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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
KISS album with worst reputation deserves way better,
By
This review is from: Music From the Elder (Audio CD)
Following the departure of Peter Criss and the watered down but still rhythmic Unmasked album, the quartet came out with this concept album about a boy on a quest to defeat some evil power from taking over the universe. It worked for Pink Floyd and twice for the Who, so why not KISS? True, their use of the American Symphony Orchestra may have angered fans, but Ace's guitarwork, Gene's demonic voice, and new drummer Eric Carr's drums really support the album.After a horns and symphonic fanfare heralding the beginning of the tale, we get the first ballad, of the uncertain chosen one: "if hope are lost than so are we/well, some are searching for one to guide us/some are staring at me/But I'm no hero, though I wish I could be." Paul's falsetto works well here, as does Ace's guitarwork. That segues into one of my favourites, a romantic piano and strings ballad "Odyssey" detailing the voyage the boy goes through, across the galaxy, through the realms of time and space. The mid-paced number "Only You" reaffirms the boy as the chosen saviour, the one with the answers, and with connotations of a Messiah being: "you are the light and you are the way." Blonde Teutonic metal goddess Doro Pesch later covered this on her self-titled album. In "Under The Rose", the boy seems to be going under some testing or initiation. The chorus's basso operatic voices in unison add to the hallowed atmosphere of this number. Ace was disillusioned at the direction KISS's music was taking so he only contributed lead vocals to the more rocking "Dark Light," and his virtuoso guitarwork clearly shows the heavier direction he was aiming for. The solo is just as worthy as his one in the live version of "Shock Me" on Alive II. This song has the darkness and power of the evil force descending. Yet another symphony-enhanced ballad and favourite, the Gene-sung "A World Without Heroes" is something many of us seem to be living in: "in a world without dreams, things are no more than they seem/a world without heroes, is like a bird without wings/like a bell that never rings/a sad and useless thing." "The Oath" is the second heaviest song here, and thanks to Ace's guitar and Eric's drums, could enhance Destroyer or Love Gun. After the slow and chugging "Mr. Blackwell" about the villain of this album, the racing metal instrumental "Escape From The Island" courtesy of Ace. A definite candidate for Rock And Roll Over, and it'd be cool to hear this track live on a future collection. "I" has the boy ready to begin the fight as the chosen one after realizing his strengths. Some of the Star Wars mythos comes in: "I believe in something more than you can understand/I believe in me. Another hard rocker sung by Paul and Gene. It's interesting to see KISS returning to Bob Ezrin, who produced their hit album Destroyer, and three of the songs, "Dark Light", "A World Without Heroes", and "Mr. Blackwell" had Lou Reed, listed as Lewis Reed, contributing. The remastered version has the songs in presumably the original order, and hearing them that way, the story makes more sense. If one wants to reduplicate the way it was on the initial CD release, here is the sequence: 8,1,2,4,6,7,5,9,10,3,11. In retrospect, The Elder isn't as pathetic as deemed by KISS fans. Those who only see KISS as the group of Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, or Lick It Up and Animalize, are being rather short-sighted. KISS's transition period beginning with the solo albums, leading into Dynasty and to Creatures Of The Night, was crucial to their development, as they try new things, at times I wonder if they daringly thought, "Let's pretend we're not KISS." The best album in their transition period.
31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
KISS' progressive rock masterpiece.,
By
This review is from: Music From the Elder (Audio CD)
"Music from the Elder" is KISS' only album that never reached gold status. Not because this is a bad album--far from it--but in 1981, KISS had just finished releasing two "pop" records in the previous years: "Dynasty" and "Unmasked." KISS fans wanted the band to deliver a true rocker and while that's what the foursome had in mind--they ended up teaming with Bob Ezrin as producer (who had produced KISS' most famous work, "Destroyer") and he decided to take the band into a direction they never dreamed they would enter--the world of the "concept record."The album centers around a story of a young boy, the champion, who must conquer the evil "Mr. Blackwell" in order to save the world with the help of a group of warriors and sages known as The Elder. With thoughtful lyrics, melody, a couple rockin' tunes, a great story, along with orchestration and a choir, "The Elder" is simply brilliant. KISS fans were used to lyrics like, "Put your hand in my pocket and grab onto my rocket," or "So you lift your dress--You wanna impress--there's something I've got to confess." Now they were getting a deep story where each song structures the saga of "The Elder." The fans simply didn't buy it--neither did the record company as they were shocked by the "lack of guitars" on the album's first few songs. They decided to change the line-up of tunes so the album opened with "The Oath" but now, in it's re-mastered form, "The Elder" is now in it's correct order starting with three slow and "guitarless" tracks. If KISS has never been your favorite due to the lack of insightful songs or simple four-chord rock--here's a KISS album you must have. For the KISS fan--you may not like it, but you must have it. "Music from the Elder" is what it is--a concept record. A masterpiece. For those who say this album is fluff are those who are not smart enough to see beyond four-chords. Enjoy "The Elder." The odyssey begins......
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Diversity is a Good Thing,
By
This review is from: Music From the Elder (Audio CD)
There is no question that 'Music From the Elder,' is a very different style of KISS than the usual hard/heavy sounds of 'Destroyer,' or 'Creatures of the Night.' Perhaps it was the slander surrounding the album that piqued my curiosity towards it. This is a concept album, the only KISS ever did. The idea is to focus on a boy that has been chosen by a mysterious group, the Order of the Rose, to fight evil in the world. It is the story of his training to become this warrior. KISS demonstrates a good deal of creativity and lyrical talent with the songs for this album. The songs both tell a story and most are enjoyable by themselves; though some knowledge of the basic premise is needed. The divergence from previous albums is clear from the start. The American Symphony provides both opening and closing fanfares, and can be heard throughout the album. There are elements of KISS' classic hard-rock sounds as well. 'Dark Light,' written by Ace Frehley contains a particularly powerful guitar solo. 'The Oath,' 'Mr. Blackwell,' and the instrumental piece, 'Escape From the Island,' are all additional examples of the band's need to Rock. The final song 'I,' is one of the best KISS ever wrote. It speaks of believing in one's self without being arrogant. Cautioning against drug use, saying 'it only holds me down,' this song is a wonderful way to tie album together, the boy has found his confidence; it also is enjoyable as a single. The songs that differed from KISS' heavy approach are well arranged, and most are powerful piecs of music. From the uncertainty that we all have felt being embodied in 'Just a Boy,' to the haunting nature of 'A World without Heroes,' and 'Only You.' Throughout the album KISS makes use of a wide range of instruments and I found the result impressive. Pianos, choirs, brass, and reed-winds race over a mornful guitar to create a symophonic creshendo on several of the pieces. This, combined with clever and descriptive lyrics, an attempt by the three original band members to perform better vocally, and an inspiring, if somewhat trite, plot, make this a throughly enjoyable album that has been highly underated. In part because it had the misfortune to debut in 1981 after 1980's 'Unmasked,' and 1979's 'Dynasty,' two albums which were an exmaple of divergent sound that doesn't work. Both a far cry from the artistic talent evident in 'Music from the Elder.'
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