Reviews

REVIEW: ZZ Top – Raw – ‘That Little Ol’ Band From Texas’ Original Soundtrack (2022)

ZZ TOP – Raw – ‘That Little Ol’ Band From Texas’ Original Soundtrack (2022 BMG)

In 2019, ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill was still alive, and filmmaker Sam Dunn brought us the critically acclaimed documentary That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.  The film was cherished for a number of reasons, not least of which was the music, old and new.  A big part of the film was seeing the modern-day ZZ Top jamming away on their classics.  And it was clear they lost nothing.

With Dusty gone, it’s appropriate to release his final recordings as the soundtrack to the documentary.  As the title boldly states, this is ZZ Top raw, playing live in the studio, as only they could.  12 tracks; nothing beyond Eliminator.  Every song a classic.

Going back to the first album, “Brown Sugar” opens with some amp hiss and seriously bluesly licks from Billy Gibbons.  Raw yes, but also crisp and clear with plenty of bottom end.  These are not simple re-recordings, nor are they vastly different re-imaginings.  They are just 12 tracks of ZZ Top playing hard and heavy, backed with modern equipment and techniques.  The groove flows right through the speakers like jelly.  Sonically the tracks are heavier simply because of the modern equipment, though they are still…you guessed it…raw!  Dusty’s bass on “Just Got Paid”…oh man.  Track after track of familiar rock will hit your ears, satisfying your need for that dirty greasy blues that ZZ Top peddle in.  Jamming solos, rolling bass and luscious blues licks await within.

As far as surprises go, there are not many, but it is fun to hear “Legs” done in this raw settling.  The sequencers are there but back in the mix.  It’s much more rocking.  Interesting to hear no backing guitars when Billy is soloing.  “Gimme All Your Lovin'” benefits similarly from the raw treatment.  No sequencers here, just guitars, drums and bass.  No loss either.  A slow jam version of “Thunderbird” is another treat.  Finally, it’s a blast to hear Frank Beard playing hard on the surf rock of “Tube Snake Boogie”.

From rockers, to blues rockers and just plain ol’ blues, this album contains a nice cross section of songs from 1971 to 1983.  Arguably, the essential years.  While not essential itself, ZZ Top Raw should make your purchase list.  It’s an excellent set of recordings, of some of the best ZZ Top songs, with modern fidelity and of course, the last of Dusty Hill.  You loved it when you saw ZZ Top jamming these tunes in the film.  Now you can own the soundtrack.  So get on it!

4/5 stars

Thanks to John T. Snow for kindly gifting this copy!

RE-REVIEW: Def Leppard – “C’Mon C’Mon”(2008 12” picture single)

Part Thirty-Five of the Def Leppard Review Series

Original Review:  “C’Mon C’Mon” (2008 12″ picture single)

DEF LEPPARD – “C’Mon C’Mon” (2008 12″ Mercury picture single)

We haven’t reviewed many actual Def Leppard singles in this review series.  Why?  Because we reviewed the CD Collection box sets in detail instead, which do an excellent job of collecting all the albums and B-sides from specific eras.  This picture disc for “C’Mon C’Mon” from Songs From the Sparkle Lounge is one single for which the B-side has yet to be issued in box set form.

The B-side in question is a live version of “Rocket” from an unknown place and time.  What we do know is this:  It’s not a pipsqueak edit version from a live album.  This is a full-on 10 minute recording with all the extended bells and whistles.

Opening with the usual backwards vocals (“We’re fighting for the gods of war” in reverse), “Rocket” is a Rick Allen vehicle.  It’s endurance.  The drums are a main feature, but Screamin’ Joe Elliott doesn’t take a back seat to anyone.  Still, by the 3:30 mark it’s the Rick Allen show.  Soon he’s accompanied by Rick Savage on bass, before the guitar solos begin.  Phil Collen goes first followed by Vivian Campbell, in a call & response series of licks.  Together the two weave notes and squeals into a tapestry of cool, with Vivian going full metal into speed and tapping.

Around 7:50, Joe surprises the crowd by going into “Whole Lotta Love”.  “You need coolin’, baby I ain’t foolin’,” with guitars that replicate what Jimmy Page might have done had he been on stage that night.  Back into “Rocket” for the finale, the whole thing works from start to finish as if it wasn’t 10 minutes long but maybe half that.  A valuable B-side for your collection, just spectacular stuff.

The A-side is hit or miss.  “C’Mon C’Mon” was in the vein of that “Pour Some Sugar” sound, ultimately derived from Gary Glitter.   It’s…well, to overuse a phrase, “it is what it is”.  Def Leppard are always going to have this kind of song in their repertoire.  It’s not bad, just nothing new.  Performance-wise, Rick Allen is once again a champion.  The guitars have a really sweet crunch.  It’s a great sounding single, just an unnecessary direction to keep toiling away at.

3.5/5 stars

Next:  Leppard goes country with…yes, we’re at that point now…with Taylor Swift.

Previous:  

  1. The Early Years Disc One – On Through the Night 
  2. The Early Years Disc Two – High N’ Dry
  3. The Early Years Disc Three – When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live at the New Theater Oxford – 1980
  4. The Early Years Disc Four – Too Many Jitterbugs – EP, singles & unreleased
  5. The Early Years Disc 5 – Raw – Early BBC Recordings 
  6. The Early Years 79-81 (Summary)
  7. Pyromania
  8. Pyromania Live – L.A. Forum, 11 September 1983
  9. Hysteria
  10. Soundtrack From the Video Historia – Record Store Tales
  11. In The Round In Your Face DVD
  12. “Let’s Get Rocked” – The Wait for Adrenalize – Record Store Tales
  13. Adrenalize
  14. Live at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
  15. Retro-Active
  16. Visualize
  17. Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits / Limited Edition Live CD
  18. Video Archive
  19. “Slang” CD single
  20. Slang
  21. I Got A Bad Feeling About This: Euphoria – Record Store Tales
  22. Euphoria
  23. Rarities 2
  24. Rarities 3
  25. Rarities 4
  26. Cybernauts – Live
  27. Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (bonus disc)
  28. X
  29. Best Of (UK)
  30. Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection
  31. Yeah!
  32. Yeah! Bonus CD With Backstage Interviews
  33. Yeah…Nah! – Record Store Tales
  34. Songs From the Sparkle Lounge

Next:

36. CMT Crossroads (DVD with Taylor Swift)
37. B-Sides
38. Yeah! II
39. Yeah! Live
40. Mirror Ball – Live & More (Japanese import)
41. iTunes re-recordings

REVIEW: KISS – Off the Soundboard – Virginia Beach 2004 (2022)

 – Off the Soundboard – Live in Virginia Beach (July 25, 2004 – 2022 Universal)

Some might question the logic of releasing a 2004 live release with the Stanley/Singer/Simmons/Thayer lineup in the official Kiss bootleg series.  Necessary?  We already have live material from this lineup, such as Kiss Rocks Vegas.  Fans could be forgiven for skipping this, the second instalment of the Off the Soundboard series of releases.  (It’s a little late now, but it would have been cool if Kiss numbered these releases!)

Opening with a sluggish sounding “Love Gun”, Paul Stanley is in good voice.  The cracks were beginning to show but there is no comparison to the Paul of today.  If you want vintage Paul, this is not the album for you.  If you want Paul before things went to hell, this is just fine.  Gene goes second with “Deuce”, also sounding a big sluggish.  Eric Singer is busy on drums, which will be either to your taste, or not.

It’s Tommy Thayer who fails to thrill in the night.  Something about his solo work here just falls short of lighting the spark.  It’s one of those things that’s not quite right, on the quantum level.  Your brain knows the solos, knows how they usually sound, and that’s with fire and a touch of reckless abandon.  Say what you will about Tommy Thayer, but nobody uses the word “reckless” to describe his playing.  Ace Frehley, on the other hand, had a song called “Reckless”.  You see where we’re going here.  It’s that touch of professionalism that these solos don’t need.  Tommy is welcome on backing vocals, where he helps thicken things up with Eric, such as on “Lick It Up”.

