Here's a gargantuan Album by Album thread: KISS
10-27-08 | 10:43 PM
#276
DVD Talk Gold Edition
I don't have too much to say about Alive III, either. It's got a decent enough song selection, but I do think it sounds a bit too processed in some places.
Where I'm going to differ with some of you is that with the exception "I Was Made For Lovin' You", which is the way this song should sound, I don't think any of these versions are superior to the original (or previously live) recordings. Out of all their live albums, I've probably listened to Alive III the least over the years. Mostly just because of indifference, and that I often tend to forget that it exists.
I also agree with Matt's last statement. When I do go for listening to something live from this time period, that's the album I reach for first.
Where I'm going to differ with some of you is that with the exception "I Was Made For Lovin' You", which is the way this song should sound, I don't think any of these versions are superior to the original (or previously live) recordings. Out of all their live albums, I've probably listened to Alive III the least over the years. Mostly just because of indifference, and that I often tend to forget that it exists.
I also agree with Matt's last statement. When I do go for listening to something live from this time period, that's the album I reach for first.
10-28-08 | 11:02 AM
#277
DVD Talk Legend
Alive III: good disc...just one I don't pop in too often. I can actually stomach the live version of "Forever" better than the studio version but God Gave RnR still sucks. Other than the latter, good song list, though I wish they had left off the few early cuts and just had a dedicated time period like Alive and Alive II.
Looked in the liner notes and forgot about the very cool KISS family tree. Check it out. Pretty nice.
Rating: ****
Looked in the liner notes and forgot about the very cool KISS family tree. Check it out. Pretty nice.
Rating: ****
10-29-08 | 09:34 PM
#278
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Whenever I've put together KISS compilation CD's (tapes before that) over the last 15 years I've always used the Alive III versions of, "Creatures of the Night," "Deuce," "Domino," "I Was Made for Lovin' You," and, "Watchin' You."
As far as I'm concerned Alive III doesn't get it's due as a great live album. And as it's a continuation of the Revenge era it is part of the best era in KISStory, IMO.
As far as I'm concerned Alive III doesn't get it's due as a great live album. And as it's a continuation of the Revenge era it is part of the best era in KISStory, IMO.
10-30-08 | 10:26 AM
#279
DVD Talk Legend
The "Revenge" era is interesting to me as I paid *zero* attention to it the first time around. As mentioned earlier, I bought "Crazy Nights" in 1987 and I had pretty much had it with the band as a result of that shitty album. I didn't buy any KISS product for around 7 years or so after that. When "Hot In The Shade" came out, I was well into prog rock, indie, thrash, and basically looking for something else than what KISS was offering. The poppy commercial singles didn't help either. I was long since done with the band. I barely had recollections of "Revenge" and "Alive III" coming out, except maybe for the "Unholy" video once on MTV.
I came back into KISS in 1994 with the covers CD, mainly because of its focus on "classic" tunes. Then came "Unplugged" which lead into the REUNION, which reignited my passion for the band... the MAKEUP band. By then I had started buying the originals on CD, since all my LPs were lost in Hurricane Andrew, 1992 (FUCKING *SOB*!) and my cassettes were long since faded, lost, warped, eaten, grilled, worn, fucked, or buried. Pre-remastered, unfortunately, but whatever. And even with the classic band, I focused mostly on everything up to and including Alive II.
I finally gave REVENGE a listen-to (as well as "Carnival of Souls" and "Alive III") a few years back, and loved all three. Musically, this was as tight as KISS has ever been. There was some real progression in their music, their sound, and their ability as a band to evolve. Although my favorite KISS era will always be the early period (up through Alive!), what KISS showed 1992-1995 was that they were not only still viable and progressive as a band, they were damn GOOD.
Unfortunately, the industry at the time and the fanbase (save for the devoted faithful) refused to embrace/support them (and most rock/metal holdovers from the 80s). Heck, I wasn't buying KISS albums either and I was a longtime fan. But after being rightfully cheesed off by their crappy, lackluster 1984 - 1989 product, I wasn't in the biggest of rushes either.
Adrienne Barbeau's boobs are
I came back into KISS in 1994 with the covers CD, mainly because of its focus on "classic" tunes. Then came "Unplugged" which lead into the REUNION, which reignited my passion for the band... the MAKEUP band. By then I had started buying the originals on CD, since all my LPs were lost in Hurricane Andrew, 1992 (FUCKING *SOB*!) and my cassettes were long since faded, lost, warped, eaten, grilled, worn, fucked, or buried. Pre-remastered, unfortunately, but whatever. And even with the classic band, I focused mostly on everything up to and including Alive II.
I finally gave REVENGE a listen-to (as well as "Carnival of Souls" and "Alive III") a few years back, and loved all three. Musically, this was as tight as KISS has ever been. There was some real progression in their music, their sound, and their ability as a band to evolve. Although my favorite KISS era will always be the early period (up through Alive!), what KISS showed 1992-1995 was that they were not only still viable and progressive as a band, they were damn GOOD.
Unfortunately, the industry at the time and the fanbase (save for the devoted faithful) refused to embrace/support them (and most rock/metal holdovers from the 80s). Heck, I wasn't buying KISS albums either and I was a longtime fan. But after being rightfully cheesed off by their crappy, lackluster 1984 - 1989 product, I wasn't in the biggest of rushes either.
Adrienne Barbeau's boobs are
10-30-08 | 03:36 PM
#280
DVD Talk Legend
The "Revenge" era is interesting to me as I paid *zero* attention to it the first time around. As mentioned earlier, I bought "Crazy Nights" in 1987 and I had pretty much had it with the band as a result of that shitty album. I didn't buy any KISS product for around 7 years or so after that. When "Hot In The Shade" came out, I was well into prog rock, indie, thrash, and basically looking for something else than what KISS was offering. The poppy commercial singles didn't help either. I was long since done with the band. I barely had recollections of "Revenge" and "Alive III" coming out, except maybe for the "Unholy" video once on MTV.
I came back into KISS in 1994 with the covers CD, mainly because of its focus on "classic" tunes. Then came "Unplugged" which lead into the REUNION, which reignited my passion for the band... the MAKEUP band. By then I had started buying the originals on CD, since all my LPs were lost in Hurricane Andrew, 1992 (FUCKING *SOB*!) and my cassettes were long since faded, lost, warped, eaten, grilled, worn, fucked, or buried. Pre-remastered, unfortunately, but whatever. And even with the classic band, I focused mostly on everything up to and including Alive II.
I finally gave REVENGE a listen-to (as well as "Carnival of Souls" and "Alive III") a few years back, and loved all three. Musically, this was as tight as KISS has ever been. There was some real progression in their music, their sound, and their ability as a band to evolve. Although my favorite KISS era will always be the early period (up through Alive!), what KISS showed 1992-1995 was that they were not only still viable and progressive as a band, they were damn GOOD.
