Dressed to Kill or: Many KISSes

19 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review, Records

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Ace Frehley, Album Reviews, Bill Aucoin, Casablanca Records, Dressed to Kill, Gene Simmons, Jethro Tull, KISS, Music, Neil Bogart, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Records

Salutations™!!

I know I said that I was done with these, but I had to write about something, right?

Today is the 44th anniversary of the release of KISS’ Dressed to Kill album. Probably my least favorite of the “Klassic KISS” albums, it still has plenty of proud moments for me. One of my favorite KISS tunes is “She” and while that was originally a Wicked Lester tune (co-written by Gene and Stephen Coronel), really no one ever heard it like that and I think most people would prefer there not be flutes, a la Jethro Tull, in their KISS songs. Incidentally, today is also the anniversary of Aqualung. I just thought I’d throw that out there.

©Casablanca Records

Other great songs on this album are “C’mon and Love Me” which I performed probably as much as any KISS song in Heavens Sake, “Rock Bottom,” “Two Timer,” and “Love Her All I Can,” also a former Wicked Lester tune but completely written by Paul. Those are the great tunes from the album (including “She”). Then there are the mid-card KISS tunes like “Room Service,” “Ladies in Waiting,” “Getaway,” and “Anything For My Baby.” These are okay but nothing really kicks me from them.

Of course, the “elephant in the room” is that song. And by that song, I mean that song.

I have to give credit where credit is due, without that song, KISS may have never been what they became. Without that song there probably wouldn’t have been any Destroyers, Unmasked, solo albums, Lick It Up, Revenge, Sonic Boom and so on. I’m almost positive that without that song, Casablanca Records would have folded after the release of Alive! later in the year. But, I really don’t like that song. That’s not true. I am so burnt out on that song. I cringe when I hear it come on, but I have to respect it. That song made KISS KISS. I know this. I am just so over it. More than any other KISS song, I don’t care if I never hear it again, although I know I certainly will.

Okay, enough, that song is obviously “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

Paul and Gene were basically told by Bill Aucoin, their manager, who was in turn told by Neil Bogart, the president of Casablanca Records, that they had to write an anthem. They didn’t really know what he meant. What he meant was a “cheerleading song,” something everyone can sing along to. So, they cranked this thing out. The words make no sense really, but hey, it was 1975. Really, though, name an “anthem” that is more known than this tune. I’ll wait. “Twist and Shout?” “Shout?” “Hey Jude?” I don’t know if any of them are as potent as “RNRAN.” Anyway, the KISS haters will debate that all day long. KISS fans may try to include “Shout It Out Loud” (Destroyer) or “I Love It Loud” (Creatures of the Night), but I’m pretty sure that while we may all be tired of “RNRAN,” we’d be hard-pressed to put those ahead of it.

Funds at Casablanca Records were tight. So tight, in fact, that when the band was brought in the studio after touring, they couldn’t even afford to hire a proper producer. So, Bogart did the work himself. I think he did okay. It’s not the most sonically-dynamic KISS album, but it’s not the worst sounding either.

This was KISS’ third album in just 13 months. Today, that would be unheard of. KISS was released in February 1974 and Hotter Than Hell in October 1974. This was March 1975. There was little time to write and prepare, which, I believe, is why there are two Wicked Lester songs on the album. I also believe that is why there are so many mid-card songs on the album. And, I think it is why the album is so short. The whole thing comes in at 30:07. That’s 15 minutes per side on vinyl. It’s almost EP length in comparison to standards.

Gene played rhythm guitar on “Ladies in Waiting” and Ace played all guitars and bass on “Getaway” (he wrote) and “Rock Bottom” (he co-wrote). Peter sang “Getaway.” Four of the tunes made it to Alive!

It does have one of the coolest covers, though. I love the boys in business suits. All of them, except Peter, had to borrow theirs because they didn’t own one. If you notice, Gene has on some open-backed high-heeled clogs or something and they’re a little small for his feet. The heel is about an inch out of the back of the shoe. The back cover is the negative of that cover photo.

The album was certified gold in 1977. To my knowledge, it hasn’t progressed from there.

