1. Second Time Around
The 2000 Axe Killer reissue includes a bonus track, "This Raging Fire" (performed by the Jon Butcher Axis). I didn't include it in the track listing because it isn't even a King Kobra song. It was on the Iron Eagle soundtrack, and was the B-side to the "Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)" single. Although Axe Killer usually did a great job with their reissues, I must say this was a very tacky decision.
King Kobra - Thrill Of A Lifetime (1986 Capitol Records)
The Official King Kobra Website
2. Dream On
3. Feel The Heat
4. Thrill Of A Lifetime
5. Only The Strong Will Survive
6. Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)
7. Home Street Home
8. Overnight Sensation
9. Raise Your Hands To Rock
10. Party Animal
Mike's Review
This is an odd album indeed. After King Kobra's amazing hard rock debut album Ready To Strike (released only a year earlier), this was the last thing anyone expected. Instead of continuing with the same sound, the band took the opposite approach. The result is an album consisting of primarily slick pop rock. "Second Time Around," "Feel The Heat," and "Thrill Of A Lifetime" are good AOR songs, but not the King Kobra we came to love the year before. "Dream On" is a Russ Ballard cover, and they do a good job with it. "Only The Strong Survive" isn't exactly a ballad, but it's a slower, breezier number. "Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)" was the theme song to the movie Iron Eagle, and is an upbeat, inspirational pop rocker. Here's where things get really weird: "Home Street Home" is a rap song! This is the band behind one of the most underrated, solid rock albums of all time, they have one of the best melodic singers of his kind, and they do a rap song!? It's not even that bad, but damn, where did that come from? "Overnight Sensation," "Raise Your Hands To Rock," and "Party Animal" are all harder rock tunes more similar to King Kobra's first album. In fact, when I used to run the Official King Kobra Website, guitarist David Michael-Philips told me that the band had "Overnight Sensation" and "Raise Your Hands To Rock" in mind for Ready To Strike. However, the last three songs seem out of place coming after the first seven. Overall, the material on this album is very good, but when you have six pop rock/AOR songs and three hard rock songs with a rap song tossed in between, it can't help but feeling imbalanced. So what was King Kobra's reasoning for their direction change? When I interviewed drummer Carmine Appice, he told me that the label failed to make a success out of the first album, so they pushed the group to go more commercial the "second time around." Thrill Of A Lifetime sold over 100,000 copies in Europe alone, and having a song in a movie with a matching video never hurts, but I think it alienated the band's original audience. Again, this is a good album, but not the album King Kobra should have made when they did.
Mike's Picks: Second Time Around, Iron Eagle (Never Say Die), Overnight Sensation, Raise Your Hands To Rock, Party Animal
Mike's Rating
Note: I always write my reviews of the original album. Unless otherwise noted, my review and rating apply to any and all reissues as well.
Derek's Review
Thrill Of A Lifetime is such an odd album in that it is really pop oriented, almost Journey-esque, and it shares almost no similarities with King Kobra's previous album Ready To Strike. "Second Time Around" is a perfect 80s song with generally uplifting lyrics. This song can easily get stuck in someone's head. King Kobra experiences the Sophomore Album Problem. That is, they aren't sure if they should produce a record exactly like their first one or expand their sound. And if they choose the latter, how far do they take it? Well, they took it pretty far on this one, even including a rap song (80s style, that is), and yet they don't really suffer too much. This album just simply cannot be compared to their debut, and that's okay as long as you accept this album for what it is. It isn't really the rock album everyone expected, and it's a little too heavy to be a pop album. If you can accept a good medium, I think you will enjoy this release. They definitely have their pop tunes: the ultra keyboard-heavy "Feel The Heat" and the harmonic "Thrill Of A Lifetime," as well as a few rockers: "Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)" and "Party Animal." The overall feel of this album, though, is that of an infectious pop influence. This sounds like early Bon Jovi to these ears. There's nothing wrong with that, but perhaps picture how you would feel if a band like AC/DC came out with a Def Leppard song. I'm sure it'd have plenty of die hards running for the razors. While the comparison is quite drastic I admit, nonetheless it's an effective analogy for how radically different this band sounds from their previous release. Keyboards are prevalent all over this album, and I know a lot of people criticize bands for employing keyboards on their albums in the 1980s, but the reality is that this is a product of its time.
In conclusion, if you only want to remember King Kobra for being a rock band check out Ready To Strike and the impossible to find King Kobra III. But if you have an open mind and want just some good 80s music, Thrill Of A Lifetime can be an enjoyable listen.
Derek's Picks:Second Time Around, Feel The Heat, Raise Your Hands To Rock
Derek's Rating:
1. Crazy Crazy Nights mp3 clip
Mike's Review Crazy Crazy Nights - An infectious pop metal anthem that provides inspiration to us all. It kicks off with a mighty Paul "Woo!" and is immediately followed by a classic riff and Eric Carr providing the beat. Paul dedicates this number to all of us by saying, "Here’s a little song for everybody out there." Contrary to what many other reviews will tell you, this song isn't overloaded with keyboards at all. The 'boards are prevalent just enough at certain moments to provide the perfect ambiance. One of the best lines in music history is found here: "If life is a radio, turn up to ten!" Also, there are not one but two key changes (or "modulations" for all of you who play music); once before the solo and once before the song's fadeout, and both work amazingly well with the song. Although Bruce Kulick rips through the entire album, his guitar solo here is particularly wailing. Hell, even the bass line is catchy. "Crazy Crazy Nights" was rightfully a huge hit in the U.K., but the U.S. just couldn't get it together at the time.
I'll Fight Hell To Hold You - Although the title makes it look like this song could be a ballad, it actually rocks pretty hard. Paul shows great melody the whole song and really hits high on the choruses. Be sure to listen carefully during the solo, not just for the incredible solo itself, but for the multiple guitar parts playing in the background on both the right and left channels. I recommend listening for it on a good pair of headphones, since that's when I really noticed just how much guitaring I was missing.
Bang Bang You - If you think about it, this really is a classic KISS song, just done 80s style. It has one of the album's best riffs, and the sexually charged lyrics are ironically poetic. But Paul Stanley wouldn't have it any other way. He even makes reference to his classic 1977 anthem "Love Gun." This song also features some of rock's best counting: "One, two, three, four, when midnight comes I'll be at your door. Five, six, seven, eight, oh, oh, I just can’t wait!" Laugh all you want, but one listen and you'll be counting to eight more often than a kid learning numbers.
No, No, No - Songs that begin with a shredding guitar solo usually kick ass, and this is no exception. Bruce plays alone for seventeen seconds; then Eric joins him for another half minute of instrumental magic. Gene makes his first lead vocal appearance, and he does a beautifully dirty job. The song's second guitar solo is just as entertaining as the first, perhaps even more. "No, No, No" is definitely the album's hardest rocker.
Hell Or High Water - Opens with just a crunchy guitar riff and eases into a tasty mid-paced rocker. Gene remains on lead vocals while Paul shouts the chorus like there's no tomorrow. One of the times I met Bruce Kulick, he was talking about how he wrote songs. He said that he came up with the basic idea for this song while he was in the bathtub. His girlfriend (who later became his wife and then ex-wife, if you like details) said something to him like, "Come hell or high water, I’m gonna be there for you." Bruce should try to write songs while taking a bath more often, because this one is great.
My Way - Remember what I said earlier about Paul's vocal showcase? This song is the prime example. "My Way" features some of the lowest and highest vocals ever recorded by Mr. Stanley. In fact, there's a demo version of this song with just Paul singing and nothing else, and it's awesome. Keyboards are used prevalently on this one, and they help make it a great melodic rocker. And although Paul is the main focus of "My Way," Bruce also gets his moment when he turns in one of the album's best solos.
When Your Walls Come Down - This is one of the album's hardest songs. As always, Paul delivers a soaring performance, and the climbing backing vocals on the chorus were a brilliant addition. But the true specialty of this song is that it contains some of the cleverest sex-oriented lyrics of any song in KISS' history.
Reason To Live - One of the most beautiful, most sincere ballads ever recorded. With his touching lyrics and over-the-top vocal delivery, Paul tells us that we all have a "reason to live," even if we've had a devastating lose in our love life. The song reminds us to keep life in perspective; that we all have "a dream, and a hunger inside." Soft keyboards add the perfect touch, and Bruce shows great taste with a solo that starts slow, gains speed, and closes slow again.
Good Girl Gone Bad - Gene is back to provide the narration for this tale of a sweet girl revealing her naughty side. But hey, everyone has to try "steamin' up the window with the radio on" at least once in their lifetime. Check out Paul on the backing vocals with his wailing "Come on!" in the middle of each chorus. I've had people in the car with me who weren't familiar with this era of KISS, but when they heard those two words they asked me, "Is that Paul Stanley?" Yep, it’s Paul alright.
Turn On The Night - Pop rock excess in the best possible way. Along with "My Way," this song has the album's most keyboards. The song is about Paul pursuing a woman, and don't worry, with this song he's gonna get her. Some of my favorite parts in this song are the littlest things, like the mini-guitar wail in the middle of the pre-chorus, or the rapid drumming leading into the chorus.
Thief In The Night - Although this song appeared three years earlier on Wendy O. Williams' debut solo album WOW, it isn't really a cover, since Gene Simmons wrote it and even played bass (under the pseudonym Reginald Van Helsing) on her album. Williams' version wasn't bad, but Gene is a better singer, and KISS does a better job with it. The song has a dark feeling to it (it's called "Thief In The Night," so shouldn't it?) and is a great way to close an album themed so heavily about the night.
Crazy Nights did go platinum, but for an album that should be at least diamond (10x platinum), that's not enough. The album is unjustly scoffed at by critics and wrongfully spurned by pseudo-KISS purists who think they're more faithful to KISS by failing to recognize the brilliance of the band's later works. Thankfully, many KISS fans do recognize Crazy Nights as a magnum opus and continue to support it by all means possible, including radio requests, live performances, and word-of-mouth. Make Crazy Nights part of your collection, and you're sure to have "Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights" indeed.
Mike's Picks: Crazy Crazy Nights, I'll Fight Hell To Hold You, Bang Bang You, No, No, No, Hell Or High Water, My Way, When Your Walls Come Down, Reason To Live, Good Girl Gone Bad, Turn On The Night, Thief In The Night (yes, that's all of 'em!)
Mike's Rating
This will most likely be the easiest and most difficult review I will ever do. That is because I'm reviewing my favorite album of all time and not only my favorite, but the best album of all time. At this time you may want to scroll back up to the album information and double check that you are looking at the right album, and ask yourself, why KISS? And if KISS, then why this album, because it wasn't even made in the 1970s and don't they suck after that decade ended? And the answer is an astonishing HELL NO! So I will flat out warn you that this is not objective but purely subjective!
First off let's start out with who was in KISS during this time. During the 1980s you expected three things from KISS:
Now what you aren't quite sure of is who would be at the lead guitar spot, because KISS went through arguably four guitarists in the 80s. Bruce Kulick returns for his sophomore effort. Now I must say I have the utmost respect for Bruce Kulick, both as a musician and as a person, because he truly is a rare find. His guitar work really makes this album shine.
Crazy Crazy Nights - This is the song that got me into KISS. Believe it or not, it is arguably my favorite KISS song. This song kicks ass and starts off with a great "Whoo" from Paul. This one has anthem written all over it and has a message to all of the faithful KISS ARMY straight from the mouth of the Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Stanley himself, "You are my people/You are my crowd/This is our music/We love it loud." I don't know if a finer State of the Union address has ever been given in rock and roll. Simply amazing.
I'll Fight Hell To Hold You - Bruce kicks off this tune and he's kicking ass. A hot, scolding guitar solo is a perfect way to follow up "Crazy Crazy Nights." When Paul finally steps out in front with the microphone he does so with a purpose. He's going to get your rocks off and there's not a thing you can do about it. The backing vocals on this song are great. Paul sings with great clarity and gets pretty high-pitched on this song. Eric has a nice drum fill right before the chorus. Bruce plays some nice outro guitar on this one. All is going well. Simply amazing.
Bang Bang You - From the beginning, you know this song is going to rock. It starts off with a "Wow" which is similar to the beginning of "Crazy Crazy Nights." It's nice to hear a reference to "Love Gun" thrown in here and further solidifies why the Crazy Nights album belongs with the classics that many other KISS fans love. Like Mike said, the counting is also what helps make this song original. I would recommend it to mothers who want to teach the little ones how to count, because it's catchy as hell. Let's face it, Paul is just saying what everyone is thinking about someone, "Bang bang you/I got you in the heart/You're gonna be mine, yeah." Simply amazing.
No, No, No - The demon makes his first appearance on the album and hits it out of the park on the first pitch. This is a crazy up-tempo song for Gene and the song fits his personality to a T. Simply amazing.
Hell Or High Water - Gene sounds like he's having fun with this one. I love how the backing vocals sound, and then Gene is shouting on top of them. You gotta hear Gene's feeling for music in his "Oohhh Yeah." I think Eric does a great job here, and Bruce is playing like there is no tomorrow for him. Simply amazing.