There are a few tracks here that are played live less often, which is one reason to pick up the disc.  “Makin’ Love”, “Tears Are Falling”, “Got to Choose”, “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” and “Unholy” are fun when you get ’em, though “Unholy” always sounds a bit awkward live (Thayer butchers the solo).  One of the best of these tunes is “Got to Choose” which benefits from the backing vocals of the newer Kiss guys.  Creepy as it may be, “Christine Sixteen” is always fun, but Gene doesn’t need to keep augmenting the song with things like “I like it!”  And check out the sly Mott the Hoople melody in “God Gave Rock and Roll to You”!

We could all probably do without “I Love It Loud” at this point.  “War Machine” can be tiring.  As much as we love Eric Singer, he does overplay some songs.  “Shout it Out Loud” has a few fills that just don’t need to be there.  Yet somehow, “Psycho Circus” is refreshing and “King of the Night Time World” is never a bad thing.

There are two lengthy “jammers” on this album that make for good listenin’.  “100,000 Years” and “She” both steam on with the familiar Kiss instrumental bits that you know and love.  “Do you feel alriiiiiight?” screams Paul, and damn, he could still really sing.  Vocally, Kiss were really good at this stage.  Gene was kickin’ ass, Eric and Tommy were the solid backing, and Paul was still 90% there.

This lineup hadn’t been together long, and the members sound more comfortable in their roles today.  You won’t be reaching for Virginia Beach 2004 often when you reach for a live Kiss album.  It’s a good setlist for the most part though, and it’s good to have for that reason.  The sonics are also pretty decent, though obviously short of live album standards.  It’s an official bootleg, not Alive XIII.  You can hear every flaw and mistake, and that’s a good thing.  When you listen understanding that this is indeed 100% live, with Paul Stanley jumping around and his guitar banging erratically, then you realize, shit, Kiss are a pretty damn good live band!  A lot of the set sounds like the billionth time they’ve played the songs…but they don’t sound bored doing it.  There’s not a lot of that looseness, but plenty of excitement.

3.5/5 stars

 

RE-REVIEW: Def Leppard – Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (2008)

Part Thirty-Four of the Def Leppard Review Series

Original Review:  Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (2008)

DEF LEPPARD – Songs From the Sparkle Lounge (CD Collection Volume 3 Disc 3) (Originally 2008, 2021 remaster)

Finally!  Three misfires in a row (Euphoria, X, Yeah!) and Def Leppard finally had a new album that rocked and was worth listening to again.  While imperfect, the badly-titled new album Songs From the Sparkle Lounge really felt like an actual effort this time.  With the exception of one credit on one song, everything here was written by Def Leppard and only Def Leppard.  And — hallelujah! — no ballads.  What a refreshing turn of events.  A lot of the album was written and recorded on tour.  It seemed like Def Leppard were really listening to the fans who said “We’re tired of pop and ballads.  Please, write us a rock record again like you used to.”

We mostly got it.

Of course, in the press Leppard exaggerated as they often did, comparing the album to High ‘N’ Dry, AC/DC, and Led Zeppelin.  And so, the fans knew not to get their hopes up too high.  The album rocked, but not like that.  The standard version of Sparkle Lounge was a tight eleven tracks, just under 40 minutes.  No bloat.  But let’s get to the elephant in the room first.

When discussing this album, dissenters often point to track 2, the first single “Nine Lives” as the main offender.  As a collaboration with Tim McGraw, it reeks of terrible offences committed by Bon Jovi earlier in the decade.  In order to find new success, too many rock bands went to Nashville for fresh names and influences.  Fortunately, Japanese fans were able to buy a version of the album including the song without Tim McGraw, and just Joe Elliott ripping the lead vocals.  That is definitely a preferred experience.  McGraw’s voice makes it sound…not like Def Leppard!  The two worlds simply do not mesh.  Fortunately “Nine Lives” is not a country song, but a hard rocker with a slight twang in the electric guitars.  It’s actually a pretty good song, when you edit Tim out.  So there’s that.

However, opening Songs From the Sparkle Lounge is a song you can only describe as “real” Def Leppard!  Combining the loopy vibe of the Slang era with the riffiness of Pyromania, “Go” is out of the gates on the right note.  It slams.  Heavy, modern, guitar-heavy and hooky without pandering to trends.  It merely combines some of Leppard’s best and heaviest ingredients in a modern way.  The only critique would be the title.  “Go” is a word that Leppard overuse.  “Go”, “Let’s Go”, “Gotta Let It Go”, “Let It Go”…just too much “going” on!

After “Go”, you have to sit through the Tim McGraw song before we’re back to tunes with integrity.  The glam rock “C’Mon C’Mon” was in the vein of that “Pour Some Sugar” sound, ultimately derived from Gary Glitter.   It too was a single (to be discussed next time) and sits comfortably in the Hysteria-style box.  Not exactly like AC/DC and Led Zeppelin as Joe claimed, but not a bad track if a bit too much like a sequel.

“Love” written by Rick Savage was an important tune and surprisingly the longest at 4:17.  It’s the one that they called “not a ballad” and you can get where they were coming from.  Yes there’s a soft acoustic intro but the song is bigger and more dramatic than the average ballad.  A big heavy chunky section rises towards the end.  The acoustic version on the Japanese release could fairly be pigeonholed as a ballad, but the standard album cut it more like Leppard meets Queen.  Freddie and the boys seem to be the biggest influence on “Love”, especially vocally.

Phil Collen wrote “Tomorrow” which is one of the most pop of the tunes, sort of in an Adrenalize mold.  The chorus is solid and there’s a nice guitar part to bite into.  Not a highlight but not a throwaway.  Just a good hard rock tune that sounds great in the car come chorus time.

Vivian Campbell contributed the low groove of “Cruise Control”, whose bassline is the main feature, rolling and churning beneath the song.  Interesting tune with some truly great and adventurous guitar playing from Viv.  Playing for feel and not speed.  But the band reverts to their standard form again on the uptempo rocker “Hallucinate”.  Though the hooks sound like you’ve heard ’em all before, they’re all welcome to return on this great track.

Another solid song, “Only the Good Die Young”, boasts some mellotron that always seems to recall the Beatles.  Not a constituent part of the average Def Leppard rocker, but an enhancement that works well here.  Joe ever references a “diamond in the sky” so it’s probably not coincidence.  A good tune made better by stepping just slightly outside the box without destroying the box.

Joe’s “Bad Actress” is by far the hardest rocker on the album, going full speed ahead to a place that Leppard had not gone in many years.  Pure heavy and reckless rock, pedal to the metal, just givin’ ‘er as much as there is in the gas tank.  This, yes this, is what fans had been begging for!  Something that really drives but still sounds like Def Leppard.  Something that wouldn’t have sounded too out of place in the early years.  Finally, we got “Bad Actress” out of them!

The penultimate track “Come Undone” slows it back down to a deliberate 90s pace.  Decent album track, but might have been considered filler in an earlier age.  Unfortunately, it’s just one of those easy to forget second-last album tracks.

Fortunately, Leppard saved the best track for last:  “Gotta Let It Go”, which rocks so hard on the chorus that it might just rip your head off.  This Vivian contribution opens with deceivingly soft drum programs before absolutely exploding on the epic chorus.  It’s a brilliant slice of songwriting from the Irish rock wizard, and the way the lead and backing vocals overlap on the chorus is just the kind of thing Def Leppard do so exceptionally well.  An absolute triumph that leaves a sweet taste in the mouth when the album is complete.  This kind of closer invites repeat listens.

Sparkle Lounge ends as it began:  rocking.

Fortunately for Def Leppard, a young American fan of both them and Tim McGraw was hitting brand new heights in her fresh solo career.  At just 19 years old, she was born while Def Leppard were still the biggest rock band in the universe.  So, leaning even further into country music, Def Leppard would gain a lot of attention from a new younger crowd thanks to their big fan Taylor Swift.  It seemed a strange move for Leppard to make while they were just starting to rock again, but we’ll discuss the Swift collaboration in a future instalment.

Though Songs From the Sparkle Lounge does contain some fillers and some cuts that fail to stick in the memory, there are no outright “deletes” except arguably the McGraw track.  It doesn’t even fit with the vibe of the album.  The Leppard version should have been in the main album sequence, with the McGraw version as a bonus track and single in special markets.  Guaranteed, this album would be better remembered if that was the case.

