Here's a gargantuan Album by Album thread: KISS
08-29-08 | 10:30 PM
#76
DVD Talk Gold Edition
And I'm going to weigh in slightly more to the middle on this one. On a song for song basis, while I prefer Rock And Roll Over and Destroyer, I still think Love Gun is a pretty good album, nonetheless.
The songs that work for me are "I Stole Your Love" (another great Paul Stanley rocker), "Christine Sixteen" (one of the band's most "pop" songs), "Shock Me" (as Matt Millheiser pointed out, we finally got a lead vocal song from Ace, and it's a good one, too), "Love Gun", "Almost Human" and "Plaster Caster".
The stuff I can do without, on the other hand is "Got Love For Sale", "Hooligan" and "Then She Kissed Me" - a weak Gene song, a weaker Peter song, and a 'what were they thinking?' choice of a cover.
I'm on the fence about "Tomorrow and Tonight". Sometimes I like it, and other times I don't. Depends on my mood.
What's intresting to me, too, is that even though both Love Gun and RARO are produced by Eddie Karmer, this one's got a more polished sound, were RARO, on the other hand, was very raw.
The songs that work for me are "I Stole Your Love" (another great Paul Stanley rocker), "Christine Sixteen" (one of the band's most "pop" songs), "Shock Me" (as Matt Millheiser pointed out, we finally got a lead vocal song from Ace, and it's a good one, too), "Love Gun", "Almost Human" and "Plaster Caster".
The stuff I can do without, on the other hand is "Got Love For Sale", "Hooligan" and "Then She Kissed Me" - a weak Gene song, a weaker Peter song, and a 'what were they thinking?' choice of a cover.
I'm on the fence about "Tomorrow and Tonight". Sometimes I like it, and other times I don't. Depends on my mood.
What's intresting to me, too, is that even though both Love Gun and RARO are produced by Eddie Karmer, this one's got a more polished sound, were RARO, on the other hand, was very raw.
08-30-08 | 01:57 AM
#77
DVD Talk Gold Edition
My 3 favorite KISS songs are on this album. "Christine Sixteen", "Plaster Caster" and "Shock Me" (in that order). This is the only KISS album I own on CD (in my youth, I pretty much had all of their albums on cassette... remember those?) and vinyl. When they came out with the "toy" boxed set, I was probably a little too happy for however old I was when that thing came out. (It's actually proudly displayed on the shelf behind me right now.) There was a big smile on my face when I first saw Jim Carrey's character wearing a Love Gun shirt in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. This was one of the first albums I remember owning, and although originally initially mad at my uncle for picking me up the wrong KISS album (I had asked for Crazy Nights - this was when that was their most recent album and all I was really familiar with), put it in and fell in love with KISS. (It's been something of a love/hate relationship with anything that grabbed my attention in the 80's - Michael Jackson, Def Leppard, The... er... Monkees.) So yeah, while not quite great enough to put on a Top 10 (or even Top 30) list, it's my favorite KISS album and the only one I truly felt the need to comment on. Okay, you may continue with your discussion now.
K
K
08-30-08 | 09:51 AM
#78
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
My track by track assessment:
"I Stole Your Love" - One of the best opening tracks on any album by any band. A great burst of energy and one of the best combinations of great riffs and vocal melodies in Rock.
"Christine Sixteen" - Not quite Power Pop, but lightweight Hard Rock with infectious melodies and riffs. An obvious hit single in 1977.
"Got Love For Sale" - This is one that I've really come to like over the years. Back in the 70's and early 80's I didn't think much of it, but once I played it on guitar I really clued into it. A solid album track.
"Shock Me" - Monumental. Ace comes through big time with his first song that he actually took the lead vocal on.
"Tomorrow and Tonight" - Sounded so good in the late 70's, but really dated by the early 80's. Listening to it again it's a decent track, but an obvious attempt to recreate "Rock and Roll All Nite."
"Love Gun" - Again, monumental. One of the greatest Hard Rock tracks of all time. One of KISS' signature songs.
"Hooligan" - 50's Rock and Roll updated to the 70's. Peter gives a good vocal performance on a decent track that's more fun than it has any right to be.
"Almost Human" - "God of Thunder" Part II. It's got a similar riff, and a similar vibe, and is almost as good. A really, really good song that is often overlooked.
