

The thing that stands out to me about this album is that it reminds me more of Creatures of the Night or Lick It Up than Klassic KISS and I’m okay with that. Gene belts out his stuff on this one. They just took a break on Sonic Boom, it seems. Lyrically, a good bit of it is kind of K-R-A-F-T–worthy. But, not too bad. I just enjoy listening to this one more than Sonic Boom. Once again, Tommy has a song that is “Ace-related.” This one is called “Outta This World.” I still wonder if it’s a nod or a knock. I can’t figure it out. And, for the second album in a row, Eric has a song that starts with “All for the…” in “All for the Love of Rock & Roll.” It is his trademark, eh? Not really.

I just think that this KISS works better with the 80s/90s sound than trying to rekindle the feeling and sound of the Klassic years. Another factor in this albums fullness is the fact that they went analog with tape and tape machines than doing it digitally. It makes it a little more full and lush, I feel. There are several “good” songs on this album. I think the two best are the two singles, “Hell or Hallelujah” and “Long Way Down.”

This is also not anywhere near my favorite KISS album and ranks just barely above Sonic Boom. Again, with HITS out there, that’s saying something. I give Hot in the Shade a lot of crap, but it gets its day in the sun next week.

It’s still a “wait and see” if Sonic Boom and Monster are the last KISS studio albums, especially with them about to embark on a true “farewell” tour. Paul said in regards to Psycho Circus that he didn’t want to go out with that experience, so they carried on without Peter and Ace. I still think, as I mentioned earlier, that PC is much better than these two. Anyway, happy anniversary to all three of those albums this week.

We have three more this weekend/next week coming.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I ran from temptation. I prayed for salvation (yeah). I screamed at God, ‘Save me from my own damnation’ (yeah). My eyes were cold and blinded. I held the page I could not read. Drew up my blood inside him. I woke up in a sweat and heard the Lord’s decree. The Devil is me. The Devil is me. I fought myself to be set free ’cause the Devil is me.” – “The Devil is Me” (Simmons/Stanley/Thayer)

Welcome to the Show or: Many Kisses (Part 4)

21 Friday Sep 2018

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Salutations™!!

The month of September is a huge month for KISS fans, even if they don’t know it. Why you may ask? Because the month of September is the anniversary month for the releases of TEN KISS albums. I’ve talked about Alive!, Animalize, Asylum, Paul, Gene, Ace, Peter, Lick It Up and Crazy Nights. Here’s the last one for September. It’s one of great debate, I’m sure. I am conflicted with it myself. And, I’m doing it a day early because Saturdays are scheduled for something else.

Psycho_Circus

©Mercury Records

Heavens Sake, the band that I was in and still the proudest of (we were greatly influenced by KISS), was still happening in 1998. It was in and out but it was happening. I had seen MTV’s “Unplugged” featuring KISS, along with a reunion of the original members while at drummer Bob’s apartment. We saw KISS actually reunited in makeup on the Grammys, introduced by Tupac. They had a reunion tour and we went. So, it was inevitable that there would be an album. This was the “reunion” album, Psycho Circus, in 1998 on September 22.

I say that in quotations because Peter really only played on Ace’s “Into the Void.” And, current KISS “Spaceman” Tommy Thayer played leads on all but four tunes. And, Bruce Kulick, former KISS member, played bass on the title track and “Dreamin'” and played the backward guitar track on “Within” and rhythm guitar on “Dreamin’,” as well. The drums, this time, weren’t played by Anton Fig in Peter’s stead, this time it was Kevin Valentine (who played on Revenge and Hot in the Shade, as well), known from Donnie Iris & the Cruisers and he was a touring drummer with Cinderella for a bit. Valentine also is an Emmy award-winning composer.

Whilst it was supposed to be a “return of KISS,” even in sound and feel it wasn’t old KISS. There were a lot of aspects of Carnival of Souls, the grunge-metal hybrid they were working on before getting the wise idea of “putting the band back together,” still on here. “Within” is the prime example of that, and in fact was demoed for that album. They had stuff that really sounded like most of the 80s-era stuff, especially Crazy Nights and Hot in the Shade. Again, this was a reunion album in concept only.

When you go out and play American football with all the rules, the same team, the same players, and call your team the New York Yankees, it’s still American football. You can call it a return to the “old KISS” but when the same two people are in charge of the songwriting and the same players are in the studio, it’s still the “new KISS.” Now, all that being said, I’m glad.

