CD Odyssey Disc 502: KISS

This review marks the completion of an artist – I’ve now reviewed all twelve of my KISS albums.  I think this is the largest artist I’ve finished yet.  Most exciting, but as Alice Cooper would say, ‘we’ve still got a long way to go.’

Disc 502 is… Hotter Than Hell

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1974

What’s up with the Cover?  This is a terrible cover.  It looks like KISS is appearing on some cheap Japanese game show, and I can only assume this is Gene Simmons hard at work marketing the band internationally.  Peter Criss looks like some bimbo trying to get into the band photo (dressed appropriately like a streetwalker).  And worst of all are the thumbs with green nail polish in the upper corners.  Dear God, why did there have to be the thumbs?

How I Came To Know It:  I’ve told the tale about how I came to know KISS at a very early age – to read all about it go and look at my other KISS reviews.  This particular album was me drilling through their even earlier stuff as an adult, and liking what I found.

How It Stacks Up:  We have ten studio albums by KISS, not counting two of the four solo albums the band put out.  Of those ten, I’m going to put “Hotter Than Hell” at 5^th, bumping “Dynasty” down to 6^th in the process.

Also, as this is the last of my KISS reviews, tradition dictates that I now recap how they measured up:

1. Love Gun: 5 stars (reviewed at Disc 495)
2. Destroyer: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 210)
3. Dressed To Kill: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 318)
4. Self-Titled: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 321).
5. Hotter Than Hell: 4 stars (reviewed right here).
6. Dynasty:  4 stars but should’ve been 3 (reviewed at Disc 78).
7. Rock and Roll Over:  3 stars (reviewed at Disc 217).
8. The Elder:  3 stars (reviewed at Disc 55).
9. Lick It Up:  2 stars (reviewed at Disc 31).
10. Creatures of the Night:  2 stars (reviewed at Disc 383).

And the two solo albums:

1. Ace Frehley: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 94)
2. Gene Simmons: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 428)

If the two solo albums were in the main list, Frehley’s album would fit between “Hotter than Hell” and “Dynasty” and Simmons’ would be between “Lick It Up” and “Creatures of the Night.”

Rating:  4 stars

Late last week I had the opportunity to buy tickets to see KISS in my hometown, and listening to “Hotter Than Hell” reminded me why I’m glad I didn’t.  The band touring today isn’t KISS anymore.  Instead, tt was the band that made “Hotter Than Hell” that I fell in love with as a kid, and listening to this record reminds me why I still love that now extinct band today.

“Hotter Than Hell” is the middle of KISS’ first three records, and of the three it has the heaviest sound.  Ace’s guitar is thick and crunchy, particularly on harder tracks like “Got to Choose,” “Goin’ Blind,” and “Strange Ways.”  I don’t necessarily think this makes it better (in fact I slightly prefer the albums on either side to this one) but for this record it is the right decision.

Frehley also has a lot of writer credits on this record, which speaks well for it.  Ace is consistently the most legitimate rocker in the band, and his strong presence gives this album a weight that it wouldn’t have without him.

In retrospect, this is what is missing on a record like “Rock and Roll Over” where Paul and Gene have been allowed to run wild.  That record is fun, but the music feels subservient to the campy lyrics.  On “Hotter Than Hell” KISS’s lascivious shock-rockery is grounded in true rock and roll riffs, and heavy driving guitar.  The combination is a toe-tapping, head-banging good time.

The intro to the first song “Got to Choose” really benefits from Ace.  Paul does his usual lover-boy singing, complete with a little coquettish falsetto.  With the high harmonies of the band going ‘o, yeah!’ in the background the song could lose itself in a kitschy melody, but Ace grounds the whole thing with a thick guitar sound and a solo that wouldn’t be out of place in metal music ten years later.

“Got to Choose” has a noticeable bit of cowbell as well, and in fact the whole record has a whole lot of cowbell going on.  Will Ferrell would be proud.   In fact, on songs like “All The Way” I couldn’t help but think the song title referred to the amount of cowbell they decided to include.  In its own strange way, the ‘more cowbell’ approach works, and it isn’t like KISS was alone in the mid-seventies adding cowbell to their songs.  It was everywhere back then.

The title track is vintage early KISS, simple melodies with a tinge of fifties doo-wop mixed in with their proto-glam metal stylings as they warn us that the girl in question is so hot that she can both ‘leave you well done’ and ‘burn you like the mid-day son.”  Er…yeah.  KISS lyrics are an acquired taste.

There are a couple lesser tracks, notably the directionless “Let Me Go Rock and Roll” and “Comin’ Home” which tries to do way too much in way too little time (rock, glam, blues and a bit of Motown all in 2:39).

My favourite song on the record is the final track, “Strange Ways” – notably a Frehley song.  Exceptionally heavy guitar, raunchy vocals and some well-chosen chord progressions take this song out of camp and actually make it legitimately sexy.

Like most of KISS’ early efforts, this is a very short album, clocking in at only 33 minutes.  The songs are generally very short, with none over four minutes and a few under three.  I found myself wishing “Strange Ways” would go on a bit longer, because I liked the groove so much but generally I think the songs end tastefully when they should.

I often give this record short shrift in the KISS rotation, going with bigger splashes like “Love Gun” or “Destroyer” and when I want some early stuff, defaulting to their self-titled debut or “Dressed to Kill.”  It was great that the Odyssey made me pay a bit more attention to “Hotter Than Hell” and truly appreciate it as one of KISS’ hardest hitting true rock records.

Best tracks:  Got to Choose, Goin’ Blind, Hotter than Hell, Mainline, Strange Ways

CD Odyssey Disc 495: KISS

On my way to work today I ended up matching the movement (and pace) of a curb sweeper vehicle for about three blocks.  It seemed every little side road I went down, this guy went down as well.  In terms of listening to my album, this was like having someone vacuum the living room while you try to watch a football game.  I just shut the headphones off for half the walk.

