Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: KISS' phases '74 - today

  1. #1

    KISS' phases '74 - today

    I was browsing through Amazon looking at Kiss' various albums. Thinking about buying one. (I only have a handful of my favorite songs by them in my entire collection)

    While looking at all the albums they've got, it reminded me of Rush. (just in terms of output) But what I wanna know is if also like Rush, is if they went through several distinct phases. eg: 'Zeppelin' clone, prog phase, slick hard rock, techno-Rush, etc.

    How might you describe Kiss' changes from then to now?

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Rickenbacker View Post
    How might you describe Kiss' changes from then to now?

    I. The first eight albums (and the first best of):

    Kiss
    Hotter Than Hell
    Dressed To Kill
    Alive!
    Destroyer
    Rock And Roll Over
    Love Gun
    Alive II
    Double Platinum (double LP best of, with several songs remixed, and a new recording of Strutter)
    These are the best Kiss albums. Good, melodic, high energy rock n roll. Gene once said that one only needed "average musical insight" to understand their music, and these records are the best representation of that approach. Everyone loves Alive, but I still prefer the versions of those songs on the first three studio albums. Destroyer is the one where they spread their wings a bit, added a couple ballads to the mix (Great Expectations, and I think you know the other one) and a somewhat more polished sound. Alive II isn't quite the unmitigated classic that first live album is, but the studio tracks on side four I think are fantastic, particularly Rocket Ride (which is effectively an Ace solo track) and their rendition of Anyway You Want It (the Dave Clark Five song, stupid, not the Journey one!). And or all of these albums are where I would start. Actually, to tell you the truth, Double Platinum, the

    II.The late 70's

    Dynasty
    Unmasked

    The two albums a lot of people don't like. Dynasty I think is a decent record, I think. Everyone knows I Was Made For Loving You, but the rest of the record is ranges from not bad to great. Ace's songs are the best thing on that album, Paul's are not bad, Gene's two songs Charisma and X-Ray Eyes are...well, I guess those are the "not bad" songs. I hated Charisma for a long time (and in fact found it hysterical that Luis Nasser would always cite it as an example of why the band stunk), but lately, I've been growing to like it.

    Unmasked has been described in some circles as "an underrated power/pop album". OK, I'll go along with that description. One of my favorite Kiss albums, even if it's not really a group effort (effectively, you get 1/3 of a solo album each from Ace, Gene and Paul). Once again Ace delivers the goods with his songs, and Paul's and Gene's are pretty good too. Decades later, Gene said "There was no reason for Kiss to record a song called She's So European", but I always liked that one.

    III. The Dumb Idea
    Music From The Elder

    The much talked about concept album. Gene, Paul and Bob Ezrin have all accepted the blame for this record, and they all admit it was a mistake. Having said that, there's some good songs here. I like Black Light and I a lot, A World Without Heroes is a much better ballad than you'd expect Gene capable of. Too bad this was the only record we got from the Gene/Paul/Ace/Eric C. lineup.

    IV. The Better Idea
    Creatures Of The Night
    A great, underrated metal album. It didn't sell well, for various reasons, but it's a totally solid album that saw the band reinventing themselves for a new decade. I'd still love to hear the original Bryan Adams/Jim Vallance demo that Gene somehow reshaped into War Machine, because that's a wicked bad ass song.

    After that you get into the 80's, and I'll admit I lost track of them at this point, for the most part. There some good songs during this period, like Heaven's On Fire, I've Had Enough (Into The Fire), and Tears Are Falling. But this also the era that gave us Uh! All Night and Let's Put The X In Sex (as well as a new version of Beth with Eric Carr on lead vocals, something that Eric himself didn't want to do).

    If you're asking my opinion, I'd say get everything from the 70's first, starting with Destroyer and the first three studio albums, up through Unmasked. Then get Music From The Elder and Creatures Of The Night. Then get Animalize. I can't help you with Lick It Up or the post-Animalize music.
    Last edited by GuitarGeek; 10-26-2013 at 03:40 AM.

  3. #3
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Too bad this was the only record we got from the Gene/Paul/Ace/Eric S. lineup.

    ...a new version of Beth with Eric Singer on lead vocals...
    That was Eric Carr. Eric Singer took over after Eric Carr died in 1991.

  4. #4
    Of all their album I'm most tempted to get, it's "The Dumb Idea".

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Rickenbacker View Post
    Of all their album I'm most tempted to get, it's "The Dumb Idea".
    I honestly don't understand what it is about that album that fascinates progressive rock fans so much. Like I said, it's got some good music on it, but it's not really a "prog rock" record, and I don't think it's as strong as the earlier albums.

    I honestly wish they had made a record like Music From The Elder after Destroyer. It would have made sense to continuing "pushing the parameters" as they did on Destroyer, and it would have made sense for them to work again with Ezrin at the time. Ace and Peter were in better shape in 76 than they would be later on (and of course, Peter was already out of the band by the time of Music From The Elder).

    The only thing is I have the impression that Ezrin's way of doing things chafed certainn band members (specifically Ace and Peter), and hence I could well imagine things not going well if they had worked with a second time so soon after Destroyer.

    But Music From The Elder was the wrong album, at the wrong time, for the wrong reason. Ezrin thought they would "show people who intelligent Kiss can be", and Paul and Gene wanted to "silence the critics" (presumably meaning people in general, not specifically record critics, as I can't imagine anyone being delusional enough to think that a concept album is gonna convince Robert Christgau and any of his brethren that your band is indeed worthy, or whatever).

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    That was Eric Carr. Eric Singer took over after Eric Carr died in 1991.
    Wonderful, the one time someone actually reads one of my posts, it's the one where I have not one, but two brain farts. Oy!

    Yes, I know which Eric came first. Eric Carr was The Fox, I remember when they introduced him on Kids Are People Too (I can't believe I just admitted to remembering that stupid show).
    Last edited by GuitarGeek; 10-26-2013 at 03:47 AM.

  7. #7
    ALL ACCESS Gruno's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Dio, Alabama
    Posts
    3,167
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Yes, I know which Eric came first. Eric Carr was The Fox, I remember when they introduced him on Kids Are People Too (I can't believe I just admitted to remembering that stupid show).
    It originated from "Wonderama".

  8. #8
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vallejo, CA
    Posts
    1,012
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    Eric Carr was The Fox
    He actually had the coolest makeup pattern of all of Kiss history. Paul Stanley's simple star comes second. Everyone else's makeup was too busy (especially poor Ace/Tommy Thayer, with TWO-tone makeup).

    And be fair, I read all your posts. You're very knowledgeable about music!

  9. #9
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    southern Ontario, Canada
    Posts
    7,122
    Quote Originally Posted by GuitarGeek View Post
    I honestly don't understand what it is about that album that fascinates progressive rock fans so much. Like I said, it's got some good music on it, but it's not really a "prog rock" record, and I don't think it's as strong as the earlier albums.
    Totally agreed. Perhaps it's simply the fact that it's the closest TO a 'prog rock record' as KISS ever got (complete with that trite Simmons performance on "Heroes"). And yeah, it's an OKAY album, but to be honest, with KISS, it's all about the first six albums. Destroyer being the pinnacle.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

  10. #10
    ALL ACCESS Gruno's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Dio, Alabama
    Posts
    3,167
    This thread might be helpful to some here:

    http://www.progressiveears.org/forum....php/3958-KISS

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •