KISS: The Songs 1974-2012

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by GodShifter, Feb 7, 2017.

  1. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    Really cool that everyone likes "Comin' Home" off Unplugged. I love it too, for the same reasons. Yeah, it really does shine a new light on the Hotter Than Hell version. Fantastic song, great performance.
     
  2. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    I thought the KISS My A** (why the asterisks?!?! Aren't they supposed to be rebellious and edgy?) was cool, but even cooler was the video companion of the album.

    Vintage KISS performances (probably have all been released on the KISSOLOGY sets, I think) that until then, I had never seen before anywhere.
     
  3. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    Here's the track listing for the VHS version of KISS My A**:
    01. Parasite (Live, 1975)

    02. Do You Love Me (Live, 1977)

    03. Radioactive (Live, 1979)

    04. Move On (Live, 1979)

    05. Kiss dolls commercial (1978)

    06. America's Top-10 interview (1981)

    07. Love Gun (Live, 1992)

    08. New York Groove (Live, 1979)

    09. Kiss radio commercial (1977)

    10. Saturday Night Live sketch (1977)

    11. Kiss Your Face commercial (1978)

    12. She (Anthrax, 1994 - CLIP)

    13. Dick Clark's Golden Greats (Segment, 1986)

    14. Makin' Love (Live, 1977)

    15. Christine Sixteen (Gin Blossoms, 1994 - CLIP)

    16. Rock And Roll Over commercial (1976)

    17. Double Platinum commercial (Outtake, 1978)

    18. Channel 6 French TV (Segment, 1989)

    19. I Love It Loud (Italian TV, 1982)

    20. Alive II commercial (1977)

    21. C'mon And Love Me (Live, 1976)

    22. Late Night with Conan O'Brien (Segment, 1993)

    23. Dynasty album/tour commercial (Excerpt, 1979)

    24. Hooligan (Live, 1977)

    25. Shock Me (Live, 1977)

    26. I (Studio 54, 1981)

    27. Take Me (Rehearsal, 1976)

    28. Hotter Than Hell (Commercial, 1974)

    29. WOR-TV (News segment, 1993)

    30. Solo albums (Commercial, 1978)

    31. She (Live, 1976)

    32. Black Diamond (Live, 1976)
     
  4. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    Back in the day, I had a very close friend who was a KISS fanatic and he had a good friend on the inside. I would get weekly reports from him. I was told that Ace & Peter were going to go on tour in '95 to specifically see if they still had the chops and could tour before reuniting with KISS in makeup. Everything I was told at that time came true (the Ace/Peter solo tour, the MTV unplugged, the tour with makeup, etc...), so it was totally a calculated move on Paul & Gene's part. Too bad it didn't really pan out for the long run.
     
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  5. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    My regular computer that has all of my notes on it is down for a couple of more days, and I'm embarrassed to say I don't exactly remember. I know I had the debut album ranked #1 (the rest of my list would be subject to change, but the debut will forever be the best KISS album to me). Rock And Roll Over was #2, COS #3, and I'm pretty sure I had Hotter Than Hell as #4. I can't remember what I had as #5. :nyah:

    That ranking was done in 2011. After doing this song-by-song exercise, I know for sure I would rank Dressed To Kill higher than where I had it previously, and Animalize would definitely move to the bottom spot, without a doubt. Lick It Up would also drop a few notches. I'm not sure how far Gene's and Peter's solo albums would move up on my list (perhaps very little), but I now rank those as better albums than I did before we started this thread.

    If you still want to know in a few days, I can dig out my list and post it. If nothing else, when we finish this thread I'll post what my rankings were in 2011, and contrast that with how I have them ranked now. Thanks for asking!
     
  6. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Wow, first time listening to Unplugged in its entirety and I'm blown away, enjoyed it immensely. The band, especially Paul, are so passionate in their performance and let me tell you, if anyone thinks KISS was all about the show and not the music they need to view this because these songs stripped down to their bare bones stand on their own.

    Comin' Home - Better than imagined it would be. A superb choice for an opener!

    Plaster Caster - Not a huge fan of this song but I like this version slightly better than the original.

    Goin' Blind - Again, better than the HTH version. Man, if only that album had better production.......

    Do You Love Me? - Never fails to get my feet tapping and I can't sit still whenever I hear this song, this version being no exception.

