KISS: The Songs 1974-2012

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

  1. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    My final scorecard for SONIC BOOM:

    Modern Day Delilah 9/10
    Russian Roulette 8/10
    Never Enough 7.5/10
    Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect) 8.5/10
    Stand 9/10
    Hot And Cold 8/10
    All For The Glory 6.5/10
    Danger Us 8.5/10
    I’m An Animal 8.5/10
    When Lightning Strikes 8/10
    Say Yeah 9.5/10

    which gives us an average score of 8.27, which is a "B-". While this is not a great KISS album, I feel it's a solid one. For a band getting closer to the tail end of their career, who didn't really have anything to prove anymore, it's a more-than-respectable effort. I think if it's judged against other veteran bands who are at the tail end of their recording careers, it's as good as most, and better than some. I realize a lot of the folks here disagree with me, but I'll gladly take this over no new music at all.

    Here's hoping all of my friends here in this thread derive more enjoyment from MONSTER than they did this one.

    And finally, thank you @GodShifter for your ongoing steering of this ship, and I hope you feel better this weekend! It's gotta make you smile, now that the finish line is well within sight! :cheers:
     
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  2. dadonred

    dadonred Life’s done you wrong so I wrote you all this song

    Location:
    Austin, TX
    True.
     
  3. Paulo Alm

    Paulo Alm Forum Resident

    Location:
    In The Light
    Hell or Hallelujah - First off, I must say I prefer Monster to Sonic Boom. I think Paul is much stronger here, and this is a solid opener even though it bears a pretty obvious nod to I Stole Your Love. That said, there's definitely something more daring about Monster, Paul's tracks especially.

    I like Paul's vocals on this track, he sounds really committed, and I think he pulls it off just fine even though we all know he's way past his prime. I also dig the driving, powerful delivery of the band's performance, they all sound into very much it and add great stuff along the way, which is cool.

    Tommy at least doesn't directly rip-off Ace and the solo is good enough I suppose, but I do sense a bit of that descending cadence of notes from the beginning of the solo of Dazed And Confused when Jimmy Page and Robert Plant lock in in unison... And that, coming from Paul Stanley, is kind of expected too!

    Summing up, this is a solid one from Paul. I find it pretty good when he's on his full rocker mode. 7.7/10
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2017
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  4. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Hell or Halleluiah

    Geetarrs tuned down 1/2 step.

    Kicks off with a boogie pulloff riff in A and then a rise of C-D in the tail. Not bad...not great. The verse starts at :23 and goes to G and then the intro riff answers in call and response style. Somewhat typical stuff but it is pretty heavy sounding. The pre chorus goes to F and then rises out the chorus at :56. The chorus uses the intro riff. Everything repeats until at 1:42 the chorus returns. A bridge drops in at 2:05 starting with C and then rising out to a guitar break using the chorus riff. TT's solo is not bad based in A Minor Pentatonic. Nothing mind blowing. The bridge returns at 2:53 and it slows at the tail with the song trying to gain tension before the big payoff. The big payoff (kind of) returns with the chorus at 3:24. Paul sounds not too bad but those cliché' double stops from Tommy sound gratuitous and not needed. The song then goes thru a cadence for the big finish on the A chord to end the song.

    Not a great song but it is played hard and heavy. Very Motorhead influenced. What the hoot....6/10 for me.
     
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  5. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    "Hell Or Hallelujah" what an energetic way to start the album. It's pleasantly refreshing, energetic and kicking start similar to what "I Stole Your Love" was for "Love Gun". Paul sounds good here.
    Definitely got the feeling that the boys are on the stage, rocking hard the first song in the set and people are going somewhat nuts still. It's also better opener than on some of the previous albums.
    As I haven't listened to "Monster" songs to death, I feel that it's necessary and nice to revisit these songs, so far this opener seems a lot better than the whole feeling what "Sonic Boom" left me.
    Im not actually sure what went down and wrong on SB, but it surely has been absent on my player for many years, only to be listened recently after contributing my views and reviews to this topic.
    So all in all, this is solid song and fine way to start the album.
     
  6. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    Kinda surprised people don't like the cover. Great photo in my opinion, and I've got a hoodie with the cover photo taking up the entire front that I wear frequently. It's this one:

    [​IMG]
     
  7. ejluther

    ejluther Forum Resident

    Location:
    Newtown, CT
    I think it’s perfect for shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise - I just find it’s lacking as an album cover that’s all...I guess I wanted something more artistic and conceptual...
     
  8. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

    i think the problem with cover is the graphics - looks cheap and grey market-ish
    plus, the title font looks waaaay to close to the logo of the energy drink of the same name
    weird choice
     
  9. Cooks420

    Cooks420 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    Love the cover - when I first saw it, I was totally wiggin’ our over it.
     
  10. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    It worked better on the 3D BestBuy version.
     
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  11. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    I think a few fans over on KissFaq came up with far better covers. The official one has no connection to the title of the record at all, take generic group shot, slap logo and title on the front and there's your cover, I'll bet Stanley wasn't even finished his first Starbucks latte when he signed off on that one. Complete lack of imagination or effort.
     
  12. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    My partner and I were watching some metal videos on MTV Classic last night and Black N Blue came on with (the truly horrible) I'll Be There For You. I paused it on three people and said "tell me who one of these people are" and his comment on Jamie St. James sent me into hysterics. "Laura Dern?"

    He had no idea of what Tommy looked like...I have failed as a KISS fan!
    :shrug:
     
  13. dave9199

    dave9199 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    I've heard the isolated bass track and while it can sound like it's the bass, it's not.
     
