KISS: The Songs 1974-2012

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

  1. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    We'll see you at the Van Halen thread - while I'm sure that's going to be informative, I just can't imagine it having the same type of fun as this one. Thanks again, Jason.
     
  2. Curveboy

    Curveboy Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York City
    WICKED LESTER

    OK...I'm not going to get deep into this...but why has this not been officially released? I do believe Gene said when the KISS box set came out that Wicked Lester would soon follow. I love what we have bootleg wise, but better quality is always welcome.
     
  3. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    It is a little strange that they would abstain from a cash grab, that's for sure.
     
  4. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    I love VH but agree... how in the world can it be as much fun as this? This was a hoot and turned me onto LPs I never bothered with before... I have owned all the VH LPs for decades already... kudos @GodShifter - my favorite internet thread of all time and I have been on the net for over 20 years...
     
  5. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    I’m not sure many bands have the mystique, history, and overall intrigue of KISS. Even The Beatles don’t in my opinion. Few bands are as fun to discuss as KISS. They were a hard act to follow live and in print, too.
     
  6. GodShifter

    GodShifter Forum Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Thank you. That means a lot. Sincerely.
     
  7. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    Wicked Lester

    Simple Type - Right off the bat we get the dual-lead vocals of Gene and Paul. Great soul feel on Paul's choruses.

    She - I love this version of the song. It's not dirty (at all) like the DTK version is, but a great song is a great song and this one definitely is. They really went production-crazy on this one: flute, bongos, horns.

    Too Many Mondays - Such a strange song to hear from Paul Stanley. It's so sensitive! I love the lazy Sunday vibe on here. Definitely wasn't out of place musically in the early 70's.

    When the Bell Rings - I don't know if this was originally intended to follow Too Many Mondays in the album sequence, but starting off the song with "too many people" right after hearing refrains of "too many Mondays" is a bad choice. This song is looking for a groove, but it's not there. Peter would knock this one out of the park. It's ok. I like the screams from Gene.

    Molly - strong mid-60's vibe on this. Doesn't really work as a composition, it's too unsure esp. in Paul's vocal.

    Love Her All I Can - Hendrix-influenced guitar brings another level of the crazy eclecticism of this album. Nice and funky version that's more produced than the DTK version. It's calling out for Ace's solo though and Peter's even better groove. Love this song, but the KISS version blows it out of the water.

    Sweet Ophelia - This one has a fun mix between light funk, Beatles & soul influences. I like this song and Paul sounds great on here. Wouldn't work as a KISS song, but I really dig it here.

    Keep Me Waiting - Love this song, the best of the non-DTK songs on here. Paul's voice is great here. This could've been a good tune for KISS. It's got a really good chorus and I love that change going into the solo.

    What Happens in the Darkness - a blues/disco workout. This album is all over the place. This is an interesting attempt by the guys, but it really falls short.

    We Want to Shout it Out Loud - pleasant, but boring.

    Long Long Road - Oooh, an outtake! Again, pleasant, but boring. Very boring.

    Overall, an enjoyable listen. It's always fun to hear where musicians come from and what they did before they were famous. If it was a proper KISS album I'd be a lot more critical since it would be held to a higher standard. I like a good number of the songs, but my biggest problem with the album is that it's all over the place. I love eclectic groups & albums (that's how I am as a musician), but there still needs to be some semblance of cohesion that's not present on Wicked Lester's Greatest Hits.

    @GodShifter I can't thank you enough for the fun in this thread. More than anything, I came out really appreciating The Elder. I love that album so much now. Can't wait for the VH thread. I own all the Roth albums, but I'm not terribly familiar with the ones between the S/T and 1984. It'll be a good education for me.
    :cheers:
     
  8. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member

    Location:
    moscow
    I'd take Wicked Lester over at least half of KISS albums.
     
    William Smart likes this.
  9. bartels76

    bartels76 Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    CT
    They should have included Wicked Lester as a Bonus disc in the Kiss Box Set. It was a wasted opportunity.
     