It sits at #29 on my KISS list (out of a possible 32), which surprises a lot of folks. Sorry, it’s just not up there on my “want-to-listen” list. But, it is a KISS Klassic and, again, I give it mad props because of that.

What do you think of this album, Dear Reader?

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Hard times got me down. Good times ain’t around. Now I got the mind to say, ‘Girl, you hit rock bottom and you’re there to stay!'” – “Rock Bottom” (Stanley/Frehley)

Where They Stand or: Many KISSes? (part II)

12 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review, Records

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Ace Frehley, Alive II, Alive!, Bruce Kulick, Crazy Nights, Creatures of the Night, Destroyer, Dynasty, Eric Carr, Eric Singer, Gene Simmons, KISS, Lick It Up, Love Gun, Mark St. John, Music, Music From The Elder, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Rock and Roll Over, Tommy Thayer, Unmasked, Vinnie Vincent

Salutations™!!

Have you recovered from the first half of the list? Are you torn up about it? That’s okay. I’m used to that. So, here we go into the top 15 KISS albums in my preferred order. Let’s go!

Crazy Nights

#15 — Crazy Nights (1987). Yeah, this gets a lot of flack for being bubble gum, sugary rubbish, but not with me. I loved this album and I still like it. Is it as good an album as Destroyer or KISS or Rock and Roll Over? Nah, but I enjoyed it. I was almost 17 when the album came out and it was still KISS to me. It didn’t matter how sugary it was, I couldn’t hear enough of it. But, then again, I like that pop-rock stuff. So, there.

#14 — Destroyer (1976). Yeah, what is widely called their best album isn’t even in the top 10 for me; barely does it crack the top 15. Yes, it has classic tunes, including one of my top ever, “God of Thunder,” but overall, it just isn’t my bag. Now, it could be that I never had this as a kid on record and didn’t spend all my pubescent years listening to it. I got what I could when I could and it was never gifted or given to me as a present and I didn’t buy it myself. So, it just doesn’t hold the same nostalgia as the following albums did. Now, I agree it is great, I just don’t get excited about it.

#13 — Lick It Up (1983). I talked about this album on its 35th birthday, which is September 18. You can go back and read more if you want. It was heavy and “metal” and that’s some of what made this a great album. It wasn’t about sex, it was about serious rock stuff. It was a great album and I dig it.

Dynasty

#12 — Dynasty (1979). The disco craze had just hit and this is where KISS decided they needed to be trendy over their roots and hit up Vini Poncia to produce an overly-slick album that reeked with disco flavor, and I liked it. I talked about the album earlier this year on May 23, its anniversary. I talked about how I really didn’t notice that it was different until much later. I did notice that “2000 Man” sounded unlike KISS, but the rest of it wasn’t really different. I couldn’t pick out the differences back then, I was 8 years old.

#11 — Creatures of the Night (1982). The “lost” album. It wasn’t lost, it wasn’t hidden away, it was where many KISS fans were just looking over KISS after their disco/pop/art rock debacles from 1979-1981. As with the previous album, though it was a departure, I didn’t notice the difference. The last true “makeup” album it was KISS trying to get their feet back under them. So, until they went back and listened, most KISS fans didn’t know what they were missing. I will say, it is the coolest of any KISS cover.

#10 — Paul Stanley (1978). So, that means that two solo albums cracked my Top 10. This is very KISS-like, but there was something about it that also wasn’t KISS. It was a little less hard as the KISS stuff. Well-written songs and a bevy of great studio musicians helped make this a fun album to listen to. I could see these being KISS songs and not just KISS throw-aways. To me, probably the best of the solo albums. But…

#9 — Gene Simmons (1978). Gene’s album was what I felt the solo albums should be and my favorite of the four. It was the most experimental, had the widest range of styles, the biggest guest list of any of them and still pulled off a great album that was a lot of softer Beatles-esque tunes, groove rock, horror film feels, and Disney tunes. I mean, c’mon! That’s amazing. Way to go, Demon!

Alive!

