The offical Kiss thread

I've been revisiting the original line-up material these past few months...you can really hear Gene & Paul's Beatles influence on the poppier numbers. I've been loving it...

I discovered KISS in 1976, too young to really know what was going on...but old enough to know it inspired me and I loved it.

I started with Rock And Roll Over and played the album over and over again, loved it. Then the masterstroke happened...

...my second KISS album was Alive!. The first live album (albeit cleaned up) that I ever heard and still the record I use to measure all live albums against. The energy cranked out over those two LP's is just staggering, everything perfectly in balance, the crowd, the between song banter, Criss' flange-soaked drum solo, Ace' amazing guitar solos throughout...and I can't think of a single track from Alive! where the studio version is better than the live version...KISS never liked the sound of their first 3 albums, they've indicated in interviews that Alive was the record where they first really captured what they were all about.

I see KISS Alive! as not only one of the best live albums of all-time, but also a career defining collection of songs. They did good albums after Alive, but never hitting that stratospheric height again.

I think my like for Kiss goes just for the earlier Ace Era stuff so far.....

Paul's 60th birthday singin "you shook me" (Zeppelin version)

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I've been revisiting the original line-up material these past few months...you can really hear Gene & Paul's Beatles influence on the poppier numbers. I've been loving it...

Its funny you mention this, when I was kid I did not hear the Beatles influence at all, but listening to these same albums as an adult I can definitely hear it now.

manny wrote:

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

I've been revisiting the original line-up material these past few months...you can really hear Gene & Paul's Beatles influence on the poppier numbers. I've been loving it...

Its funny you mention this, when I was kid I did not hear the Beatles influence at all, but listening to these same albums as an adult I can definitely hear it now.

I listened to Carnival of Souls last nigt w/headphones and Gene(Paul somwhat too) wears his Beatle's influences on his sleeve with most, if not all of songs on this cd. (I almost typed album) I would love to have this on vinyl.....come on Gene, get with it already.

I detest Carnival. I just cannot listen to it.

CARNIVAL has a couple of decent tracks ("Hate," "In My Head" and "Jungle") and then a whoooole lotta filler.

When I finally heard it upon its release in '97 I had a good laugh at the expense of all the suckers I'd seen paying $40 and up for bootleg CDs of it at KISS Expos for several years prior.

Fat Freddy wrote:

CARNIVAL has a couple of decent tracks ("Hate," "In My Head" and "Jungle") and then a whoooole lotta filler.

When I finally heard it upon its release in '97 I had a good laugh at the expense of all the suckers I'd seen paying $40 and up for bootleg CDs of it at KISS Expos for several years prior.

I got it for $.49 and wasnt sure who got the better end of that deal....

exact33 wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

CARNIVAL has a couple of decent tracks ("Hate," "In My Head" and "Jungle") and then a whoooole lotta filler.

When I finally heard it upon its release in '97 I had a good laugh at the expense of all the suckers I'd seen paying $40 and up for bootleg CDs of it at KISS Expos for several years prior.

I got it for $.49 and wasnt sure who got the better end of that deal....

Gene, since he got the royalty the first time it was sold.

I thought Carnival was a very strong release. Then again, KISS is my favorite band so I'm biased.

It's not the type of album I would've wanted them to make, but it turned out pretty good. The only songs I think are filler: In My Head, It Never Goes Away, Seduction of the Innocent, In the Mirror. First six tracks are awesome.

Not a fan of Carnival of Souls at all. I used to like it when I liked grunge music, but I can't stand it now.

Carnival Of Souls is a good release. Different but still good. I had a cassette of it for a long time and was finally glad to see it released. Now they say it's not a finished project so I wonder what would have been done to it and what difference,if any,it would have made.

I loved 'Carnival of Souls' and still think its bit of lost classic

Carnival of Souls, I think I got that for a very used price...a very used price (like maybe $2.99). Even though I don't have every KISS album in my collection, it was one that I was always curious about. It's not great, but I don't think it's the worst album in the world.

I'm kind of a casual KISS fan myself, but I like Carnival of Souls just fine. I liked that it was a bit out-of-the-ordinary for them.

By the way, on Eddie Trunk's radio show last night, he played 'The Oath' from the Elder album. Never heard that song before. Thought it was pretty cool though. I think the only songs I know from that album are 'I' (cool) and 'World Without Heroes' (lame)

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'm kind of a casual KISS fan myself, but I like Carnival of Souls just fine. I liked that it was a bit out-of-the-ordinary for them.

