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Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, The Killers or KISS?

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, News with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on October 6, 2009 by Tickets There

So the day is finally here. the day when KISS release their first album of original material in eleven years and folks, from what Tickets There’s heard, it’s going to be a special one.

To celebrate, TT has given you our personal KISS-LECTION guide, Reviews of Alive!, Alive II, Alive III and Alive IV (The Millennium Concert) and reasons to pick KISS before The Beatles and The Pixies. Now, Tickets There wants to ask you another question, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, The Killers or…KISS?

The Killers or KISS?

Want to pose in suits? Make sure you at least look as cool as KISS when they, Dressed to Kill!!

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Radiohead or KISS?

If you’re going to be on a magazine cover, at least pick a respectable one.

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Kings of Leon or KISS?

Why would this band even bother when KISS has Rock N Roll Over?

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Coldplay or KISS?

Coldplay are just pathetic. Like U2 before them, they’re music for emotionally retarded housewife’s. This is the only picture I could find of them doing anything other than licking children from Africa and looking serious. So, to be fair I’ve only put up a simple, normal everyday group shot of KISS on top of the empire state building!!

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Sonic Boom is out now!!

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The Beatles or KISS?

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, News with tags , , , , on October 3, 2009 by Tickets There

The Beatles, hard to k now if they’re the most sensibly boring group in history or the true overlords of all things music. Personally, I’m a Stones man, for them it wasn’t about what genius you could dream up while off your face on drugs, it was more about trying to play your biggest hit without falling of the stage while of your face on drugs.

Either way, the Beatles aren’t a party band. Imagine Hey Jude full blast in Ibiza! Doesn’t work, but KISS, KISS always works!! Check out the album covers below. Would you like to Meet the Beatles or go into the night with KISS

The Beatles or KISS?

“One of these bands likes to party, the other likes to pretend they’re German, Can you guess which ones which?”

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The Pixies or KISS?

Posted in Music, News with tags , , , on October 2, 2009 by Tickets There

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Underground alt rock legends, The Pixies are currently playing a few shows in Dublin’s Olympia theatre. Kim Deal, Frank Black and the rest of em are treating fans to some serious hard hitting anthems, written by the pioneers of the grunge / generation X / jilted Generation folk.

Now, I just watched a video of their show last night on NME and it’s of them playing Debaser. Not a song I ever really liked and after watching that performance, not one that’ll convert me any time soon. The playing, singing and harmonies are all totally off and Kim Deal’s backing just sounds pointless. Frank is really the only thing holding it together and on top of all that, it has to be the most boring stage set up in the history of music.

You ask me The Pixies or KISS?

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ok, ok/ The Pixies played these songs…now leave us alone!

‘Dancing The Manta Ray’
‘Bailey’s Walk’
‘Weird At My School’
‘Manta Ray’
‘Debaser’
‘Tame’
‘Wave of Mutilation’
‘I Bleed’
‘Here Comes Your Man’
‘Dead’
‘Monkey Gone To Heaven”
‘Mr. Grieves’
‘Crackity Jones’
‘La La Love You’
‘No. 13 Baby’
‘There Goes My Gun’
‘Hey’
‘Silver’
‘Gouge Away’
‘Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)’
‘Into The White’

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KISS – ALIVE IV (PART 4 OF 4)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 1, 2009 by Tickets There

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Ah, I can’t believe this is the last one already. The sound of the classic ‘You Wanted the Best, You Got the best’ intro is a welcome, welcome return. So, this album was recorded seven years after the Alive III and in that time, the band reformed with their original line-up, played a massive two year world tour and released a studio album entitled Psycho Circus. Oh, and they put the fucking makeup and suits back on!! The legends returned to their thrones and revived one of Rock N Rolls greatest bands. KISS are kings, KISS are Gods, KISS are KISS!!

So, after the intro booms over the PA, the opening chords of Psycho Circus blare out and the band fire things up in rocketing style. Psycho Circus is an absolute gem of a track and without a doubt the best thing to come of their last studio album. Even the mighty Shout It Out Loud doesn’t undermine its impact, despite the fact that the version here is a heaving monster of a thing. Shout It Out Loud is one of about eighty KISS tracks that could take the title for ultimate party anthem. You may notice several repeats on this record from the previous three but I’ll try and keep it interesting J, so come on, ‘Shout It, Shout, It, Shout it out loud! Turn it up Louder baby!’

As always, the amazing Deuce makes an appearance and honestly, a KISS live record or show wouldn’t be the same without this song. In fact, if you ever do go to one of their gigs and they don’t play it, stage a protest and sing songs of freedom….until Gene tells you to stop, then you obey the master and be on your way. I love this song! I meant to write more about the stage theatrics when I was doing the first Alive article and one of the things I wanted to describe was the routine Ace, Gene and Paul do towards the end. You cant really describe it properly though so pop over to this location on YouTube and see if for yourself. Well worth it.

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 Next up, their eighties classic Heavens on Fire, which just doesn’t get old. Kind of a slow start on the recording but they pull through. Next track, Into the Void is another great track from Psycho Circus and legendary guitarist, Mr. Space Ace Frehley himself make it what it is. Ace should do more lead vocals. It may not be the strongest voice in the universe but it’s perfect. Great upbeat rock number and its successor, Firehouse is just as good or else a lot better, I always get those confused :p. I think this is Firehouses first appearance on a Live record so I’ll fill ye in. When the band play this live, the stage lights up with siren flashing lights and at the end, Gene Simmons breaths fire (think it’s this one). The fire breathing is fun, especially since uses a flaming sword to do it. Fuck the haters; Gene Simmons rocks your balls off (wide open TT – Ed).