Luckily, this minor setback did not prevent me from finishing my listen to this next kick ass record.

Disc 495 is… Love Gun

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1977

What’s up with the Cover?  Covers don’t get much cooler than this one.  A group of beautiful metal babes gather in the temple of KISS.  Presumably their prayers are answered when the entire pantheon appears between two pillars.  Even at the age of seven I knew I liked this cover, which captures rock and roll in all its majesty and ridiculousness.

How I Came To Know It:  At the same time as I bought KISS “Destroyer” at the tender age of six or seven (as noted back at my review of that album at Disc 210) my brother bought this album.  Looking back, it wouldn’t surprise me if he subtly influenced me to get “Destroyer”, so he could buy “Love Gun” and effectively get to listen to them both.  Even if such skullduggery was afoot, I have no complaints – I got to listen to them both too.

How It Stacks Up:  I have ten of KISS’ studio albums.  “Love Gun” is the pinnacle – number one with a love bullet, baby.

Rating:  5 stars.

Thirty-two minutes of pure, unadulterated seventies rock and roll; furious, fun, sexually scandalous and entirely unapologetic.  That is KISS’ “Love Gun.”

From Ace Frehley’s ballsy opening rock riff to “I Stole Your Love” all the way through to the final track, a remake of The Crystals’ 1963 hit “Then He Kissed Me,” this record is a love letter to rock and roll.

The last song on the record, remade as “The She Kissed Me” has the great melody of the original Phil Spector track, but infused with Ace Frehley’s bright power chords it is brilliantly updated to the seventies sound.  I expect the sound of Ace’s guitar on this album inspired a generation of kids that would go on to make power metal years after.

Moreover “Then She Kissed Me” and “Tomorrow and Tonight,” (a KISS original party song in the same vein as “Rock and Roll All Nite)” have a sunny upbeat rock sound that shows signs of the music the band grew up listening to.  No, these songs won’t give you any fresh insights into life (although it is always good to be reminded that you can both rock all day, AND roll all night – or at least there was a time when you could).

KISS is never afraid to be lascivious and inappropriate in an effort to shock their audiences, but I don’t think they’ve ever done it so consistently as on this record.  The title track leaves little to the imagination, as Paul advises the object of his affection that she ‘pulls the trigger of my…love gun” and “Plaster Caster,” the song in honour of the groupie who famously made plaster casts of rock musicians penises, is equally triumphant and creepy in a way that Alice Cooper would be proud of.  Best line:

“Plaster caster

Grab a hold of me faster

If you want to see my love

Just ask her.”

Of course, at the tender age of seven, I had no idea what any of these songs were about.  All I knew (instinctively) was they had great melodies and the guitar really really rocked (Ace has never been better than he is on “Love Gun”).  Also, the songs were really easy to sing along to.  In fact, one day walking home from school (I think I was in Grade One or Two) I was happily singing “Christine Sixteen.” I was blissfully unaware that this was a song about some creep infatuated with a teenager.  Fortunately, it was a warm and sunny day and my Mom, having the house’s windows open, heard me coming down the street (I suppose some neighbours did too, in retrospect).

Anyway, when I got in the house she forbade me to sing those lyrics ever again, all the while resolutely refusing to offer any reasons why there was anything wrong with them.  Of course, once puberty hit I needed no further explanation.

The album is full of tales of the weird, the awkward and the wasted, all dressed up in memorable rock arrangements for our amusement.  “Almost Human” features a Caliban-like character, who is like a thirties movie monster, in that you aren’t sure if he wants to seduce or devour the object of his affection.  

“Hooligan” is about an underachieving punk who defines himself thusly:

“I got a thirty-five Chevy on a fifty-five frame

Can’t even spell my name

Dropped out of school when I was twenty-two

What can I do to satisfy you?”

And lest you think these lyrics were to have some negative effect on my young mind, I graduated high school just fine and University after that.  After all, it’s only rock and roll, not life advice.  The only lasting effect was my surviving love of hot rods, and I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing.

The musicianship on this record is the best KISS has to offer.  Stanley’s singing voice has a nice rock edge to it, but doesn’t lose its love-struck Starman quality when he needs to bring that side of it out.  Gene’s vocals hold up well, as do his tasty bass licks on “Almost Human.”  Even Peter Criss’ drumming is strong, even though his growing drug habit would soon derail his career.

The combination of lascivious vocals and power-chord, sixties-inspired rock comes together in a perfect storm on “Shock Me,” which surprisingly features Ace Frehley on both vocals and guitar.  From the roll of Criss’ drum intro to the crunchy and instantly recognizable guitar riff, this song is absolutely perfect.  Frehley’s guitar solo is brilliantly built, and the cooing of Paul’s background vocals is the perfect foil for Ace’s hints of sexual adventure.  Like the lyrics suggest, this song shocks you and makes you feel better.  So does this album.

Best tracks:  All tracks are awesome – sadly there are only ten.

CD Odyssey Disc 428: KISS

Juggling work and volunteer duties has me sapped this week, but I’m determined to get this next review written, if only to get the damned thing off my MP3 player.

Disc 428 is…KISS:  Gene Simmons

Artist: Gene Simmons

Year of Release: 1978

What’s up with the Cover?  Each of these KISS solo albums features the head of the featured band member, limned in some coloured light.  Gene’s light is unsurprisingly red.  Also he’s the only KISS cover of the four to feature an ‘action’ pose – he’s got blood dripping from his mouth.

How I Came To Know It: I have known KISS since the first record I ever bought (1976’s “Destroyer”)  and these solo albums held considerable fascination for me as a child.  I wanted them all, but as an adult I’ve only ever got two on CD.  I reviewed Ace Frehley’s entry way back at Disc 94.  Gene Simmons’ effort was encouraged by my friend Joel, who said that while it wasn’t as good as the Frehley record, it was OK.

How It Stacks Up:  I have ten regular KISS studio albums plus two of the four solo albums.  Of the two solo albums, the Ace Frehley one is far superior.  Against the KISS records, Gene also comes up short, maybe better than one or two of those only.

