Sixx Sense
Something Else 

Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley will continue a very busy period that’s included the new studio album Monster and their smash tour alongside Motley Crue with a planned autobiography.

Stanley, speaking with Nikki Sixx on the Motley Crue bassist’s radio show, was asked to talk about the differences between his book and the stacks of other similar tomes out there.

“Everybody will tell you: My book is brutally honest,” Stanley tells Sixx. “It’s a history lesson in music, but it’s also the history of somebody taking themselves and making themselves into something they weren’t. Taking a not-so-great deck of cards, and winning at poker.”

The Kiss frontman, who was born Stanley Harvey Eisen in Manhattan and attended New York City’s High School of Music and Art, has composed a number of the band’s most memorable tunes — including “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Lick It Up,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Tears are Falling” and “God of Thunder,” among others.

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Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

In a NovElder exclusive, for the first time in KISStory, actor Chris Makepeace shares his recollections regarding his spoken word role on “Music From The Elder”

“Bob said that the plan was, should the album do well (and why wouldn’t it?), that KISS would unmask for the first time and tour while we made the movie.” — Chris Makepeace

Imagine “Music From The Elder,” the album we KISS fans are all too familiar with. Now imagine it complete with not only the 11 songs on the album, but with compelling spoken word dialogue weaved between the songs, drawing you in further and helping to unravel the legend of “The Elder.”

According to multiple sources who worked on the project, the purpose of the spoken word dialogue was designed to do exactly that: to help thread the tale of “The Boy” and his epic odyssey. Producer Bob Ezrin contracted the services of Canadian-based actors Robert Christie, Chris Makepeace and Antony Parr, a recording session was scheduled and dialog was, in fact, recorded. Makepeace, a teenage actor who had garnered success in films such as “Meatballs” and “My Bodyguard,” played the role of “The Boy.” Veteran actors Christie and Parr read the roles of the caretaker “Morpheus” and “Council of The Elder,” respectively.

What happened next is not clear. Someone – perhaps an executive at PolyGram – made the call to discard the dialogue component, save for the lines during the album’s final sequence, in what was likely a last-minute decision. One has to wonder why Ezrin would go through the trouble of recording dialogue only to not ultimately use it?

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Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

In more ways than one, “Music From The Elder” is the most mysterious album in the KISS catalog. And a large part of that mystique lies in the things that are unknown.

Case in point, the project’s spoken word dialog component, which was designed to thread the album’s concept between songs. While there was, in fact, dialog recorded, only a small portion actually made it onto the final album. The rest of the dialog? The specific whereabouts are unknown, though it would seem to be tucked away somewhere on a lost shelf deep in the bowels of the KISS vault. And as for why the dialog was ultimately discarded — and who made that final call — that is not entirely clear either.

What is known is that the services of Canadian-based actors Robert Christie, Chris Makepeace and Antony Parr were contracted. Though he is officially credited on the album’s back cover, Makepeace is nowhere to be heard on the album. By process of elimination, that leaves Christie and Parr as the voices heard during the closing sequence.

Born April 30, 1925, in Nottingham, England (Robin Hood country), Parr was a versatile actor who impressively garnered roles across theater, film, television, and radio, as well as voiceover work. Born in 1913 in Toronto, Christie amassed a diverse career as well, acting in theater, TV and film, in addition to serving the Canadian Army during World War II.

Unfortunately, Christie and Parr passed away in 1996 and 2002, respectively. To our knowledge, neither actor ever went on record regarding their contribution on “Music From The Elder.”

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Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, “Music For The Elder” associate producer Brian Christian has gone on record about not only his experience, but how KISS fans were ultimately not ready for the album, the music industry and his good fortune in working alongside Bob Ezrin. This marks the first time Christian has discussed his involvement on the project.

The following are excerpts from Christian’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

His role on “Music From The Elder”:

KF: Brian, when fans think of “Music From The Elder,” Bob Ezrin immediately comes to mind since he was the album’s producer. But you are credited as associate producer. Can you summarize your role?

BC: Well, I worked really close with the guys. Sometimes Bob was there, sometimes he was not. But I had a chance to work really close with the band. And that was a lot of fun for me, working with Gene and Ace. I had quite a bit of freedom on that album, working with the band. And I think the album turned out really good. Obviously, Bob Ezrin always has the last say in these things. But we did a lot of good stuff and he liked it. And we did some things that he didn’t like.

