Rocket Ramblings

DID YOU KNOW?: KISS- THE ELDER

Following the footsteps of other bloggers, I've decided to try to introduce a few ongoing features here at Rocket Ramblings. The first of these is going to be "DID YOU KNOW?"

DID YOU KNOW? is going to be little tib-bits in Pop Culture that you may never have heard about.

So, I'm sure everyone has heard of KISS.

If you haven't... well... move on. You won't care about this.

The rest of you... I'm sure you know all about KISS' original days in make-up and their hard rock roots.

And you most likely know they delved into an attempt at some more exposure (and money) with a "disco" track (I Was Made For Loving You) on their 1979 album 'Dynasty'.

What you may NOT know, is that in 1981, the band released a concept album looking to expand their fan base and raise the sagging sales from their 1980 Album 'Unmasked'.

KISS was going through some transition in 1981. Their original drummer, Peter Criss, was no longer in the group, having been either booted out or had left on his own accord (depending on who is telling the story) due to some serious substance abuse problems (Criss had barely played on 1979's 'Dynasty' and not at all on 1980's 'Unmasked'). While the group was doing well overseas, their popularity in America was waining. Sales on 'Unmasked' were low and the tour didn't do as well as past tours. While the band debated internally about returning to a more heavier sound like their original albums (ie: Dressed to Kill) ... it was decided that a broader, and more artsist statement was needed to refresh the KISS ARMY (the name for the bands rabid fans) and lure in some new fans. Despite a loud protest by lead guitarist Ace Frehley, who hated the notion, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons (along with creative manager Bill Aucion) went ahead with a plan for a concept album in the vein of Pink Floyd's 'THE WALL'.

Having worked with Bob Ezrin (co-producer of 'THE WALL') before, the Band went into the studio with him... looking to create something that would renew America's interest in KISS.

What came from those sessions was 'MUSIC FROM THE ELDER'.

MUSIC FROM THE ELDER was a concept album that wrapped songs around a storyline that tells of a young boy who is recruited and trained by The Council of Elders (of the Order of the Rose), a mysterious group who is dedicated to combating evil in all forms. The Boy is trained and cared for by an elderly caretaker who goes by the name of Morpheus (sounds a little like the Matrix now that I think of it). The album's lyrics describe the journey, training, and mindset of the Boy as he travels and eventually arrives at the temple of the Elders, undergoings his training and prepares for whatever quest he'll be placed into.

When KISS played 'THE ELDER' for their management and record company, the reaction was fairly negative. No one could understand why the band would take such a dramatic step away from their normal sound and musical direction. Business manager Howard Marks refused to allow his company's name to even appear in the liner notes of the album. If KISS thought the record company's reaction was bad, they were totaly unprepared for their fan's reaction. They seemed to hate it. The backlash was loud and harsh. The ironic thing was that the music critics, who had been KILLING KISS for years, loved it. KISS got more positive reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone and other magazines/critics than they ever had before. However, the good reviews of the critics weren't enough. The album made only a brief appearance on the charts. After being released in November 1981, it peaked at #75 and was off the charts completely by February 1982.

The planned tour for the album went south too. The negitive reaction was so strong that plans for the tour were completely scrapped. The only real promotion for the album at all was an appearance on the tv show "Fridays" where they played three of the songs and one appearance at Studio 54 that Frehley refused to even participate in.

Frehley, who had disagreed with the concept in the first place, left the group over THE ELDER.

Rumors have flown for years stating that the original plan was that THE ELDER was actually to be a movie and that the album was only what it said it was: the music for the film. Whether or not this is true I really don't know. The album was also supposed to have dialouge (lines from the film's script?) weaved throughout the songs, but none of it made it to the final product. Only one song (the song "I") had any spoken words at all (at the end of the song, Morphus proclaims to the Elders that The Boy is ready for his mission).

Now for the ironic part. The die-hard KISS fans who lambasted the album and refused to buy it, killing the sales and the tour?

Well, they freaking LOVE it now.

Ask any hard KISS ARMY fanatic what his three favorite KISS albums are... and odds are, one of them will be THE ELDER.

The legend of the album grew and spread over the years following the 1981 release. At one point it was difficult to get a copy. Rumors about a film popped up as early as 1982 and lasted as long as the early 90s. The idea that there was a story behind the music eventually drew in fans of concept albums and Sword and Sorcery fans who were not normally familar with KISS' music.

I, myself, was introduced to THE ELDER by a friend in High School, Chris Sauer. Chris was (and still is) a HUGE KISS fanatic. He played the album for me back in 1986... and I loved it. It was dark and moody and very, very compelling. Like a lot of others, I was facinated by the idea that there was this huge saga-like storyline behind the music that had yet to see daylight.

Today, THE ELDER is fondly revered by KISS fans and requests for an "Elder-centric" tour have been constantly voiced over the last ten years. Despite the fact it caused a rift between the band (one that lasted for years) and was even denouced by all involved (Stanley, Simmons and Ezrin all admitted that idea was a HUGE mistake and all went on to blast the album years later) THE ELDER is a facinating page in the history on a group not known for their high concepts at the time.

Recommended tracks: Odyssey, The Oath, and A World without Heroes.