Disc 55 is...The Elder
Artist: KISSYear of Release: 1981
How I Came To Know It: As I mentioned the last time I reviewed KISS, this is likely the first band I ever knew. In the case of "The Elder", it is the last KISS album I've ever got. For almost a decade now my buddy (and fellow KISS fan) Spence has been asking me "Did you buy KISS: The Elder yet?" and I dutifully answered no. I guess he got tired of waiting, because the last time I saw him, he just bought it for me. Very cool - thanks, Spence!
How It Stacks Up: I was really pleasantly surprised by this album. I now have 11 KISS albums. I'd say this is around 7th or 8th, which is pretty good. I'd say 7th.
Rating: 3 stars.
"The Elder" is KISS' concept album. In 1981 they wanted to do something different, and so Bob Ezrin suggested a concept album. While some shriek in horror at the notion, I am a notorious sucker for a concept album - no wonder Spence knew I'd like this one.
In this case, the story is about as schlocky as you would expect from a hard rock concept album. There is some horrible evil that appears "once in every age" and some wise dude known as "The Elder" is responsible for finding a training a champion to defeat the evil.
This may sound lame, but almost thirty years of role playing games makes this plot seem pretty basic and reasonable. All it needs is an added location where "everyone who has ever gone there never returns" that our hero can go to...and then return.
But never mind goofy concept album plots, how is the music you ask? Damned fine. The music is excellent, and KISS plays well on this album. It could use a little more Ace Frehley, and the track that sounds most like him (Dark Light) is not his strongest work, but I really love the KISS lineup when it is the originals, but with Eric Carr in place of Peter Criss. Each to his own, but I really dig Eric Carr's drumming.
It also helps that this album is produced by the undisputed King of Seventies Rock, His Majesty, Bob Ezrin. Ezrin does all kinds of great KISS albums, and a bunch of great Alice Cooper besides. He also rules the world of the concept album. KISS wanted the best; they got the best. Get it? Get it?
Anyway, the songs are predominantly strong (with the notable exception of the stinker "Escape From the Island"). I really like the ridiculously over the top (but awesome) Mr. Blackwell.
Overall, the lyrics read like they were written by me in Grade 6, as part of some dreamy project to turn a KISS record into a book that would then be made into some kind of rock and roll fantasy musical.
Of course, I deny ever doing such a thing. I didn't even know about "The Elder!" In point of fact my hard rock fantasy novel/screenplay opus was entirely based on "Destroyer" (God of Thunder was the bad guy's theme song). I find it funny that I would have been hard at work on my crazy idea in 1981...likely the same time as KISS. Let's just say their's is better.
Should you buy this album? Verily!
Best tracks: Only You, Under the Rose, The Oath, Mr. Blackwell
3 comments:
This one slipped under my radar...
Thanks for shining a light on it.
I remember buying this on cassette an an import from the Neatherlands in 1987, as it was a reviled KISS album and out of print. I managed to pick up The Elder and Killers from the same place...and felt fortunate to find them both to complete my KISS collection (at that time.) I always really enjoyed it though and still do. I thought that it was actually done as a soundtrack to a movie that was shelved during production. Any truth to that?
My understanding is that they wrote this as though it were a movie soundtrack, but there was never any movie. I'm not certain, though.
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