Let me preface this by saying I have been a Kiss fan since 1973 and was playing air guitar to his solo on "Getaway" before most people reading this were even born. I consider Ace one of the most influential guitarists of a generation. I was so looking forward to this album after Ace's last release, "Space Invader". An album I gave a positive review. So...having said that.
Are all these 5 star reviews listening to the same album? The overall quality of this release is just average. Yes, Ace pulls out some good solos on "Fire & Water" and "Street Fighting Man", but his duet with Slash on "Emerald" is flat out brutal and blasphemous. Well worth buying because of "Emerald"? Have you ever heard the original. The version here shows how good and underrated Gorham and Robertson were. Ace and Slash are known to be "sloppy" in their playing. Being "non-technical" is what makes/made them special, but this just made me cringe. "Cold Gin" and "Parasite" are no where near as good as the original studio or "Alive!" versions; and can't be rescued by the presence of John 5 or the overrated Mike McCready.
I always take Ace's vocals with a grain of salt, and he does a pretty decent job here. Paul Stanley's guest vocals may be the highlight of the entire album.
The overall sound of the album is like an old Maxell Cassette tape when you flipped on the Dolby switch. Anyone old enough to remember knows what I am talking about. The high ends totally disappear and the sound gets muddy. The drums almost sound plastic and I have no idea if there even was a bass player for this album. The production here makes "Hotter Than Hell" sound like a George Martin record.
Anyway, a quick written review for an album with a few passable tracks. You may read this once, maybe twice....about the same amount of time you'll give to this cd.
Rating? 4/10
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