Kiss Sonic Boom: Kiss Klassics (Kissology) question:

[kingsxman]

First off, the new cd is really pretty good. I think if no one told you Ace wasnt playing you'd think its Ace. He's always been one of my favorite guitar players becuase his licks are memorable. (Not real technical).
All in all great songs, usual awful lyrics. (35 years later can Gene sing about anything else other than what a man he is?)

Which leads me into my question on the 2nd CD in the pack: Kiss Klassics (or Kissology if you rip it). This is a collection of thier greatest hits re-recorded with the current lineup. I was listening to this today and all the solo's and songs are recorded almost note for note they were done originally. Granted these songs are great as they were and the solo's are very memorable solo's for me. What I'm wondering is: should they have changed them a bit and should Tommy have been given a bit of leverage to break out a bit and make some changes to the solo's if he wanted? Duece: no. But something like Hotter than Hell? Maybe.

Just curious what others think.

[essguitarman]

For the classics, I don't think so. The idea behind those was to rerecord the originals, and make them sound as true to the song as possible. They didn't want to change anything on those.

[chrisjw5]

And it gives Gene a chance to see how goes over - so they can eventually make the new recording the back catalog. That cuts Peter and Ace out of the residuals and Gene can keep more money.

Just like Ozzy did with Bob Daisley.

Gene's a (pick two):
a) prick
b) asshole
c) douchebag

[Stratobuc]

b and c

[kingsxman]

So let me ask another question then: did Tommy go too far in duplicating Ace too much on Sonic Boom? Did he not get to do his own style for the cd? (I personally love his playing on the cd..but am just curious what others think).

[art_z]

And it gives Gene a chance to see how goes over - so they can eventually make the new recording the back catalog. That cuts Peter and Ace out of the residuals and Gene can keep more money.

Just like Ozzy did with Bob Daisley.

Gene's a (pick two):
a) prick
b) asshole
c) douchebag

d) all of the above

[datguytim]

Yep - they only re-recorded the old tunes to screw Ace & Peter out of the $$$$.

Disgusting & deplorable - as if Gene & Paul are hurting for money.

[squeally dan]

Didn't JOurneyrecently do the same thing with their most recent recording? I think the re-recorded the old songs with their new singer. They also chose to stay close to the originals as far as I could tell. I just don't see the point in re-recording old songs like that.

[art_z]

Didn't JOurneyrecently do the same thing with their most recent recording? I think the re-recorded the old songs with their new singer. They also chose to stay close to the originals as far as I could tell. I just don't see the point in re-recording old songs like that.

its so that the rerecorded version generate revenue for the current lineup, rather than the lineup that played on the "classic" version. its alot easier to do this than write new good material.

[cvansickle]

Read the new Guitar World (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover). There's an interview with Paul Stanley, and he explains why they re-recorded those songs.

[squeally dan]

Read the new Guitar World (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover). There's an interview with Paul Stanley, and he explains why they re-recorded those songs.


Could you just tell me? It would save me $5.;)

[skhan007]

Read the new Guitar World (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover). There's an interview with Paul Stanley, and he explains why they re-recorded those songs.

Just tell us- what did he say?

[kingsxman]

Just tell us- what did he say?

Yeah, I wont be buying Guitar world. I dont think they did it to screw Ace and Peter. How would that screw them?

[roomservice]

I like the idea of them re-recording the songs - it seems like a kind of fun thing to do really -and the songs were untouchable to be honest.

I saw them in '83 with Vinnie the Whizz and, psychotic genius that he was, what he played that night bore absolutely no resemblance to anything I'd heard on record..........

I think Paul and Gene deserve a bit of credit for letting Vinnie travel off to his own dimension but ultimately it was a failure.....Dr Love has one solo and one solo only, same with Firehouse, Rock n Roll All Nite and Detroit Rock City.

So, maybe since Vinnie they've decided to really protect the brand / integrity of the songs. Yes they drifted from the originals over time (hence even Paul & Gene having to relearn Cold Gin etc for the reunion tour despite having played those songs non-stop since the end of the original line-up) but Bruce the Moose was always pretty faithful to the records...

As far as a reason for releasing it - why not? Its a year or so old anyway and was released originally in Japan only and, at that time, there was no clear thoughts on recording new material. Yes, it appears as though it was a bit of a dry run that helped gauge public opinion (''if you guys can spend time re-recording old stuff why cant you just record new stuff instead?'') and it worked.

Add in the Alive 35 tour across Europe in 2008 - which generated a massive amount of press - then the Canadian jaunt......scene is set for the new album.....

As for Tommy being all 'Ace like'...once again why not?

Ace is long gone but far from forgotton, Peter likewise however, Eric and Tommy have been in this band for what best part of 5 / 6 years and I think they have managed to put an individual spin on affairs but retained faith with the original stuff.

Well done all of them I say - I want another album next year and the year after then a real Alive 4 with songs culled from the previous three albums!!

[kingsxman]

I was listening to Kissology today and its pretty obvious that Paul does not have the voice that he had 15 years ago. I'm sure age doesnt do wonders to the vocal chords...

I liked the re-recording of some of the songs but not others. Hotter than Hell and Dr. Love are very good. Whats funny is that some of my favorite parts they were not able to reproduce for whatever reason. Mainly the solo's from some of thier 80's and 90's stuff. Like it up has that odd "chord"/dual note thing going on. Same with Heavens on fire. I always wondered how they did those 2...and I guess they couldnt recreate it as niether sound anything like the original solos. I also miss the "chunka" guitar break in "I was made for loving you". Theres a little dual note thing that happens just before the solo comes in (which was way better on the original also). They skipped that dual note part. It was my favorite part on the whole song.

All in all...glad they did it though.

[art_z]

Yeah, I wont be buying Guitar world. I dont think they did it to screw Ace and Peter. How would that screw them?

Say you rerecord Rock and Roll All Nite. And then instead of hocking Coors Light or some other crap with the original version, you use the rerecorded version, guess who gets the performance royalties. The guys on the new version.

[Zero]

I don't want to hear them re-recorded. Each album has a sound to it. Of the first 6 studio records.

[kingsxman]

Say you rerecord Rock and Roll All Nite. And then instead of hocking Coors Light or some other crap with the original version, you use the rerecorded version, guess who gets the performance royalties. The guys on the new version.

Yep, then that would do it if they did that. That would be cheap on Gene and Pauls part. Not above them to do it though... I'm sure they have a bit better rate on the re-recorded songs than on the original.