The thread where I look at each KISS album

[Presto-digitation]

NOT A TRUE REVIEW HERE...just wanted to chime in with some impressions of the new record, so forgive my ramble and stylistic crudeness here.

 

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61VWxHu9yUL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

 

SONIC BOOM

 

I'll be honest with you, I had serious trepidations. While there was no news like getting a new Kiss album for the first time in 11 years, I'd heard Gene's horrid solo album and Paul's 80s/90s amalgam, dripping with no less than three below-standard ballads. Tommy was copping Ace in look and sound; Eric was hamming it up as Peter Criss. The band had spent 11 years doing the nostalgia circuit, in and out of vintage costumes...and my fandom had never been more in the toilet.

 

So I took news of this new album with a grain of salt. I mean, it all sounded nice didn't it? No ballads, all rockers...vintage instruments and analog recording...blah, blah. Oh yes, and this one sounds like classic 70s Kiss. We'd been hearing this since Asylum and laughably nothing from the 80s sounded anything remotely close to 70s Kiss. I wanted to believe, but I'd heard these kinds of boasts before and I worried another Crazy Nights might come out of Gene and Paul's twisted perception of "classic" Kiss.

 

After two full and solid spins, I can't stop smiling.

 

Yes, I know the songs are new and I'm having a bit of a contact high at the moment; that's a given. But what's resonating here is a spirit and an effort I've not heard from the band in a long time...and I'm a Psycho Circus apologist on the highest order.

 

What we have here is a very fun album, with a unified spirit and sound that resonates with multiple listens and manages to touch on all of Kiss's varied eras; so the band isn't lying when they say "it sounds like..." There is indeed aspects of Rock And Roll Over, Dressed to Kill, Alive II's studio side and Love Gun. But there's also a bit of Revenge, Lick It Up, and Creatures Of The Night. There are also smatterings of Asylum and Crazy Nights. Yet strangely it all works together. I mean, look...Kiss has been around nearly 40 years, so it's easy to try to pigeon-hole these songs as "sounding like" because that's the natural inclination. But the common thread is that these songs are all fast-moving, raw-sounding rock and roll numbers...so we're not exactly mish-mashing all these eras sonically. Sonically the album is completely unified in this almost AC/DC style dryness and straight-foward approach. But this song might have a bit of a sing-songy chorus and this one might not. It's only in isolated elements do you really construct these parallels....Crazy Nights, Revenge, etc. Listening to the album straight through you lose track of these audio triggers because it all works together. It's really the body that works here, each song positively feeding the next with this infectious groove....each song relatively consistent in the quality department.

 

Some key things stand out to me on these early listens. The production is top notch. The instrument separation is wonderful. The real winner here is the bass, which I dare say has never sounded so up front and grumbling. Clearly Gene has ditched the flatter muffled tones of the Punisher and employed the likes of a Fender Precision or some such gritty bass here. The bass lines literally snarl at you....and Gene's playing (esp. on Hot & Cold) will leave you grinning stupidly. I haven't heard this level of fluid bass lines and delicious slides, fills, and pops by Simmons since Revenge...and quite honestly on a song like Hot & Cold, the playing will remind you of when Gene actually played interesting bass lines on the first three Kiss albums.

 

Tommy's soloing is often like a greatest hits of Ace's playing. You hear a bit of the classic She solo and a bit of this run or that selector switch toggling. A Kiss fan will easily identify these elements from this song or that live show...and yet it works quite well together in these new songs. He's clearly playing in Frehley's stylistic sand pile and that may or may not offend you, but it works.

 

A few words about each song:

 

Modern Day Deliah:

We've covered it to death, but probably the second heaviest songs on the record and one of only a couple/three that really pull in the Revenge parallel.

 

Russian Roulette:

The song begins with a guitar/drum intro very reminiscent of Love's A Deadly Weapon, repeated twice then comes to a dead stop. Guitar chords ring in and Gene's bass does the filler work between chords. You think the bass stood out on MDD? Here it literally snarls. Gene's vocals are smooth and in a good key for him. Marks down for re-using "out of the frying pan and into the fire," but these lyrical issues are common...and not at all distracting. If you've listened to the clips you know the chorus, which is catchy....and after it a harmonized "a-ha, a-ha" chant takes you into the second verse. I like this part. It works well, vocally. Thayer's solo begins on a note bend and an ascension....seguing into some classic Ace pull-offs and a nod to the She solo. The song ends on a bit of feedback, ala COS.

 

This song is quite strong. It'll grow on you quickly. It's a bit of a 70s/80s amalgam for Gene. His next two go down 70s alley big time and with a concerted effort.

 

Never Enough:

Starts with the "never enough" melody played out on guitar and then breaks into some sustained chords with some bass work by Gene that's very much like what you hear in I Pledge Allegiance ("gettin'more than my expectations"....bass line that follows). Paul's vocals are really solid in this one. Good register for him. The verses are definitely very Poison like. Very much Nothing But A Good Time, as reported. No doubt. But it works...and the song's pre-chorus quickly snaps your head out of that. After a few listens you won't think about it anymore because the songs rocks. Again, if you've heard the clips you know the catchy chorus. The bridge is heavier than the rest of the song, sounding a bit Revenge like. There's a harmonized guitar solo here in part of this. That's not been mentioned here. One of the least Ace-sounding solos of the lot. Paul has a bit of a throaty "never enouuuughhhhh" at the end, but it's nowhere near the reach that he tries on MDD. (For the record that is Paul's single worst vocal moment on the album, so if that doesn't bother you, nothing will here).