3.5/5 stars

Previous:  

  1. The Early Years Disc One – On Through the Night 
  2. The Early Years Disc Two – High N’ Dry
  3. The Early Years Disc Three – When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live at the New Theater Oxford – 1980
  4. The Early Years Disc Four – Too Many Jitterbugs – EP, singles & unreleased
  5. The Early Years Disc 5 – Raw – Early BBC Recordings 
  6. The Early Years 79-81 (Summary)
  7. Pyromania
  8. Pyromania Live – L.A. Forum, 11 September 1983
  9. Hysteria
  10. Soundtrack From the Video Historia – Record Store Tales
  11. In The Round In Your Face DVD
  12. “Let’s Get Rocked” – The Wait for Adrenalize – Record Store Tales
  13. Adrenalize
  14. Live at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
  15. Retro-Active
  16. Visualize
  17. Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits / Limited Edition Live CD
  18. Video Archive
  19. “Slang” CD single
  20. Slang
  21. I Got A Bad Feeling About This: Euphoria – Record Store Tales
  22. Euphoria
  23. Rarities 2
  24. Rarities 3
  25. Rarities 4
  26. Cybernauts – Live
  27. Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (bonus disc)
  28. X
  29. Best Of (UK)
  30. Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection
  31. Yeah!
  32. Yeah! Bonus CD With Backstage Interviews
  33. Yeah…Nah! – Record Store Tales

Next:

35. “C’Mon C’Mon” (12″ picture disc)
36. CMT Crossroads (DVD with Taylor Swift)
37. B-Sides
38. Yeah! II
39. Yeah! Live
40. Mirror Ball – Live & More (Japanese import)
41. iTunes re-recordings

REVIEW: Cry of Love – “Bad Thing” (1993 CD single)

CRY OF LOVE – “Bad Thing” (1993 Columbia CD single)

“Just a new song, that I gotta sing…”

Cry of Love were awesome.  Most frequently they were compared to the Black Crowes, but perhaps like many bands who live in the shadow, they might actually have been better.  On a technical level, they had a better singer and a stellar lead guitarist.  The original lineup with Kelly Holland (R.I.P.) was something truly special so you may as well try to get all the tunes you can.  To do that, you’ll need some CD singles.  “Bad Thing” was a single in 1993, featuring four tracks – one remix and three live.

Leading the single is “Bad Thing” in the form of a “New Mix”.  It is admittedly hard to tell specific differences without doing an A/B test, but it is ever so slightly new.  One thing for sure:  “Bad Thing” is a wicked cool groove, with a thumping bassline and incredible guitar work from Audley Freed.  The man has such a tube-y sound!  There’s really nothing better than a Cry of Love groove with Audley and Kelly wailing!

The three live versions are pretty clean sounding.  Live in the studio?  Probably.  Their big hit “Peace Pipe” is way, way groovy.  The way that bass rolls just makes your guts rumble.

Tearing the temple down!
Burn down the sacred ground!
Tear the temple down!
In the name of God somehow.
Burn down the sacred ground!

Sing it Kelly!  What a chorus.  The powerhouse blues rocker made short work of it, drilling the song fully into your noggin.  While your grey matter focuses on that melody, your intestines are shaken by the groove.  Then Audley takes a solo and bam!  Instant classic.  The live version is very authentic to the studio original.

The Willie Dixon cover “I Ain’t Superstitious” takes the blues and cranks it right up.  You’d be forgiven if you thought this was a lost Crowes tune, but Cry of Love rock it just a little bit harder.  This one is a party so bring your dancing shoes.  It boils and bubbles through a jamming middle section and finishes with a bangin’ flourish.

The 7:10 “Bad Thing” opens with a two minute slow blues jam.  Audley’s wiry guitar tone here is different and cool.  Then the drums and bass kick in and we’re groovin’!  Killer version of a song that was already killer.

If you haven’t checked out Cry of Love yet, then what are you waiting for?  You’ve had 30 years!

4.5/5 stars

 

MOVIE REVIEW: Hobo With a Shotgun (2011)

HOBO WITH A SHOTGUN (2011 Alliance)

Directed by Jason Eisener

If you liked Grindhouse (you know, Planet Terror + Death Proof and assorted trailers) or Machete, then this Canadian-born movie, Hobo With A Shotgun, should also be on your radar.  The original Hobo With a Shotgun trailer, pre-Rutger Hauer’s involvement, originally screened with Grindhouse in Canada.

If you happen to notice a few of your friends from the Trailer Park Boys (Ricky AKA Robb Wells, as well as Sam Tarasco and others) that’s because it was filmed in Nova Scotia. And if you’re wondering why co-star Molly Dunsworth looks so familiar, there’s a good reason. She is the daughter of John Dunsworth (Jim Lahey) and sister of Sarah E. Dunsworth (Sarah). There’s lots of Trailer Park lineage in this movie.

However, that is where the comparisons end. When the Hobo (with no name!) shows up in Hope Town (renamed Scum Town) he immediately notices something amiss: Gangs and prostitutes running wild. Then he bears witness to Logan’s (Robb Wells) brutal death by the hands of his own brother and nephews (by decapitation no less) and realizes that this town truly is scum town.

What follows is a bloody cartoon-violent spectacle that really has no socially redeeming value, other than evil is evil and must be punished. The town is run by The Drake and his two nephews, Slick and Ivan, who make rape and murder a part of daily life. Torching a school bus full of kids just to keep the town in line is nothing to these guys. Although a certain hobo might have something to say about it….

This hobo doesn’t want to be a part of the violence. All he wants is $50 to buy a lawnmower and start his own business. After earning the $50 (in a exploitive Bum Fights style video) he has a change of heart, thanks to prostitute Abby (Dunsworth). A shotgun is also $50, and he’s just the right man to clean up this town.

You will see intestines, blood, gore, and plenty of sharp objects. This hobo takes no prisoners — but neither do his foes! Can the hobo clean up this town? He will be up against his match when The Plague (a mysterious supernatural armored duo) show up to do him in….

Not a particularly good film, but one that will find an audience with those who know how to appreciate it.  The acting in Hobo With A Shotgun is amateur and over the top, but Rutger Hauer keeps it grizzled and serious, turning in ironically one of his better performances.  If there ever was a grizzled action star ready for a comeback, it was actually Rutger Hauer all along.

Hobo With A Shotgun on DVD is loaded (pun intended) with extras including two audio commentaries and an alternate ending that might be superior to the real one. You also get the original trailer (with Mike Jackson also of Trailer Park Boys) that started it all.  A pretty easy purchase to complete your Grindhouse collection.

 

3/5 stars

KISS – RANKED! – All the albums in order, by Jonathan Lee #2 of 2

Rest in peace Jason aka “Jonathan Lee”.

 

This was not easy at all. Some were, but most of them I had a hard time with. I had to go back and listen to quite a few to make sure I got this right. Mike and I talked about this, and we both agreed to include the four solo albums. We chose to leave out the live stuff becasue this is about the studio music. Had we chose to include those then it changes a lot because Alive! is my favorite. But on with the show.

So here we go. Worst to best.

LINK TO MIKE’S LIST:  CLICK HERE FOR GREAT EXPECTATIONS!

24 & 23.  SONIC BOOM and MONSTER (2009 and 2012)

I don’t count these two on purpose, because I don’t support them doing that.  Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer wearing Ace Frehley and Peter Criss makeup.  Because of this, I’m just not familiar with those two albums.  Next.

22.  PETER CRISS  (1978)

This one was easy as far as what my worst one would be.  What a total mess.  I don’t like one song off of it and that has to make it the worst, because even on my bottom list, I like things on every album.  But that one?  NO.

21.  (MUSIC FROM) THE ELDER (1981)

I’ve tried. It has it’s moments but it’s just not doing it for me. Kiss isn’t Pink Floyd. No one I know of wants a concept album from Kiss. I mean and (Music From) The Elder? There was no movie. This was dumb.They all looked silly in that era. Everything was a mess. And it damn near killed their career. You have to think about it that way. Moving on.

20.  GENE SIMMONS (1978)

Now here’s the problem. This is The Demon. It’s anything but that. Disney tunes. All them background girl singers. This just didn’t come off well. I like a few songs but they not even that great. I expected some “God of Thunder” type stuff and got a lot of silly shit. I do love the ballad “See You Tonite”.  It’s nice. Next.