"Plaster Caster" - Largely a throwaway track, but as an album cut it's really solid, and who knew it would sound so good unplugged?
"And Then She Kissed Me" -
WTF?? Whose idea was this anyway? Gene's? Bill Aucoin's? Neil Bogart's? Paul's? Certainly not Eddie Kramer, I hope! Whoever came up with this idea should have to pay me $50,000 in fines for pain and suffering.
Overall? A really, really good album with some of their best songs.
As far as the production goes, I'd imagine that part of the reason that it's a little slicker than Rock and Roll Over is Corky Stasiak's work on the engineering side (working with Eddie Kramer). Stasiak also co-engineered Destroyer.
"I Stole Your Love" - One of the best opening tracks on any album by any band. A great burst of energy and one of the best combinations of great riffs and vocal melodies in Rock.
"Christine Sixteen" - Not quite Power Pop, but lightweight Hard Rock with infectious melodies and riffs. An obvious hit single in 1977.
"Got Love For Sale" - This is one that I've really come to like over the years. Back in the 70's and early 80's I didn't think much of it, but once I played it on guitar I really clued into it. A solid album track.
"Shock Me" - Monumental. Ace comes through big time with his first song that he actually took the lead vocal on.
"Tomorrow and Tonight" - Sounded so good in the late 70's, but really dated by the early 80's. Listening to it again it's a decent track, but an obvious attempt to recreate "Rock and Roll All Nite."
"Love Gun" - Again, monumental. One of the greatest Hard Rock tracks of all time. One of KISS' signature songs.
"Hooligan" - 50's Rock and Roll updated to the 70's. Peter gives a good vocal performance on a decent track that's more fun than it has any right to be.
"Almost Human" - "God of Thunder" Part II. It's got a similar riff, and a similar vibe, and is almost as good. A really, really good song that is often overlooked.
"Plaster Caster" - Largely a throwaway track, but as an album cut it's really solid, and who knew it would sound so good unplugged?
"And Then She Kissed Me" -
WTF?? Whose idea was this anyway? Gene's? Bill Aucoin's? Neil Bogart's? Paul's? Certainly not Eddie Kramer, I hope! Whoever came up with this idea should have to pay me $50,000 in fines for pain and suffering.Overall? A really, really good album with some of their best songs.
As far as the production goes, I'd imagine that part of the reason that it's a little slicker than Rock and Roll Over is Corky Stasiak's work on the engineering side (working with Eddie Kramer). Stasiak also co-engineered Destroyer.
08-30-08 | 01:47 PM
#79
DVD Talk Legend
I absolutely love Love Gun. Fantastic Kiss album with some of their best work. Aside from Then She Kissed Me, and possibly Hooligan, the entire album is classic through and through. The title track is one of my favorite songs, period.
08-30-08 | 06:36 PM
#80
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Gene : Paul walked in one day and said, "How about if we do this song?" And we started playing with it and recorded it. We also toyed with "Go Now", a song by The Moody Blues when Denny Laine was in the band. That's a great song. KISS used to perform that live right around the first album. We were thinking of recoding that then, but we thought lyrically that it didn't make sense. Here's our first album, gotta go.
Paul : I was a big fan of the song "Then He Kissed Me". One thing you'll never get from me is bullshit. There are songs that I think are monumental, and we've written some great stuff. Some things, in retrospect, just didn't work. That's a great song, and it needs to get redone like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" needs to get redone. It's a song you don't mess with.
Corky : I remember Paul saying we had to record a song by someone else. They were also thinking of doing "Jailhouse Rock" but decided upon "Then She Kissed Me". It was The last song we recorded for the album.
08-30-08 | 06:44 PM
#81
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From: Grazing in a field somewhere...
To me, this is probably the worst song Kiss has ever put down (on Vinyl, heh). They made it pretty much to try and keep Ace happy. I cringe whenever they play it when I see them live.
2000 Man is not that good, but a billion times better. Pretty much any of Ace's non-Kiss work trumps this one by a lot. I am really surprised you like this one. (don't get me started on New York Groove)
Last edited by The Cow; 08-30-08 at 06:47 PM.
08-30-08 | 07:40 PM
#82
DVD Talk Legend
Just a quick side...
To me, this is probably the worst song Kiss has ever put down (on Vinyl, heh). They made it pretty much to try and keep Ace happy. I cringe whenever they play it when I see them live.
2000 Man is not that good, but a billion times better. Pretty much any of Ace's non-Kiss work trumps this one by a lot. I am really surprised you like this one. (don't get me started on New York Groove)
To me, this is probably the worst song Kiss has ever put down (on Vinyl, heh). They made it pretty much to try and keep Ace happy. I cringe whenever they play it when I see them live.
2000 Man is not that good, but a billion times better. Pretty much any of Ace's non-Kiss work trumps this one by a lot. I am really surprised you like this one. (don't get me started on New York Groove)
No but for real, I've never heard of a single KISS fan who didn't go, at the very mininum, batshit crazy over "Shock Me", but to each their own. As far as Ace's post-Kiss work: hits and misses, but "Rock Soldiers" will always makes me cringe. Ick. Then again, who doesn't start fist-pumping to "Trouble Walking" is already dead, or a gigantic turnip.
08-30-08 | 09:11 PM
#83
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
I'll be honest with you -- I think your insane. No but for real, I've never heard of a single KISS fan who didn't go, at the very mininum, batshit crazy over "Shock Me", but to each their own.
As far as Ace's post-Kiss work: hits and misses, but "Rock Soldiers" will always makes me cringe. Ick. Then again, who doesn't start fist-pumping to "Trouble Walking" is already dead, or a gigantic turnip.
No but for real, I've never heard of a single KISS fan who didn't go, at the very mininum, batshit crazy over "Shock Me", but to each their own. As far as Ace's post-Kiss work: hits and misses, but "Rock Soldiers" will always makes me cringe. Ick. Then again, who doesn't start fist-pumping to "Trouble Walking" is already dead, or a gigantic turnip.
08-30-08 | 09:34 PM
#84
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Just a quick side...
To me, this is probably the worst song Kiss has ever put down (on Vinyl, heh). They made it pretty much to try and keep Ace happy. I cringe whenever they play it when I see them live.
2000 Man is not that good, but a billion times better. Pretty much any of Ace's non-Kiss work trumps this one by a lot. I am really surprised you like this one. (don't get me started on New York Groove)
To me, this is probably the worst song Kiss has ever put down (on Vinyl, heh). They made it pretty much to try and keep Ace happy. I cringe whenever they play it when I see them live.
2000 Man is not that good, but a billion times better. Pretty much any of Ace's non-Kiss work trumps this one by a lot. I am really surprised you like this one. (don't get me started on New York Groove)
08-30-08 | 09:37 PM
#85
DVD Talk Legend
Shock Me
Rocket Ride
2,000 Man
Hard Times
Talk To Me [GREAT pop song, I was hoping he'd play it on the Rocket Ride tour]
Into The Void
Torpedo Girl
Two Sides of the Coin
Dark Light [awesome solo, meh song]
Save Your Love [this song is truly wretched]
08-31-08 | 01:15 AM
#86
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From: Gateway Cities/Harbor Region
According to KISS - Behind The Mask : The Authorized Biography (a book every KISS fan should own), it was Paul's. Here's what Gene, Paul and Corky Stasiak had to say about it...
Gene : Paul walked in one day and said, "How about if we do this song?" And we started playing with it and recorded it. We also toyed with "Go Now", a song by The Moody Blues when Denny Laine was in the band. That's a great song. KISS used to perform that live right around the first album. We were thinking of recoding that then, but we thought lyrically that it didn't make sense. Here's our first album, gotta go.
Paul : I was a big fan of the song "Then He Kissed Me". One thing you'll never get from me is bullshit. There are songs that I think are monumental, and we've written some great stuff. Some things, in retrospect, just didn't work. That's a great song, and it needs to get redone like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" needs to get redone. It's a song you don't mess with.
Corky : I remember Paul saying we had to record a song by someone else. They were also thinking of doing "Jailhouse Rock" but decided upon "Then She Kissed Me". It was The last song we recorded for the album.
Gene : Paul walked in one day and said, "How about if we do this song?" And we started playing with it and recorded it. We also toyed with "Go Now", a song by The Moody Blues when Denny Laine was in the band. That's a great song. KISS used to perform that live right around the first album. We were thinking of recoding that then, but we thought lyrically that it didn't make sense. Here's our first album, gotta go.