Unfortunately, the industry at the time and the fanbase (save for the devoted faithful) refused to embrace/support them (and most rock/metal holdovers from the 80s). Heck, I wasn't buying KISS albums either and I was a longtime fan. But after being rightfully cheesed off by their crappy, lackluster 1984 - 1989 product, I wasn't in the biggest of rushes either.
Adrienne Barbeau's boobs are
I came back into KISS in 1994 with the covers CD, mainly because of its focus on "classic" tunes. Then came "Unplugged" which lead into the REUNION, which reignited my passion for the band... the MAKEUP band. By then I had started buying the originals on CD, since all my LPs were lost in Hurricane Andrew, 1992 (FUCKING *SOB*!) and my cassettes were long since faded, lost, warped, eaten, grilled, worn, fucked, or buried. Pre-remastered, unfortunately, but whatever. And even with the classic band, I focused mostly on everything up to and including Alive II.
I finally gave REVENGE a listen-to (as well as "Carnival of Souls" and "Alive III") a few years back, and loved all three. Musically, this was as tight as KISS has ever been. There was some real progression in their music, their sound, and their ability as a band to evolve. Although my favorite KISS era will always be the early period (up through Alive!), what KISS showed 1992-1995 was that they were not only still viable and progressive as a band, they were damn GOOD.
Unfortunately, the industry at the time and the fanbase (save for the devoted faithful) refused to embrace/support them (and most rock/metal holdovers from the 80s). Heck, I wasn't buying KISS albums either and I was a longtime fan. But after being rightfully cheesed off by their crappy, lackluster 1984 - 1989 product, I wasn't in the biggest of rushes either.
Adrienne Barbeau's boobs are
10-30-08 | 05:13 PM
#281
DVD Talk Hero
I think Matt is saying that he missed the "Revenge" period the first time around because he was concentrating too much on Adrienne Barbeau's boobs.
11-01-08 | 10:11 AM
#283
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
While Revenge and Alive III were great artistic successes, they weren't the huge commercial successes that the band had hoped for. So for a couple of years the band focused on the KISS My ASS tribute album (not covered here, not a true KISS album - maybe we can discuss it after all the legit KISS albums) and did a few gigs here and there as well as the 1995 Convention Tour where they played unplugged sets. That convention tour set up....
KISS MTV Unplugged
Released on March 12, 1996.
Track Listing:
1. Comin' Home
2. Plaster Caster
3. Goin' Blind
4. Do You Love Me
5. Domino
6. Sure Know Something
7. A World Without Heroes
8. Rock Bottom
9. See You Tonight
10. I Still Love You
11. Every Time I Look At You
12. 2,000 Man
13. Beth
14. Nothin' To Lose
15. Rock And Roll All Nite
Pruduced by Alex Coletti
Enginerred by Randy Ezratty
Mixed by Jimbo Barton
The review in the San Diego Union-Tribune said it all when it comes to Unplugged. To paraphrase what the reviewer said (I can't find the review for the exact wording): Who knew that under all that make up KISS actually wrote some great Rock and Roll songs?
The problem that KISS has to this day is that a lot of their detractors listen with their eyes rather than their ears. You've all heard that one before, but, clearly, it's true.
KISS Unplugged (or KISS MTV Unplugged if you want to be exact) shows that KISS actually wrote a lot of great songs over their career, songs that could hold up well even without all the bombast and bravado.
Most of you know the story. KISS had been playing unplugged sets on their convention tour. Peter Criss joined them for the Los Angeles show. Gene and Paul liked the unplugged setting and wanted to do the popular MTV Unplugged show. The MTV producers had little interest in what they saw as a fading 70's and 80's band - until Gene and Paul pulled out their trump card. An Ace. They would reunite the original line up at the end of the set for a handful of songs. MTV's people loved the idea, and went with it.
But while the attention was focused on the reunion, the bulk of the set was a showcase for Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick, who gave two of the best performances of their respective careers.
Eric, who had added a rock solid beat (with a darned funky groove) and some real Metal flash to KISS for Revenge and it's subsequent tour, changed gears completely and played with some amazing 70's Rock finesse and flair. That may come from his background playing in his dad's Big Band Jazz group when he was a teenager. Bruce made the adjustment from the electric guitar to the acoustic guitar with seeming ease and sounded completely natural playing the solos on an acoustic guitar (not as easy to do as many people seem to think).
The set list is eclectic, and leans towards their moodier and occasionally softer material, but that's not to say that they don't play some legit Hard Rock songs in the set.
Sadly, one of the set's highlights is missing from the American release of the CD. "Got To Choose," was only included as a bonus track in Japan.
The performances on Unplugged are simply fantastic. Eric and Bruce have already been dicussed, but special mention should also be made of Gene and Paul's performances. They play their instruments very well (Gene, especially), but they also do an amazing job with the vocals. I'm pretty good at picking up when they overdub a 2nd Paul to live tracks to make the choruses sound better, but all I can hear are the actual live tracks that the band played. Eric Singer showed up as a great background vocalist on this one, and his lead vocal on, "Nothin' To Lose," is excellent.
KISS MTV Unplugged was basically a big middle finger to the critics who said they couldn't write great songs, or that they couldn't play (or both). KISS can't succeed without makeup? Well, the 80's proved that they could. KISS can't write or play well? Well, KISS Unplugged proved that notion to be completely, and ridiculously, wrong as well.
I should also mention that when all six guys played together on, "Nothin' To Lose," and "Rock and Roll All Nite," it sounded amazing. My dream tour with the original line-up and the Revenge line-up together would have been great back then (playing separate sets, and then doing the encore together). But time has passed the point where it would have worked. Oh, well.
Unplugged is defnitely one of the highlights of KISS' career.
KISS MTV Unplugged
Released on March 12, 1996.
Track Listing:
1. Comin' Home
2. Plaster Caster
3. Goin' Blind
4. Do You Love Me
5. Domino
6. Sure Know Something
7. A World Without Heroes
8. Rock Bottom
9. See You Tonight
10. I Still Love You
11. Every Time I Look At You
12. 2,000 Man
13. Beth
14. Nothin' To Lose
15. Rock And Roll All Nite
Pruduced by Alex Coletti
Enginerred by Randy Ezratty
Mixed by Jimbo Barton
The review in the San Diego Union-Tribune said it all when it comes to Unplugged. To paraphrase what the reviewer said (I can't find the review for the exact wording): Who knew that under all that make up KISS actually wrote some great Rock and Roll songs?
The problem that KISS has to this day is that a lot of their detractors listen with their eyes rather than their ears. You've all heard that one before, but, clearly, it's true.
KISS Unplugged (or KISS MTV Unplugged if you want to be exact) shows that KISS actually wrote a lot of great songs over their career, songs that could hold up well even without all the bombast and bravado.
Most of you know the story. KISS had been playing unplugged sets on their convention tour. Peter Criss joined them for the Los Angeles show. Gene and Paul liked the unplugged setting and wanted to do the popular MTV Unplugged show. The MTV producers had little interest in what they saw as a fading 70's and 80's band - until Gene and Paul pulled out their trump card. An Ace. They would reunite the original line up at the end of the set for a handful of songs. MTV's people loved the idea, and went with it.