  14. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    HELL OR HALLELUJAH

    Great way to start the record. This song rocks! There are some really good songs on Monster and this here is one of them.
    Paul sounds pretty good and Tommy delivers a good solo. Damn I wish it was mastered better!
    7/10
     
  15. 24voltsdc

    24voltsdc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indianapolis, IN
    Yeah that cover sucks. Probably Gene's idea (go as cheap as possible).
     
  16. The Slug Man

    The Slug Man Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    MONSTER

    Put me on the side of not liking the cover. It would've been a perfect back cover photo or gatefold shot, but the cover coulda/shoulda been something "special." I do remember several good fan made covers on KISSFAQ, including one involving a monster peeking out of a closet or something which was kind of cool. I wouldn't call it their worst cover--that honor belongs to probably Crazy Nights, Hot In The Shade, Killers or The Elder (I'm of two minds about many aspects of that one!)

    HELL OR HALLELUJAH

    Sounds a bit like "I Stole Your Love"--another "Burn" inspired riff. Paul's vocals do sound slightly better than they did on Sonic Boom. (Personally I don't begrudge his voice not being what it once was--it's happened to many of his contemporaries. I still like David Coverdale, for instance. My issue with Sonic Boom was the mediocre songs). "Hell or Hallelujah" gives me slight hope that Monster will indeed be better throughout. Like others have noticed, Tommy doesn't sound quite as much like an Ace clone here. Instead, he just sounds like he has no personality rather than someone else's personality.

    So we shall see...

    BTW, I've been listening to random episodes of the Pod Of Thunder podcast, where three guys spend an entire episode dissecting each KISS song. Sort of like here--except for the fact that the songs du jour are randomly generated rather than chronological (although to kick things off, "Strutter" was the first episode). At the end, they give the song a thumbs up or thumbs down, although they say "Hell" or "Hallelujah."
     
  17. William Smart

    William Smart 21st Century Schizoid Man

    Location:
    North Haven, CT
    Hope you're feeling better brother! YEAH!
     
  18. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    Do you prefer the Bon Jovi song instead? :p
     
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  19. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA


    WALL OF SOUND
    2012 (Stanley, Simmons, Thayer) (2:56)

    “Wall of Sound” was actually the working title of the song in the studio when it didn’t really have a name. It eventually was decided to call it exactly that for the release of the album. The title was apparently inspired from the “Walls of Jericho” from the Book of Joshua where the Israelites blew trumpets to make the walls come down during the Battle of Jericho (little Bible lesson for you there).

    The basis for the riff of the song actually came from Tommy who brought it to Paul who helped write the lyrics and came up withe melody. Then Gene took what was completed and “refined” parts of it to make it sound more “KISS like” (which probably means he really didn’t do much other than throw in part of one of his demos as the bridge or something).

    Written in 40 minutes or less in the studio, “Wall of Sound”, a song sung by Simmons, is not really what you might think it might be if you were to just look at the title. You could expect this huge cacophony of noise or, knowing we’re talking about KISS, something more along the lines of one of their more slower, heavier songs (like maybe something akin to “God of Thunder”), but that’s not what the song is. In truth, it’s a fairly by the numbers rocker that starts out with a long pick scrape and it moves into Sammy Hagar like territory. The main riff for the verses is a descending pattern backed by Singer’s pounding drums with Gene singing over a ringing guitar riff. Tommy’s guitar solo is kind of a variation of an Aerosmith like deal: very bluesy with some Chuck Berry riffs thrown in for good measure (funny that he was compared to Joe Perry in Ace's make up yesterday as that's who he kind of sounds like here)

    “Wall of Sound” is a pretty short, hard hitting tune (clocking in at less than three minutes) and it's ok. I like the rocking nature of it and think Gene pulls of some tasty bass playing (especially during the solo portion), but in truth, it doesn’t sound like a lot of time was put into it and that’s exactly the case. Still, a decent follow up for the high powered "Hell of Hallelujah" before it and keeps things going at a decent pace.
     
  20. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Wall of Sound:
    Somewhat potboilerish, but has some nice attitude to it, Gene delivers vocally, it's not a game changer, but it's solid and certain doesn't lose me like Russian Roulette did.
     
  21. Cooks420

    Cooks420 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY
    We surrender our hearts to lose // The rest of the world is gonna shatter

    HoH - I feel like Paul knows he needs to designate just one song as being THE single for these later KISS albums; this one is it. Good energy, good musicianship, sufficiently melodic, and better than average lyrics. Yes, Paul’s range is noticeably diminished on this track, but the raspier quality fits the song’s dirtiness.

    WoS - For a Gene-sung song, it’s an impressive little paint-by-the-numbers track that does what it sets out to do: straight ahead rock. While I do like those little bass runs in-between the verses, I wish the producer insisted Gene beef up the tone - just a little too thin for my tastes.

    Also, revisiting the cover, Gene looks one scary mask away from being the newest member of Gwar with his horned, rhinoceros-skin inspired battle amour. And that’s a complement.

    8/10 // 7/10
     
  22. dave9199

    dave9199 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    I noticed with the Monster cover and Gene we rarely see where their makeup ends in pictures (on albums anyway). That kind of breaks the 'illusion'. I never noticed it until now.
     
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  23. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    WALL OF SOUND: I like it. Though it reminds me too much of "Helter Skelter" at parts, Aerosmith in others. 7/10
     
  24. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    Hell or Hallelujah: ok. Slightly generic. 6.3/10
     
  25. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member

    Location:
    moscow
    Both songs mediocre but Gene's slightly better. Too bad both show that KISS lost the art of writing a truly catchy tune.
     

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