On the American Symphony Orchestra and St. Robert’s Choir:

KF: The American Symphony Orchestra was contracted to help add some sweetening to songs such as “Odyssey,” “A World Without Heroes” and “fanfare.” Do you recall the charts being written?

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James McNair | The Independent

Kiss’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley is 60 now, but he had his first hip replacement op aged 52. It was the nightly strutting in eight-inch heels that did it. “Every scar on my body was proudly earned,” he says when asked if he regrets Kiss’s stilt-like footwear. “There’s nothing worse than looking back and wishing you had done things, but I did ’em all. That’s how life is supposed to be lived.”

Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

Award-winning engineer shares his vivid memories of recording “The Elder,” including capturing Gene Simmons’ memorable vocal performance on “A World Without Heroes,” recording multiple days of spoken word dialog, and how the album ultimately evolved into “Bob Ezrin’s show”

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, Juno-winning engineer Kevin Doyle has provided some fascinating insights regarding the recording of “Music From The Elder.” Among the topics Doyle discussed were the performances of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, including the former’s vocal on “A World Without Heroes”; his recollection of how “tons” of spoken word dialog was recorded with the goal to bridge the album’s concept between songs; and ultimately how the project became “Bob Ezrin’s show.”

The following are excerpts from Doyle’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

The album’s spoken word dialog:

KF: Bob Ezrin was just coming off the mega-successful “The Wall” project. What are your general recollections of working with Bob during this time?

KD: Well, Bob is Bob. I’ve known Bob for a long time. He’s cooled down a bit now but he was pretty intense. Bob’s a pretty intense guy. He likes to work quickly and efficiently. Bob’s a great guy, a really, really smart guy. You know, Bob kind of met his match a bit when we did the narration part, which was with Antony Parr and Robert Christie.

KF: Kevin, you bring up an interesting lost piece of KISStory. Parr, Christie and Christopher Makepeace are credited on the album but there is really only one part of narration featured on the final album, and that’s it.

KD: Yes, I believe so.

KF: So more was recorded?

KD: Yeah, there was tons recorded — a lot of narration. The idea of the narration was supposed to bridge some of the songs together, with some orchestral and choir underscoring. And basically, more or less, in keeping with the idea of “The Elder” as a goal of being a seamless concept idea, almost kind of like “Dark Side Of The Moon” where side A is not really a bunch of songs, it’s one continuous play with no ending. That was one of the goals.

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Cassius Morris | COTN

Today’s episode is about the legendary KISS album released on November 11’th 1976… ROCK & ROLL OVER!

COTN host, Cassius Morris, starts the show with a quick review of KISS’ South American leg of the “Monster” tour that will lead into summer of 2013. Cassius then takes a moment to remember the late-great Eric Carr. November 24th was the day that we lost him to cancer 21 years ago.

Also in this episode is a track-by-track review of this episode’s featured album and talk about a big event coming soon in the KISS podcasting world…

Listen to this episode on iTunes, Stitcher or our website.

http://www.creaturesofthenet.com

Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

“The Elder” Writer/Director gives an in-depth interview, providing his thoughts on “Music From The Elder” while also detailing his film’s progress and firing off a message to his critics

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, “The Elder” film writer/director Seb Hunter has gone on record regarding his feelings about the album and what has led him down the path of making a film. Hunter also details the film’s progress, shares how he wants to approach Gene Simmons and KISS, and fires off a message at critics of his film, among other topics.

The following are excerpts from Hunter’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

His thoughts on “The Elder” album:

KissFAQ: Seb, some KISS fans love “Music From The Elder” while others loathe it. Another segment is ambivalent. Where do you stand?

Seb Hunter: I’ve always liked it, but then I’m a bit of a contrarian. Everybody comes into the KISS back catalog at their own point. My first-ever real-time KISS album was “Animalize.” I thought it was good. It was Mark St. John and this kind of whole non-makeup thing. And of course, in those days, it was pre-Internet so you had to figure everything out for yourself. AC/DC were my first band. I think I went from them to Iron Maiden to Judas Priest. I was looking for the next thing. I saw KISS and [they had] a scary look, you know. So I made the plunge with “Animalize.” I liked it enough to investigate the rest of their work. There was a huge record shop near me. I went through “Destroyer,” and all the ones with the coolest covers. “The Elder” took awhile to get to because the cover didn’t draw you in. I think the cover is something we’ll come back to, because I do genuinely think it’s a fucking awful cover. It just doesn’t work for what they’re trying to do: to render a rich, alluring, mysterious [album]. It just doesn’t do the job. I mean we all like it now, because it’s part of [the band’s] history. But it really doesn’t draw you in as a child. I mean, “Creatures” is incredible visually. “Lick It Up,” I think is incredibly strong visually. “Unmasked” is a masterpiece visually. But “The Elder,” it’s just like …

KF: What are your recollections of first listening to the album?