By the way, on Eddie Trunk's radio show last night, he played 'The Oath' from the Elder album. Never heard that song before. Thought it was pretty cool though. I think the only songs I know from that album are 'I' (cool) and 'World Without Heroes' (lame)

I think "Only You" and "Dark Light" are pretty damn good songs as well. The Elder was one of those albums which took time to grow on me. I understand why fans soured on this thing back in 1981, as it was more or less a laughing stock among diehards, but as one mellows out in life (and ages), albums such as the Elder take on a different perspective. What wasn't cool about it back in the day, is now cool.

Quote :

"Dark Light" are pretty damn good songs as well.

Oh yea, I know that one too. Good song. It's on the Ace disc on the IKONS box set. Hmmm, maybe I should pick up a copy of The Elder?

In the words of Ult...ACE RULES!! ACK!!

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

"Dark Light" are pretty damn good songs as well.

Oh yea, I know that one too. Good song. It's on the Ace disc on the IKONS box set. Hmmm, maybe I should pick up a copy of The Elder?

In the words of Ult...ACE RULES!! ACK!!

You should, it's a good album. Just don't expect typical a KISS album. World W/O Heroes is probably the worst song on the album. Some of the lyrics are cringe-worthy like this from Odyssey:

There's a child in a sundress
Looking at a rainy sky
There's a place in the desert
Where an ocean once danced by

thejokeriv wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Quote :

"Dark Light" are pretty damn good songs as well.

Oh yea, I know that one too. Good song. It's on the Ace disc on the IKONS box set. Hmmm, maybe I should pick up a copy of The Elder?

In the words of Ult...ACE RULES!! ACK!!

You should, it's a good album. Just don't expect typical a KISS album. World W/O Heroes is probably the worst song on the album. Some of the lyrics are cringe-worthy like this from Odyssey:

There's a child in a sundress
Looking at a rainy sky
There's a place in the desert
Where an ocean once danced by

Not an original KISS tune, that one. Tony Powers penned the lyrics to Odyssey, I believe. Gene wanted to sing it, but Bob Ezrin gave the nod to Paul.

I always like the Elder from when it came out. Seeing them perform some songs on Fridays and Solid Gold really got me interested in the album,especially after Unmasked,my least favorite KISS release. Sure it's not a great record (I think the storyline got in the way of the music),but it's still a good listen.

I lost touch with Kiss after Dynasty in '79. That album left such a bad taste in my mouth, I actually didn't hear Kiss again until after Creatures Of The Night came out. I've never owned either Unmasked or The Elder.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'm kind of a casual KISS fan myself, but I like Carnival of Souls just fine. I liked that it was a bit out-of-the-ordinary for them.

By the way, on Eddie Trunk's radio show last night, he played 'The Oath' from the Elder album. Never heard that song before. Thought it was pretty cool though. I think the only songs I know from that album are 'I' (cool) and 'World Without Heroes' (lame)

It figures the song you find lame is the one Lou Reed co wrote!

manny wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'm kind of a casual KISS fan myself, but I like Carnival of Souls just fine. I liked that it was a bit out-of-the-ordinary for them.

By the way, on Eddie Trunk's radio show last night, he played 'The Oath' from the Elder album. Never heard that song before. Thought it was pretty cool though. I think the only songs I know from that album are 'I' (cool) and 'World Without Heroes' (lame)

It figures the song you find lame is the one Lou Reed co wrote!

Not to worry. KISS recorded it, so I'll still blame them.

Quote :

Not an original KISS tune, that one. Tony Powers penned the lyrics to Odyssey, I believe. Gene wanted to sing it, but Bob Ezrin gave the nod to Paul.

Same deal. I doens't matter who wrote it, KISS still recorded it.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

manny wrote:

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I'm kind of a casual KISS fan myself, but I like Carnival of Souls just fine. I liked that it was a bit out-of-the-ordinary for them.

By the way, on Eddie Trunk's radio show last night, he played 'The Oath' from the Elder album. Never heard that song before. Thought it was pretty cool though. I think the only songs I know from that album are 'I' (cool) and 'World Without Heroes' (lame)

It figures the song you find lame is the one Lou Reed co wrote!

Not to worry. KISS recorded it, so I'll still blame them.

Quote :

Not an original KISS tune, that one. Tony Powers penned the lyrics to Odyssey, I believe. Gene wanted to sing it, but Bob Ezrin gave the nod to Paul.

Same deal. I doens't matter who wrote it, KISS still recorded it.

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