My Way - You can tell by the opening keyboards that this one isn't quite sure if it wants to be a ballad or a rocker, but when it comes down to it, it's just a fine in between song. Paul takes the microphone back here and, like Mike said, turns in one of his best performances ever. Kulick's guitar is incendiary. Simply amazing.
When Your Walls Come Down - You know within five seconds of the song's start what type of song this is going to be, and yep, it's another "Wake me up and kick me in the ass." song. I love the line "Hey diddle diddle, when the cat wants to fiddle/The kitten's gotta give him the moon." Definitely some of the most original lyrics. Simply amazing.
Reason To Live - The only ballad on this album is an amazing one, and one of my favorite KISS ballads of all time. The keyboards add a melodramatic feeling and Paul shines around it. Bruce adds the light and delicate touch of a journeyman. If you get a chance to pick up the Crazy Nights video collection on VHS, I would recommend watching the video. Simply amazing.
Good Girl Gone Bad - We all know one of these girls, and I'm sure Gene definitely knows more than his fair share. Gene sings "Well I know she ain't the girl next door/She ain't the girl she was before." I think this is more an autobiographical song for Gene than he probably realizes. Simply amazing.
Turn On The Night - I love this song and it's one of the album's best. Like Mike stated, this is definitely pop/rock at its best combination. Paul is perhaps at his most effective here and that's saying a lot for his greatness on this album. Simply amazing.
Thief In The Night - Gene takes one more bat on this album. This is a great song. It has an ominous, darker feeling to it and I think that this helps the song out. Gene sings it with some attitude. I think Bruce steals the show and lets loose another killer solo in this song. Simply amazing.
What can I say about the best album of all time that hasn't been stated above? I don't really know, but I do know that this album is extremely underrated by both critics and the KISS Army. So Mike and I hope that if you do own this one, that perhaps you listen to this album while reading our review of it and maybe you can get a glimpse of where we are coming from.
Derek's Picks: All 43:00 of the album.
Derek's Rating
All reviews Copyright © 2004 Derek R. Gasiorek and Michael K. Walsh. All rights reserved.
Glammy Goose ® is a registered trademark of Glammy Goose's Music Reviews.
All album covers and sound recordings are the property of their respective artists and labels.
KISS - Crazy Nights (1987 Mercury/PolyGram Records)
KISSonline.com
2. I'll Fight Hell To Hold You mp3 clip
3. Bang Bang You mp3 clip
4. No, No, No mp3 clip
5. Hell Or High Water mp3 clip
6. My Way mp3 clip
7. When Your Walls Come Down mp3 clip
8. Reason To Live mp3 clip
9. Good Girl Gone Bad mp3 clip
10. Turn On The Night mp3 clip
11. Thief In The Night mp3 clip
I'm going to be honest with you from the start. KISS' Crazy Nights is quite possibly the greatest album of all time. No, it doesn't have the classic KISS lineup, and it didn't have the groundbreaking impact that the band's early work did, but it is a brilliant record that deserves to be recognized as the underrated masterpiece that it is. Unfortunately, it probably never will be by most people, but I have made it my solemn duty to do everything I can to change that. This isn't the first review of Crazy Nights that I've written, but it's going to be the most in-depth. I know that I'm going to repeat myself in the song-by-song analysis, but I want to say right away that everyone and everything shines on this album. Along with his 1978 solo album, Crazy Nights is one of the best showcases for Paul Stanley's vocal mastery. This was Bruce Kulick's second album with KISS and you can tell that he was really starting to fit in because both his rhythms and his leads are absolutely fierce. Although this isn't a very heavy KISS album, Eric Carr's drumming is as thunderous as ever. Even Gene Simmons, who has been criticized for his effort (or lack of) in KISS during the 80s, turns in all winners. Crazy Nights was produced and engineered by Ron Nevison, who I consider to be possibly the best producer and engineer ever to enter a recording studio, simply because of this album alone (but also check out his other work with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Damn Yankees, and even Heart). Now that you know what to expect, let's get started:
10 guitars is still underrating it!
Derek's Review
Let me state off the bat that when I try to review albums, I try to be as objective as possible. Let me further state that objectivity can KISS MY ASS on this review, because it ain't happening. You may be wondering, "Why would you not be objective on this album review? I depend on you being a fair critic of these albums and have come to respect your opinion because of it." And while I would be flattered to hear your wondering minds' thoughts on my opinions regarding these reviews that Mike and I do for you, I simply do not care on this album.
