The Paul Stanley and Desmond Child either UN or INtentional re-write of Ozzy's "Shot in the Dark" and/or Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is", was Crazy Nights' biggest single and still today, the most dated. Few songs reek of both the 1980s and power ballad syrup more than "Reason to Live" and I for one am not complaining. I like both these scents. This falls into the category of song that Paul is now currently embarrassed by and Gene probably never approved of to begin with, but then again most everything Gene partook of in the '80s I'm sure Paul was both embarrassed and not approving of.
The best song on Peter Criss just so happens to be the first one, "I'm Gonna Love You". Pete and songwriting partner Stan Penridge threw this one together originally back in the Lips days, their pre-Kiss band together. Just as a few Kiss and Criss songs have a similar origin. Originally, "IGLY" was more folky than the borderline blue-eyed soul version that was eventually released. The chorus here is great as is the guitar hook during it and until "Dirty Livin'" showed up, I'd say this was the best Peter-written song that entered the Kiss catalog. This album has schmaltz for days and virtually nothing at all to do with Kiss, but I at least could give a chainsaw.
Never added to the set list at the time or since in full Kiss form, this is the closest Lick It Up has to a power ballad, an awesome Paul and Vinnie collaboration that the former busted out during the Live to Win tour at long last. At which point me and my cousin in the audience simultaneously screamed out "Purple drapes!". Not sure if you can hear us on the One Live Kiss DVD or not. But anyway, "A Million to One" is one of those confident Paul lyrics where he proclaims to one of his lovers that she'll never do better than him. Because if you're Paul Stanley, that's what you goddamn right about son.
Mo of the Gene here with his second best Love Gun track "Got Love for Sale". Never a one-time live staple like the previously mentioned "Christine Sixteen" or as fan appreciated as "Plaster Caster", (neither actuality of which I'd let be the case if it were up to me), "Got Love" was a rare I'd say highlight for the time when the Gene songs ten times out of ten were weaker than the Paul ones. At one point this shared some lyrics with "Man of 1,000 Faces" which would eventually show up the next year on Gene's solo album and existed as early as the Dressed to Kill sessions. The chorus here, (featuring the line and one-time song title for the whole thing "Have love will travel"), is exceptional goodness.
When it comes to Kiss songs that make a heterosexual male question his masculinity for loving, "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart)" trumps virtually all of them. At least in my case since Gene's "When You Wish Upon A Star" is no one's friend and if it was an ice cream flavor would be pralines and dick. Wait what? Well anyway, this goo-oozing ballad was the single off Paul Stanley, didn't do much to impress the Billboard charts, and as far as I know the band hasn't even played it in private acoustic fan show form, (Paul has solo though as of just this past week). But of course it's a ballad, it's on Paul Stanley, and Paul Stanley sang, wrote, and played the axe solo on it, so naturally, I'm a fan.
Ridiculous, greasy-sex lyrics and dumb-ass riffs from Gene and I mean both things as a compliment. "Fits Like A Glove" was a live staple at the time and next to the Paul singles is the best song on Lick It Up. This would be the last Kiss album until Revenge where the Gene songs would stand-up to and even one-up some of his superior bandmate, songwriter, and singer's tracks. Starting on Animalize, "Burn Bitch Burn" stuffs became the norm unfortunately. "Glove" has the finest aggressive vocal performance Gene would ever lay down. And it goes without saying that no one in any band, bedroom, or kitchen has ever screamed the word "butter" mo betta than he does here.
I've made no claims to be a Gene Simmons fan as I find it easily to be the weakest Kiss solo album. Peter's kills it, you goddamn right. But I'm also heavy on the praise when it comes to ballads and Gene has some mighty fine mellow moments on his solo debut, "See You Tonite" the most mighty fine. This is at once the most Beatles-esque song put out under the Kiss name and represents perfectly the best of what Gene would write on his own when he wasn't coming up with Demon persona songs. It actually dates back to the pre-Kiss days when both he and Paul had mellower stuff in their respective songbooks than the hard rock that would define them later. This was also the biggest set list surprise on Unplugged next to "A World Without Heroes", both very much deserving to be there.