#8 — Unmasked (1980). Unofficially the first album after Peter’s “departure.” But, realistically, it was. Dynasty held that last thread with a Peter tune, but this was not Peter and although I could tell the drumming was different (I was 9) I didn’t know it wasn’t actually Peter until several years later. Some pan this record, a lot. But, as I’ve had to tell one person and probably a few others, don’t think of it as a hard KISS record because it certainly isn’t. Think of it as a good pop record. It has a lot of cool tunes on it if you’ll give them the chance. I always loved the cover, too.

#7 — Alive! (1975). What really broke KISS out was this album. The live version of “Rock and Roll All Nite” kicked it up that notch. It is certainly a Klassic with the whole album a non-stop punch in the face. It’s energetic and KISS was still hungry. The cracks hadn’t started to form, yet. While it is probably their best live album…

#6 — Alive II (1977). This one is my favorite and yes, I know to call this a “live” album is probably a misnomer, it’s the time/era of KISS that is my favorite. I wish they would have filled the five studio songs with more live stuff, but the song selections that I grew up with was spot on. Most of it was overdubbed and recreated in the studio, but it’s still the live album I go to first.

#5 — Rock and Roll Over (1976). So, here we are in the Top 5. This album was the follow-up to Destroyer and I think it surpassed it. I wrote a review about this just two weeks ago. It was given to me by my Uncle Ricky, as was my first copy of Double Platinum. He was my first grownup KISS fan. I didn’t have older brothers or even cousins that were into or aware of KISS. He helped me. Starting slow, ramping up and just having a great mixture of song styles, this album has it all. It was well represented on Alive II, as well.

Hotter Than Hell

#4 — Hotter Than Hell (1974). the band’s sophomore effort was a great followup to the debut album. This was one of the first albums I was able to get my hands on and my mother put up a fight because it said “hell.” As I wrote just a few weeks back, it sounds like it was recorded in an old porcelain bathroom, but I think that also adds to the charm. Some of my favorite KISS songs are on there.

#3 — KISS (1974). The one that started it all. The KISS debut album is the Klassic-est of Klassics when it comes to KISS. From the opening drum intro of “Strutter” to the tape drag of the bombs at the end of “Black Diamond” it really never gives up except for “Love Theme from KISS.” It’s a great album, all the way through.

#2 — Love Gun (1977). The first KISS album I ever owned. The bombastic opening of “I Stole Your Love” to Ace’s debut vocal performance on “Shock Me,” to the bizarre penis references in “Plaster Caster” to the gender-altering cover of the Crystals’ tune “And Then She Kissed Me,” the album has many highlights and five of the first six songs are represented on Alive II. Also, a great album cover, one in which I spent a lot of time staring at when I was 7. And…

Music from ‘The Elder’

#1 — Music from ‘The Elder’ (1981). I have said many times that this was my favorite KISS album and I still maintain that. Though, really, any of the top 15 could probably sit on the top of this list. They’re like kids, my favorite one is the one in front of me at that moment. But, this album was KISS trying to be artistic and gain critics’ approval. They didn’t need either one but they thought they did. To most KISS fans and critics alike this was the ultimate KISS “mistake.” A beautiful mistake in my opinion. While Love Gun was the first KISS album I owned, this was the first CD I bought (along with Hotter Than Hell) after Bad English’ debut. At the age of 10, I was only really familiar with “The Oath,” “A World Without Heroes” and “I” and I just knew those tunes were rocking. It wasn’t until much later that I realized it was what it was, or attempted to be. I think it’s gravely overlooked and deserves a second or twelfth listen if you didn’t like it the first time you listened. But, keep an open mind. Like with Unmasked, you have to be prepared to put aside the KISS aspect and listen to the album as a whole. I love it and while I know it’s not the best KISS album, it currently sits at the top of my faves.

So, there you have it, Dear Reader. I know many of you will disagree with just about all of this list and I’m prepared for that. Send me your comments, but keep it cordial. Again, this is my opinion and isn’t supposed to represent how “good” any album is. What is your top 5? I’d like to hear that. Or heck, do the full list.

