KISS - MUSIC FROM THE ELDER
Some fans love it…others hate it. Some preach the praise of the gospel while others dismiss it. KISS’ first release featuring a new member and brand new look (although visually no one noticed the change thanks to the albums packaging) quite possibly is most misunderstood album in the KISS catalog and by far the least successful. MUSIC FROM THE ELDER proved to be KISS’ first attempt at writing a concept album and nearly put the final nail in the KISS ‘makeup years’ coffin. How KISS bounced back from this left turn is beyond me? Whichever side of the fence you sit on, good or bad, tolerable or horrible, a disk that is played often or one that makes for a nice drink coaster, it’s safe to say that MUSIC FROM THE ELDER is an acquired taste. You simply don’t get it with one listen and because of that you may just find yourself growing to love it over the years.
MUSIC FROM THE ELDER was the first KISS album I purchased, listened to once, and shelved away without blinking an eye. I was seventeen years old and not ready to accept the fact that the band I loved for all the ‘right’ reasons was now headed in all the ‘wrong’ directions. I thought it was horrible. It sounded completely foreign. It didn’t feel like KISS, it was produced by Bob Ezrin (not a plus in my book) and the packaging was bland. Quite frankly nothing got my rocks off.
I went into the purchase knowing it was a ‘concept’ album and having been an off again, on again fan of Pink Floyd’s THE WALL, I was ready to accept a concept album from KISS (even if half heatedly), but c’mon???…if this was a concept album…the concept was plain ol’ crap. Bare in mind, this is all coming from the mind of a seventeen year old kid who would rather stay locked up in his room at night getting out his frustrations to the strains of "Rock And Roll Hell". To be completely honest MUSIC FROM THE ELDER more than likely sat on my CD shelf for a good four years before I eventually gave it a chance. That chance was given to me by my good old friends at T&T Variety.
By the time I was in my second year of college I was even more of a nerd than I was in high school. While my peers moved on with their lives, growing in maturity, music and lifestyle, I (for reasons beyond my knowledge) stayed locked in this late 80’s time warp. I guess it had a lot to do with not liking the new musical shift and hating ‘grunge’ bands with a passion. So, while most people were listening to Pearl Jam and pondering ‘real’ music I was still listening to KISS and hoping that the rumors of these ‘so called’ "KISS Conventions" would really come true. In the midst of my constant day dreaming the shop keep of T&T left a message for me that he had a KISS album "from the 80’s", as he put it and that it had a "really nice clear plastic liner inside". I couldn’t quite fathom what he was talking about so one snowy Tuesday afternoon I made the trip downtown to investigate.
Low and behold it was an LP version of MUSIC FROM THE ELDER. The asking price was $30.00 and since I never thought I would actually find another copy of this record again especially in the shape it was in I fell for it and handed over my cash.
Back at home, snowbound in my room with nothing to do the album grew on me. I don’t know if it was just the right time or if the mood was right or if I had finally ‘grown up’ enough to open my ears a little more…but something clicked. There in the darkness of the bedroom where I had discovered and studied every musical fascination I had ever had from Motley Crue to Quiet Riot to KISS the album sunk into my bones, creating a deep respect that remains to this day.
I would never claim that I love MUSIC FROM THE ELDER, however I would say that I truly do like some of the songs. "Only You" is a classy, classy song. "A World Without Heroes" and "Mr. Blackwell" are pretty neat in that Gene Simmons ‘Demon’ sort of way and "I"…well, I don’t think you could ask for a more unique closing number to this KISS record.
Something weird happened back then listening to that record all alone in my room. Something that I still feel shivers of every now and then today. That unique feeling that what you are taking part of is ‘all yours’.
I still get that choked up nostalgic feeling listening to the album or staring at the brown gatefold cover. It’s probably due in part to the fact that MUSIC FROM THE ELDER is an album that doesn’t enter my play list that often but certainly has a place in the play list of my favorite KISS memories. Rediscovering something you once proclaimed as ‘crap’ and realizing there may just be a little ‘magic’ hidden inside THE ELDER.
MUSIC FROM THE ELDER was the first KISS album I purchased, listened to once, and shelved away without blinking an eye. I was seventeen years old and not ready to accept the fact that the band I loved for all the ‘right’ reasons was now headed in all the ‘wrong’ directions. I thought it was horrible. It sounded completely foreign. It didn’t feel like KISS, it was produced by Bob Ezrin (not a plus in my book) and the packaging was bland. Quite frankly nothing got my rocks off.
I went into the purchase knowing it was a ‘concept’ album and having been an off again, on again fan of Pink Floyd’s THE WALL, I was ready to accept a concept album from KISS (even if half heatedly), but c’mon???…if this was a concept album…the concept was plain ol’ crap. Bare in mind, this is all coming from the mind of a seventeen year old kid who would rather stay locked up in his room at night getting out his frustrations to the strains of "Rock And Roll Hell". To be completely honest MUSIC FROM THE ELDER more than likely sat on my CD shelf for a good four years before I eventually gave it a chance. That chance was given to me by my good old friends at T&T Variety.
By the time I was in my second year of college I was even more of a nerd than I was in high school. While my peers moved on with their lives, growing in maturity, music and lifestyle, I (for reasons beyond my knowledge) stayed locked in this late 80’s time warp. I guess it had a lot to do with not liking the new musical shift and hating ‘grunge’ bands with a passion. So, while most people were listening to Pearl Jam and pondering ‘real’ music I was still listening to KISS and hoping that the rumors of these ‘so called’ "KISS Conventions" would really come true. In the midst of my constant day dreaming the shop keep of T&T left a message for me that he had a KISS album "from the 80’s", as he put it and that it had a "really nice clear plastic liner inside". I couldn’t quite fathom what he was talking about so one snowy Tuesday afternoon I made the trip downtown to investigate.
Low and behold it was an LP version of MUSIC FROM THE ELDER. The asking price was $30.00 and since I never thought I would actually find another copy of this record again especially in the shape it was in I fell for it and handed over my cash.
Back at home, snowbound in my room with nothing to do the album grew on me. I don’t know if it was just the right time or if the mood was right or if I had finally ‘grown up’ enough to open my ears a little more…but something clicked. There in the darkness of the bedroom where I had discovered and studied every musical fascination I had ever had from Motley Crue to Quiet Riot to KISS the album sunk into my bones, creating a deep respect that remains to this day.
I would never claim that I love MUSIC FROM THE ELDER, however I would say that I truly do like some of the songs. "Only You" is a classy, classy song. "A World Without Heroes" and "Mr. Blackwell" are pretty neat in that Gene Simmons ‘Demon’ sort of way and "I"…well, I don’t think you could ask for a more unique closing number to this KISS record.
Something weird happened back then listening to that record all alone in my room. Something that I still feel shivers of every now and then today. That unique feeling that what you are taking part of is ‘all yours’.
I still get that choked up nostalgic feeling listening to the album or staring at the brown gatefold cover. It’s probably due in part to the fact that MUSIC FROM THE ELDER is an album that doesn’t enter my play list that often but certainly has a place in the play list of my favorite KISS memories. Rediscovering something you once proclaimed as ‘crap’ and realizing there may just be a little ‘magic’ hidden inside THE ELDER.
posted by RIC @ 7:50 PM
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