But while the attention was focused on the reunion, the bulk of the set was a showcase for Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick, who gave two of the best performances of their respective careers.
Eric, who had added a rock solid beat (with a darned funky groove) and some real Metal flash to KISS for Revenge and it's subsequent tour, changed gears completely and played with some amazing 70's Rock finesse and flair. That may come from his background playing in his dad's Big Band Jazz group when he was a teenager. Bruce made the adjustment from the electric guitar to the acoustic guitar with seeming ease and sounded completely natural playing the solos on an acoustic guitar (not as easy to do as many people seem to think).
The set list is eclectic, and leans towards their moodier and occasionally softer material, but that's not to say that they don't play some legit Hard Rock songs in the set.
Sadly, one of the set's highlights is missing from the American release of the CD. "Got To Choose," was only included as a bonus track in Japan.
The performances on Unplugged are simply fantastic. Eric and Bruce have already been dicussed, but special mention should also be made of Gene and Paul's performances. They play their instruments very well (Gene, especially), but they also do an amazing job with the vocals. I'm pretty good at picking up when they overdub a 2nd Paul to live tracks to make the choruses sound better, but all I can hear are the actual live tracks that the band played. Eric Singer showed up as a great background vocalist on this one, and his lead vocal on, "Nothin' To Lose," is excellent.
KISS MTV Unplugged was basically a big middle finger to the critics who said they couldn't write great songs, or that they couldn't play (or both). KISS can't succeed without makeup? Well, the 80's proved that they could. KISS can't write or play well? Well, KISS Unplugged proved that notion to be completely, and ridiculously, wrong as well.
I should also mention that when all six guys played together on, "Nothin' To Lose," and "Rock and Roll All Nite," it sounded amazing. My dream tour with the original line-up and the Revenge line-up together would have been great back then (playing separate sets, and then doing the encore together). But time has passed the point where it would have worked. Oh, well.
Unplugged is defnitely one of the highlights of KISS' career.
11-01-08 | 10:34 AM
#284
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Comin' Home.....................................................................Goin' Blind
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Rock Bottom......................................................................Domino
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I Still Love You.....................................................................Nothin' To Lose
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Rock Bottom......................................................................Domino
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I Still Love You.....................................................................Nothin' To Lose
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Last edited by B5Erik; 11-01-08 at 10:38 AM.
11-01-08 | 10:48 AM
#285
DVD Talk Godfather
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 65,242
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From: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
Unplugged is an awesome album 
I mean hell even "World without heroes" sounded great acoustically.
I mean hell even "World without heroes" sounded great acoustically.
Last edited by Giantrobo; 11-01-08 at 10:53 AM.
11-01-08 | 03:19 PM
#286
DVD Talk Legend
Wow, I typed a huge response to Unplugged and my browser crashed and ate it. Son of a BITCH! 
*sighs* OK well long story short, "Unplugged" is fantastic, great production values, tight musicianship, awesome setlist, THE most essential album released by KISS since Alive!. I got no problem giving it * * * * *. My only regret are a few tunes not included on the album that were in the video performance (especially that country-western "God of Thunder"). And even the video in KISSOLOGY 3 is highly edited, most songs required 2 or 3 takes to get right.
Still, I love this album. To DEATH! Better than Adrienne Barbeau's boobs on a cold wintry night with the cable out.
*sighs* OK well long story short, "Unplugged" is fantastic, great production values, tight musicianship, awesome setlist, THE most essential album released by KISS since Alive!. I got no problem giving it * * * * *. My only regret are a few tunes not included on the album that were in the video performance (especially that country-western "God of Thunder"). And even the video in KISSOLOGY 3 is highly edited, most songs required 2 or 3 takes to get right.
Still, I love this album. To DEATH! Better than Adrienne Barbeau's boobs on a cold wintry night with the cable out.
11-01-08 | 03:48 PM
#287
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
11-01-08 | 05:01 PM
#288
Banned
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From: Detroit, where the weak are killed and eaten.
This album: 5 out of 5
Tits: 42DD out of 5
11-04-08 | 12:38 PM
#289
DVD Talk Legend
OK, I'm going to try this again, doing my song-by-song analysis in Notepad++. I'm not going to risk losing it again. Plus I have a pic of Ms. Barbeau gracing my other monitor, so I consider that a good luck token of sorts. Two, really.
Unplugged
As mentioned before, I fully stand by the fact that this is a * * * * *, classic, ESSENTIAL Kiss album. The reasons are many, most of which have been reiterated multiple times before, but it stands to repeat that this album proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that, stripped of the make-up, the hype, the spectacle, the reverberating arenas and videos and all the accoutrements that have been the staples of the band since their inception, that KISS always retained the ability to write and perform great songs.
What's even more remarkable about this album is that it isn't just "Greatest Hits Unplugged", although obviously many of their most memorable songs are included on the setlist. There are some deep cuts here, even some borderline obscure songs, that not only were given new life on "Unplugged", but also showed that they had serious substance behind them as well.
And if anything, it showed that in terms of musicianship, the "Revenge" era line-up was probably their strongest ever. I'm a longtime Ace fan and supporter, and Peter is... well, Peter is. But Bruce and Eric really shine on this album. Paul never disappoints in the vocal department, so his ebullience on this album is no surprise, but even Gene sounds relaxed and revived. The "lean" years of 1992 through 1995 gave the band a new lease on excitement and creativity. This is reflected throughout the entirety of "Unplugged".
And then, of course, the first "reunion" with Ace and Peter. As I mentioned before, it still gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.
So going through the songs...
Coming Home
This is part and parcel of everything that's great about this album. This is an odd choice for an opener, given that it's a pretty deep, pretty much never played track from "Hotter Than Hell", and it's a beauty. It's an upbeat, up-tempo rocker that really sets the tone for the performance, basically telling the listener that what they're gonna hear maybe won't be what they EXPECT, but it'll be DAMN GOOD.
Plaster Caster
One of my all-time favorite Gene songs, and keeps the energy flowing perfectly from the opener. The roar in Gene's voice from the opening line is strong and pervasive, and segues nicely into the more musical pre-chorus and chorus. Yeah, the lyrics are still junior-high juvenile, but the song still rocks. Bruce's solo is spot-on awesome here.
Goin' Blind
Always loved this song, but it almost sounds... dare I say... "magical" on this cut? Listen to Gene's excellent walking bass work here, he just nails it. The vocals sound even more haunting and yearning. Eric's backing vocals shine pretty damn well.
Do You Love Me
Kind of the first "staple song" on the album. It's good. Strong vocals, solid musicianship. I just don't get as excited over it as I do the opening three tracks. Nothing wrong with it, though.
