TONIC – “If You Could Only See” (1997 Polygram CD single)
Tonic’s Lemon Parade was not a bad album at all. Regardless of the strength of its deep cuts, it is now known for one song: “If You Could Only See”. It put Tonic on the map, and it also put a bullet in their career. If you’re over a certain age, you remember the powerful and tasteful ballad from when it hit the charts in 1997. I had the album already. I bought it when it first came out, after reading a glowing review in the local paper and seeing a used copy pop in at the Record Store. Finding Jack Joseph Puig’s name in the producer credits got my attention too.
The single for “If You Could Only See” features the well known album version. Acoustic, but only until the guitars punch in, this is a ballad with crunch and heart. It’s a true story of an argument that singer Emerson Hart had with his mother, over a woman she did not approve of. He simply said “If you could only see the way she loves me, maybe you would understand.” And with that a song was born. A hit song.
Three live tracks from Amsterdam round out the CD single. Album opener “Open Up Your Eyes” is not a lightweight live version either, clocking in at over seven minutes. Guitars drone and cry until they form the song’s main riff. It’s not an overly heavy live version, just an awesome one where you can hear all the instruments clearly. It breaks down in the middle, when the band plays at lower volume and gives the guitar space to just jam. Great tune, and one that deserved more attention.
“Thick” was never one of the album highlights, but the live version is superior. The vocals aren’t as high pitched, and it’s a more laid back vibe. Not perfect, but more appealing than the album. There’s some cool haphazard guitar shenanigans towards the end that are worth checking out.
Shame that “Casual Affair” is the shortest of the live tracks as it kicks the heaviest. Not as tight or as slamming as the album version, but live versions are what they are.
These are not the greatest live tracks that have ever been put on a single, but certainly a welcome addition to any Tonic collection. Their use of slide guitars and acoustics instruments separated them slightly from the rest of the competition. Vintage live by the original lineup, and why not.
DEF LEPPARD – High ‘n’ Dry (The Early Years Disc 2) (Originally 1981, 2019 remaster)
Leppard’s pride in their debut album only extended so far. They knew that the sound they heard in their heads was not captured on tape. So they waited, and waited, and waited, until AC/DC producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange was available. When he had completed the recording of Foreigner’s 4 (six million copies sold), they got to work on Leppard’s second record. And work they did, with the band members unsure after many takes if they could even play it any better. They could, and they did. With Lange on hand to help refine the songs they had written, Leppard had never sounded better.
Today, High ‘n’ Dry is often cited by diehards as the band’s best record. It bares the teeth of AC/DC, but the attention to melody and harmony was typical of more commercial bands. It was a winning combination; High ‘n’ Dry has no filler songs.
The sharp opener “Let It Go” makes the changes apparent. A better recording, a more confident (and screamy) Joe Elliott, and an incessant bass groove propels it. The guitars cleverly lay back until necessary for the big rock chorus. All dynamics missing from On Through the Night. This time, they could afford a real cow bell — no more tea kettle! With “Let It Go” opening on such a solid, fast note, where do we go from here? No letting up! “Another Hit and Run” is even better, with quiet parts contrasting with the increasingly heady! Joe has found his voice, and uses it to rip and shred. Don’t try to follow the lyrics — it’s all about how the frontman screams them at you.
Finally, Rick Allen is permitted to slow down for the sleek, slower groove of “High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)”. This tenacious track takes its time to blow you away. It was also one of three they recorded in a single session for music video purposes.
Another video from that session was the hit ballad “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak”, although MTV aside, it didn’t really have the intended impact until later. Originally titled “A Certain Heartache”, with Mutt’s help they steered it away from its Zeppelin-y origins and honed it closer to a hit. Sad verses are coupled with a chuggy riff at the chorus, which is beefed up by the backing vocals of Mutt and the band, gradually finding that sound step by step. The lyrics are nothing to write home about with, “You got the best of me,” predictably rhyming with “Oh can’t you see.” But then the track ends not with a total fade, but with the urgent pulse of a new bass track. It’s the brilliant instrumental “Switch 625”, paired with the ballad as if to say “don’t worry folks, we haven’t lightened up.” Leppard were, after all, a part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands. “Switch 625” is something that would have generated melting heat on that scene. Written solely by Steve Clark, this is one instrumental that is not filler in any way. It’s a song.
So ended side one, but side two commenced with the crash of “You Got Me Runnin'”, a single-worthy number that scorches the skin with its burning tower of riffs. Joe bemoans a girl that he don’t trust, while Steve Clark and Pete Willis do their best Angus and Malcolm. Rick Allen, all of 17 years old now, keeps the beat minimal while Rick Savage maintains the pulse on bass. When Pete breaks in with his guitar solo, it’s one of the best of his time with Leppard. But it’s the crucial chorus that keeps you coming back, a singalong brute with gang vocals that could have been lifted from an era past.
Then things get eerie with “Lady Strange”, hurling multiple riffs at the speakers, and boasting a chorus to back it all up. Tough guy Joe claims to have never needed love before meeting his “Lady Strange”. This is the only track with a Rick Allen co-writing credit, and features a scorcher of a Clark guitar solo. Elliott’s screams have never sounded more tormented. Brilliant stuff.
Without a break, we plow “On Through the Night”, and one of the fastest tracks on the album. There’s a surprising, quiet Zeppelin-y middle breakdown that’s welcome, but otherwise this track is built for speed. “Rock n’ roll is no safety net!” screams Joe. If there were any single track to delete from High ‘n’ Dry, you could make an argument for “On Through the Night”. However, fact is you need it to set up “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)”.
