Shout It Out Loud: The 40th Anniversary KISS Album-by-Album thread (Part 2)

Ace wasn't crazy about it either. I saw him and Pete in December of '95 and he asked the crowd, "Everybody see the unplugged thing on MTV? Yeah, well, they cut my f#@^&n" song."

Then he launched into 2,000 Man!

 

I will post my review now and do a track by track and some extra info later on tonight:
Being a Kiss fan was hard in the mid 90’s for me. We had the awesome Revenge come out followed by Alive III along with some home videos. We had the ultra-disappointing Kiss My A** tribute album but a good home video hot on the heels of that in 1994. Kiss was focused on playing live around the world but not really in the US that year and I had yet to see the band live at this point. They also teased the new album cover on the Kiss My A** home video but there was no word of it coming out. Then in 1995 they did the conventions. I couldn’t afford to go all the way to Boston so I was left out of that too. Thankfully with the internet and the boots that started coming in the record store I was working at, I was able to know what they had been playing and what they sounded like. There was a lot of internet buzz around the Unplugged show regarding a possible reunion and some audience member posted the next day after the taping about what happened. It was the first music internet leak that I remember experiencing. I knew then that the reunion would probably happen after that.
Unfortunately there was legal issues with MTV letting Mercury release the album so the album came out almost 5 months after the Halloween special had aired. This lost a lot of momentum for the album. Before the release of the album, they appeared at the Grammys but it didn’t help sales. It’s unfortunate because this is one of the best freakin’ things Kiss has ever released and one of the best Unplugged shows period. No pyro, no stage show, just a them and their instruments playing their hearts out. It really drives me nuts when people pass this band off as simpletons musicianship wise. They aren’t! These are great songs with great playing and it is loud and clear in their stripped down form that they have an amazing catalog of songs that can stand up to any band out there. For example, is Brown Sugar that different than Love Gun?
There is so many highlights on this album for me. Paul’s best vocals are on this period. Bruce and Eric are as tight as can be. Gene could easily fit into the early to mid-Beatles era with his playing and singing (yes I went there). The reunion is just the icing on the cake really and it would’ve been a fantastic special even without Ace and Peter showing up. But they did and again it just made it that much better. Peter’s voice sounds amazing and I love Ace on 2,000 Man which never got an airing back in the original makeup days. I can’t pick favorites because they all are except that Every Time I Look At You is still crap. I give them another effort for trying to get that be a single but it was unsuccessful again. I just went through all the tracks and they all stand out for me. I guess if I had to pick Top 5 I would say Comin’ Home, Sure Know Something, Rock Bottom, I Still Love You, and Nothin’ To Lose. Paul just blows me away with his voice on this so they stand out for me. This album is must in any person's collection that remotely likes Kiss!!
5 stars !!!

PS- You can get this for less than a dollar on Amazon. Seriously what are you waiting for if you don't have it?
http://www.amazon.com/Unplugged-Kis...qid=1397685229&sr=8-1&keywords=kiss+unplugged

 

it just goes to show that throwaway songs like "Coming home" from the early years are really strong songs if presented correctly.

 

The KISSology version of Unplugged is great.

 

Nothin' to Lose becomes magic the minute Peter screams 'Shake it with the Catman'; there's just something about those four guys together.

 

i always loved that song but the unplugged performance is great

 

01. Comin' Home- The acoustic Konvention set opener becomes the Unplugged opener. Never performed prior to this year, it would take three takes to get this right. They would do the 2 later takes in the show. The chant of "Kiss Kiss Kiss" actually is not taken from the beginning of the show but comes from the beginning of the first take of Beth.
02. Plaster Caster- It would take 2 takes to get this right
03. Goin' Blind- Very similar to Gene's original version of this song called "Little Lady" and he uses some of the lyrics of the original song. Goin' Blind was performed in the Rainbow/Wicked lester days and would not see another live airing until 1994.
04. Do You Love Me?- This was done in 2 takes.
05. Domino - The third take of this was the only complete attempt of this song.
06. Sure Know Something- Recorded in a single take.
07. A World Without Heroes - Recorded in 2 takes. The first attempt lasted six seconds. Hard Luck Woman was recorded after this song.
08. Rock Bottom - Single take.
09. See You Tonight - The fourth take was the only complete take of this song.
10. I Still Love You - This was recorded in a single take!
11. Every Time I Look At You - Recorded in three takes. After this was done the band would do Heaven's On Fire, Spit, C'Mon And Love Me and God Of Thunder while the stage was reset for Peter and Ace.
12. 2,000 Man - Recorded in two takes. Shock Me was the first choice to play but proved to difficult to execute acoustically.
13. Beth - Recorded in two full takes- 4 total. After this song they brought Bruce and Eric back out too which there was substantial booing. Ace would say "C'mon man these guys are part of the family too." Paul would attempt to hide the booing by saying the audience was saying "Bruuuuce."
14. Nothin' To Lose - Done in one take with all 6 members.
15. Rock And Roll All Nite -This would take 5 takes. This song would reach # 13 on the Billboard Rock Charts.
16. Got To Choose - Performed between Domino and Sure Know Something.