Do You Love Me is another classic KISS number that really doesn’t need too much explanation. Pretty good job of it done here. Let Me Go Rock N Roll is a brilliant riff/solo filled belter. Ace’s guitar work is incredible here and it’s good to know that, no matter how much time those guys spend apart from one another, that still got it! Tickets There’s beloved I Love It Loud’s up next. You can never get sick of this song. Not really bothered about details for this last one, just enjoying it. Personally I’d recommend just going out and buying these albums rather than reading my reviews, but whatever. Lick It Up, god I love that song. I wonder what Ace and Peter thought about playing it since they weren’t involved on the original. Ah well, it all sounds good.

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Ah, the Stanley penned 100,000 Years. Does it get any better than this? Now the show is in overdrive and the next six (five songs, fuck Beth, we’re not mentioning it – Ed) songs will have you rolling around in your seat. Mental track and possibly the closest thing the band have done to metal or at the very least, it’s a damn fine attempt at it. Love Gun’s next and this is possibly my favorite live recording, even better that the Alive II one. Paul’s voice is shockingly good and the band sound on top form. At the start you can hear Paul mention he’s coming out to the crowd. During their reunion tour, they set up a rig that allows Paul to fly over the audiences heads and land on a small stage towards the back of the arena, stadium..etc.

Black Diamond, Beth (ugh) and Rock N Roll All Night finish the shows off as pyro’s explode away in the back ground and make any listener wish for their chance to stand in one of KISS’s crowds. Amazing stuff, good auld KISS.

Well, I’ve tried. Not sure I succeeded but at least I tried to write something about the magic of this band. They are incredible and with a new album on the way in a few days, you can guarantee KISS will be around for a long time to come.

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KISS – ALIVE III (PART 3 OF 4)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags , , , , , , , , , on September 30, 2009 by Tickets There

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Well folks, we’re less than a week away from the release of KISS’s new studio album, Sonic Boom. Ya all excited? By the sounds of the album’s first single, Modern Day Delilah, it’s gonna be some monster of a record. To continue celebrating the release, Tickets There is reviewing four of the bands Alive records (well, the last one isn’t technically an Alive! Release but who cares). After all four have been published, we’ll start to discuss promotion methods the band have been pursuing for the release of Sonic Boom and there’ll be a few more things aswell. Once the album is out, you can expect an overly enthusiastic review  to finish things off.

So today we’re looking at Alive III, released in 1993 and recorded during the bands Revenge Tour. Like Alive II, the band worked as hard as possible not to repeat songs from the first two and it worked pretty well. Even the duplicate songs appearing here have a different overall sound to the originals and they are more than worth a listen.

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Foregoing the traditional ‘You Wanted the Best’ intro, the band launch straight into Creatures of the Night, a belting little number that shouldn’t ever be forgotten by KISS-Maniacs. The sound of pyro’s exploding in the back ground is gonna set you up nicely for this one. Paul’s rough n raw voice has more in common with Gene’s than his old style. What a savage track and it’s followed by another classic in the form of Deuce. More explosions and more energy. What a fucking great tune. Every time you hear those opening bars you want to leap onto the nearest stage, kick whatever whiney singer songwriter bitch is pouring their hearts out off and start hammering into this monster. Baby if you’re feeling good!!

Next it’s time for some eighties styled pop/rock/pop KISS, I Just Wanna. Slick guitars, slick vocals, slick stick in your face. Catchy, hooky and deadly. Forget every other pop rock band out there, KISS has em licked in every way possible (including the dirty, naughty ways)…despite the silly little melody bit in the middle. Unholy is one of Gene’s more demonic numbers but still retains some of those pop characteristics we’ll see more of later on. It may be very important to point out that Alive III was recorded almost ten years after the band took the make-up and costumes off. The band decided it was time for the next level and when that came off, everything else changed. They went on to release a massive amount of hit singles that’s style was closer to Def Leppard and Bon Jovi rather than their original material. When they released Revenge in 1992, it brought a darker edge back to the old war horses, Unholy is the perfect example of this and it’s a savage wee number to boot.

Now, let’s discuss some of those puppyish numbers. Heavens on Fire is as poppy as this band get (no it’s not – Ed) and it’s also the closest thing they have to a Spinal Tap track (Livin’ In A Hell Hole anyone?). Despite all that, Heavens on Fire is one of Tickets There’s personal favorites. This is pure, good times pop rock. There’s no poverty, no preaching and not one hint of recycling, carbon footprints or depressed souls laying dormant in the unused attic, or any of that other shit bands preach about these days. Watchin’ You is next and it’s more like a blues rock classic with some good auld fashioned pop sensibilities thrown in for good measure. Gene sings and like I always say, if Gene sings, shut up and listen. Same applies for the next track, Domino. Once again Gene takes control and it’s another of those Revenge songs that shows KISS heading back in a more hard rock direction from their eighties output. Make-up or no make-up, those boys could f**king write some classics.

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Another of those classics is I Was made for Loving’ You. Yes KISS did Disco in the late seventies and yes this is one of the better ones. Like I said before, if KISS do it, it’s fine. I Still Love You on the other hand is a very respectable, more serious number. Blues kind of Alt-ish-big stadium kind of rock. That make sense? Ah well, Rock N Roll All Night is next and let’s be honest, an Alive album wouldn’t be an Alive album without this track. Strange they’re playing it so soon in the set but not a bad thing. KISS mixes things up ya see 😉

Back to those lovely eighties classics. Everyone knows Lick It Up and everyone loves it. Anyone who doesn’t love it has something wrong so avoid those people. How could you not love Lick it Up? It’s so damn good it hurts!. I can understand people not liking the next track, Forever. Real stadium anthem styled ballad but a good one.  How many of you guys like to look at naked women? How many of you girls like to go home with somebody….and get naked! Take it Off , it does exactly what it says on the tin!

