The Replacements Alex Chilton

Last week, I decided to go a little old school, pull out my old KISS albums (even though I have them on more recent formats as well), and spin those old favorites on my turntable. After a few hours, though, I stopped. And I blame what KISS has become lately and how much it has bugged me of late for that.

Last year, the coincidental back-to-back release of Ace Frehley’s fourth solo album Anomaly and KISS’ first studio album in 11 years, Sonic Boom found themselves in my CD player and in review form here on TGML. Granted, Ace’s album was the one I was more interested in, and it got a well deserved five-star review here because of the contents. But I found myself compelled to spring twelve bucks for the KISS album in spite of what was an iffy track record in the wake of their post-Dynasty releases, and I felt compelled to give an honest review of the album that I too, still hold to six months later (In short, Paul’s songs are the strongest, Gene’s are a small improvement on his post-’78-solo-album auto-pilot output, and Tommy Thayer can emulate Ace’s soloing style well, having imitated him in a KISS cover band years and years before, but can’t sing worth a fuck.)

A few weeks ago, after a little overindulging in the first two KISSology DVD collections, I decided to man up and add the third one, since it was loaded with footage from the reunion gigs done by the original lineup. Out of curiosity, I took a peek into the DVD’s commentary tracks done by Paul and Gene – and got immediately pissed off. So pissed off that I ejected the DVD from my player and shelved the set along with the first two volumes. What pissed me off? A lot of commentary downplaying Ace’s and Peter Criss’ role in the success of the Reunion Tour.

I suspect that Paul’s part of the commentary in question sounds somewhat forced compared to Gene’s tongue-wagging. Furthering this theory is something Paul said a little more off-the-cuff in the same set’s commentary track: That Paul was all for bringing Ace and Peter back into the fold, while Gene was rather reluctant. This should not come as any surprise to longtime fans of the band. Gene was the one most reluctant to record a new album after the Psycho Circus debacle – a debacle spurred by the absence of Ace and Peter on all but three cuts on the album – and on only one of those – Ace’s sole songwriting contribution to the album – did they play their assigned instruments (a session player filled in for Peter on the rest of the album, while Thayer played uncredited guitar solos). [And with the exception of noting that Sonic Boom’s relative quality made up for how shitty Psycho Circus was in my review of the former album, the only time I’d thought about Psycho Circus in recent times was when Vee referenced it in a recent post at Pink Wota – and in conversation she agreed with me that Psycho Circus was a lame album, too!]

Gene also falsely accused Ace – who in reality honored his five year contractual commitment and chose to step away and decompress before restating his solo career – of “shooting himself in the foot again” in his second book Sex Money KISS by not participating in what became the Alive IV: Symphonic KISS album. In short, Gene is out to make himself look good and the rest of his associates (at least the ones who aren’t willing to kiss his ass) look bad for the sake of his own ego:

Despite a post-Hollywood, self-proclaimed “refocus” on KISS around the time of Revenge’s creation, Gene Simmons is still interested in putting his ego and interests ahead of the group. Granted, at times, he is willing to make himself the butt of a joke – witness his first Dr. Pepper Cherry commercial, in which his son Nick interrupts his characteristic bombast, as well as many of the setups portrayed in his A&E TV series – as long as it’s for a profit. It’s highly doubtful a blooper like this would have ever made an installment of KISSology, even as a hidden Easter egg:

I am of completely mixed emotions about the band that first led me to want to pick up a guitar back in 1978. All of the classic-era albums are on my laptop and iPod, but only a few random tracks from the albums since then are there. I went AWOL from the KISS Army and started waving the Black Flag bars, but I still owe the band that much credit. But I will say without a shadow of a doubt that I will run, not walk, when Ace Frehley – the man who directly influenced my choice of instrument – comes around my neck of the woods on tour, as opposed to seeing KISS themselves live because I don’t want to see someone else wearing Ace’s makeup and playing his songs and solos.