Domino
Another one of Gene's classics, one that you'd never expect to sound so awesome when performed acoustically. I actually prefer it greatly to both the studio version and the "Alive III" track. The song feels looser, more playful, more diabolical. This is one of the best tracks on the album.
Sure Know Something
Again, an improvement over the studio track, which even of itself was one the best parts of "Dynasty". Removing the pop/disco veneer of the original reveals a lean, muscular track underneath. Another great track.
World Without Heroes
I still stand by the fact that this is one of the best ballads KISS ever recorded. Maybe spending 14 years evading anything to do with "Music From The Elder" made Gene and Paul reevaluate some of the (admittedly sparse) strengths of that album. This is a beautiful performance; I've always felt Paul's solo was one of the simplest yet most effective that the band ever recorded, and acoustically it sounds better than ever.
Rock Bottom
Awesomeness. Pure awesomeness. This is another standout track from the album. Paul is totally on FIRE. My favorite version of this song.
See You Tonite
Who saw THIS coming? A surprisingly strong performance of a song I always felt to be a mediocre throwaway. Looking back on much of the total garbage Gene wrote and sang on Animalize through Hot In The Shade, much of his solo album shows potential that for a long time lay limp and unfulfilled. The original seems cold and distant in comparison to the playful warmth of this acoustic performance.
I Still Love You
Another classic ballad (this and WWH are easily in the band's top 5 ballads). I love this song, but the acoustic performance (while good -- really good) doesn't really add too much or reveal any new dimensions like many of the other songs do. Still, the band sounds pretty damn tight, so no complaints at all.
Every Time I Look At You
Not the hugest fan of the original. My reaction is the same as that in "I Still Love You". Really good performance, tight musicianship, the strings sound nice, etc. Would gladly have swapped this out with "Got To Choose" or even another deep cut. Heck how sweet would "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me" or "Mr. Speed" or even "Tomorrow" have sounded acoustically too?
2,000 Man
Ace is back and he told you so... it's too bad they couldn't make "Shock Me" work acoustically (Ace's first choice for the performance). While not a standout track on the album, it's such a great song as well as a fantastic arrangement. Ace's vocals are a bit shaky at first but get stronger throughout. A good track.
Beth
Never sounded better. NEVER. No overbearing orchestral arrangements, no pervasive sappy pianowork, just a heartfelt song with a beautiful acoustic backing. Definitely a standout track on the album, and my favorite performance of this song ever.
Nothin' To Lose
An up-tempo six-man KISS performance with dueling drummers on vocals celebrating the beauty of anal joy? Bring it. Great track. I especially love Eric's raw take on the vocals.
Rock And Roll All Nite
*sighs* OK you knew it had to come, so there it is. Having Ace and Peter handle some of the verses was a nice touch.
So there you have it. So many great songs, played fantastically, stripped down but still spectacle in its own right. I couldn't love this album anymore, even if it came with a meatball sub. Unplugged is an absolute requirement in any self-respecting KISS fan's music collection. The focus and motivation on this album is all about the MUSIC first and foremost, and it shows.
Unplugged
As mentioned before, I fully stand by the fact that this is a * * * * *, classic, ESSENTIAL Kiss album. The reasons are many, most of which have been reiterated multiple times before, but it stands to repeat that this album proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that, stripped of the make-up, the hype, the spectacle, the reverberating arenas and videos and all the accoutrements that have been the staples of the band since their inception, that KISS always retained the ability to write and perform great songs.
What's even more remarkable about this album is that it isn't just "Greatest Hits Unplugged", although obviously many of their most memorable songs are included on the setlist. There are some deep cuts here, even some borderline obscure songs, that not only were given new life on "Unplugged", but also showed that they had serious substance behind them as well.
And if anything, it showed that in terms of musicianship, the "Revenge" era line-up was probably their strongest ever. I'm a longtime Ace fan and supporter, and Peter is... well, Peter is. But Bruce and Eric really shine on this album. Paul never disappoints in the vocal department, so his ebullience on this album is no surprise, but even Gene sounds relaxed and revived. The "lean" years of 1992 through 1995 gave the band a new lease on excitement and creativity. This is reflected throughout the entirety of "Unplugged".
And then, of course, the first "reunion" with Ace and Peter. As I mentioned before, it still gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.
So going through the songs...
Coming Home
This is part and parcel of everything that's great about this album. This is an odd choice for an opener, given that it's a pretty deep, pretty much never played track from "Hotter Than Hell", and it's a beauty. It's an upbeat, up-tempo rocker that really sets the tone for the performance, basically telling the listener that what they're gonna hear maybe won't be what they EXPECT, but it'll be DAMN GOOD.
Plaster Caster
One of my all-time favorite Gene songs, and keeps the energy flowing perfectly from the opener. The roar in Gene's voice from the opening line is strong and pervasive, and segues nicely into the more musical pre-chorus and chorus. Yeah, the lyrics are still junior-high juvenile, but the song still rocks. Bruce's solo is spot-on awesome here.
Goin' Blind
Always loved this song, but it almost sounds... dare I say... "magical" on this cut? Listen to Gene's excellent walking bass work here, he just nails it. The vocals sound even more haunting and yearning. Eric's backing vocals shine pretty damn well.
Do You Love Me
Kind of the first "staple song" on the album. It's good. Strong vocals, solid musicianship. I just don't get as excited over it as I do the opening three tracks. Nothing wrong with it, though.
Domino
Another one of Gene's classics, one that you'd never expect to sound so awesome when performed acoustically. I actually prefer it greatly to both the studio version and the "Alive III" track. The song feels looser, more playful, more diabolical. This is one of the best tracks on the album.
Sure Know Something
Again, an improvement over the studio track, which even of itself was one the best parts of "Dynasty". Removing the pop/disco veneer of the original reveals a lean, muscular track underneath. Another great track.
World Without Heroes
I still stand by the fact that this is one of the best ballads KISS ever recorded. Maybe spending 14 years evading anything to do with "Music From The Elder" made Gene and Paul reevaluate some of the (admittedly sparse) strengths of that album. This is a beautiful performance; I've always felt Paul's solo was one of the simplest yet most effective that the band ever recorded, and acoustically it sounds better than ever.
Rock Bottom
Awesomeness. Pure awesomeness. This is another standout track from the album. Paul is totally on FIRE. My favorite version of this song.
See You Tonite
Who saw THIS coming? A surprisingly strong performance of a song I always felt to be a mediocre throwaway. Looking back on much of the total garbage Gene wrote and sang on Animalize through Hot In The Shade, much of his solo album shows potential that for a long time lay limp and unfulfilled. The original seems cold and distant in comparison to the playful warmth of this acoustic performance.
I Still Love You
Another classic ballad (this and WWH are easily in the band's top 5 ballads). I love this song, but the acoustic performance (while good -- really good) doesn't really add too much or reveal any new dimensions like many of the other songs do. Still, the band sounds pretty damn tight, so no complaints at all.
Every Time I Look At You
Not the hugest fan of the original. My reaction is the same as that in "I Still Love You". Really good performance, tight musicianship, the strings sound nice, etc. Would gladly have swapped this out with "Got To Choose" or even another deep cut. Heck how sweet would "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me" or "Mr. Speed" or even "Tomorrow" have sounded acoustically too?
2,000 Man
Ace is back and he told you so... it's too bad they couldn't make "Shock Me" work acoustically (Ace's first choice for the performance). While not a standout track on the album, it's such a great song as well as a fantastic arrangement. Ace's vocals are a bit shaky at first but get stronger throughout. A good track.
Beth
Never sounded better. NEVER. No overbearing orchestral arrangements, no pervasive sappy pianowork, just a heartfelt song with a beautiful acoustic backing. Definitely a standout track on the album, and my favorite performance of this song ever.
Nothin' To Lose
An up-tempo six-man KISS performance with dueling drummers on vocals celebrating the beauty of anal joy? Bring it. Great track. I especially love Eric's raw take on the vocals.
Rock And Roll All Nite
*sighs* OK you knew it had to come, so there it is. Having Ace and Peter handle some of the verses was a nice touch.
So there you have it. So many great songs, played fantastically, stripped down but still spectacle in its own right. I couldn't love this album anymore, even if it came with a meatball sub. Unplugged is an absolute requirement in any self-respecting KISS fan's music collection. The focus and motivation on this album is all about the MUSIC first and foremost, and it shows.
Last edited by Hokeyboy; 11-05-08 at 08:49 AM.
11-04-08 | 03:53 PM
#290
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Well damn, Matt, that pretty much covers everything I was going to say about the album, too, so I'll pretty much just leave it at that! I agree 110% on just about all your points. The only thing I'll add is that I did spring for the Japanese version of this album, just to get the excellent version of one of my favorite KISS tunes - "Got To Choose".
Lastly, just want to reiterate that Unplugged is an absolutely essential album in the KISS catalog. If you were only going to own one KISS live album, or even one album by the band period, you couldn't go wrong by making this your pick of choice.
Lastly, just want to reiterate that Unplugged is an absolutely essential album in the KISS catalog. If you were only going to own one KISS live album, or even one album by the band period, you couldn't go wrong by making this your pick of choice.
11-04-08 | 05:07 PM
#291
DVD Talk Legend
My Album Rankings
Kiss: * * * * *
Hotter Than Hell: * * * * 1/2
Dressed To Kill: * * * 1/2
Alive!: * * * * *
Destroyer: * * * 1/2
Rock And Roll Over: * * *
Love Gun: * * * *
Alive II: * * *
Peter Criss: *
Ace Frehley: * * * *
Gene Simmons: * *
Paul Stanley: * * * *
Double Platinum: * * * *
Dynasty: * * *
Unmasked: * * *
Music From The Elder: * * 1/2
Creatures Of The Night: * * * *
Lick It Up: * * * 1/2
Animalize: * * 1/2
Asylum: * * 1/2
Crazy Nights: * *
Smashes Thrashes & Hits: * * 1/2
Hot In The Shade: * 1/2
Revenge: * * * *
Alive III: * * * *
Unplugged: * * * * *
Kiss: * * * * *
Hotter Than Hell: * * * * 1/2
Dressed To Kill: * * * 1/2
Alive!: * * * * *
Destroyer: * * * 1/2
Rock And Roll Over: * * *
Love Gun: * * * *
Alive II: * * *
Peter Criss: *
Ace Frehley: * * * *
Gene Simmons: * *
Paul Stanley: * * * *
Double Platinum: * * * *
Dynasty: * * *
Unmasked: * * *
Music From The Elder: * * 1/2
Creatures Of The Night: * * * *
Lick It Up: * * * 1/2
Animalize: * * 1/2
Asylum: * * 1/2
Crazy Nights: * *
Smashes Thrashes & Hits: * * 1/2
Hot In The Shade: * 1/2
Revenge: * * * *
Alive III: * * * *
Unplugged: * * * * *
11-05-08 | 11:33 PM
#292
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
.
After a 5 year wait KISS finally released the follow up to Revenge...
Released on October 28, 1997.
Track Listing:
1. Hate
2. Rain
3. Master And Slave
4. Childhood's End
5. I Will Be There
6. Jungle
7. In My Head
8. It Never Goes Away
9. Seduction Of The Innocent
10. I Confess
11. In The Mirror
12. I Walk Alone
Co-Produced by Toby Wright and Gene Simmons/Paul Stanley
Engineered and Mixed by Toby Wright
Here's an interesting bit of trivia for you - Toby Wright was an assistant engineer on Crazy Nights! Talk about two radically different sounding albums!
Carnival of Souls (The Final Sessions) - an album that, like The Elder 16 years earlier, divided KISS fans. On one hand you have the group that finds it to be the logical extension of Revenge. A brutal, heavy, dark album with great songwriting and musicianship. On the other hand you've got the group that believes it to be a half-assed rip-off of the popular grunge bands of the early to mid 90's.
You'll find me in the camp that says this is a brilliant album.
The opener, "Hate," is freaking awesome! It's got an absolutely killer riff, and drum beat that weaves in and out of said riff (Eric Singer's playing on this one is absolutely amazing), and a vocal melody with an incredibly nasty attitude that perfectly fits the song. "Rain," follows that one up, and is a very, very good slow-ish grinder of a song with another killer riff, a big, fat Sabbath style chunky groove leading into a killer chorus.
"Master and Slave," is another track with an amazingly good riff and one fantastic vocal melody and an infectiously catchy chorus for something this dark and moody. Paul's vocal in the chorus is excellent. Gene follows that up with "Childhood's End," which goes back to the style of, "Goin' Blind." It's a great song, and is a real highlight of the album.
Paul brings things down quite a bit with his touching, but only moderately successful acoustic ballad (dedicated to his son), "I Will Be There." From there Paul jumpstarts this thing and gets into a wicked groove (courtesy of Bruce Kulick's music - he wrote this - and Eric Singer's great drumming) with, "Jungle." To this day I consider, "Jungle," to be one of KISS' 10 or 15 best songs.
Gene then goes all, "Mr. Blackwell," on us with, "In My Head," a weird, but heavy track that I really like. It's out there - just like "Blackwell" was, but I like it. Paul then moves back into Black Sabbath territory with, "It Never Goes Away," which is very out of character for Paul, but it's a very effective track, regardless.
Gene moves into the (then) recent Middle East by way of Aerosmith style on, "Seduction of the Innocent." This is the only track on the album I don't really like. It's not bad, but I just don't like the style.
The album closes out with Gene's dynamic and moody, "I Confess," Paul's Hendrix-y (and kick ass good), "In the Mirror," and finally with Bruce Kulick's lead vocal debut, the moody (and, again, very good), "I Walk Alone."
The production is thick and dark. The mastering job on the CD was poor, though - not enough high end (I re-EQ on my computer it and it sounds amazing) and the closing bit on the album got cut off (originally the ending for, "Childhood's End," then just tagged on at the end of the album, then, finally, accidentally cut off/left off by the mastering engineer).