Now…now, now, now. Alright!….you know this one, sing it! I Love it Loud, possibly the best song Gene has ever sang on. Possibly the best song KISS ever wrote. Ok, so it’s not the best but it’s so fucking good you will happily sacrifice eighteen weeks of your life so you can continuously listen to this baby on repeat. Amazing sing along stuff. I remember I first heard this on a KISS dvd and I must have rewound it about twenty times and just listened to it all night. The live version on AIII is incredible, Hard, slow, beating and LOUD!! This brings us near to the close of the show and Detroit Rock City pops its head up to give us a smile. Great bass line over this version that’s far more prominent than the versions on the previous Alive and the Destroyer. Quite different and the band have updated it a wee bit so it sounds a little closer to their eighties style but still damn, damn good.

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Second last track, God Gave You Rock N Roll II is an anthem if ever there was one. Great way to end a show as Gene and Paul swap vocals the whole through. May not be for everyone but it’s fun. Then everything closes on an the Star Spangled Banner!

So, that’s the original Alive I – III albums reviewed. Next, Tickets There is going to lie a little by doing a review of what should have been Alive IV but in fact, it ended up being released as the ‘Millennium concert’ and the Alive IV title went to the KISS symphony album. Who cares, it TT@s book, it’s the real Alive Iv ;)….and also, I never got the symphony album. Maybe I could just review the DVD, same songs. Hmmm.

Oh, and just to confirm, KISS still kept the theatrics,, despite not having the makeup.

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KISS – ALIVE II (PART 2 OF 4)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags , , , on September 29, 2009 by Tickets There

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OK, so that’s the mighty Alive! Out of the way, let’s have some real downright dirty KISS styled fun.
Alive  II was released in 1977 and recorded during the bands Love Gun Tour. By this time, KISS had released another three iconic albums. 1976’s Rock N Roll Over and Destroyer and 77’s Love Gun. Combined (and individually for that matter), these three albums had more anthems, more hard rock classics and more balls fired energy than any other band could ever dream off.

Opening with the amazing, the incredible and the utterly unstoppable Detroit Rock City. One (can’t really say two), finds it hard to imagine KISS without this song in their repertoire. This is the band at their finest and like many of their other hits, remains on of rock n rolls greatest assets. If you’ve heard this song and you weren’t converted then there’s quite simply no help out there for ya. You’re alone in the world, abandoned by all things holy and fun. Give it another go J.

King of the Night Time World comes straight from Destroyer and shows its might Live power on Alive II. Knowing this is the Love Gun tour is a tough thing for anyone who wasn’t there to actually enjoy it. In the background of all these guitars, drums, bass notes and vocals there’s a stage show going on that was so powerful, it’s energy could bring people back from the dead (but only if  its harnessed and used correctly by top men and military scientists). Ladies Room is a savage we number. Not a regular KISS fanatic favorite but one of Tickets There’s pet likes. Good riff, fun theme and the whole sha bang.

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Makin’ Love is a poppy little rocky number. Not as great as the next song but pretty feckin’ sweet all the same. Love Gun is one of those incredible, unstoppable, unbeatable, un-everything in the whole fecking universe, amazing KISS classics. This is the point where you have to stop and ask, where can you go from this? The live recording on Alive II is fantastic, the solo’s, the riffs, the belting snare drum and crashing symbols and all those other music journalism cliché’s. The music is just savage. Now a days, the band deliver this same perfection while playing it and even manage to send Paul flaying out over the crowds head to a specially built stage at the back of crowd.

Calling Dr. Love’s next and continues to prove that KISS mix cheese and music like Ozzy mixes credibility with rodent killing. That make sense? No, well what I meant was KISS are a great band. Christine Sixteen is a classic not heard enough anymore. Any song that Gene sings on is a KISS classic and should be added to the set list no matter what! Same for Paul’s material. All KISS set lists should by 1,456 songs in length and include every single theatric the band have ever conceived during every single song. Get ready for the greatest 572 hour gig ever!!! (Don’t do the math, I’m being dramatic again)

Mr. Space Ace steps up to the mike next and the band crash into Shock Me! Now, Ace’s voice may not sound impressionably strong here but wait for the first chorus to kick in and you’ll see how perfectly it fits. He’s not the lead singer so don’t expect Paul  and Gene quality but it’s still KISS (and they still sing backing vocals ;)) After Ace shows his stuff, Peter gets his turn and performs the classic Hard Luck Woman, one of KISS’s best acoustic tracks that started life as a Stanley written, Rod Stewart rejection. There’s hope for us all. Tomorrow and Tonight and the amazing Stole Your Love come along next and beat the shit out of you. That simple. Stole Your Love is the best choice of song to play for anyone asking, what’s KISS?

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Beth is being skipped for personal bias and reasons. One of their biggest hits but truly loathed by Tickets There. So moving swiftly along to…God of Thunder. Oh god yes!!. Another one of Gene’s (wow, he actually has a lot). This is yet another classic from their iconic Destroyer album. A great recording and it’s sped up a wee bit which works well. During the bands lives shows, Gene flies up to the top of the stage to play this after he’s done his bass solo with blood spitting. I Want You’s next and it’s a little quieter than most KISS material….until everything comes crashing together at the one time. There’s riffs, there’s solo’ there’s even some pings thrown in for good measure. Also, for a laugh, sing along with Paul when he asks you at the end. Or else you can Shout it Out Loud!!

All American Man wouldn’t be one of my favorites but fellow patriotic stomper, Rockin’ In The U.S.A.is a great poppy rock number. Not one of KISS’s best but pretty sweet. Larger than Life is, I’m afraid, a great song. Perfect one to understand Gene’s character. Rocket Rides grand but not their best and Any Way You Want It…well that’s not great either but you trying releasing two live albums in two years without repeating more than one song and see how you like it!.

Thankfully the band finishes on a high note with Rock N Roll All Night. Two years later and it’s still the ultimate party song. Next up in the KISS series is Alive III, released after the band had stopped wearing the make-up. Till tomorrow then, have a good evening.

