Kiss - Music from The Elder

A favourite heavy rock album of mine is Music from “the Elder” by Kiss which

was released on November 27 1981 on Casablanca Records 6302 163/NBLP 7261(US).
It was a puzzling release for a group well known for straight ahead rock songs to issue
a concept album (for crying out loud!) based around a story.

The album was a poor seller at the time and since then has been disowned by the group as
a mistake in that period where Ace Frehley's issues were causing difficulties and they felt
they'd lost direction.
However, recently a number of Kiss fans have spoken on forums of their love for this
– the most untypical Kiss album – and why the feel a re-appraisal is due. 

SH.tv discussion:KISS - (Music From) The Elder... thoughts? - SH Forums

Original Track listing (Europe/North America)
A1. The Oath                         (4:32) - Stanley/Ezrin/Powers
A2. Fanfare                          (1:22) - Ezrin/Stanley
A3. Just A Boy                       (2:30) - Stanley/Ezrin
A4. Dark Light                       (4:12) - Frehley/Fig/Reed/Simmons
A5. Only You                         (4:19) - Simmons
A6. Under The Rose                   (4:49) - Carr/Simmons
B1. A World Without Heroes           (2:40) - Stanley/Ezrin/Reed/Simmons
B2. Mr. Blackwell                    (4:53) - Simmons/Reed
B3. Escape From The Island           (2:50) - Frehley/Ezrin/Carr
B4. Odyssey                          (5:36) - Powers
B5. I                                (3:52) - Simmons/Ezrin

Personnel:

Paul Stanley -

Eric Carr - Drums on 1-10 / back-up vocals

Gene Simmons - Bass

Ace Frehley - Lead Guitar

Bob Ezrin - Bass on B2.

Allan Schwartzberg - Drums on B4, B5.

Produced by Bob Ezrin. Associate Producer Brian Christian. Recorded at Ace In The Hole Studio, CT, March - July 1981, A & R Studios, NYC, NY, May 1981, Record Plant Studios, NYC,NY, May, July - September 1981, Ezrin Farm Studio & Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada, March & May 1981, by Brian Christian, Rick Hart, Robert Hrycyna and David Brown. Additional Engineering by Rob Freeman, Corky Stasiak and Kevin Doyle. Mixed at Manta Sound Studio, Toronto, Canada.

Recently fellow bone and SH.tv member Craig and I held a internet listening session where we discussed this album.

Craig: “The Oath is definitely the best opener. “

Caroline:(referring to the revised track order on the re-mastered CD) “Can't picture it anywhere else personally but someone thought better.”

Just A Boy is a thoughtful song which revealed just how good the range on Paul Stanley's voice really was.

Caroline:”Paul's singing was never bettered “

Referring to the guitar playing, Craig said ”LOVE the guitar shimmer on this one...

This album is full of GREAT guitar solos - all short and to the point. “

Under The Rose is the cinematic side ender

Caroline:”The vocal harmonies are cool - you don't get much of that in hard rock.”

Craig:(Quoting the lyric) “in every age
in every time
a hero is born
as if by a grand design”

and the "Just A Boy" motif comes back .

Caroline:”That was a clever touch in the arrangement “.

Craig:”Love the keyboard triplet riffs on Under The Rose I remember this chorus scaring me as a kid.

Guitar solo coming up - the doubling on the second half is blissful.”

A World Without Heroes is a slow thoughtful piece that opens up what was the second side of the LP and was released in the UK and US in February 1982 as 18cm (7”) single.
Caroline: “Just imagine a World without Heroes? “

Craig: ”One of my faves ever. I played it end on end as a kid. “

Mr. Blackwell:

Caroline: ”(Quoting the lyric)“Do what I want
I don't give a damn! “ - Very Gene!

Craig:Ya know, it's not that I don't like this song. I don't know if I like it in the context of the album - but it's better than I give credit for. “

Caroline:“It's a dark lyric but it makes sense in the context of the 'story'. It used to make me feel ill at ease at the time but I really like it now. “

Escape from the Island is unique in the Kiss catalogue being a percussion driven instrumental which made many of kiss fans aware for the first time of the late Eric Carr's true abilities. He was more than capable of playing Jazz.
Caroline:”Every beat is why I miss Eric. Damn fine playing here. “

Craig:”Agreed. And no Gene or Paul on this one. “(mimics the beat)”chugga chugga chugga “

Referring to Odyssey Craig's response was”ODYSSEY! My favourite I think. Just so epic... “

KILLER guitar solo!!! “”Love the breakdown. “

The song I concludes the original LP and shows of Paul and Gene's combined vocal abilities.

Craig:”Always loved the sharing vocals - was VERY happy to hear then do this on God Gave Rock And Roll To You II. It had been too long! “

Referring to the ending which quoted Kiss's first hit single Craig added “Sly little "I wanna rock and roll all nite" at the end! “

A Walkin' Miracle!

Video:

YouTube - limmie & family cookin' - walking miracle - totp ...

This isn't the story of my life although that could be regarded as an apt description but the name of a song I really loved back in '74 by this popular soul group originally from Ohio.
The were so popular in the UK the moved on over here!