 

Defintely 80s Paul here...and drawing sonic comparisons to other standards like Poison and Whitesnake.

 

Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect):

This is probably my favorite song on the record. It's so authentically vintage Kiss you'll be collecting bugs in your teeth from the grin you'll be wearing. This song is so completely Dressed To Kill-meets-Rock And Roll Over...from the Chucky Berry-ish (slightly slower Getaway-type) riff to Gene's style of vocal melody. Seriously, it's as if the band unearthed an oldie, dusted it off and said "here!" The pre-chorus shout back "yes I know!" is classic '75 Kiss and Gene has fun in the chorus with the stuttered n-n-nobody's perfect....but baby I come awfully close. Just a great line...fun, well-delivered. Note the cowbell just before the chorus kicks in. The solo by Tommy is very Ace ala Love Em and Leave Em, both stylistically and sonically.

 

This song is so f***ing ten kinds of bad ass. It's EASILY (!) the most retro sounding Kiss song since Love Gun. Nothing even comes close. The boys are having a blast and so will you. I'm truly and idiot lost in this tune. When Gene claims, yeah, it sounds retro...it's here that the root of that boast is found.

 

Stand:

I liked this appreciably more on my second and third listen. It was my immediate least favorite on the initial spin, this traded anthem between Gene & Paul. I think the weird thing is that the melody of the pre-chorus and chorus actually slow down from the verses with sustained chords and so it plays with your logic and ear some. The bridge heavies up the song some. Really nice harmonies in the bridge and the little mini solo just freakin' pops right out of this part quite well. Things really slow down (way down) for this harmonized break that sounds like a combination of the slow part of God Gave R&R and the "wake up baby" portion of I Just Wanna. The chorus that emerges afterwards is very slow and accented by Tommy's guitar fills between vocals, slowly picking up the tempo as it approaches the end. The harmonies in the repeated end chorus are pretty damn amazing. Ends with bluesy little guitar descent by Thayer. It's a grower. It didn't impress me at first, but I quite like it now. It's the closest to "ballad" the band comes.

 

Hot & Cold:

Begins like and AC/DC number, riff wise, then segues into a '78 album like tune with a fluid and impressive bass line from Gene. f**k the riff...it's his playing here that moves the song and gives it its under-current. The chorus was evident in the clip, accented by the cow bell. Thayer's solo after the second chorus is really nice Ace work....with some tasty toggle work. Arguably the best solo on the album. Coming out of the solo we segue into a brief (perhaps TOO brief) acoustic part with some nice Gene vocals (Tower of power lyric) taken down before punching back into the chorus. While brief it's a tasty and well-placed break. Paul is very evident in Gene's chorus here, especially towards the very end.

 

Very solid song with clearly some retro things happening. And regardless, it's just a well constructed and aggressive little rock and roll number. The title is trite and dumber than dirt, but again it works...and I dare you not to hum it.

 

All For The Glory:

Eric really shines here vocally on this almost Psycho Circus-like song, with the big preachy chorus. His verses have an almost smokey scratch to them, the chorus you've already heard. Tommy has some nice guitar infills in the spaces during the verses which help fill the song in the sustained lulls. Thayer's solo here is really quite good and very C'mon And Love Me in flavor and execution to start, mixed with a bit of Escape From The Island towards the middle. There's a musical drop out before the final chorus segue and mostly you hear the CHANT of the chorus as the energy and drive before the music punches back in.

 

Good song, although overall it might be my second to or perhaps my least favorite. All things considered that's hardly an insult.

 

Danger Us:

Here's a song that sells itself wayyy short in the clips. The song begins with some slow plucked notes that stall and then repeat....(ala AC/DC) before jumping into the driving riff and Singer beat. The verses are the best part of this song, easily. There's DEFINITELY some All American Man riffing going on as we enter pre-chorus range, so there's a definite 70s kick to this Paul tune...perhaps his most retro song on the album. The chorus is still kind of dumb, but I still like to think of it as "dangerous" because that's how it sounds. Paul's vocals are spot on here though...raspy from his limits but sounding edgy instead of thin. Thayer's solo is quite good here...and again, in contention for his best work on the album along with the couple others mentioned. He has an additional outro solo that's tasty too.

 

Really this song is better than it should be based on the title and what we heard. A bonafide contender for most surprising tune.

 

I'm An Animal:

This song is a f***ing bad ass beast, part Unholy, part War Machine, a little bit Almost Human, and a smidgen of Not For The Innocent...all of which equals a song you'll rank amongst them with time. Easily the meanest and heaviest tune on the album....classic God Of Thunder style Gene here, singing solidly (LIU style) over a driving Revenge-era riff (still with the rawer stripped down production). The chorus, which you've heard, is killer. Thayer bends some notes around before we head back into a double vocal tracked second verse (two Genes). The solo area is where the song really harkens back to Love Gun and the Almost Human comparisons a bit...while the rest has a COTN/LIU lumber to it. The ending of the song is very much an Unholy type scream....which is punctuated and accented by two beats of the riff to end the tune with an exclamation point.

 

One of my favorites on the whole album. This song is killer on loud volumes.