19.  REVENGE (1992)

Yeah I know. So many of you love it and that’s just fine, but I think it’s mad overhyped. It isn’t heavy like so many say it is (minus a few songs).  I mean “Every Time I Look At You”, “I Just Wanna”, “Take It Off”, “God Gave Rock and Roll To You”, “Domino”, all stupid.
I don’t know. I mean it does have some awesome tracks like “Unholy”, “Heart of Chrome”, “Thou Shalt Not”, and “Tough Love” (them chants suck though).  Anyway I understand many love this album so enjoy it. I barely play it at all. Next.

18.  PSYCHO-CIRCUS (1998)

Not much of a reunion if you ask me. Peter and Ace are not on this album much. I think only on the title track and “Into The Void” which are both great. And Gene does one of his best songs ever with the closing track “Journey of 1000 Years”, but this album is just a mess for the most. That Peter song is horrible. It just seemed thrown together and it was brought to you by lies and deception because this was not a reunion. I mean why, after all them years, is it where you can’t have all four on every song? It’s just 10 songs. So this gets a low ranking for that alone, and it’s just not that great. It has its moments but it failed to live up o what everyone expected. I got nothing more to say about this album.

17.  LOVE GUN (1977)

Look. Imma just say it like this. I love three songs. The title track is a masterpiece. As is “Plaster Caster” and “Shock Me”. But I’m sorry, “Then She Kissed Me”, “Tomorrow and Tonight”, “Christine Sixteen” (really Gene?), “Got love For Sale”, “I Stole Your Love”, dumb songs. This is my worst Kiss album of the makeup years. I’m not wasting no more time on this one. Next.

16.  DRESSED TO KILL (1975)

Again, I like these songs better on Alive!  “Ladies In Waiting” is awesome as it gets though. Gene just kills it as does Ace on them sick leads. “Getaway” is slap awful though by Peter. It just annoys me. Ace kills it on the solo though. “Rock Bottom” maybe one of the top intros ever put down on wax. This song is just amazing in every way possible. I could listen to that acoustic intro forever. “C’mon And Love Me” is a total gem. That one is surely up there in my favorite Paul songs. “Anything For My Baby” is lame. “She” is alright but a bit overhyped to me. Sounds like something Bad Company would write. “Love Her All I can” is alright. Awful drumming by Peter on this. And “Rock And Roll All Nite”. I never need to hear this song ever again. So there you have it. Decent album. But it isn’t one I reach for much. As I said none of these going forward are bad but I have to choose. I think also if I didn’t hear a lot of these songs on Alive! these earlier albums would move up. So that does play a factor in this. Next.

15.  HOTTER THAN HELL (1974)

OK, let me be clear on this one. I love it for “Got To Choose”, “Parasite”, “Goin’ Blind”, and the title song. Here’s the problem. I like these songs better on Alive! “Goin’ Blind” is better on Unplugged. I don’t dislike this album by any means. “Got To Choose” and “Goin’ Blind” are absolute fire, even studio-wise. I never liked some of these songs though on the rest of the album. Stuff like “Let Me Go Rock N Roll” is just awful. The title alone is silly and the song is just as goofy. I know so many love “Strange Ways” but I just never got the appeal. It isn’t bad it just isn’t what so many claim it is (in my opinion).

It pains me to rank this so low because I do like this album but this is where everything gets tough for me. I hate putting this here but I just don’t play this album much.  In no means is it bad. Nothing is bad going forward but I gotta put them somewhere. This one hurt though. By the way, that is a awful album cover. Not that it played any factor in this, I’m just trying to make myself feel better for ranking this so low. I need to move on before I cry. Next.

14.  CARNIVAL OF SOULS: THE FINAL SESSIONS (1997)

Let me just say I love the songs “Master & Slave” and “It Never Goes Away”.  Paul goes in hard.  And Bruce just kills it guitar-wise on this album for the most. “Childhood’s End” is a damn nice Gene song. “I Confess” is pretty cool. I notice on this album Paul and Gene do more duets which was nice to hear since they use to do that a lot back in the day. I also find that Gene’s vocals are pretty damn top notch on a lot of this. Now I’m not saying this is a great album by any stretch but the songs that I mentioned are. I think they rushed this, and plus they had no promotion for it because the Reunion Tour with Peter and Ace came soon after this, so it was buried. It’s a shame because I think if they would have went back in the studio and worked on the bad half of this album they could have had something here. But if you want more modern heavy Kiss, this is it. Not Revenge.

13.  UNMASKED (1980)

Now this one is my biggest move up from couple years ago. I really like this album. “Shandi” is a hard NO though. But I love the rest. This album didn’t get the attention it needed because as I said earlier The Elder took them out hard for awhile. “Is That You” is a total awesome Paul song. Lot of Ace songs on this album and they all are awesome. Kiss was trying like hell to hold onto him.  Heck he had more songs on Dynasty than Gene.But he ended up leaving anyway. But Kiss did try and do the right thing. Peter you can replace but Ace…. They knew that was gonna be a problem because he sold the most of the 4 solo albums. He was the one who hated The Elder. He was the one who said this is getting way too comical. So they tried to cater to him and on the behalf of Gene and Paul what more could they do? Ace is my favorite but you can only do so much. Well Paul is really my favorite because he held Kiss together no matter what. So yeah, Ace 2nd. Anyway I find this to be a very good album and it is the one that jumped up most from my ranking a couple years ago. The songs are just good.If you were like me then I say give this a go again. It’s really good. Considering the turmoil during this era I think they pulled off a miracle. “Naked City” is one of best songs ever by Gene. And like I said, all these Paul songs are sooooo damn good (minus “Shandi”) and it climbed up 10 spots for me.I really do like this album so much now. “Easy As It Seems” I’m still touch and go on that one but it’s alright. So yeah go back and revisit Unmasked. It’s better than you probably remembered. Next.

12.  DYNASTY (1979)

Well what can I say? I like this album very much. I even like “I was Made For Loving You” and apparently a lot of fans do as well, since that song is a staple in their set list. Fine song by me. I think my favorite song on this album would be “Magic Touch”.  Now that is a great song. I always felt like that would have fit in great on Paul’s solo album, but least it is somewhere!  And I love ALL those Ace songs.  I won’t break them down because I think they are all great. I’m not a Rolling Stones fan, but Ace made that his song.  We’re talking about “2000 Man” here! I think they knew Ace was going to leave, so they seemed to try and make him happier by giving him more songs on “Dynasty” and “Unmasked”.  But it didn’t do no good, because he left anyway!  I really like the Gene songs on this album as well. “Charisma” is like a updated “God of Thunder” to my ears. And that is a good thing! The only song I do not like on here is “Dirty Living”.  Ughhhh, that song never gets no play from me. I fucking hate it. But that’s how it is with Peter sometimes. He’ll ruin a moment. So there you have it.  I’d move this album up some, but I think I like it just where it is. It is a bit better than Unmasked so that is where it will stay.

11.  HOT IN THE SHADE (1989)

Well where do we begin? OK, I love “Rise To It”, “Betrayed”, and “Hide Your Heart”.  Eric Carr is a beast on this album, as is Bruce. Paul and Gene sound top notch vocal wise. I think this one gets a lot of hate because of how long it is. But I just love this album. “Prisoner of Love” is a rocker by Gene. Bruce on fire in it! “Read My Body” is fun and full of groove! “Love’s A Slap In The Face” is fun! “Forever” is one of the best Kiss ballads ever. “Silver Spoon” kicks total ass. “King of Hearts” is another Paul gem. You all have to quit sleeping on this album! “You Love Me To Hate You” another awesome Paul song. I love that song just like I love most of this album. “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell” another great Gene track.  I won’t go on about this album because I know so many don’t care for it. I’ll never understand that because I just love it beyond. And this album is much heavier than Revenge. See a pattern here. NEXT!

10.  ANIMALIZE (1984)

Only reason it isn’t lower is because of the first track. “I’ve Had Enough (Into The Fire)” is in my top 10 Paul songs of all time. “Thrills In The Night” and “Heaven’s on Fire” are awesome. But if those three wasn’t on this album it would be way lower. I like the heavy, but considering how great Lick It Up was/is, they went to this and it just isn’t close. All these dumb ass Gene songs. He was too busy doing dumb movies. Paul saved Kiss. Gene had one good song on this one. “While The City Sleeps”.  All I know is he better be glad Paul kept it going or Kiss would be dead. I know I’m coming off hard on this album but Gene just let me down bad after all his greatness on the Lick It Up album, where he had the most songs and they were awesome.  All of them.  Then he gives you this. Even Paul wrote in his book how Gene was just mailing it in,  and you can tell. Lacklustre as it gets, minus one song. If it comes across as me being hard on this album, well I am. I’ve always had it in for this album even if I do have it fairly up there. It angers me how Gene just left Paul to save this, but Paul being the champ he is, did just that. Moving on.

