- Audio CD (2 Jan 2006)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Sanctuary Midline
- ASIN: B000CPU7XS
- Other Editions: Audio CD | MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 541,773 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I am a huge KISS fan and so did not even think twice about buying this album. Gene has assembled it from pickings of many random songs of many different genres written over the years - and it shows! The album is terribly disjointed with most of the materials not making it onto earlier KISS albums because it simpy was not good enough. As with his first solo effort in 1978, Gene has taken a stab at a new kind of music and showing fans an alternative side to the big bad demon. And just like before one is left wondering when he will go back to sticking his tongue out, spitting blood and growling his way through God of Thunder. Aside from the title track which rocks, the album is not terrible but is not good enough.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
When I got this CD, I had the lowest of expectations, but even with that in mind, I found very little if anything salvagable on this horrible excuse for a CD. With lyrics like "you got a personality, yeah, just like a bucket full of pee...," we're scraping the bottom of the "creative" barrel here. Is this the stuff Gene was busting at the seams to put onto disc? Even Gene's '78 solo album (which out of the four comes in at a #3, just barely nudging out Peter Criss's) was miles ahead of this.
Much of the album sounds like bad karaoke. Listen to "Beautiful" and "1000 Dreams." It sounds like Gene programed a 1984 Casio keyboard's drum machine and went to town. The same goes for "Waiting for the Morning Light." Damn, he tries hard, but with Gene single tracking his voice, uh, the straining... it's fingernails on a chalkboard. Gene threw a curveball on his first solo album with "When You Wish Upon a Star," but in an odd way it fit. "1000 Dreams" sounds like it was supposed to be this album's radical departure, but it only serves to embarrass...kind of like how I feel when my elderly uncle, after a few too many drinks, starts singing "What's New Pussycat." He likes it, but no one else does.
Much of the album sounds like bad karaoke. Listen to "Beautiful" and "1000 Dreams." It sounds like Gene programed a 1984 Casio keyboard's drum machine and went to town. The same goes for "Waiting for the Morning Light." Damn, he tries hard, but with Gene single tracking his voice, uh, the straining... it's fingernails on a chalkboard. Gene threw a curveball on his first solo album with "When You Wish Upon a Star," but in an odd way it fit. "1000 Dreams" sounds like it was supposed to be this album's radical departure, but it only serves to embarrass...kind of like how I feel when my elderly uncle, after a few too many drinks, starts singing "What's New Pussycat." He likes it, but no one else does.
The two good songs are "Dog," which sounds kind of like the Beach Boy's "Kokomo" on an acid trip, and "Black Tongue," a tip of the hat to Frank Zappa. These two songs show a little bit of inspiration -- just a little.
As much a Gene has been known to criticize Peter Criss and Ace Frehley's ability to write songs, this CD gives him absolutely no ground to stand on. I know Gene intended this to be a departure from Kiss music, but all this CD shows me is that in his heart of hearts, Gene would like to be Barry Manilow.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Gene has assembled an eclectic mix of songs here that - barring a couple of tracks - should probably have never seen the light of day.
He groans and honks his out-of-tune way through a collection of the most miserable and childish lyrics perhaps EVER assembled for a single record.
I'm a big fan of Kiss' classic stuff - but even I'm not blinded by his enormous ego this time around.
This is an ambitious recording, with a few tracks sounding radically different to anything the large man has ever done before, but perhaps he's surrounded by too many "yes" men these days - as head of a growing media empire, when instead, someone should have said: "Hang on Gene - You can't release this song, it's poo!"
But also at times, it's hilarious - depending on how much you've paid for the CD. So it isn't all bad news.
There are a few good tracks that keep it afloat - and I'm sure that it will sell by the bucketload to the faithful out there. It's not as bad as some reviewers make out - but it ain't no masterpiece.
In fact it's probably exactly what you would expect from a man of his age and track record! (It does exactly what it says on the tin...)
It's actually great to hear zappa again and throughout the album, the beatles influence is strong - although without a modicum of the scousers' talents.
But, I'm probably never going to listen to "carnival of souls" EVER AGAIN as it's the most criminally embarrasing track I've ever heard by a major recording artist.
Not a patch on his star-studded Kiss solo outing, and the iffy prouction values make it sound as if it's recorded in someone's living room. A quick check on the liner notes - ah, it was.
Silly me.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bloody awful
I'm a big fan of Kiss, but I'm frequently irked by Simmons constant slating of former Kiss members Criss and Frehley. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2008 by maz
Would you believe it !
The first album in 26 years from Gene Simmons somewhat amazingly does not disappoint. Who would have thought the old demon still had it in him to produce a great album ? Read more
Published on 24 May 2004 by C. A. Poustie
Would you believe it !
The first album in 26 years from Gene Simmons somewhat amazingly does not disappoint. Why would have thought the old demon still had it in him to produce a great album ? Read more
Published on 24 May 2004 by C. A. Poustie
Pure Gene
This is not a Kiss album (obviously). Neither do I think Gene was trying to make one nor sound anything like one. Read more
Published on 22 May 2004 by Alan Moore
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