Rating: 2 stars.

Prepare to be shocked, reality TV fans; there was a time when Gene Simmons was a legitimate rock star.  Yes, before he made money creating drama out of whether or not he would  marry Shannon Tweed, or if he did what colour they’d paint the foyer of their mansion, he had a real job.  He was the bass player and head visionary for the monster rock band KISS.  A band so big that to this day, when you spell it you use all capitals.

So what happened to Gene along the road of rock and roll glory?  Who took him out of this rock and roll hell we music lovers preferred him in?  The answer is the same thing that keeps this record from being anything but mediocre; his own ego.

But first, the good parts of this solo effort, and there are some.  Firstly, backed up by such strong voices as Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielson, Cher, Donna Summer and (most importantly) The Azusa Citrus College Choir, Simmons voice is surprisingly competent.

OK, admittedly that was an unkind way to start the positive part of the commentary.  Gene was never the greatest singer in KISS – he was tied for a distant third with Peter Criss.  Given that, he actually accounts for himself well on this solo album.  He stays wisely within his limited range and lets the guest vocalists flesh out the edges of the tune.

Also, the record has an old-school KISS sound on many of the songs which I appreciated at a time when the band as a whole were turning in a new direction.  Not that I minded the disco-influenced sounds of “Dynasty” – I actually liked Dynasty – but Simmons’ love for old style sixties rock and roll is evident on his solo record in a very heartwarming way.

In fact, many of these songs would have been better served in the early sixties pop format; two to two and a half minute tracks that are heavy on a single melodic hook, and light on content beyond that.  Instead, they tend to have one or two stilted verses, and then an overlong fade out of the chorus.  It is like Simmons could think of a hook, but couldn’t develop the song into anything more dynamic without a helping hand from Paul or Ace.  Even his bass solo on “Living In Sin” is boring, and he is a bass player by trade.

Coming from a man who is famous for never touching alcohol, the songs are strangely constructed like a bad night out drinking; they ramp up too quickly, stumble around without going anywhere for a while and eventually just fade away.

The one notable exception is “Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide” which actually develops into something interesting by the end, although it takes giving the song two full names to inspire Simmons to actually build in some musical progression.

Subject-wise, the music is too wrapped up in Simmons’ obsession with himself, or more accurately, his obsession with his image.  The album features songs about groupies seeking him out for hotel sex (“Living in Sin”) but without the lascivious charm that Paul Stanley brings to the material.  In other places, Simmons pontificates about how great a chameleon he is as an entertainer, (“Man of 1,000 Faces”, “Mr. Make Believe”).

When Ace Frehley sings about the party lifestyle on his solo record, it sounds both hard core and tragic at the same time.  Simmons’ struggles with his own awareness of himself as an entertainer don’t translate as well into art.  They mostly come off as self-absorbed, rather than insightful, which is what I think he was going for.

When I was a young boy KISS was my favourite band.  I was a member of the KISS Army – and remember this was back in the day that you actually had to write away for a package in the mail.  Gene Simmons was far and away my favourite member of the band, breathing fire, spitting blood and sticking his ridiculously long tongue out at every opportunity.  I begged my Mom to make me a Gene Simmons Halloween costume for three straight years (she only balked because I refused to wear makeup.  Looking back, I can see how that prohibition would make the whole thing impossible to pull off).

As an adult, it is a bit disappointing to see behind the makeup, because it wrecks this perfect image I had of Gene as ‘The Demon’.  I really should admire him more for being able to put the makeup on and off so easily without falling down the horrible rabbit hole that Alice Cooper spent years clawing his way out of.  Simmons is a well-balanced guy, and if “Family Jewels” is even remotely true, he’s raised a pretty nice family.  I even kind of enjoy the occasional episode of the show in a guilty pleasure kind of way.  Still, looking at him spend his time on a cell phone with lawyers trying to corner the copyright on the “$” symbol is a little too far on the beaten path for a rock and roll icon.

Listening to his 1978 solo albm was a similar experience musically.  It wasn’t bad, but it smacks of a lot of calculated business decisions – bringing in all kinds of guest musicians, and taking very few risks.  If anything, I felt like I was getting less of the real Gene Simmons instead of more. 

The record ends with an unconscionably bad rendition of “When You Wish upon a Star.”  It is so bad that every time I hear it, it threatens to wreck the whole album for me.  Fortunately, there is enough of Gene the Rock Star earlier to hold this record up at two stars.  I just wish there were a bit more Demon, and a little less Wizard of Oz.

Best tracks:  Burning Up with Fever, Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide, Man of a Thousand Faces

CD Odyssey Disc 383: KISS

Back from a long weekend of fun in Vancouver, it was an adjustment to return to work today. While over there I dropped into Scrape Records on East Broadway If you like hard rock and heavy metal, this is the store for you. I picked up five albums (including a couple by Rainbow, one Manilla Road, one Cirith Ungol and a guilty pleasure - Judas Priest's "Turbo").

I then went over to West 4th, excited to continue my success at Zulu Records, but I was disappointed. They appear to be converting over to vinyl (they used to be about 50/50). I love vinyl, but losing another independent CD shopping location was a bummer. Speaking of bummers...

Disc 383 is...Creatures of the Night

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1982

What’s Up With The Cover?: The four heads of the band featured in full kabuki-style makeup. The problem is that Ace Frehley (lower left) doesn't even play on this record, so the record cover isn't just boring, it is inaccurate.

How I Came To Know It: I've known KISS since I can remember speaking, and the first record I ever bought ("Destroyer" - reviewed back at Disc 210) was a KISS record. I bought "Creatures of the Night" many years after it came out, partly because I took my time going through KISS' back-catalogue, and partly because it had a bad reputation. I eventually broke down because I wanted to have the single "I Love It Loud."

How It Stacks Up: Not counting two solo efforts, I have ten studio albums by KISS. It is not without some sadness that I name "Creatures of the Night" my least favourite of these, so tenth.