 

When Lightning Strikes:

Cow bell city to start the tune, the song sounds like something Ace would do...stylistically in the verses...just with a different voice. The chorus is more Gene style, writing wise. Thayer's vocals are solid here. It may be the single best vocal performance on the entire album...honest to God. Honestly the song also sounds to me like something Eric Carr might've written for Kiss and the choral harmonies/melodies remind me of Carr. The solo here is the bag of tricks...pull offs and ascensions, etc. Solid song for sure and much better than I thought it'd be. The title's generic but the song pushes beyond the cliche and is catchy as hell.

 

Say Yeah:

Whoa...! This was different than I expected based on the chorus. The verses are very moody where the chorus is a bit more anthemic...as many of you have heard. Sounds like one of the more killer tunes from Live To Win, like Lift...for instance...somehow magically mixed with some of 78 Paul solo album material. There's definitely a Tears Are Falling feel to the chugging riff under the vocal, but the verses here are darker and a bit less poppy than on Tears. The bridge is a bit light but then heads into a really nice Thayer solo -- doubled/harmonized in places -- and only somewhat reminiscent of Ace...and only towards the end. After the solo there's a lovely 12-string break for about 10 seconds before launching big time back into the chorus.

 

Very solid song that lives up to its billing. As far as the three "anthems" on the album go (All For The Glory; Stand), this one is the best of the lot....

 

What can I say. A very, very consistent album. Some cheese, but far less than the clips suggest...and, thusly, more balls as well.

 

Gene is the man of the match here. I don't dislike any of the songs, but Gene really gets the nod for delivering the goods....from 70s sexy Gene riffs/melodies all the way to his more demonic side, he shows up this time for sure, songwriting wise, vocally and -- in the most wonderful surprise -- a return to bass playing form as well.

 

Clearly this is going to take many, many more listens...and I'm sure my mind will shift about and finds pleasures I don't yet realize and grow tired of some things that are tickling me right at the moment. But on listend #3 now, this is a seriously good, focused, and concise BAND effort.

 

It's the Kiss album you've been waiting for....even if you didn't realize it.

 

Grade: A

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Blenderhead]

I am still not buying it until I hear it. Great review, but KISS has let me down so many times. I used to be a KISS apologist, too.

[WCFIELDS]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 14 2009, 09:30 PM)

I am still not buying it until I hear it. Great review, but KISS has let me down so many times. I used to be a KISS apologist, too.

Agree.......I'll listen first.......I'm just not about to believe that after 20 odd years, they are going to release a killer album all of a sudden........

[Rendclaw]

I'm just waiting until he gets to Destroyer. Nothing else matters to me, except *maybe* Alive II.

[greg2112]

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Sep 14 2009, 08:28 PM)

