In our ongoing "Kiss & Their Tribulations"-series, another sequel ...

[uwe]

Doesn't sound half-bad, if you ask me, not being a Kissologist of course:

http://www.kissonline.com/

Kiss have real talent to make even the most innocent riff sound noisy, that is part of their charm. And they still write their songs in E flat, just like the good old days.

Cover is suitably garish too, in typical Kiss (bad) taste:




Plus, now that Kiss are being distributed by Walmart (Dave's favorite retail chain), I know someone here who will have to buy his first Kiss album!  


That the CD package includes free wigs is a blatant lie by the way, spread by certain interested parties to disinform the public:

[OldManC]

I'm told that's a Photoshop but I still laugh every time I see that picture.

Re: that cover, it blows.

Re: Modern Day Delilah; it sounds like a nice KISS track circa 1985. That's not bad if you like 80's KISS, but it sounds nothing like Rock and Roll Over or Love Gun, which is the sound they claim to have been aiming for. I'm interested in hearing more, but I'm not expecting anything approaching classic KISS, which is still me favorite version of the band.



I'm liking the new Ace tunes a little more, but I fully admit to an Ace bias:



A clip of Ace's cover of Fox On The Run. I like it!

[uwe]

Dave made me aware of those pics yesterday (rightfully questioning whether they are unmanipulated), Gene would actually look better bald, he has the face for it and his hair was always a tangled mess even when he still had it. Paul Stanley's hair is probably a little too full for a man his age, but as a baldie he'd look just like one of my partners in my law firm. I don't judge Kiss on whether they wear wigs or not, given their image they hardly have a choice, "Starchild" would have a hard time projecting his kabuki image bald.

Those Frehley tracks are nice.

[TBird1958]

      "like one of my partners in my law firm."

Herr Moderator,

You should get me a job in your Law Firm (seceratary perhaps) then I could afford some more new Thunderbirds 

[uwe]

We have offices in NYC and Washington (the other one, not yours), that would make Nasty Habits rehearsals cumbersome, wouldn't it? But we're always looking for experienced hands.

[Dave W]

I'm just shocked to find that people still buy CDs. Or do they?

Let's hope this one is up to the high standard of Psycho Circus. 

[gearHed289]

I'm just shocked to find that people still buy CDs. Or do they?

I still buy CDs.  The only stuff I download is for my cover band. I like to have a physical product, plus they sound better than mp3 files.

It will be interesting to see how each of these discs sell. I'm happy for Ace, being away from Ze Kompany and doing well. He was always my favorite KISS dude.

[lowend1]

The ransom is... ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

[uwe]

Dave, the dif between a real CD and mpeewhatchamacallit is the difference between real sex and looking at a centerfold. With wool mittens on.

[Dave W]

Dave, the dif between a real CD and mpeewhatchamacallit is the difference between real sex and looking at a centerfold. With wool mittens on.

That comparison has been made between vinyl and CDs, this is the first time I've seen it used to compare CDs and mp3s. 

I like CDs but they're on the way out. CD sales are way down.

I stop by a couple of pawnshops about once a month, they're selling used CD players for next to nothing. I've seen a nice Technics 5-disc player sit for at least six months, they can't even sell it at $15. And a big Sony CD jukebox at $25.

[TBird1958]

We have a saying here, it goes: "The other Washington my ass!"

I'll think about it, I got the legs for a short skirt 

[uwe]

All you mp3 halflings out there, rejoice in the breathtaking fashion colors your ipods come out in. I'm content waiting for the 17 CD Beatles stereo box coming out this fall. It will weigh a ton, be bulky, I can open and close it, touch the CDs and it will look a hoot.

[OldManC]

I love that picture of Gene. It makes him look 10 years younger at least.

For those of you who like to rip the CDs you buy, the only audio extractor worth using (IMO) is this one:

http://exactaudiocopy.de/

It's free and seriously, makes better sounding mp3s than I've heard from any other source. I have around 6000 songs on my mp3 player and I wiped it clean and started over using this program once I heard the difference it made. If I use my computer or 128k files off an mp3 site, I can't listen to more than 15 minutes without getting a splitting headache. I don't get any listening fatigue when listening to files ripped on Exact Audio Copy (I do everything VBR, the slightly larger files are worth the better sound quality). 

And Dave, re. Psycho Circus, OUCH! You're right about it, but ouch nonetheless!   

[uwe]

I think as Kiss albums go, Psycho Circus had its moments. They've done (a lot) worse.

And did you know that even the (unjustly) much derided The Elder (Psycho Circus reminds me in places of The Elder)  was recently mentioned by Prog magazine UK (a Classic Rock offshoot) as a lost treasure in a special called "Prog Albums by Non-Prog Bands"? I think that is an original yet fitting description for The Elder.

This here is one of the nicest and most unaffected Gene Simmons vocals ever (unaffected singing is not Kiss' forte, especially not Paul's) and it also features a tasteful solo by THAT OTHER (sometimes lead) guitarist in Kiss. That said, Ace does a swell job strumming the acoustic, way to go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7ofrdBdJRM&feature=related

I also liked the New Romantic influence in their costumes around this era.

[Dave W]

George, I heard about Exact Audio Copy a few months ago. But I was already using LAME encoded VBRs on ripped CDs and I never get headaches from them listening through good quality computer speakers or headphones. I wouldn't know about mp3 players, I don't own one.