I loved the new KISS. I loved the old KISS. I still love KISS. As I said, up until Hot in the Shade, they couldn’t do any wrong, and, even with a few hiccups since that album, I still love them. It’s like that uncle that you know does dumb stuff but you still love him. The band evolved. They grew. They regressed. They moved forward. They moved backward. They adapted and that’s probably their biggest sin, here. I don’t think it would have been possible to return to Destroyer or Love Gun. I don’t think they forgot how to play and write like that, I just think it wasn’t them. If you listen to Sonic Boom or Monster (more on those next month), it’s not far from the same sound as this album.

I think they loved the idea of a KISS reunion but didn’t love being reunited. In a Rolling Stone interview in 2009, Paul said, “We tried to do a Kiss album, and it was an ill-fated attempt because there was no real band. For a band to make a great album, it has to share a common purpose…and we didn’t have it.” It was also revealed that Ace and Peter were trying to negotiate more money out of the “partnership.” You don’t negotiate money with Gene and Paul, not anymore. They feel they’ve survived without Ace and Peter, they kept the name going – regardless of the circumstances, and I think they knew that it was only a matter of time before it all came to an end.

In a very tongue-in-cheek attempt to return to some semblance of the old KISS sound, what do they do? They hire Bruce Fairbairn who was known for Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet and New Jersey albums, Aerosmith’s Permanent Vacation, Pump and Get a Grip, and AC/DC’s The Razor’s Edge. Now, all of those are fine and decent albums but do any of them scream what KISS would have sounded like as “old KISS?” All of those are the slickly-produced, sugary popped, the 80s/early 90s hair band mess. Which, I am quite fond of, actually. But, most folks aren’t when it comes to a KISS reunion.

People were disappointed. I wasn’t. Is it my favorite KISS album? Absolutely not. Is it top 10? Absolutely not. Is it top 20? Well, considering there are only 20 studio albums, it kind of has to be, right? It ranks higher than does either Sonic Boom, Monster, Hot in the Shade, Ace or Peter’s solos, and the gasper for this whole thing, Dressed to Kill. Yeah, I’ve really always been so-so about that one. Live with it. I do. This was the last good KISS record to me.

Contrary to what my blog always sounds like, I’m not anti-Ace or anti-Peter, I just don’t care. They squandered their chance and it’s okay that they milk what they can from what they had: sober, not sober, whining, moaning, happy, in, out… whatever. But, I’m really indifferent about their involvement in the band. I felt a little down when they didn’t all play together on stage for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but I’m kind of glad at the same time. Upon the announcement of the “End of the Road” tour that is coming to be the actual retirement tour (we’ll see), people are calling for Ace and Peter to be part of it. Nah. They don’t deserve it in my eyes. Plus, even on the reunion and “farewell” tours, Peter couldn’t keep up and Ace was Ace. Tommy does the same licks, doesn’t mess them up and still has feeling in his playing. Just let it go. If you’re the “F.You without Peter and Ace,” then go back and listen to the old stuff and relish what you had but shut the heck up. Stop living in the past. Paul and Gene aren’t going to change their minds and they don’t care if you don’t give them money. You’re just grandstanding at that point.

My favorite tunes on this album are the title track, “We Are One,” “Dreamin'” (which got Paul and Bruce sued for copyright infringement from Alice Cooper, he won, they settled out of court) and “Journey of 1,000 Years.” I could have done without “You Wanted the Best” because I’m not a fan of “cheerleading” songs and that’s all it was. “Into the Void” was okay. I do actually like “Within,” but then again, I liked COS, too. The rest are okay, too. I like it. Most don’t. I get it, but oh well.

Tomorrow will be 20 years since this came out. To me, it’s still the “new KISS album.” It’s hard to count Monster and ESPECIALLY Sonic Boom. I just listened to Psycho Circus again for good measure.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“I’ve been waiting here to be your guide. So come, reveal the secrets that you keep inside. Step up! No one leaves until the night is done. The amplifier starts to hum. The carnival has just begun. You’re in the psycho circus. And I say welcome to the show.” – “Psycho Circus” (Stanley/Cuomo)

Gone Solo or: Many Kisses (Part 2)

18 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by in Music Review, Records

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Salutations™!!

The month of September is a huge month for KISS fans, even if they don’t know it. Why you may ask? Because the month of September is the anniversary month for the releases of TEN KISS albums. I’ve talked about Alive!, Animalize and Asylum.

