|
Inside Hardrock Haven:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
H R H - R E V I E W S
Paul Stanley
Comments: It has been a long wait for Kiss fans to get their hands on what is Paul Stanley’s second solo release, Live To Win. His first solo release came way back in ’78 and was an off shoot of internal struggles within the ranks of Kiss. Of the four Kiss related solo records released that year, Stanley’s and Frehley’s were by far the superior. Now 28 years later, the voice and heart of Kiss steps away from the makeup and platform boots and delivers fans a record that Paul describes as “… exactly who I am now and what I want to be doing. It's got all the sides of what I do, so it's not surprising that it's got elements of everything I've done plus a leap into the 21st century …” It will be no surprise to fans that characteristics from the vast catalog of Stanley’s music makes their presence known. Live to Win has little bit of Paul Stanley’s ‘78 solo album, Kiss’s ’87 release Crazy Nights as well as parts of ‘91s Revenge and moves forward into today’s modern sound. The CD is represented by 10 songs that feature some known and some lesser known musicians. Former Kiss alumni, Bruce Kullick, handles bass duties on a few tracks; guitarist Johnny 5 performs solos on a couple tracks; guitar fans will recognize Tommy Denander’s name and most music fans should now the name Desmond Child who co-wrote on half the songs with Stanley. Of all the negative critiques of Live to Win, the most blatantly obvious is the total running time is only 30 minutes. It could be a blessing in disguise or deterrent from making a purchase. There are plenty of melodic rockers and a few slower ballad type songs. The first three songs, “Live To Win,” “Lift” and “Wake Up Screaming” catch you up in what is a promising start and then hits a wall on “Every Time I See You Around.” “Every Time I See You Around” is the first attempt at a ballad theme and suffers from some questionably cheesy lyrics. The music builds up to the very melodic and hook filled chorus. The song is in the vein of Kiss’s “Forever” or “Every Time I look At You.” “All About You,” “Bulletproof,” “Where Angels Dare” and “It’s Not Me” follow the same pattern of melodic choruses and verses that highlight Stanley’s vocals. Of all the songs “Live To Win” revels in down tuned guitars more than the rest of the music although the complete CD features subtle hints of today’s modern metal sound. But Stanley never shies too far away from his roots of power chord drive rock. Here is a tip: spin this CD a few times before your develop an opinion of it. Also die hard Kiss fans don’t let negative reviews keep you from even considering purchasing Live to Win. Fans have been waiting for new music from Kiss since the release of Psycho Circus in ’98. Honestly, Live To Win doesn’t compete with even the best Kiss release but it’s a step better than waiting for the next Kiss -- Greatest Hits compilation. Also the elements that make this a Paul Stanley solo release also lend to Live To Win being uniquely his creation and reflect where he is as a musician in ’06. What Live to Win gives Stanley is complete artistic control, something that was shared between Gene Simmons and Stanley since the ‘80s, as they kept the band alive through multiple lineup changes. What we learn, as every Kiss fan already knows, from a musical standpoint is Stanley is the lynch pin in the wheel that makes Kiss roll. Musicians:
Track
Listing: HRH Rating: 7.1/10 Advertisements:
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright © 2003 - 2007 Hardrock Haven aka John Kindred
| All Rights Reserved
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
