Tag Archives: Peter Criss

Silent Sunday or: The Haul 8/1-5/17

06 Sunday Aug 2017

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Salutations™!!

This week’s haul spans several days as we visited Underdog Records on Tuesday upon our return from Raleigh, seeing Belle and Sebastian. So it’s extra long today. Let’s hit it!

Peter_criss_solo_album_cover

©Casablanca/UMe

 

So, as you can see, that’s a pretty good haul. Some stuff we’re really excited to get, some we just needed for the collection and some “must haves.” It’s always fun to go in Underdog Records. We have a little community that we’ve formed being customers over there. I know Jonathan has a few quality turntables for sale in the store right now and some receivers and speakers, as well. If you’re looking to get into vinyl for the first time, or again, or just want/need to upgrade your setup, then you’ve choices over there. And, we all use Discogs to manage and archive our collection (and to provide you links for this blog).

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“My house! Is out of the ordinary. That’s right! Don’t wanna hurt nobody. Some things sure can sweep me off my feet. Burning down the house.” – “Burning Down the House” (Frantz, Byrne, Harrison, Weymouth)

Escape From The Island or: A True Turning Point

17 Monday Jul 2017

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Salutations™!!

This wasn’t included in my “The Haul” from yesterday because it was delivered after I had posted that. This album was not purchased from Underdog Records, but Amazon. The distributors are back ordered and Amazon had five of them left, so I grabbed one. What is this, already, you ask? It’s my favorite KISS album: Music from “The Elder” (1981).

The_elder_album_cover

©Casablanca Records/Universal 

 

Now, I know a lot of my friends cringe when I say that, especially true KISSheads. Deeper than that, a lot of my friends cringe when I say I’m a KISS fan, period. I have always and will always be a fan of the band and in turn, this album. It’s a major dividing line not only in KISStory itself but in much of the KISS Army. Most people I’ve talked to that have any clue what this album is are in the love camp or hate camp. There isn’t that much in-between.

KISS fans had already started to wane in loyalty over the perceived debacles that the two previous albums, the disco-laden Dynasty (1979) and the power-pop heavy Unmasked (1980). They didn’t like that their favorite band was bowing to trends and seemingly abandoning their roots, and arguably, their fans. There was a lot of turmoil and trouble in the KISS camp that the general public didn’t know about until several years post. The public never knew the fact that Peter was essentially out of the picture for just about everything KISS at this point and that Ace was very unhappy, as well. Part of that was that he wanted to get back to rocking and another part was the fact that, without Peter, he was constantly being outvoted by Gene and Paul and their clique. So for Dynasty and Unmasked Peter wasn’t even on the albums other than one song. They needed something to kickstart the interest again. KISS touted a new album that returned to the rocking style that got them “world domination” status.

Instead, Gene and Paul were persuaded by bad advice and “those who know” suggestions to do something to get critics on board with how KISS really are great musicians. Here’s the thing, though… KISS aren’t great musicians. KISS are good musicians and great entertainers that did what they did (entertain) really, really well.

There was Rock on the album, no doubt. In fact, most of the songs were rock, but this wasn’t the Cock Rock that KISS was known for. Instead of an album full of sex and debauchery, the fans were given art rock concept album that followed a disjointed storyline that was like Excalibur meets Homer’s Odyssey or something equally as weird. In fact, “Odyssey” was a song on the album, written by songwriter Tony Powers that was released a few years prior but never got anywhere. The critics, instead of jumping on the bandwagon, jumped into a ditch to steer clear of it. It wasn’t very good in their eyes. Pretty much, it wasn’t that good. It’s the only KISS album up until Carnival of Souls (1997) that didn’t at least make Gold status in sales. The official tally is around 375k sold. It was also the first record that didn’t have a tour to go with it.

To make matters worse, here in the States, Casablanca decided to rearrange the songs in order to turn the focus onto two songs: “The Oath” and “A World Without Heroes.” So, the concept album that was already confusing enough totally went into the weeds and the songs weren’t strong enough to keep the listeners interested. No one cared. KISS had essentially lied and not put out a kick-arse rock album. KISS put out sub-par tunes that were not even on a decent band’s throw away list. KISS messed up.

I could have been there was a new drummer, one that replaced the departed Peter Criss. Eric Carr is my favorite KISS drummer. He breathed new life into a crumbling phase of KISStory. It was a new, youthful (even though he was only a few years younger than Peter) approach and while the tunes didn’t rattle the windows, his drumming was spot on. Also, Ace was all but checked out. The only real promotion KISS did for this album was on the ABC version of Saturday Night Live called Fridays Ace didn’t care to be there, you could tell if you watched it. He could have phoned in the performance. End-of-caring bare bones costumes, songs that were limp, band members who were either embarrassed or imbibing on substance and it made for a bad time. There was also a “video” performance of “A World Without Heroes” on TV’s Solid Gold.