NOTE TO LONGTIME READERS: Reviews coming of a few albums over the next week. I had to get this shit out of my system first. Thanks for your patience.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’”

That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Apparently willing to go a little further than her bandmates Miyabi and Momoko (who only learned a couple of riffs to “open” their Buono! performances), Massa Sudou decided to pick up an acoustic, learn some chords, and work on a very nice solo acoustic version of one of Berryz’ best singles, “Munasawagi Scarlet”.

Get this girl a nice Les Paul Custom and some Stooges and Kiss albums – it’s time she went on to the next level!

I said it when I reviewed Morning Musume’s last single:

“An upbeat A-side along the lines of “Koko Ni Irusee!” and “Mikan” can’t hurt for single #41…”

Well, they didn’t disappoint:

Admittedly, the higher-register vocals threw me off at first, but when the song started to pick up steam, I knew the band had another winner on their hands. Some of the stylistic vibe of the past couple of singles is still there, but the song is way upbeat – just what the doctor ordered. Then again, with a title like “Kimagure Princess”, I highly doubt a dirge more fitting for the second side of Black Flag’s My War album would have been an appropriate musical backing.

It’s going to be a long five-week wait for this single to drop…

And as long as I’m making predictions of a sort about Morning Musume records, I’ll go out on a (short) limb: New studio album by May of 2010. That’ll be enough time to let it be the soundtrack to my final weeks of bachelorhood and my first months of married life. I wouldn’t be surprised if a “9.5″-numbered mini-album was released in time for the holidays, too.

Happy Birthday to Morning Musume’s leader and one of my favorite MoMusus, Ai Takahashi! She’s 23 today!

How mindblowing is it that Takitty has gone from this, eleven years ago (a rare pre-Morning Musume TV appearance)…

…to this (Takitty’s first PV with MiniMoni, after she’d been in Morning Musume for at least a year)…

To, most recently, this. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, even though this blog focuses mainly on the music, as a hardcore Morning Musume fan I proudly present to you, via her latest PB, Ai Takahashi and her J-Pop Badonkadonk (and yes, you can click on the pic to see the aforementioned badonkadonk in non-thumbnailed form):

Having finally had a chance to take a good look and listen to Morning Musume’s new PV for their 40th single “Nanchatte Renai”, I would like to say in brief (because I’ll be giving a more detailed analysis when the actual single comes out) the following two things:

I like the song. They’re still on the same serious mode as the last two singles, which is fine.

I don’t like the hats. The rest of the outfits are fine (the black/white combo worked well for them in “Resonant Blue”), but those ugly little hats need to go.

And maybe Reina should go back to a lighter shade of brown hair for her next single. Just sayin’.

…Asami Kimura, ex-member of Country Musume, who turns 24 today:

…and to me, who turns 42 today (my last birthday as a bachelor!). AKB48′s new single “Namida Surprise”, with its appropriate chorus and bridge, came out just in time:

…and to the late great Ron Asheton of the Stooges, who would have been 61 today.

From last night’s Tony Awards… which also begs the question as to why these has-beens were invited to lip-sync to a twenty-year-old recording of themselves in the first place:

Cue that kid from The Simpsons pointing and saying “Ha-ha!”.

Yeah, I know, some of you are saying, “say what”? Didn’t TGML start up back in August of last year? What’s this “third anniversary” shit?

Well, three years ago, I started blogging seriously at the first version of MotokoAoyama.com in April of 2006. However, the exact start date is lost to the ages thanks to the business ineptitude of a webhost owned by a part-time hair metal oldies band drummer. For whatever reason, I didn’t commemorate the first anniversary of Stuck In A Pagoda, but decided last year to make April 11th the official anniversary to coincide with the day my fiancee and I witnessed seeing Iggy Pop & The Stooges at the Electric Factory on 4.11.07. The clip of the Stooges doing “TV Eye” below was shot two days beforehand in New York City.

And to cover the other half of this blog’s usual musical equation and remain with the live concert theme, a live version of one of the best singles Morning Musume has done (to date) in that same three-year time period. No slouch to the rest of the top notch material the band has done in that time period (“Eago YES Nude”, “Mikan”, “Kanashimi Twilight”, etc.), but the choice was easy because it happens to be the most played Morning Musume song on my iTunes:

I’m going to have to update that list I did last year for a later post.