The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)

[Saddleworth2]

No need to apologise - if enough people want to do it, maybe we should!

There is more than enough scope in this thread to tell the truth about how we feel about the nominations if the entire scale of 1 - 10 is used.

 

[BlueHammer85]

Agree with the comparisons to AC/DC and there is a bit of glam rock vibe to it - loved the intro for 'Detroit Rock City' that sort of static radio vibe before the guitar intro - very cool.
'Shout It Out Loud' is catchy enough, 'Beth' is a nice change of direction.
'God of Thunder' probably the most Alice Cooper/Metal track.

I enjoyed.

7/10

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Agree with the comparisons to AC/DC and there is a bit of glam rock vibe to it - loved the intro for 'Detroit Rock City' that sort of static radio vibe before the guitar intro - very cool.
'Shout It Out Loud' is catchy enough, 'Beth' is a nice change of direction.
'God of Thunder' probably the most Alice Cooper/Metal track.

I enjoyed.

7/10

You failed to mention my favorite song on this album! :-)

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I can't remember whether I bought this record when I was a kid, and didn't like it, so forgot, or heard it somewhere. and didn't like it, so never bought it. That's not a good start. I absolutely do remember when "Beth" was HUUUUGGGEE, the number one song on those periodic countdowns of fan faves our burgeoning rock (not pop) FM (not AM) radio stations would toss out every few holidays or so.

But to me, KISS was always a disappointment. I mean they LOOKED like they should have the hardest riffs, the juiciest chords, the loudest vocals, the most dangerous lyrics. Well, they looked that way to a 12 year-old. But it didn't take long for me to figure out KISS didn't have any of those things. I was already suspicious, having heard actual bad boys when I first heard AC/DC's titanic "Problem Child" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", which I loved, and then any sense that KISS was superior in talent or showmanship was laid to rest by Van Halen's first record in 1978. And I never looked back at KISS again.

In essence, I look at KISS as a gateway drug, but not pot -- they're like the candy cigarettes of rock and roll. A 12 year-old's idea of what rock and roll should/could be. Comic book characters that frighten your parents with their look and sound, and explosions and fireworks and all that stuff that kids like. And not many have gone broke appealing to this demographic for 50 years. That KISS still retain a huge and lifelong following, that no one has ever really truly copied them, speaks pretty highly of the effectiveness and originality of the hook. Would that their music had hooks that were as good.

That's not to say this record doesn't have them though. And listening today, I wonder a little why I didn't like it more when I was younger. "Detroit Rock City" I know, and it's always sounded fine. "King of the Night Time World" has a real set of chord changes, despite the dork-fingered solo, but what the fuck is with the drum rolls -- idiots, that is a 4/4 song if ever there was one. "Flaming Youth" is another mucked up by the stupid chorus that ruins the core riff that actually has some power behind it. But we do have "Shout It Out Loud", a REAL song that somehow I forgot. It's not going to top "Calling Doctor Love" -- far and away my favo(u)rite KISS song (cuz it sounds like Ted Nugent) -- but it's a really fun one, especially as you picture the lights turning out from the stage onto the audience as everyone screams the chorus.

And, of course "Beth" is a stroke -- does it go in the Hall of Fame for "power ballads"? Is it a founding member? Is there a BETTER one? It's not a sub-genre I like nor care about, but I still find it transports me back to a wonderous innocent time long ago listening to my transistor radio. It's truly a beauty, even with all its pomp. I'll never forget a word. All middle-class American white boys of my precise age know them. And yes . . . that's even a little tear.

Some of this is erstwhile shit though. "God of Thunder" and "Great Expectations" in particular are an absolutely terrible couple of songs. And across the board, in addition to bad timing, there is one thing I cannot STAND about KISS -- Peter Criss's insufferably mushy drums. He sounds like he's banging on fucking marshmallows on every song save "Do You Love Me" (answer: I do not -- not that song much at any rate).