Most of Ace’s parts were redone in the studio and you had Paul doing several solos and guitarist Robben Ford doing the solo for “Just a Boy.” Ace couldn’t even be bothered to show up for the recording sessions. He had his own studio, “Ace in the Hole,” in a bunker behind his house and he had the tapes sent to him where he’d record his parts and send them back to Toronto or New York, wherever they were recording at the time. It was a long, drawn-out process, to say the least.

Even bringing in legendary producer Bob Ezrin, who co-wrote some of the tunes and who was instrumental in making Destroyer (1976) the beast and success it was, couldn’t save this project. I believe it was a bit of his doing that it was made this way. I also think he was strung out on cocaine. Oddly enough, a few songs were co-written by the late, great Lou Reed. It just made for strange bedfellows, I think. It was a bad time for KISS. It was a bad time for many KISS fans. But, it wasn’t for me; not at the time.

I was still in my “KISS-Can-Do-No-Wrong” phase and truthfully, other than knowing it sounded a little different, I was so blinded that I couldn’t really tell there was a musical change. Not at almost 11 years old (the album was released 10 days before my 11th). It was KISS and I liked the songs. I liked some more than others. I loved “The Oath,” “A World Without Heroes,” “I” and “Mr. Blackwell” (mostly because they said “go to hell”). I listened a little to the others but it wasn’t until much later that I realized what was going on and fell in love with the whole album. I listened and formulated the nonexistent film in my head through the songs. When the “remastered” version came out in the correct track order (the Japanese version was always in the right order), it made a world of more sense to me. It made it a better album to me, although I already dug it. But, it really wasn’t great. I was just too blinded to notice.

So, why then do I say it’s my favorite KISS album if I’ve spent the entire post explaining why it sucked? Okay, it’s only my favorite album in theory. I can’t really place that tag on any one album. I can point to the ones I don’t like as much, easily, though. I think because it was when I was hitting that certain age and still loving KISS in every way and getting to see them on Fridays, that was a big time for me. The next album, they came to their senses and busted arse, but it was a tad too late, sort of… I think Music From “The Elder” is a fine album. Weird but fine. I think it took a lot of balls, the same balls the overall vibe was missing, to put it out and own it. Gene and Paul recognize it for what it is, whatever you want to call it. I love it and will tout it as my favorite, still.

Listen to Music From “The Elder” and give it a fair shake. Understand what it is and try to understand the whys and hows. It’s not typical KISS and it’s not that great but for this former 11-year old, it was it! It was the first KISS album I had on CD (original release listing) and I made sure to get it quick on LP before they discontinued it. Thanks for reading this long-winded post, Dear Reader.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Morpheus, you have been summoned here to offer your judgment of The Boy. Do you still deem him worthy of The Fellowship?” – Order of the Rose

She Sees Me Through to the End or: 40 Happy Years

30 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by in Music Review, Records

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Salutations™!!

So, Thursdays are my day to do music reviews but today is something special. It was 40 years ago today that one of my favorite, if not my favorite, KISS albums came out. That’s Love Gun. It was the first of their albums that I owned and it started my love affair with the band that kept me dreaming, mesmerized, enamored and inspired me to become a musician myself.

Love_gun_cover

©Casablanca Records

 

I started long hours at the cover. Both because the band was “larger than life” in their characters and because there were scantily-clad women adorning the cover… ish. I didn’t know as an eight-year-old kid that I wasn’t actually seeing anything. I thought I was. That, too, was mesmerizing. Thanks, Ken Kelly (artist for the cover)!

At this point in their career, KISS was at their apex. They were also starting to bend and crack with the pressures their “#1 in the world” status brought. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss both started to feel that they were bigger stars and needed to be highlighted more, hence Ace getting his first lead vocal credit on his signature tune, “Shock Me.” He was nervous about it and laid on the floor in the studio, he says to help him with his pitch. I think it was so no one could see him doing it, but I wasn’t there, so I don’t know. Peter had had vocal credits on every album thus far. This was the last full-band studio album to feature Peter as on the studio follow-up, Dynasty, Anton Fig of David Letterman’s “World’s Most Dangerous Band”/CBS Orchestra played drums save for one tune, which was Peter’s lone contribution.

It was the tour for the Love Gun album that spawned KISS Alive II, which is my favorite of the two live albums that really matter. Not because it was better, but it was more my favorite time period in the make-up era of the band. The costumes were cooler and they were just everywhere. I loved that. I didn’t miss an issue of 16 Magazine to see what they were doing, older mags to see where they had been, special editions and so on. This time period was important to me. It was also the period for the fantastically awful made-for-TV movie, KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. That was the first time I really ever saw what they looked like.

