Music fans can buy just about anything with their favourite band’s name on it. While Elvis merchandise and the onslaught of Beatlemania stuff makes for fun collectibles, Kiss really blasted things into overdrive, for better or for worse. Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s, we were inundated with Kiss. Neighbors on our street had Kiss cards, the Kiss remote control van, Kiss comics, Kiss posters, books about Kiss and more. You could buy Kiss dolls. Kiss Your Face makeup. Everything! At the time Kiss were heavily criticized for their merchandising. Paul and Gene defended it by saying, ‘if our fans want to buy a Kiss hat, then why shouldn’t they be able to buy one?’ Turns out their fans wanted to buy a lot more including cars and coffins!
Now the merchandise door is wide open. Everybody has dolls; my sister had some wretched New Kids on the Block dolls. I have a friend who owns the Spice Girls. I myself own Johnny Cash, Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne. Today, music celebrities have their own alcohol, such as Motley Brue or The Trooper beer. Rock stars even have their own hot sauces. I was a proud owner of Joe Perry’s Boneyard Brew. (I’ve never been able to find Michael Anthony’s Mad Anthony sauce.) I often like to picture Joe Perry hard at work over a boiling pot, mixing specially selected peppers and spices until he finally came up with his own Boneyard Brew. It’s not impossible, although it is unlikely.
What is very highly unlikely is that Justin Bieber studied perfume chemistry to come up with his own scent, “Girlfriend”.
It seems perfumes and colognes are the latest hot trend in celebrity endorsements. We are not so naive to think that the stars have anything to all to do with their own perfumes, but look at the list below. (Courtesy once again of Uncle John’s calendar.) Taylor Swift and Beyoncé don’t surprise me, but I didn’t know Tim McGraw had his own scent (“Southern Blend”). Check out some of the interesting names below.
Who knew Carlos Santana had a scent called “Carlos Santana”? I wonder who came up with that clever name? (Whoever they are, they probably make more money than us.) Even Kiss have a cologne, called “KISS Him for Men”. Kiss sell aftershaves and deodorants too. But we can’t blame Kiss for this trend, can we? This one is on the shoulders of Hollywood.
The first celebrity scent was “Sophia” by Sophia Lauren, in 1981. The Italian film icon’s perfume was released by Coty who work with just about every major celebrity today. That’s not the interesting part. What is interesting is that we might be able to blame Gene Simmons just a little bit for the first music celebrity scent. After all, it was his ex-girlfriend Cher who was the first music star to enter the perfume world. Her scent “Uninhibited” was the first for a music performer. Did her ex-boyfriend’s merchandising ways have anything to do with this? The truth is, probably not — but it’s fun to blame Gene anyway.
With the reigning queens of pop like Katy (“Killer Queen” and “Purr”) and Gaga (“Fame for Women”), not to mention the boy-throbs like One Direction (“Our Moment for Women”), it is likely that music perfumes and colognes will remain big business for years to come.
KISS – Kiss Rocks Vegas (3 CD/1 Blu-ray Japanese import, 2016 Eagle Rock)
Kiss put on a hell of a show for their nine gig run in Las Vegas. You could argue that spectacle is 50% of the Kiss experience. That said, the audio has to hold up, and it does. I gave it two spins before review: one at home and one in the car, and only after that did I put on the Blu-ray. As expected, Paul Stanley’s voice is the chink in the armour. But it is the only one. This is one of the most musically capable versions of Kiss ever, and vocally they can’t be touched. When Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer, and Gene Simmons start to harmonize together, it becomes a far stronger beast. This is how Kiss have adapted to Paul’s current vocal shortcomings, and on a whole it works. Check out “Tears Are Falling” for a version of a song that gets a serious boost thanks to these guys singing backup. Now get ready to rock for the next 80 minutes. Of note, some of Paul’s stage raps are trimmed for time on the CD version, as is Gene’s “bass solo”/blood spitting/flying. The video has the whole enchilada.
The audio is clear; Gene’s bass nicely audible and in the pocket. With the 5.1 surround sound cranked, let’s dive into the Kiss Blu-ray, a fine shining example of hi-def rock video. You can try to count the sparkles on Paul’s guitar, when they open with “Detroit Rock City”. Their stage looks like a cross between the Creatures-era tank stage and a Dalek. Giant screens ensure everybody gets a good view, which is a good thing since there is so much going on. From “Detroit” into “Creatures” itself, and then “Psycho Circus”, Kiss started the show with three of their classic openers from three different eras! On screen it’s clear Paul Stanley is still in excellent physical shape. He doesn’t look like someone who’s had a double hip replacement. He hops around a bit, plays guitar between his legs, and dances up a storm as always.
Kudos must be given to Tommy Thayer, who takes many of the flashier solos from 80’s Kiss and adapts them to the style of the 70’s that Kiss tend to ply most. Tommy’s re-imagining of guitar solos and giving them a Frehley-like vibe is one reason to check out new live versions of these Kiss classics. Never to be underrated is Eric Singer, a talent to be reckoned with in this band. His beats are always perfect, but so is his voice. As usual, he sings “Black Diamond” towards the end of the show, with respect and class.
