PT's the Iron Man was ok but it was more of a concept album.
Yes, I'm being serious. Of course, if you like that song, YMMV.
Are we only allowed to mention a song in one thread or something? The other thread you cite is from about 8 months ago (I have no idea why I mentioned Europe in that thread actually!), and I can't view the picture you posted as I can't access photobucket from work, so I don't know what it is.
It's actually not a bad record. Apart from Mr. Blackwell (which I think is a terrible song), most of it is enjoyable to listen to, so long as you ignore the "concept". There's a bunch of different stories I've heard about the making of that record. It was Bob Ezrin who wanted to "take Kiss and their audience to a place they've been before, and show the critics just how intelligent Kiss can be". And Gene and Paul were both deluded enough to believe it was a good idea. Meanwhile, Ace wanted to just play rock music.
Then, apparently, half way through the record, Ezrin disappeared, and as Paul put it, he was the one who was supposed to be stearing the ship, and as a result, they apparently hit an iceberg or whatever. And on top of that, I think the record company weren't too sure of the concept album. I vaguely remember reading once that it was supposed to be a double LP, but the record company didn't want invest in such a project. So the idea was to release half the songs on a single LP, and then release the rest later. But because the album didn't do well, the second LP never appeared.
But there's lots of good songs on there, eg I, The Oath, Dark Light, A World Without Heroes, Just A Boy, Escape From The Island, etc.
And no, I don't think they were "trying to go prog". I think they were trying to, as Ezrin put it, "prove how intelligent Kiss could be" (which isn't necessarily the same thing), as a means of responding to record critics. I think both Gene and Paul admitted years later they were trying to prove that they could do something with more depth than "I wanna rock n roll all night and party every day".
Gene said once that decades later, they were still receiving mail from fans who thought the band should do an Elder tour and play the entire album front to back. Paul then added, "And then when we write back to the asylum and tell they hope they feel better soon".
Once again to re-iterate my original post:
"Name some albums by bands (any style or genre) that tried to go Prog, or - at the very least -add elements of it (such as concept approach, interludes, etc) that, well, "fail" as far as the genre is concerned. NOTE: this doesn't necessarily mean that the albums suck, per se, but that they just are an obvious attempt to go "artsy" or show "educated musicianship, songwriting, production, etc " but miss the mark All of this is subject to Opinion so, as always, your mileage may vary
Edit: this thread is actually for myself because I like albums like this, much in the same way of liking cheap low-budget B-movies "
Calling the thread "Prog FAIL" was all about marketing: I called it that to get you guys to open it
As far as "the Elder", I can honestly say that it is the only album I can think of that I wrestle with to extremes: the few times I have actually gave it a spin, I constantly thought "This album is great! Man, this sucks! This album is great! Man, this sucks! This album is great! Man, this sucks! etc "
So far this thread has been a total WIN for me, with Sean Cassidy's WASP currently the "Holy Grail" I am looking for
The cover of the Sean Cassidy albumis hilarious! Such awful typography, and I love how the wasp isn't ON his face, but is completely still, and NEAR his face. It's a totally unnatural situation. It looks like Sean demanded "I want to take the photo with a real wasp, so it'll be realistic, but I want a piece of glass between me and the wasp.
What's the concept, anyway?
I'd put Styx's Paradise Theatre and Kilroy Was Here on the list.
Plus, when you factor in the Broadway show, it has to be the most successful album of their career. Hardly a fail.
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Bill Accoin (manager) was one of the main masterminds behind The Elder.
I have a lot to post about The Elder that has recently been revealed about all of this. Defines the fact from fiction and so forth. I will do so very soon in the KISS thread.
I like a lot of the music more than the lyrics in songs like "Dark Light, "The Oath", and "Escape From The Island"
There is a definite divide from KISS fans with this album. Seems it is a love/hate thing. Some blame that album on Gene/Paul killing the band. Some blame Bill and marking this is the reason he was fired as their manager. Others cite it as the reason why Ace left the band. That makes some Ace fans instantly hate the album. Wacky reasons, but that's how some are. And there are many more reasons.
I have gone through the same thing. Seems every other spin I fancy it. The best part of the album is the "Only You/Under The Rose" part!
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
I always thought that The Elder was Bob Erzin's idea, because he had just produced The Wall.
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