Paul : I was a big fan of the song "Then He Kissed Me". One thing you'll never get from me is bullshit. There are songs that I think are monumental, and we've written some great stuff. Some things, in retrospect, just didn't work. That's a great song, and it needs to get redone like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" needs to get redone. It's a song you don't mess with.
Corky : I remember Paul saying we had to record a song by someone else. They were also thinking of doing "Jailhouse Rock" but decided upon "Then She Kissed Me". It was The last song we recorded for the album.
Wow, typical of KISS they said a bunch of stuff but it didn't really reveal anything truly insightful.
And why does Paul always talk in soundbtyes?Anyway, I actually liked all the songs on LOVE GUN including Christine 16 and Then she kissed me.
Ace was always my favorite band member so I dig almost all of his stuff with KISS, all of his solo album, and some of his "Frehley's Comets" stuff.
Last edited by Giantrobo; 08-31-08 at 01:19 AM.
08-31-08 | 05:38 PM
#87
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Here are the iconic poster images from 1977....
And the music...
I Stole Your Love..............................................................................Shock Me
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BK0q6v30Qho&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BK0q6v30Qho&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W2rZun97AOk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W2rZun97AOk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Got Love For Sale......................................................................Love Gun
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1977 really was the peak of KISS' career (commercially).
And the music...
I Stole Your Love..............................................................................Shock Me
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BK0q6v30Qho&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BK0q6v30Qho&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W2rZun97AOk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W2rZun97AOk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Got Love For Sale......................................................................Love Gun
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JJDmSVPIrh4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JJDmSVPIrh4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/trR5ROuf1Uk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/trR5ROuf1Uk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
1977 really was the peak of KISS' career (commercially).
Last edited by B5Erik; 08-31-08 at 06:20 PM.
09-01-08 | 10:04 AM
#88
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
.
You wanted the best and you got the best! The hottest band in the world: KISS!
ALIVE II
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HTCQd2yQVr0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HTCQd2yQVr0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Released on November 29, 1977.
Produced and Engineered by Eddie Kramer. Studio tracks Co-Engineered by Corky Stasiak.
Track listing:
Disc One
1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of the NIght Time World
3. Ladies Room
4. Makin' Love
5. Love Gun
6. Calling Dr. Love
7. Christine Sixteen
8. Shock Me
9. Hard Luck Woman
10. Tomorrow and Tonight
Disc Two
1. I Stole Your Love
2. Beth
3. God of Thunder
4. I Want You
5. Shout It Out Loud
6. All American Man
7. Rockin' in the U.S.A.
8. Larger Than Life
9. Rocket Ride
10. Any Way You Want It
One of the most famous inside gatefold covers of all time:
ALIVE II focuses the "live" songs entirely on the three studio albums released after ALIVE. The interesting thing is while it seems like a natural opening pair of songs to use, "Detroit Rock City," and "King of the Night Time World," the band had actually been using, "I Stole Your Love," as the set opener on most of the Love Gun tour. In fact, "King of the Night Time World," wasn't even played during their 3 night stint at the L.A. Forum (where they did some basic recording for ALIVE II). It was played at other shows on the tour, and was likely recorded then. "Hard Luck Woman," and "Tomorrow and Tonight," however were NEVER played on the Love Gun tour. From all reports they actually recorded those songs prior to the shows at the Forum - playing them to an empty house. (The set list still included some songs from the first 3 studio albums, and they just didn't have room in said set list to include those songs, but they needed the extra material to fill out all 3 of the live sides of ALIVE II.)
The studio side of the album came about when it was clear that they didn't have enough songs from the most recent 3 studio albums to fill an entire live double album. At one point someone had suggested one live record and one full album of new songs recorded in the studio. As that would have meant rushing (forcing) the writing of 5 more tracks that probably wouldn't have worked out so well. The new studio material picks up right where Love Gun left off. Paul's, "All American Man," would have been an album highlight on any KISS album, but Gene's "Rockin' in the U.S.A," and "Larger Than Life," were both filler tracks. Ace contributed, "Rocket Ride," to the new studio side, and it's another absolute KISS Classic. The studio side closes out in curious fashion as they use another cover song in the Dave Clark Five's, "Any Way You Want It." This works out better than the misstep that, "And Then She Kissed Me," did, but still isn't as good as a new KISS original would have been.