Other setlist highlights:
Gene’s “War Machine” from Creatures(Gene blows fire at the end). Paul’s “Tears are Falling” from Asylum (“Some of you weren’t born in 1985!” says Paul, accurately observing his audience). “Lick It Up”, featuring Kiss’ sometimes-segue into “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. “Hell or Hallelujah”, from Monster. “God of Thunder” with its flying Gene, and playing way up high on a tiny little platform. Paul running out to sing on a catwalk suspended over the crowd on “Love Gun”. All of this is served up with lights, lasers, explosions, levitating platforms and larger-than-life sparkle. Kiss still deliver it.
Admittedly, when there is so much great live Kiss from the past out there, it’s hard to get excited about a new one. (Why watch a 2016 live version of “War Machine” when you can watch one from 1983, 1984, 1988 or 2004?) The added bonus that makes the whole thing hard to say no to is a seven song acoustic set. This is a makeup-free event in a packed conference room. A few more rarities are served up here, such as “Love Her All I Can”. The loose atmosphere is refreshing. They goof around a bit on “Christine Sixteen” (in harmony!) and Paul helps with some forgotten words on “Goin’ Blind”. Just don’t go and compare these with the acoustic ones on MTV Unplugged. That was 20 years ago. Controversially, Eric sings “Beth”. The mitigating factor is that this is a small event for fans and not part of the main Vegas concert. It’s worthwhile to get a version of this release that contains the acoustic portion on the bonus CD.
The Japanese release is an interesting one. Instead of one CD, the Vegas concert is split over two. This is probably because the concert is close to the 80 minimum maximum that a CD can hold, and the Japanese usually adhere to a higher manufacturing standard. They also included a nice T-shirt in a shiny, embossed box.
As usual, any time Kiss release new product, fans will bitch that they’re over the hill. They’ll complain that there are only two original members left, and that Paul’s voice is but a shadow of what it once was. While these things are indeed true, Kiss have found a way to continue on with two talented members helping Paul out with the vocal burden. If you don’t like it, fair play. But let the rest of us continue to enjoy Kiss without your negativity.
3.5/5 stars
CD 1
1. “Detroit Rock City”
2. “Creatures of the Night”
3. “Psycho Circus”
4. “Parasite”
5. “War Machine”
6. “Tears are Falling”
7. “Deuce”
8. “Lick it Up”
9. “I Love it Loud”
CD 2
1. “Hell or Hallelujah”
2. Tommy guitar solo
3. “God of Thunder”
4. “Do You Love Me?”
5. “Love Gun”
6. “Black Diamond”
7. “Shout it Out Loud”
8. “Rock and Roll All Night”
CD 3 – Kiss Acoustic
1. “Comin’ Home”
2. “Plaster Caster”
3. “Hard Luck Woman”
4. “Christine Sixteen”
5. “Goin’ Blind”
6. “Love Her All I Can”
7. “Beth”
First of a Kiss two-fer. KISS – Deadly Demos (1995 Firehouse Records bootleg)
Some Kiss fans are willing to pay money for every burp and fart that Gene or Paul have committed to tape. Deadly Demos (or Deadly Kisses according to the CD itself) definitely has some material that is difficult to listen to quality-wise. It also has some decent versions of rare tracks that Kiss fans are seeking. When it comes to collecting Kiss, the band occasionally cough up official versions of heavily bootlegged rarities. The Kiss Box Set gave us a number of these tracks, as did Kiss 40 and the Love Gun deluxe edition. That may sound generous, but there are so many more Kiss demos out there that the band could easily compile onto a few CDs worth of decent tracks. Gene has always said “don’t worry, they’re coming”. Impatient fans have had to settle for shoddy unofficial discs like Deadly Demos to get their fix.
“Nowhere to Run”, originally from Kiss Killers, is an early version of the song, but the demo is unfortunately hampered by the too-fast tape speed. This can easily be fixed digitally, but the track suffers from high static and low clarity. It’s too bad because the demo version sounds fiery. “Secretly Cruel” (Asylum) is better and rocks harder than the album version. Because these are demos, you have to expect a certain lack of clarity, but it’s cool hearing slightly different arrangements and lyrics. “Nobody’s Perfect” is a great little song that didn’t appear officially until 2009’s Sonic Boom, heavily re-written, but the chorus was intact a long time ago. Another Gene demo “It’s Gonna Be Alright” just has a drum machine and simple guitar part, but it would be one of Kiss’s pop rock classics if they ever decide to commit it to album.