9.  ROCK AND ROLL OVER (1977)

Some awesome classics here. I love “Ladies room” so much. That groove is just sick. And one of the few Peter songs I like is on this aka “Hard Luck Woman”
The only reason this isn’t higher is because i prefer these other songs on the live albums. But I do love this one. I like the production. Just has a good feel. Like it’s the backbone of KISS at the best. It’s raw but clean. “I Want you” is a masterpiece. The way that just punches you feels good. “Take Me” is a groove fest and fun as it gets. AH AH AH AH YEAH! LOVE IT! “See You In Your Dreams” is a awesome song to roll down the windows and haul ass to. Just pedal to the floor! I don’t encourage you to do this but yanno.. So yeah a totally great KISS album. It’s a straight up classic.

8.  KISS (1974)

Well, it has all the classics we love, though much better on Alive!  So I’m not gonna spend much time on this one. It started it all, and it is one of the best to ever be put down on wax. Everything you wanted and then some is on this. “Kissing Time” is awful as fuck though. No need in going on about this album because if you love or even like KISS you are very much aware of this one, so no need for the breakdown.  It’s great.

7 & 6. ACE FREHLEY and PAUL STANLEY (1978)

Look, I can’t fit them in, so they just going here as a tie because I love them both the same. I’m not gonna go into details about either because they speak volumes as they are.  I will say I do not like “New York Groove”.  I just never have. Sorry Ace.  So if I had to edge it out I go with Paul as my favorite solo album.  And couple on there that I don’t play much, but nothing as bad as “New York Groove”.  Next.

5.  CRAZY NIGHTS (1987)

Yeah, let the hate rain down. I know it’s coming. But I think Paul has some of his best vocals on this album, as does Gene. After doing dumb stuff on Animalize like “Burn Bitch Burn” he stepped his game up and put his focus back on KISS. “Good Girl Gone Bad” and “Hell or High Water” are amazing Gene songs. My main problem with this album is the bass. It lacks. Ron Nevison just isn’t a good producer. He ruins albums. This album would sound heavier with someone like, say, Mike Clink. But, is what it is.

Now, on to where it really shines. Let me first say “I’ll Fight Like Hell To Hold You” is in my Top five Paul songs ever. I just love this song. His vocals are off the chains.  I can go on and on about this song, but gotta keep it moving. “Reason To Live” is a masterpiece ballad. That’s all you need to know about that. “My Way” is Paul just nailing it. His vocals are on fire! “Turn on the Night” is a ton of fun. Makes you just wanna go to the beach and have a good time. This album in general is that. FUN. Remember fun people? “Crazy Crazy Nights”, c’mon. You know that is fun! A couple tracks on it I don’t care for are two of the Gene tracks. “No, No, No” — that is the dumbest song title ever. And a pain in the ass to type. I can never get it right. But I don’t need to since I never bring it up (well this time I did), and “Thief in the Night” is pretty bland. You kind of see a trend here. Paul carried KISS on his back.  He had to make up for the Gene laziness.  But yeah, a solid album that I quite enjoy a lot. Next.

4.  DESTROYER (1976)

My fave of the make up years for sure. I mean this has it all. Minus that awful song “Great Expectations” just WTF Gene? And I never need to hear “Beth” again. But man I love everything else on 10. This one gets me going. “King of the Night Time World” was first KISS song I ever heard and I was like yeah these are my guys. I think I was like 7. I won’t go in much on this album because so many like it as a favorite so I feel it has been talked about more than I can do it justice. But this is the album that got me into KISS and I’ve never looked back. It blew me away then and still does. “God of Thunder” still sends chills down my spine. I also feel like this was the last real KISS album where the original members were full on. Stuff went messy after this it seems. But hey, least they went out on top. Thank you KISS for getting little boy me into you with this album. Mad love to ya!

3.  ASYLUM (1985)

Now this one is where I felt they were at the heavy point. And Bruce Kulick is on FIRE. I don’t dislike one song on this, so it pains me not to have it higher but I just can’t put it over the next two.  This album is one I play lots.  I love “King of the Mountain”.  I mean what a great opening track.  Look, since I’m trying to get this done, I’m not going to go much on this one.  Just know I fucking love this album sooooooo much. This is a gem and minus the awful album cover, everything is perfect to me.  Amazing production.  Paul is on top.  Gene stepped up. Bruce is on fire.  Eric is beasting.  This is one fucking great album. I think I listen to this one more than others lately.  So there ya go.

2.  CREATURES OF THE NIGHT (1982)

Well, this barely — and I do mean barely, edged out Asylum but I give you two reasons. “I Still Love You” and “Rock And Roll Hell”.  And it’s sad that this album wasn’t appreciated for the greatness it was, but KISS kind of blew it with some albums like The Elder and people just weren’t having it.  Now this is looked upon as one of the best by many KISS fans, as it should. The drums are like cannons. Eric Carr will always be my favorite KISS drummer. This album is a fucking work of art. It just screams “amazing”. As much as I liked Unmasked and Dynasty this felt like hey man, they back!  They quit messing around with the poppy stuff like “Shandi” and such. This one is a killer from start to finish. If you don’t own this, I question your KISS fandom. Gene is on top of his game after some shaky grounds before. And Paul stays on top. If someone asked me “what KISS album should I get” and they didn’t have one, I wouldn’t be hesitant to say this one.  Yes, it’s that damn good. And you have to remember not everyone is going to like 70’s stuff so I think what they did with this album is they melded it all into one. You get the classic KISS sound, yet the heavy modern KISS. This album is sheer perfection. You should go play it now. Next.

1.  LICK IT UP (1983)

Here we are at the end. What a ride! Now, you may think I’m going to talk a lot about this one since it is my favorite album and that is where you will be wrong. I’ll tell you why it is number one though. “A Million To One” is my favorite Paul song ever, and “Not For The Innocent” is my favorite Gene song ever. I think that explains it.  And crazy Vinnie is on fire!  Eric is Godly on this. There is not one bad thing I can say about this album. The production is top notch. The songs are all great. “Young and Wasted”, man that song is so damn heavy it’s insane. This is the KISS album I go to most and will always go to the most. It is everything I love.

This has been fun.  NOW GO PLAY SOME KISS!

By Jonathan Lee

KISS – RANKED! – All the albums in order, by LeBrain #1 of 2

“Alright people, let me tell you something.  There’s a lot of people…well I should say there’s a lot of maniacs out there…who wanna see all the Kiss albums ranked!  Are you one of those people?  I said are you one of those people?  Well if you’re one of those Kiss maniacs like I know you are…then you gotta meet Mr. Jonathan Lee over here.  He may be young but he’s a rock and roller!  When he challenges you to make a Kiss list, you better believe he’s serious people!  So let me hear it!  You wanna see some Kiss lists?  Then let’s rock and roll all nite and party every day!”

Happy birthday to Jonathan too!

LINK TO JONATHAN’S LIST:  CLICK HERE TO SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!

 

24.  HOT IN THE SHADE (1989)

OK, so I know Jonathan has a boner for this album.  I have some personal history.  I was in grade 12 and Hot in the Shade was a critical album for me.  Kiss had to reclaim some integrity after the Pop Jovi of Crazy Nights.  And in terms of direction, they did.  15 songs, one ballad, hella diversity:  from thrash to funk to horn sections, Kiss were really going for it.  It was harder edged and keyboards were severely toned down from Crazy Nights.  Unfortunately, Hot in the Shade is the “kitchen sink” album for Kiss.  They threw absolutely everything at the wall and a few things stuck, but most didn’t.  The production was also lacklustre.  Highlights are the three singles, Bruce Kulick’s guitar solo on “Forever”, and Eric Carr’s first original lead vocal (and last), “Little Caesar”.  15 tracks, most filler.