With the live tracks, once again there is heavy studio overdubbing going on. You can clearly hear TWO Paul's singing on the chorus for, "Love Gun," and the overall mix this time is slicker than on ALIVE.
Still, ALIVE II is an overall success because it does a good job of capturing the vibe that made KISS such a huge attraction as a live band.
You wanted the best and you got the best! The hottest band in the world: KISS!
ALIVE II
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HTCQd2yQVr0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HTCQd2yQVr0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Released on November 29, 1977.
Produced and Engineered by Eddie Kramer. Studio tracks Co-Engineered by Corky Stasiak.
Track listing:
Disc One
1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of the NIght Time World
3. Ladies Room
4. Makin' Love
5. Love Gun
6. Calling Dr. Love
7. Christine Sixteen
8. Shock Me
9. Hard Luck Woman
10. Tomorrow and Tonight
Disc Two
1. I Stole Your Love
2. Beth
3. God of Thunder
4. I Want You
5. Shout It Out Loud
6. All American Man
7. Rockin' in the U.S.A.
8. Larger Than Life
9. Rocket Ride
10. Any Way You Want It
One of the most famous inside gatefold covers of all time:
ALIVE II focuses the "live" songs entirely on the three studio albums released after ALIVE. The interesting thing is while it seems like a natural opening pair of songs to use, "Detroit Rock City," and "King of the Night Time World," the band had actually been using, "I Stole Your Love," as the set opener on most of the Love Gun tour. In fact, "King of the Night Time World," wasn't even played during their 3 night stint at the L.A. Forum (where they did some basic recording for ALIVE II). It was played at other shows on the tour, and was likely recorded then. "Hard Luck Woman," and "Tomorrow and Tonight," however were NEVER played on the Love Gun tour. From all reports they actually recorded those songs prior to the shows at the Forum - playing them to an empty house. (The set list still included some songs from the first 3 studio albums, and they just didn't have room in said set list to include those songs, but they needed the extra material to fill out all 3 of the live sides of ALIVE II.)
The studio side of the album came about when it was clear that they didn't have enough songs from the most recent 3 studio albums to fill an entire live double album. At one point someone had suggested one live record and one full album of new songs recorded in the studio. As that would have meant rushing (forcing) the writing of 5 more tracks that probably wouldn't have worked out so well. The new studio material picks up right where Love Gun left off. Paul's, "All American Man," would have been an album highlight on any KISS album, but Gene's "Rockin' in the U.S.A," and "Larger Than Life," were both filler tracks. Ace contributed, "Rocket Ride," to the new studio side, and it's another absolute KISS Classic. The studio side closes out in curious fashion as they use another cover song in the Dave Clark Five's, "Any Way You Want It." This works out better than the misstep that, "And Then She Kissed Me," did, but still isn't as good as a new KISS original would have been.
With the live tracks, once again there is heavy studio overdubbing going on. You can clearly hear TWO Paul's singing on the chorus for, "Love Gun," and the overall mix this time is slicker than on ALIVE.
Still, ALIVE II is an overall success because it does a good job of capturing the vibe that made KISS such a huge attraction as a live band.
Last edited by B5Erik; 09-01-08 at 10:07 AM.
09-01-08 | 01:00 PM
#89
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I'm not near as big on this album as you are.The over dubbing is a disgrace as well as the airbrushed "live" picture on the gatefold.The new studio tracks had no business being on a so called live album.As you mentioned,Detroit Rock City was not the opening song on this tour so why does it open the album?
As I mentioned earlier,I saw this tour and it was perhaps the shortest concert for any headliner I've seen.It came in about an hour and 15 at best.
The run time on the live tracks here is about 53 minutes give or take.
I also question the setlist in general for this tour.It seems the only songs from their first three albums they even played were Rock N Roll Allnight,Fire House and Black Diamond.WTF?
I can't think of any other band that would deny their fans of classic songs they had recorded just a couple of years earlier.
Granted there are some good beefed up versions here,it just pales in comparison to Alive!
There was a paltry two years between the two live albums and nobody was bigger than Kiss at this time,bit this is the start of the wheels slowly coming off.
As I mentioned earlier,I saw this tour and it was perhaps the shortest concert for any headliner I've seen.It came in about an hour and 15 at best.
