Most Kiss fans are probably aware that the only official, studio released version of "Love Theme from Kiss" was originally part of a much longer jam that went under a few titles depending on the source. "Acrobat" is the common one for the whole thing, but once the brief vocal section comes in, it's also been known as "Much Too Young". For whatever reason, (still not entirely known), only the first, slow part of the instrumental was used on Kiss. But any listen to the full version in live or rehearsal form proves that the other sections kick fucking ass. This is Kiss at their jammiest and it's a beautiful thang.
The oldest written and recorded "new" Killers track "Nowhere to Run" was put down before the Elder sessions even took place. So this is basically one of the earliest reactions to the band ditching the pop of Dynasty and Unmasked and returning to heavier, riff based hard rock. Gene does his credited job of bass duties here, (the only such Killers-only track he's slinging the four string on), and Bob Kulick once again takes care of the solo. Kiss were fans enough of "Nowhere" to include it on the Kiss Box Set for it's first ever official US release and it was one of two tracks on the Killers comp to get remixed in 1989, Paul always feeling it needed more oomph in the guitar sound department. This chorus and Paul's high screams are most pleasing.
Kiss only has a few covers floating around in their discography and "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" nearly destroys them all. The original Argent song had a different arrangement and verses and was chosen by Interscope Records as a track for Kiss to do for the Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey film. Bob Ezrin was back on board for the recording and so well went the proceedings that he stuck around to do the entire Revenge album, Kiss' best. Eric Carr's final involvement on a Kiss track was here providing the fantastic, Beatlesy harmony vocals during the mellow break and Paul's rap at the end is one that at least me and my brother have busted out unprovoked many an occasion.
The best Ace Frehley song of any kind that he either wrote, sang, or covered is Alive II's "Rocket Ride". Never performed by the original line-up live, (and supposedly Gene's never played it at all as he's not on the studio recording), "Ride" was co-written by Sean Delaney during an alcohol fueled session where both he and Ace were giggling like schoolgirls over lines such as "Come on, grab a hold of my rocket!". As they should. The riffs, solo, and even Peter's drums are mighty heavy and arse-kicking here. Nearly every studio track on the last side of Alive II are excellent and this was one showing increasing confidence in Ace's writing abilities as it was the second of his own songs to have him singing on after "Shock Me".
The first Kiss song to feature Paul on some lead guitar, the wrongly spelled "C'Mon and Love Me" is a splendid Dressed to Kill moment indeed. Paul hammered this one out in less than an hour and it's supposedly inspired by a Moody Blues tune. Along with "Rock and Roll All Nite", "C'Mon" was also shot as a promotional video at the time though neither tore the charts a new asshole when originally unleashed. And obviously I like this one a lot more than it's unfairly more popular counter single. "She's good lookin' and she's lookin' like she should be good" also ranks as a pristine Paul lyric, which I would think goes without saying.
There are a very small handful of songs that I approve of Kiss never dropping from their set list since the time they were released and Love Gun's title track is chief among them. Actually, the Smashes, Thrashes, & Hits re-recording of "Love Gun" is the one I've always found superior, if only for an effect-laden echo effect on the "Gun!" before the guitar solo starts. Speaking of which, the repeaty lick in said solo is one of Ace's finest moments. He must be a fan of it as well as this is one of the few songs he had nothing to do with writing-wise that he also routinely plays live in his own solo sets. It's also impossible for me to be anywhere near a snare drum without playing the main rhythm of the riff on it.
A Revenge highlight and probably the funnest song on the album with Gene and Paul sharing vocal duties, Bruce playing part of the "Star Spangled Banner" during his solo, and a near-exact Spinal Tap lyric in the form of "The bigger the cushion, the better the pushin'", "Spit" does a whole lot very well. I could take or leave the patriotic guitar solo, though I get it as an obvious Hendrix nod. It's always been funny to me that the song clearly should be called "Shit" as the line "It don't mean spit to me!" simply sounds like when people say frick instead of fuck when every man, woman, and child on earth knows they mean the latter. So if I ever cover this song, "Shit" is what we'll be singing you best believe.
This ole Gene/Steve Coronel written Wicked Lester track found it's way onto Dressed to Kill as the band at the time had been in the recording studio for the third time in about a year and was somewhat short on songs. "Lover Her All I Can" was brought in under the same conditions. The only reason I didn't include the excellent "Let Me Know" from Kiss' debut is because the Alive! version of "She" swipes the very best part of the former song during which Ace shreds arguably the best guitar solo he'd ever play. I rank one particular one higher, but not by much. "She" in Alive! form in general I'd say is the best moment on that album and trumps even "Shock Me" as Ace's on-stage highwater mark.
Rumor's have circulated as to whether or not Peter Criss is behind the kit on Alive II's "Larger than Life" for quite some time and I wouldn't be surprised if such rumors be true. Even when I was a teenager listening to this song for the first time I thought it sounded a little too Bonham-esque to be the Catman. Pete generally plays AHEAD of the beat slightly whereas the drums here are weighty and leaned back, creating a hugely heavy pocket for the riffs to sit on. Eddie Kramer knowing how to produce the shit out of it also certainly helps. "Larger" is definitely one of Kiss' heaviest songs in any of their eras and nearly the best make-up era Gene song period.
No intention had I to put the two best, last side of Alive II songs back-to-back, but shit done happened nevertheless. For years I had actually forgotten how fucking great Paul's "All American Man" is, more recent listens as of late rectifying my shoddy memory. It does make sense that Paul of course would dominate the Alive II studio tracks, as is only natural. Sean Delaney once again gets a song-writing credit here, though he claimed at least one other chap threw in some input when they were all chilling at Paul's apartment one night in '77. The results regardless represent yet another track where Paul is wailing away about how great his baby making device is and who are we mere mortals to argue with him?
The biggest Kiss single in Australia for some reason, "Shandi" still enters the set list down under when the band ventures there and how I wish they'd bust it out more. Not likely as it's about as un-Kiss as any Kiss has ever been. But as is obvious and as I've said before, I like non-Kiss sounding Kiss. "Shandi" features but one member of the band, Paul providing his usual guitar and vocals, Anton Fig doing the drums for the entire Unmasked album as he almost did sans-"Dirty Livin'" on Dynasty, and Paul's guitar tech Tom Harper filling in on bass. Not counting future power ballads, this is the best pop-Kiss song there is, fruity as a Wham! video and just as delicious.
Kiss and sexual innuendo go together like Kiss and kabuki make-up and "Mr. Speed" certainly gives a chuckle or two. Sean Delaney was on hand to co-write this one as well and Paul says it's about a guy who's so Billy Dee Williams smooth that he can pick up broads *snap* like dat. Though it's also funny to just think of it as a disillusioned gentleman bragging about being a minute man in bed. Humorous lyrics aside, "Mr. Speed" has about as good of a riff as a song can have and it's always ranked amongst the Kiss fandom as one of their best album-only cuts. Putting this in the set list at any time would make the die-hards go all squealing fan girl that's for certain.
Kiss' sophomore effort Hotter Than Hell kicks off it's excellent batch of songs mixed with the band's all time worst production with "Got to Choose". This one is Paul's and originally went by the title "Who's Your Baby" which is what the background vocals are singing during the chorus in case you were wondering. "Choose" ended up on Alive! and as a bonus track on Unplugged, the later version which I'd say is the one to choose. Why it was merely a bonus track is anyone's guess. Hell has overall superior songs to the band's first album I'd say and this is damn near the best one to be originally released on it.
Gene apparently contributed very little to the Creatures of the Night cut "Rock and Roll Hell", far and away his best moment on the album. Jim Vallance had co-written it for inclusion on a BTO album when it was originally called "Rock and Roll Nights". He and Bryan Adams then changed all but the chorus section and offered it along with "War Machine" to Creatures producer Michael James Jackson, at which point Gene insisted he write a verse to it to get some royalty action. An all too common songwriter trick many hath utilized. The bass line is also the same as Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell" which pre-dated this recording by two years. But does who wrote it or what was ripped off diminish it's superbness? Not a tit does it.