A Paul demo (“Get All You Can Take” from Animalize) breaks up the Gene party, but it is an instrumental version. It has a heavy Zeppelin sound without the vocals, but the sound quality is pretty poor. When these guys were recording demos like this, it was mostly just to get the idea down onto tape so you could show the others what your idea was. Fidelity was not considered essential, and a lot of these tapes had been copied many many times before they were finally digitized onto CD. “Thrills in the Night” is probably from the same source. You can hear other music leaking through too. The sound is atrocious, but what is cool here is that it gives you an idea how Paul Stanley writes. The music and melody are all but complete, but the lyrics are not, so Paul sings it in “doo doo doo” vocals. It’s incredible how intact the song already was at this stage, including a guitar solo that is clearly by Mark St. John. An earlier song, Paul’s “Deadly Weapons” from the Kiss Killers period would have been a fun hard rocking addition to that LP. Some of the lyrics were used on Gene’s “Love’s A Deadly Weapon” from Asylum, which is the reason it has a Stanley/Simmons/Swenson/Beech writing credit. Paul and Gene weren’t writing together for pretty much all of the 80’s, but Gene lifted some words from “Deadly Weapons”.
Populating the demos from the late 80’s, “Hide Your Heart” is outstanding, very close to the album cut, and has decent audio. However the real holy grail is “Sword and Stone”, the track Paul wrote but was recorded by Bonfire for the Shocker soundtrack. Having it on bootleg is not as good as having an official quality release, but this will have to do for now. Kiss really should have put out this version on something back when it was recorded. They shouldn’t have given it away. As such it’s become a fan favourite over the years. (Maybe Kiss should considering re-recording some of these old songs and releasing an album like Van Halen did.)
Other interesting tracks include “Let’s Put the X in Sex”, which isn’t even a demo. This sounds flat out like a bad remix of the album version. There are three “Let’s Put the X in Sex” remixes on this disc. These are supposed to be promotional dance-y remixes done to get the song some club play. While it’s nice to get tracks like this, the disc is called Deadly Demos, not Deadly Misc. Rarities. Come on people. The sound quality isn’t even a vinyl rip, so the origin of these remixes is questionable. A much better (though still not a demo) inclusion is “Hard Luck Woman” performed on Leno by Kiss and Garth Brooks in 1994, to promote the Kiss My Ass tribute album. From the same period, it’s Gin Blossoms and Kiss doing “Christine Sixteen”, on Letterman. There are a few other live tracks, from unknown (broadcast) origins, but you can tell it’s Eric Singer on drums, so it must have been the 90’s.
The most infamous Kiss outtake of all time is the song “Feels Like Heaven”, which Peter Criss actually recorded himself on his second solo album, Let Me Rock You. It’s an urban funk/soul combo but what exists on tape is just a snip of the song. The reason it is so infamous is that Gene ends the song with a pretty crude statement that I won’t even reproduce here! (And I’m a guy who’s written multiple articles about poop and pee!) Oh Gene, you smooth talker you.
In order to rate a disc like this, you have to remember that it doesn’t simply boil down to numbers. There are some valued tracks here, such as “Sword and Stone” and “Deadly Weapons”. There is also a lot of material that will strain you just to listen to it. As always, spend your money appropriately.
We only get to do it once a year, so you gotta make it count!
Readers here have been treated to many tales from Sausagefest every year, the annual music countdown that occurs every July at a top secret outdoor location. The parties are epic and the music is never disappointing. You’ve read all about the countdown and activities many times here and even been treated to a few videos. Sausagefest is such a blast every year that even the trip up is worth hearing about.
My two passengers this year were Uncle Meat, and Chris the Lamb Lad. We had to pack a lot of stuff into my little Pontiac G5 including three coolers. The Lamb Lad had packed his cooler full of freshly made pulled pork for everyone. Perhaps even more important than the succulent and delicious pulled pork was the music selection. Uncle Meat commandeers the stereo, but I brought four flash drives loaded to the brim with tunes. I had spent several hours curating the music on these flash drives, much longer than we would actually spend listening to them.
Instead, we spent most of the time listening to the CDs that Uncle Meat brought. As many music fans in Ontario now know, recording artist Paul MacLeod passed away a couple months ago. Paul and Uncle Meat were very close friends, and Paul had set aside a couple CDs of his for me to review. Meat gave them to me, and we listened to Paul in the car, with Meat remembering the good times. I now own his albums Close and Play, and Tell the Band to Go Home. Both are incredible, but we’ll save that for the eventual reviews.
Also given to me were two studio CDs by recording artist and Sausagefester Max the Axe: self-titled, and Overload. There was some pretty heavy metal on those two CDs. Thanks to Uncle Meat, I now own three Max the Axe albums in total. Needless to say, there was plenty of rocking in the car.
“Livin’ the Country” from Overload (2008)
Meat was on his best behaviour. No backseat driving at all this year, which was an awesome change of pace. He also didn’t piss in the middle of the road this time. Up through Salem and into Arthur, we made our first stop at Tim Horton’s for some ice capps. Usually I was the most prepared of us, but this year I neglected to eat a good lunch before we departed. I was starving and ordered a steak wrap. Unfortunately the place was really busy, as it always is, and I should have known it was going to take 20 minutes. While I waited inside for my wrap, Meat and the Lamb Lad went outside for a smoke.
