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Rating: In 2005, "Kiss Gold" was released, a two-disc compilation by Kiss, a New York quartet with hard rock roots formed in 1973. Kiss experienced a period of success from '75 to '79 and a period of great crisis until '82. With this review, I commit to retracing the early part of Kiss's career, presenting this collection by grouping the various songs together, according to the albums they came from. The CD includes their greatest hits from '74 to '82.
The line-up consisted of two guitarists, namely Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar and Ace Frehley on lead guitar, a bassist Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss on drums. Regarding vocals, all four members of the quartet were able to sing in one of the many songs of this group, even though the two main singers, as well as the founders of the group, were Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. Now let’s move on to the description of the compilation, which I will try to do as concisely as possible, given the length of the anthology, which includes no less than forty songs, and thus to prevent boredom from settling in the minds of the Debaser readers.
CD1
The first five songs are part of the band's first work: "Kiss" from 1974. They present a very similar style made of a slow rhythm, and the guitars operate through non-heavy and aggressive riffs: examples of what I have said are "Strutter", "Nothin' To Lose", "Firehouse", "Deuce", and "Black Diamond". Good work from Kiss, which bodes well for the following albums.
From "Hotter Than Hell" of 1974, "Got To Chose", "Parasite", and the title track "Hotter Than Hell" were taken. The three songs elicited three different states of mind: the first, "Got To Choose", was catchy to me. "Parasite" is at higher levels, given its metal riff, due to its rhythm and very fast solo. "Hotter Than Hell" disappointed me, given the singer's voice clashing quite a bit in the chorus. But let's talk about the following songs: taken from "Dressed To Kill" are "C'Mon And Love Me", "She", and "Anything For My Baby". Only "She" is noteworthy for its imposing riff.
So we arrive at "Alive!", a live album where "Rock Bottom" was taken, which features an opening with a keyboard, and after about a minute, you hear the singer's voice opening the song where there is great work from Peter Criss on drums. At almost two minutes, an overwhelming solo begins, perfectly executed by Ace Frehley, which gives the song a positive note. "Cold Gin" starts with guitar distortion and then the drummer's attack follows. It is in this song that the drums play an important role. Indeed, there is an alternation of played parts to parts where it is possible to hear only the accompaniment rhythm of this instrument. Followed by two other live tracks, "Rock And Roll All Nite", a very nice and catchy song, and "Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll". The second named is notable for the spread of solos, where I heard some significant tempo changes. These are the last two tracks taken from "Alive!".
"Detroit Rock City", is the 16th track of the CD, one of Kiss’s greatest masterpieces. This piece has a fast and thoughtful rhythm and a good solo in the middle part of the song. It represents the crowning achievement of the cooperation of all the members of the band: great work by Ace Frehley on guitar, Peter Criss keeping a good drum rhythm, Paul Stanley's skill in vocals and rhythm guitar, and Gene Simmons on bass. I want to talk a lot about this song and even examine the lyrics, which talk about a boy who, in Detroit, has to attend a Kiss concert but unfortunately never will, given his death in a car accident. The song ends with the skidding of the fan’s car which connects to the beginning of "King Of The Night Time World" a good song, like the one that follows "Shout It Out Loud". But after listening to so many hard rock songs, it is time to relax with a ballad with a keyboard, also with a brief part of wind instruments. "Do You Love Me" is the last song of the first CD of this collection. Again, great work from the drummer, but within this track, you can hear a hint of bell sounds. These last examined tracks are from "Destroyer", good work from Kiss, released in March 1976.
CD2
Now let's examine the second CD of this maxi-collection. The first tracks are part of "Rock N' Roll Over", an album from 1976. "I Want You" begins with an acoustic arpeggio, and Stanley's faint voice; followed by an initial distortion that starts the song, overall a good piece. It is immediately followed by "Calling Dr. Love": on the drums, Peter Criss, with the Charleston, does a good job, although the solos are very good, so also great work by Ace Frehley. "Hard Luck Woman" is a nearly all-acoustic piece, very beautiful and relaxing, even if slow, but still different from the other songs considered from the same album.
Next, "I Stole Your Love" was chosen from "Love Gun", another good work by Kiss, and features a fast yet precise riff in Rock N' Roll style, with a solo, also very demanding and catchy. And now I prepare to analyze another important Kiss piece: "Love Gun": the title track of the album from which it was taken. Impressive and majestic riff, Peter Criss, always active on drums, who with a very precise accompaniment rhythm follows the guitarist's riff. The solo is also very beautiful, and in this song, it is performed in the background of the singer's voice during the chorus. Let's move on to "Christine Sixteen", a song that begins with the sound of the keyboard, which is present in almost every part of the song, accompanying the riff. However, this is a lesser piece compared to the one I examined earlier. The last song taken from "Love Gun" is "Shock Me", a song with very calm and quiet tones, with good drum accompaniment.