SH: I think everybody always says the same thing, that they were confused. (laughs) Everybody wanted to like it. I thought, “Right, I’m up for this journey, this odyssey.” And the titles were portentous and slightly pretentious and alluded to something deep and weighty and mysterious and mystical. And the album didn’t really deliver. The album had certain songs that were great, that kind of made the album totally acceptable. For me, I don’t think I was old enough to have the guts to say, “I like this album.” I was so utterly, utterly in love with KISS and what they represented. And they had such an incredible narrative from the first record up until “Unmasked.” They certainly had their ups and downs, with “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” and all that stuff. It was just another part, albeit it bizarre-shaped, of the KISS puzzle for me to untangle and to discover. I remember thinking, because Ace was always my favorite, I wanted more Ace [on the album]. I was a young musician at the time, and you could tell when Ace was playing and when he wasn’t playing.

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We truly miss you Eric…

News.com.au

Famously, he kicked guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss out of the band for rock and rolling every night and partying every day.

But Simmons had no such qualms when promoters pitched the double bill of Kiss and notorious alcohol and drug fiends Motley Crue.

In fairness, while frontman Vince Neill still drinks, the Crue have cleaned up their act.

Simmons says: “I always liked Motley Crue. Everybody’s had some dysfunction and those guys are known for what’s happened to them, the ups and downs. It’s not unique.

“But you’ve got to draw the line in the sand. The stage is holy ground. This is church. When you get up there you’ve got to have respect for yourself, respect for your bandmates, but most importantly, respect for the fans.”

Simmons’ sobriety through 40 years of rock stardom is best viewed through Frehley’s tell-all book published last year. Frehley took Simmons to lunch recently to tell him about a chapter in which Gene saved Ace’s life.

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KISSmuseum.com

It’s Black Friday all weekend at KISSmuseum.com with some INCREDIBLE deals! We want you to visit our incredible online store featuring over 900 KISS Items, and we are offering some crazy deals to get you there:

– KISS 12″ First Album Figures $100 off the set of four
– KISS Her Products for $2 – $10
– Paul Stanley’s Crown of Thorns unreleased EP – $2
– Select KISS T-Shirts – $2
– KISS Cover to Cover Tribute CD – $2
– KISS Incense Burner – $1
– KISS Picture Condoms – $0.75 

Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

New York Times bestselling author/KISS fan dissects “Music From The Elder,” spanning topics from the album’s packaging and the meaning of “Odyssey” to analyzing Paul Stanley’s disdain for all things “Elder”

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, New York Times bestselling author/KISS fan Chuck Klosterman has offered his insight into “Music From The Elder.” Among other topics, Klosterman shared why the album is a personal favorite, offered a viewpoint on why Paul Stanley has grown detached from the album, and why the album failed to resonate with fans, among other topics.

The following are excerpts from Klosterman’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

First reaction listening to “The Elder”:

KF: When you first listened to “The Elder,” what was your immediate reaction to what you were hearing?

CK: My main memory of playing The Elder is that I just kept thinking to myself, “So this is it. I’m listening to The Elder.” I’d read so much about it that it seemed meaningful to simply possess the artifact. I knew (going in) that it was supposed to sound unlike any other KISS album, so I unconsciously exaggerated how much that difference would be. I probably thought it would sound like free jazz or something. But it still seemed like KISS to me. It didn’t sound anything like Pink Floyd or Jethro Tull, which is what I’d been told. I suppose the very beginning of the album is a little like “Locomotive Breath,” but that would have never occurred to me at the time. “I” seemed exactly like a good mid-period KISS song, except for the part where Gene directly criticizes people who get wasted. But that was a known thing about KISS. They were totally overt about their sobriety.

The fascination with “The Elder”:

KF: Chuck, what is it exactly about “The Elder” that fascinates you?

CK: If you like a band, you appreciate all the things they do well. But if you LOVE a band, the parts of their career that truly fascinate you are the aspects that go wrong. Artists are best understood through their reaction to failure. So if you love Black Sabbath, the record you want to think about is Technical Ecstasy. If you love Oasis, you want to think about Be Here Now. And if you love KISS, the record that’s most compelling is The Elder. It’s not even close. The Elder helps you see the psychopathy of KISS. You can still see how the experience of this album changed the way they look at themselves and how it galvanized some of their pre-existing opinions about the world.