NOT A TRUE REVIEW HERE...just wanted to chime in with some impressions of the new record, so forgive my ramble and stylistic crudeness here. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61VWxHu9yUL._SL500_AA240_.jpg SONIC BOOM I'll be honest with you, I had serious trepidations. While there was no news like getting a new Kiss album for the first time in 11 years, I'd heard Gene's horrid solo album and Paul's 80s/90s amalgam, dripping with no less than three below-standard ballads. Tommy was copping Ace in look and sound; Eric was hamming it up as Peter Criss. The band had spent 11 years doing the nostalgia circuit, in and out of vintage costumes...and my fandom had never been more in the toilet. So I took news of this new album with a grain of salt. I mean, it all sounded nice didn't it? No ballads, all rockers...vintage instruments and analog recording...blah, blah. Oh yes, and this one sounds like classic 70s Kiss. We'd been hearing this since Asylum and laughably nothing from the 80s sounded anything remotely close to 70s Kiss. I wanted to believe, but I'd heard these kinds of boasts before and I worried another Crazy Nights might come out of Gene and Paul's twisted perception of "classic" Kiss. After two full and solid spins, I can't stop smiling. Yes, I know the songs are new and I'm having a bit of a contact high at the moment; that's a given. But what's resonating here is a spirit and an effort I've not heard from the band in a long time...and I'm a Psycho Circus apologist on the highest order. What we have here is a very fun album, with a unified spirit and sound that resonates with multiple listens and manages to touch on all of Kiss's varied eras; so the band isn't lying when they say "it sounds like..." There is indeed aspects of Rock And Roll Over, Dressed to Kill, Alive II's studio side and Love Gun. But there's also a bit of Revenge, Lick It Up, and Creatures Of The Night. There are also smatterings of Asylum and Crazy Nights. Yet strangely it all works together. I mean, look...Kiss has been around nearly 40 years, so it's easy to try to pigeon-hole these songs as "sounding like" because that's the natural inclination. But the common thread is that these songs are all fast-moving, raw-sounding rock and roll numbers...so we're not exactly mish-mashing all these eras sonically. Sonically the album is completely unified in this almost AC/DC style dryness and straight-foward approach. But this song might have a bit of a sing-songy chorus and this one might not. It's only in isolated elements do you really construct these parallels....Crazy Nights, Revenge, etc. Listening to the album straight through you lose track of these audio triggers because it all works together. It's really the body that works here, each song positively feeding the next with this infectious groove....each song relatively consistent in the quality department. Some key things stand out to me on these early listens. The production is top notch. The instrument separation is wonderful. The real winner here is the bass, which I dare say has never sounded so up front and grumbling. Clearly Gene has ditched the flatter muffled tones of the Punisher and employed the likes of a Fender Precision or some such gritty bass here. The bass lines literally snarl at you....and Gene's playing (esp. on Hot & Cold) will leave you grinning stupidly. I haven't heard this level of fluid bass lines and delicious slides, fills, and pops by Simmons since Revenge...and quite honestly on a song like Hot & Cold, the playing will remind you of when Gene actually played interesting bass lines on the first three Kiss albums. Tommy's soloing is often like a greatest hits of Ace's playing. You hear a bit of the classic She solo and a bit of this run or that selector switch toggling. A Kiss fan will easily identify these elements from this song or that live show...and yet it works quite well together in these new songs. He's clearly playing in Frehley's stylistic sand pile and that may or may not offend you, but it works. A few words about each song: Modern Day Deliah: We've covered it to death, but probably the second heaviest songs on the record and one of only a couple/three that really pull in the Revenge parallel. Russian Roulette: The song begins with a guitar/drum intro very reminiscent of Love's A Deadly Weapon, repeated twice then comes to a dead stop. Guitar chords ring in and Gene's bass does the filler work between chords. You think the bass stood out on MDD? Here it literally snarls. Gene's vocals are smooth and in a good key for him. Marks down for re-using "out of the frying pan and into the fire," but these lyrical issues are common...and not at all distracting. If you've listened to the clips you know the chorus, which is catchy....and after it a harmonized "a-ha, a-ha" chant takes you into the second verse. I like this part. It works well, vocally. Thayer's solo begins on a note bend and an ascension....seguing into some classic Ace pull-offs and a nod to the She solo. The song ends on a bit of feedback, ala COS. This song is quite strong. It'll grow on you quickly. It's a bit of a 70s/80s amalgam for Gene. His next two go down 70s alley big time and with a concerted effort. Never Enough: Starts with the "never enough" melody played out on guitar and then breaks into some sustained chords with some bass work by Gene that's very much like what you hear in I Pledge Allegiance ("gettin'more than my expectations"....bass line that follows). Paul's vocals are really solid in this one. Good register for him. The verses are definitely very Poison like. Very much Nothing But A Good Time, as reported. No doubt. But it works...and the song's pre-chorus quickly snaps your head out of that. After a few listens you won't think about it anymore because the songs rocks. Again, if you've heard the clips you know the catchy chorus. The bridge is heavier than the rest of the song, sounding a bit Revenge like. There's a harmonized guitar solo here in part of this. That's not been mentioned here. One of the least Ace-sounding solos of the lot. Paul has a bit of a throaty "never enouuuughhhhh" at the end, but it's nowhere near the reach that he tries on MDD. (For the record that is Paul's single worst vocal moment on the album, so if that doesn't bother you, nothing will here). Defintely 80s Paul here...and drawing sonic comparisons to other standards like Poison and Whitesnake. Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect): This is probably my favorite song on the record. It's so authentically vintage Kiss you'll be collecting bugs in your teeth from the grin you'll be wearing. This song is so completely Dressed To Kill-meets-Rock And Roll Over...from the Chucky Berry-ish (slightly slower Getaway-type) riff to Gene's style of vocal melody. Seriously, it's as if the band unearthed an oldie, dusted it off and said "here!" The pre-chorus shout back "yes I know!" is classic '75 Kiss and Gene has fun in the chorus with the stuttered n-n-nobody's perfect....but baby I come awfully close. Just a great line...fun, well-delivered. Note the cowbell just before the chorus kicks in. The solo by Tommy is very Ace ala Love Em and Leave Em, both stylistically and sonically. This song is so f***ing ten kinds of bad ass. It's EASILY (!) the most retro sounding Kiss song since Love Gun. Nothing even comes close. The boys are having a blast and so will you. I'm truly and idiot lost in this tune. When Gene claims, yeah, it sounds retro...it's here that the root of that boast is found. Stand: I liked this appreciably more on my second and third listen. It was my immediate least favorite on the initial spin, this traded anthem between Gene & Paul. I think the weird thing is that the melody of the pre-chorus and chorus actually slow down from the verses with sustained chords and so it plays with your logic and ear some. The bridge heavies up the song some. Really nice harmonies in the bridge and the little mini solo just freakin' pops right out of this part quite well. Things really slow down (way down) for this harmonized break that sounds like a combination of the slow part of God Gave R&R and the "wake up baby" portion of I Just Wanna. The chorus that emerges afterwards is very slow and accented by Tommy's guitar fills between vocals, slowly picking up the tempo as it approaches the end. The harmonies in the repeated end chorus are pretty damn amazing. Ends with bluesy little guitar descent by Thayer. It's a grower. It didn't impress me at first, but I quite like it now. It's the closest to "ballad" the band comes. Hot & Cold: Begins like and AC/DC number, riff wise, then segues into a '78 album like tune with a fluid and impressive bass line from Gene. f**k the riff...it's his playing here that moves the song and gives it its under-current. The chorus was evident in the clip, accented by the cow bell. Thayer's solo after the second chorus is really nice Ace work....with some tasty toggle work. Arguably the best solo on the album. Coming out of the solo we segue into a brief (perhaps TOO brief) acoustic part with some nice Gene vocals (Tower of power lyric) taken down before punching back into the chorus. While brief it's a tasty and well-placed break. Paul is very evident in Gene's chorus here, especially towards the very end. Very solid song with clearly some retro things happening. And regardless, it's just a well constructed and aggressive little rock and roll number. The title is trite and dumber than dirt, but again it works...and I dare you not to hum it. All For The Glory: Eric really shines here vocally on this almost Psycho Circus-like song, with the big preachy chorus. His verses have an almost smokey scratch to them, the chorus you've already heard. Tommy has some nice guitar infills in the spaces during the verses which help fill the song in the sustained lulls. Thayer's solo here is really quite good and very C'mon And Love Me in flavor and execution to start, mixed with a bit of Escape From The Island towards the middle. There's a musical drop out before the final chorus segue and mostly you hear the CHANT of the chorus as the energy and drive before the music punches back in. Good song, although overall it might be my second to or perhaps my least favorite. All things considered that's hardly an insult. Danger Us: Here's a song that sells itself wayyy short in the clips. The song begins with some slow plucked notes that stall and then repeat....(ala AC/DC) before jumping into the driving riff and Singer beat. The verses are the best part of this song, easily. There's DEFINITELY some All American Man riffing going on as we enter pre-chorus range, so there's a definite 70s kick to this Paul tune...perhaps his most retro song on the album. The chorus is still kind of dumb, but I still like to think of it as "dangerous" because that's how it sounds. Paul's vocals are spot on here though...raspy from his limits but sounding edgy instead of thin. Thayer's solo is quite good here...and again, in contention for his best work on the album along with the couple others mentioned. He has an additional outro solo that's tasty too. Really this song is better than it should be based on the title and what we heard. A bonafide contender for most surprising tune. I'm An Animal: This song is a f***ing bad ass beast, part Unholy, part War Machine, a little bit Almost Human, and a smidgen of Not For The Innocent...all of which equals a song you'll rank amongst them with time. Easily the meanest and heaviest tune on the album....classic God Of Thunder style Gene here, singing solidly (LIU style) over a driving Revenge-era riff (still with the rawer stripped down production). The chorus, which you've heard, is killer. Thayer bends some notes around before we head back into a double vocal tracked second verse (two Genes). The solo area is where the song really harkens back to Love Gun and the Almost Human comparisons a bit...while the rest has a COTN/LIU lumber to it. The ending of the song is very much an Unholy type scream....which is punctuated and accented by two beats of the riff to end the tune with an exclamation point. One of my favorites on the whole album. This song is killer on loud volumes. When Lightning Strikes: Cow bell city to start the tune, the song sounds like something Ace would do...stylistically in the verses...just with a different voice. The chorus is more Gene style, writing wise. Thayer's vocals are solid here. It may be the single best vocal performance on the entire album...honest to God. Honestly the song also sounds to me like something Eric Carr might've written for Kiss and the choral harmonies/melodies remind me of Carr. The solo here is the bag of tricks...pull offs and ascensions, etc. Solid song for sure and much better than I thought it'd be. The title's generic but the song pushes beyond the cliche and is catchy as hell. Say Yeah: Whoa...! This was different than I expected based on the chorus. The verses are very moody where the chorus is a bit more anthemic...as many of you have heard. Sounds like one of the more killer tunes from Live To Win, like Lift...for instance...somehow magically mixed with some of 78 Paul solo album material. There's definitely a Tears Are Falling feel to the chugging riff under the vocal, but the verses here are darker and a bit less poppy than on Tears. The bridge is a bit light but then heads into a really nice Thayer solo -- doubled/harmonized in places -- and only somewhat reminiscent of Ace...and only towards the end. After the solo there's a lovely 12-string break for about 10 seconds before launching big time back into the chorus. Very solid song that lives up to its billing. As far as the three "anthems" on the album go (All For The Glory; Stand), this one is the best of the lot.... What can I say. A very, very consistent album. Some cheese, but far less than the clips suggest...and, thusly, more balls as well. Gene is the man of the match here. I don't dislike any of the songs, but Gene really gets the nod for delivering the goods....from 70s sexy Gene riffs/melodies all the way to his more demonic side, he shows up this time for sure, songwriting wise, vocally and -- in the most wonderful surprise -- a return to bass playing form as well. Clearly this is going to take many, many more listens...and I'm sure my mind will shift about and finds pleasures I don't yet realize and grow tired of some things that are tickling me right at the moment. But on listend #3 now, this is a seriously good, focused, and concise BAND effort. It's the Kiss album you've been waiting for....even if you didn't realize it. Grade: A