Moments later, Meat came back into the store.
“Kayys?” he said to me.
“Kiss?” I responded. I had a flash drive with every single Kiss album. Gotcha covered.
“Kayys?” he repeated, hand outstretched. People looking at him now. Lots of people waiting in line.
“I don’t know what you’re asking me,” I said uselessly.
“Kayss?” again.
I stood there like a doorknob; lots of people there looking at us trying to see what this weirdo was doing. “Kayss?” he kept repeating. It was clear I had no idea what he was asking, so he finally broke character.
“Keys? Can I get your car keys? I left my smokes in the car.”
“Why didn’t you just say that, you friggin’ goof?” I said as I dug for my keys.
“I did!” he retorted. “Kayss?”
OK, I heard it now. In the meantime, me and everybody else in Tim Horton’s in Arthur assumed he wanted a kiss.
We made our way up the windy country roads, listening to more Paul, more Max, but no Kiss. Next stop was Flesherton. There used to be a killer chip wagon there, but it has been gone for the last two years. Instead, Lamb Lad went into a sandwich place and ordered what looked to be some pretty amazing food. Outside, an elderly couple in the late 70’s or early 80’s seemed to be having an argument.
We waited for Lamb Lad to order, and then stepped outside again so the guys could smoke. As we walked out, a cop car pulled up and blocked in the elderly couple! It seems somebody had taken notice of their discussion and called the cops. The couple looked like they had figured out whatever it was just as the cops arrived. It was weird to see this happening in Flesherton Ontario with a couple who looked older than Moses. We shook our heads and marvelled at how weird the day was getting before we even arrived at Sausagefest.
But the farm wasn’t far, and before we knew it, our destination was at hand. Familiar faces were greeted, and help was offered in setting up tents. It’s a magical place. There are friends here that we only see once a year, but have bonded with like brothers. It’s a remarkable experience to have. And the music ain’t bad either.
If you’re not familiar with Jim Crean, that’s OK. You probably know of his famous friends. Crean sings lead with the Appice Brothers (Carmine and Vinny) for their Drum Wars live shows. Both brothers appear on his solo CD, Insatiable, along with other stars such as Phil Lewis (LA Guns), Mike Tramp (White Lion), Tony Franklin (The Firm/Blue Murder), Phil Naro and more. But it doesn’t matter how many guests you fill your album with if you don’t have the tunes. Crean has not only the tunes, but also the voice.
In a way the weirdest track is the intro by Don Jamieson from That Metal Show. He pronounces “Appice” differently for each brother. Carmine is “Appeece” and Vinny is “Appicee”. Very odd. The title track “Insatiable” features Vinny, but the song does not address the pronunciation controversy! If you’re a fan of 80’s sunset strip rock, then “Insatiable” is for you, like Faster Pussycat but fed a steady diet of heavy metal. Crean has range and rasp, and the result is the kind of rock that people miss today.
Vinny might be best known for his stint in Dio and Black Sabbath with Ronnie James. With the late Jimmy Bain on bass, Appice and Crean re-created Dio’s “Caught in the Middle”. Having original players and writers on it lends it a credibility that most covers can’t match. Best of all, Crean can pull it off! Singing Dio is, to put it mildly, not easy. Crean pulls it off with confidence and ability, just as he does with his own original tune “Touch”. Not to exaggerate, but “Touch” has to be one of the best songs to come out in 2016: killer mid-paced rock, besides the riffs and that voice! Another fine cover, L.A. Guns’ “Over the Edge” is performed with assistance from Philip Lewis. A more obscure choice from 1991’s Hollywood Vampires, it’s a powerful slow rock track with a Zeppelin-y groove. Guitarist Steve Major also needs to be singled out for a fine performance on this one (and all the tracks).
The most star-studded song is the lead single, “Can’t Find My Way”, a Mike Tramp cover. Mike sings on it, as does Phil Naro, with Tony Franklin on bass and Carmine on drums. (Tony and Carmine make it 2/3rds of the original Blue Murder, minus only John Sykes.) This ballad is a bit slow, a bit long, but kicks in for the chorus. I actually prefer Jim’s original material. “Follow Your Heart” is one such original, this one featuring ex-Dio guitarist Rowan Robertson. It has a distinct Dio-ish vibe, aided and abetted by Vinny’s incomparable drum sound. The final three originals (“Shut Your Mouth”, “Turn it Around”, and “Miss Me”) are all very strong hard rock songs. Crean wrote all his originals himself. What a talent. Such a voice, with sharp songwriting chops. This guy has more talent in his pinky than CC Deville has in his entire body.
Two bonus tracks close it out, both covers: Mr. Big’s rockin’ “The Whole World’s Gonna Know”, and “Magic Touch” by Kiss. Sharp fans will recall that Crean contributed “Magic Touch” to Mitch Lafon’s Kiss tribute CD, A World With Heroes. If you missed that now sold-out CD, you can at least get Jim’s version of the song here. “Magic Touch” is, of course, great. It always was, but now here’s a chance to hear it without the disco (Kissco?) trappings. As for “The Whole World’s Gonna Know”, Jim’s version may surpass the original.