Carnival of Souls was, of course, released at the end of the Reunion Tour. Bootleg copies were selling like mad, prompting the band and record company to release the previously shelved album almost two years after it was recorded.
Carnival can really be called the Bruce and Eric album, as Bruce co-wrote 9 of the 12 songs on the album, and Eric plays absolutely brilliantly on it.
My three favorite KISS studio albums are Revenge, KISS, and COS. Carnival shows just how vital KISS still was prior to the reunion with Ace and Peter, and just how much of an oldies show they became once they dropped this line-up.
(I was going to post some of the videos I made for this album, but either Universal or someone from the band's management just had them pulled after they had already been up on YouTube for six months. Oh, well.)
After a 5 year wait KISS finally released the follow up to Revenge...
Released on October 28, 1997.
Track Listing:
1. Hate
2. Rain
3. Master And Slave
4. Childhood's End
5. I Will Be There
6. Jungle
7. In My Head
8. It Never Goes Away
9. Seduction Of The Innocent
10. I Confess
11. In The Mirror
12. I Walk Alone
Co-Produced by Toby Wright and Gene Simmons/Paul Stanley
Engineered and Mixed by Toby Wright
Here's an interesting bit of trivia for you - Toby Wright was an assistant engineer on Crazy Nights! Talk about two radically different sounding albums!
Carnival of Souls (The Final Sessions) - an album that, like The Elder 16 years earlier, divided KISS fans. On one hand you have the group that finds it to be the logical extension of Revenge. A brutal, heavy, dark album with great songwriting and musicianship. On the other hand you've got the group that believes it to be a half-assed rip-off of the popular grunge bands of the early to mid 90's.
You'll find me in the camp that says this is a brilliant album.
The opener, "Hate," is freaking awesome! It's got an absolutely killer riff, and drum beat that weaves in and out of said riff (Eric Singer's playing on this one is absolutely amazing), and a vocal melody with an incredibly nasty attitude that perfectly fits the song. "Rain," follows that one up, and is a very, very good slow-ish grinder of a song with another killer riff, a big, fat Sabbath style chunky groove leading into a killer chorus.
"Master and Slave," is another track with an amazingly good riff and one fantastic vocal melody and an infectiously catchy chorus for something this dark and moody. Paul's vocal in the chorus is excellent. Gene follows that up with "Childhood's End," which goes back to the style of, "Goin' Blind." It's a great song, and is a real highlight of the album.
Paul brings things down quite a bit with his touching, but only moderately successful acoustic ballad (dedicated to his son), "I Will Be There." From there Paul jumpstarts this thing and gets into a wicked groove (courtesy of Bruce Kulick's music - he wrote this - and Eric Singer's great drumming) with, "Jungle." To this day I consider, "Jungle," to be one of KISS' 10 or 15 best songs.
Gene then goes all, "Mr. Blackwell," on us with, "In My Head," a weird, but heavy track that I really like. It's out there - just like "Blackwell" was, but I like it. Paul then moves back into Black Sabbath territory with, "It Never Goes Away," which is very out of character for Paul, but it's a very effective track, regardless.
Gene moves into the (then) recent Middle East by way of Aerosmith style on, "Seduction of the Innocent." This is the only track on the album I don't really like. It's not bad, but I just don't like the style.
The album closes out with Gene's dynamic and moody, "I Confess," Paul's Hendrix-y (and kick ass good), "In the Mirror," and finally with Bruce Kulick's lead vocal debut, the moody (and, again, very good), "I Walk Alone."
The production is thick and dark. The mastering job on the CD was poor, though - not enough high end (I re-EQ on my computer it and it sounds amazing) and the closing bit on the album got cut off (originally the ending for, "Childhood's End," then just tagged on at the end of the album, then, finally, accidentally cut off/left off by the mastering engineer).
Carnival of Souls was, of course, released at the end of the Reunion Tour. Bootleg copies were selling like mad, prompting the band and record company to release the previously shelved album almost two years after it was recorded.
Carnival can really be called the Bruce and Eric album, as Bruce co-wrote 9 of the 12 songs on the album, and Eric plays absolutely brilliantly on it.
My three favorite KISS studio albums are Revenge, KISS, and COS. Carnival shows just how vital KISS still was prior to the reunion with Ace and Peter, and just how much of an oldies show they became once they dropped this line-up.
(I was going to post some of the videos I made for this album, but either Universal or someone from the band's management just had them pulled after they had already been up on YouTube for six months. Oh, well.)
11-06-08 | 08:01 AM
#293
DVD Talk Godfather
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 65,242
Received 2,670 Likes
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1,585 Posts
From: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
I think I have COS and I seem to remember really liking it. I'll have to dig through my CDs and put it in my car. I can only remember Rain and I Will Be there which were both great.
Also, I don't know why but that album cover is also very cool.
Also, I don't know why but that album cover is also very cool.
11-06-08 | 10:18 AM
#294
DVD Talk Legend
Carnival of Souls is a worthy followup to "Revenge", albeit not QUITE as good and less accessible for the the casual KISS fan... and certainly not an album for the "Greatest Hits" crowd. And there is NO doubt that the album is reflective of 90s grunge/alt rock/whatever you wanna call it. Echoes of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden are all over the place. Derivative of the times? Absolutely. But then again, I liked Motley Crue with John Corabi so what the hell do I know?
Again, we got growth and evolution that would absolutely stop dead with this album. Not that his album ever really had a chance, given that it was buried for years and unceremoniously released when bootlegs had been running rampant with a cover that doesn't exactly scream "BUY ME, KISS FANS!!!", but (a) KISS albums by the 90s were not big sellers (except for Greatest Hits compilations, I guess) and (b) the 96 Reunion obliterated any interest any incarnation in the make-up-less band.
I never bothered with this album (or Revenge, or Alive III) until several years ago. Wish I had. It's the real freakin' deal.
Well anyway...
Hate and Rain probably make up one of the strongest (if not THE) strongest one-two punch of any KISS opener. OK, "Deuce - Strutter" still rules on that one, but WOW two amazing fucking songs in a row. Heavy, uncompromising, and musically provide a donkey punch that in and of themselves almost obliterate the stench of Crazy Nights/Hot In The Shade that still wisp throughout the ether. Both songs are superb.
Master & Slave isn't quite as top notch as the openers, but it's damn good. I think Paul's a master at interweaving pop, rock, and metal, and that provides all of the song's strengths and it's only weaknesses (something about the chorus just seems.... a bit off).
Childhood's End... Gene loves ripping off sci-fi/fantasy/comics titles and references in his songs. He can keep doing so, if the song works. This one does (even if the main riff is lifted from Alice Cooper's "18"). This tune is haunting, maybe its the child's chorus over such a dark song.