    Domino - One of the few latter day KISS songs I genuinely love. Gene does an awesome vocal. Funky! It was a good choice to represent Revenge. Hey, gotta play some new stuff, right? The nostalgia didn't officially start yet!

    Sure Know Something - Love this song on Dynasty, love it here. Paul kills it. Beautiful harmonizing, a lost art.

    A World Without Heroes - One of the few brilliant moments in Elder (IMO) and this doesn't disappoint, excellent tune, excellent performance.

    Rockbottom - Paul kills it. He's in excellent voice for this performance, his vocals powerful and strong.

    See You Tonight - Nice choice from Gene's solo record.

    I Still Love You - A song (and album) that has grown on me. This is all vintage Paul, he owns this song and performance. OWNS IT!!

    Every Time I Look At You - Better than I thought it would be but to be honest, I think I'll be inclined to skip this one. I can respect that Paul wanted to give this some more exposure, he believes in the song but it's not one of his best. The performance itself is quite good, however.

    2,000 Man - Ace...'nuff said! His voice is a bit flat, I wouldn't expect or want anything less. :righton: Seeing the guys hug when Ace walks out onto the stage made me a little misty eyed. :cry:

    Beth - Wonderful! Loved it! Boy do I miss Peter's soulful voice on KISS records. It sounds beautiful on acoustic. Love Ace's solo.

    Nothin' To Lose - I think Ace thought the crowd was booing when the crowd was yelling "Brruuuuuuuce"...hence his "family" comment. Great arrangement with the vocals. Awesome version!

    RARAN - Predictable but worthy (and perfect) ending to this show. KISS is magic when those four guys are on stage together. The chemistry is undeniable. Loved it!


    The band is hot tonight. I need this on CD!! I can picture myself playing this pretty often. I think the setlist was excellent but I would have loved it for Paul's version of "Hard Luck Woman" to have been included. Oh well, small gripe.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2017
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  7. Diamond Star Halo

    Diamond Star Halo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Have you watched the performance on video yet? It's great....plus it includes some extra songs not on the CD. Got To Choose in particular is awesome.
     
  8. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Some of them, yes. I'll go back and view the rest, I just wanted to get the basics down first so I could comment. I did see "Got To Choose" which was another improvement over the HTH version. Yo KISS, let's get the expanded deluxe version out there!!!
     
  9. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident


    Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it so much. I love pulling this out and watching it from time to time. Every song's a winner!
    :cheers:

    Interestingly, as huge of an Ace fan as I am, I find "2,000 Man" to not be quite up to the level of the rest of the tunes performed. Originally, they worked on "Shock Me" during rehearsals, but it wasn't gelling in an acoustic arrangement. So they went with "2,000 Man" instead. It's good, but I think ultimately I would have chosen a different song for Ace to do.
     
  10. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Which one, Chris? Unmasked went totally ignored so you had from Love Gun (Shock Me), Dynasty (2,000, Hard Times, Save Your Love) Elder (Dark Light) to choose from...unless....he were to do something from his solo record.

    Edit...Rocket Ride? Not sure how that would turn out on acoustic.
     
  11. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    Yeah, I agree it's not like one song jumps out at me. I think "Cold Gin", with Ace doing the lead vocal, could have worked well. "Hard Times" or "Talk To Me" might have worked, but if not "Cold Gin", I probably would have picked one from his solo album. Several of those songs could have worked acoustically. "Ozone" would have been beyond epic, but I know they wouldn't have gone with it due to the lyrical subject matter. But "Speedin Back To My Baby", "What's On Your Mind?" and "New York Groove" probably would have sounded good.
     
  12. Digital Morphine

    Digital Morphine Forum Resident

    Location:
    Here
    I really liked the Unplugged set, really liked it. Actually surprised at how much. A couple of songs were a bit hit and miss but on the whole, first class! As others have said, the production is absolutely divine with my only criticism being that I thought the drums were a bit too full on sounding at times....played very well though, no doubt! Lots of likes but especially loving the versions of 'Goin' Blind' what a difference on this set, really amazing feel and the vocals are just great. 'Comin' Home' has just been a revelation, wow! 'Sure Know Something' is perfectly suited here too...the vocals/harmonies are flawless. The music on 'I Still Love You' sounds excellent besides a little too much 'rawk' drum fills. 'World Without Heroes' impressed me so much, what a beautiful song and, again, Gene sings it brilliantly... his voice on this set.... same with 'See You Tonight' he's just perfect. 'Rock Bottom' so good. Yes!! Result!!
    Oh yeah, is it just me, or am I actually hearing 'boos' from the audience here and there?

