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Rating: Good afternoon DeBaser readers, your Kissarmy returns and does so in grand style by reviewing a semi-unknown album, obviously by Kiss.
1989: Kiss was preparing their last album, the CD is titled "Hot in the Shade". However, from the review I am about to write, a philosophical reasoning will emerge, but first, on with the review!
The album that falls into my hands for critique is a "perfect stranger": few are the songs that Kiss performs in concerts, in fact, almost none from this album. The cover is evidently very amusing, and let's hope the album will be as well. The good intentions are confirmed indeed, because the first song does not disappoint my expectations: "Rise to It" is a beautifully linear and smooth song where the elements that stand out the most on a first listen are: Paul's voice and Bruce Kulick's increasingly deadly guitar. The second track, "Betrayed", contradicts the good intentions and it seems that Kiss's ideas, matured two years after the release of "Crazy Nights", have already run out. I pretend nothing happened and move on to the third song "Hide Your Heart", who doesn't know it?! Beautiful as ever, Paul's voice and the classic "Kissian" chorus harmonies are heard, and especially heard in the background voices of the choruses, is Eric Carr's… The fourth song is "Prisoner of Love", truly a song that leaves you speechless…
But at this point, it's time to pause and reflect. "Hot in the Shade", the title itself is indicative of heat, of a suffocating heat that never leaves man, like "Love" for Petrarch. The heat is felt in every song of "Hot in the Shade", obviously in some songs more and in others less, but it is always present. We continue, however, with "Read My Body", beautiful, which vaguely (very vaguely) reminds "I Love it Loud". "Love's a Slap in the Face" is track number 6, even if the song is very poorly made and is also bad, there is the personal pleasure of finding the old Catman Peter Criss behind the drums. Song number seven is truly the most beautiful by Kiss ever: "Forever" is truly spectacular, the acoustic guitars of Paul and Bruce are tuned to the romantic spirit of this song. "Silver Spoon" is the following track and I must say it's cute but does not reveal surprises. However, the following song must be bowed to because it is a true Rock 'n roll masters track like the Kiss are: "Cadillac Dreams" is truly spectacular. Kiss truly make themselves heard with this song, and so does the suffocating heat, which in my opinion, is the main theme of this album.
"King of Hearts" vaguely reminds of a famous riff by System of a Down. After track number 10, "King of Hearts", it transitions to another beautiful song named "The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away". The heat in this track reaches unexpected levels, it becomes unbearable, and it almost seems as if this song is inspired by a nighttime fight between two gangs on a street in a squalid New York neighborhood, creating an atmosphere that is beautiful and full of suspense. The twelfth track doesn't disappoint the Kiss fans and Paul expresses his vocal flexibility to the maximum, delivering very beautiful and especially impactful high notes. "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell" is track number 13, beautiful, beautiful and more beautiful, truly well done; the theme of heat is felt here too, and the guitars with a particular distortion contribute to this suffocating heat. Quickly listing the last two songs, "Boomerang", really good but only the solo by Bruce Kulick has been avidly copied from "I've Had Enough (Into the Fire)" from the album "Animalize". Now I have to give a somewhat longer description and some critiques for the last song: "Little Caesar" that everyone will know because it was one of the few songs written by Eric Carr, for the first time we hear his voice in a song written by him, but beware Paul & Gene, being money-consuming machines, occasionally make mistakes and don’t let Eric sing the song because they believe it's not useful, but they allow him (Carr) to sing the backing vocals in the chorus. The song is undoubtedly beautiful but if Eric had sung it, it would have been much better.
Concluding, I must say this album has been underrated and I don’t know why, but this album is truly an excellent product for Kiss's Rock 'n roll. Obviously, the "Kiss" after this album were no longer the same as the '80s but changed radically, what I can state is that Kiss is Kiss and no one can say they are foolish or shameless because they are the only true rock band still existing.