I Will Be There has got that killer acoustic opening, made me think of Jethro Tull's "Songs From The Wood" album. Paul's anti-Cats In The Cradle is remarkably good, but could have been GREAT if the lyrics weren't about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face). The vocals, harmonies, everything musically about this song is perfect.
Jungle is a bit TOO derivative of "Man In The Box" in its verses to not notice immediately. The pre-chorus and chorus kick the song into HIGH gear, though. And check out Gene's mad bass intro. Another good tune.
In My Head is just entirely too unremittingly dopey for me to like. Crap.
It Never Goes Away is not a good song either. It's not horrible, just a bit too droning and reliant on excessive effects work to provide a sort of dark mood that works against Paul's underlying vocal ebullience throughout the chorus. I probably don't know how to explain it any better than that. Another Ehh.
Seduction of the Innocent ... was anyone hoping for a treatise on the inherent homo-eroticism of the Kree-Skrull War here? No? OK. Gene is aping The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Within You Without You" here BIG time. It's different but I kinda like it.
I Confess is forgettable. Ehh. Doesn't do anything for me. Not a crap song, not a good song, it's just there.
In The Mirror is a sweet little uptempo rocker, even if it's Soundgarden's "My Wave" all over again. Good tune.
I Walk Alone closes the album. Bruce's vocal debut reminds me of when Satriani started singing on his "Flying In A Blue Dream" album: he has a good voice, it's just fairly nondescript. Musically the song is solid, lyrically and vocally it's kinda blerg.
Listening to Carnival of Souls again, two things are clear to me: (1) the album's first half is MUCH stronger than it's second, and (2) it's a pretty glum album in terms of tone (not a bad thing, necessarily, but after awhile it starts to feel a tad repetitive. Not as much as 100 minutes of Tori Amos in concert, of course, but you get what I mean). There are about 8 good-to-great songs here and the rest is filler with one crap song ("In My Head"). Skimmed of its fat, this would be a top-tier KISS album, but it's still entirely worth owning, listening to, and enjoying for any self-respecting fan. It's different, but it's real good. * * * 1/2 out of * * * * *.
Again, we got growth and evolution that would absolutely stop dead with this album. Not that his album ever really had a chance, given that it was buried for years and unceremoniously released when bootlegs had been running rampant with a cover that doesn't exactly scream "BUY ME, KISS FANS!!!", but (a) KISS albums by the 90s were not big sellers (except for Greatest Hits compilations, I guess) and (b) the 96 Reunion obliterated any interest any incarnation in the make-up-less band.
I never bothered with this album (or Revenge, or Alive III) until several years ago. Wish I had. It's the real freakin' deal.
Well anyway...
Hate and Rain probably make up one of the strongest (if not THE) strongest one-two punch of any KISS opener. OK, "Deuce - Strutter" still rules on that one, but WOW two amazing fucking songs in a row. Heavy, uncompromising, and musically provide a donkey punch that in and of themselves almost obliterate the stench of Crazy Nights/Hot In The Shade that still wisp throughout the ether. Both songs are superb.
Master & Slave isn't quite as top notch as the openers, but it's damn good. I think Paul's a master at interweaving pop, rock, and metal, and that provides all of the song's strengths and it's only weaknesses (something about the chorus just seems.... a bit off).
Childhood's End... Gene loves ripping off sci-fi/fantasy/comics titles and references in his songs. He can keep doing so, if the song works. This one does (even if the main riff is lifted from Alice Cooper's "18"). This tune is haunting, maybe its the child's chorus over such a dark song.
I Will Be There has got that killer acoustic opening, made me think of Jethro Tull's "Songs From The Wood" album. Paul's anti-Cats In The Cradle is remarkably good, but could have been GREAT if the lyrics weren't about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face). The vocals, harmonies, everything musically about this song is perfect.
Jungle is a bit TOO derivative of "Man In The Box" in its verses to not notice immediately. The pre-chorus and chorus kick the song into HIGH gear, though. And check out Gene's mad bass intro. Another good tune.
In My Head is just entirely too unremittingly dopey for me to like. Crap.
It Never Goes Away is not a good song either. It's not horrible, just a bit too droning and reliant on excessive effects work to provide a sort of dark mood that works against Paul's underlying vocal ebullience throughout the chorus. I probably don't know how to explain it any better than that. Another Ehh.
Seduction of the Innocent ... was anyone hoping for a treatise on the inherent homo-eroticism of the Kree-Skrull War here? No? OK. Gene is aping The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Within You Without You" here BIG time. It's different but I kinda like it.
I Confess is forgettable. Ehh. Doesn't do anything for me. Not a crap song, not a good song, it's just there.
In The Mirror is a sweet little uptempo rocker, even if it's Soundgarden's "My Wave" all over again. Good tune.
I Walk Alone closes the album. Bruce's vocal debut reminds me of when Satriani started singing on his "Flying In A Blue Dream" album: he has a good voice, it's just fairly nondescript. Musically the song is solid, lyrically and vocally it's kinda blerg.
Listening to Carnival of Souls again, two things are clear to me: (1) the album's first half is MUCH stronger than it's second, and (2) it's a pretty glum album in terms of tone (not a bad thing, necessarily, but after awhile it starts to feel a tad repetitive. Not as much as 100 minutes of Tori Amos in concert, of course, but you get what I mean). There are about 8 good-to-great songs here and the rest is filler with one crap song ("In My Head"). Skimmed of its fat, this would be a top-tier KISS album, but it's still entirely worth owning, listening to, and enjoying for any self-respecting fan. It's different, but it's real good. * * * 1/2 out of * * * * *.
11-06-08 | 06:48 PM
#295
For some reason I remember seeing the review for this album before it came out in rolling stone and it showed a really cool cover completely different from this one. I wonder if anybody else has ever seen that here?
11-06-08 | 10:33 PM
#296
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Actually, Bruce played bass on, "Jungle." Unless I'm mistaken he played bass on at least half of the album. (He is apparently a really good bass player in terms of matching vibe/grove with a technically crisp and clean performance.)
11-06-08 | 11:14 PM
#297
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Erik, I know you've long been a champion of Carnival Of Souls, but as much as you dig it, I don't, and never have been able to get into the album.
There are a few songs that are ok - "Master & Slave", "Rain", "Jungle" - but overall, I just don't think the songs are 'there' on this album. Pretty much, I find the whole album rather boring, and even with the aforementioned tunes, there's not a single one when listening that really holds my attention and doesn't make me want to hit the skip/next button. It's not that I'd say they were bad, it's more that the style isn't personally to my liking.
I think KISS work best when they sound like themselves, instead when they try to sound like somebody or something else. Due props for trying, but to me, this is a case of it clearly not working.
For the most part, it looks like the most of the band agreed with me, too. Here's what they had to say about Carnival Of Souls...
Paul Stanley : "I was dead-set against doing that kind of an album, but there are times in the band where somebody acquiesces or gives in based upon somebody else feeling strongly about it. That album was Gene believing that's what we should do. I never believed the world needs a second-rate Soundgarden, Metallica, or Alice In Chains. I was a very labored attempt at doing something that I think was a big misstep."