Displaying their penchant for parentheses, “Mirror, Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)” takes Def Leppard back to dark territory. A single spare Clark riff carries the song while Allen and Savage lay back. It’s the kind of brilliant construction that Clark was becoming the master of. Tension building riffs, stinging solos, topped with another perfect Joe Elliott vocal melody.
Finally it’s the all-out chaos of “No No No”, a memorable way to close out a hell of an album. Breakneck pacing, top lung screaming, and a blitz of a Willis riff. Melody? Unimportant! If the guitars weren’t so obviously well arranged, this could have been punk rock.
Different versions of “No No No” run different lengths. This one is 3:12 with a slight fade and then abrupt stop. One can never go wrong with an original vinyl LP, featuring an infinite groove at the end, with Joe Elliott shouting “No!” over and over again, until you either stop the record yourself, or wait until the ultimate end of the universe — your choice. Another variation of interest is the the 1984 reissue of High ‘n’ Dry, with two remixed bonus tracks. We will discuss those later as they are included on Disc Four of this set.
Praise today for High ‘n’ Dry is fairly universal. Martin Popoff rated it higher than Pyromania. It truly is a remarkable photograph (pun intended) of a brief period in Def Leppard when they were still solidly riff-focused, but with the moderate temperance of Mutt Lange. A period that has never and can never be repeated.
When reports surfaced that Kiss were in the studio working on a song with country star Garth Brooks, some assumed this was to be a bonus track for the forthcoming Kiss Alive III. Little did we realize that Kiss were actually working on their own tribute album.
In the early 1990s, tribute albums were all the rage. Common Thread: the Songs of the Eagles. Stone Free: a Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Out of the Blue and Borrowed Tunes: tributes to Neil Young. There were many more, and Kiss were not on the trailing edge of this trend. They beat Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to the market.
Kiss My Ass was the clever title, but it was not the first. 1990’s Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation featured soon-to-be-famous bands like Melvins and Nirvana. The ever-enterprising Kiss decided to corner the market with their own official tribute to themselves.
To toot their own horn, Kiss included a list of not only the musicians who appeared on Kiss My Ass, but even the ones that didn’t. Nirvana is on the list. According to the Melvins though, the truth is that they only dropped Kurt’s name as a guest on their track, because Gene didn’t seem too interested otherwise. Nine Inch Nails were going to do “Love Gun”. Both Ugly Kid Joe and Megadeth wanted to tackle “Detroit Rock City”. It’s hard to imagine what songs Run D.M.C. and Bell Biv Devoe were supposed to record, or Tears for Fears for that matter. Take this list with a grain of salt!
Kiss My Ass (or A** if you bought it from Walmart) is a weird album. It’s scattershot and not immediately likeable. It collected 11 (12 if you include the bonus track) covers by a diverse assortment of 90s artists. The cover art sucks and lacks the Kiss logo and Ace’s real makeup (which Kiss did not have the rights to in 1994). The only cool gimmick the cover had was the background flag was unique to the country of release. A Kiss album with a Canadian flag is neat to own.
The album hits the ground running with some 70s cred, as Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder do “Deuce”. Lenny funks it up while Stevie brings the harmonica. This is an example of a simply terrific cover. The artists put their own spin on it, changing its style but not its drive.
“Hard Luck Woman” was already up Garth Brooks’ alley. His version doesn’t stray from the Kiss original, and even features Kiss (uncredited) as his backing band! That makes it an official Kiss recording, just with a guest singer of sorts. Arguably the biggest country singer of all time, and a closet Kiss fan. The Garth Brooks track threw a lot of people for a loop, though it’s an easy song to digest.
Kiss only participated in two songs: the Garth track, and Anthrax’s “She”. Anthrax insisted that Paul and Gene produce it, and they did a great job of it. Anthrax are brilliant at doing covers anyway. John Bush-era Anthrax was truly something special, and “She” slams hard. Heavy Kiss songs made heavier are such a delight.
The Gin Blossoms turned in a very mainstream, very mid-90s version of “Christine Sixteen”. It kicks about as hard as the original, but something about it is very tame. After all, singer Robin Wilson is not Gene Simmons (which is probably a good thing), and guitarist Scotty Johnson is not Ace Frehley. Far worse through is Toad the Wet Sprocket’s soggy “Rock and Roll all Nite”, a buzzkilling country fart. “Calling Dr. Love” by Shandi’s Addiction (a collection of assorted big names) is also a hard pill to swallow. This quartet consists of (are you ready for it?): Maynard James Keenan – lead vocals. Tom Morello & Brad Wilk – guitar and drums. Billy Gould – bass. So, it’s Rage Against the Machine with the singer from Tool and a bass rumble right out of Faith No More. And the track is just as schizophrenic as you’d expect. It’s both brilliant and annoying as fuck.
J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. used his unique vision on “Goin’ Blind”, turning Gene’s murky song into something even darker. Then bright shimmers of a string section break through the clouds, shadowing everything dramatically. It’s a brilliant track. Much like Kravitz, J. Mascis took the song and changed the style but not direction. You could say the same for Extreme who do a brilliant spin on “Strutter”. Though by 1994 Extreme were well over in the public eye, they continued to push their own boundaries. “Strutter” became something slower and funkier, with Nuno Bettencourt slipping all over the fretboard and Gary Cherone pouring it all on. This is primo Punchline-era Extreme (Paul Geary still on drums). And listen for a segue into “Shout it Out Loud”!