    Totally agree, some of these versions I already prefer to their studio counterparts. That'll be two CD's needed. The cynic in me thought for a minute that @GodShifter should write KISS management a letter demanding a small PR fee seeing as his thread is about to make Simmons & Co.'s fat asses even more bucks. Aha. :whistle:
     
  13. Exile On My Street

    Exile On My Street Senior Member

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I think they were yelling, "Bruuuuuce".
     
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  14. KISS Unplugged is a magnificent release in many ways. Love it.

    It shows the band had great songwriting and vocal chops. Eric and Bruce sound amazing here. The fact that they pulled out some deep cuts highlights the fact that these guys had the tunes behind the bombast and stage show. Of course, I would have loved to hear more songs- it's too bad they didn't do a volume 2 at any point while they had the white hot band in tact.

    I think this might be Paul's finest hour. He looks and sounds great, and he's sitting on a bar stool. Any doubt about his musical abilities? This is exhibit A in support of his awesomeness.

    Ace and Peter coming in is also good, but their chops weren't quite happening, especially when compared to the level of the rest of the band. I'm not saying they sounded bad necessarily, but it's obvious that they were being carried a bit.

    I love all the KISS drummers and vintage Peter will always be my favorite. That said, this video really showcases Eric's contributions both as a drummer and vocalist. He's so solid.

    A+
     
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  15. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    I bought CoS for the first time a little while back. It's quickly wormed its way into my Top 5 as well. Great record.
     
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  16. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    I truly hope you're right about the grunge thing. I haven't heard any I've enjoyed. Always regarded it as the petulant, unwashed spotty teenage cousin of proper rock music and therefore always avoided COS.

    In truth, Creatures & the odd song aside, KISS have never convinced me as a heavy band. Now I'm back home with decent listening facilities, I've given Revenge a couple of spins for the first time. Not as bad as I'd feared but not as good as the three preceding albums (and I'm aware that I'm swimming against the tide with this opinion). I'll put up a slightly more detailed review when I've had another listen or two.
     
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  17. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    No, they were booing a bit when the current lineup came back on.
     
  18. dave9199

    dave9199 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    I agree more with Mr. Fernando here but agree somewhat with Diamond Star Halo. I think after COS their main thought was looking back obviously but I think they were still looking forward creatively to see what an album with the original lineup would be like. I'm betting if the reunion went well enough the plan was to do an album and see how that went. It was after Psycho Circus that the creativity stopped. Maybe they were trying to do another one after that before that lineup collapsed again, I don't know. The nostalgia thing was coming in by greater degrees through the 90's and that's where I do agree with DSH about how can you avoid that. Give the people what they want but then how long will the people want what they wanted? Attendance goes down again and they try different things. Rather than putting the energy into another album, their creative energy goes into the shows more than ever because that's where the money is nowadays. Someone else asked why would a label put money into an album that would be shelved. They didn't know that at the time but any label would've gladly taken that bet if it looked like they could get the next one with all four original members on it (even though that actually wasn't the case). I thought I heard it was Singer and Kulick who pushed to get COS released and the fact it got bootlegged.
     
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  19. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    I don't think any of those songs would have worked. A lot of songs just aren't well suited to the Unplugged format, and Ace's are maybe less suited than most. Especially if we are considering his voice and not just the songs. He needs some loud guitars. I don't know. I'm not really a fan of this as a record to begin with. I've never owned the CD. The band sounds great and everything but it's not really the way I want to listen to these songs. These are hard rock songs and that's the way I like them.
     
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  20. Unplugged songs I think would have translated well (limited to five)

    Naked City
    I
    Flaming Youth
    Larger Than Life (maybe with some slide guitar from Bruce)
    Kissin' Time
     
  21. DTVOICES94

    DTVOICES94 Forum Resident

    Unplugged
    Some personal highlights...
    For all the talk of the "KISS Live Spectacle", it was nice to see the songs shine here and boy did they shine brightly.
    Comin Home was wonderful as an opener and is easily my go to version of the song.
    Plaster Caster & Goin' Blind sounded great and Sure Know Something was mind blowingly good.
    A World Without Heroes was a nice surprise but See You Tonight stole the show for me.
    If nothing else, Unplugged showed that the members of KISS can indeed write and play memorable songs and were much more than blowing things up and fire/blood.
    This is right up there with Alive for me as my favorite KISS live album and shows how great this lineup was musically...Paul was on top of his game vocally, Eric was a dynamo on drums, Bruce was as well rounded and versatile as ever, and Gene put in one of his best all around performances. On top of that, the return of Ace and Peter. What a time to be a fan!!
     