Rating: 2 stars.

My favourite feature of "Creatures of the Night" is its length; it is short. Since most of the review to follow is unkind, let me clarify that this album is not truly awful or unlistenable - I did see fit to award it the coveted prize of 'average' with 2 stars. However, it is a deeply disappointing KISS record, particularly for a long-time fan of the band like me.

The first thing this record is missing is Ace Frehley's artistic grounding. Yes, Vinnie Vincent is a more than competent guitar player, but his style just isn't the right fit with this band - Frehley's 'alien guitar' rock is what Paul and Gene need to take their relatively simple hooks to the next level. If Paul Stanley loved being famous, and Gene Simmons loved being rich, Ace Frehley loved playing rock and roll. KISS albums without him are never the same.

In fact, the general feel of this album is well outside of KISS's sweet spot. For all of my early teen associations with KISS as a metal band, they are first and foremost hard rock veterans with a sound firmly grounded in the seventies. They took to eighties metal readily enough, but under its influence they lost some of their grotesque charm.

The lasciviousness of Paul Stanley's voice is lost on "Creatures of the Night." The mix has his tone sounding thin (which it isn't) or shouty (which it is - at least on this record). To which some of you would say, "well - isn't metal music about shouting?" No, it isn't. Singing loud doesn't mean shouting - for quintessential examples, see Dickinson, Bruce and Halford, Rob.

Stanley is game to try though, and fights ably against production decisions that play against his strengths - notably on the single "I Love It Loud" which is actually a pretty excellent rock song. He is also good on "Rock And Roll Hell" although this song just had me thinking of similar KISS songs from earlier in their career that were better.

When they do tone it down, for the power ballad "I Still Love You" they are pale imitations of their earlier work. The song is a hot mess that gets away from glorious shock-rock tracks from earlier in their career (think "Shock Me", "Christine Sixteen" or "Goin' Blind" - and those are just off the top of my head). "I Still Love You" is a painful six minutes long, and comes off as a pale imitation of the Scorpions' "Still Loving You" even though the latter wouldn't be released until two years later.

Lyrically, this record is painful, even for KISS. Their lyrics have always been a little silly, but in an over-the-top way that makes you not want it any other way. The lyrics on "Creatures of the Night" are just as silly, but they lack the smarmy charm of earlier work. There are so many examples I'd like to quote, but here's a quick sampling. From the title track "Creatures of the Night":

"Searching in the darkness
Running from the day
Hiding from tomorrow
Nothing left to say."

Actually, KISS - there is plenty left to say, because you've told me next to nothing with these lines. If you listen carefully to the rest of it, the song could be about vampires, but even if that were true, lines like 'nothing left to say' are indicative of a writer's worst enemy: laziness.

How about these from the song "Danger":

"Danger, danger
Give me danger, danger, give me
Give me fires that endlessly burn
I've passed the point of return."

Not only does this song insert a catchphrase for no apparent reason except to serve a rhyme, it doesn't even get the phrase correct. Yeesh.

I was going to gripe about the fact that Bryan Adams (yes - that Bryan Adams) cowrites two of the songs, but the songs are two of the better ones on the record, "Rock and Roll Hell" and "War Machine."

"War Machine" in particular, was a nice surprise, coming as it did as the final track on the album. It has a powerful guitar lick, and is well sung throughout. It is a very metal-sounding song, but KISS rises to the occasion and delivers a powerful track that left me feeling (a little) merciful. I believe it is Gene Simmons singing, and while Simmons will never win a singing competition, his voice suits this style of music fairly well. The song is even strong lyrically, telling the tale of a mechanical weapon of war that rises up against the human race, "Terminator" style.

In closing, "Creatures of the Night" isn't a great record. It isn't even a particularly good record, but KISS soldier through poor production decisions, the loss of Ace Frehley, and even Bryan Adams and never stop trying to give the best product they can. On a few tracks they even succeed. And on that note...

Best tracks: I Love It Loud, War Machine

CD Odyssey Disc 321: Kiss

The CD Odyssey is on a bit of seventies roll, with three of the last four records being classic rock from that decade. I'm not complaining about that.

Disc 321 is...KISS (self-titled)

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1974

What’s Up With The Cover?: The band introduces themselves to America - in kabuki-style makeup of course - from left to right we have Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Gene Simmons, and Ace Frehley. Naturally, Gene is alone in hamming it up for the photo shoot, but what I noticed in this picture was just how feminine Ace looks in this picture. I think it is the hair style, but the star earring and medallion necklace certainly add to the vibe.

Overall, I like this cover; although it's simple, it has a very low budget, garage band feel to it that KISS covers never really have again after this.

How I Came To Know It: As this is my 8th KISS review, this story is getting pretty old. I've known KISS since I was five years old. I never had this album as a kid, but knew the majority of the songs from my brother's copy of the much more famous "KISS Alive" record. They didn't resonate back then like my two favourite records (which I will talk about when I roll it) so I was glad to get properly reaquainted with their self-titled debut when it was reissued in remastered format back in the late nineties.

How It Stacks Up: I'm glad to roll this record only three albums after reviewing "Dressed To Kill", as these two are the best of KISS' early records. I left room for "Dressed To Kill" to beat this one out by saying I liked it "3rd or 4th best", but having heard their self-titled debut, I think it is marginally better. So I'll formally put KISS self-titled alone in 3rd, and drop "Dressed To Kill" to 4th.

Rating: 4 stars.

KISS' debut is a classic rock album by any reasonable measurement. The riffs are rock-steady, the band plays as tight as they ever will (Peter and Ace both being at the top of their game, and not addled by the substance abuse that would come later). Gene Simmons at this earliest stage of the band's career seems genuinely focused on the music. His vocals and playing are great, and the songs he writes for the record feature some of his best stuff (including "Nothin' To Lose" and "Deuce", although the latter really ascends to another level because of Frehley's inspired guitar playing).