23.  CRAZY NIGHTS (1987)

Another highschool Kiss album, and one that had me slightly embarrassed for my rock and roll heroes.  Paul was dancing in the music videos, not playing guitar.  Paul stated that he was writing on keyboards, and the album was bogged down with them.  Gene seemed clearly in the back seat of the car, with Paul driving and Bruce & Eric just passengers.  There are a lot of catchy songs on Crazy Nights, and a few misfires like “No No No”, “I’ll Fight Hell To Hold You” and…ugh…”Bang Bang You”.  At the time, it really did feel like it was the end for Kiss.  Breakup rumours circulated in the rock mags and they were not hard to believe.

22.  PSYCHO-CIRCUS (1998)

The infamous “Kiss reunion album” is one that I play the least.  Overly polished by Bruce Fairbairn (rest in peace), this was not the kind of sound anyone wanted from the original lineup.  And of course, with the benefit of hindsight, we know it wasn’t the original lineup at all.  Tommy Thayer and Kevin Valentine played more on this album than Ace and Peter.  They were mere tokens on an album they were deemed insufficient to play on.  Psycho-Circus was a fail, with a few tracks that could have really meant something if the originals played on them.  Highlights:  “Journey of 1000 Years” and the title track.

21.  PETER CRISS (1978)

While I’ve grown to appreciate the Catman’s solo album more in recent years, there is little question that Peter Criss was absolutely lost.  There’s nothing wrong with following your heart and wanting to play some soft rock.  The unfortunate thing is that Criss didn’t have the songs nor the vocal chops to compete with the likes of Rod Stewart.  Peter doesn’t have the same vocal charisma to carry an album like this for non-Kiss fans.  And this album really isn’t going to appeal to 90% of Kiss fans.

20.  ANIMALIZE (1984)

Animalize sucks.  While it may be a platinum success due to the hit single “Heaven’s On Fire”, this Paul-led travesty is bogged down with filler that the old Kiss never would have bothered with.  The best song, “Thrills In the Night”, is one that Kiss have dismissed in the years since.  One of the worst songs, “Burn Bitch Burn” contains the infamous Gene Simmons lyric, “I’m gonna put my log in your fireplace”.  Not even remotely clever and only funny for how bad it is.  Gene was busy with the film Runaway and was pretty much checked out of Kiss.  The most interesting thing about the album is that future Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick played on two tracks.  Jean Beauvoir, Mitch Weissman, and Allan Schwartzberg also played ghost tracks, diluting the real Kiss.

19.  ASYLUM (1985)

Though it sold half as well as Animalize, the followup Asylum was marginally better.  Bruce Kulick was on board with three writing credits, and the songs were an improvement.  Simmons was still checked-out, and Paul was left to do all the heavy lifting.  It did produce three singles, one of which (“Tears Are Falling”) was resurrected in the set occasionally on the tours after.   Sonically it’s a virtual carbon copy of its predecessor.

18.  GENE SIMMONS (1978)

Nobody expected this.  Gene might have had the most “heavy metal” image of the original Kiss members, but his solo album was anything but.  Climaxing with “When You Wish Upon A Star” from Pinocchio, the album ran the gamut from genre to genre, with dozens of guest stars including Cher, Joe Perry, Bob Seger, Donna Summer, Rick Neilsen, and many more.  The best tunes might be Gene’s folksy acoustic songs like “See You Tonite” and “Mr. Make Believe”.  Ditch the crap like “Tunnel of Love” and “True Confessions”.

17.  CARNIVAL OF SOULS: THE FINAL SESSIONS) (1997)

Not everybody was enthused about Kiss going grunge.  While I recognized it as the best way for them to survive in the early 1990s, the album was delayed and eventually cancelled by the 1996 reunion tour.  When it was finally released in late 1997, it seemed like Kiss didn’t even care about it.  There was no booklet and the original cover art was absent.  The album is notable for Bruce Kulick’s debut lead vocal on “I Walk Alone”, but the guitarist was already out of the band by the time it was released.  There are good songs here, particularly the heavy as fuck Gene songs like “Hate”, “In My Head” and “I Confess”, but the Paul song “Jungle” was the clear immediate highlight.  Regardless, it’s undeniable that this album was contrived and far too inspired by current happenings.  It’s like how The Elder was a strange pseudo-progressive one-off, Carnival of Souls is their sole pseudo-grunge album.

16.  SONIC BOOM (2009)

Back in the 90s, I used to imagine what it would be like producing a new Kiss album after Psycho-Circus.  I had certain rules I wanted the band to adhere to.  Two of them were:  no outside writers, and no outside musicians.  Just Kiss.  When Kiss finally returned to the studio after almost a decade, that’s exactly what they did.  The only difference was that Ace and Peter were gone, replaced by Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.  They ditched the keyboards, the ballads, and the commercialisms.  They wrote and recorded a solid rock and roll album, and it’s not too bad.  A few songs could go – “Stand”, “Hot and Cold”, and “Never Enough” perhaps.  A few songs should have gone down as Kiss classics, “Say Yeah” in particular.  As a bonus, Tommy and Eric both had their first official album debuts as lead singers (“Lightning Strikes” and “All For the Glory”).  On the flipside, this is the point at which Paul’s vocal issues were first heard on a studio album.

15.  MONSTER (2012)

The followup to Sonic Boom was bigger and better.  It was certainly heavier, which some fans didn’t like.  The production turned some off, while delighting others who wanted the music to kick them in the balls.  With 13 new songs, there was plenty of room for filler:  “Freak”, “Long Way Down”, “Eat Your Heart Out”, “Shout Mercy”.  There was also lots of room for improvement, and we definitely got that with “All For the Love of Rock and Roll” with lead vocals by Eric Singer.  This classic rocker has a truly vintage Kiss vibe, along the lines of an old Peter Criss tunes.  “Hell or Hallelujah”, “Wall of Sound” and “Take Me Down Below” were also worth your listening time.  It was clear Kiss hadn’t lost it, but it’s a shame that this will likely be their final album ever.

14.  (MUSIC FROM) THE ELDER (1981)

Traditionally, The Elder used to be at the bottom of all the lists you’d see in magazines.  A misfire?  Absolutely.  A unique treasure regardless?  Arguably!  Kiss’ version of progressive rock is really just Neatherthal Prog, but there’s something to be said for that.  Songs like “The Oath” and “I” still have the riff power, albeit in a strange muddy mix.  Blame the cocaine that Bob Ezrin was doing.  “Just A Boy” and “Odyssey” are lovely songs if silly and bombastic.  The concept is baffling even if you put the songs in the correct order (as on the remaster) but The Elder has a certain naive charm.

13.  REVENGE (1992)

Revenge could be the most important Kiss album that isn’t from the 1970s.  They were shit out of luck commercially and musically bankrupt after Hot In the Shade.  They needed to right the ship and to do that, Kiss made several changes.  1) They heavied up.  2) They got back together with Bob Ezrin.  3) Gene got his head back in the game.  4) Gene and Paul even sang together again and shared a writing credit for the first time in ages.  Unfortunately, the biggest change was in the drum stool.  After a short but mighty fight with cancer, drummer Eric Carr passed away in November of 1991.  In tribute, the track “Carr Jam” was resurrected from the Elder sessions, featuring a Carr drum solo.  After his passing, Paul recruited the drummer from his solo tour, Eric Singer.  No real duds on this album, but there’s a certain flavour that does not match up with Kiss’ 1970s output.

12.  UNMASKED (1980)

Kiss’ most pop album by a long shot.  Peter was on the cover, but Anton Fig was on drums.  This album took years and years and much cajoling to finally appreciate.  Pop is a funny thing.  As rockers, we are conditioned to distrust and dismiss pop.  Once we learn that pop isn’t a dirty word, we can listen to Unmasked open minded.  There are lots of great tunes on Unmasked since as “Is That You?”, “Tomorrow”, and “What Makes the World Go ‘Round”.  What’s really special is that Ace Frehley had three lead vocals and co-writes on the album, including the hit “Talk To Me” and the funky fun of “Torpedo Girl”.  “Two Side of the Coin” was the third irresistible Frehley concoction, and possibly the best of the three.