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Russell Hall | Music & Musicians

For a long time, beginning in 1999, Paul Stanley wasn’t sure Kiss would make another studio album. Worse, he wasn’t sure he wanted to. Ironically, it was the making of the previous year’s Psycho Circus—the much-ballyhooed record that featured original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley reunited with Kiss founders Stanley and Gene Simmons—that put Stanley in that frame of mind. As he tells it, Criss and Frehley were recalcitrant participants, at best.

“What we learned is that you can’t make a great Kiss album without Kiss,” he says. “When there are two people in the studio working, and two who are refusing to come in, or who have their attorneys on the phone all the time, that’s not a good situation. Psycho Circus was interesting in the sense that it made me never want to go back into the studio, and at the same time, I felt I’ll be damned if that was going to be the last album we made. The band, during the reunion period, went south pretty quickly. It was something we managed to keep alive in much the same way a paramedic might keep a stroke victim from dying.”

To say Stanley and Simmons have kept Kiss alive is an understatement. Since the group’s 1974 self-titled debut, Kiss has released 20 studio albums, 10 live records and 13 compilation discs. Including solo records, they’ve been awarded 28 gold albums, more than any American rock group. Worldwide album sales are colossal—more than 100 million.

There’s another facet to that success—the group’s merchandising empire, and it’s unrivalled in rock. The Kiss brand offers everything from baby bibs to action figures to caskets (spelled Kaskets, of course). There’s also a miniature golf course, a coffeehouse and even a Kiss Kruise. The vast array of goods is served up without apology. “It all begins with the songs, no question about that,” says Simmons. “But there were never any rules for being in a rock band. People just thought there were. For us, it’s not enough to just be a Radiohead or a U2. That’s why we have 3,000 licensed products.”

Kiss continued to tour after Psycho Circus, albeit in ever-changing configurations. Criss left in 2001, replaced by Eric Singer, who had previously served as the band’s drummer in the early ’90s. Frehley departed the following year, and longtime Kiss associate Tommy Thayer stepped in as replacement on lead guitar. Thayer’s position was made permanent, but in 2003 Criss returned for KISS Symphony: Alive IV, a concert album with Australia’s Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. A year later, Criss was out, Singer was back.

Since then, the lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Thayer and Singer has coalesced into a finely tuned rock machine that has achieved its greatest success on the road. World tours in 2008 and 2009 solidified the group’s status as a premier live act, as the band’s chemistry rose to a level commensurate with the group’s spectacular stage show. In 2010—following a decade of resistance to the idea—Kiss released Sonic Boom, a no-frills studio album that captured the band’s sound from their mid-’70s heyday.

Kiss’ latest, Monster—produced by Stanley and production vet Greg Collins—fully embraces a stripped-down, back-to-basics approach. “No boys’ choirs, no symphony orchestras, just meat and potatoes,” says Simmons, alluding to the adherence to two guitars, bass and drums. The goal? Raise the bar while keeping things simple. “We sat facing each other as we recorded,” he says. “The idea was to get things in the first, second or third take. I didn’t want to lose any of the urgency and passion of what we were doing.”

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KISSonline

KISS have announced announced that they will be releasing ‘The Casablanca Singles 1974-1982 Box Set’ which will contain all 29 singles that the band released on the Casablanca label.

As they look to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a band next year, KISS are set to pay tribute to their formative years with two limited edition collection configurations. Fans can purchase the collections as a box set of either 29 CDs or 7″ vinyls.

The sets are housed in a beautiful die-cut shadow box with a limited edition, etched silver metal plate and ribbon-pull magnetic closure, custom KISS 45s box with 26 collectible picture sleeves from original single releases around the world, including Japan, Germany, Holland, Spain and Britain. Both sets also include a booklet which tracks the genesis and chart history of each single represented in the package and four individual KISS masks.

‘Even I haven’t heard some of this stuff, but this is all part of our master plan to celebrate KISS at this milestone in our careers,’ says Gene Simmons. ‘This box set represents us at the very beginning of our career, and documents the band’s early success and subsequent growth.’