As ever, KISS likes to sing about what they know; beautiful girls and living the rock n' roll dream. Something about writing and recording these songs before they ever achieve stardom makes the accomplishment so much better. At the same time, it gives the songs a bit of a gritty edge they never recapture on later records. This down n' dirty feel is particularly noticeable on tracks like "Cold Gin", an Ace Frehley offering which gets into alcohol abuse from the perspective of a couple who is only held together by the prospect of getting drunk:

"It's time to leave and get another quart
Around the corner at the liquor store
Haha the cheapest stuff is all I need
To get me back on my feet again.

"Ooh, it's cold gin time again
You know it'll always win
It's cold gin time again
You know it's the only thing
That keeps us together."

I like this section because it willingly rejects KISS' gods of rock imagery, to acknowledge the sad edge to alcohol abuse. Frehley's bad habits are revealed early, and given what happens to the band later on, it had me thinking beyond the surface, as though the song is subversively about the band's internal relationship, with partiers Frehley and Criss increasingly at odds with the relatively straight-laced Stanley and the teetotalling Simmons.

At the same time as they are playing imperfectly with their images as rock superstars to great effect, the band also showcases another side of themselves as rock and roll traditionalists, with a remake of the 1959 Bobby Rydell hit "Kissin' Time". They would go on to do another great cover on 1977's "Love Gun" with "Then She Kissed Me", but I'll talk about that when I roll it.

I think there is a strong argument to be made that KISS' debut album is their greatest achievement. It shows a band that knows exactly where they are going, but with a raw rock edge still on their music by virtue of their not having arrived yet. It is as heavy as anything they would later record, and Frehley's guitar was never better than on classics like "Strutter", "Cold Gin", "Deuce" and even the groove-rock instrumental "Love Theme From KISS".

If I hold out for a couple albums to top it (and I do), it is more a favouritism born of nostalgia, than any critical consideration. But hey, it is my blog; if you want your own version of nostalgia, feel free to write your own.

A final note on the KISS remasters, which are among the best out there, and worth the investment even if you already have the original releases. They aren't just louder like a lot of remasters, nor has someone come along post-recording and messed up the mix. Instead they just sound crisper, more full and more distinct, but otherwise exactly as they felt the first time you spun them on your turntables back in the 1970s.

KISS has even avoided adding a bunch of extra track filler, keeping tight little albums like their debut short, sweet, and leaving you wanting more. Other artists currently remastering your early work, take not on how it can be done properly.

Best tracks: Strutter, Firehouse, Cold Gin, Deuce, Love Theme From KISS, Black Diamond

CD Odyssey Disc 318: KISS

Ever since I was six years old there are three hard rock bands that have always spoken to me: Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Blue Oyster Cult (OK, if you count Nazareth there were four - but Nazareth has faded for me in adulthood).

Since I've started the Odyssey, I've rolled 9 of 25 Alice Cooper Records and 5 of 10 KISS albums, but still just the one of fourteen Blue Oyster Cult records. If I was looking for fate to even the odds up a bit, it is not to be.

On the plus side, I got to listen to a fine KISS record.

Disc 318 is...Dressed To Kill

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1975

What’s Up With The Cover?: KISS gets dressed up in suits to offset their less than business-like face makeup. I love this cover, which I think is one of rock and rolls great iconic album covers. I don't like Gene's white leather clogs, however, and Paul looks like he's wearing black sneakers. Cris and Ace steal the footwork show, but as ever Gene and Paul get all the credit.

How I Came To Know It: I only got this studio album relatively recently (probably around 2000). I started buying KISS records in 1976 with Destroyer and kept buying them thereafter, but as a child with limited buying power (and less historical perspective) I didn't think to go backwards in the catalogue. That said, many of these songs are on KISS' first live album, and I know them from there.

How It Stacks Up: I have ten of KISS' studio albums, and "Dressed To Kill" is one of my favourites. I'd say it is 3rd or 4th depending on my mood at the time.

Rating: 4 stars.

"Dressed To Kill" is the third album KISS released in only thirteen months (or so saith the fawning liner notes that accompany my remastered copy). It was released a mere six months after their second record, "Hotter Than Hell" and I think it is a superior product in practically every way, returning to the high level of their self-titled debut. It is also the source of their most famous and enduring song, "Rock And Roll All Nite" which has become an anthem to young rebels the world over for more than thirty five years.

This is straight ahead rock and roll, with the underappreciated Paul Stanley belting out tunes like "Rock Bottom" with a wild abandon that makes you know he is feeling it. This is one of Stanley's better records, and I found myself noticing him more than on previous KISS reviews.

Of course, this could be because "Dressed To Kill" has some of the most ridiculous lyrics in the KISS catalogue - and that is saying a lot. Most of the songs are about partying hard, bedding groupies and...um, I think that's about it actually. From "C'Mon And Love Me":

"I'm a man, I'm not a baby
And you're looking every inch a lady
You're good lookin' and you're lookin' like you should be good
You were distant, now you're nearer
I can feel your face inside the mirror
The lights are out and I can feel you baby, with my hand."

These lyrics are absolutely ridiculous - in places they don't even rhyme correctly (baby/lady?) but in the hands of the bombastic KISS they not only work, they are awesome. I found myself struggling not to sing along or laugh out loud, and ended up doing both. I'm not sure if these guys know how silly they sound, but it is almost better if they don't.

Fortunately, a couple of things firmly ground this album and make it a four star rock album. First of all, the songs are catchy and well written. They hearken back to a late fifties/early sixties rock sound that is timeless, and then they add in plenty of grit that updates them to the mid-seventies audience.

Second, is the genius of Ace Frehley's guitar. It always sounds big and brash, and vaguely out of this world, not unlike the character he portrays in the band. Despite this, it somehow grounds this band during overblown songs like "C'mon And Love Me", keeping the album's sound firmly in a rock groove when it threatens to take a turn toward vaudeville.