I did leave off 19 greatest hits albums and other inconsequential recordings, including the box set and You Wanted the Best You Got the Best with two new “live” tracks. I just felt that the three greatest hits albums that I included were enough. Most of them were repetitive anyway. So, yeah, let me know your thoughts, not like you wouldn’t anyway.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Once I was a fool dreamin’ my life away, and then yesterday I found you lookin’ for me, draggin’ your heart around at the lost and found. I love you, you’re the only one who could make me feel love was smart. I feel you deep inside of me, beatin’ up against my heart. And I found out, I found out, what makes the world go ’round. Oh I found out, really found out, what makes the world go ’round.” – “What Makes the World Go Round” (Stanley/Poncia)

Where They Stand or: Many KISSes?

11 Tuesday Dec 2018

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review, Records

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Ace Frehley, Alive III, Animalize, Asylum, Bruce Kulick, Carnival of Souls, Double Platinum, Dressed to Kill, Eric Carr, Eric Singer, Gene Simmons, Hot in the Shade, KISS, Kiss Alive IV, KISS Killers, KISS: MTV Unplugged, Mark St. John, Monster, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Psycho Circus, Revenge, Smashes Thrashes and Hits, Sonic Boom, Tommy Thayer, Vinnie Vincent

Salutations™!!

I threatened this a while back. I threatened that I would do my own ranking list of KISS albums, and here it is. There are a few criteria to this list and I will give some details as to why on some of them. This is my opinion and not based on anything other than my preferences with the albums. This doesn’t even represent what I think are the better albums and which are the worse as far as the overall substance, it’s where I prefer them.

I know there will be controversy and I know that there will be screaming and yelling at me over some of them, especially one pretty low on the list. We’ll hit it fairly soon. But first, let’s go over the criteria. To begin, these are the first 20 studio albums, the four solo albums, Alive I-IV, Unplugged, and the three “greatest hits” albums that I felt qualified (read: that I consider worth a crap). I am going from #32 and counting down backward. According to how long-winded I get, I may break this down into two posts, we’ll see when we get there. Okay, ready? Here we go:

Hot in the Shade

#32 — Sonic Boom (2009) and #31 Monster (2012). As I said in my post about these two last month, I think Monster is the better of the two, but both are pretty much non-existent to me. There are some hits and misses on each but, more misses than hits.

#30 — Hot in the Shade (1989). This was the long-reigning worst KISS album until the previous two came along. It was half-arsed, lacking substance, about five songs too long and, with the exception of about four songs, I didn’t care about any of it.

Dressed to Kill

#29 — Dressed to Kill (1975). Yeah, this is the one that will probably get the most attention and get me screamed at by my KISS-lovin’ friends and “purists” alike. While this album has three of my favorite songs overall (top 15 probably), it also has that song on it. It has “Rock and Roll All Nite” on it. It also has “Getaway” and “Room Service” on it. Neither of those is awful, I just think they’re quite cheesy. The album, to me, sounds thin, and I just don’t like to listen to it. So, there’s the first surprise.

#28 — KISS Symphony: Alive IV (2003). To really even call this a KISS Alive is kind of pushing it, to me, anyway. Yes, it is live and some of it is done with the Melbourne Symphony, but it’s thrown together and while I like to listen to it, it just doesn’t move me as a KISS album.

#27 — KISS Killers (1982). This was originally a Japanese-only release and then was re-released here in the US later. It’s kind of shoddy production and while there are four new songs on this album, outside of “Nowhere to Run,” I don’t really care for the others. The new songs were recorded because Phonogram, the international label at the time, pretty much made them after the disappointing sales of 1981’s Music from ‘The Elder.’ The makeup and costumes are of that same period.

#26 — KISS: MTV Unplugged (1996). This has some great version and I have the full uncut show on VHS somewhere, and it got the “band back together.” I like to listen to it, but it’s not something I listen to often, so it isn’t dislike but disinterest that puts it this low on the list. Not a bad album.

#25 — Alive III (1993). I did like this album. I saw the tour it was on and I loved hearing “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and later KISS tunes live. The sound is pretty good on this, too. It’s starting to get into albums that I just had to place them somewhere, not because I disliked them, same as the one previous.

#24 — Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997). I wrote a review of this last month, too. It was a big

Carnival of Souls

departure from even the heaviest (to that point) KISS albums like Revenge and Creatures of the Night. I don’t know that they could have toured in support of this album, though, as I don’t think Gene could even play half of the bass lines on the album. Nor, do I think they’d want to. I liked it, though. I just don’t listen as much as its predecessors. You can search the blog for the review if you missed it. Just type in Carnival of Souls.