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KISS – ALIVE! (PART 1 OF 4)

Posted in Album Review, Music with tags , , , , , , , , , , on September 29, 2009 by Tickets There

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Ok, Tickets There is continuing it’s celebrations in preparation for the release of KISS’s new album, Sonic Boom on October 6th. First we had the KISS-LECTION and now it’s time to take a good, hard look at KISS’s four Live albums, Alive! I – IV.

Before we get into it, I should point out that none of the albums come close to capturing KISS’s impossibly amazing live shows. Tickets There has been fortunate enough to be in one of their crowds and let me tell you one thing, no album could ever capture exactly how amazing they are in real life….but these albums do a damn fine job of trying.

So let’s start at the beginning with 1975’s Alive!, recorded between March and June 1975 on KISS’s Dressed to Kill tour. Upon it’s release, KISS were suddenly lunged from almost broke, make-up wearing guys in a rock n roll band to world famous, gigantic megastars. This is the album that really broke KISS into the main, main, main stream and it ended up becoming one of rock n roll’s most legendary live albums. None of the bands proceeding live records match its unbelievable raw energy, power and force and that’s saying something considering how good II, III and IV are.

“You Wanted the Best, you got the best, The hottest band in the world, KISS!”.

When you buy tickets to a KISS concert, you spend the next few days, weeks and months just waiting to hear those infamous words. The intro to the best concert you will ever see in your life. Those words are unbelievably exciting at one of their shows and when that curtain drops and the four massive figures sprawl out across the stage to entertain you with two hours of hard hitting, riff driven, theatrical rock n roll with a stage show that could match the Olympics, you’ll swear you died and this is your reward for all the good things you’ve done in your life.

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The only thing that tops those words is the first bars of the very first song the band play. On Alive, that song was Deuce. Deuce as an opening song couldn’t be any more perfect. They’re currently playing it as the opener on the current tour and really you can’t go wrong. Starts off with a little guitars riff before the drums crash into action, the curtain drops and four heaving monsters start their quest of ensuring you have the greatest night in the history of the world. That magic is well captured on Alive and its set the perfect tone for the rest of the record. Strutter follows and the pace is kept up. Filled with all the swank, swagger and traits of any hard rock n fucking roll classic. Except it’s sung by monsters. People, this band have some of hard rock’s greatest hits under their belt and they dress up like demons, space men, cats and superstars. How can you not love that?? Got to Choose follows and admittedly this wouldn’t be one of Tickets There’s favorite KISS tunes…but damn it that doesn’t mean much when everything thing they touch turns to gold. KISS are gods, learn that fact now because they don’t teach it in school.

Hotter than Hell is a truly deserved, bonafide KISS anthem classic (yep, anthem classic. It makes sense in our word baby). The version on Alive is as good as this song gets….until you see it live and it rules all!! Nothing to Lose follows and surprise, surprise…..It’s another fucking savage track. Gene sings on this one and when Gene sings, you don’t want to miss it. It brings a totally different flow to the bands tracks. C’mon and Love Me is yet another riff filled, exploited teen of a song. Paul takes the mike back and drives this baby into your ears like a doctor during an invasive medical exam with some sort of blunt yet thick object….with spikes. But before we go using all our unfunny witticisms, we have to discuss Parasite. Why the pause and dramatics? Because Parasite is one of those tracks God wrote and handed to mortals as a gift. Unfortunately for that mortal, KISS stole it and recorded it themselves. God was pleased by this, Led Zeppelin would have only fucked it up anyways. This is a savage, mentalist of a track that only improves with a live setting. Mental, mental, mental stuff folks.

She is another one of those iconic riffs and beat dependant tracks, not a bad way to spend your five minutes before the very seventies trait laden Watchin’ You pop’s along. Unfortunately this one ain’t included much anymore but it’s 100% KISS-TASTIC. Yes you can say things like that when you discuss KISS, they’re fun people. Enjoy it.

Oh, oh hang on. Gene’s bass, crowd’s cheering. Silence. Hands clapping, Gene’s bass again, the drums and finally everything else. 100,000 Years is easily KISS at their top level finest. Paul’s voice screams in over the audience as the band burst through one of their greatest recorded moments and one of the finest tracks ever written by a hard rock band. What makes this song look poor?(well, it doesn’t really. 100,000 Years is one of the finest songs known to humanity. I’m just saying that for dramatic purposes) Black Diamond, an ever bigger monster of a rock classic and the acoustic intro ion Alive really highlights this. Black Diamond is top ten KISS material. The kind of song that you play in a tank when you’re driving into one of those Vietnamese towns. The kind of song you play when you discover the true powers as a mutant. The kind of song KISS plays to remind the rest of us we aren’t Knights in Satan’s Service (K.I.S.S., for those of you that didn’t know).

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Rock Bottom and Black Diamonds main rival, Cold Gin is up next as the album and show start to come to a close. How many people here like the taste of alcohol? I know it’s getting so hot outside you need something to cool off. I know some of you out there like to drink tequila. When you’re down in the dumps and you need something to bring you up. There’s only one thing that’s going to do it for you…COLD GIN!!!! What a classic, what a live record, what a fucking sweet, amazing, incredible deadly awesome band.

Rock N Roll All Night (The ultimate party song) and Let Me Go, Rock N Roll finish of the bands first, their finest and one of the world’s greatest rock live albums. If you don’t feel the party after this record then there’s something not quite right with you but Tickets There will still be your friend. We love a challenge. Later on we’ll discuss Alive II and see what the band got up to during 76 and 77. Be sure to pop back and remember….,

Keep it KISS’d!!!