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©Casablanca Records

Now, today, September 18th is a doozie. In 1978, all four solo albums were released on this day. Three other KISS albums were released on this day as well, we’ll get to those.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the release of all four KISS solo albums. When I got into KISS, I was 7 going on 8 and that’s about when the whole Love Gun, Alive II, Double Platinum era was going on and then these were just coming out. Because of my newness to the band, I didn’t understand what was going on. I thought it was just 4 albums, one featuring songs by each member. I thought that was cool. And, in a way, it was. In other ways, it wasn’t. In many ways, actually.

While I pride myself on knowing my KISStory, at that time I had no such knowledge. I didn’t realize that Peter and Ace were both becoming victims of their own demons and weren’t pulling their own weight. They were constantly being pitted against Gene and Paul and were coming out on the losing side. As would be the case in any partnership/band/biz, that led to dissension. Ace and Peter were becoming more and more disillusioned with the “other side.” Gene and Paul were becoming less and less patient with Ace and Peter. Ace and Peter, whether right or wrong, felt that Gene and Paul were abusing their power and not allowing the others their creative freedom. Peter was threatening to quit as was Ace.  This is not just Gene’s and Paul’s long-heard version of the story, Sean Delaney backed this up when I talked with him several years ago. More on Sean later.

To keep the semblance of the band together, Gene and Paul, along with manager Bill Aucoin proposed that the individual members release their own album under the KISS moniker and let each showcase their influences, skills, desires, etc. Eraldo Carugati did the cover art of each and they looked cohesive, as they were supposed to. To the fans, including the newbies like me, it was to look like a cool thing they did in the name of creativity. I guess it was in some strange instances. They each dedicated their individual albums to each other, except Peter who added a dedication to Michael Benvenga who was in Chelsea and Lips with him, pre-KISS.

Ace’s album was all about the rock. Not, any pop or fluff really, even in the Russ Ballard tune, “New York Groove.” His guest list was not really extensive when you look at the other members’ tracks. He did recruit Anton Fig and Will Lee to play on his album, both of which would go on to be part of The World’s Most Dangerous Band from David Letterman. Fig would go on to be the drummer on the next two KISS studio albums (Dynasty and Unmasked) and when Ace finally blew the joint, he was part of Frehley’s Comet. Ace, being Ace decided he would do most of the other instruments himself, including most of the bass duties (Lee played on “Ozone,” “I’m in Need of Love” and “Wiped-Out”). There’s nothing wrong with that, he did it for the next few KISS albums, at least on his songs. Ace had Eddie Kramer produce his album (Ace co-produced it). Kramer was associated with Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and the list goes on. He also produced Alive! and Alive II. “New York Groove” was the only tune from this album that charted (#13). Ace’s was the only album to chart (#26) and was the highest selling.

Peter’s album was about soul, R&B, jazz, and rock and roll. kind of stuff. Peter’s background was in jazz drumming, not necessarily the hard rock that he was known for. His influences were older. Diverse. Most of the tracks on this record were written by Stan Penridge. The credits go to Penridge and Peter, but I’m suspicious of how much Peter actually wrote. He may have done some lyrics, I guess. Peter’s cover of Bobby Lewis’ “Tossin’ and Turnin'” was pretty good. KISS did it on the Dynasty tour, at least for a few shows. It was pretty awful from what I’ve heard of it. But, Sean Delaney wrote two songs on the album (“Rock Me Baby” and “I Can’t Stop the Rain”). What is remarkable about this is Sean actually produced Gene’s solo album but was asked to write for Peter. He did both. Peter had many guest musicians including Steve Lukather of Toto fame, Neil Jason (who also played all the bass on Gene’s album), Penridge, Allan Schwartzberg (who also played on Gene’s album and was credited as “additional drum overdubs” on several of the 80s-era KISS albums) and more. The album was produced by Vini Poncia who produced Dynasty and Unmasked. Incidentally, it’s the only one of the four that had a “credits insert” and the only one that released two singles, even though neither song charted.

Paul’s album has been touted as the “most KISS-like” and I disagree. I think that would be Ace’s (which could be one reason why I like it less). Now, Paul’s has KISS qualities but it sounds like Paul’s KISS songs. The addition of outside musicians changes the feel than that of a KISS album. I think Paul’s has the best-written tunes. A little bit of “Starchild” and a little bit of the “lover” is how I’d describe the album. Ballads, power-ballads, hard rocking tunes and some pop aspects. There’s not a song on this album that I don’t dig. While there are three songs (“Move On,” “Ain’t Quite Right” and “Take Me Away (Together as One)”) that were co-written by Mikel Japp, this is the only one of the four solo albums not to feature a cover tune. Paul had some notable guests on this album. Carmine Appice and Craig Krampf (co-writer of “Oh Sherrie” and session drummer for many big-named artists) on drums, and of course, Bob Kulick on guitar. Steve Buslowe played bass on side one and Eric Nelson on side two. I wonder if that was by design? I find it odd. The album was produced by Jeff Glixman who has worked with Kansas, Yngwie Malmsteen, Black Sabbath and more.