The Lemonheads chose “Plaster Caster” from Love Gun, a sloppy garage rock version, and score a passing grade. It’s an admirable effort, but they are quickly overshadowed by their fellow Bostonians, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The Bosstones had the balls to open their track with a phone message from Gene Simmons advising them to pick another song. “Dicky, about Detroit Rock City…” Ugly Kid Joe had dibs. Any other song would be fine…and then WHAM! The opening chords to “Detroit Rock City”. Gene was gracious enough to appear in the video. Their disciplined ska-punk horn ensemble lays waste to the town. Dicky Barrett’s gravelly throat is like a sniper taking out anyone left standing. The Bosstones win the whole CD, hands down. There is little doubt that Dicky Barrett would have shaken unfortunate Kiss fans unfamiliar with the Bosstones. Today it’s clear that they stole the show with their mighty, mighty cover.
The closest match to the Bosstones in terms of excellence, is a polar opposite. It’s Yoshiki (from X-Japan) and his orchestra version of “Black Diamond”. This is performed instrumentally with piano in the starring role. In this form, “Black Diamond” would make a brilliant movie theme. Yoshiki closes the album in style, unless you choose to go further and get the LP. Proceed with caution.
The vinyl bonus track by Die Ärzte is the only non-makeup Kiss track included: “Unholy”. This is a garbage version (in German no less) that you don’t need to spend your money finding. It’s only interesting when it briefly transitions into “I Was Made For Loving You”. Want a good version of “Unholy”? Check out the 2013 tribute A World With Heroes.
By 1994, Kiss needed a boost. Grunge was omnipresent and Kiss looked silly and outdated, even with their beards and scruffier appearance. Kiss My Ass was clearly a transparent attempt to try and latch onto some fans of the newer breed. Maybe some Lenny Kravitz fans would like it. If a few Garth Brooks followers bought a copy too, then bonus! But Garth Brooks fans didn’t buy the album, turned off by the cover art and tracklist. Likewise, fans of Lenny Kravitz, Tool and Rage Against the Machine didn’t run out en-masse either.
Fortunately Kiss had plenty of cards left in their deck. There was a Kiss My Ass spinoff video, a tour, and a coffee table book all in the works. This seemed to distract from the oft-rumoured next Kiss studio album. More next time.
A brief club tour warmed ’em up. The full arena tour put Kiss back on the big stage, this time with a huge statue of liberty in addition to the Kiss sign. As the show went on, the statue crumbled to reveal a skulled figure…giving the finger. Not everybody got that. The tour suffered from very poor attendance in the United States, partly blamed on grunge, and partly blamed on a late start (October).
Regardless, it was clearly time for Kiss Alive III. There was early talk of Alive III back in 1986, set to follow the next studio album. That never materialised, and some would argue rightfully so. Kids of the 80s generation already had their own Alive III: It was called Animalize Live Uncensored, and with the benefit of hindsight, it easily could and should have been the official Alive III.
The real Kiss Alive III was issued in 1993, produced once again by Eddie Kramer, and in the sacred tradition of all Kiss Alives….was heavily overdubbed in the studio. It is the only Kiss Alive from the non-makeup era, and therefore the only Alive with the lineup of Stanely, Simmons, Kulick and Singer…and Derek Sherinian on ghost keyboards. He followed Eric Singer over from the Alice Cooper group.
Although there is some overlap with Kiss Alive and Alive II, the third instalment is largely made of newer material, like opener “Creatures of the Night”. Some fans were upset that “Detroit Rock City” was moved to the end of the set, but a shakeup on a Kiss setlist is usually a good thing. Opening with “Creatures” was fresh and set the scene firmly back to the heavy sound of 1982, which really seemed to be what Kiss were trying to re-create.
Gene takes over on “Deuce” (1st repeat – Kiss Alive) and for the first time in years it seemed like Gene didn’t look and act goofy on stage. Give credit to the beard. It finally gave Gene an image he could work with. Meanwhile on stage right, Kulick nails a vintage Kiss guitar sound, but without losing his technical advantages. Another first: Kulick finally sounded at home playing Ace Frehley guitar solos. His revamped greasy rock solos fit love a glove.
But wow, does that crowd noise ever sound fake, and fans say that Paul’s stage raps were recorded later, because they’re not from Detroit, Cleveland or Indianapolis where the album was recorded. “I Just Wanna” is the first Revenge track, but it sounds sterile like a studio version with glistening backing vocals. It’s also too early in the album to stop the song for a singalong (and a bad singalong at that). That’s followed by a fairly flat “Unholy” which, Kiss were discovering, didn’t work as well on stage. Paul’s “Woo-woo” intro to “Heaven’s On Fire” sounds very dubbed, but the track smokes hotter than it did on prior tours. You can hear Eric Singer clearly on backing vocals, adding a bit of sweetener to the mix.
“Watchin’ You” came as a surprise, an oldie from Hotter Than Hell (and 2nd repeat – Kiss Alive). With Eric Singer on drums, they captured the jazzy Peter Criss drum vibe once again, but this time with more power and precision. This is as close as it ever got to original Kiss. Some would say it’s even better than original Kiss, but that would just be stating a preference.