The run time on the live tracks here is about 53 minutes give or take.
I also question the setlist in general for this tour.It seems the only songs from their first three albums they even played were Rock N Roll Allnight,Fire House and Black Diamond.WTF?
I can't think of any other band that would deny their fans of classic songs they had recorded just a couple of years earlier.
Granted there are some good beefed up versions here,it just pales in comparison to Alive!
There was a paltry two years between the two live albums and nobody was bigger than Kiss at this time,bit this is the start of the wheels slowly coming off.
09-02-08 | 09:41 AM
#90
DVD Talk Legend
I am late on commenting on Love Gun. Good album with a few great songs a several weak ones.
As everyone stated, I Stole Your Love has to be one of the best album openers of all time. Christine Sixteen is a classic (and listening to the lyrics again, I wonder if anyone could get away with it today). Shock Me, Love Gun and Almost Human are Klassic Kiss as well. Almost Human is my favorite track on the album and I hate that it gets overlooked all the time. Awesome dirty groove with great vocals by Gene.
The okay - Got Love For Sale and Plaster Caster are good fun songs but aren't classics.
The bad: Tomorrow And Tonight (a shitty follow up to their normal rock-n-roll worship songs like Rock And Roll All Night and Shout It Out Loud). Hooligan is pretty weak as well.
The one that should be just cut from future prints is Then She Kissed Me. Just dreadful. It sucked when The Beach Boys covered it (as And Then I Kissed Her) and it sucks by KISS. One of those "what were they thinking" covers.
Another awesome legendary KISS album cover as well.
My rating: **** out of *****
As everyone stated, I Stole Your Love has to be one of the best album openers of all time. Christine Sixteen is a classic (and listening to the lyrics again, I wonder if anyone could get away with it today). Shock Me, Love Gun and Almost Human are Klassic Kiss as well. Almost Human is my favorite track on the album and I hate that it gets overlooked all the time. Awesome dirty groove with great vocals by Gene.
The okay - Got Love For Sale and Plaster Caster are good fun songs but aren't classics.
The bad: Tomorrow And Tonight (a shitty follow up to their normal rock-n-roll worship songs like Rock And Roll All Night and Shout It Out Loud). Hooligan is pretty weak as well.
The one that should be just cut from future prints is Then She Kissed Me. Just dreadful. It sucked when The Beach Boys covered it (as And Then I Kissed Her) and it sucks by KISS. One of those "what were they thinking" covers.
Another awesome legendary KISS album cover as well.
My rating: **** out of *****
09-02-08 | 11:15 AM
#91
DVD Talk Legend
ALIVE II....
Okay...
ALIVE II was (I'm 90% sure) my first KISS album... and I played the holy hell out of it on my tiny mono tape recorder (obviously I had the double cassette version). I listened to every last song back and forth, forth and back, one to the other, each to his brother. Because of this album, I came to love KISS. It became holy writ to me.
I LOVED ALIVE II GROWING UP.
Now?
Not as much.
I mean, it's GOOD. Often REALLY good. The live version of "God of Thunder" kicks so much ass over the studio version. But compared to the original ALIVE, it comes across as a red-headed stepchild. The main problem is that the songs are simply not as compelling as they were on Alive. I'm much more of a fan of the first three albums than the second trilogy, so that clouds my opinion greatly. And then there's the studio cuts which, with the exception of Ace's totally outstanding ROCKET RIDE, are totally forgettable. "Any Way You Want It" is worse than "Kissin' Time" and "Then She Kissed Me" *combined*.
Still though, ALIVE II manages to be a quality KISS album overall, with some killer tracks mixed with some not so compelling ones, 4 crappy studio tunes and 1 absolute classic one. Compared with the original ALIVE! it's easily the inferior product (but given how classic ALIVE! is, it's almost an unfair comparison) but as an album on its own it does just fine. ALIVE II will always be a nostalgic favorite for me, but looking at it within the entirety of KISS's albums it's not quite as good as it should be.
I'd say ***1/2 out of *****
Current rankings:
KISS: * * * * *
Hotter Than Hell: * * * * 1/2
Dressed To Kill: * * * 1/2
Alive!: * * * * *
Destroyer: * * * 1/2
Rock And Roll Over: * * *
Love Gun: * * * *
Alive II: * * * 1/2
Okay...