Added Can-Con bonus: Much of the album was recorded in Toronto, just a stone’s throw away from Jim’s base in Buffalo, New York.
Added extra bonus: My copy included a DVD with the “Can’t Find My Way” music video.
If you like hard rock with integrity the way they used to make it, then this album is for you. If you buy one new release this week, make it Jim Crean’s Insatiable.
Wes Craven’s SHOCKER – No More Mr. Nice Guy – The Music (1989 SBK)
1989’s slasher film Shocker was Wes Craven’s attempt to introduce a new character to the pantheon of horror. Unfortunately, Horace Pinker and the movie he rode in on were quickly forgotten. Also forgotten was the heavy metal soundtrack, so let’s have a gander and see what you may have missed.
Ever heard of The Dudes of Wrath? This temporary “supergroup” consisted of various members from track to track, but the best song they did was “Shocker” itself. With lead vocals by Paul Stanley and Desmond Child, it’s a must-have for Kiss maniacs. If that’s not enough, Vivian Campbell, Tommy Lee and Rudy Sarzo also play on it. It’s like a collision of some of those bands — Kiss, Dio, Motley. The anthemic outro will slay you.
Desmond’s writing is all over this album, and he co-wrote a track with Alice Cooper that ended up being recorded by Iggy Pop called “Love Transfusion”. Sub out the saxophone for guitars and you could easily imagine this being a Trash B-side. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the backing track is from the Cooper sessions, because this sounds exactly like an Alice Cooper song with Iggy Pop overdubbed. All the musicians are guys from the Trash album. Do the math.
It’s hard to imagine a weirder team up than Desmond Child and Megadeth. Dave Mustaine was deep into the powders at the time, and he recorded “No More Mr. Nice Guy” with a three piece Megadeth. The late Nick Menza had joined the band already, but Marty Friedman was yet to be hired. Most Megadeth fans are familiar with this track, since it was re-released on their Hidden Treasures EP. Certainly not the band’s finest moment.
Paul Stanley reappears in a writing capacity on “Sword and Stone”, performed by Bonfire. Paul wrote it for Kiss’ Crazy NightsLP with Desmond Child and Bruce Kulick. If it had been on Crazy Nights, it might well have been the best tune on there. Paul’s demo has yet to be released in an official capacity, but it’s been heavily bootlegged. Bonfire’s version is fantastic, but it only makes me hungry for a fully recorded and mixed Kiss version. One day….
Another version of The Dudes of Wrath appear on side two, this time with Alice Cooper on vocals. “Shockdance” sounds like little more than a slowed down variation of the “Shocker” riff, with Alice and actor Mitch Pileggi rapping over it. Just terrible stuff, actually. Thankfully Desmond redeemed it a little bit with the song he wrong with Dangerous Toys, “Demon Bell”. Like Guns N’ Roses galvanized and electroplated, “Demon Bell” slays.
Voodoo X were the band of Jean Beauvoir, who Kiss fans know from his many co-writes and guest appearances on their records. He only made one record as Voodoo X, and his song “The Awakening” is damn fine indeed. At first you’re thinking, “Oh it’s just another crap ballad”. Then a riff kicks in, and it blasts right off. It’s a bit like 80’s Kiss meets Top Gun. The last band up is Dead On, pretty pedestrian thrash metal, and one of the few songs without any involvement of Desmond Child. The angry elf vocals are hilarious, but the song is almost a parody of bad metal. The album ends with a reprise of the title track “Shocker” from the first side. Basically what this means is that you get to hear Paul Stanley singing for another two or three minutes, when he was really able to hit some seriously high notes. Cool!
The worst track is probably the ballad “Timeless Love” by Sandi Saraya. Guess who wrote this putrid sappy swath of heartbreak? Desmond Fucking Child!
Shocker isn’t the greatest soundtrack, but it’s a hell of a lot better than the movie that spawned it!
2.5/5 stars
The helpful back cover doesn’t even tell you who’s on it.
HELIX – “(Gene Simmons Says) Rock is Dead” (2016 music video from the forthcoming album Rock It Science)
“I don’t need no god of thunder to tell me what is great.” — Brian Vollmer
Helix are back once more, with a new greatest hits album called Rock It Science.* You gotta have a new song on a new greatest hits (teased previously as “Mystery Track”), and this new song is timely and sharp. Gene Simmons does indeed say that rock is dead. In fact he’s been saying that for over 25 years. I have a M.E.A.T Magazine interview with Gene from 1990 where he professes that rock is indeed dead. And he’s still saying it now. But Brian Vollmer retorts, “Don’t believe it when Gene Simmons says rock is dead!”