Now you have me really excited about this album. And any record that has Revenge and Roll and Roll Over influences has to be pretty damn good! Cant wait for the release.

[Presto-digitation]

It's a strange marriage to consider, but it's there. LOL! The production (stripped; raw; AC/DC-ish) ties a lot of these varied sonics together nicely and more successfully than one might imagine could be accomplished.

[metaldad]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 14 2009, 10:30 PM)

I am still not buying it until I hear it. Great review, but KISS has let me down so many times. I used to be a KISS apologist, too.

+ 1

[nappy2112]

I've heard it once and I know one thing for sure it's better than that subpar new Ace CD.

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

THIS DAY IN KISSTORY 1978

 

The KISS Solo Albums: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley were released on September 18, 1978. The Solo Albums represented the first time ever that all the members of a band released solo works on the same day. All 4 albums shipped platinum!

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs238.snc1/8521_157191956411_64075031411_3510649_7832715_n.jpg

[Presto-digitation]

Edited September 24, 2009 by Presto-digitation

[vprtrls]

Thanks for all the reviews! I just love reading them. I wish you could add more links to the highlight "rare" tunes. Getting excited about Night Two in Detroit at Cobo Arena. I have upper bowl front row dead on to the stage. It will be a great night. I hope they play some tunes off Sonic Boom too...too bad I have to walk into a WalMart to get one...that's why I don't have the AC/DC album.