ALIVE II was (I'm 90% sure) my first KISS album... and I played the holy hell out of it on my tiny mono tape recorder (obviously I had the double cassette version). I listened to every last song back and forth, forth and back, one to the other, each to his brother. Because of this album, I came to love KISS. It became holy writ to me.
I LOVED ALIVE II GROWING UP.
Now?
Not as much.
I mean, it's GOOD. Often REALLY good. The live version of "God of Thunder" kicks so much ass over the studio version. But compared to the original ALIVE, it comes across as a red-headed stepchild. The main problem is that the songs are simply not as compelling as they were on Alive. I'm much more of a fan of the first three albums than the second trilogy, so that clouds my opinion greatly. And then there's the studio cuts which, with the exception of Ace's totally outstanding ROCKET RIDE, are totally forgettable. "Any Way You Want It" is worse than "Kissin' Time" and "Then She Kissed Me" *combined*.
Still though, ALIVE II manages to be a quality KISS album overall, with some killer tracks mixed with some not so compelling ones, 4 crappy studio tunes and 1 absolute classic one. Compared with the original ALIVE! it's easily the inferior product (but given how classic ALIVE! is, it's almost an unfair comparison) but as an album on its own it does just fine. ALIVE II will always be a nostalgic favorite for me, but looking at it within the entirety of KISS's albums it's not quite as good as it should be.
I'd say ***1/2 out of *****
Current rankings:
KISS: * * * * *
Hotter Than Hell: * * * * 1/2
Dressed To Kill: * * * 1/2
Alive!: * * * * *
Destroyer: * * * 1/2
Rock And Roll Over: * * *
Love Gun: * * * *
Alive II: * * * 1/2
09-02-08 | 02:16 PM
#92
DVD Talk Legend
Now for my all-time favorite KISS album. I love ALIVE II and have listened to it far more than my other KISS albums. I am sure it being my first KISS album (along with Destroyer - got them at the same time) has a little to do with it but listening to it today, it is still fantastic and I find myself shaking my head, singing along and loving almost every second of it.
Every live song on here is superior to their original version on the studio albums. It's faster, meaner, leaner and just sound plain better. Even the couple of weak songs (Tomorrow And Tonight and Shout It Out Loud) that are on here in the live section sound great. I have nothing bad to say about the live sides at all. Fantastic and more fun than ALIVE I in my opinion. Ace's guitar solo is not overextended and Peter's drum solo is fun to beat on your desk as you listen along.
The version of God Of Thunder is so damn good that it is hard to even acknowledge that the studio version exists. If you call yourself a KISS fan and don't own this album, you are not a true KISS fan.
Now for the studio side. I obviously like it a lot more than the couple that have posted here so far. All-American Man is a fun catchy song with some nice guitars in it. Rockin' In The USA is Gene's answer to The Beach Boys "California Girls" and The Beatles "Back In The U.S.S.R." Yeah, the lyrics aren't the best but it is a fun song to sing along to.
Now comes probably my favorite Gene song of all-time. Larger Than Life. God I love that song. Just sounds so wicked and grimey. I can't believe the comments so far on it.
I was at the KISS Konvention in Atlanta in the mid 90's before they put the make-up back on and got to sit in the small crowd while they played various requests from the audience. I requested Larger Than Life and Gene tried to play the first bass line that starts the song but Paul, Eric and Bruce just looked at him like he was crazy. They had no idea what he was playing and I doubt Gene could have even played it much further. Just a funny moment that lasted 5 seconds. Then they moved on to something they knew.
Rocket Ride kicks a ton of ass as well. Granted Any Way You Want It is a bizarre song to cover for them and even stranger to close the album with...but whatever. One misstep for an album of this size doesn't bother me at all.
I also love this cover as well and Gene's picture is the fucking coolest one ever. The booklet included in the album called "The Evolution Of KISS" was a fantastic extra and I wore mine out looking at it. I loved how it went from 1973 to 1977 witch pictures from each year. It was cool to look at the make-up and outfits and see how they changed. And the gatefold....awesome. The remastered CD does it's best to reproduce these items but due to the massive size difference, it just isn't the same.
And they even included KISS tattoos for the kids! Brilliant!
One of my favorite albums of all time. This is one of those that I would take on a deserted island with me if I had to choose a top 10 list.