Gene Simmons : "We basically said, "Let's make believe this is a brand new band." At that point we never saw any hope of getting back together with Ace and Peter. So we went "Forget about all the rules, forget KISS, forget everything. Let's try and make a home for Eric and Bruce." To me, it was very brave record and I have no regrets."
Eric Singer : "Many times we have emotional attachments to records. Sometimes you just have to remove yourself from that and look at things subjectively. It's obvious that the record is played well. It was KISS in a weird time trying to take some chances. Obviously we were all listing to Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and STP. If it was a record by any other band, I would say it's a pretty cool record. But I listen to it and go , "That's not KISS." It's a lot of rock, but no roll. I give the band credit for taking a chance and trying to do something different. To me it's the modern version of The Elder fifteen years later. It was going off the beaten path and taking a left-hand turn and realizing when you got down that road that it wasn't leading us to where we needed to be going. So you turn around and you get back on the main road. KISS went back to their roots, and eventually, back to the makeup."
Bruce Kulick : "KISS was always looking at what was going on around us and realized that some of the bands that were doing really well, and that they liked, were also influenced by KISS - Soundgarden and Alice In Chains - were like Revenge but even heavier. So all of a sudden, we wanted to be heavier. It wasn't super intentional to be like this or that, but all of a sudden we concentrated on a lot of very dark stuff. It was odder of course for Paul, but he jumped into it. Toby Wright, our producer, was there to give it a vibe. Toby had been around since working with Ron Nevison on Crazy Nights, but Toby's not a Bob Ezrin, nor is he a Nevison, but he clearly was able to help us continue with that vibe - which I'm not sure was the right thing to do. I do like a lot of the record, although there's parts of it that I felt could have been even better. I like some of my demos for the album better. Paul and I worked really hard on the demos, and it was not a record that I walked out saying I was 99 percent happy with. We stretched the boundaries on Carnival Of Souls, but it was destined to be like The Elder II, because the of the reunion tour."
There are a few songs that are ok - "Master & Slave", "Rain", "Jungle" - but overall, I just don't think the songs are 'there' on this album. Pretty much, I find the whole album rather boring, and even with the aforementioned tunes, there's not a single one when listening that really holds my attention and doesn't make me want to hit the skip/next button. It's not that I'd say they were bad, it's more that the style isn't personally to my liking.
I think KISS work best when they sound like themselves, instead when they try to sound like somebody or something else. Due props for trying, but to me, this is a case of it clearly not working.
For the most part, it looks like the most of the band agreed with me, too. Here's what they had to say about Carnival Of Souls...
Paul Stanley : "I was dead-set against doing that kind of an album, but there are times in the band where somebody acquiesces or gives in based upon somebody else feeling strongly about it. That album was Gene believing that's what we should do. I never believed the world needs a second-rate Soundgarden, Metallica, or Alice In Chains. I was a very labored attempt at doing something that I think was a big misstep."
Gene Simmons : "We basically said, "Let's make believe this is a brand new band." At that point we never saw any hope of getting back together with Ace and Peter. So we went "Forget about all the rules, forget KISS, forget everything. Let's try and make a home for Eric and Bruce." To me, it was very brave record and I have no regrets."
Eric Singer : "Many times we have emotional attachments to records. Sometimes you just have to remove yourself from that and look at things subjectively. It's obvious that the record is played well. It was KISS in a weird time trying to take some chances. Obviously we were all listing to Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and STP. If it was a record by any other band, I would say it's a pretty cool record. But I listen to it and go , "That's not KISS." It's a lot of rock, but no roll. I give the band credit for taking a chance and trying to do something different. To me it's the modern version of The Elder fifteen years later. It was going off the beaten path and taking a left-hand turn and realizing when you got down that road that it wasn't leading us to where we needed to be going. So you turn around and you get back on the main road. KISS went back to their roots, and eventually, back to the makeup."
Bruce Kulick : "KISS was always looking at what was going on around us and realized that some of the bands that were doing really well, and that they liked, were also influenced by KISS - Soundgarden and Alice In Chains - were like Revenge but even heavier. So all of a sudden, we wanted to be heavier. It wasn't super intentional to be like this or that, but all of a sudden we concentrated on a lot of very dark stuff. It was odder of course for Paul, but he jumped into it. Toby Wright, our producer, was there to give it a vibe. Toby had been around since working with Ron Nevison on Crazy Nights, but Toby's not a Bob Ezrin, nor is he a Nevison, but he clearly was able to help us continue with that vibe - which I'm not sure was the right thing to do. I do like a lot of the record, although there's parts of it that I felt could have been even better. I like some of my demos for the album better. Paul and I worked really hard on the demos, and it was not a record that I walked out saying I was 99 percent happy with. We stretched the boundaries on Carnival Of Souls, but it was destined to be like The Elder II, because the of the reunion tour."
Last edited by Rocketdog2000; 11-06-08 at 11:23 PM.
11-06-08 | 11:19 PM
#298
DVD Talk Gold Edition
You are correct. Saith Bruce - "I played bass on quite a few of the Paul songs, "Jungle", "Ran", "It Never Goes Away", and "I Will Be There". I really wanted Gene to play as much bass as he would".
11-07-08 | 12:42 AM
#299
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
I love it. It really does push the boundaries for KISS, but at the same time almost every song on there has precedent in the KISS catalog - it's like they took every single dark, moody, or heavy song they did and put them together and then updated them to 1995.
I love the songwriting, I love the performances, and I love the attitude. And lyrically it's the best album they've ever done.
The truth is that it sounds like KISS TWO albums removed from Revenge. The transitional album is missing. If there had been an album in between that sounded somewhere between Revenge and COS I don't think COS would have been as divisive and album as it turned out to be.
But it is definitely not the album that a lot of fans wanted. (I don't think a lot of fans would go for a compilation album consisting of "100,000 Years," "Goin Blind," "Strange Ways," "She," "God of Thunder," "Almost Human," "Larger Than Life," "Mr. Blackwell," "Under the Rose," "Only You," "War Machine," "Not for the Innocent," "Thief in the Night," and "Unholy." SOME would, but that wouldn't be an album for everyone.)
11-07-08 | 09:45 AM
#300
DVD Talk Gold Edition
It's like they took every single dark, moody, or heavy song they did and put them together and then updated them to 1995.
Lastly, I listened to it again this morning, and my only other complaint is that I think the vocals are too dry. They feel kinda flat and lifeless to me. Paul, in particular, seems very unnatural for what you're usually accustomed to hearing him sound like. Again, I'm sure that was part of the mood/vibe they were trying too emulate, but it doesn't work for me. Not when I place it up against a Chris Cornell, Layne Staley or other popular singers at the time.
So yeah, I'm definitely on the other side of the fence with this one, but regardless, I'm glad that you (and others) do enjoy the album so much.
Last edited by Rocketdog2000; 11-07-08 at 09:47 AM.