#23 — Psycho Circus (1998). Again, reviewed just recently. I do think while it attempted to capture the old-makeup days’ glory, it missed a lot of its spirit. I do really like the album, but not better than the next 22.

#22 — Ace Frehley (1978). Yeah, here’s the second yelling spot. In September, I wrote about the four and stated that Ace’s album was my least favorite. To me, the solo albums were a chance to experiment and Ace experimented the least. While Paul’s was also KISS-like, Ace’s was just plain KISS.

#21 — Smashes Thrashes & Hits (1988). A good representation of KISS from 1974-1988 (including the two new originals). I talked a bit about this album last month, too.

Peter Criss

#20 — Peter Criss (1978). It was a lot of disco, country & western, boogie rock and ballads. But, I liked it. And, I liked it better than Ace’s.

#19 — Double Platinum (1978). The KISS greatest hits album that started it all. Two records, four sides, each loaded with KISS Klassics. Some remixes, most notably “Strutter ’78” which added a little disco hi-hat overdubs in to jazz it up a bit. Some tunes had parts removed and some remixed and rearranged. I wore that record out.

#18 — Animalize (1984). I don’t know that I’ll ever really understand the title or cover, but that’s okay. It was 1984 and that was the going thing. “Heavens on Fire” is still one of my favorite non-makeup songs and “I’ve Had Enough (Into the Fire),” “Under the Gun,” “Thrills in the Night” were pretty cool, too. There were some Gene clunkers but there was a lot of energy on the album.

#17 — Asylum (1985). The only reason this album gets higher than Animalize is that this album has “Tears are Falling” and “Who Wants to be Lonely” which are two of my favorite KISS songs overall, not just non-makeup. Again, a lot of energy on this album and it’s fun to listen to.

Revenge

#16 — Revenge (1992). Released after Eric Carr’s passing, KISS went into “heavy mode” to right the wrongs that their direction had taken. The did the same in 1982, yes, 10 years earlier. It’s like they had started to veer and needed to correct. The album is a monster (more so than the one actually titled that) and while there are heavy tunes, there are also some Paul cheese. Paul cheese generally isn’t a bad thing. It’s just that, cheese. The album that the Alive III tour was recorded for, I saw this tour and it was great!

I think I am going to stop here and break it up. I’ve given you enough to stare at your screen agape already. I’ll get back to the rest later this week, maybe tomorrow.

So, just from this, go ahead, Dear Reader and all you KISS fans, give it to me. I can handle it. Again, this is my opinion, not based on anything else. I’m pretty outspoken about a lot of the albums, but I’ve tried to keep my verbosity to a minimum on this. Be on the lookout for Part 2.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Open yourself to me. Let me show you what it can be like. Baby, giving it all that you’ve got. Nothing can hold you back. Some things can stand alone. A mountain can feel no desire. But a heart isn’t made out of stone. Wake up in the middle of the night. Nobody’s gonna make it alright.” – “Who Wants to Be Lonely” (Stanley/Child/Beauvoir)

Smashin’ Thrashin’ the Millenial Box or: Many Kisses

30 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review, Records

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Ace Frehley, Bruce Kulick, Desmond Child, Diane Warren, Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, KISS, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss

Salutations™!!

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

©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

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review, Records

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Tags

Ace Frehley, Bill Aucoin, Casablanca Records, Chelsea, Eddie Kramer, Gene Simmons, Heavens Sake, Jimi Hendrix, KISS, Michael Doret, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Rod Stewart, Sean Delaney, Stan Penridge

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.

©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)

Remembering or: 27 Years Gone

28 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Life as We Know It, Records

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Ace Frehley, Eric Carr, Freddie Mercury, Gene Simmons, KISS, Mick Fleetwood, Mountain Dew, MTV, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Tabitha Soren, Wild Turkey

Salutations™!!

This past Saturday was the 27th anniversary of the passing of Paul Charles Caravello. You may not know who Paul Caravello is by name, at least that name. Most of the world, even I, knew him as Eric Carr. He was the second drummer for my favorite band, my musical lifeline, KISS. I didn’t find out until November 25, though.