Sure, lots has changed, but Helix keeps going. It’s not the 80’s anymore. Very few can sell 2,000,000 copies of an album today. It’s hard to make a living just by selling records. You have to diversify. Everything has changed — but like many things, the more they change the more they stay the same. Rock is not dead. In many respects, rock is more popular than ever. Helix are still producing great quality music, and “Gene Simmons Says) Rock is Dead” is one more gem for their rock crown. Daryl Gray and “Fritz” Hinz are still there on the rhythm section. Chris Julke and Kaleb Duck handle the axes just fine. This could have been on an album like Back for Another Taste.
As far as the video goes, Brent Doerner directed this one. The Gene impersonator is bang-on — I hope Helix don’t get sued for this! The video celebrates the old school. It’s performed at Speed City Records in London, Ontario. (Look for cool posters of bands such as Gob and VoiVod, who Gene slammed in the 1990 M.E.A.T interview.) I really dig Daryl Gray’s Helix logo bass guitar. That looks like a bitch to play. Brent captured the fun side of the band in the video. It’s not glossy, but I think it does the trick.
There’s no release date yet, but Rock It Science should be available to purchase soon. Check out the CD cover, also designed by Brent Doerner.
Rock is dead? Hardly. Gene’s been wrong before, and he’s wrong again.
4/5 stars
*The title It’s ROCK Science, Not Rocket Science was a working title for 2009’sVagabond Bones.
There is so much more to Kiss than just the original members. Sure, you may think Ace Frehley rules, and that his solo albums are awesome. You’d be right — I’ve reviewed every single Ace Frehley album. But let’s not forget about Bruce Kulick, who humbly held down the fort from 1984-1996. Today, Kulick’s rocking the house with Grand Funk, and doing a fine job of it. But just as there is more to Kiss than just the original members, there is more to Bruce than just Kiss or Grand Funk. Bruce has always treated Kiss with respect, and his solo music shows the same care and love put into it. BK3 is my favourite of his solo albums, including Audio Dog and Transformer.
Surely one of the draws to this Kulick record has to be the big name guest appearances. The best of these is the late Doug Fieger (The Knack) on “Dirty Girl”, an incredibly catchy radio rocker. So good is it, Classic Rock magazine listed it as the 29th best tune of 2010. Hey, that’s a proud moment! If I didn’t know it was Fieger singing, I wouldn’t have guessed. I figured it was some young unknown with a great voice. As great as this song is, and how hit-worthy it could have been, I don’t think it would have suited Kiss. It’s too pop for Kiss, I think, but it’s not sell-out in any way, because Kulick makes sure the guitars are sweet, crunchy and loud. Other guest shots include Steve Lukather, dueling with Bruce on the only instrumental “Between the Lines”. Tobias Sammet shows up to sing the grinding “I’m an Animal”, and on drums is Kiss drummer Eric Singer. As if that’s not enough, there are not one but two Simmons on this album. The old man sings “Ain’t Gonna Die”, a heavy Kiss-like armor plated beast. Then the Son of Simmons, young Nicholas, sings on the even better “Hand of the King”. Almost a dead ringer for his old man, Nick lends the song a demon-like aura.
There is one more cool guest shot that needs to be highlighted. There are 3/4 of Bruce’s old late-90’s band Union, on a great tune called “No Friend of Mine”. John Corabi lends his unmistable gravel to this melancholy rocker. With shades of acoustics and ripping lead vocals, this as good as anything in the original Union catalogue. I still think their debut album was incredible. Canuck Brent Fitz is on drums, also from the Union days but probably on a break from Slash. Only bassist Jamie Hunting is missing, but it’s safe to say that this song could easily fall under the Union umbrella. Kulick’s shredding on this one is insane, used sparingly but effectively.
BK3 is also diverse. Bruce sings the rest of the material, but the most interesting is the closing ballad “Life”. It sounds like a King’s X track circa Faith Hope Love, augmented with violins and the flute! This is truly is an outstanding ballad. Bruce would be the first one to say “I’m not a singer”, so it takes courage to do the lead vocal on a track like this. Bruce’s voice has his personality in it: it sounds like the Bruce Kulick we know and love. It’s a very human sound, and he does a great job. His voice is similar to Steve Vai’s, another artist who is not afraid to sing lead.
If you appreciate great rock music, meticulously and lovingly assembled, then give BK3 a shot. There are so many great songs on here. If you’re a fan of Kiss, The Knack, Motley Crue, or any of the other guests, then this purchase is somewhat of a no-brainer!
Rock fans are a fickle bunch, aren’t we? We will openly praise our rock heroes, placing them upon mighty pedestals. We will proclaim that our love for said bands trumps anyone else’s; we are truer fans than the average wannabe. Then at the drop of a hat, when our bands take an action we don’t approve of, we suddenly become the authority on what that band actually should have done. We’re the experts after all, right?
Most commonly, we are quick to judge when a band has passed its prime. We have all done it. “They need to hang it up and call it a day, go out with some dignity,” we proclaim, pretending that we actually have a clue of what goes on in their creative or financial headspaces.
