KISS: The Songs 1974-2012

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

  1. Tree of Life

    Tree of Life Hysteria

    Location:
    Captiva Island, FL
    WALL OF SOUND

    Definitely has that "Helter Skelter" vibe which I love since I like the song especially the way Aerosmith does it...much better than da beetles.

    "And The battle never ends, And the soldiers never die"....great lyrics coming from Gene

    Monster 2 for 2
     
    Curveboy, npgchris, 24voltsdc and 3 others like this.
  2. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    When did Aerosmith cover “Helter Skelter”? I know they did “Come Together”.
     
    Tree of Life and William Smart like this.
  3. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    It's on Pandora's Box but was apparently recorded during the Toys in the Attic sessions.
     
  4. dave9199

    dave9199 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    Listen at 1:58 in the background. Could be Anthony adjusting himself on a chair but the thing is in the released version why are those sounds so loud when it's in the background on the isolated bass track? Evidently the Monster songs aren't as interesting as this.
     
  5. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    The one I was talking about was at 1:41 and I thinks it's pretty definitely the bass. There's a comment on that video that says ' That's the classic sound of an old SVT on the edge...' and that's really what it is. That's where that weird sound is coming from. That growly tone is pretty killer imo but it is kind of verging on farty.

    Anyway, I think the sound at 1:58 is the guitar bleeding through.

    you can hear it on this guitar track too.




    One thing thing about this album is it was done mostly live. There are a few guitar overdubs but it's mostly the band just cranking it out like it's a show. That's why the energy is so great but it's probably also why there's some funky stuff like this in the tracks. It's not a pristine, polished sort of thing.
     
  6. dave9199

    dave9199 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    I can hear it on this one but I still want to know why it stands out so much on the released track. I think I hear both of them on here. They seem to be louder on the released track than the sounds around it which is why I thought for sure that's what it was. It's like those frequencies are boosted or something. Butt enough of that.

    Edit: I hear the second one here but not the first one. Listen to the released songs. It stands out a lot (the one at 1:39). I hear the one at 1:58 in this track. If Godshifter chooses to do Van Halen song by song next, I'll just say to everyone you're welcome.:D
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2017
  7. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA

    FREAK
    2012 (Stanley, Thayer) (3:36)

    “Freak” is the one song which features an outside musician performing on a song from Monster. Pianist, Brian Whelan, was brought in for the track, but, unfortunately, due to the mastering on Monster the playing of Whelan isn’t prominent in the mix. In fact, I can’t even hear it except, maybe, at the very beginning. However, Whelan, initially, wasn't the only outside musician what was considered for the track. According to Gene Simmons in an interview with Billboard magazine, Lady Gaga had been interested in singing on it with Paul after hearing it in the studio (she is apparently a big KISS fan and identified with the message of the song). After kicking the idea around a bit, the band decided it would be better to just have Paul sing on it instead.

    “Freak”, written by Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer, sounds like a combination of Alice Cooper’s “Eighteen” (which, if we remember, was the song in question that caused a lawsuit with “Dreamin’”’ from Psycho Circus) and a bit Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. I also get a Marilyn Manson vibe from the song with the “I pledge allegiance … to the state of … independence" lyric which is Gene and Paul singing together (kind of that dark undertone reminds me of MM, I guess). “Freak” is a pretty basic power chord rocker, with some good high bass emphasis playing by Gene and Singer pounding along admirably. Probably the section off the song I like the best is the softer bridge at 1:53 that comes right before Tommy’s solo. Thayer’s solo reminds me a bit of “Eighteen” as well with its kind of tortured bends (used toward the end as well) and its brevity.

    I like “Freak” pretty well and think it’s a song with a good message about being comfortable with who you are even if you’re perceived different by “normal” society (kind of like Hendix’s “If Six Was Nine” in a way). I think it’s too bad KISS didn’t decide to use Lady Gaga on the song as I think she could have added something to it as well as make the song more notable because of her presence. My feeling, however, is she probably wasn’t that serious about wanting to sing on it anyway and Gene just used her name to hype it a bit. Either that or KISS was still insisting on using only the core four for recording the tracks for Monster (never mind the fact that Brian Whelan is on it). Speaking of Whelan it’s a bit of a trivia point that KISS would use a piano player for a song on their last studio album of original material (to date) and one on their very first (Bruce Foster on “Nothin’ to Lose”).
     
  8. The Slug Man

    The Slug Man Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I'll keep that in mind when I pick up a used copy someday--to look for a copy with the "original O."
     
  9. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Freak:
    The line about streaks in my hair is really lame, but I like the song otherwise, it's pretty good, and still **** tons better than Never Enough
     
  10. The Slug Man

    The Slug Man Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    FREAK

    The very beginning sounds like Hendrix' "Foxy Lady." The riff is sort of like a cross between "I'm Eighteen" and the Rolling Stones' "Heartbreaker." I like the verse sections, and the chorus is OK.

    I'm kind of glad they didn't have Lady Gaga guest on it. One of KISS' trademarks is to never have any "name" guests (unless they're well known players going uncredited, o' course). That would make it too "Gene Simmons '78 solo album," plus it would inevitably date the song. Having Lady Gaga guest in 2012 would be like having Terence Trent D'Arby guest in 1988. Or Eddie Vedder in 1993. I have nothing against Lady Gaga, but I always hate it when established bands bring on younger acts as guests to show how "hip" they are.