In the end it galls me a little that similarly glammy Tubes -- who were much more talented, much funnier, had their toungues (albeit not as long as Gene's) firmly planted in their cheeks, and were from San Francisco (always a bonus)-- never made it quite the way KISS did, but we're back to the beginning -- KISS invented and perfected this schtick, and for that they deserve credit.

Adding this all up, the feelings here, were you to map them out, end up looking like my EKG chart whenever Raheem Sterling has possession -- up and down and up and down. I guess they average out to about a 5 in the end, closer to a 6 but not close enough, which is kind of a limp ending to a wide-ranging review. But I've always thought KISS know a lot about limp things too. "7-inch . . . heels" indeed. Well, at least it's bigger than Vince Neil's.

Great pick @OB1 -- it was nice to re-live my youth a little!

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Not sure about that. I think there's more than enough threads where people can vent their spleen and score low if they hate something.

Having said that, there are bands I love where they haven't necessarily done one great album but their best songs are spread across a several albums. Maybe a band thread where somebody knocks together a playlist of 10 songs and says: I like this band, and gets people to vote comment?

The idea of nominating a well-known band just so people can knock them doesn't appeal to me.


I think that Ten Summoner's Tales is a really good album with some clever songs on it and is much better than anything The Police did (although I do like "Message in a Bottle").

I said it would be interesting. I didn’t say it would be something that would appeal to me. I could see it going the way of several other threads, from the political to the Spotify debacle.
I do like the sound of your idea however. I’ve been thinking along those lines for a thread idea for a while. A bit of tweaking here or there and you may well be on to something.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I said it would be interesting. I didn’t say it would be something that would appeal to me. I could see it going the way of several other threads, from the political to the Spotify debacle.
I do like the sound of your idea however. I’ve been thinking along those lines for a thread idea for a while. A bit of tweaking here or there and you may well be on to something.

Still think this thread has more than enough life in it.

 

[OB1]

I can't remember whether I bought this record when I was a kid, and didn't like it, so forgot, or heard it somewhere. and didn't like it, so never bought it. That's not a good start. I absolutely do remember when "Beth" was HUUUUGGGEE, the number one song on those periodic countdowns of fan faves our burgeoning rock (not pop) FM (not AM) radio stations would toss out every few holidays or so.

But to me, KISS was always a disappointment. I mean they LOOKED like they should have the hardest riffs, the juiciest chords, the loudest vocals, the most dangerous lyrics. Well, they looked that way to a 12 year-old. But it didn't take long for me to figure out KISS didn't have any of those things. I was already suspicious, having heard actual bad boys when I first heard AC/DC's titanic "Problem Child" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", which I loved, and then any sense that KISS was superior in talent or showmanship was laid to rest by Van Halen's first record in 1978. And I never looked back at KISS again.

In essence, I look at KISS as a gateway drug, but not pot -- they're like the candy cigarettes of rock and roll. A 12 year-old's idea of what rock and roll should/could be. Comic book characters that frighten your parents with their look and sound, and explosions and fireworks and all that stuff that kids like. And not many have gone broke appealing to this demographic for 50 years. That KISS still retain a huge and lifelong following, that no one has ever really truly copied them, speaks pretty highly of the effectiveness and originality of the hook. Would that their music had hooks that were as good.

That's not to say this record doesn't have them though. And listening today, I wonder a little why I didn't like it more when I was younger. "Detroit Rock City" I know, and it's always sounded fine. "King of the Night Time World" has a real set of chord changes, despite the dork-fingered solo, but what the fuck is with the drum rolls -- idiots, that is a 4/4 song if ever there was one. "Flaming Youth" is another mucked up by the stupid chorus that ruins the core riff that actually has some power behind it. But we do have "Shout It Out Loud", a REAL song that somehow I forgot. It's not going to top "Calling Doctor Love" -- far and away my favo(u)rite KISS song (cuz it sounds like Ted Nugent) -- but it's a really fun one, especially as you picture the lights turning out from the stage onto the audience as everyone screams the chorus.

