#6 - DestroyerKISS learns to play music.
Unlike the Monkees, KISS could "play their instruments" from the start. They could even write songs. And yet,
During the recording sessions Ezrin resorted to numerous tactics designed to increase the quality of music Kiss recorded. Because none of the group were trained musicians, Ezrin halted the sessions at one point to provide lessons in basic music theory. In an effort to instill a sense of discipline, he wore a whistle around his neck and exhorted the band with sayings such as, "C'mon campers, let's get going!" When Simmons stopped playing early during the recording of an outro Ezrin yelled at him, saying, "Don't you ever stop a take unless I tell you!"
Having heard what he did for Alice Cooper (?), KISS decided to bring in producer Bob Ezrin for Destroyer. Good idea, although it would eventually cost them (see what is likely to be the second to last entry in this series).
Destroyer is undoubtedly a whole lot more ambitious, musically speaking, than Dressed to Kill, the band's previous studio effort. Dressed to Kill, for example, features a total of zero carnival or wind effects.
The reason Destroyer is #6 on this list, vs. higher on other people's KISS rankings, is that the songs that are better musically aren't all that great. The ones that more closely resemble songs from the first three studio albums are better, although they're STILL BETTER LIVE than in their studio versions.
Breaking it down:
"Detroit Rock City" and "King of the Night Time World" are as good back-to-back opening tracks as the band ever did. The intro on "Detroit Rock City" is clever and interesting, although it's a bit morbid because it chronicles something that really happened to a KISS fan (although who the hell knows whether this is true). There's some disagreement about whether Gene is the newscaster in the intro. Put that to rest. It's Gene. Paul's humming is funny, too. The car stereo playing "Rock N Roll All Nite" is good. Whoever came up with this idea was very clever.
Bob Ezrin helped write these two. They are certainly better produced than anything KISS had done. The phone-booth recording effect is gone, as is the mud sound that ruined Hotter than Hell and damaged Dressed to Kill.
By the way, whoever edited Double Platinum is an asshole. He ruined "Detroit Rock City." Whatever they had to pay that dude, they should have paid him to just leave the songs alone.
"God of Thunder," the studio version, is terrible. The little kid/dwarf/catamite talking in the background is discomfiting. The song is way too slow and sparse. Live, "God of Thunder" is actually a great track. Whoever decided to go with this version, mega-producer or not, was wrong.
"Great Expectations," as chronicled in comedy bits, is a terrible joke. The narrator is, in fact, suggesting that the woman/women being addressed have "great expectations" to sleep with him (or at least give him a handjob). The choir is unnecessary and stupid. This track is embarrassing.
"Flaming Youth" is standard Ace Frehley writing for Paul. It's anthemic in the way that Ace writes. It's a bit silly, but not bad. The carousel bit could have been left out.
"Sweet Pain" is not a bad Simmons tune from this era. It has an interesting guitar sound. Lyrically, it's the same ground he always covers, this time it's about sadomasochism. "My whip is always beside me." Ugh. Check out the Gene Simmons sex video (or don't!). For someone who has been with so many women, Gene is not exactly the most sophisticated boudoirist. I apologize if I introduced the concept of this video to anyone who didn't know about it.
"Shout it Out Loud" is a lame, lame, LAME followup to "Rock N Roll All Nite." You can't sit down and write a sequel to your #1 ballad, although you can try. One of the most overrated songs in the catalog. Where the first was fun and goofy, this is forced and didactic. They're ordering us to have fun in the name of KISS. We decline.
"Beth." Beth, Beth, Beth. If this song hadn't been recorded by a makeup wearing, blood drooling, firework shooting group of terrifying clowns, America would have laughed at it, or more likely, ignored it. But listening to the freak in the cat makeup croon about a woman other than his wife (disputed, but this is the version I'm going with) touched the heart of many people. There's no accounting for taste.
"Do You Love Me?" is actually a good Stanley song. It's actually kind of about something, which is maybe Bob Ezrin's contribution, but I doubt it. Paul sometimes writes about things that other people can understand, unlike, say, Gene, who only writes about dirty women, and Ace, who writes about things that pop into the mind of a drug-addled escapee from Stranger in a Strange Land (the Heinlein novel, not the Iron Maiden album).
"Untitled," which is coupled with "Do You Love Me" on the CD, is exactly the type of crap you would expect Bob Ezrin to stick on the end of an album.
Wikipedia sum up:
Rolling Stone referred to "bloated ballads," "pedestrian drumming," and "lackluster performances" in its review.
Uh huh. (The expression, not the John Cougar Mellencamp album).
NB: My iTunes brought up, in addition to the songs on Destroyer, the following tracks: "Destroyer" by the Kinks, "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" by George Thorogood and the Destroyers, and "Search and Destroy" by the Stooges. I don't like the Stooges, but the other two songs would rank about third or fourth best on Destroyer.