  10. Zoot Marimba

    Zoot Marimba And I’m The Critic Of The Group

    Location:
    Savannah, Georgia
    Wicked Lester:
    1. Simple Type: Not a terrible song, good vocals and performances, but not really great.
    2. She: Okay, I love this version, even the flute manages to be kickass.
    3. Too Many Mondays: Really good song, but I prefer Gene on this.
    4. When the Bell Rings: Cool rock tune, I like it. Not too bad.
    5. Molly: Reminds me a little of Simon and Garfunkel, but not as good. But I do like it, however.
    6. Love Her All I Can: This is a good song, but give me the DTK version any day of the week.
    7. Keep Me Waiting: Hold on, hold on <fart> There's my review of this song.
    8. What Happens In the Darkness: This is kind of cool, but not really essential.
    9. We Want To Shout It Out Loud: Meh.
    10. Sweet Ophelia: Eh.
    11. Long Long Road: Eh.
    Overall, it's better than Crazy Nights, Hot In the Shade, Sonic Boom, and Gene's solo album. It's tolerable, but I cannot say Paul and Gene weren't wise to kick this **** to the curb.
     
  11. Sandinista

    Sandinista Forum Resident

    Love Is Blind

    I would bet there is a very good, possibly great, song lurking in there. As it is, the basic core melody is strong and sweet and Gene does a nice vocal. Too bad they didn't flesh this out - or at least put it on his 78 solo. Absolutely could have replaced at least 5 of the songs that made the cut.
     
  12. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    I want to say that the name of Pete & Lydia's cat in the 70's was Mateus!
     
    William Smart and vamborules like this.
  13. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans


    Whenever I hear this version start up, I always picture some street corner in NYC like this one - call me crazy, but I never picture the band! Guess it sounds street funky to me or something. :p


    [​IMG]
     
  14. MagneticNorthpaw

    MagneticNorthpaw Senior Member

    Location:
    Chicago, IL USA
    @GodShifter and so many, many amazing posters - pace of work/life events have prevented me from keeping up as much as I
    A long & loud standing O, @GodShifter - this has been BY FAR the most entertaining thread I've participated in during my 10 years visiting this site. I only wish I had gotten onboard earlier. So many great folks and a true diversity of opinion delivered with a maximum of respect and a lot of interesting tangents.

    I'm really looking forward to the VH album-by-album - it will be in great hands under your stewardship!
     
  15. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    I *totally* want to hang out with those kids.
     
  16. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    Only thing missing is two dudes in those coffee brown leather coats, strollin' down the block...
     
  17. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    That picture is by Danny Lyon. If you like that sort of picture he's got a lot more of them, and lots of great pics of other things too. He's an amazing photographer.
     
  18. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    It turns out that Ace picture is actually on the Mateus website. Which strikes me as kind of funny. You wouldn't normally expect a wine company site to have a picture of a rock star chugging straight from the bottle.

    Welcome | Mateus Rosé
     
  19. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    A lot of people thought the final track listing was already set in stone, but it wasn't. Whether Gene actually takes any of the advice he's received in the two or three "Producer's Experience" events that he's held, at least his claim that the project had not been finalized yet was legit. What people on the cruise got to see was the physical items that will be included in the set, and a mock-up of the book that will house the discs. Apparently, no one was supposed to photograph the book, because the track listing is not final yet. But several Kruise-goer's have confirmed that it will now be 11 CD's, so the number of tracks it's going to contain is probably going up.

    The people attending the earliest meet-n-greet's with Gene will get all of the other stuff, but won't get the actual CD's until the production run is done, sometime in the not-too-distant future.
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2017
  20. vamborules

    vamborules Forum Resident

    Location:
    CT
    I can't think of much to say about Wicked Lester. I'm not even sure if I've ever heard the whole album. What I have heard of it doesn't appeal to me much.

    But that Laughing Dogs album is actually quit good. I saw them open for Cheap Trick way back in '79 and they didn't make much of an impression. At that age I don't think I ever considered the opening band could even be good. How could they be good if I haven't seen them in Creem. And even if I had given them a chance it probably wasn't something I would have liked at the time. But years later I re-discovered them and by then the stuff they did was right up my alley.

    Anyway, this what they sounded like for anyone interested.



    The Laughing Dogs - Reason For Love (USA 1979)
     
  21. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    The same goes for me. I have been on the 'net since 1995, and this was BY FAR the most fun, informative and interesting discussion I have ever taken part in, and it was noteworthy both for how well you guided the discussion along, as well as for the very high caliber of regular participants that it had. I know I've mentioned this before, but this was the type of discourse I was looking for when I signed up at KissFAQ (I believe sometime around '09 or '10), but very rarely ever got, due to the incessant trolling and/or thread-crapping that goes on there. The manner in which you conducted yourself, the way you delicately steered the ship back on course at times when it was necessary, and the amazing dedication you showed in keeping the pace going at just the right speed (and we're talking for damn near a year!) is just remarkable, and I can't imagine any other thread that I will take part in down the line will be as in-depth, as fun, and as respectful as this one was. I genuinely can't commend you enough for the job you did here.