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KISS-LECTION – Tickets There celebrates Alive 35

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, News with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2009 by Tickets There

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Welcome to the official Tickets There KISS-LECTION, 35 out our favorite KISS songs. A lot of them may be obvious but I’m afraid Tickets There isn’t here to entertain hordes of die-hard fanatics when it’s comes to KISS. This band are about rock n roll baby and this list is a compilation of the songs that brought TT into the KISS world and keep us there every day. In all fairness, filling the 35 in took about three minutes so you can probably expect another 35 in the near future because there are still a lot of classics to be discussed.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the hottest band in the world, KISS are a four piece formed in New York in the early seventies. They play straight up rock n roll and have done so for over three decades. Oh, and they wear full face makeup, wear six inch healed (platform) boots, black sparkly costumes (with wings in Gene’s case), travel the world with more pyrotechnics and fireworks than China, Fly across the audience at their live shows, have stages built on the roofs of their sound desk and stage rook not to mention the fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars and everything else.

They also have thousands of products for sale with their name on it. Everything from Candy to Coffins. Keep your eyes pealed this year for KISS M&M’s, KISS Mr. Potato Heads and much, much more. Don’t you wish every band in the world was as much fun as KISS

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1. 100,000 Years – (KISS, 1974)

Ok, Lets start (actually this is the 20th one I’ve written but what the hell), 100,000 years comes from the bands debut album (half of which makes up this list). It’s not only brilliant. It’s so mouth wateringly wholesome and warm that it makes your heart smile and your soul fly with an airline that prides themselves on doing the exact opposite of Ryanair. Maybe a tad dramatic but there ya go, 100,000 years rocks folks!!

2. 2,000 Man – (Dynasty, 1979)

Can I include cover songs? Well I’ve got two on this list so it would seem I can include anything you want. 2,000 Man is a Rolling Stones cover and KISS do a superb job of it.

3. All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose – (Lick It Up – 1983)

The question isn’t why I like this song, it’s ‘Why don’t you like this song?

4. Black Diamond – (KISS, 1974)

Along with Cold Gin and a handful of others, Black Diamond is amongst the Crème de la Crème of KISS material. This is the real band and a sample of the glue that holds the whole KISS universe together. Without incredible, solid and full on hard rock belters like this, everything else would crumble. It’s always been about the music with KISS and this early little slice of brilliance proves that, no matter what gene tries to tell you 😉

5. Calling Dr. Love – (Rock N Roll Over, 1976)

Calling Dr. Love is one of the highlights from 1976’s Destroyer. Gene’s voice always brings that something extra special to KISS song’s. His demon persona really comes across and he obviously loves it. That makes the songs so much more appealing and enjoyable. Dr. Love is, at the end of the day fluff, but it’s good fluff. All things KISS are always good.

6. Cold Gin – (KISS, 1974)

Great intro, incredible riff, great vocals, drums, flow, music, song, band, drink…aghh everything. Cold Gin should be a countries national anthem it’s so good. Gene growls his way through the verse, chewing every word and spitting em back out in your face, biotch! One of the true classics from KISS and an absolute must to hear live. Just listen to that melody thing near the end and the fade out….drools!!!

7. Crazy, Crazy Nights – (Crazy, Crazy Nights, 1987)

Ahhh, classic eighties KISS. Yet another of those ‘stick it on in a night club’ type classics. An absolute tribute to the post-makeup lineup and still a thrilling one to catch live.

8. Detroit Rock City – (Destroyer, 1976)

The first KISS song I would have called my favorite. Detroit Rock City is the band at their best. It’s one of those Cold Gin, Strutter, Love Gun kind of classics. Loud guitars, booming chorus, great riffs, the whole package. Then again, this is KISS not Radiohead and KISS always deliver!

9. Deuce – (KISS, 1974)

For the simple fact that KISS opened with this track when I saw them or for the reason that the last time I went to an Iron Maiden gig, myself and my girlfriend spent the whole thing standing at the bar singing this rather than watching Bruce and the boys, this is probably my favorite KISS song. It’s not only the way they come down from the top of the stage when they play it live or the routine Paul, Gene and Ace(Tommy) do live, it’s all about the sher brilliance of the track. A solid hard rock classic with one the greatest riffs in KISS-Tory!

10. Do You Love Me – (Destroyer, 1976)

The ultimate rock star track. Any Yoko’s or Courtney Loves out there? Well here it is, the singer finally singing about you folks. Why has the world suddenly started making Yoko Ono trendy again? The woman is really, really F**ked in the head and a total cow. She tried to sue one girl because she was a singer and her surname is Lennon!! Really people, stick her in the loony bin with Manson and let’s move on.

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11. Firehouse – (KISS, 1974)

One of those KISS styled KISS Standards. Cant wait to see how many times I typed KISS in this review :D. Firehouse is great live, it’s great on record and it’s great to sing along to. Slow but deadly.

12. Flaming Youth – (Destroyer, 1976)

I know, how can Destroyer deliver any more classics? Well, it’s a KISS record so it can pretty much do anything it likes.

13. God Gave Rock N Roll To You II – (Revenge – 1992)

Yeah, Bill and Ted, so what? Anthem, Anthem, Anthem,. Forget every other song in this review I called an anthem,. This is it. Well, this and Rick N Roll All Night, that’s really is another KISS Anthem. Not one I’d rush to hear them play live but they generally have it on at the end of their gig on the PA and that’s a nice touch to finish the evening off.

14. God of Thunder – (Destroyer, 1976)

Not sure I was ever 100% comfortable with this one. One day I think it’s brilliant, the next day I can barely stand to hear it. Couldn’t ever leave it off a list though, it’s one of Gene’s classics and the man deserves a lot more mentions that I’ve given him.

15. Hard Luck Woman – (Rock N Roll Over, 1976)

One of the reasons I would love to see Peter Criss back in band. Hard Luck Woman is Acoustic KISS at their finest. Apparently Paul Stanley offered this to Rod Stewart originally but Stewart rejected it (mistake fucker) so KISS recorded it. Not only that, but they did a damn fine job and Peter Criss proves he’s not all about Beth..which you’ll noticed can’t be found in this list!)