Back to Revenge, “Domino” is the first song to really click live. That’s probably because it was always close to that vintage Kiss vibe. Another surprise is rolled out: “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” from 1979’s Dynasty, but Wikipedia says this version was recorded at soundcheck. Whatever the case may be, it’s not as purely heavy as the one on bootleg Unholy Kisses but it’s still good to have it on an Alive. A set highlight is “I Still Love You” from Creatures, a real chance for Paul to sing. In 1992 and 1993, Paul was arguably at his vocal peak strength.
They chose an interesting slot for “Rock and Roll all Nite”: the first track on side two (original cassette version, side three for LP)! Again, some fans loudly stated a preference for “Rock and Roll all Nite” (3rd repeat – Kiss Alive) as a closer, but it’s stale no matter where it sits. It’s followed by 80s classic “Lick It Up”, a good song but always a little sparse in the live setting. Don’t forget the overplayed “I Love It Loud” which was chosen as the only Alive III single.
“Forever” is a little surprising by its inclusion in the setlist that. A good ballad, yes: but was a ballad necessary? It must have been because according to Paul “Every time we play this one, the place lights up like a damn Christmas tree.” Also true: Paul’s stage raps are not at all memorable this time out. A great example is “Detroit Rock City”, although that may also just be that “Detroit” doesn’t belong near the end of an album (4th repeat – Kiss Alive II).
There was a Japanese/vinyl bonus track, finally available on wider release within the Alive! 1975–2000 box set: “Take It Off”. This is the one where the strippers came up on stage; yes indeed, a calculated move to shed Kiss’ kiddie image in the 1990s. As a live song, it’s way better than “I Just Wanna”.
Kiss closed the show with the complex anthem “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II” followed by an actual anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” as a Bruce Kulick guitar showcase. This works surprisingly well to wrap up a Kiss Alive that is very different from the other Alives. Turn it up and hear the bombs bursting in air!
Where does Kiss Alive III sit today among the Alives? It’s not the worst Alive, but we’ll get there. Think of it like a movie. Superman was amazing, and nobody expected Superman II to be as good as Superman. But it was good enough to make a Superman III which wasn’t as good as I or II. In reality, Superman III was a total bed-shit, but Alive III is not. For its flaws, it is a pretty good live album. There were a lot of live albums out in 1993 for Kiss to compete with: Iron Maiden (two singles), Ozzy (a double), Van Halen (a double) and Metallica (a triple CD and triple VHS monstrosity). Alive III is better than most of them (you figure out which). Kiss were only modestly asking you to part with a single CD’s worth of money, and if you bought it at certain stores you’d get an Alive III poster while supplies lasted.
Today’s rating:
3.5/5 stars
Alive III finally behind them, Kiss were still not ready to record their next studio album. For better or for worse, the post-Alive III era was a complicated, scattershot period with a few interesting releases to cover.
The first three-year gap between Kiss albums. The first Kiss record produced by Bob Ezrin since 1981. The first shared Simmons/Stanley lead vocal in ages. The first lineup change since 1984. And saddest of all, Kiss’ first album without Eric Carr since 1980. Revenge was a shakeup for fans and band alike.
The pendulum of rock had swung back to “heavy”, with Metallica scorching the charts and grunge pummelling everyone else with new sounds. It was obvious that Kiss had to go heavier, too. In 1992, most rock bands had to sink or swim. In order to swim, bands tended to heavy things up. A lot of the time they called it “going back to the roots”.
Kiss began making tentative steps back that way. Hot in the Shade(1989) toned down a lot of the keyboards and 80s trappings. On tour, they played more old material like “Dr. Love”, “God of Thunder”, and “I Was Made for Loving You”. Then, as an experiment, they got back together with Bob Ezrin for a song from a movie soundtrack. Everyone was writing, even the sick Eric Carr. The initial plan was to have Eric play on half the new album, so he could have time to recover from his cancer surgery. The drummer from Paul Stanley’s solo tour, Eric Singer, was available to play on the other half. Singer was on tour with Alice Cooper during the summer of 1991, but would be home soon enough. Then, on November 24, Eric Carr passed.
The most obvious choice to replace Carr was Eric Singer. He was already working with the band, he knew the songs, and he was a fan. Bruce Kulick found him inspiring to have around, as Singer loved his guitar work. In fact the only thing about Eric Singer that didn’t fit was his hair colour!
The energetic new drummer was a godsend. With albums to his name by Black Sabbath and Badlands, Kiss couldn’t have asked for a more technically adept player. He could hit hard (though Eric Carr takes the belt in that regard) and he could authentically do any era of Kiss. Be it the early, slippery Peter Criss material or the heavy metal of Eric Carr, Singer had it all covered. And he could sing! Though we wouldn’t get there quite yet.
It was the heavy metal side that was most immediately apparent. The first track and first video from Revenge was “Unholy”, something very unlike anything Kiss had done before. And it came about in a most peculiar way. Enter: Vinnie Vincent.
Those who say “Vinnie saved Kiss” will point to “Unholy” as one such song that saved Kiss. After years of estrangement (and preceding even more), Vinnie came out to write with Gene and Paul. “Unholy” was one of three songs he contributed.
With a fury unlike any before, Gene Simmons and company swirl in rage on “Unholy”. The closest they got to this kind of heavy before would be Creatures, but there’s something just pissed off about it that wasn’t there before. With a concrete riff and angry slabs of drum tribalism, Kiss announced their return loudly. Not to be outdone, soloist Bruce Kulick laid down his noisiest guitar assault yet. There isn’t an ounce of fluff to “Unholy”.