Gene’s album seems, to me, like a huge party. It’s like he gathered all of his friends, girlfriends, a previously-released KISS tune, bits of horror, hard rock, The Beatles and his favorite Disney films and threw himself a shindig. If I knew he wasn’t so straight-edged, that could be the case, but other than a few impromptu orgies, I don’t see the party happening. The album opens with something that reminds one of The Omen and is hellish before hitting the hard rock “Radioactive” which has a very cool (complete with choreographed dissonant passing notes) classical guitar interlude into “Burning Up With Fever” which on the original CD versions put both of those songs together and you had to either just listen through or fast forward to get to the latter. This is the only one of the four that re-recorded a KISS song (“See You In Your Dreams”) because he wasn’t happy with the original that was on Rock and Roll Over. Gene has always maintained that he learned English from watching Disney films. So, while it sticks out like a sore thumb on the album, it makes perfect sense that he’d cover “When You Wish Upon a Star” because hey, it gives him an extra tune and you love what you love, especially when it fits your story. Now, his guest list is incredible. He plays no bass on this album, just acoustic and electric guitar. He leaves the bass work to Neil Jason, who along with Allan Schwartzberg on drums, also played on Peter’s album. Elliot Randall, who is probably best known for his guitar solo on “Reelin’ in the Years” from Steely Dan handles most of the main guitar work but also, Rick Neilsen, Joe Perry, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and Richie Ranno of Starz do guest spots. And back up singers? Bob Seger, Helen Reddy, Donna Summer, Cher, Janis Ian, Michael Des Barres and a then-unknown young lady by the name of Kate Sagal (yes, Peggy Bundy) all lent their voices. Sean Delaney, as I said, produced the album. Sean claimed, to me, that he never got paid for that job and that Gene cheated him. Again, that’s an allegation and not necessarily a fact. But, the fact that he and Gene had a falling out about this time and as far as I know never really reconciled, I can see it. It wasn’t my business and I hope they talked before Sean passed away in 2003.

You’ll notice the order in which I talked about the albums. This order is important because it is in reverse order my favorite/preferred list. Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace. I get looks and furrowed brows when I say Ace’s is my least favorite. There are several reasons for this. One, I just am not a huge fan of Ace’s. I feel he squandered an opportunity and let KISS fans down in general. Yes, Peter flaked first and was a little byotch about it. But, I felt we got the better deal because Eric Carr was a much better drummer and a rock drummer at that. Ace’s also is just boring to me. Don’t get me wrong, I like it, it’s just my least favorite. I felt the reason for the solo projects was to show a bit of freedom and influence and step out of the KISS box. If you’re going to sound like KISS, record a KISS album and don’t be a byotch. Peter, Paul and Gene all got experimental and showed range, for better or for worse. Don’t argue, you have your favorites and I have mine!

All four had cool posters that you pieced together and the ones I have on 180g vinyl (from Underdog Records, of course) are pretty good. I had to buy my Paul Stanley used and it is missing the poster. I never had all the posters as a kid, either, so I’m looking for a replacement. I talked earlier about the good and bad of the solo albums. I love them for what they are, in varying degrees. The bad, however, was that no matter how crappy Peter’s performed, he still thought he was better and needed more from KISS. They showed him the door. Ace, on the other hand, got bolder as his album did the best and it proved, at least in his head, that he was more important. I feel he was, but disagree with how he dealt with it. Plus, he and Peter’s demons really got in their way beyond “just ego.” What are your thoughts on the solo albums, Dear Reader? I know you’ll disagree on the Ace placement but it is how I see it.

This got a lot more overly verbose than I expected, so I’ll continue the others either in a separate post for today or just do it tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Until tomorrow (or later today), stay in the Useless Things Groove!
Scorp out!

—
“You were standin’ and I was thinkin’ ff all the time that I spend hangin’ around. Situation could only get better. I got closer to see what I found. In the mornin’, movin’ easy. Everything seems so right. But when the night comes, I’ve been dreamin’… Dreamin’ ’bout leavin’ you one more time. Girl, you gave me good love but it ain’t quite right.” – “Ain’t Quite Right” (Stanley/Japp)