Greetings to everyone from Kissarmy!!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Betrayed (03:40)
You pay your taxes, you pay the rent
Till you haven't got a cent
It's the law of the jungle, if you got the hunger
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
Just hold on to what you got (hold on, hold on)
Just live it to the last drop
You can't help it, you just can't stop
Betrayed
Yeah, life's a bitch, so just don't feel
Betrayed
No, you ain't the only one who's been betrayed
Betrayed
Stone cold and all alone
And you're wearin' everything you own
They bare your flesh and strip your soul
But underneath you got a heart of gold
Just hold on to what you got (hold on, hold on)
Betrayed, you ain't satisfied
I know you feel betrayed
You ain't crucified
So get real, betrayed, betrayed
All alone, far from home
And you're feelin' cold as stone
Don't give up, don't give in
Life's a bitch if you lose or win
Betrayed
Yeah, you ain't the only one who's been
Betrayed
Life's a bitch, if you lose or win
Betrayed, betrayed
Betrayed, betrayed...
03 Hide Your Heart (04:26)
Johnny saw her riding on a street car named Desire, his fate was sealed
She could see him coming like a hundred other liars, it was no big deal
Rosa had a lover on the shady side of town, Tito, he was king of the streets
She was his possession like a jewel on his crown, Johnny better run, better run
Better hide your heart, better hold on tight
Say your prayers, 'cause there's trouble tonight
When pride and love battle with desire
Better hide your heart, 'cause you're playing with fire
The ride was over but the story doesn't end, he took her heart
She looked him in the eye and said they couldn't meet again
You could see the trouble start
The word went out that Rosa's messin' with someone, it was on the street
Tito looked for Johnny with a vengeance and a gun
Johnny better run, better run
Better hide your heart, better hold on tight
Say your prayers, 'cause there's trouble tonight
When pride and love battle with desire
Better hide your heart, 'cause you're playing with fire
Johnny's holdin' Rosa on a rooftop in the night, as time stood still
They couldn't hear him coming 'til he had them both in sight
You could feel a chill
A shot ran out like thunder and the blood was on her hands, with nothing won
When someone lies dying, lovers finally understand
Better hide your heart, better hold on tight
Say your prayers, 'cause there's trouble tonight
When pride and love battle with desire
Better hide your heart, 'cause you're playing with fire
07 Forever (03:53)
I gotta tell you what I'm feeling inside
I could lie to myself but it's true
There's no denying when I look in your eyes
Girl, I'm out of my head over you
I lived so long believeing all love is blind
But everything about you
Is telling me this time it's
CHORUS:
Forever, this time I know
And there's no doubt in my mind
Forever, until my life is through
Girl, I'll be loving you forever
I hear the echo of the promise I made
When you're strong you can stand on your own
But those words grow distant as I look at your face
No, I don't wanna go it alone
I never thought I'd lay my heart on the line
But everything about you
Is telling me this time it's
REPEAT CHORUS
Solo
Oh
I see my future when I look in your eyes
It took your love to make my heart come alive
Cause I lived my life believing all love is blind
But everything about you is telling me this time it's
REPEAT CHORUS (2X)
08 Silver Spoon (04:42)
I ain't lookin' like nobody's fool, save it for somebody else
And I ain't makin' any desperate move, 'till I'm satisfied myself
I ain't waitin' for no invitation, I just wanna walk on thru
I never needed anybody, and like my daddy said
I wasn't born with a silver spoon, nowhere to hide in a crowded room
I see the attitude that's in your eyes, I got no reason to apologize
'Cos what's so special 'bout a girl like you, with a silver spoon
In a city where the buildings rise, I was just another face
But mama told me when somebody dies, no one else can take your place
I never needed anybody, and like my daddy said
I wasn't born with a silver spoon, nowhere to hide in a crowded room
I see the attitude that's in your eyes, I got no reason to apologize
'Cos I've got something for a girl like you, with a silver spoon
I always knew I'd be somebody, I kept it in my head
I never needed anybody, and like my daddy said
I wasn't born with a silver spoon, nowhere to hide in a crowded room
I see the attitude that's in your eyes, I got no reason to apologize
'Cos what's so special 'bout a girl like you, with a silver spoon
09 Cadillac Dreams (03:47)