Thanks to Bob Ezrin, Revenge is Kiss’ best sounding album since Lick It Up or Creatures. It’s no Destroyer, and it’s no Elder. This time they cut the extras down to the bone, leaving the four Kiss guys to rock it themselves. Err, mostly themselves. That’s Kevin Valentine on drums for the second song, “Take It Off”. Strange that Kiss continued to have ghost musicians on albums when they clearly didn’t need to. An ode to strippers, “Take It Off” is lyrically juvenile, but gleams like stainless steel. Paul Stanley wrote it with Ezrin and ex-Alice Cooper guitarist Kane Roberts, and it could have been used as a single had Revenge needed another. A dirty, dirty single.
Paul, Bruce and Ezrin composed “Tough Love” with a slower, chunky riff. Kulick’s solo is remarkable, but it’s also just nice hearing Paul do a sex song that has some balls. There is no “X” in this sex, although there’s a little BDSM for the 50 Shades crowd. Then, teaming up with Gene, they do their first co-write and co-lead vocals together in the first time in a dog’s age. “Spit” is old school fun with a modern heavy edge. Bruce pays homage to Jimi Hendrix in his complex guitar solo, a composition all to itself. Eric Singer gets to throw down tricky beats and fills, making “Spit” one of the most deceptively clever songs Kiss has done.
“God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll To You II” was released as a single the year before. It was the experiment with Ezrin that kicked off Revenge in the first place. It was the only song that Eric Carr was alive for, and you can clearly hear him on backing vocals. Singer handled the drums, though Carr did it in the music video. The album mix is different from the single or soundtrack, in order to better suit the sonics of Revenge as its sole anthem.
Gene tells a story about a girl who “kisses like the kiss of death” to end side one. “Domino” hearkens back to early Kiss, with a sparse arrangement and Gene playing rhythm guitar instead of Paul. This greasy rocker just screams “Kiss”. There is nobody else with songs like “Domino”. It was the third single from Revenge, sporting a nifty video with Gene cruising around in a convertible while Kiss plays as a trio! Paul Stanley: bass guitar.
“Heart of Chrome”, the second Vinnie Vincent collaboration, rocks with attitude. Once again, anger seems to be the emotion of the day. The 90s-look Kiss could deliver anger in spades. Then Gene takes the mantle on “Thou Shalt Not”.
He said “kindly reconsider the sins of your past,” I said “Mister you can kindly kiss my ass.”
These are not songs for the Kiss hits mix tape you’re making for your roadtrip. These are songs to be experienced in context of the album, where they deliver mighty riffs and enough hooks for the long-player. “Thou Shalt Not” has another one of those Kulick solos that could be a study in string manipulation, and Singer just keeps it kicking the whole way through.
You could choose from two schools of thought regarding “Every Time I Look at You”. As the album’s only true ballad, some see it as a mistake on a record as heavy as Revenge. Others see it as a reprieve from a fairly relentless onslaught. Indeed, it does sound as if from another album. With a string section, Ezrin on piano, and Dick Wagner on ghost guitar, one could even argue that it’s an album highlight. A little re-sequencing though, and you probably wouldn’t even miss it.
Gene makes it heavy again on “Paralyzed”, not an outstanding track but a little funkier than usual. “I Just Wanna” is far more entertaining, though it is a shameless and obvious rip-off from “Summertime Blues”. It was chosen as the second single, and lo and behold, it’s the third Vinnie Vincent song too. “I Just Wanna” is immediately catchy and memorable for days. Probably because you already knew it as “Summertime Blues”.
As a touching surprise, Revenge ends on an instrumental called “Carr Jam 1981”. Bob Ezrin dug up an old demo from The Elder with a hot riff and a complete drum solo. It had been bootlegged before, notably on Demos 1981-1983, but not with very good sound. Ace Frehley even recorded it as “Breakout” on his second solo album. Ezrin cleaned up the original demo for Revenge, edited it for length, and overdubbed Bruce on lead guitar. “Carr Jam” has become Eric’s signature drum solo. Placing it here at the end of Revenge was not only poignant but also just great sequencing.
Album in hand, now it was time to tour. Kiss would start with a short run in the clubs. More on that next time.
SCORPIONS – World Wide Live (1985 Polygram, 2 record set)
The first waves of CD releases generally sucked. Double live albums like World Wide Live,Live After Death, Stages and Exit…Stage Left were edited down to fit on a single CD. One way to ensure you got the complete album (with great sound) was to just go and buy an original vinyl. That is still the best way to enjoy World Wide Live.
The Scorpions were at a peak in 1985. The Love at First Sting tour was one of the biggest metal shows of the decade, but the band hit a speed bump after. This double live album was culled from five shows (three in the US and two in Europe), and sequenced for impact.
“Coming Home” and “Blackout” are a pair of bruisers. One can detect vocal overdubs (sounds like two or three Klauses singing at once on the choruses) but they are largely unobtrusive. Surely most of the album must be live. You can appreciate why the Scorpions were (and still are) huge. Riffs slice from one side to the other, while Klaus Meine dive-bombs like a screaming Stuka. They also had the music. Love at First Sting produced a number of hits (all here). Nothing from the early (Uli Roth) days though, which means the album leans towards the streamlined-style Scorpions. Older stuff would have been nice, but also would have overlapped with their prior double live, Tokyo Tapes. None of that material was in their current set either.