This album is pretty much clunker-free. My least favorite song is “Hooligan” but even that is somewhat cool. Peter’s lyrics are kind of ridiculous but it was right for the time. My next least favorite would be “Got Love for Sale.” I didn’t get how cool that song really was until Heavens Sake (the band I was in for many years – and still am in as we never officially broke up) learned it to cover, although we really only did it in practice a few times. “Have love will travel,” that’s classic. The last I’d do without if I had to choose three would be the cover on the album. “Then She Kissed Me” which was a backflipped version of the Crystals hit. I didn’t listen to the first two of these as a kid much, I’d skip over them. But, I listened to the last. Luckily, I don’t have to get rid of any of the those. I love them on the album, I’m just saying they’re my least faves.

On to the ones that I do love, though. “I Stole Your Love” and the title song are some of my favorite KISS songs, ever. I love the riffs of “Stole” and the lyrical content. KISS was never really deep, but they, at times, told good stories. Those are just solid tunes, both of which made the cut for Alive II and “Love Gun” is still a concert staple for the band. Paul Stanley has been known to ride a pulley to a remote stage in the crowd to sing that song.

Gene Simmons’ sex-obsessed freaky-deakiness came out in two tunes: “Christine Sixteen” in which the song’s narrator laments about a 16-year-old girl as she’s coming out of school. The other is “Plaster Caster” which was written about Cynthia Albritton, also known as Cynthia Plaster Caster to made plaster molds of male rock stars’ junk and some female breasts. Okay, then. If you want to see Gene’s love, just ask her. He also had two “conquering” songs, the aforementioned “Got Love For Sale” and “Almost Human.” I didn’t listen to “Human” much as a child either. I really got into that one after I got the CD in 1990.

The production on this album is solid, produced by both the band and Eddie Kramer, who did three of the band’s live albums (including Alive III), Rock and Roll Over and Ace’s KISS solo album (okay he did Frehley’s Comet, too). Gene’s playing is good. Peter’s, too, although I question if everything on there was his playing or session people. I have no proof, just a thought. Ace was still doing well, despite his substance problems, but there’s some solid solo work as well as some of his best guitar stuff on this album. Paul’s vocals were fantastic and the riffage he threw out on the rhythm tracks is great. He played the first half of the solo in “I Stole Your Love,” too.

This album is where my KISS journey began. I guess you can say it’s maybe one of the most important albums in my life? I really do love it. It’s hard to believe it’s 40 years old today. Man, time’s fun when you’re having flies. If you have it, may you take a listen today or tonight. If you don’t, look it up. It is some of their finest work, in my opinion. I have been listening to it on vinyl whilst writing this, but it’s only slightly over 30 minutes long. I have to turn it over again!

Until tomorrow, rock on!
Scorp out!

—
“I remember the day that we met. I needed someone, you needed someone too, yeah. Spend time takin’ all you could get. Givin’ yourself was one thing you never could do. You played with my heart, played with my head, I got to laugh when I think of the things you said. ‘Cause I stole your love, stole your love. Ain’t never gonna let you go.” – “I Stole Your Love” (Stanley)

Volume Is Not the Point or: Oh, For Heavens Sake (Part 1)

26 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by in Life as We Know It

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Salutations™!!

I don’t know if I have ever talked about my own music “career” on this blog.  I may have mentioned things that I have had going on or what have you, but I don’t think I’ve ever talked about the band that I am still technically in (because we never officially broke up). That band is known as Heavens Sake.

Back in August of 1995, I was an almost-25-year old aspiring rock star that wanted to woo the millions with my musical abilities.  I was not at all happy in the position that I was in with the band I was “part of” or at least trying to make work.  I had a good buddy of mine, we’ll just call him “Hair,” that I thought may bring some clout to the singing department while I would hold down my duties as bass player and backup vox.

I saw an ad in the coolest weekly entertainment rag this area ever saw, ESP Magazine (none of the current ones can touch it), that read “Ace and Peter looking for Gene and Paul.”  I perked up! Gene Simmons is the reason I’m a musician and my favorite band is KISS. I could play Gene and Hair could play Paul. I called Hair and told him about it.  He said to go ahead and inquire.  He didn’t know how interested he was in playing rhythm guitar or the project but he’d give it a shot.  So I called up the drummer, Bobby Richardson, who was the “Peter” (as in Peter Criss from KISS) in the equation and discussed his ideas, his wants, his dreams, his direction. By his I mean his and David Barker who was “Ace” (yep, Frehley from KISS).  They had known each other a few years as acquaintances but nothing really major.  So they agreed to meet with Hair and I at Perkins (the predecessor of IHOP on Peters Creek Pkwy) to discuss what we wanted to try to do, in person. I often wonder had Hair said he didn’t want to do it, well, if I’d had gone ahead without him; the call and that first meeting, I mean?