Why do we think we know what’s best? Certainly, we are opinionated on what we like and what we don’t. Let’s say a certain band “jumps the shark” a little bit, to use the TV vernacular. For example, Aerosmith. A lot of fans, this one included, feel that Aerosmith’s best days are long behind them. As fans, we don’t want to see the band continue to sink further into a crapslide of mediocrity. Mediocrity, that is, defined by us.
Certainly, Aerosmith have no problems selling out arenas even after several patchy discs and gigs. Go and see them live and you will meet fans who have seen them dozens of times in their lives. They have a blast doing so, and they don’t care if Tyler can’t jump around like he used to. What makes one group of fans (the ones that cry “hang it up!”) right, but the others who will gladly go see them live again tomorrow, wrong?
Nothing. It’s all personal taste. You may fall on one side of fence with Aerosmith, but another side with the Stones, or the Who. Look, I love Kiss. I always have. I loved when they were great, and I loved when they were shit. Now that the original members are down to just Gene and Paul, and Paul’s struggling with his voice, do I think they should hang it up? Absolutely not. I still look forward to whatever Paul, Gene, Eric and Tommy have cooking next. But I don’t necessarily feel that way about Aerosmith, or even AC/DC.
I saw Gordon Lightfoot perform about 10 years ago. His voice is reduced to a quiet whisper now. Years take their toll, but Gordon and his band still played a set of unforgettable music. Was it a harsh reminder of the years gone by? Sure, but I can say I’ve seen Gordon Lightfoot now, an experience I wouldn’t trade in for a cash refund, no way.
To compare an artist to their younger selves is almost universally unfair. I can’t run the 100 meter dash like I used to. Ian Gillan can’t hit the high screams like 1969 either. That’s OK. Ageing is a part of life. It is also a part of music, even rock and roll. Rock music used to be about celebrating youth, but today it is a far more diverse field than it was in the golden years.
On the other hand, take a group like AC/DC. For all intents and purposes, they were still going very strong with the classic five members until very recently. Then Malcolm got sick – irreversibly so. Phil Rudd had his problems and was let go. Now Brian Johnson is gone and Axl Rose is in. At what point does a band become a parody of itself? More importantly, who gets to decide that? I’d prefer if AC/DC were able to continue with Brian; I don’t want to adjust to an AC/DC with yet another new singer. But I don’t get a say, do I?
But we do get to vote on this, in one way: the capitalist way. We vote democratically with our dollars. People who don’t want to see Axl Rose fronting AC/DC are offered full refunds, and by taking the refund, a fan can voice his or her displeasure. If the tour continues beyond these dates, we will still be able to vote with our wallets. There is no deception here. Surely anyone in the market for AC/DC tickets knows what’s going on now.
Speaking personally, I would go see Axl/DC. Who knows how long this aggregation will last? It’s a possible chance to see history in the making. Even if they suck absolutely (doubtful), I would still be able to say “I saw that. I was there.” So, given the chance, even if I don’t like the idea of Axl fronting AC/DC, I would still use my money to vote “yay”. Even just out of curiosity, it would be worth it.
The single instance that I feel is universally appropriate for a band to retire is the sad day they find themselves without any original members. Take Quiet Riot for example. Nobody currently in the band played on the first two Quiet Riot albums. Two of the members who did are now dead, and there is no connection at all to the earliest recordings of the group. In cases such as this, what separates a band from a mere tribute? Call it what it is, in my view.
Who do you think should hang it up? And if they do, how long before the reunion tour? Time will tell!
FACT #1: Covers albums rarely have enough fuel in the tank to get an engine running.
FACT #2: Ace Frehley has never done a covers album before.
The main thing is that Ace Frehley is still alive and making music. He’s never been the most prolific writer in Kiss, hence this diverse assortment of covers. In the pot are songs from bands that influenced Ace, a few Kiss covers (including one that Ace never played on originally), and a guest shot by Paul Stanley (among others). Sometimes it’s hard to feign interest in a covers album, but these factors make Ace’s enticing. Not to mention, it’s a clean and sober Ace playing these songs.
Ace and drummer Scot Coogan play everything on Cream’s “White Room”, with Coogan singing the bridges. This guitar-heavy version takes what Clapton did, and “Aces” it up. It’s guitar solo nirvana, though the Stones’ “Street Fighting Man” takes a few minutes to get to that same point. Ace has always done well with Stones covers, and it seems he can identify with songs like “Street Fighting Man” due to his rough past. It’s a fun excursion but the solos are the draw. Imagine the Stones but with the bright fun Gibson stylings of Ace Frehley. Hendrix’s “Spanish Castle Magic” is a natural choice since Ace’s speak-sing style always seemed influenced by Jimi. Purists may scoff, but Ace’s take on “Spanish Castle Magic” is pretty enjoyable and guitar-heavy (John 5 on guest guitars).
