Hidden Treasures

When I first started writing in this blog, it was to periodically introduce folks to my diverse musical tastes.  Since then it has evolved into opinions and stories.  With all that is going on in the world today, I figured what a better time to shut my door, turn on the CD player and listen to some great music.  In this edition I am going to introduce you to three recordings that I felt deserved a better fate in the eyes of the public.  I am also going to introduce a new recording from a legendary Canadian band.  So turn it up and here we go.

KISS – Music from the Elder

 The year of was 1981 and KISS decided to release an album that was a little off center of the women and party anthems they were known for.  The result was the orchestrated album called Music from the Elder.  This concept CD was based on a short story created by Gene Simmons, their bassist.

This album demonstrated this bands willingness to experiment with sounds and music while staying true to them.  The truly symphonic feel can be heard on such tracks as “Just a Boy”, Odyssey” and “The Oath”.  A tender KISS was given to us with the track “A World Without Heroes”, as well as a defiance one, “Mr. Blackwell”.  The rock and roll attitude that made KISS the band they were at the time is prevalent on the Ace Frehley track, “Dark Night”.  The closing tracking, “I” lets us this rock and roll attitude once again with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons trading vocals.  This is something that, unfortunately, these two co-captains did not do enough of within KISS. 

To add to this must have of any CD collector, there are two instrumentals, “Fanfare” and “Escape from the Island”. 

The key to this CD is the operatic harmonies presented by the members of KISS and the creative process that was undertaken to step outside of their creative box.  At the time of its release, The Music from the Elder album was a commercial disappointment in comparison to their other recordings with justification. 

Motley Crue – Motley Crue

In 1994, Motley Crue decided to do something that was almost unheard of unless you are AC/DC or Van Halen.  That was have the same success they had with a different singer and a completely different sound.   The CD introduced as to the new singer / guitarist John Corabi.  With this introduction was their heaviest set of songs to date.  It was full of hooks and heavy blues.  Throughout this CD, you can hear the double guitar mixes that had not been on previous Motley Crue sets.

This CD saw them take on subjects not really known to these monsters of mayhem.   The ultimate party boys wrote about such topics as child abuse, “Uncle Jack” and life away from their families on “Misunderstood Man” and the gentle, ”Driftaway”.   Though heavy, this CD gave us sing along with “Poison Apples”, "Loveshines”, and “Welcome to the Numb”.   Have no fear; the Crue boys do give a nice, loud tribute to their partying ways in “Hooligan’s Holidays”.

This would be the only recording with John Corabi as Motley Crue did end up bringing the original vocalist back into the fold a few years later.  The opinion is held by myself that if this CD came out with a different band name that it would have deserved a more commercial and critical fate. 

So these are two selections and trust me I have plenty more that I will be sharing with you over time.  I may be listening to the next one right now.