[Presto-digitation]

[Presto-digitation]

Edited September 29, 2009 by Presto-digitation

[Blenderhead]

[Tick]

Edited September 29, 2009 by tick

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (tick @ Sep 29 2009, 03:57 PM)

Nah, certainly not the worst. In fact, its good. I think Asylum was bad. Unmasked was embarrassing as well. I actually loved this album when it was released and it was a kick ass tour !

There is a strong case to be made for Asylum being the worst KISS album, but surely not for Unmasked. I like 6 songs on that album and consider it to be one of their better post-Dynasty works.

 

I still think Animalize takes the crown, although Asylum's artwork makes me want to every time I see it. Both are equally cringe worthy, in my opinion.

[Presto-digitation]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 29 2009, 05:17 PM)

QUOTE (tick @ Sep 29 2009, 03:57 PM) Nah, certainly not the worst. In fact, its good. I think Asylum was bad. Unmasked was embarrassing as well. I actually loved this album when it was released and it was a kick ass tour ! There is a strong case to be made for Asylum being the worst KISS album, but surely not for Unmasked. I like 6 songs on that album and consider it to be one of their better post-Dynasty works.   I still think Animalize takes the crown, although Asylum's artwork makes me want to every time I see it. Both are equally cringe worthy, in my opinion. Asylum is my big dog in the Kiss catalogue. Can't wait to review that one.

[greg2112]

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 29 2009, 05:17 PM)

QUOTE (tick @ Sep 29 2009, 03:57 PM) Nah, certainly not the worst. In fact, its good. I think Asylum was bad. Unmasked was embarrassing as well. I actually loved this album when it was released and it was a kick ass tour ! There is a strong case to be made for Asylum being the worst KISS album, but surely not for Unmasked. I like 6 songs on that album and consider it to be one of their better post-Dynasty works.   I still think Animalize takes the crown, although Asylum's artwork makes me want to every time I see it. Both are equally cringe worthy, in my opinion. Unmasked is not the worst Kiss album by a long shot. In fact, I agree with Blender, there are some very good songs on that album. I love Shandi, Tomorrow and Is That You; and Torpedo Girl, Two Sides of the Coin and Talk to Me are all solid Ace tunes. Heck, I even like She's So European. Yes. the production is too glossy, but for a band at their low point in popularity in the states they still had some good songwriting in them.   Unmasked is better than many other Kiss albums. Asylum on the other hand....

Edited September 30, 2009 by greg2112

[metaldad]

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (greg2112 @ Sep 30 2009, 03:10 PM)

QUOTE (Blenderhead @ Sep 29 2009, 05:17 PM) QUOTE (tick @ Sep 29 2009, 03:57 PM) Nah, certainly not the worst. In fact, its good. I think Asylum was bad. Unmasked was embarrassing as well. I actually loved this album when it was released and it was a kick ass tour ! There is a strong case to be made for Asylum being the worst KISS album, but surely not for Unmasked. I like 6 songs on that album and consider it to be one of their better post-Dynasty works.   I still think Animalize takes the crown, although Asylum's artwork makes me want to every time I see it. Both are equally cringe worthy, in my opinion. Unmasked is not the worst Kiss album by a long shot. In fact, I agree with Blender, there are some very good songs on that album. I love Shandi, Tomorrow and Is That You; and Torpedo Girl, Two Sides of the Coin and Talk to Me are all solid Ace tunes. Heck, I even like She's So European. Yes. the production is too glossy, but for a band at their low point in popularity in the states they still had some good songwriting in them.   Unmasked is better than many other Kiss albums. Asylum on the other hand.... All those songs you listed on Unmasked are the songs I like too.

[nappy2112]

agreed Asylum is the worst.

[metaldad]

QUOTE (nappy2112 @ Sep 30 2009, 04:41 PM)

agreed Asylum is the worst.

Worst cover and worst album..........imo .Prob a tie with Crazy Nights as far as shit songs go

[greg2112]

[Presto-digitation]

[Blenderhead]

QUOTE (Presto-digitation @ Oct 13 2009, 03:06 PM)