So they got out of the car and we got out of our car.  I remember Bobby telling me later that Hair’s hair scared him upon first seeing it.  It was a sight to behold, no lie; big and lush.  I was always jealous. Anywhat! We went in and sat and had a powwow of plans and such.  After having a bit of nourishment and water Hair and I invited the others over to the “practice place” because we had a drum set, a couple of extra guitars and amps and my stuff, along with a PA.  They followed us and we agreed that we got good vibes from them.

You have to understand that Hair and I were playing in bands that were modernly heavy and I wasn’t really into a lot of that, but as I said up front, it wasn’t what I was wanting to do anyway.  I say that because the drum setup was more fitting for the heavier music, cymbals that were ridiculously high and a double bass kit with a rack you wouldn’t believe.  The drummer (I can’t even remember his name) was a former touring drummer that played a lot of shows like that.  Again, more than I wanted to be part of.  Bobby had some adjustments to make but was able to jam a bit, albeit uncomfortably. David played some guitar that was there, I don’t remember what kind.  Hair played his and I played my bass.

We knew that we were all KISS fans so of course, we started doing a little jamming on what KISS tunes we thought we could pull off. Hair wasn’t as versed in playing the guitar to KISS as the rest of us were with our instruments but it was cool.  It was a testing the waters event anyway.  Hair and I played a bit of a heavy song he had written and then played a bit of some other stuff that we had done in a previous band together.  Bobby and Dave played along but I knew they weren’t impressed and they confirmed it later. Afraid of losing them, I broke into an obscure KISS song called “Easy As It Seems” from the album Unmasked. You’d have to be a KISS fan to know anything from that album outside the hit, “Shandi.” I was told later that it was my knowledge of that song (and how to play it) that secured me in the “Bob and Dave like Tim” camp.

TimPromo

First Promo Pic, cir. 1995-96

So, we agreed to give this quartet thing a chance. We wanted to reinvent the wheel.  We wanted to be KISS without the make up but still in the outfits.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there was some leather and such but these were not the elaborate costumes like KISS wore in their heyday.  No, these were homemade or makeshift things as I’ll get to later.  Let’s get back to the history!

We went through about a month’s worth of practice and although I was having a ball, something was just not right. Putting my finger on it, I had an idea what the problem was but didn’t know what to do about it. About a month’s worth of coming up with a few ideas that could maybe work passed. Shouldn’t a month be an indication if something’s going to work? Songs were way more intellectual in meaning than our party rock band needed. Some of the music that Dave had written was still salvageable, I guess.

Then, after that month, I received the call.  Bob called me and asked me to come over, he and Dave wanted to talk to me.  Oh crap! I had just gotten in with the two of them and I was going to be kicked out!  I was asked to sit down and we imbibed a beer.  Bob started the conversation and said that they weren’t really thrilled with this situation and wanted out. *sigh*  Then, they rephrased the statement. They liked me and wanted to continue playing with me but they didn’t want to be with Hair any longer. Not that they didn’t like him; after all, he has great hair.  It just wasn’t a mutual direction for all of us.

I told them I hated playing that drop-D heavy crap and wanted to do stuff that was more hard rock; like we grew up with.  It was their turn to sigh, in a good way.  They were afraid that Hair and I were a package deal.  Nope, not at all.  I wanted to play music, music I love.  He wasn’t in it the same way I was, so I was okay with cutting the ties with that.  We’d still be friends, sure, but not band mates.  The only stipulation was I couldn’t be the one to inform him.  Bob handled that.  Hair took it quite well. Actually, upon talking to Hair when he and the drummer came to pick up their stuff from the “practice place,” he said he was actually quite relieved.  He wasn’t happy in the situation, either, and it was easier for him to move on and do something else.  Eventually, he and his then-girlfriend (now wife) moved away to a sleepy Virginian town.

So we were going to look for a replacement and move on.  Find someone to play that part of “Paul” in our own little band and let’s make a move. Turns out that wasn’t as easy, or necessary as it sounded at that time. And… scene.

So already, Chapter 1 in the band annuls had been written. Chapter 2 is on its way.

So until next time, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

—
“Band members have a special bond. A great band is more than just some people working together. It’s like a highly specialized army unit, or a winning sports team. A unique combination of elements that becomes stronger together than apart.” –  Steven Van Zandt