TRACK LISTING:
1. Nothin’ To Lose / Love Theme From KISS
2. Kissin’ Time / Nothin’ To Lose
3. Strutter / 100,000 Years
4. Let Me Go, Rock ‘N’ Roll / Hotter Than Hell (GERMANY SLEEVE)
5. Rock And Roll All Nite / Getaway (HOLLAND SLEEVE)
6. C’mon And Love Me / Getaway (JAPAN SLEEVE)
7. Rock And Roll All Nite (live) / Rock And Roll All Nite (GERMANY SLEEVE)
8. Shout It Out Loud / Sweet Pain (JAPAN SLEEVE)
9. Flaming Youth / God Of Thunder (U.S. SLEEVE)
10. Detroit Rock City / Beth (JAPAN SLEEVE)
11. Beth / Detroit Rock City (GERMANY SLEEVE)
12. Hard Luck Woman / Mr. Speed (GERMANY SLEEVE)
13. Calling Dr. Love / Take Me (GERMANY SLEEVE)
14. Christeen Sixteen / Shock Me (FRANCE SLEEVE)
15. Love Gun / Hooligan (SWEDEN SLEEVE)
16. Shout It Out Loud (live) / Nothin’ To Lose (live) (GERMANY SLEEVE)
17. Rocket Ride / Tomorrow And Tonight (live) (GERMANY SLEEVE)
18. Strutter ’78 / Shock Me (GERMANY SLEEVE)
19. Hold Me, Touch Me / Goodbye ‘ Paul Stanley
CD: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE STARCHILD MASK) / Vinyl: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE STARCHILD MASK / PURPLE VINYL)
20. New York Groove / Snow Blind ‘ Ace Frehley
CD: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE SPACEMAN MASK) / Vinyl: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE SPACEMAN MASK / BLUE VINYL)
21. Radioactive / See You In Your Dreams ‘ Gene Simmons
CD: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE DEMON MASK / Vinyl: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE DEMON MASK / RED VINYL)
22. Don’t You Let Me Down / Hooked On Rock ‘N’ Roll ‘ Peter Criss (GERMANY SLEEVE)
23. You Matter To Me / Hooked On Rock ‘N’ Roll ‘ Peter Criss
CD: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE CAT MASK) / Vinyl: (U.K. SLEEVE + THE CAT MASK / GREEN VINYL)
24. I Was Made For Lovin’ You / Hard Times (GERMANY SLEEVE)
25. Sure Know Something / Dirty Livin’ (GERMANY SLEEVE)
26. Shandi / She’s So European (HOLLAND SLEEVE)
27. Tomorrow / Naked City (JAPAN SLEEVE)
28. A World Without Heroes / Dark Light (SPAIN SLEEVE)
29. I Love It Loud / Danger (U.S. SLEEVE)

Kiss will release ‘The Casablanca Singles 1974-1982’ box set through Universal on 3rd December 2012

Matthew Wilkening | Ultimate Classic Rock

As we’re sure you know, today (Nov. 16, 2012) marks the 31st anniversary of the release of Kiss‘s much-derided concert album ‘Music from the Elder.’ Not even one year after announcing he would be bringing the story from that record to the big screen, director and writer Seb Hunter has delivered the first trailer from his ‘Elder’-inspired movie.

As you can see from the clip above, the movie brings the story into a present-day setting, with news reports speaking of “total chaos” gripping the world, and a monk — apparently a disciple of the album’s villain Mr. Blackwell — solemnly explaining, “we have learned that life is precious. We must kill to protect it.” Who will take the Oath and stand up for mankind? A quick action sequence at the end seems to provide the answer. We could be interpreting this completely wrong, but count us intrigued!

KissFAQ.com is also celebrating ‘Music from the Elder’ with a fantastic month-long series entitled “NovElder” featuring in-depth interviews with people involved with the creation and marketing of the album.

Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

Former vice president of Glickman/Marks Management and author of “KISS And Sell” recalls the state of KISS in 1981 and the band’s ambitious bid to enter the pantheon of music’s elite

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, former vice president of Glickman/Marks Management Christopher K. Lendt recalled the state of the KISS union in 1981. Lendt also discussed how “The Elder” was an attempt to redefine the band’s career and shared details regarding the proposed “Elder” tour, among other topics.

The following are excerpts from Lendt’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

The state of KISS in 1981:

KF: Getting to “Music From The Elder,” which is the topic we’re discussing today. Prior to them even starting recording, how would you describe the overall health of KISS in 1981?