    If you ever make it out to the S.F. Bay Area, drinks and dinner are on me! See you soon in the VH thread! (And I've still got tons of reading ahead of me in that Sabbath thread you oversaw!)

    :tiphat: :cheers: :righton: :shtiphat:
     
  22. Deuce66

    Deuce66 Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    Here's the first track released from Gene's boxset. "Hand of Fate" was originally slated for Sonic Boom.

    Hear ‘Hand of Fate’ From the 'Gene Simmons Vault Experience' Box


    Explaining the origins of "Hand of Fate," Simmons says the song "was done as a trio. [Current Kiss guitarist and drummer] Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer and myself. I had a track in mind, and we recorded it live, just the riff, and you’ll hear me talking over it. Then I took it, and in my home studio, stuck on all the harmony parts, arranged it and put additional stuff on it. When other musicians aren’t around, I wind up doing everything, whether it’s keyboards or drums, if I can."

    The song blends a devilishly heavy riff with angelic stacked harmonies. "That’s all me in a home studio. I mean, if you know how those harmonies are stacked, then you can get that kind of blend. And that’s not a high fidelity quality recording, but you get the sense that if it was on a 72 track Neve board it would sound like Queen."

    So what keeps a song like this off a Kiss album? "We were going to put it on [2009's] Sonic Boom, but Paul [Stanley] came in with his own track called ‘Modern Day Delilah,' and it wasn’t too far off stylistically from it," Simmons explains. "We just decided to do that one instead. But 'Hand of Fate' is a legitimately solid song, and I didn’t want it to just sit on a shelf."

    Track list for Disc 1-2 (Official).

    Gene Simmons Vault Experience, Discs One and Two (of 10) Track Listing
    Disc One:
    1. “Are You Ready”
    2. “I Turn To Stone”
    3. “Juliet”
    4. “Hey You”
    5. “I Confess”
    6. “Legends Never Die”
    7. “Something Wicked This Way Comes”
    8. “Hand Of Fate”
    9. “Hunger”
    10. “In My Head”
    11. “Carnival Of Souls #1”
    12. “Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl”
    13. “Say You Don’t Want It”
    14. “Mongoloid Man” (with Joe Perry)
    15: “I Wait”

    Disc Two:
    1. “Weapons”
    2. “Weapons (Power To Raise The Dead)”
    3. “Hate”
    4. “Carnival Of Souls #2”
    5. “Master Of Flash”
    6. “Heavy Rain”
    7. “Within”
    8. “In Your Face”
    9. “In Your Face with Ace”
    10. “Rain #2”
    11. “Carnival Intro”
    12. “I Wanna Live”
    13. “If It’s Too Hot, You’re Too Cold”
    14. “Rain Keeps Fallin’”
    15. “Bells Of Freedom”
     
  23. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

  24. SizzleVonSizzleton

    SizzleVonSizzleton The Last Yeti

    I didn't hear Wicked Lester until a handful of years ago but I really liked it. It's unlike any style of music I've ever been into which just proves to me that I'd probably hate it (if I even gave it a chance) if it wasn't featuring two songwriters that I respect. I think that's the basis of how bias starts and I'm as guilty as anyone. Will have to revisit it soon.

    I particularly remember Too Many Mondays, She (of course) and We Want To Shout it Out Loud.
     
  25. npgchris

    npgchris Forum Resident

    ???

    That one vocal part reminds us of "Because", but this song is no more Beatles-influenced than 50% of all rock tunes. Way more reminiscent of Sabbath or early Queen, musically. It reminds me of King's X more than anybody else! (And since I love King's X, that's a compliment!)

    I wish I had a sound sample of Gene's "I Like It", because I'd use it here. I would have welcomed this on SONIC BOOM. For a "quick and dirty" demo, Tommy and Eric lay down a nice groove for this.

    If I hear a few more like this, you may see me pimpin' that "In Gene We Trust" medallion while I'm strolling down the street.









    [and yes, that last statement was a joke!]
     

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