This is a minor quibble. These are the ultimate live versions of classic tunes like “Loving You Sunday Morning”, “Make it Real”, “Coast to Coast”, “Big City Nights”, “Can’t Live Without You” and all the rest. The ballads (“Holiday”, “Still Loving You”) are awesome too, and stacked together so you can get the ballads out of the way and back to rocking again. Scorpions must surely be one of the definitive ballad bands in metal. These two are legendary.
Side 4 is pretty epic: “The Zoo”, “No One Like You”, and an extended “Can’t Get Enough” with Jabs solo. Klaus Meine has an endearing German accent; everybody loves when he tells California that they really know how to partaaaay! (This was immortalised by Sebastian Bach in Season 7 of Trailer Park Boys where he performs a killer Klaus impression.)
Your wisest course of action should be clear. Pick up both Tokyo Tapes and World Wide Live, on vinyl, and get all the best Scorpions tunes done up live. This is good stuff.
All hail the mightyAaron of the KMA. He is a very generous man. He is known to send parcels to friends all over the world, and he always keeps an eye out for things that people look for. He’s incredible that way, and he deserves a tremendous amount of recognition for all he does for the Community.
BON JOVI – Red Hot and 2 Parts Live (1985 red vinyl Polygram EP)
Preamble: Although I forgot about this, back in the fall Aaron did his regular Toronto shopping excursion. He found a Bon Jovi 12″ single that I’d never seen before. But I was tapped out, cash wise. I had done my own Toronto trip to pick up an an absolutely massive toy for my collection. Apparently he texted me about the Bon Jovi, and I asked him to leave it there because I couldn’t afford it. Naturally he bought it anyway and secretly stashed it away.
Aaron sent me a big box of goodies for Christmas (and reviews of those will come too!) but the Bon Jovi was the centerpiece. I didn’t actually open this box of goodies until Easter. Due to illness and circumstance, our family finally just got around to celebrating Christmas. I saved his box until then.
This three song EP, on brilliant clear red vinyl, has two live tracks and one remix. “Hardest Part is the Night” (from7800° Fahrenheit) was mixed by David Theoner though the differences are minor. Interestingly, it was also issued as its own single with “Always Run to You” on the B-side.
The other two tracks were recorded live in Japan in 1985. “Tokyo Road” was later released on the remastered 7800° Fahrenheit as a bonus track, but that CD doesn’t look nearly as pretty as this vinyl. It’s a little odd hearing Jon introduce it by saying, “Welcome back to ‘Tokyo Road’…” when in fact they were the visitors in Tokyo, but whatever! Jon’s the professional frontman, not me. “In and Out of Love” is the real treat, featuring an extended guitar solo, and a different version from the one on 7800° Fahrenheit. The track is still over 10 minutes long with all that (smoking) noodlin’, but Sambora fans who miss him will want to have this.
Fans of early Bon Jovi — hunt down this EP. Get it or live your life without this awesome live Bon Jovi that you won’t get otherwise.
– “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” (1991 Interscope single)
Kiss’ Hot in the Shade tour wasn’t a sellout, but it was well received by fans who appreciated that a bunch of older songs were back in the set. The tour was unfortunately highlighted by the June 15, 1990 date in Toronto, igniting a feud with Whitesnake. Kiss were third on a four-band bill, with David Coverdale, Steve Vai and company in the headlining slot. Paul Stanley used his stage raps to complain that Whitesnake wouldn’t let them use their full setup, including a giant sphinx. When Whitesnake hit the stage, it was to a chorus of boos. Steve Vai later stated that it was the first time he had ever been booed. Vai once even walked onstage to the sound of people chanting “Yngwie! Yngwie! Yngwie!”, but he had never been booed until the incident with Kiss in Toronto.
When the tour wrapped up in November, Kiss took a few months off before gearing up again in the new year. It was to be another album, another tour, but suddenly real life interfered.
Eric Carr hadn’t been feeling well. Flu-like symptoms turned out to be heart cancer. Simultaneously, Kiss received an offer to record a song for the sequel to Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Carr underwent surgery in April, with chemotherapy following. Having little choice, Kiss recorded without him. Eric Singer, who had performed so well on Paul Stanley’s solo tour, filled in on drums. Eric Carr, in a wig, was able to play for the music video taping. He gave his all, and did a full day’s shoot, with excellent (pun intended) results.
Unfortunately a rift was developing, with Eric Carr feeling shunned and excluded from Kiss. He was afraid he was going to be replaced, permanently, and his relationship with the band was strained. Although everybody hoped Eric would make a full recovery, he passed away from a brain haemorrhage on November 24, 1991. Eric Carr was 41.
On the same date, Freddie Mercury of Queen succumbed to AIDS. Carr’s death was barely mentioned in the news, including Rolling Stone magazine who missed it completely, prompting a harsh reply from Kiss:
If anything positive came from Eric Carr’s death, it was that Kiss were going to put all that anger and frustration back into the music. The music was to be their Revenge.
It started with “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II”, a re-imagining of an old Argent song for the Bill & Ted movie. Eric Carr may not have been well enough to play drums, but that didn’t stop him from singing. His vocals on “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” were his last. The song wouldn’t be the same without Carr, as he can be heard sweetly harmonising with Paul Stanley. Eric Singer wasn’t credited on the single, or the final soundtrack for Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. It simply says “performed by Kiss”.