©(unknown – not owned by me)

I remember finding out all-to-well. But first…

Four days before, I turned 21 years old. Those same four days before, I came down with the flu. My 21st birthday, I had the flu. I was excited to get to go purchase alcohol for the first time and I was unable to. I was sick. I was throwing up. I was lightheaded, feverish and all around icky. I had a full-motion waterbed at the time and with that, I wasn’t going to get into bed and get even sicker from trying to rest.

I spent my birthday night and the following three nights sleeping on Ma ‘Rents’ couch and on the second night, I took NyQuil for the first time ever. It was the green gel-tab kind. When I slept that night, I never felt like I was asleep, but I dreamt weird stuff and everything was in green. It was so surreal. The only thing that I remember dreaming about was that Eric Carr died. I awoke the next morning sweating — partially from the flu and partially because that was an awful dream — and felt weird all day. Another two nights passed and I was better.

On the 25th, I made my way to the liquor store and was overwhelmed by what I saw. I had never been in a liquor store before. I didn’t know what to buy, didn’t know what anything was, didn’t know anything about drinkin’ no liquor. I saw something that I recognized which was Wild Turkey. I had never imbibed any liquor so I just grabbed some of “The Dirty Bird” and made my way to Food Lion to buy a 2 liter of Mountain Dew to drink with it. “Chase it,” whatever that meant.

To my mother and father, if you are reading this part, please forgive me. I know it’s no surprise (because my dad found my stuff later), but I settled on my couch, in my room, in the basement of my parents’ house and took a swig of Turkey and followed that with a swig of Dew. Turkey. Dew. Turkey. Dew. Turkey… oh, MTV News is coming on.

Tabitha Soren told us the news that Eric Carr, the drummer for KISS had passed away at the age of 41. I stared at the screen for a long time. I was starting to buzz a little at this point. I stared a while longer. I turned to my coffee table within a few feet from me and stared at the Wild Turkey and its citrusy companion. I pushed the Dew to the side and turned up the bottle of Turkey.

I drank almost a whole fifth right then. I got plastered. I ended up on the bed, talking to a friend of mine when my girlfriend at the time came over and I somehow found myself suddenly in the shower, clothed, dry and drunk. I slept it off.

But, the next day I started looking in the newspaper about Eric’s passing. I was glued to MTV for more news. But, not a lot of details came. As devastating as that was to me, as a KISS fan, as an Eric Carr fan, the news of his passing was mostly overshadowed by the passing of another, higher profile figure, Farrokh Bulsara, known to the world as Freddie Mercury. Freddie was the first major music star to succumb to the plague of AIDS, only one day after confirming what the media had been hypothesizing for almost a year.

I get it, Freddie’s death was high profile, for sure. I hated that either one of them had to die, but I thought it was extra sad that Eric passed on the same day, or same week as Freddie. I would have liked to have had a little more coverage of his passing, but then again, maybe it wouldn’t have been any different. Everyone knows Freddie’s story, heck it’s now a major biopic. But, to me, there was a lot to love about Eric.

When Peter Criss left KISS (however you want to say he left – fired, quit, etc.) in 1980, a search went out for a new drummer. Big name drummers (even Mick Fleetwood, so was the rumor) auditioned for the part. But, Gene, Paul and Ace, for the most part, wanted someone who wasn’t known. They wanted to keep up the mystique of identity. Paul Caravello was one of the auditionees and really, wasn’t the best. But, he asked for their autograph, so the story goes, and that endeared the rest of the band to give him a shot.

There was already a Paul in the band, so he chose Eric Carr as his new name and after some tweaking, he became the character The Fox, replacing Peter’s green motif with an autumnal orange/yellow/brown motif. Eric brought a harder-edged drumming style and while he technically debuted at one show in the US, made his true debut on the World Tour, specifically Australia. The fans took to him immediately. At least, most of them did. I did. I didn’t care one way or another about Peter at that time.