My rating: ***** out of *****
Every live song on here is superior to their original version on the studio albums. It's faster, meaner, leaner and just sound plain better. Even the couple of weak songs (Tomorrow And Tonight and Shout It Out Loud) that are on here in the live section sound great. I have nothing bad to say about the live sides at all. Fantastic and more fun than ALIVE I in my opinion. Ace's guitar solo is not overextended and Peter's drum solo is fun to beat on your desk as you listen along.
The version of God Of Thunder is so damn good that it is hard to even acknowledge that the studio version exists. If you call yourself a KISS fan and don't own this album, you are not a true KISS fan.
Now for the studio side. I obviously like it a lot more than the couple that have posted here so far. All-American Man is a fun catchy song with some nice guitars in it. Rockin' In The USA is Gene's answer to The Beach Boys "California Girls" and The Beatles "Back In The U.S.S.R." Yeah, the lyrics aren't the best but it is a fun song to sing along to.
Now comes probably my favorite Gene song of all-time. Larger Than Life. God I love that song. Just sounds so wicked and grimey. I can't believe the comments so far on it.
I was at the KISS Konvention in Atlanta in the mid 90's before they put the make-up back on and got to sit in the small crowd while they played various requests from the audience. I requested Larger Than Life and Gene tried to play the first bass line that starts the song but Paul, Eric and Bruce just looked at him like he was crazy. They had no idea what he was playing and I doubt Gene could have even played it much further. Just a funny moment that lasted 5 seconds. Then they moved on to something they knew.
Rocket Ride kicks a ton of ass as well. Granted Any Way You Want It is a bizarre song to cover for them and even stranger to close the album with...but whatever. One misstep for an album of this size doesn't bother me at all.
I also love this cover as well and Gene's picture is the fucking coolest one ever. The booklet included in the album called "The Evolution Of KISS" was a fantastic extra and I wore mine out looking at it. I loved how it went from 1973 to 1977 witch pictures from each year. It was cool to look at the make-up and outfits and see how they changed. And the gatefold....awesome. The remastered CD does it's best to reproduce these items but due to the massive size difference, it just isn't the same.
And they even included KISS tattoos for the kids! Brilliant!
One of my favorite albums of all time. This is one of those that I would take on a deserted island with me if I had to choose a top 10 list.
My rating: ***** out of *****
09-02-08 | 04:22 PM
#93
DVD Talk Limited Edition
There are many things wrong with this album, some already covered, that in comparison with Alive it is just a complete let down.
This is, for me, the end of Kiss till Revenge. There are some great songs along the way but as for full albums - done. And don't get me started on Alive III.
This is, for me, the end of Kiss till Revenge. There are some great songs along the way but as for full albums - done. And don't get me started on Alive III.
09-03-08 | 09:17 AM
#94
DVD Talk Legend
There are many things wrong with this album, some already covered, that in comparison with Alive it is just a complete let down.
This is, for me, the end of Kiss till Revenge. There are some great songs along the way but as for full albums - done. And don't get me started on Alive III.
This is, for me, the end of Kiss till Revenge. There are some great songs along the way but as for full albums - done. And don't get me started on Alive III.
09-03-08 | 04:40 PM
#95
DVD Talk Limited Edition
With the exception of Paul and Ace's solo albums, I'd have to agree with you on the "full album" assessment. Although I'm not as enamored of REVENGE as most Kiss fans are. It's weird, after this album... 1978 was KISS's greatest commercial year ever. And that did two things to kill the band's momentum flat: gave them all inflated egos beyond the realm of practicality, and disillusioned their core fans to the point of absolute implosion (the '79 Dynasty tour was a big money loser, even if the album sold 3 million).
Not sure why but Revenge just clicked for me. Maybe due to the fact that many of the previous albums were not that great imho.
The next group album (Dynasty) was the last one I bought as a blind purchase .
The rest I just borrowed and taped (cassette
) what I liked.
09-03-08 | 11:45 PM
#96
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Legend
Let me amend my comment on the song a bit. Yes, I do think it's filler -but damned good filler! It is grimy and nasty, and has a rhythm guitar tone to die for! And the drums are pre- "I Love It Loud" thunderous! This song is all attitude, and is the third best studio track on the album.
09-04-08 | 02:06 PM
#97
DVD Talk Gold Edition
K