A WALKIN' MIRACLE
(Hugo Peretti / Adam Levy / Luigi Creatore / George David Weiss)

Trio Essex


(Ooh, ooh)
(Ooh, ooh)

Did you ever see starlight come rushing from the sky
Heading for home in the stars in someone's eyes?
Uh-huh-huh, That's my baby, talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)

Did you ever see sunshine come pourin' out of space
Just to be part of the smile on someone's face?
Uh-huh-huh, That's my baby, talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)

And you should see cherries do flips, oh yeah
When they're picked to be the taste on his lips, oh yeah
And I know how happy his clothes must be,
'Cause that's how I feel when he's close to me
(Close to me)

Did you ever see lovin' that really rings a bell,
Kooky and crazy like Romeo himself
Uh-huh-huh, that's my baby, Talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)

And you should see cherries do flips, oh yeah
When they're picked to be the taste on his lips, oh yeah
And I know how happy his clothes must be,
'Cause that's how I feel when he's close to me
(Close to me)

Did you ever see lovin' that really rings a bell,
Kooky and crazy like Romeo himself
Uh-huh-huh, that's my baby, Talkin' 'bout my baby,
And I love him - He's a walkin' miracle.
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh, ooh)
He's a walkin' miracle
(Ooh ooh)

Pinafore dresses

Fashion.

The spring fashions here have been interesting not least the popularity of Pinafore Dresses in a variety of differing lengths and materials. Here's one I recently bought which has a cotton/elastene top part (the Pinafore), the lower is portion is jersey in a just above the knee length.

It ties up at the back.

Kalashnikitty

....And now for something different! Let's say I've always had a soft spot for things like Hello Kitty, the cultish Japanese iconic character but this un-official pose is one I truly adore. If it wasn't for the 'Gun Talk' rules on a certain website, I'd have it as my avatar. To me it kind of symbolizes the mixture of the innocent with the knowing - the bit that just might have to use force or weapons.

The Beatles - Great sounding vinyl Part 2 1964 - 1966

As you may recall from the first of this series of posts I have always like the music of the Beatles growing up with it and as I got older buying their records eventually forming an important part of my collection because they make me feel happy and I find the lyrics quite interesting.
From this period there is increasingly less difference in terms of overall sound quality between the North American and UK based LP's although there are many issues with the UK based CD issues that makes investigation desirable for beatle fans.
Continuing with 1964 the beatles recorded a series of tracks up to October of that year the majority of which were issued on LP format at some point.
Beatles For Sale is the home for most of these tracks but as the current LP is in sludgy mono we need to look at the alternatives.
Beatles For Sale has always been available in stereo and generally sounds much more open compared to it's mono counterpart.

The North American version is Beatles '65 which is what I grew up with. Side one follows the UK running order for the first 6 tracks and it just adds I Feel Fine, She's A Woman and I'll Be Back (on UK Hard day's Night LP).

I much prefer this running order although I Feel Fine doesn't sound good in duophonic (fake stereo).

I have compared recently a UK Beatles For Sale with my Canadian early 1980's Rainbow rim pressed at CBS and found that was a tidbit better actually!

(I Feel Fine sounds better on the analogue 1962-1966 RED album).

If you get Beatles For Sale you can skip the next entry.

Beatles VI
So called as Capitol counted this as their sixth Capitol LP is a gem and my Canadian Early 80's Rainbow Rim sounds fantastic!
It has the remainder of the Beatles For Sale tracks plus three early tracks that ended up on the UK help album. Two tracks, Dizzy Miss Lizzie and Bad Boy were specially recorded for this album in a 10 hour session.
See the separate blog entry for more.
Help!
The difference is the UK had an album of all beatle tunes and in North America we had a soundtrack album containing the instrumentals.
For sound quality nothing quite compares to the original UK stereo LP but the current copy is digitally re-mixed with added digital echo so you need to go back and get the original.
Fortunately copies can be had of the late 70's, early 80's fairly cheaply. I never got on with side two as the material is all over the place stylistically.

Rubber Soul.
The albums have the same title and 10 songs in common that follow the same order.
The Capitol version has a more 'folk-rock' feel with I've Just Seen a Face and It's Only Love from UK Help in there; the UK adds Drive My Car, Nowhere Man, If I Needed Someone and What Goes On? that appear on another Capitol album.
Take your pick - my Canadian purple label is very good and a genuine UK should be fine but a 1973 copy made for the UK in France under contract sounded very weak to my ears.

Yesterday and Today: The between Capitol album having Yesterday, Act Naturally, We Can Work It Out and Day Tripper.

This is a favourite of mine and later pressings do sound good - strike lucky and you'll get the all true stereo edition as Capitol were in a rush to release this album having three sons that saw in slightly different versions their UK appearance on Revolver.

Mikado for the Otaku!

At long last this is being marketed in England!
Cute looking Japanese chocolate on a biscuit stick with a small portion uncoated to make handling a less sticky affair.
Now if we get the fruit flavoured Pokey more readily available here it would be great.

Tony!

Okay some of us remember this guy, eh? Tony the tiger who advertised Kelloggs Frosties (aka Frosted Flakes) a fun cereal breakfast food much loved. His most famous catch phrase devised by John E Matthews is "They’re Grreat!" He was created in 1952 by Martin Provenson, the children's book illustrator and has been seen around the world.
Here's a clip: Kellogg's Tony the Tiger The Cowboy