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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Kiss Karaoked, November 18, 2002
Class Kiss Regrooved is yet another tribute album where it appears as if the artists tried to duplicate the originals note for note in deference to the artists. Yes, it's the same strategy used in the Encomium tribute of Led Zeppelin.Of the play-it-safe songs, Garth Brooks's rendition of "Hard Luck Woman" and the Gin Blossoms' "Christine Sixteen" score the best. Garth doesn't try to consciously imitate Peter Criss's voice so that's in his favour. And I usually don't care for Garth (!) As for "Christine Sixteen," it begins by guitar instead of the piano that the original studio did on Love Gun. As for the others in that vein, the results are mostly disappointing. Stevie Wonder's harmonica is wasted in Lenny Kravitz's rendition of "Deuce." What is the point? "Goin' Blind" by Dinosaur Jr. has more fuzz guitar but otherwise, same as the original. Extreme slows the tempo on "Strutter" and as a result spoils a classic song. Hearing The Lemonheads "Plaster Caster," I'm tempted to believe Evan Dando's backing band is actually KISS incognito. And given Anthrax's hard thrash reputation, I expected something more out of "She". As it is, it's note-for-note, done in the same tempo, down to the final guitar solo at the end. How disappointing. OK, now for those not done note-for-note. "Rock And Roll All Nite" is done by Toad The Wet Sprocket, which should serve as a warning that this is slowed way down in their lazy alternative tempo. OK, a different approach, but it doesn't work. Shandi's Addiction, an ad hoc group put together by Tool/Perfect Circle's Maynard Keen on vocals, with help from Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello, does a weird choppy version of "Calling Doctor Love." This isn't too bad a rendition--it's different in a good way. As for "Detroit Rock City," there is a duplication of the car starting before the Mighty Mighty Bosstones launch into the song with their usual punk-ska hybrid, guitars and horns present in the chorus. It ain't bad. The best track by far is the lush and orchestral "Black Diamond" by the Japanese group Yoshiki, which peaks to a symphonic crescendo like movie scores in some places. There's a nice Rachmaninoff style piano solo in there too. I picture a vast landscape paradise teeming with greenery and trees with this rendition. This alone is worth the album. Which KISS albums inspired these bands the most? Here's a breakdown, with nothing beyond Love Gun, i.e. the point where most KISS fans believe KISS peaked. KISS, 3
Hotter Than Hell, 1
Dressed To Kill, 2
Destroyer, 1
Rock And Roll Over, 1
Love Gun, 3 Like Encomium, there aren't that many adventurous covers of Classic Kiss Regrooved--the artists play it safe, but what puts this below Encomium is the lackluster tracks. Come on, KISS deserved better than this! Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5, rounded up to 3.
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