“God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” was important for two more reasons. First, and very significantly, it was produced by Bob Ezrin. Ezrin was responsible for the two albums that some consider Kiss’ best, and Kiss’ worst. It had been 10 years. A Kiss-Ezrin reunion was very big news for fans. It indicated that Kiss meant business this time. Secondly, “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” was the first Paul Stanley/Gene Simmons (with Bob Ezrin and Russ Ballard) co-writing credit since 1985, and their first shared vocals in ages upon ages.
Although it didn’t make waves in 1991, “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” has become enough of a favourite to make it onto 2015’s Kiss 40 compilation, and continue to be played live. It shows off what Kiss can really do. Yes, they can sing! Yes, they can play! This lineup could do it particularly well. It’s appropriate that Eric Carr went out on a good Kiss track. And Eric Singer was the right guy to continue.
There are three released versions of “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II”: The single edit (3:57), the soundtrack version (5:23) and the final 1992 version that was later released on the next Kiss album (5:19). The single edit cuts out too much of the grand, pompous arrangement, including the epic opening.
In an ironic twist, the version of “God Gave Rock & Roll to You II” that is in the movie has a guitar intro solo by Steve Vai. The same guy whose band got booed in Toronto thanks to Kiss.
The CD single is rounded out by two more songs from the Bill & Ted soundtrack, by Slaughter and King’s X. The King’s X track, “Junior’s Gone Wild” (previously reviewed in our mega King’s X series) has never been one of their better tunes, but as a non-album rarity, a nice one to have. Just don’t judge King’s X by this one track. Slaughter turned in something better, a fun party tune called “Shout It Out”, also a non-album recording. Slaughter, of course, were one of Kiss’ well-received opening acts on the Hot in the Shade tour. And what was their Kiss connection? Mark Slaughter and Dana Strum were in a band with Kiss’ old guitar player, called the Vinnie Vincent Invasion!
As work proceeded on the next LP, the world suddenly changed. Hard rock was out, and grunge took over MTV. This single bought Kiss a little bit of time, but it was going to be the longest gap between Kiss albums yet — three years. Revenge had to wait a little longer.
Kiss took the unusual step of waiting six months before going out on tour to support Hot in the Shade. Bands were having trouble selling out arenas. In the meantime they released singles and videos. “Hide Your Heart” came first in October of 1989. It did alright; for fans the best part of “Hide Your Heart” was seeing Paul Stanley playing guitar again in the music video. The CD single was nothing special; just the Paul Stanley A-side, backed by two Gene Simmons B-sides, as had become the norm. “Betrayed” and “Boomerang” were among the better Simmons tracks to chose from Hot in the Shade.
In January of the new year, they dropped what they hoped to be the big single, “Forever”. The excellent music video was an MTV hit, going to #1, while the single went to #8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. One reason the video was so well received is that it was a rare back-to-basics look at the band. It was just four guys playing together in a room. No girls, no gimmicks, no dancing. Featuring exceptional performances by Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick, “Forever” was one of those rare ballads with integrity. Having Bruce’s old Blackjack buddy, Michael Bolton, in the writing credits didn’t hurt.
Ace Frehley wasn’t impressed though. In the July 1990 issue of Guitar for the Practising Musician, he dismissed it as pop. He wasn’t wrong, but that doesn’t make “Forever” bad.
The single for “Forever” received a wider release on all three major formats (CD, vinyl and tape), and was expanded to EP length with four tracks. It also received something very rare for Kiss: a single exclusive remix, by Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero. It has some difference in levels and echo. However, every CD copy of this single has a flaw, a skip at 1:40 that shouldn’t be there. It’s not even a damaged CD; if you look at the track times, the single version is encoded few seconds shorter. In other words a faulty master was used on every CD single. You won’t find one without the skip. Vinyl and cassette don’t have the flaw.
Fortunately this oversight was fixed when Kiss released their box set a decade later. The correct remixed single version without flaw was remastered and included in the set.
The included B-sides are an interesting mix. From the Hot in the Shade album, there’s the Gene Simmons throwaway “The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away”. The other two are, strangely, two of Paul’s “new” tracks from Kiss Killers. The logic here was the Kiss Killers was (and still is) unreleased in North America. At least this gave us an easy way to get the amazing “Nowhere to Run” on CD.
Too bad about that flaw on the CD version. Otherwise this isn’t a bad little single.
Step one: Get Gene Simmons’ demon head back into the game.
Step two: Record a rock album, not a Bon-keyboard-Jovi-Kiss hybrid.
Throw in the kitchen sink while you’re at it. It’s Kiss, so what’s wrong with excess? Why not a new album with 15 tracks? Why not work with Vini Poncia, Desmond Child, Holly Knight, and Michael Bolotin Bolton? How about bringing in Tommy Thayer from Black ‘n Blue to co-write some tunes?
Why not indeed. The results yielded were interesting to say the least, and certainly more rock and roll than anything else Kiss did in the 1980s. It is also overall one of the hardest Kiss albums to listen to front to back. A for effort, D for songs. Its bloated and unfinished track list seemed like Kiss was trying really hard on one end, but gave up on the other.
Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons self-produced Hot in the Shade, after the negative experience with outsider Ron Nevison. This meant that there was no-one to push them to do better, as Bob Ezrin and Eddie Kramer would. No-one to say “no” to using demo tapes on the finished albums. No-one to say “no” to 15 tracks, to drum machines, and to sub-par songs.
