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?
TT: The only thing I was seeing was very negative. In the press, it just seemed like people were writing it off immediately. However, there was enough information in these little things that I saw that intrigued me to hear it because some of the things they were saying about it were the reason I wanted to hear it, despite them not necessarily being fans of it. It was obvious that they were going into a direction they had never gone before and they were cohesively trying to put — I hate to compare it to something like the Who — but the fact is the first time I heard it, like the one part where Paul is singing, “I am just a boy,” it hit me as almost straight out of “Tommy.” Not as a comparative, not to say they were copying, but to say the same magical feeling I got when I was listening to “Tommy,” I started feeling when I was listening to this record. That was what surprised me. That’s when I started feeling like, “Well, I wonder why people aren’t getting this because to me, it seems to be one of the most magical things they’ve ever done.”
Favorite “Elder” tracks:
KF: What are some of your favorite tracks on the album?
TT: There are several songs that struck me as heavy as can be. That one song that has the galloping rhythm [sings eighth note with two sixteenth rhythm]…
KF: “The Oath.”
I remember that one blew me away. There are a couple of Gene songs that are super bad too, really heavy. But believe it or not, some of the more adventurous Paul stuff really intrigued me too. I guess it was both because for me I got the KISS out of it I wanted to get out of it because they did do some rockin’ stuff on the record that was right up the alley of what you’d expect from KISS but at the same time it was flavored with all this other stuff that I don’t know, when the heavy stuff came in, it made it even bigger and better to me. There was a day and night between things. There was comparison. There were low points, high points. For instance, there are certain songs where it’s more like the parts of the songs and where they choose to go are what struck me as amazing.
KF: For me, “Under The Rose” seems to fit that description, in terms of dynamics. There are quietly sung verses by Gene and then the it builds with the choir vocals, and then before you know it there’s a sledgehammer riff.
TT: Exactly. It’s weird because I don’t even think of the album as individual songs. I think of it as putting on a movie and going with it.
KF: Personally, I think Gene shines the most on “The Elder.” The lead single, “A World Without Heroes,” is a song you would not expect from the demonic Gene Simmons. But that’s the lighter shade you were talking about.
TT: Yeah, exactly. Also, “Mr. Blackwell” is a contrast to that. I love that one too. That
would have been a great single.
On why the album failed to resonate with fans:
KF: Of course, “The Elder” ended up not performing well, commercially speaking. You’re actually part of the minority being a fan who liked the album at the time. Ultimately, why do you think the album did not resonate with the KISS fanbase? Was it just too much of a left turn?
TT: Yeah, I think so. The fact is the stuff that has worked for them is the stuff that has been the stuff that has been more directly to the core, more straight-ahead — right to the melody, right to the chorus, to the excellent bridge with an excellent solo. They had delivered so many powerful blows in that fashion that when this came out I imagine a lot of people were just close-minded to it because it wasn’t what they were expecting. It’s just that simple.
KF: Do you think that because the album was released by KISS, it was not given a fair shake? In other words, if a band like Pink Floyd or Rush, who had more progressive pedigrees, released “The Elder,” would people have had a different reaction to the material?
TT: I think they would have had to because by that point everybody had their own idea of what they believed KISS was in their own mind. And it’s hard to break loose of that once people have formed their opinions. I think if they had not existed as a band ever until that moment and that was the first thing they did, I think people would have been extremely impressed.
KF: As an artist yourself, have you ever found yourself straddling that line between creativity and trying to deliver what your fans expect?
TT: I can honestly say that I’m too one-minded focused when I’m writing to even really think further than that. I don’t ever know if anybody is going to like what I’m doing as an artist. I just try to do what makes me happy and I hope that they like it. I know I went through a brief period of time back around the time King’s X did the “Ear Candy” album, which was mid-’90s or so. And I remember I went through a period during that time where there were people trying to influence us to write more commercial and things like that. And I remember that was one of the only times I’ve thought about it that way and considered what other people wanted, and it was miserable for me. So I personally made a choice after that to try and not second guess what people want. You know, the people who come up with great ideas are people who just come up with great ideas and people like it. There’s no way to ever know what fans are going to like. So that game is a game of insanity that I can’t allow myself to go into. I just try to be happy with what I write.
Read the entire interview here:
http://www.kissfaq.com/novelder/interview_ty_tabor.html
KissFAQ also published “The Elder”: Under The Covers, a special feature rounding up six notable covers from “The Elder” songbook over the years.
“The Elder”: Under The Covers”
http://www.kissfaq.com/novelder/feature_under_covers.html
About NovElder:
Through a series of brand-new KissFAQ interviews, original features and related special content, NovElder will shine a spotlight on “Music From The Elder” like never before throughout the month of November. More than 10 hours of interviews were conducted with various individuals who either worked on the project or have a connection of sorts, including professionals who have never told their “Elder story.” These interviews will provide interesting insights and unique perspectives regarding the album’s creative process and this fascinating period in KISStory, in addition to fun anecdotes and personal recollections. A series of topical features will shed more light on KISS’ activity in 1981 and early 1982 and dissect the album further with in-depth musical analysis, biographical information on the album’s participants, a revised KissFAQ Album Focus, and much more. NovElder will also take a look at the climate of the rock genre in 1981 and look at the bloodline of rock concept albums.
The odyssey continues this November at http://www.kissfaq.com/novelder/