 

really?!! is this on the actual recording or on the DVD?


edit - I was saying Bruu-urns!

 

At least on the "uncut" version that floated in the underground for years, you could definitely hear it.

 

I forgot about that part (yes, from the uncut version). I think that version also includes a non-pc joke from Ace which I can't even remember since it's probably been a good 15 years since I've watched that version.

 

MTV’s Unplugged was the natural culmination of the KISS Convention Tour, where KISS would do acoustic shows, usually performing songs that weren’t often done. It was one of the more exciting and eclectic set lists the band has ever done. Unplugged also garnered KISS a second wave of musical respect (the first coming with Lick It Up) as they once again proved they could play their instruments. Highlights were Goin’ Blind, Plaster Caster, See You Tonight and the showstopper; Sure Know Something. Another real highlight for me was the Japanese bonus track, Got To Choose. The excitement of them being joined onstage by Ace and Peter grinds to a halt for me with the reality that these guys just can’t play as well as the rest of the band. 2,000 Man is good, but if you ever watch the outtakes to see how long it took Ace to get it together for a good take...yikes.

 

They were saying Bruce...it's very clear...Ace misinterprets it.

 

I would swear the version I have has like 5 takes...

 

Can i say that the band never sounded as good as they did on MTV’s Unplugged?, whoever said this band didn't write good songs and it was all gimmick and theatrics needs to listen and watch this concert.

 

Gene never sang as well as he did on Unplugged

 

I love the unplugged show. Even if Ace and Peter hadn't returned it still would have been a rip-roaring set. Highlights for me: "See You Tonight", "Goin' Blind", "World Without Heroes" and "I Still Love You", which Paul absolutely NAILS. The only track I skip is "Everytime I Look At You", which is a song I really kinda hate.

 

Funny, I never gave this a listen until just this year. I had heard the unplugged "Rock N Roll All Night" and thought the whole idea of KISS acoustic was a joke. How wrong I was. It's a great performance, and I am very impressed how they chose not only the easy choices (Hard Luck Woman, Beth, etc), but picked some old songs that I would never have guessed sound so good with the acoustic arrangements (Coming Home, Got To Choose).

I also like A World Without Heroes much better than the studio version.

 

I hope everyone is watching/listening to the Unplugged show.

 

And you better shed a tear at the end of A World Without Heroes.

 

yep, watched it last night on Kissology.

Ace is the heart and soul of that band. and Peter Criss the best singer! the way he vamps on Nothing To Lose.... none of the other guys can do that

 

Read Paul's book and you'll probably change your mind...

 

They were saying "Boo-urns".

 

All kidding aside, yes -- Bruce and Eric got booed. Friends of mine who were in attendance at the taping told me about it the next day, and it's pretty clear to me in that uncut show that this is the case.

Was the crowd yelling "Bruce" when Paul mentioned Tommy and Eric the other night at the HOF induction, too?

 

With Ace and Peter Kiss are more akin to the Rolling Stones with that "just on the verge of falling apart" sound and swing that I love in a classic rock band. Its feel and vibe over perfection. With Bruce and Eric (both of them) the band had precision and technique. Both in and of themselves neither is right or wrong, its just a matter of taste.

As a musician myself, I can see how working with unpredictable personalities with unpredictable musicianship to match such as Ace and Peter would get old very, very quickly. The problem is that we all want Kiss to return with the originals, but with the playing prowess and excitement they had on Alive!

So anyway, for me it was Unplugged and not Revenge that rekindled my interest in the band. Great playing, great song interpretations, Gene looks like he is a little less uptight and having fun.

Another aside, beneath all of Gene's bravado I think he really is a deeply sentimental guy who loves being around Peter and Ace and would love to rekindle the magic if and when its possible. I alway find Paul in both interviews and writing to be the cautious guy who is just done with those guys and wont be burned again.

As such it was interesting watching the Unplugged show through modern eyes after seeing the recent RARHOF debacle. If you look closely while Gene looks joyous at having Ace and Peter on stage with him, Paul constantly looks annoyed and even his body language and playing on 2,000 man are kind of off putting and prickish. He has this look of, Oh great these guys and when will this song be over...

...Really I found Peter's vamping on Nothing To Loose to be out of place, jerky and a "hey look at me moment" despite the fact that he has always had a great voice.

 

Acetate from Ace's pre-Kiss band Molimo (prog) found:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2014/04/ace_frehleys_long_lost_demo.php