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/69/05/a1e3431378a074c509837110.L._AA240_.jpg Double Platinum: While Kiss was between band records in 1978, Casablanca issued the first of many greatest hits packages. For a band not much more than four years into their career, a double hits album seemed a bit overkill. There was certainly no shortage of Kiss material at this point, with six studio albums, two live albums, and four solo albums on the way later this same year. It was enough to keep kids’ pockets light and in hock to their parents. I was one of them. Double Platinum was a nice package for the time. It was a fine enough place to start for fans not able to immediately catch up on all of the back catalogue. Musically it’s most remembered for all the remixing that was done to nearly all the songs. Bits of tunes where edited and some things were oddly moved around entirely, like the Rock Bottom intro into She and the intro to Black Diamond being repeated at the end of the song, suggesting a loop…pieces and parts of Detroit Rock City and Hard Luck Woman removed in edits, etc. There was a re-record of Strutter featuring a more contemporary pop-disco beat that didn’t seem entirely necessary or successful, but remains an interesting moment in time. Clearly Jimmy Lenner and Sean Delaney were trying to do something more than simply slap the old versions on a record and it sometimes worked and sometimes did not. For a kid age 8, though, it wasn’t something that really I noticed too much or really cared about one way or another. Pre-IPOD, it was simply ONE package that had a lot of great Kiss tunes and that kept me from having to change out a bunch of records. In 2009 it remains a hit and miss bag of reinvention and what appears to be simply another cash grab for an increasingly-flooded Kiss market in 1978. The foil gatefold and embossed Kiss logo and faces remains one of the coolest packaging jobs the band has attempted to date. In the glory days of Kiss mystique, I have fond memories of holding the face images in the light in just the right way to make the makeup lines somewhat disappear. It really was a pretty accurate insight as to what the band looked like without makeup. Grade: C http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415MPE749RL._SL500_AA240_.jpg Killers: Available initially only as an import, Killers was a bit of gap-filler for the record company between album releases. The band was asked to record four new songs for the package and they’re certainly the highlight of the album. To this day I don’t remember (or care) about the other previously-released material. I can’t even name most of the songs, although I’ll throw out a guess that Rock And Roll All Nite was one! The real draw here is the new material. Like the Alive II studio sessions, Killers also featuring Bob Kulick on lead guitar rather than Ace Frehley. Not all of it’s absolutely stellar in hindsight, but at the time, especially, it was a refreshing glimpse of a rock-geared direction for Kiss coming out of their Unmasked/The Elder haze. Maybe most importantly these recordings became the impetus for Creatures Of The Night album. Most notable here is the song Nowhere To Run, a fan favorite and probably a unanimous top 5 contender for most overlooked Kiss tune ever with its acoustic intro segueing into some nice power chords in the verse (somewhat Paul Stanley solo ’78 ) and its powerful chorus. The other three don’t quite rise to this level but remain good, especially the likes of I’m A Legend Tonight. Partners In Crime is also pretty quality pop rock writing and the lesser Down On Your Knees round things out. Again, who gives a toss about the packaging? You buy this for the “new” songs…and the songs are quite good. Grade: B- As a hits package: D http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/414S14ZW4RL._SL500_AA240_.jpg Smashes, Thrashes & Hits: It was actually another full 10 years before another official hits package, although the flood gates weren’t too long from being released after this. Most excitedly, this was the first hits package to mix classic era with non-makeup era material, and so as a fan I was excited to see some of this material recognized, albeit the obvious choices (the “hit” singles). That’s pretty much were the good news ends. I believe every song on the album was re-mixed and to very ill-effect I must say. A song like I Love It Loud, previously bombastic and full in its original form, is completely neutered here with a highly compressed and laughably flat drum intro. It’s almost sickening to listen to it. The other remixes aren’t nearly this fatal, but absolutely none of them are improvements over the original versions. Eric Carr makes his vocal debut, which was great to hear on album – finally – but it comes at the ill-chosen decision to remove Peter Criss’s vocals from Beth; simply inserting Carr’s vocal track over the existing music. Better still might’ve been for the band to re-record an old rocker like Nothing To Lose or Black Diamond and give Carr a chance to shine in that way (much like the re-record of Strutter), but the end result simply reads as a slap to their former drummer’s face. Carr does a fine enough job, but it’s hard to overlook what appears to be an effort to stick it to Criss. Worst of all there are two new songs, which, in theory, would make for a nice bit of enticement for a hits package, except they’re arguably two of the worst 10 or 15 songs (and that’s being kind) the band has ever recorded. Even back in the day at my most forgiving and least cynical time as a fan – and I was a pretty accepting Kiss fan -- they sounded like two Crazy Nights-era throwaways. I suppose Rock Hard was a marginally better tune than X In Sex, but both were incredibly vapid and trite hair metal songs which have aged poorly compared to their other forays into the genre. Even Paul Stanley laughs about them now and I laugh along with him because they’re atrocious filler. There isn’t one studio album on which they’d be amongst the bottom dwellers. I really despise this record and aside from the lack of necessity that’s come with the glut of needless hits packages (the millennium collection; Greatest Kiss, etc.), I consider this the single worst thing that’s come out by and from the band with their logo on it. While I still enjoy what is now a posthumous listen to Eric’s voice on Beth (we didn’t get enough songs with him behind the mic), the album otherwise remains to me completely unlistenable. Grade: F http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41XR70X4B8L._SL500_AA240_.jpg You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best Yes, it’s a live record but it’s mainly a live compilation, so it qualifies. Like with Killers, the big draw here are the four never-before-released live tracks from tours that made up the first two live albums (Room Service, Two Timer, Take Me, and Let Me Know)…as everyone has Alive! and Alive II, so that much is just blah, blah rehash. The big pay-off, however, is a big disappointment as it’s becomes immediately clear that the vocals, especially, are mid-90s-era Gene and Paul, with speculation that the music too was simply reunion-era sound check material. To whatever extent, the song versions are not authentic as claimed. I’m not certain why this disappoints or surprises me, really, given the history of Kiss’ live tinkerings and downright fraud. The only positive thing to glean from the re-recording is that Kiss was fully capable of playing the rarest of these during the reunion and beyond, but that’s tempered by the fact that ultimately they chose not to. This was simply something to throw out there quickly to coincide with the reunion tour and it shows. The last track is an interview with Jay Leno and for fans in that moment (like me) buzzing over the thrill of the reunited band and still infatuated with every morsel they could ingest at the time, it was a cool listen a time or two. But it and this entire package is both dated and tainted with modern day recordings posing as rare gems from 20+ years earlier. Like Smashes, it’s nothing I even spin anymore…and I don’t miss it. Grade: D http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/310R7NG5WML._SL500_AA240_.jpg The Box Set Now we’re talking! Kiss’s five-disc set gets lots of flack from fans for not containing more – or even exclusively – rare items, like live cuts, demos, and unreleased material. And there’s a valid argument in that. Many artists have made it a point of solely issuing every dusty parcel in the attic to fans’ delight. But The Box Set works really as a glorified GREATEST of greatest hits type packages. Yes, it does have a lot of material that you already own on Destroyer and Dynasty, etc. But the flow of the box works well, sprinkling in a demo here, a live cut there…a new “old” tune there…perfectly peppering the chronological flow with much-needed bits and pieces of new things. What’s great is that no era is left out. We even get PRE-Wicked Lester here, with a couple young vocal efforts from Stanley and Simmons. There are a couple Lester tunes, the Bell Sound Kiss demos, etc. While the purist might rip his hair out at the missed opportunity to get ALL of Wicked Lester’s album in such a package, for instance, no era is ignored. Even often-forgotten albums like Peter’s 78 solo record, The Elder, Killers, and Carnival of Souls get representation. It’s truly a fair reflection back on all of Kiss’s career through their 1998 “reunion” album Psycho Circus. Where else are you going to hear The Oath or Get All You Can Take, outside the original albums? Little gems like the original lyric to Eric Carr’s Little Caesar and the Crazy Night’s cutting room floor demo of Time Traveler pop up here and about. Instead of the album version of Unmasked’s You’re All That I Want, we get Gene’s really tasty demo instead. Destroyer’s God Of Thunder shows up as Paul’s original (and much peppier) version. There’s just enough cool stuff sprinkled about that I think it makes for a rousing and interesting listen. To this day I can play all five discs consecutively, not skip a single track, and still glean a great sense of enjoyment of their history as it’s told here. Yes, I hope that someday there are more songs and rarities like this released in some official form or another, and I’m sure there will be. There are the Paul demos with Vinnie for Animalze, the great Sword And Stone from Crazy Nights, and a slew of other things, as well as gems the likes of which we’re still not even aware exist. But as fans we often judge things like this for what they’re lacking rather than what's actually there…and what The Box Set truly is…is a satisfying, interesting, and cool journey through 30 years of pre-Wicked Lester through to Psycho Circus. Nitpick the limited selection or not getting a full-on rarities-only package, but The Box Set delivers arguably one of the best musical products Kiss has ever put out. The packaging, the extensive book with breakdowns of every song featured, and the discs themselves are grade A. That said… Grade: A http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61S%2BwsSIg4L._SL500_AA240_.jpg Jigoku-Retsuden Kiss re-recorded some of their key classic and most marketable songs in 2007, primarily to gain the lion’s share of royalties on their classic songs over the current publishing company. The intent as well as the results here have been pretty scrutinized, from “This is just Gene and Paul trying to screw over Ace and Peter” to being legitimately impressed with the re-recordings. I don’t fall into the former myself and summarily don’t blame Gene and Paul for doing what they did, but that doesn’t mean I fully love what I’m hearing either. My wife the other day mentioned it was like hearing a strange cover version of these songs and that has nothing to do with Thayer and Singer and who they’re replacing...but rather that while we’re used to live versions of these songs, to hear them reproduced as closely as possible to the original versions in the studio is both fascinating (they largely do a good job) and freaky (because they sound just off enough to make you notice). Because frankly, it sounds just as strange on the non-originals material as it does the boys stepping in for Frehley and Criss. The vocals, tweaked and fidgeted with auto-tune as they may be, come really close….yet still show Gene and Paul’s age. To a newcomer to Kiss this is probably less noticeable and there’s a reasonable chance they’re not as invested in the source material as some older fans. Still and all, as strange as it is to listen to, there are a few noticeable successes. Hotter Than Hell, for instance, is quite a treat without its signature din of reverb for which that album is known. I Was Made For Lovin’ You offers up a slightly weightier performance than its Dynasty original. Black Diamond, too, is improved with better production values over the debut album, although as good as Eric Singer is handling the vocals, Peter Criss’s vocal absence is startling. Still others like Calling Dr. Love and I Love It Loud noticeably lack the production punch of the original versions and simply fall short. (Note to Kiss: Please stop dicking with material from Creatures. It will never sound better than it already does). Perhaps the most important thing that came from this was that it got the current formation of Kiss into a recording studio for the first time ever and likely the idea of working well together on older songs became the seeds that blossomed into the band’s first new CD in 11 years, 2009’s Sonic Boom. I realize I have this in my possession for two reasons: 1) Gene and Paul doing something to circumvent their old publishing company….2) It came included with Sonic Boom; otherwise I might not own it at all. So it’s sort of this unintentional compilation of sorts, geared less towards being a present for fans and more towards the necessity of their pocket-book. (Shocker!) It’s something I’ll occasionally spin, mostly because I’ll already be listening to their latest album. But I can’t say it’s something I’d reach for over the original versions. That’s not a knock on the current lineup. I’d feel the same way with Kulick re-recording his old parts…or the original four all doing the same thing. It’s just kinda….weird. Grade: C

Well put and I agree with just about everything you said. The only thing I would change is the Double Platinum grade. Surely it deserves a 'B'?