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  22. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    I was think more about the reunion last night. I remember telling my dad when I went to the show, and he said 'so how long ago was that we went to see them?. I said 18 years. And he said 18 years. As in that's a long time. And it seemed like it was at the time. But now that conversation is 20 years ago and the Dynasty show we were talking about is 38(!) years ago. I'm five years older than he was when we went to it..etc. Time. It's a bastard.
     
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  23. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    Also, I was remembering that the opening band at my show was Sugar Ray. It's kind of funny because this was like maybe a month before they hit with 'Fly'. After 'Fly' they went full-on VH1 soft rock, but at this point they were still trying to be a (sort of) hard rock band .
     
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  24. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    I've been enjoying reading everyone's opinions while I've been away. Here's a few thoughts on HITS:

    I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Crazy Nights. I love AOR and am happy enough with 80s production styles, so there was always going to be more for me to enjoy here than for some.

    Back in the day, barring a few songs, I thought that HITS was a bit of a step backwards from its predecessor but I gave it another chance a while ago & I've really taken to it. Too long? Most definitely but there's not much completely awful here.

    RISE TO IT - Disappointing start for me. Jaunty enough but no real meat on the bones. Poor choice for a single. 2/5

    BETRAYED - Ah, now this is more like it. Gene at his best. Fab singing & decent melody. 4/5

    HIDE YOUR HEART - Brilliant. Even better the the mighty Bonnie Tyler's version ( hey, I'm from Swansea!). Love the tune & love the dramatic performances. Should have been huge. 5/5

    PRISONER OF YOUR LOVE - More great Gene vocals. He's so much better when he sings rather than shouts. Chorus is a bit generic though. 4/5

    READ MY BODY - Yeah, it's cheesy & far too Aerosmith but for all that, it's fun. 3/5

    LOVE IS A SLAP IN THE FACE - If this was on one of the Big Six, I reckon this would have been a fan fave. Completely infectious. This should have been the third single, not Rise To it. 5/5

    FOREVER - Easy to see why this hit big. Lovely melody & sung with real passion. Always felt the chorus could do with another line before the "until my life is through" bit. No matter. Doesn't spoil the song. Be nice to hear an Ann Wilson cover . Agree with the praise for Bruce on the solo 5/5

    SILVER SPOON - Solid but one I can never bring to mind when I think about the album. The soul chick vox at the end elevate it to 3/5

    CADILLAC DREAMS - Gene's on a roll. Love the southern rock vibe on this one. Could have been a Doc Holliday song. And those horns. Stunning 5/5

    KING OF HEARTS - Whereas Hide Your Heart has a Bon Jovi flavour, this one steals the entire recipe, especially of Runaway on the debut. No matter - top song nonetheless. Love the chorus! 4/5

    THE STREET GIVETH..... - Not quite up to Gene's selections thus far but still pretty decent. Bit of a rewrite of Christine Sixteen. 3/5

    YOU LOVE ME TO HATE YOU - Very commercial so another possible hit. More Desmond Than Paul in this one methinks. 3/5

    SOMEWHERE BETWEEN HEAVEN & HELL - I love this song - my favourite on the album. As good as anything Gene did on the Big Six. What a chorus! 5/5

    LITTLE CAESAR - Good to have an Eric lead vocal. He reminds me of someone that I can't quite bring it to mind. Maybe the chap from Head East? Probably not. Nice strong verse here but the chorus isn't up too much really. 3/5

    BOOMERANG - Oh Gene, it was going so well. This is like an Animalize out-take. Terrible. 1/5

    Interesting that, for me at least, HITS is topped and tailed by its worst songs. Can't think of any other record where that's the case. As for the rest, it seems that Paul has done what he has for the last few albums & chased the commercial zeitgeist (with some genuine success, I reckon) while Gene has taken a look at his 70s writing and tried to recreate the magic (again, for me, successfully for the most part).

    I'd remove Boomerang (although it would probably come back :) ) and Rise To It, for certain, and perhaps Silver Spoon. Other than that happy enough.

    Overall rating (15 track): 3.7,
    Overall rating (12 track): 4.1
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2017
  25. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT

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