11.  ACE FREHLEY (1978)

Though often considered the best of all the solo albums…is it really?  While certainly a great album, including “Rip It Out”, “Speeding Back to My Baby”, and “What’s On Your Mind”, there are some songs here that are not at the same level.  Still let’s not crap on Ace’s album.  We’re just explaining why it’s not higher on this list.  Ace’s was one of only two of the Kiss solo albums that rocked (Paul’s being the other).  Ace’s had no ballads, just a killer spacey instrumental called “Fractured Mirror”.  It also has “New York Groove”, the biggest hit from any of the solo albums, and a tune that Kiss played live in concert for a couple years.  You still hear it on radio and on TV today!

10.  DESTROYER (1976)

The big one.  The daddy of all Kiss albums.  “Beth”.  “God of Thunder”.  “Shout It Out Loud”.  “King of the Night Time World”.  You know ’em.  And you especially know “Detroit Rock City”, the Destroyer staple of all Destroyer staples.  Bob Ezrin took Kiss up several notches, for better or for worse.  His producer’s touch is unmistakable for anyone who’s heard an Alice Cooper album or The Wall.  He brought Kiss into the big leagues.  Destroyer might have some filler, though your experience may vary.  I could live without “Flaming Youth”, “Do You Love Me”, and “Sweet Pain”.

9.  DYNASTY (1979)

Heavy Disco.  Is that a term?  After releasing four solo albums to limited success, Kiss had started to backfire.  They needed something big, and that was “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”.  Kiss were always influenced by what was going on around them, but this time some fans were embarrassed for them.   There’s a lot to like here, including lead vocals from all four Kiss members.  Ace Frehley had three in “Hard Times”, “Save Your Love” and the Stones cover “2000 Man”.  Alas, Peter Criss only had one, a lucklustre “Dirty Livin'”, also the only song he played drums on.  Anton Fig played uncredited on everything else.  The end was nigh, but the album was strong with Stanley tunes like “Sure Know Something”, one of his best love songs, and “Magic Touch”.  Unusually, Simmons only had two songs and neither were as strong as Paul’s.

8.  DRESSED TO KILL (1975)

Of the original three, Dressed to Kill might be the most underwhelming despite the inclusion of “Rock and Roll all Night”.  It’s great – -don’t get me wrong — but I prefer the other two.  Over the years I’ve grown to love Dressed to Kill more and more for its deep cuts.  Stuff like “Two Timer”.  But the centerpiece is C’mon and Love Me”, one of Paul Stanley’s most incendiary guitar riffs.  This album and the self-titled debut share a certain vintage “rock and roll” production value, many steps away from heavy metal.  It’s quaint.

7.  KISS (1974)

This album and Dressed to Kill are a pair.  The difference is the debut has more classic songs.  Just about all of ’em in fact.  “Cold Gin”, “Deuce”, “Strutter”, “Black Diamond”, “Firehouse”, “100,000 Years”, “Nothin’ To Lose”, “Let Me Know”…that’s eight stone cold classics right there.  That leaves only the instrumental “Love Theme from Kiss” and the single “Kissin’ Time” as filler.  Impressive.  A lot of concert perennials came from this album, and Kiss won’t let you forget ’em.

6.  ROCK AND ROLL OVER (1976)

After the lush and orchestrated Destroyer album, Kiss had two choices.  Continue along that road and see where it led, or try and recapture their rock and roll roots.  Although they would later attempt to re-capture the Destroyer vibe on Psycho-Circus, the choice was to go rock and roll again.  They recruited Eddie Kramer of Kiss Alive fame and holed up in a small theater to capture a “live” vibe.  They didn’t, but Rock and Roll Over does harken back a bit to their first albums.  Lots of classics here with “Hard Luck Woman” as the best of them.  A few duds like “Baby Driver”.

5.  LOVE GUN (1977)

Kiss didn’t stray too far from the formula when they followed up Rock and Roll Over with Love Gun.  This time they had a strong batch of songs including the dual highlights “I Stole Your Love” and “Love Gun”.  Ace Frehley stepped up with his first ever lead vocal, “Shock Me”, and there was no turning back for the spaceman.  Simmons had a dud with “Almost Human” but also provided the classic (but creepy) “Christine Sixteen”.  Even Peter’s “Hooligan” has a primitive charm.  Love Gun is enjoyable any time, any day.

4.  LICK IT UP (1983)

It’s neck and neck when it comes to Lick It Up and Creatures, the two albums of the Vinnie Vincent era.  Creatures probably has the better pack of tunes but Lick It Up is no slouch.  There’s some filler (“Gimme More”) but this is rock solid.  Deep cuts “A Million To One”, “Dance All Over Your Face” and “And On the 8th Day” are on the same level as the hits “Lick It Up” and “All Hell’s Breaking Loose”.  Then we get to tunes like “Exciter” and “Not For the Innocent” and you have an incredibly strong and heavy Kiss album.  No ballads, no pop, no compromise.  The fact that this is the first Kiss album without makeup is the only commercial hook.  Everything else sounds like Kiss were writing what they wanted to.  Vinnie saved Kiss?  Not really but two albums in the top five speaks to his songwriting and lead work while in Kiss.

3.  CREATURES OF THE NIGHT (1982)

Kiss were in trouble at the start of the 80s.  They lost a considerable amount of credibility with the “disco albums” and The Elder.  A European compilation called Kiss Killers with four new songs indicated that Kiss were ready to put the experimenting to rest and rock again.  By the time they had assembled Creatures of the Night, they had gone full-blown heavy metal.  My friend Uncle Meat would call it “heavy metal bullshit” because it was most certainly a contrived move on Kiss’ part.  The sincerity here comes from young Eric Carr, who blew the nuts off the album so hard with his drum parts that in 1985 they tried to tame the beast with a remix.  Channeling his inner John Bonham, the Fox was the star of Creatures, regardless of some very strong songs.  But all was not well.  He may have been on the cover and video, but Ace Frehley was not on the album.  Secretly, young Vinnie Cusano wrote and played on a number of songs.  Also a young Canadian upcomer named Bryan Adams co-wrote several songs.  In return, Eric Carr co-wrote “Don’t Leave Me Lonely” which Adams recorded,  Creatures was the last hoorah of the makeup era, and indicative of the changing times, was the first Kiss album with only two lead vocalists:  Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.

2.  PAUL STANLEY (1978)

Now here’s a hot take!  Paul solo at number two?  You better believe it people.  I’ll tell you something, you know it too, Paul Stanley could write a Kiss song in his sleep!  Well oh-yeah!  And let me tell you something else and you better believe it!  Bob Kulick – lead guitar!  And people, every song on here coulda been a Kiss classic!  There’s a lot of people out there, well I should say there’s a lot of diehards out there who like Ace best.  Ace fans lemme hear ya!  But I’ll tell ya something else — Paul ain’t no slouch!

If the solo albums prove only one thing, it is that Paul Stanley was the only member of Kiss who had nothing to get off his hairy chest.  Peter clearly had things he wanted to do.  Simmons was able to indulge his every decadent desire.  Frehley was able to do an entire album true to his own unique style and personality, and being the heaviest of the albums, fans absolutely loved it.  But Paul’s is nine songs of quintessential Paul Kiss.  It’s what he would have been doing anyway.  But it is oh so very good with no filler, and some oustanding rockers.  Even the schlocky power ballad “Hold Me Touch Me” strikes the right chord, with Stanley delivering one of his best guitar solos.  Yes, on the ballad, that’s Paul on lead guitar!  Well oh-yeah, lemme hear ya!

1.  HOTTER THAN HELL (1974)

Kiss’ worst sounding album is my favourite.  It was inevitable.  It was my first Kiss!  And when I first heard it, it was on a kid’s Fischer Price turntable.  In mono, with the worst stylus.  It doesn’t sound much worse than that.  But that’s all I had for listening to records.  It didn’t matter.  I listened to Hotter Than Hell night after night after getting it in a trade at age 13.  I loved it, every song.

Age 13 was the worst year for bullying at my school.  I took refuge in Kiss, Iron Maiden, W.A.S.P., Helix, and Judas Priest, but it was mostly Kiss.  I didn’t have a lot of money so I taped the Kiss albums one by one from my neighbor George.  In fact I traded my Kiss album to George, as it was one of only two that he still needed.  I got a wealth of goodies in return, and he taped Hotter Than Hell for me on a Scotch 120 minute cassette.   So don’t talk to me about this album sounding worse than Born Again by Black Sabbath.  That’s my favourite Sabbath album anyway.