The online hype focused on Paul Stanley’s return to Ace’s orbit. While Ace plays all the guitars, Paul ably takes all the vocals on Free’s “Fire and Water”. As Kiss fans are well aware, Paul has suffered from some serious vocal issues in the last few years. Live, Paul can be a bit of a mess. In the studio, he makes it work. Paul lacks the power he had back in the Kiss days, but his singing here is great considering. It’s over far too quickly. Paul singing Rodgers is quite a moment.
Ace is well suited to Thin Lizzy, a band you don’t think of as influential to Kiss since they were contemporaries more or less. “Emerald” has gone down in history of one of Lizzy’s heaviest favourites. Predictably, the highlight of “Emerald” is the solo section. Lizzy were a two-guitar band, so Ace got Slash to come in and solo back and forth, answering each other like Gorham and Robertson. The two go toe-to-toe in a blur of Gibson Les Pauls.
Led Zeppelin had a serious impact on young Kiss, and Ace’s covering of “Bring it on Home” is inspired and transformational. Lord knows what guitar effects Ace has up his sleeve, but he nails this Zep classic without any missteps. Ace sings the bluesy intro, but drummer Scot Coogan ably handles the higher main vocal.
One of the most notorious and difficult songs to cover without sounding like an asshole is “Wild Thing”, 51 years old and still inspiring cover versions. Lita Ford makes a surprise appearance on both lead guitar and vocals, and she sounds amazing on both counts. There is just no good reason to cover “Wild Thing”, because the Troggs did that definitively in 1966 and that’s that. More significant is Frehley’s update to his own “Parasite”, a song originally from 1974’s Hotter Than Hell. Gene Simmons sang it originally, though Ace wrote it. Speaking of “definitive”, it’s very tempting to think of this as Ace’s conclusive statement on “Parasite”. After all, Hotter Than Hell was sonically pretty disappointing. Plus Ace had 40+ years to grow as a guitarist since then, and believe it — Ace blows the doors off “Parasite”. This is a song worth buying the CD for.
Unfortunately “Parasite” is book-ended by two songs that didn’t need remakes, the first being “Wild Thing” and the second “Magic Carpet Ride”. Ace does inject it with his trademark fun style, but it’s all very unnecessary. Brilliant playing though.
A second Kiss update is “Cold Gin”, featuring Mike McCready of Pearl Jam. Like “Parasite”, Gene Simmons sang the original, but “Cold Gin” was one of the first stone cold classic Ace-written Kiss tunes. Ace has every right to try and reclaim it as his, a difficult task since the Kiss Alive! version is the only one you will ever truly need. Now with Ace doing the vocals and more soloing added, this version can perhaps be considered the second most important take — the one with Ace singing.
A pretty standard Kinks cover (“Til the End of the Day”) works fine. You can trust Ace to know how to treat the Kinks. The final and possibly biggest surprise is the final Kiss cover. The odd thing about it is that Ace never played on the original version of “Rock and Roll Hell”. This tune came from the batch that Kiss wrote with Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance in the early 80’s. It was recorded for 1982’s Creatures of the Night, the album that Ace didn’t participate in, before leaving the band. He appeared on the cover, he appeared in the videos, and fans didn’t know any differently, but Ace didn’t play or write anything on Creatures. In fact Ace never heard “Rock and Roll Hell” until recently. When coming up for ideas of songs to cover for Origins Vol. 1, Ace’s label rep Ken Gulick burned Ace a CD of tracks to listen to for consideration. (The CD contained two Who songs, two Cheap Trick songs, and mind-blowingly, two by Rush.)* Because Gulick felt that Ace had some unfinished business with Creatures of the Night, he also included two songs from Creatures on the CD. The ballad “I Still Love You” was the other track. Frehley apparently went bonkers for the Simmons-sung “Rock and Roll Hell”, and now we finally get to hear what might have been if Ace hadn’t left Kiss when he did. Perhaps if Ace was in good enough shape, Simmons could have given him “Rock and Roll Hell” to sing, and it would have sounded something like this. Matt Starr’s drums are given a similar echoey treatment to replicate Eric Carr’s sound from the original LP.
Does this close the book for Ace making amends with his Kiss past? I sure hope note. Vol. 1 implies a Vol. 2. If Ace were to continue covering Kiss tunes he never had the chance to sing in the studio, that leaves “Strange Ways”, “Comin’ Home” and possibly more that he could consider updating with his stamp. Although Origins has some “blah” moments as most covers albums do, among the highlights are undoubtedly the Kiss tracks. They push the album out from being a mere curiosity, to a must-have for any Kiss fan.**
** Made a double must-have by the low low price. I paid $12.88 at Wally World (plus I scored a“holy shit, jackpot”load of rare Star Wars figures). HMV were charging $15.99, and had him filed under “Ace Freshley“. HMV – the music store – has Ace’s name spelled wrong. Yet one more strike against the once-mighty HMV chain! See below for the evidence.
“ACE FRESHLEY” at HMV
Jackpot at Wally World
For Jon Wilmenius’ excellent review of this album, click here.
mikeladano.com 