16. Heaven’s on Fire – (Animalize, 1984)

Someone’s gonna nail me on this one. If I get away with Tear are Falling then I’m getting shouted at for this one but…we’re not gonna take it. Brilliant song, deal with it. Eighties, guitars, big vocals, bigger chorus. Just watch out for the music video, that thing’ll scar you.

17. Hotter Than Hell – (Hotter Than Hell, 1974)

Hot, Hot, Hotter than Hell. Who could they be singing about I wonder (adds cheeky grin)?. Everything it says on the tin with an added dash of deadly!

18. I Love It Loud – (Creatures of the Night, 1982)

I Love It Loud, one of the few KISS songs you can listen to 18,000 times in a row and never, ever, ever,ever, ever, ever get sick off. It’s just a brute of a song with Gene’s bellowing voice booming throughout. Check out the Exposed DVD and you’ll see a clip of them playing this (the last show with their make-up) and you’ll be converted. 100,000 people, KISS and I Love It Loud!

19. Ladies Room – (Rock N Roll Over, 1976)

I suppose I’m including this for the simple reason that it reminds me of a funny moment in Detroit Rock City. I’m not going to describe it because it’ll sound cheap and completely loose it’s humor aspect but it’s good. Fun song, generic KISS ya know?

20. Lick It Up – (Lick It Up – 1983)

Even if you aren’t a fan, you know this one. Lick It Up is without a doubt one of the top three singles from Eighties KISS. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s simple, it’s in your face KISS!. Put this song on in a nightclub and every girl there will super glue herself to the nearest pole and dance. Meanwhile all the guys will be worried that liking a band that wears make-up will make them gay. Anyone who worries about that is gay. Just helping you fellas out of the closet there.

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21. Love Gun – (Love Gun, 1977)

Who doesn’t like Love Gun? If you don’t know go to YouTube and cop on. Possibly KISS’s finest recorded moment. A blitz of guitars, riffs, drums, screaming, everything. Love Gun is 100% American Made, Family un-friendly KISS-O-Rific

22. Modern Day Delilah – (Sonic Boom, 2009)

The one and only song to be included from Sonic Boom…so far. If this is anything to go by, several more new ones will be heading towards the top 35 soon. MDD is a fantastic song with Paul’s voice sounding stronger than it has for years. The riffs, the drums everything is great. May not pack the full wallop of the older material but given time, I think this song will mature very, very well.

23. New York Groove – (Ace Frehley¸ 1978)

I heard this on the Second Coming DVD and managed to find it on Ace’s 1978 solo record. A cover (the 2nd of the two) and another crackin’ one at that. Totally different from normal KISS but that’s not something to criticize……this one time ;). Good funky kind of beat, Ace singing one of the best songs he’s ever done.

24. Nothin’ to Lose – (KISS, 1974)

Was thinking of adding She instead but feck it, Nothin’ To Lose is a great song. When Gene sings, it’s always a great song. It’s real bop along kind of KISS with all the builds, suspensions and characteristics of a classic KISS anthem.

25. Parasite – (Hotter Than Hell, 1974)

What a riff to kick things off! Parasite is gold minted, platinum material. Best captured on their 1975 Alive album and a little gem for their collection and anyone’s ears. Hard rock babbbbyyyyyyyy! Parasite eyes!!

26. Psycho Circus – (Psycho Circus, 1998)

I will admit one thing; I was not a fan of this album. The songs sound sooo forced and wanting to be old KISS but it just doesn’t work…well, it does on one. Psycho Circus is a furious little track. Paul’s voice, the music, the energy and the lyrics, everything falls together just right on this one and anyone who hasn’t heard it is just missing out on one of KISS’s best songs.

27. Rock N Roll All Night – (Dressed to Kill, 1975)

I don’t care how cool you are, I don’t care how ‘Hard-Core’ you are with KISS, this is a song that must, At all times, be included on any list of the greatest songs. Rock N Roll All Night’s an anthem of the highest degree. KISS are the ultimate party band, this is their call, answer!

28. Shandi – (Unmasked, 1980)

I know, this is a strange choice but I just love, don’t you? The first time I heard it was from one of the KISS DVD’s and Paul just played it alone. The solo job sounds a lot less…ya know, that the recording but there’s just something so nice about the guitars I couldn’t not stick it in.

29. Shock Me – (Love Gun, 1977)

Like Hard Luck Woman for Peter Criss, this would be one of the main reasons I’d love to see Ace back with the group. Shock Me is a classic and sadly they don’t perform it live without Ace (as it’s his song). Great, iconic and legendary. Have I over hyped it? Probably but it’s still a savage track.

30. Shout it out Loud – (Destroyer, 1976)

How do you say the word Anthem for the 30th time in a row? Shout it Out Loud is a classic, 1970’s styled Live anthem folks. Everything you need to hear or know about the band is in this song. It’s not their best but it’s way, way up there. Shout it Out Loud has some of their best riffs, their best guitars, their best vocals, their best melodies…everything.

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31. Strutter – (KISS, 1974)

Ah god, this list is great,. Every time I think I’ve gotten all the ‘best’ tracks done, another pops straight up. Strutter is full on sleazy rock n roll. Stick on the leather jacket, light up your smoke and down your whiskey to enjoy. It’s a monster of guitars n attitude.

32. King of the Night Time World – (Destroyer, 1976)

You may have noticed down the line that I have a fondness for Gene Simmons voice and songs. King of the Night time world is no exception, An absolutely brilliant track but then again, everything on Destroyer is a killer track, that’s why it’s such a deadly album. You don’t know that??? For Shame, out of the village, I cast you out heathen!!

33. Sure Know Something – (Dynasty, 1979)

Oh Yeah, kick back, relax and let Kiss blow those worries away..Cool!