    I'm surprised they brought back the line "I Pledge Allegiance," after having that song on Psycho Circus "I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock n-Roll," but now that I think about it, while Psycho Circus may have only been 2 albums previous, it was also 14 VERY long years between those two albums.
     
    npgchris, Paulo Alm, dadonred and 6 others like this.
  11. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Decent autobiographical tune from the Starchild, after listening to the intro and first chapter of his book on Youtube it seems like Paul didn't really find "himself" until 1998 or so, that's a long haul to figure out what makes you tick.
     
  12. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member

    Location:
    moscow
    Not a bad song, especially given the abysmal later day KISS standarts

    HOH 3/10
    WOS 5/10
    Freak 5/10
     
  13. dave9199

    dave9199 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    I hear the first one in the bass track. I'm gonna propose a show on the Discovery Channel called either Fart Chasers or Fart Busters. Atomic Punk will be the first episode.
     
  14. Diamond Star Halo

    Diamond Star Halo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Wall Of Sound:

    The decending part of main riff definitely reminds me of Helter Shelter, merged with Spit from Revenge (except not as irritating). This track is ok. I don't really connect with it, and it is pretty forgettable, but I think it's better than Gene's tracks on the previous album. Gene's vocals are really good - it's pretty amazing how they've held up after all these years.

    Freak:

    Complete and utter crap. I can't stand this song. The lyrics make me cringe - especially the lines about the clothes and hair streaks. What are you, a 14 year old girl? I just don't want to hear a 60 year old man singing these lyrics. It sounds like an Avril Lavigne song, for Chrissake. It is also too reminiscent of Smells Like Teen Spirit. I just can't take this song seriously. I've tried, but sorry.
     
    npgchris, Paulo Alm, dadonred and 7 others like this.
  15. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    I do agree that that line is pretty cringeworthy, and I generally don't mind the song
     
    Diamond Star Halo likes this.
  16. SammyJoe

    SammyJoe Up The Irons!

    Location:
    Finland
    "Freak", jeez this is so cheesy fillerish song which doesn't really offer anything to be excited about. Some embarrassing lyrics also. Im glad that Lady Gaga didn't get to waste her talents on this crap.
    Indeed like my mate @Diamond Star Halo said, there's also too reminiscent of Smells Like Teen Spirit which I won't have to comment further. Not working at all and I unfornately don't mind about this.
    Seems like Kiss tried so hard to combine other artists/bands more catchy riffs and melodies on this song and the previous one, but unfornately the results weren't so good, for obvious reasons.
    This hasn't got anything really to offer me and also I won't take this song seriously. The worst song so far on the album and the first real miss. Passing on the next song...Think Im gonna listen to some Nirvana or Lady Gaga instead.
     
  17. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

    Freak

    gonna call this one early.... swing and a miss.

    Only heard it once.

    Cheesy, boring... streaks in the hair?

    Big mistake not having Gaga sing on this - probably would've helped a great deal to have a young person who has some odd and quirky energy.
     
  18. BluesOvertookMe

    BluesOvertookMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX, USA
    FREAK 2012 (Stanley, Thayer) (3:36)
    I actually like this - I'm not saying it's Strutter but the melody is good, the hook is decent, the solo works and I really like the pre-chorus that @GodShifter pointed out. The vocals are good too...and I don't care that much about lyrics but I think they fit. I would have been interested to hear Lady Gaga on this, personally. 6.9 out of 10.
     
  19. intv7

    intv7 Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
  20. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    I'm pretty 'whatever' about Freak. Somehow it seems catchy but the lyrics do turn me off. I guess they really shouldn't surprise anyone, Paul is a guy who likes to post selfies of himself buying his morning coffee and wearing silly beany hats on the way home from the gym. I probably don't need to read the lyrics to Freak to know this is a guy who's not a terribly well adjusted senior citizen.

    So yeah, Freak, whatever. Let's skip the rest of Monster and that atrocious Japanese song and start in on Van Halen 1!!!!!:wiggle:
     
  21. nodeerforamonth

    nodeerforamonth Consistently misunderstood

    Location:
    San Diego,CA USA
    FREAK: I don't care about lyrics, so I don't really hate this as much as others. As a song, it's ok. 5.1/10
     
  22. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    WALL OF SOUND
    Good song. Nice job Gene and Tommy for doing an original solo. Wish they would do this live for a tour.

    FREAK

    I like the bullying message even though he is talking to 40+ year olds for the most part. I doubt any kids picked up on Paul's message. Oh well. I like this song too. It's gets bumpy here and there after this but overall Monster already better than SB.
     
  23. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York




    Put this already but this clip is longer.
     
  24. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Once again I’m not sure that criticism of KISS lyrics is really a reason to dismiss a song. You’re not going to get socio-political commentary from this band. They are, for the most part, a good time, hard rocking band. Their lyrics have never been genius, so it kind of is what is. KISS isn’t brain surgery.
     
  25. BluesOvertookMe

    BluesOvertookMe Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX, USA
    Of this I am very glad.
     

Share This Page

molar-endocrine