And, of course "Beth" is a stroke -- does it go in the Hall of Fame for "power ballads"? Is it a founding member? Is there a BETTER one? It's not a sub-genre I like nor care about, but I still find it transports me back to a wonderous innocent time long ago listening to my transistor radio. It's truly a beauty, even with all its pomp. I'll never forget a word. All middle-class American white boys of my precise age know them. And yes . . . that's even a little tear.

Some of this is erstwhile shit though. "God of Thunder" and "Great Expectations" in particular are an absolutely terrible couple of songs. And across the board, in addition to bad timing, there is one thing I cannot STAND about KISS -- Peter Criss's insufferably mushy drums. He sounds like he's banging on fucking marshmallows on every song save "Do You Love Me" (answer: I do not -- not that song much at any rate).

In the end it galls me a little that similarly glammy Tubes -- who were much more talented, much funnier, had their toungues (albeit not as long as Gene's) firmly planted in their cheeks, and were from San Francisco (always a bonus)-- never made it quite the way KISS did, but we're back to the beginning -- KISS invented and perfected this schtick, and for that they deserve credit.

Adding this all up, the feelings here, were you to map them out, end up looking like my EKG chart whenever Raheem Sterling has possession -- up and down and up and down. I guess they average out to about a 5 in the end, closer to a 6 but not close enough, which is kind of a limp ending to a wide-ranging review. But I've always thought KISS know a lot about limp things too. "7-inch . . . heels" indeed. Well, at least it's bigger than Vince Neil's.

Great pick @OB1 -- it was nice to re-live my youth a little!

Thank you for the considered response.

Maybe you should out a Tubes album up for review. I have been listening them recently.

Although I may have overstated how good the drummng on Destroyer is, I do rather like it. KISS have had better drummers than Criss though since he took to his basket.

The AC/DC comparison has some merit of course but I lookon them as two bands who do something different within the HR field and are both masters of their own niches.

Any comparison to VH is simply unfair because no American band does. Mind you even Gene is technically a better singer than Dave albeit DDLR is a great vocalist - just not a great singer (his words) - and I prefer his sound to anyone in KISS.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Thank you for the considered response.

Maybe you should out a Tubes album up for review. I have been listening them recently.

Although I may have overstated how good the drummng on Destroyer is, I do rather like it. KISS have had better drummers than Criss though since he took to his basket.

The AC/DC comparison has some merit of course but I lookon them as two bands who do something different within the HR field and are both masters of their own niches.

Any comparison to VH is simply unfair because no American band does. Mind you even Gene is technically a better singer than Dave albeit DDLR is a great vocalist - just not a great singer (his words) - and I prefer his sound to anyone in KISS.

It’s not Criss’s talent — it’s the production and the choice of beats, which I find odd. I don’t compare KISS to AC/DC really — I agree that they’re different for sure — it was just hard to like KISS after liking AC/DC so much instantly after hearing them. Same with VH. KISS isn’t as “bad”, nor as good, as either IMO. But they aren’t trying to be.

 

[OB1]

It’s not Criss’s talent — it’s the production and the choice of beats, which I find odd. I don’t compare KISS to AC/DC really — I agree that they’re different for sure — it was just hard to like KISS after liking AC/DC so much instantly after hearing them. Same with VH. KISS isn’t as “bad”, nor as good, as either IMO. But they aren’t trying to be.

I like the production but Ezrin is one of my favourite producers and he was of course responsible for all the drum patterns. Kramer's production was more suited to them but it's how different the album is from their others that I enjoy.

I am very tempted to review a VH album but probably not the one people would expect.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

I am very tempted to review a VH album but probably not the one people would expect.

I'm assuming you wouldn't dare do a Hagar one (though I do have a soft spot for "Right Now"), but I own all of the DLR ones and while they vary in quality, not a single one is less than very good (7 is a minimum score). The first will always be my favo(u)rite.