34. Tears are Falling – (Asylum, 1985)

If you know this song and you’re judging me, back off. Tears are falling is eighties KISS and it’s so addictive it’s frightening. This is one of those times I actually do see the cheese going off in this song but I still love it. You want to make your own list of your 35 favorite KISS songs and leave this out? Go ahead, but this is Tickets There and we like Tears are Falling!

35. Uh! All Night – (Asylum, 1985)

So that’s it folks, the first Tickets There Alive 35 KISS-LECTION printed in surround sound just for you two that read my stuff. If I left any off, feel free to a comment for your favorite KISS tracks and tell Tickets There why you love them so much.,

All the best,

TT

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Tickets There to Celebrate KISS – SONIC BOOM / ALIVE 35

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, News with tags , , on September 21, 2009 by Tickets There

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KISS, the world hottest bands and currently ranked number 4 on the Tickets There’s all time favourites, will release their new album Sonic Boom on the 6th of October!!

How is Tickets There going to celebrate?? Well, Megadeth was good but I think KISS needs something special so we’re going to review 35 of our favourite KISS songs and call it …Tickets There’s 35 KISS-LECTION. If you can think of a better name, send it on punk!

We’ll also have a review of the record itself once we get our hands on it. Tickets There is 100% against illegal file sharing and downloading so we won’t have the review until the physical copy comes out.

And one final thing, we’ll be posting a review of Alive 1975 – 2000, one album at a time!! And as one final gesture of good will, we’ll be sticking up a review of their classic 1976 album, Destroyer

Kiss Sonic Boom Artwork

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ICONS

Posted in General Tickets There Blog, Music, Ranting with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 31, 2009 by Tickets There

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What happened folks? In the mid 50’s, Mr. Elvis A. Presley walked into Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and became the very first, the best, the symbol, legend, embodiment and icon of rock n roll. Like Sid Vicious to Punk, Frank Sinatra to big band, Johnny Cash to country and western or even Dana to lunatics, Elvis was the total hero, founder and creator of rock n roll. Don’t listen to music nerds, geeks and critics (ahem), Elvis started everything. Forget who influenced him, forget who wrote for him and forget who marketed him, Elvis was it.

Ever since the Kings death, music has flourished through the efforts, talents and hard work, creativity of various people and constant changes in popular culture. From Elvis, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis in the fifties, rock expanded and produced the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and many others throughout the early sixties. Before long Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, The Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix, Cream and many more appeared. The Doors came out of the west coast. The Who went rock, Led Zeppelin were formed and Jefferson Airplane stayed touring after Woodstock. Just before things could get civilized, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple came out. Queen, Clapton, The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Stooges, Alice Cooper, T-Rex, KISS,…the list is endless people. Then came the 80’s, when pop reached a true peak before the ever looming wave of commercialism took it’s firm grip and strangled the genre, until it’s credibility was lower than Gary Glitters. On the other hand you had Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Guns N Roses, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, U2, Judas Priest, OZZY, Slayer, Sepultura, before the end of the decade when Nirvana, The Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Blur, Oasis, The Stone Roses, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, The Pixies, Joy Division, The Happy Mondays, New Order (yes the 24 lot), Faith No More, Nine Inch Nails and then (phew this is a long one) onto Marilyn Manson, The Foo Fighters, Weezer, Korn and so on before the late nineties and boom…nothing happened……funnily enough, fuck all has happened since. How in the hell did almost five decades of amazing, astonishing and diverse creation suddenly grind to an almost complete stop?

Things seemed to fall completely off course. Metal bands suddenly merged rapidly with dance music and rap. Korn had dabbled but so did Aersomith and nothing happened to them. Instead of Angus Young and the D belting out solid, hard hitting blues rock anthems you had fat ugly guys in costumes roaring at you about being bullied and still being virgins living in their mothers houses. Metro sexual, stylish geeks whining on about falling and crying about some girl next door that Lemmy would probably kidnap and turn into a hooker on sun-set before the night’s out. These guys in fitted suits, wearing ties with spiky hair, tattoos and dog collars were mixing Kraftwork with the eighties glam rockers like Twisted Sister, Poison and the likes while wearing their hair like girls. And I don’t mean the old style of hairy bikers drooling over a bar counter girly style, I mean a female hairdresser on a night out style. Like they were trying to keep disobeying the nagging disapproval from generations past and pushing things to some ridiculous limit that nearly goes full circle.

As for Pop music, that fell into the hands of TV companies, dance got old and turned into some demented, hindered state of destruction while indie music became overwhelmed by a horde of Eco-Friendly, Voices of poverty, injustice, animal cruelty and environmentally conscious millennium hippies. Voices that turned away from Indies recreational drug use, love and loss, party image and transformed it into a voice for all the issues in the world rock stars shouldn’t give two shits about, at least not on stage. The likes of Tom Yorke, Chris Martin, Bono, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon, Kasabian and all that other horse shit. Their songs were so impotent, corpses of tax attorneys could laugh at them. Complaining, moaning and whining about the poverty and cruelty in the world they wouldn’t think of donating their profits to. Bands that appeal to societies total dregs. Bored children, housewife’s, grandparents, indie fans, jocks and just about every member of the heard the western world boasts. Droning brought to extremes of the human soul to a point it becomes so bogged down in ego, insincerity and boredom it would fail to shock a timid kitten.

Metal fell even more of the pits as the old genres piled up with hopeless hack impersonators before bursting at the seems into millions of decaying breakaways. Nu-Metal even buckled (not a bad thing, pile of shite aswell) as Emo broke through their last stand along with nu-punk and metal became even more appealing to the ugly, fat rejects of social society and the fashionable, jock culture more than ever before. After Radiohead’s Creep on the jukebox American Idiot and the Killers would follow and all the trendy’s and Goths alike would bop along. Metal was again infiltrated by main stream culture and unlike before the last ‘icons’ weren’t strong enough to tear it right back for the people of society who used the music as it should be used. Not for pusses crying and ugly nerds to find shelter. Metal is the music for the angry soul (sounds gay I know but hey, I am smoking in case you hadn’t noticed), the serious partiers, the ‘dangerous’ people of society.