A song about being on the road and missing your ole lady, (as many a song hath been written about over the decades), the best, most clear case of the Unplugged performance wielding a superior version to an old deep cut is in "Comin' Home". Originally off Hotter Than Hell and the best song on it, "Comin' Home" kicked off the Unplugged album as well, which goes to show how confident and strong they at that time felt about it. During the official Kiss Konvention tour that they undertook in the early 90s, the band took fan requests and essentially had to brush up on most all of their catalog. "Comin' Home's" resurgence most likely stemmed from this brushing as it simply goes over fantastically in it's acoustic setting.
Released as the second and ultimately last Carnival of Souls single, "Master & Slave" sad face did nothing chart wise, but then again that album barely was promoted to begin with as the reunion tour was far underway at the time. Much disappointment can be felt that this album missed it's moment, but none of that ultimately matters to me at least as I bump it almost more than any other Kiss release. Maybe some day it'll get it's due when aliens finally invade us, discover this album, and disregard Destroyer over it, as is appropriate. But yes, "Master" has a riff from the awesome part of hell that I'd rank in the band's top five most likely. Paul sings his chest hair off here as well, wailing on the chorus and at least one scream in place of an actual word to end the last verse. Nearly the finest Carnival cut.
If the reunion had never happened, Carnival of Soul's opener "Hate" undoubtably would've been put out as a single and would probably be recognized more universally amongst Kiss fans as a solid part two to Revenge's "Unholy". This is a definitive Gene song and his second in a row to kick off a studio album, thus setting the template for the heaviness that was to come. The drum groove during that main, ridiculously good riff is the most complex in Kiss' history, Eric Singer utilizing his chops most wonderfully. Lyrically it's similar to "Unholy" as well, basically embracing man's inner and natural bad side. But it's mainly that killer riff and the song's overall intention that I'm considering by ranking it so high. Some mighty fine Gene-ness.
Peter Criss was one of my earliest drum influences both because I became a Kiss freak at the same time I picked up the sticks seriously and because Pete's style ain't that tricky to get down so I had oodles upon oodles of fun making my way through many a Kiss song in my drummer infancy. I bring this up because "Lover Her All I Can" I'd reckon is the Catman's best ever performance. Dressed to Kill in general easily has the finest drum sound of the make-up era and Pete kills it exceptionally on here. The best Wicked Lester-turned Kiss song, "Love Her" was brought in to bump up the material count on Dressed as was "She" and it's another in a long line of great Kiss riffs and tight songwriting.
Never performed live, (not even in solo Paul tour form), and with little information circulating as to it's origin and creation, "It's Alright" is a studio cut from Paul Stanley that apparently only I cum in my pants over. This is almost the best song on my favorite Kiss album and if it would've been on Love Gun, the last side of Alive II, or "pick-your-70s-Kiss-album", it likewise would've been a highlight on there. Paul's solo album in general is widely and accurately regarded as the most Kiss like and "It's Alright" I'd say is the most Kiss like song on it. Paul was, is, and will always be the band's superior writer, so I'd say calling Paul Stanley exactly what a 1978 Kiss album would sound like a compliment.
Though still never played live because Carnival of Souls is one of the most criminally disregarded albums of all time, "Jungle" actually had significant success via the charts, topping "Heaven's On Fire" as the band's biggest single release on the Mainstream Rock Top 40, hitting number eight. This is also one of the longest studio Kiss cuts at nearly seven minutes long, mostly due to the extended, sexy jam the band partakes of at the end. A predictable choice as Carnival's best song this most certainly is because christ have you heard it? Any doofus who thinks Carnival is too derivative of 90s Seattle grunge and too "un-Kiss like" to be worth your time cannot deny that "Jungle" is as strong a song as the band in any era ever put out.
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