Kiss - Music From the Elder
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CD Details
Artist: KissEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 1997-10-07
Music Label: Island / Mercury
Soundtracks:
- Fanfare
- Just A Boy
- Odyssey
- Only You
- Under The Rose
- Dark Light
- A World Without Heroes
- The Oath
- Mr. Blackwell
- Escape From The Island
- I
Music reviews of Music From the Elder
Music Review: Getting Better With Age - The Elder is A Hidden Gem
Rating: 4 Stars
In 1981, when Music from "The Elder" came out, it was very confusing to the fans. There were no pictures of KISS on it anywhere (with the exception of Paul's hand on the front cover) and people weren't really sure what it was. Was it a soundtrack for an upcoming movie? Was it a concept album? Was this really KISS? After alienating their fans with the disco-tinted Unmasked, and the departure of Peter Criss from the band, KISS were in serious trouble. Sure, they were rich and famous, but thier fans were really starting to hate them and that isn't good if you want to continue on as a money-making act. Something that always bothered Gene and Paul was the fact that most of the critics dismissed their work as mediocre, bubblegum rock with a lot of flash and bang and very little substance. They sang mostly about women. They acted like crazy, drunken sex maniacs. They breathed fire and spit blood and so what!!! They were KISS and that was the formula that had made them household names in the first place. So Gene, while sitting in the Beverly Palms Hotel, decides to write the story of The Elder, to create a concept album, to wow the critics and gain some respect. Now, Gene has admitted all these years later, that this was one of the worst mistakes of his career with KISS. Ace didn't want any part of it. The produce Bob Ezrin was intrigued. They would hire an orchestra to do the score, hire actors to play background parts, go crazy with the myth and mystique of The Elder. The critics would love them! Praise them! Sing songs to their insight and cleverness! Once and for all KISS would be regaled as true American rock legends. No. The Elder is the only KISS album never to reach gold status. Sad, but true. Did they mean well? Hard to say. KISS was a band in disarray, directionless and surrounded by well-wishers whispering in their ears. So, Music from "The Elder" was born without a clear explanation, without anything for the fans to look to for guidance. There it was.This is also the world's introduction to Eric Carr on album. You can feel what a great drummer he was. Let's look at the tracks:
Fanfare: Just that. Nothing more.
Just A Boy - Musically, this was some of their best work as a band, though it mostly Gene and Paul and Eric. Ace would send his stuff in from his home. A sprawling, well-produced effort. Today, it stands out. The fans were just confused. This intro song is supposed to set the tone for the rest of the album. Good song.
Odyssey - This is operatic KISS. This is grand and glorious KISS. Like I said before, it stands out with no expectations. This album would have made more sense after the makeup was gone. It was too complex for what KISS was as a band. This had nothing to do with banging groupies by the busload. Aother good song. Piano and orchestra. The lyrics are thoughtful. The production is elegant.
Only You - Moody, brooding Gene tune with some great riffs and a good feel. Each song builds upon the next. The Elder was not a bad album by far, it was just too confusing for disgruntled fans and KISS were never going to win the critics appeal so they were wasting their time. You make music for yourself and for your fans. Live by it or die by it.
Under The Rose - One of the better songs on the album. This dark, whispery feel sets the dark mood perfectly. I like it. You can't hate The Elder, you just need to take it for what it is. This was KISS showing that they could be insightful. That they could keep up with the bands of the time with their musical and lyrical talent. There really wasn't a need to compete. KISS were gods among insects compared to most bands. But by 1981 they had falled considerably. My mom knew who KISS was in 1977. By 1981, she couldn't remember who they were. That is a downfall.
Dark Light - The single Ace tune on the album. Typical Ace in its simple greatness. He always delivered, even under the strain of losing direction with the band. This is a solid rocker and another standout track. Ace understood that this was a huge mistake but he still made his own contribution. Dark Light is one of my favorite songs on the album. Plus it's great to hear Ace's New York accent when he sings. Great solo.
A World Without Heroes - Probably one of the best songs Gene has ever written. This is such a great song, but fans couldn't believe that the fire-breathing, blood-spitting demon was capable of stuff of this caliber. Perfect. I could listen to this over and over again.
The Oath - Great song. Comes right out of the gate and take you by the throat. Listening to this now, it so hard to understand why this album bombed, but then 1981 was such a different time. These guys made a huge, wasted effort. There are so many fans out there that bug the band to do an all-Elder set. This is like their Wall or their Mindcrime or their 2112.
Mr. Blackwell - I remember back in the day my mother wouldn't let me listen to KISS because she thought that they were evil. My best friend had them plastered all over his room, so I begged him to make me a tape and he did and I used to sneak into my bedroom just to listen to them. Mr. Blackwell was on that tape. I don't know why, but my friend liked the song so he included it with all the KISS standards like Deuce and Rock And Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City. Mr. Blackwell. Most people don't even know this song if it's mentioned. It was one of my first impressions of KISS and remains one of my favorite songs of all time. This is Gene at his best. You can picture the demon singing this. This is the next step up from God Of Thunder. Excellent. We'll drink a toast to the inhuman race...
Escape From The Island - Rocking instumental that ties Mr. Blackwell to the final song. This is great. KISS really tried their damnedest on this album to pull out all the stops and the critics ignored it but what they came up with was a masterpiece that is so overlooked it's nearly sad. The pounding metal goodness that flows from this song kicks you in the face and Eric really lets go here.
I - Great, anthemic album ender. The funny thing about "The Elder" was that you could feel the excitement, the sense of accomplisment in each song and it was such a disaster.
"Morpheus, you have ben summoned here to offer your judgement of the boy. Do you still deem him worthy of the fellowship?"
After listening to Music from "The Elder" you will be left with a sense of 'what just happened?' because the story of The Elder is never really explained, but if you look beyond that simple fact, you will have realized that you have just been rocked. This is KISS against the wall, in the corner, fighting for thier musical lives, and it would have been so much more awesome if Ace had embraced the project whole-heartedly. This very well could have been the best KISS album ever. But commercially, it failed, and critically it was overlooked. We were fools in 1981, so listening to Music from "The Elder" now gives us a better perspective of what KISS was capable of doing. They never had anything to prove to anyopne but themselves, and if they had stuck to the formula that created KISS and made it great, the four original members would still be playing together.
Dig it!
Description of Music From the Elder
Japanese only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD - playable on all CD players) paper sleeve pressing. Universal. 2008.Classic Rock CDs
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