Odd-time signatures are hardly a Kiss staple, but then again neither is the grungy sound they were going for in general on the beyond excellent Carnival of Souls. Both be present on "Rain"; a Paul, Bruce, and Curt Cuomo collaboration and the second track on Carnival. This is easily one of the heaviest songs on the album and there are a few such weighty cuts therein. Kiss has always been good at bandwagon hoping to the point where every disco, new wave, art rock, hair metal, and then 90's Seattle rock album they have I rank very highly. More often than not, even over the original make-up era stuffs. "Rain" is derivative yes, but no fucks do I give. I would've loved ten albums by this line-up in a similar vein if possible.
Subtle lyrical changes aside, Ace's version of the Russ Ballard penned tune "New York Groove" is mostly identical to the original and marked the only hit single off the four Kiss solo albums in 1978. It's dopey, dancy, and funner than an adult bouncy house party and I for one have always digged it. The live Dynasty Tour version is better still as it features an extended guitar solo section that is just all the awesome. Why that riff was not on Ace's studio version baffles me plenty. There's also a hilarious moment where Paul and Ace crack up when the later I believe yells out "Arnold High School", in naming some New York locations. It's most definitely the version to listen to.
"A World Without Heroes" was one of Kiss' very first music video that wasn't solely a lip-sung live performance and Music from "The Elder's" only single. And of course as we all know our Kisstory, both this single and album went less than nowhere and everyone involved in it openly pretends it never happened. Bah, what the hell do Kiss know? "World" did resurface amazingly to us all on Unplugged and it's just as excellent there. Paul does the solo in this one as well and it's arguably his finest lead work, the song in general originating from an early sappy ballad of his which he tossed to the side. Gene picked it up, used a Lou Reed phrase that he had a few of on a piece of paper after a songwriting session for the new title, penned the kinda-Elder-fitting lyrics, and then cried in the music video. I believe in that order.
An Ace riff for dat ass right here, this is a pure, early composition of his that was given to Gene as was Kiss' "Cold Gin" to belt out. "Parasite" is a pristine example of how good and heavy the band could be in the original make-up era. Virtually any metal band could cover this, tweak it not at all, and it would bang the head most successfully. Hotter Than Hell's wretched sound pretty much guarantees that the Alive! version of "Parasite" far transcends the studio one. It's only a slightly different arrangement as Peter extends the drum groove break, almost sounding like that would've kicked off his solo spot instead of "100,000 Years" if you didn't know what was coming.
Easily I'd say the best song that Peter Criss ever brought to the table and got recorded in Kiss, (or his entire career), is Dynasty's "Dirty Livin'". This would be the last song the Catman ever contributed to the band that made him famous, (and got him laid for quite some time to a Playboy Playmate), and it's also the only one he played on for the album. Producer Vini Poncia helped contemporize it, (i. e. "disco" it up), from the original more funky version that Criss and Stan Penridge demoed in 1972 in their old band Lips. The background vocal/guitar hook here is sexcellent and the lyrics are typical "growing up/living hard" stuffs that Peter always belts away about.
More inside connections showing up with Gene's obvious Unmasked highlight "Naked City". It was co-written by Bob Kulick, (his first such credited collaboration after being in the Kiss camp since almost the beginning when he lost the lead guitarist gig to Ace), producer Vini Poncia again, and backup singer Peppy Castro who was heavily featured by the band at the time. The later of which was one of Meat Loaf's touring vocalist, a live band that also included Bob and Bruce Kulick. Bringing everything back to Kissbase. I overall dig the Gene cuts off Unmasked more than his two on Dynasty, which was the best batch of songs he'd done since the Beatlesy stuff on his solo album two years prior.