CKL: Well, that was coming off of the Australia tour, which was December 1980. That was the most successful tour KISS had done at that time. They were treated like the second coming of the Beatles. And I recounted all of that in the book. It was quite an event. They were really puffed up, and I say that without any sarcasm. Their egos were really boosted by such a successful tour. Their popularity was waning in the U.S., which they were aware of, but a big tour like that, playing stadiums and creating “KISS mania,” is a real climate to bolster your spirits and put you back in a different mood.

KF: Certainly. What do you recall about their initial studio album plans?

CKL: When they approached a new album, they had made a number of efforts going into the studio in 1981, recording different tracks [at] different studios. I don’t know if there were other producers involved but I know that they tried a number of different types of records. The consensus that they got from the people in Australia at PolyGram at that time was that they should come back in ’81 and do another really hard rock album, because that was the essence of what KISS was and they felt that that was something that that would serve KISS well. You know, the last advice offered that you hear from people who are in a position to have their advice listened to is often the advice that you go with. So that was their inclination: to go back into the studio and record a typical hard rock, heavy metal KISS album, which I think they tried to do, but it never coalesced. And the thinking was that they didn’t want to come out with another ordinary KISS hard rock album. Maybe it would have been good and accepted by the fans, but they didn’t think it was really big enough. So having their egos boosted by the tremendous success of the Australia tour, and with the influence of Bill Aucoin, they decided to go off in a different direction. And eventually emerged the idea of a “concept” album.

KF: Right, which was a deliberate attempt to steer away from recording a typical KISS album

CKL: Yes, rather than just a recording of 10 or 12 tracks that were all distinct and separate from one another, they decided to do something on a more elevated level creatively. The concept idea became the operating idea.
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Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

In a NovElder exclusive, uncredited engineer Michael McCarty sheds some light on KISS’ “Elder” sessions at Phase One Studios in Toronto, shares fun recollections of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, and offers a personal snapshot of Bob Ezrin

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, current ole president Michael McCarty discussed his role in working on KISS’ 1981 concept album “Music From The Elder.” An uncredited engineer on the project, McCarty detailed KISS’ sessions at Phase One Studios in Toronto, his personal recollections of working with the members of KISS, and Bob Ezrin’s hectic recording schedule in juggling two projects at the time. This marks the first time McCarty has gone on record regarding his “Elder” experience.

Following are excerpts from McCarty’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

Fitting into “The Elder” picture:

KissFAQ: Michael, you are not officially credited in “The Elder” liner notes. How do you fit into the album’s picture?

Michael McCarty: Well, I was working for Bob as an engineer and associate producer and started off with the project. He was alternating working on “The Elder” and the second Kings’ album. I was the associate producer on the Kings’ record. Actually, Ringo [Hyrcyna] and I both engineered and co-produced the Kings’ independent record. And when Bob heard that record he got very excited about the band and got them a deal with Elektra and then we redid the record. So Ringo and I were engineers and associate producers.

So then [Bob] took the job of doing the next Kings album and “The Elder” at the same time. I don’t think he consciously did that but that’s just the way it worked out. I mean, it’s hard

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kulick.net

I will be playing an intimate set at a special charity event for Outdoor Lab and the Jeffco school system at the Buffalo Rose, 1116 Washington Ave, Golden, CO, (303) 278-6800, on Sunday November 18th.  This is an all-ages show with the doors opening at 5:30 pm and the concert starting at 6:15.  Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased at the door or online at buffalorose.net.  Please come support this event, it is going to be AMAZING!

– Bruce Kulick

Tim McPhate | KissFAQ

King’s X guitarist discusses being one of the proud few who liked “The Elder” upon its release and the simple reason why the album didn’t catch on with KISS fans

In conjunction with KissFAQ’s month-long NovElder retrospective, King’s X guitarist Ty Tabor discussed KISS’ 1981 concept album “Music From The Elder,” offering his recollections of being a fan of the album upon its release. Tabor also offered insight as to why the album failed to resonate with KISS fans.

Following are excerpts from Tabor’s interview with KissFAQ’s Tim McPhate:

On initial fan reaction:

KissFAQ: Ty, from a fan perspective, what do you recall the word on the street being about “Music From The Elder” in 1981?

Ty Tabor: To be honest, I had heard a lot of people badmouthing it and I was thinking, “Wow, there just seems to be a very strong opinion about this record,” which made me want to hear it even more. So I went out and bought it immediately. I had the opposite reaction. When I started listening it to it, my first impression was, “They’re really getting serious with this one,” as far as branching out with the songwriting and everything. I personally was floored by it when I heard it. I couldn’t understand why people weren’t getting it, because I thought it was killer.

KF: What do you remember people saying about it?
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