There is no filler on Hotter Than Hell.  “Goin’ Blind”, “Watching You”, “Got to Choose”, “Mainline”, “Parasite”, the title track…I would not want to live without any of them.  “All the Way” matters to me in a big way.  I remember singing it loudly during gym class, the only way to tolerate such a class.  No wonder I had no friends!  Only “Strange Ways” could really be argued to deserve the chopping block.  I know Jonathan doesn’t care for “Let Me Go Rock and Roll”, but he’s wrong.  I love when Kiss go old school.

The fact that my mom and dad didn’t mind me listening to Kiss, and bought me Kiss tapes when I asked for them, is one of the best things about my childhood.  I love you mom and dad,

And though not as much, I love Kiss.  And this is my favourite Kiss album, and has been since I first heard it in 1985.

We chose to exclude the following albums on our lists, but they all deserve mention.

KISS ALIVE!  My other first Kiss album!  But this one I kept.  As a kid, live albums were not as good as studio albums but over the years I have grown to understand.  I love Kiss Alive.  Top five album.

KISS ALIVE II  Notable for its five studio tracks.  Bob Kulick played on four.

DOUBLE PLATINUM  Worth mentioning for its new version of “Strutter” called “Strutter ’78”.  Also features a bunch of remixes.  A cornerstone Kiss compilation that makes a good “first”.

KISS KILLERS  Four new songs, available only in Europe and Japan.  Mostly good songs, with Paul on lead vocals.  “I’m A Legend Tonight” and “Nowhere To Run” are important songs in my Kiss upbringing.

SMASHES, THRASHES & HITS  Two new songs and the much hated new version of “Beth” with Eric Carr singing.  People hated the new Paul songs (too cheesy and commercial) and Eric Carr had misgivings about singing Peter Criss’ signature song.  It seemed that Paul and Gene didn’t want Ace or Peter to have any lead vocals on this 1988 compilation.

New and unreleased songs also appeared on albums such as Alive IV, Kiss 40, the Kiss Box Set and more.  We could have gone to town but this seems like enough to capture the Kiss that really matters.  I hope you enjoyed this list!

 

By LeBrain

REVIEW: Def Leppard – Yeah! Bonus CD With Backstage Interviews (2006)

Part Thirty-Two of the Def Leppard Review Series

DEF LEPPARD – Yeah! Bonus CD With Backstage Interviews (2006 Walmart exclusive)

Hard truth:  A lot of the Yeah! bonus tracks were better than the album itself.  Bonus tracks were issued to iTunes, Best Buy, Target, and Japan, but Walmart received an entire bonus CD.  If you could only afford two versions, Walmart would have been the way to go.  Sold separately, their bonus CD included both Japanese bonus tracks, three exclusive songs, and three exclusive backstage interview tracks.  That means if you owned this CD, you didn’t have to track down the Japanese printing to get all the songs.  You just had to buy three other different versions too!

The five songs on the Walmart set are as follows:

  • “American Girl” (Tom Petty)
  • “Search & Destroy” (The Stooges)
  • “Space Oddity” (David Bowie)
  • “Dear Friends” (Queen)
  • “Heartbeat” (Jobriath)

Because these tracks are included on a disc called Yeah! II in The CD Collection Vol. 3, we will review them individually (along with the other five bonus tracks) when we get there.  For now we’ll just give you some spoilers.  The Petty song is incredible, surprisingly so.  “Dear Friends” features Rick Savage on vocals and all instruments, and is completely different from Queen’s original (in a good way).  In fact all the songs tend to spotlight one or two members without the full band.  When we get to that disc in The CD Collection Vol. 3 then we’ll spill all the beans.

The CD Collection does not include the interviews, which isn’t surprising.  They remain exclusive to the Walmart CD.  They are in the 2-3 minute range and total just 7:55 combined.  Still, that’s better listening than 45 minutes of Lars Ulrich in the Metallica box set.

Backstage interview #1 is compiled from all five members, and concerns the 2005 tour, and Leppard’s longevity.  It was Joe’s first tour as a non-smoker, though they didn’t get around as much as they would have liked.

Interview #2 is about the Yeah! album.  Joe is credited with the idea by Phil, having wanted to do his version of Bowie’s Pin-Ups album.  Coincidentally, someone at the record label thought it would be a good idea to do right at the same time that Joe felt the same way at the end of the X tour.

In interview #3, Joe discusses the reasoning for picking the songs.  There were three rules:  all songs had to be hits, British, and pre-date Leppard signing their record deal.  Clearly, these rules applied to the core album only and not the bonus tracks!  When it came down to the members agreeing on covers, things went much more smoothly than anyone expected.

With the very cool exclusive songs here alongside the interviews, this Walmart CD was a must!  It’s less so today due to the songs now being reissued in box set form, but Leppard fans will certainly enjoy giving it a spin.

4/5 stars

Previous:  

  1. The Early Years Disc One – On Through the Night 
  2. The Early Years Disc Two – High N’ Dry
  3. The Early Years Disc Three – When The Walls Came Tumbling Down: Live at the New Theater Oxford – 1980
  4. The Early Years Disc Four – Too Many Jitterbugs – EP, singles & unreleased
  5. The Early Years Disc 5 – Raw – Early BBC Recordings 
  6. The Early Years 79-81 (Summary)
  7. Pyromania
  8. Pyromania Live – L.A. Forum, 11 September 1983
  9. Hysteria
  10. Soundtrack From the Video Historia – Record Store Tales
  11. In The Round In Your Face DVD
  12. “Let’s Get Rocked” – The Wait for Adrenalize – Record Store Tales
  13. Adrenalize
  14. Live at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
  15. Retro-Active
  16. Visualize
  17. Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits / Limited Edition Live CD
  18. Video Archive
  19. “Slang” CD single
  20. Slang
  21. I Got A Bad Feeling About This: Euphoria – Record Store Tales
  22. Euphoria
  23. Rarities 2
  24. Rarities 3
  25. Rarities 4
  26. Cybernauts – Live
  27. Cybernauts – The Further Adventures of the Cybernauts (bonus disc)
  28. X
  29. Best Of (UK)
  30. Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection
  31. Yeah!

Next:

33. Yeah…Nah!  (Record Store Tales)

REVIEW: Seagram Synth Ensemble – “Ephem” (2022 single)

SEAGRAM SYNTH ENSEMBLE – “Ephem” (2022 single)

How many formats do you own?  I know many of you own 8-track tapes, cassettes, CDs, different types of vinyl, DVDs, Blu-rays, and hybrids of said discs.  But do you own any music that comes self-contained in its own electronic box?  The Seagram Synth Ensemble’s new single “Ephem” only comes in this format, but it’s not that simple.  “Ephem” is more than a piece of music.  It’s a statement, an experiment, and an interactive art piece.

First let’s discuss the actual song “Ephem”.  Much like the group’s 2019 album No Moving Air, this track has an atmospheric though melodic quality.  A light beat backs up a couple of recurring and very enjoyable keyboard melody lines.  A sound like a flock of seagulls soaring overhead comes into play.  Things then get upbeat, and a nice fat bass synth sinks the hooks in.  The track builds with more fun melodic accompaniment, and then strips it all back to something like it was in the beginning.  It’s a great standalone song.


Learn more here in this extensive interview with Seagram Synth Ensemble

Here’s the catch.  You can plug in a battery and a pair of headphones, power up, and hit play to enjoy “Ephem”.  But you better pay attention because each time you play the song, it changes.  Like an old cassette tape, each play degrades the sound ever so slightly, almost like the wear and tear that comes with physical media.  Each time you press play, the track becomes slightly more distorted, thin, brittle.  Eventually it will deteriorate and become unplayable.  The point is to listen with intent, pay attention, and absorb the music.  Now, there is a reset function, which is awful nice of the guys, but they discourage using it.  At least that way you won’t be throwing your money away when it’s toast.  Don’t forget the whole point of it though.  To listen; to pay attention, because it will never sound exactly the same twice.  Every single time you play “Ephem” will be a unique experience.  Even the artwork on the box reflects this.

“Ephem” cost just $20 but is now sold out.  (A reissue is possible but not certain.)  Don’t expect these to turn up on the second hand market quickly.  And if it does, pray that it comes with the instructions so you can hear “Ephem” like it was brand new.

A+