Bringing in some first album Kiss is fan favorite and live staple "Black Diamond", which closes off the 1974 debut. And as is the case with many a song off the first three albums, the Alive! version is the tastier one. The mellow intro to "Diamond", (again, especially in a live setting), is one of my favorite Kiss moments to be sure. But once the riffs come in, (a combo of Gene and Paul's early writing efforts), the song maintains it's awesome. Peter's vocal here is one of his finest and both Erics later on would also tackle it most splendidly live. Ultimately it's the best song about a black prostitute that's not by the Rolling Stones.
Though only around for a brief time, Vinnie Vincent sure had some goddamn good stuff to bring to the table. Most of "Lick It Up", (including the music, melody, and title), were Vinnie's creation. And as any look at set lists since, it's endured quite well. Paul and Gene even made Ace and Peter learn it on the Farewell Tour. Easily out of all the non-make-up era songs in the Kiss songbook, "Lick It Up" is the most recognized today. This is another shamelessly dumb anthem about well, licking things, and I've heard it as much as other Kiss songs that I'm sick of. But for whatever reason, I never tire of it. Usually Kiss is at their best when they're just being a fun hard rock band and "Lick" is solid proof.
And here's the part where many a Kiss fan will feed me to the lions, ranking Destroyer's best track, (and according to many a bloke and blokette, the best Kiss song PERIOD), "Detroit Rock City" at a mere 45. But hey, I got it on here at least which is more than can be said about some songs that like to party every day in addition to rocking. I'll admit that for the band's original make-up era, "Detroit" is a fine enough choice as their be-all-end-all song. Peter's shuffle groove here is excellent and the Thin Lizzy worthy guitar harmony that Bob Ezrin came up with for Paul and Ace to tear-up is equally so. As one of maybe four Kiss songs that regularly gets played on the radio still, this is one that's hard even for a Kiss despiser to be hating on.
A stellar Gene cut that was on the Eddie Kramer produced demo and performed as early as the very first Kiss show, "Watchin' You" didn't get recorded properly for album release until the Hotter Than Hell sessions. Gene re-tweaked some Jeff Beck and Mountain riffs to his liking when coming up with this one and it's one of Kiss' heavier songs overall. A slamming Ace solo of course and a whoop-ass Gene scream is present here, more soulful than the more metalized ones of the "Unholy" variety per example. The Alive III version of "Watchin'" is missing said vocal wail, making the Alive! one probably the superior again.
The Desmond Child was back again in Kissland to help pen "Heaven's On Fire", one of Kiss' more successful singles in the '80s. Another intentionally simple anthem akin to the previous year and album's Lick It Up title track, "Fire" musically is pretty Barney-style. Paul handles all the guitars on it, it features the line "Eat it like a piece of cake", and easily has the greatest intro to any Kiss song of all time. Who am I kidding, probably the greatest intro to ANY song of all time. This may be the predictable choice as the best Animalize song but I'm not so punk rock that I won't label it just that.
Gene toyed with "Calling Dr. Love" for a bit before it became what it is. The Kiss Box Set features the early "Bad Bad Lovin'" demo with main opening riff in tow and was virtually good enough even then. It would end up getting a heavier and a far superior chorus, one of the band's best ever actually. Paul and Gene's falsetto "Doctor Love's" as well as the low, creep ones underneath it are Tony the Tiger worthy GRRRRRREAT. You could make a point that every Ace solo on the first six Kiss albums is a classic but even still, this one ranks near the top. Occasionally Gene got an undeniable highlight amongst Paul's average of wiping the floor with him and "Dr. Love" is just such a highlight.
Paul and Ace both share the lead guitar-ness on Love Gun's opener "I Stole Your Love", as good an album opener as there be. This is a well loved one from the band's original line-up period and very rightfully so. It's also one that oddly never maintained as near-permanent of a set list position as others. I guess with so many songs on so many albums, not everything deserving can get it's rightful due. Still, I'd take this over "Shout It Out Loud" for instance a billion times out of a million. From time to time it gets brought back in though and does kick off side three/disc two of Alive II. The point is, Paul should steal all of our love.
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