Frehley's guitar on the monster track, "She" is particularly amazing, not just in playing the memorable riff that the song thrives off of, but also in the solo and after, as he meets Paul Stanley's vocal stylings and then bests them, like a poor man's Jimmy Page showing up an equally poor man's Robert Plant.

Timewise, the album is incredibly tight - less than 30 minutes of music. It might seem a bit thin to a modern audience, but it leaves you wanting more in a good way. Too often bands feel the need to pad their songs with long intros and outtros. The songs on "Dressed To Kill" get right down to business, rocking your socks off, and leaves you swaying barefoot less than three minutes later (and possibly giggling).

This album makes me feel young, and not just because the music came out when I was young. It makes me feel young, because it takes joy in having a good time, and does it well. And of course, whether you're 41 or 14, the borderline-lewd lyrics are guaranteed to annoy your parents; a rock and roll staple through the ages.

Best tracks: Getaway, C'Mon And Love Me, Lover Her All I Can, She, Rock And Roll All Night

CD Odyssey Disc 217: KISS

The latest roll on the Odyssey was a very short album, and so I was through it in a single drive home. It is yet another KISS album - and here it is!

Disc 217 is...Rock and Roll Over
Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1976

What’s Up With The Cover?: The faces of the band done into a bit of circular art. This would look good spinning on a turntable, which as we all know, was the style at the time.

How I Came To Know It: Although this album came out the same year as "Destroyer" which I bought right away, at the age of six my purchasing power was a tad limited. I didn't actually own this album until much later - and then only on CD. I think I bought this in the early to mid-nineties while rounding out my early KISS collection.

How It Stacks Up: I have eleven KISS albums, which includes two of four solo efforts. Of the eleven, "Rock and Roll Over" is not my favourite, and falls in the bottom half. I'd say around 7th or 8th depending on how I'm feeling about "Hotter Than Hell" at the time. For those keeping track and remembering how I also said "The Elder" was 7th or 8th back at Disc 55, congratulations - you're very thorough. I'll bump the elder down to 9th - I can do that, since it's my Odyssey.

Rating: 3 stars.

"Rock and Roll Over" is a pretty straightforward seventies rock album. The songs are all very short, with nothing longer than 3:46. They are tight little numbers, heavily dependent on their hooks.

This is OK, because the hooks are pretty good. Also, as lyrics go, this is KISS at their most ridiculous, lascivious best. Most of the songs seem to be variants about having sex with groupies. Hey - first rule of writing is stick with what you know.

Some favourite lines include these from "Ladies Room"

"Put your hand in my pocket
Grab onto my rocket."

and these from "Ladies Room"

"You're such a jewel in the rough
You wanna show me your stuff
For my money, you can't be too soon.
Meet meet you in the ladies' room."

While these lines are pretty good for a laugh, the songs are good, although nothing on par with what they accomplished later in the year on "Destroyer". Of note, there are at least two songs ("Calling Dr. Love" and "Ladies Room") that prominently feature cowbell. I was shocked to find it wasn't produced by Bruce Dickinson.

Reluctantly setting aside their liberal use of cowbell, "Rock and Roll Over"'s production is a little too tinny for my tastes, but I'm not sure if it is the fault in the original tapes or just that it is the one KISS album that I don't have remastered. Either way, I find myself wishing the songs were just a little heavier sounding.

The one oddball track on this album is "Hard Luck Woman", which has a folk/rock sound that made me think (unpleasantly) of Rod Stewart songs from the same period. In fact, it made me think so strongly of Rod Stewart, I started to suspect it was a cover song.

When I looked it up I found out that KISS had written the song - in fact they had written it for Rod Stewart! When he didn't want it, they put it on this album, and apparently released it as a single which peaked at #15. Good for them, but to me this song stands out like a sore thumb on what is otherwise a pretty good rock record.

This isn't a must-have KISS record unless you are a completionist like me, but it is pretty good, and generally gives me a pleasant surprise when I decide to put it on.

Best tracks: I Want You, Take Me, Calling Dr. Love, Ladies Room

CD Odyssey Disc 210: KISS

I've had a stressful couple of days in my life, and the Odyssey responded by serving up a record that has helped me through tough times for thirty-four years and counting.

I'm not saying it was planned that way, but I'll take a happy coincidence any time I can get one.

Disc 210 is...Destroyer
Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1976

What’s Up With The Cover?: This is one of my favourite rock album covers of all time. The four band members stand on the top of some mountain, or pile of ruins, showing off some of the best froot boots in the world (that's what we called those elevator boots back in 1976 - although a quick Google search didn't show anything remotely the same in 2010). I drove my Mom nuts for many years begging to have a Gene Simmons Halloween costume based on this album cover.

How I Came To Know It: I bought it. In fact, as alluded to back in my first KISS review at Disc 31, "Destroyer" is the first record I ever bought. I got it either the year it came out, or maybe a year after. I was six or seven years old, and I still own that same record from all those years ago. It is a little crackley to listen to now, but you can still play it. Mostly, I just put on the CD now, but I won't part with the vinyl.

How It Stacks Up: I have eleven KISS albums, including two of the four solo efforts released in 1978. Of the eleven, I'd say this is the second best.

Rating: 4 stars, but only one sappy ballad too many from 5.

It is hard to know where to start with "Destroyer" it has been part of my life so long. KISS was my favourite band for many years and I alternately enthralled and freaked out my elementary school classmates with tales of the band's prowess, both real and imagined.

For example, the KISS army fan club had sent me important information about how Ace Frehley was descended from space aliens. To this I added that the expression "Ace!", which back in the late seventies meant "Cool!" existed because it was derived from Ace Frehley's name. I even had a few converts to this theory - many times more than would believe my exhortations about how Santa was actually your parents.

Back to the album, which is KISS at their best. I love their previous four albums, but with "Destroyer" it was like they took another step in their musical development. They added a lot more experimentation, including incorporating an orchestra and choir for "Great Expectations". This song also has Paul Stanley at his sexy, lascivious best as he sings:

"You watch me singing my song
You see what my mouth can do
And you wish you were the one
I was doing it to."