So, it was time for KISS to go back to the studio. The result was Music from ‘The Elder.’ I am pretty sure that’s not what Eric thought he was signing up for. There were some rockin’ parts, yes, but for the most part, this was not a “rockin'” album. He even played a little acoustic guitar on “Under the Rose” which he got a writing credit for. They didn’t really tour for that because it was such a “disaster” (I don’t agree).

They came back with a vengeance on the next album, Creatures of the Night and then took off their makeup for Lick It Up. Animalize, Asylum, Crazy Nights, Smashes Thrashes and Hits (in which he recut the lead vox for “Beth” and, in my opinion, did a better job of) and Hot in the Shade followed. I got to see him on the HITS tour and he did a wild drum solo. I loved it. That was my first concert and I was amazed by his drumming.

About six months after I saw that show, Eric got sick. Eventually, he was diagnosed with heart cancer in April 1991. He begged Paul and Gene to let him do stuff with them but they made sure that he got the treatment he needed. He wasn’t doing well. He did get Paul and Gene to let him shoot the video for “God Gave Rock and Roll To You.” He wore a wig as his hair had fallen out from the chemo.

In September 1991, KISS was on the MTV Video Music Awards. Eric played with them for that. It was his last performance with the band. He had an aneurysm not long after that. Several days later he suffered a brain hemorrhage and never woke up. He then passed away on November 24.

I still miss Eric. I love his era with the band the best, even though it’s not my favorite music, at least all the time. He brought something to the band they had been missing. He fought and scratched with Gene and (especially) Paul. He had a great relationship with Ace, although he only played on one album with him. I have always wondered, which I’m sure most KISS fans have, what would the band have done had he lived? Would they have gone back to makeup? Would they have kept him instead of Peter with the reunion? How would the music evolve over time? Many things pop through my head on that subject.

And, I still think about that day in November 1991 when I heard the news; the emptiness I felt and the sadness, as well. Not only sadness that he was gone and that Freddie was gone, but that they died on the same day. Freddie got the glory and he deserved it, but Eric should have gotten more than he did. I don’t blame anyone for that, just “well darns.” Play on Little Caesar and know that we still miss you down here!

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Ten million stories in the city. Ten million backs against the wall. Desperation’s out tonight, you can cut it with a knife. Everybody wants to have it all. Well, they tell you that the world is rough. But, they never rocked it hard enough. Hey, little Caesar! Nobody messing with you. Hey, little Caesar! Go show ’em what you can do!” – “Little Caesar” (Simmons/Carr/Mitchell)

Carnival of Dark Souls or: Many KISSes

31 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review

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Ace Frehley, Arthur C Clarke, Billboard, Black N Blue, Bobby Richardson, Bruce Kulick, Carnival of Souls, Curtis Cuomo, David Barker, Eric Singer, Evan Stanley, Gene Simmons, Heavens Sake, Jaime St. James, Ken Tamplin, KISS, Metal Edge, MTV, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Sammy Hagar, Scott Van Zen, Tommy Thayer, Vinnie Vincent

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.

©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)

Hotter Than Most or: A True Klassic

24 Wednesday Oct 2018

Posted by TGBII in KISS, Music Review

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Ace Frehley, Bobby Richardson, Bobby Rydell, Casablanca Records, David Barker, Gene Simmons, Heavens Sake, Kenny Kerner, KISS, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Richie Wise, Stephen Coronel, Wicked Lester

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…

©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

Posted by TGBII in Music Review

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Ace Frehley, Bob Halligan Jr., Bonnie Tyler, Bruce Kulick, Cinderella, Desmond Child, Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, Holly Knight, Judas Priest, KISS, Kix, Michael Bolton, Molly Hatchet, Music, Paul Stanley, Peaches Records and Tapes, Peter Criss, Robin Beck, Tommy Thayer, Vini Poncia, WSSU

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).

©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

Posted by TGBII in Music Review, Silent Sunday

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Ace Frehley, Adam Mitchell, Bill Aucoin, Bob Kulick, Bruce Kulick, Bryan Adams, Casablanca Records, Dave Clark Five, Frehley's Comet, Gene Simmons, Happy Days, Jim Vallance, Joanie Loves Chachi, KISS, Mercury Records, Michael James Jackson, Music, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Robben Ford, Steve Farris, Vinnie Vincent

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.

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)

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