When I was seventeen, found out just what it means
If you can get it free, it just ain't worth a damn
When I heard the preacher say, don't throw your life away
I got that message, and I wrote it on the wall
I don't want anybody tellin' me lies, no, I don't want your diamond ring
'Cause you ain't got my size
I want money, money, that's what I need,
I got Cadillac dreams, please mister don'tcha take it from me
Give me money, money, more than I need, I got Cadillac dreams waitin' on me
Cadillac dreams, Cadillac dreams
When I had the young boy blues, I paid some young boy dues
I learned the hard way, there's a heartbreak every day
Stone cold reality came crashing down on me
Well life was hard on me, but I still don't give a damn
When I was seventeen I was an angry young man
But I won't let just anybody tell me who I am
I just want money, money, that's all I need
I got Cadillac dreams, hey mister don'tcha take it from me
Give me money, money, more than I need, these Cadillac dreams are waitin' on me
Didn't have the time of day, till this dream was born
You can't take that away, you can't take that away from me
When I was seventeen, there was this beauty queen
Checked in a one room suite, the back seat of my car
When you want all the best things money can buy
You gotta reach down inside of you, to reach up to the sky
Yeah, I want money, money, that's all I need
I got Cadillac dreams, hey mister you can't take that from me
I want money, money, more than I need, I got Cadillac dreams waitin' on me
Money, money, that's what I need
We're drivin' in my Chevy with my Cadillac dreams
Someday, one day, just you and me
We'll ride inside these Cadillac dreams
11 The Street Giveth and the Street Taketh Away (03:32)
Hey man, gotta take a stand, so you think that you've been had
I'm here to bet ya, street's gonna get ya, well two out of three ain't bad
Hey man, it's gettin' out of hand, cross your heart and hope to die
You got yours, and I got mine, I'm gonna get what's comin' to ya
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
Where there's no blind justice, no way
Hey man, don't you understand, you can run but you can't hide
There ain't no life after death, so save your breath (you're gonna)
Be a rock 'n roll suicide
Hey man, do you need a hand, but I ain't no blessing in disguise
Feel the agony, and the ecstacy, it's gonna burn right through ya
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
Where there's no blind justice, no way
Life's too short, so help yourself, 'cause I don't walk on water
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
Where there's no blind justice, no way
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
'Cause the street giveth and the street taketh away
14 Little Caesar (03:11)
Ten million stories in the city, ten million backs against the wall
Desperation's out tonight, you can cut it with a knife
Everybody wants to have it all
Well they tell you that the world is rough
But they never rocked it hard enough
Hey little Caesar, nobody messing with you
Hey little Caesar, go show 'em what you can do
Nobody said that it was pretty, you haven't got a penny or a prayer
You know it's gonna be a fight, if you wanna see your name in lights
Ain't nobody gives a damn out there
Well you got your guts, you got your pride
But you'll never let them see inside
Hey little Caesar, nobody messing with you
Hey little Caesar, go show 'em what you can do
(Spoken:)
Well you don't believe in the books and rules
'Cause you just believe in what you know is cool
Well they tell you that the world is rough
But they never rocked it hard enough - I can't hear you
They just don't understand, you gotta fight to be a man
Hey little Caesar, nobody messing with you
Hey little Caesar, go show 'em what you can do
Hey little Caesar, oh yeah, that's what it is
Hey little Caesar, yeah
15 Boomerang (03:31)
Gonna throw down the dice on a roll, it's a showdown, gonna walk on hot coals
Cut the deck, better place your bet, 'cause the game ain't over yet
Wanna keep you under lock and key, can't you see what you do to me
Get the noose, I know I'm gonna hang, 'cause you're like a boomerang, boomerang
On the way up, you change your tune, so pay up, and it ain't too soon
Can't make up or break up, can't feel a thing, you want a piece of everything
First you're cold and then you're hot, you're in the mood and then you're not
Yeah, I know I'll get a bang, 'cause you're like a boomerang, boomerang
You can slip and you can slide, but there ain't nothin' you can hide
You just can't say no, well here I come, baby, and here I go
A boomerang, a boomerang
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