Issues aside, Hot in the Shade is not all bad. At least you can say that Kiss went for it.
Opener “Rise to It” begins with something new: acoustic slide guitar (from Paul Stanley)! In a time when rock bands were re-discovering the blues, this old-timey touch was a welcome sound. The slide gives way to one of Paul’s most incendiary tracks of the decade. Written with expert songsmith Bob Halligan Jr., “Rise to It” hits all the right spots.
“Rise to It” was eventually chosen as a third single to promote Kiss’ upcoming 1990 tour. The music video opened a door that fans refused to allow them to close: Kiss in makeup again. Instead of the slide guitar intro, the video takes us to a theoretical 1975. Gene and Paul sit in the dressing room, applying their legendary whitepaint. The conversation was one that Gene and Paul may have had many times in the old days: musing on a life without makeup.
“I saw that review today. Some of those people don’t think this is gonna last. They think it’s a joke,” says Paul. Gene reassures them that it doesn’t matter as long as they believe in themselves.
“I bet you we could take the makeup off and it wouldn’t make any difference,” Paul retorts. Gene calls him nuts.
“Gene, there’s nothing we can’t do.”
“Still say you’re nuts.”
At the end of the video, there they were: Paul and Gene, Starchild and Demon, in makeup for the first time in seven years. What did it mean? Was it just hype? Of course it was. It would be seven more years before they’d do a tour in makeup again.
But it was cool, and it made many fans smile ear to ear.
Like all the previous Kiss albums from the non-makeup era, all three single/videos were Paul songs. Though “Rise to It” is the most noteworthy video, “Hide Your Heart” was first. This Stanley/Child/Knight outtake from Crazy Nights was actually first recorded by Bonnie Tyler in 1988. At the same time that Kiss were recording it for Hot in the Shade, Ace Frehley also did his own version for 1989’s Trouble Walkin’. Confusing? Kiss were the only band to have a semi-hit with it (#22 US).
As a nice change of pace from putting X’s in sex, the lyrics were a story about star-crossed lovers in gangland. “Tito looked for Johnny with a vengeance and a gun, Johnny better run better run,” sings Paul. In fact, “Hide Your Heart” does not get enough credit in fan circles for being lyrically different. At least it is recognised as a great tune from a poor album.
Kiss weren’t worried about competition from Ace and did indeed record the best version of “Hide Your Heart”.
The most notable single was the ballad “Forever” (and we will take a closer look at the CD single in the next instalment of this series). Michael Bolton was an old bandmate of Bruce Kulick’s from the Blackjack days. Before he was a superstar crooner, he was a rocker. Together he and Paul wrote “Forever”, which became the big hit (#8 Billboard hot 100).
As an acoustic ballad, “Forever” is far more palatable than the keyboardy “Reason to Live” from ’87. What gives it balls are the two unsung Kiss members: Kulick and Eric Carr. Eric’s heavy drumming on “Forever” really kicks it up a notch. Listen to that hammering 1-2-3-4 bit at the 1:05 mark. “When you’re strong you can stand on your own…” ONE TWO THREE FOUR on the snares. Heavy as fuck on a ballad! Then there’s Bruce’s acoustic solo, another first for Kiss. The temptation would be to record a ripping electric solo like everyone else. Bruce wrote and recorded a hook-laden acoustic solo that is as much a part of the song as the chorus.
Those are your three standouts from Hot in the Shade, leaving 12 more that don’t hit the same bar.
Of the remaining 12 tracks, Eric Carr’s lead vocal “Little Caesar” is significant. Making him sing “Beth” on Smashes, Thrashes & Hits was unfair and a cheat. “Little Caesar” is his “real” lead vocal debut. Originally written as “Ain’t That Peculiar” (later released on a Kiss box set), the words changed to reflect one of Eric’s nicknames. He was, after all, a little Italian guy! The funky “Little Ceasar” was performed entirely by Eric and Bruce Kulick.
US picture CD
Gene’s “Boomerang” (written for Crazy Nights with Bruce) may be noteworthy as the closest Kiss have ever gotten to thrash metal. Another Gene tune, “Cadillac Dreams” has a horn section and electric slide guitars. Paul’s “Silver Spoon” is augmented by soulful female backing vocals. You have to give them credit for stretching out and trying new things, but keeping it rock and roll.
Then there is a slew of filler, stuff that would never be played live nor remembered fondly. Gene has a number of generic sounding songs, heavy but uninteresting: “Betrayed”, “Prisoner of Love”, “Love’s a Slap in the Face”, “The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away”, and “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell”. Paul is also guilty of providing filler material. “Read My Body” isn’t bad, but sounds like his attempt to re-write “Pour Some Sugar On Me”. “King of Hearts” and “You Love Me to Hate You” both have good parts here and there, but not quite enough.
As unfocused as Hot in the Shade is, at least it was a step. Sure, adding horns and slides smacked of Aerosmith. Going almost-thrash was following, not leading. Musically, Kiss have never been leaders, but what they do is create their own confections from the ingredients of their best influences. Hot in the Shade represented a better mixture of ingredients, just without the discipline to mould them into 10 (just 10, not 15!) good songs.
Today’s rating:
1.5/5 stars
The story of the next three years in Kiss will be explored in a series of reviews on CD singles, live bootlegs, and solo releases. Don’t miss them!
TONIC – “If You Could Only See” (1997 Polygram CD single)
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