I can't believe I knew the lyrics to all the songs on this album before I turned ten. Of course, I thought the above meant that Paul was a really good singer, and not much more than that.

My favourite songs used to be "God of Thunder" which is an over the top fantasy-inspired rock song, and "Detroit Rock City" a song about an alcohol-fueled car accident (as a kid I missed the alcohol references as well). As I got older I began to appreciate the slightly softer songs like "Do You Love Me?" and "Great Expectations". This time around, I enjoyed "King of the Night Time World" and the rolling drum at the beginning (yes, I said something nice about Peter Criss but don't worry - I won't make a habit of it).

Of the two radio hits, "Shout It Out Loud" stands the test of time, but "Beth" remains a sore spot I've never forgiven this record for. As a 'real' KISS fan, I begrudged pop radio lovers adopting a KISS song as their own. Even from the beginning I used to skip this track - and on vinyl that's actual work! Of course, the Odyssey allows no skipping, so I had to sit through it for the first time in a while. This time around, I declare it...passable. That said I'll still be skipping it as an abomination in future - no sense giving up four decades of tradition on a whim!

With the exception of "Beth", every song on "Destroyer" is a winner and thirty-four years later this album still sounds fresh to me. It isn't because the music is complex - the songs are all pretty simple. It is that KISS is very good at what they do. "Destroyer" is good old fashioned escapist rock and roll, done at a high level.

Sometimes you need to escape, and music can make that happen. When I was a kid, this was my only record for a while. It helped me out then, and it helps me out to this day. It may be a schlocky KISS record to some, but for me it is probably the most emotionally evocative record in my whole collection.

Even if it wasn't your first album - even if you just bought it yesterday - it is still a kick ass rock record. Just do yourself a favour and skip track 8.

Best tracks: Everything except Beth

CD Odyssey Disc 94: KISS

Another shot of the harder side of rock, this time back to the seventies. This album once again tested my willingness to be a "hard marker" on my ratings. Once again I was tested, and found wanting. I think I'll just remove the "I'm a hard marker" claim on my rating system, since I can't bring myself to do it often enough.

Disc 94 is...Ace Frehley - Solo Album
Artist:KISS (Ace Frehley)

Year of Release: 1978

How I Came To Know It: I have known KISS all my life, but I never heard this album until about ten years ago, when my buddy Spence played it for me during a "Music Appreciation Night in Vancouver" moment. I had known the Gene Simmons album from my youth, but had not previously heard this one. I bought it shortly thereafter.

How It Stacks Up: I have ten KISS albums, and I've already reviewed four of them! At this point I only have one of the four solo albums they each did in 1978. I'm told Ace Frehley's is best of these - it is certainly good enough to be in the top half of my KISS collection overall.

Rating: I wanted to give this 3 stars, but I knuckled under after simply enjoying this record too much. 4 stars.

KISS' four solo albums came out in 1978 - right after "Love Gun" in 1977 and before 1979's "Dynasty". As I noted above, this is the only one I know very well, but I'm thinking about trying a couple of the others. One reason I haven't is I can't see them comparing favourably to Ace's entry.

This record is what you would expect from the lead guitar player in a band - it is principally driven by giant riffs and excellent guitar playing. Ace's vocals have never been great, but he writes his songs to suit his vocal style, which effectively hides any shortcomings in that area.

Like any great guitar player, Ace has a really unique style. In some tracks, it is just basic hard rock playing, done well. But in some other tracks, like "I'm In Need of Love" it sounds like a laser cannon going off. This is hardly surprising for a guy who claimed in the seventies to be the son of space aliens, and who in concert would have his guitar shoot like...a laser cannon. Never has a stage show so accurately mirrored a sound. OK - excepting the great Alice Cooper, I suppose.

Last weekend I was buying CDs at Lyle's and I actually saw a complete original "KISS Army fan club" mail package for sale, complete with silly stories about how Ace was a space alien, Peter Criss was raised by cats, Gene Simmons was a demon, etc. I can't believe I ordered that as a seven year old for about $10, and went around elementary school convincing everything written about them was true (after all - it was in print!). Now, 30 years later, there it was - this time for $150. I almost bought the damned thing, too. I also sold my KISS belt buckle back in the day so I could raise $300 to buy a Coleco-vision. Youth is wasted on the young, indeed.

Anyway - back to the record, which also has one of the greatest remakes ever done, "New York Groove", where Ace branches out into an almost funk-guitar sound. The guy has great talent. I recently heard his more recent solo album from last year (again at Spence's place) which is also good, although I'm not sure he'll ever capture the magic of this album again.

Not that he had a complicated message to get across. A lot of the songs on KISS: Ace Frehley are basically a message about how much fun Ace has getting hammered and doing drugs. Songs like "Snowblind" and "Ozone" practically scream out "I like cocaine!" It is too bad, because it is a warning sign about just how far Ace was going to fall due to drug abuse - to the point where he would be kicked out of KISS completely for many years.

KISS was never the same without Ace - by far the most unsung hero for the casual fan. Too often people focus on Paul's charisma (what is it he's got?) and Gene's penchant for both showmanship and marketing, and forget that Ace was the musical backbone to the sound that gave them their hard rock edge.

Best tracks: Rip It Out, Ozone, New York Groove, I'm In Need of Love

CD Odyssey Disc 78: KISS

More hard rock, with an album that has been in my life for over thirty years, that I still enjoy.

Disc 78 is...Dynasty

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1979

How I Came To Know It: KISS is one of the "big three" in my early childhood education (along with Blue Oyster Cult and Alice Cooper). My brother bought Dynasty when it came out (I was 9) and I've been listening to it ever since.

How It Stacks Up: I have 10 KISS albums. Of those 10, I'd say Dynasty is about 4th or 5th best - depending on how I'm feeling at the time.

