Kiss
Crazy Nights

I believe that the '80s, speaking from a musical standpoint, represent the most controversial decade. For better or for worse.

There are those who unconditionally hate them, those who feel nostalgia and get emotional when they hear even the most trivial of songs from that period on the radio, and those who remained moderately fascinated by them, like me. It's undeniable that, despite the proliferation of immense gimmick phenomena and the succession of so-called "shooting stars," the influence (and repercussions) that the fashion, music, and, in a general sense, the culture of the '80s had was anything but massive. Love it or hate it, bands like Duran Duran, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Tears For Fears, Guns'N'Roses, U2 left an indelible mark on music history (the "light," pop, rock music, to be clear). Among those who set trends and those who followed them, honestly, I wouldn't know what position to take regarding the Kiss.

They had grasped an aspect that made the purists of rock (in a technical sense) shake their heads, that of makeup, but the appreciation for this scenic component is still alive, especially in the metal scene. The fact is that, whether for mere commercial strategy or for the pleasure of going against the trend, the epochal change of the '80s involved them as well.
Our guys, in fact, after getting rid of the two troublemakers Ace and Peter, deemed it appropriate to leave the beauty case in the drawer and mark the end of a chapter in their history. And, helped by two musicians (guitarist Bruce Kulick and drummer Eric Carr) of a technical level decidedly superior to Ace and Peter, the two pillars Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons seem to steer in a heavier direction. However, the cultural revolution one might expect even after the bold choice to give up makeup, which even prevailed over their music, is absolutely not on the agenda.

If there is a certainty in Kiss's ideology, it is without a doubt the desire to live, told with extreme transparency in their stories. Kiss was born with the declared intention of making money and attracting lots of women, and their songs are about that. Gene Simmons never beat around the bush, he didn't define himself as an artist (he didn't presume to be one), and he didn't know how to read or write music; he just wanted music to allow him to live life to the fullest. Not everyone has the intellectual honesty to admit it; in some ways, I admire it. "Crazy Nights," from 1987, is no exception; after all, the title is eloquent.
Setting aside the band's internal issues (Simmons declared with frank cynicism that he would never let anything or anyone stop him from living as he had decided, and pursuing the goals he had set), Kiss returned to talking about women, parties, and wild nights. "Crazy Crazy Night", the first track, seems to immediately aim to become an "anthem" with its stadium-like chorus. "I'll Fight Hell To Hold You" and "No, No, No", in which Kulick and Carr's technical skills stand out, are the album's heaviest tracks. The latter opens "in the most metal way possible," with an authentic guitar outburst, surrounded by hypnotic tapping and completed with an effective (but not overly elaborate) bass line by Simmons.

After "Hell or High Water", a song without infamy or praise, again sung by Simmons, we return to the anthemic flashes with "My Way", where Paul Stanley is at his best vocal abilities. In "When Your Walls Come Down", Stanley tries to repeat the formula, but the result is, in my opinion, worthy of the best filler material. The redemption comes with the beautiful ballad "Reason To Live": the instrumentation is a bit "heavy" for a ballad, but the beautiful melody, an easily catchy chorus, and an excellent performance allow me to consider it the most memorable song of the album. We are almost at the end, and those not accustomed to a certain sound might start to suffer from a slight headache, also due to Kulick's frequent embellishments. Here are two pieces performed by Simmons: "Good Girl Gone Bad" and "Thief In The Night", which, listened to after such guitar extravagance, don't deliver as they should; perhaps listening to them by skipping the other tracks makes a difference. The final consolation, which intersperses between these two tracks, is "Turn On The Night", a piece in the vein of "My Way", which wouldn't look out of place on an album by Europe or similar bands.

What can I say, honestly, I prefer the Kiss of the '70s, they fit better with my idea of musical fun. Indubitably less technical, but more "charming". Besides the undying fans, this album might be good for those who believe hard rock or metal should be played in a certain way, and believed that Kiss didn't deserve to be counted among the "heavy" groups; but to extreme metal enthusiasts, I believe the album will sound like pop.