"Makin' Love" and "God Of Thunder" are from "AliveII". In both, the riffs are powerful, with a difference in Stanley's voice, which is more pushed and pulled in the first, while much darker in the second. Paul Stanley's song "Tonight You Belong To Me" has a nice riff and a solo, really very beautiful: "New York Groove" and "Don’t You Let Me Down" mostly include acoustic sounds rather than distorted ones. "Radioactive" by Gene Simmons is the only one that can hold a candle to Stanley’s, although it is very similar. These four songs were the singles from each band member recorded before the album "Dynasty".
Indeed, "Dynasty" includes a great Kiss hit: "I Was Made For Loving You", a very famous song that nevertheless departs from the hard rock tone that distinguishes Kiss to approach Rock-Pop. However, it is very beautiful and catchy in the solo. "Sure Know Something" is also a very famous piece, and also slow, but here the bass does great work, especially in the verse. A good job, therefore, by Gene Simmons. "Shandi" and "Talk To Me" are very similar to each other and, like the aforementioned "I Was Made For Loving You", they have a more "pop" sound than usual. They are part of "Unmasked", released in May 1980.
The only track taken from (Music From) The Elders is "A World Without Heroes", a ballad, initially on keyboard and then you hear Frehley's solo. However, this song didn’t convince me much. "Nowhere To Run" and "I'm A Legend Tonight" are the last songs I examine: they are part of "Killers" and return to having a riff closer to hard rock tones, with good solos in full Kiss style.
Having to make a comparison between the two CDs, the first is definitely better because it includes better songs, among which "Detroit Rock City" and "Strutter", "Rock And Roll All Nite", "Parasite" and many others, while from the second, noteworthy are only the songs taken from "Love Gun", another historic album by the New York quartet, not forgetting the great success of "I Was Made For Loving You".
In conclusion: overall a good collection that summarizes a good part of Kiss's career, including very important songs, indelible in the history of hard rock, and destined to leave an indelible mark on the future of music in the same genre.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Strutter (03:12)
I know a thing or two about her
I know she'll only make you cry
She'll let you walk the street beside her
But when she wants she'll pass you by
Ev'rybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter!
She wears her satins like a lady
She gets her way just like a child
You take her home and she says "Maybe, baby"
She takes you down and drives you wild
Ev'rybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter!
(Solo)
I know a thing or two about her
I know she'll only make you cry
She lets you walk the street beside her
But when she wants, she'll pass you by
Everybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter- I know she'll just make you cry
Strutter- Look out, that girl just pass you by
Strutter- Whoa oh! She gets her way like a child
Strutter- Mama!, That girl will just drive you wild
Strutter! (repeats out)
02 Nothin' to Lose (03:27)
Before I had a baby
I didn't care anyway
I thought about the back door
I didn't know what to say, yeah, yeah
But once I got a baby
I tried every way
She didn't wanna do it
But she did anyway, yeah, yeah
So baby please don't refuse
You know you got nothin' to lose
You got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ooh, baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, ow, come on mama
You got, got nothin' to lose, you really, really, got nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ah, sing with the catman
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got
You got, you got, you got nothin' to lose
So now I got a baby
And I tried every way, I tried any way
You know she wants to do it, know she wants to do it
And she does anyway, yeah, yeah
But baby please don't refuse
You know you got nothin' to lose
You got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh, nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ha, ha, oh, baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, ah, sing one time with Pete
You got, got nothin' to lose, don't you know baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got
You got, you got, you got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, I can't hear you
You got, got nothin' to lose, come on baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, ow
You got, got nothin' to lose, you got nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh, New York
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, all right
Yeah
03 Firehouse (03:18)
Whoo, hoo, yeah
Whoo, hoo, yeah
She'll adore you and she'll floor you
With her wisdom and her vision
And you'll love it and think of it
Till you lose all intuition
Come on
She can move you and improve you
With her love and her devotion
And she'll thrill you and she'll chill you
But you're headed for commotion
And you'll need her so you'll feed her
With your endless dedication
And the quicker you get sicker
She'll remove your medication
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul afire
Get the firehouse
And the flames keep gettin' higher
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'd never leave her but you know you should
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'd never leave her but you know you should
Ooh
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul afire
Get the firehouse
Whoo, hoo, yeah
Get the firehouse
Whoo, hoo, yeah
04 Deuce (03:05)
Get up
And get your grandma outta here
Pick up
Old Jim is workin' hard this year
And baby
Do the things he says to do
Baby, if you're feeling good
And baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
He's worth a deuce
Honey
Don't put your man behind his years
And baby
Stop cryin' all your tears
Baby
Do the things he says to do
Do it
Baby, if you're feeling good
And baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
He's worth a deuce
And baby, if you're feeling good
Yes baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
Yeah
05 Black Diamond (05:12)
Out on the street for a living
Picture's only begun
Got you under their thumb
Hit it !!!