Rating: 4 stars. This was a hard one. Really, this album is a 3 star album with three kick ass songs, but I really like those songs. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars, but don't do half stars, so I went with 4 for sentimental reasons.

As I said in the teaser, Dynasty has been in my life for over thirty years. I really dig it - it captures KISS at their most bombastic, and self-absorbed (the title is "Dynasty" after all).

Having been in my life a long time, this album has a lot of mixed up memories.

The album's classic and best known song, "I Was Made For Loving You" reminds me of being a kid, when disco was king. The song definitely has strong disco elements, but there's no shame in it - most hard rockers in that period were having a hard time resisting (Alice Cooper did "You Just Gotta Dance" around the same time). I would point out in my house growing up, disco was never king.

In my early twenties I remember dancing to it at clubs - it was still going strong fifteen years later.

And a few years back, I had this weird moment at the wedding of my friends, Tony and Allison. They had a rule that in order to "get them to kiss" you couldn't just tap your champagne glass, you had to recite something or sing a song with the word 'love' in it. Having had a couple (people always seem to sit me close to the bar...) I thought the opening of the song would have been awesome in a slightly inappropriate kind of way:

"Tonight - I want to give it all to you
In the darkness, so much I wanna do
And tonight, I wanna lay it at your feet
'Cause girl I was made for you,
And girl, you were made for me

I was made for lovin' you baby,
You were made for lovin' me."

Etcetera. I regret that I never did it - and it wasn't because I wasn't drunk enough (I was) or that it was inappropriate (when has that ever stopped me) - it was because the wedding was populated with theatre students, who had a run of about 10 perfectly in-tune performances rocking the room and frankly, it was an act a regular joe could not follow.

Give me a time machine though, and my tortured version would ring out, certes.

Anyway, this album is peppered with these kind of lascivious lyrics and over-the-top narcissism that can only be delivered by Paul Stanley. This album reminded me just how underrated Paul Stanley is as a vocalist. I love the song "Charisma", which is like Alice Cooper's "Is It My Body" stripped of every shred of introspection:

"Is it my fortune or my fame?
Is it my money or my name?
Is it my personality?
Or just my sexuality?

What is my...charisma?
What is it I've got?
What is it about me
That gets you so hot?"

In the background, the father of all inflated egos, Gene Simmons, sings a running chorus of "what is my charisma?"

I also really dig "2000 Man" which I had always thought was an Ace Frehley song. But when I looked at the liner notes, I see it is a Rolling Stones song - now I must seek out the original, if there is one.

As great as some tracks are, a few are largely forgettable. But even these forgettable tracks have strong guitar riffs that make them fun to drive to.

I also quite like the drumming on this album - so much so I cheated and checked to see if it was Peter Criss. Apparently it was primarily a studio musician named "Anton Fig".

So if you like KISS, you probably like Dynasty - from the opening "oooh, yeah" of Paul's to the last song as he tells his ex to "save her love", he doesn't want it.

But I did - I kept it in the car an extra day and got two listens.

If you aren't a fan of "Dynasty", I can't understand how you survived being nine. It's hard enough, without rock and roll.

Best tracks: I Was Made For Lovin' You, 2000 Man, Charisma, Magic Touch, Hard Times

CD Odyssey Disc 55: KISS

Back to discs chosen. This one was both chosen by me, and chosen for me - read on to learn how this can be...

Disc 55 is...The Elder


Artist: KISS

Year 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

CD Odyssey Disc 31: KISS

The CD Odyssey this week is taking a blast to the past. Before I get there, I have....an announcement!

I am going to fill my Zen with songs from the most recent entries. That way, I'll keep mixing up my MP3 player with tracks from what I've recently reviewed. Obviously certain artists must never be removed (BOC, Alice Cooper, Steve Earle) so I'll need to arrive at a reasonable balance - plus my Zen holds but 430 or so songs. At first, I saw this as a disadvantage, but now I see opportunity.

But I digress.

Disc 31 is...Lick It Up

Artist: KISS

Year of Release: 1983

How I Came To Know It: I've known KISS a long time - the first album I ever bought was a KISS record (I'll talk about that when I roll it). My brother bought Lick It Up when it came out, and I taped it off of him (ah, TDK - the piracy of the eighties).

How It Stacks Up: I don't have all of KISS' albums, but I've got a lot (10). I would say this is near the bottom. Maybe 9th (I'll discuss #10 when I roll it).

Rating: 2 stars with a thumbs up.

Lick It Up is one of those albums that seemed to proliferate in the early to mid-eighties. Great seventies rock bands feeling the pressure to sound more "metal" and appeal to a new generation. Other examples that come to mind would be Alice Cooper's 1986 offering "Constrictor" and Black Sabbath's "Born Again" also from 1983.

Ironically, while I was a huge heavy metal meat-head back in those days, I already liked all the bands vying for my affection.

Lick It Up is the "no make-up" album as well. Also, it is another album minus two original members (Peter Criss is replaced by Eric Carr and Ace Frehley by Vinnie Vincent). While I didn't (and don't) miss Peter Criss, this album does lack Ace's musical genius on the guitar.

Paul Stanley is still great, and remains a very unique hard rock voice. Even the songs Gene Simmons sings (I think he does "Not For the Innocent" and "And On The 8th Day") are strong.

Generally though, this album is uneven. There are 4 good tracks, an equal number of pretty bad tracks and a couple that aren't memorable either way.

KISS can still write some of the most ridiculously suggestive lyrics ever. Consider "Not For the Innocent"

I'm mean and I'm dirty, like none you've ever seen.
Bad habits drip like honey, no tongue can lick me clean.

Hilarious, and suitably shocking to be enjoyable in Grade 8. OK even now it is still kind of fun.

KISS was once my favourite band - but I was 8. This album is still fun in places, but doesn't really do them justice like their classics do.

That's OK, though - it was fun to be reminded of what life was like when I was 13, and I liked this album a lot more than I do now.

Best tracks: Not For The Innocent, Lick It Up, All Hell's Breakin' Loose, And On The 8th Day