Rock N roll lost it’s fight much earlier. After the Guns N Roses era came to a close, few rock bands ever managed to reach those heights again. Don’t even bother with the Killers and The Kings of Leon…or The Strokes bitch. I’m talking about real fucking n roll. The kind of rock n roll that made all the bad things bands these days demonize like drinking, sex, destruction, rebellion and a good hearty message of Fuck You to anyone who bothered them, fun!. Elvis shock things up, the Stones defined it, Aerosmith brought it miles higher while AC/DC put the fucking boots on before Guns N Roses perfected it in every single sense of the word.

The world is losing it’s icons. Right now I can’t think of any that have come out since the early nineties. I mean a true icon of rebellion. Pete Doherty, and Amy Winehouse make a mockery of drug addicted musicians which, throughout the history of music, have written some of the most amazing music ever created. The Beatles, Jim Morrison, The Grateful Dead, Hendrix, Keith Richards, Janis Joplin, Kobain etc. Bono, Yorke and Martin take the places of people like Neil Young with his stories, Springsteen and his zest for life and Bowies ever changing persona, image and style only to replace it with gilt tripping, giver of life wannabe humanitarian ideologist façade while they doge taxes and pontificate to fans what they should do, wear, believe in, live and breath. Forget ‘think for yourself’, the message was spelled out in bold impact lettering and strangely enough, a  discontented mass fell for it, hook line and sinker.

That’s pretty much where we are in my eyes. I’ve forgotten many of the previous generation’s true greats but there’s only so much you can write in an hour and keep semi-coherent. I’ve also neglected some of the better talents to emerge on the international scene and some of the worse ones. Arcade Fire and MGMT to name a couple. But that’s how I see things, pretty much that black and white. Most of the old styles got confused, disjointed, lost in translation and overwhelmed in image, style and forced restrictions and beliefs and turned them into uninspired shells of their former selves. I’m not saying charity is bad, I’m not saying there’s no credibility in any of the new bands these days and I’m not saying looking after the environment is wrong, animals should be mistreated, people shouldn’t be nice to each other and drugs are good. I believe the exact opposite of each one and a conscious attitude is essential to the basic fabrication of mankind’s cohabitation together and civilized society. What I’m saying is people should learn this from other sources like parents and a proper education rather than one of mankind’s forms of entertainment. Aren’t we allowed to relax, switch totally off and dream sometimes with the horrors of some societies and the worlds problems being shoved in our face at every fucking turn?

Maybe there was one message spelt out by one of the golden age icons that we should listen to is the words of Jim Morrison.

“When the music’s over, turn out the lights, turn out the lights,”


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KISS – Modern Day Delilah

Posted in Music with tags , , , , on August 30, 2009 by Tickets There

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Sorry for being a few weeks late with this but I though you all may like a listen to KISS’s latest single, Modern Day Delilah, which comes from their for coming album, Sonic Boom. Pretty savage song with good strong riff’s, Paul’s voice is on fire and it’s just great. I’d say more but as you can see it’s pretty early and Sunday.

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Tickets There Likes: KISS – KISS

Posted in Album Review, Music, Tickets There Likes: with tags , , , , , , , , , on August 7, 2009 by Tickets There

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“Turn it up, this is my attitude, take it or leave it”

OK, this is the third time I’ve tried writing this introduction. The first 1,000 word draft will now go towards a politics in music blog I’ll try and publish this weekend. The second was 500 words that took the quote above and harped on and on about the underlining simplicity in Rock n Roll and the destruction caused by ego’s and money. Those words have now been deleted and it’s time to talk about the hottest band in the world, KISS.

I first discovered them while watching a wee film called Detroit Rock City in 1999. I had heard of the seven foot icons from magazines and seen pictures but didn’t actually know what they sounded like until I’d seen the movie. Ninety minutes later I was on the phone to the Record Room in Sligo asking them to order in KISS and Destroyer. When I picked up the albums I could hardly contain myself. Fortunately I had taped DRC and spent a week watching it over and over again, thanking god for opening my eyes to one of the greatest bands I’d heard in years. Everything about KISS became appealing. They weren’t pushing politics, they weren’t preaching about charities and they weren’t Radiohead. They dressed up in black costumes, make-up and blew their stages to pieces during live shows. On top of that they played bad ass, catchy as hell rock n roll, sold almost everything in the world as a KISS product and had a bass player who is so full of himself and honest about his views on the world, you’d be foolish not to admire him.

So how should one go about starting their love for the America’s greatest rock n roll band? By buying their debut album off course.

KISS is without a shadow of a doubt one of the bands strongest albums. Opening with the dirty styled Strutter, the band display their talent for catchy hooks, duel guitar leads and riffs, high piercing vocals and lyrics that only grow as the album progresses. Nothin’ to Lose and Firehouse are great little numbers that carry their own little iconic place in KISS’s history and live in Firehouse’s case.  The mighty Cold Gin is one of the bands masterpieces. Pure rock n roll that personifies the bands characters and gives them their true sound. Let me know chirps things up abit while the anathematic Kissin’ Time might act as a deterrent for those of you who don’t already love KISS..so skip that one. Fortunately the best is still to come.

The incredible Deuce brings to a high very few bands can keep going but 100,00 Years and the enormous Black Diamond manage to keep them on a high to close the album with a balanced mix of heavy guitars, perfectly suited solo’s, theatrics in the lyrics and more control over song writing and melody than most bands can only wet-dream about.

KISS are more than a band, they’re a life-style. Get into them quick is my advice and ‘baby get ready, because they’ll be KISSin’ you’ next year!

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