Out on the streets for a living
Picture's only begun
Your day is sorrow and madness
Got you under their thumb
Whoo, black diamond
Whoo, black diamond
Darkness will fall on the city
It seems to follow you too
And though you don't ask for pity
There's nothin' that you can do, no, no
Whoo, black diamond
Whoo, black diamond
Out on the streets for a living
Picture's only begun
Your day is sorrow and madness
Got you under their thumb
Whoo, black diamond, yeah
Whoo, black diamond
06 Got to Choose (03:54)
Baby, you know I heard the neighbours say
Baby, you might be leavin' me today
Oh yeah, mmm, someone's come along and shared your time
Don't care, no I don't, no
But you can't be his and still be mine, so
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose
Sometimes, oh sometimes, I know you need a change of pace
Oh yeah, but I ain't gonna run no race
Baby, you've got to tell me yes or no
Alright, alright, come on and tell me
Tell me if you're gonna go, come on
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose who's your baby
Ooh, got to choose, got to choose
Who's your baby, who's your baby
Who's your baby, who's your baby
07 Parasite (03:04)
She'll always be there trying to grab a hold
She thought she knew me, but she didn't know
That I was sad and wanted her to go
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
I didn't wanna have to get away
I told her things I didn't want to say
I need her and I hope she'll understand
Parasite lady
Parasite eyes
Parasite lady
No need to cry
08 Hotter Than Hell (03:32)
Come on
She looked good
She looked hotter than hell
All dressed in satins and lace
I looked at her and it was just too clear
I had to get on the case
I said "Lady, oh lady, can I take you home
There's just so much we could do
I'll take you all around the whole wide world
Before the evening is through"
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
You know she's gonna leave you well done
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
Burn you like the midday sun
I asked her why she couldn't make up her mind
She said "You don't understand
I'd love to go, but there's something you should know"
She showed me her wedding band
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
You know she's gonna leave you well done
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
She'll burn you like the midday sun
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
You know she's gonna leave you well done
Hot, hot, hotter than hell
She'll burn you like the midday sun
10 She (04:08)
She walks by moonlight
noone really knows
encanted starlight
never goin home
i know shes goin down knowin
everybody knows
shes so good
doin well for others
she dosent really know
the powers are within her
as she takes off her cothes
i know shes goin down knowin
everybody knows
shes so good
doin well for others
she dosent really know
the powers are within her
as she takes off her cothes
i know shes goin down knowin
everybody knows
shes so good
11 Anything for My Baby (02:34)
Anything for my baby
I would steal anything for my baby
I'd wheel and deal anything for my baby
Oh
I'm in love and it feels so good
'Cause I need her, don't mistreat her
And I tell her so
When I saw her and she looked my way
I was lonely, she's my only
And I've gotta say that
I would steal anything for my baby
I'd wheel and deal anything for my baby
Crawl or kneel, anything for my baby
In the morning when I raise my head
She's beside me, she can hide me
When I'm feelin' low
If I'm thinkin' everything's all wrong
My girl shakes me, she awakes me
Then I really know that
I would steal anything for my baby
I'd wheel and deal anything for my baby
Crawl or kneel, anything for my baby
Don't you know that
I would steal anything for my baby
I would wheel and deal anything for my baby
I would crawl or kneel, anything for my baby
I'd do anything
I would give anything for my baby
I would die or live, anything for my baby
I would t-t-t-t-take or give anything for my baby
Yes, I would take anything for my baby
I would build or break anything for my baby
I would rob or take anything for my baby
I would do anything for my baby
I would steal anything for my baby
I would wheel and deal
18 Shout It Out Loud (02:50)
Well, the night's begun and you want some fun
Do you think you're gonna find it (think you're gonna find it)
You got to treat yourself like number one
Do you need to be reminded (need to be reminded)
It doesn't matter what you do or say
Just forget the things that you've been told
We can't do it any other way
Everybody's got to rock and roll, whoo, oh, oh
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
If you don't feel good, there's a way you could
Don't sit there broken hearted (sit there broken hearted)
Call all your friends in the neighborhood
And get the party started (get the party started)
Don't let 'em tell you that there's too much noise
They're too old to really understand
You'll still get rowdy with the girls and boys
'Cause it's time for you to take a stand, yeah, yeah
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
You've got to have a party
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Turn it up louder
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Everybody shout it now
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Oh yeah
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
Hear it gettin' louder
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
And everybody shout it now
Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud
19 Beth (02:48)
Beth I hear you calling
But I can't come home right now
Me and the boys are playing
but we just can't find the sound
Just a few more hours
And I'll be right home to you
I think I hear them calling
Oh Beth what can I do
Beth what can I do
You say you feel so empty
That our house just ain't our home
I'm always somewhere else
And you're always there alone
Just a few more hours
And I'll be right home to you
I think I hear them calling
Oh Beth what can I do
Beth what can.....I do
Beth I know you're lonely
And I hope you'll be alright
'Cause me and the boys will be playing all night
all night
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