Page 8B
Top 10 Albums
1. Billy Joel — 52nd Street
2. Donna Summer —Live and
More
3. Steve Martin — A Wild and
Crazy Guy
4. Foreigner —Dou()/e Vision
5. Original Soundtrack —
Grease
6. Styx — Pieces of Eight
7. Barbra Streisand
Greatest Hits, Vol II
8. Neil Young — Comes a
Time
9. Linda Ronstadt — Living in
the U.S.A.
10. Rolling Stones — Some
Girls
Kiss produces four
By Bruce Meyer
United Press International
Four or five years ago, after they had adopted their black
costumes, explosive stage show and fright-mask makeup,
but before they were taken to heart by millions of American
kids, the members of Kiss had a plan.
The idea was, of course, to make it big as a rock ‘n’ roll
band — that was Phase One — but it would be merely the
first step. Once that part was accomplished, Kiss could do all
sorts of things, together and separately: music, movies, tele
vision, comics, what have you.
At the time, even to someone who recognized the market
ing genius that went into the spectacular Kiss show, the
whole thing seemed more like a pipe dream than a serious
plan.But in one of those spectacular success stories that
proves the old saw about selling the sizzle instead of the
steak, Kiss made it, and made it big, combining ultra-basic
music with elaborate razzle-dazzle showmanship that would
have done P.T. Barnum proud. Now they’ve been on the
tube, they’re in the comics and they’ve got a made-for-TV
movie set for release this fall.
Still, you can do only so much with one idea, and by last
year it was pretty clear to everyone that musically the Kiss
concept had been stretched much too thin.
Kiss had not released a new studio album in more than a
year, the show had stagnated and run out of technological
innovations; it was time for Phase Two of the plan.
So, during the past six months, all four members of the
individual albums
band have made solo albums. And those albums will proba
bly surprise a lot of people, even if it’s partly because almost
no one has ever taken them seriously as musicians.
Of the four, bassist Gene Simmons’ sounds most like a
Kiss album, sticking largely to the thunder-chord formula. But
as one of Hollywood’s new kids in town, he has drawn a great
list of guests, ranging from Donna Summer and Helen Reddy
to Bob Seger and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen — plu$,
of course, Simmons’ current companion, Cher.
The albums by Kiss drummer Peter Criss and guitarist-
lead singer Paul Stanley are predictable. Stanley has pro
duced a mainline hard rock album, adequate but hardly in
spiring, while Criss stays mostly with laid-back, bluesy bal
lads on the order of “Beth,” the decidedly un-Kisslike tune
that first broke the band on radio. Criss, at least, seems as
sured of a strong solo career.
The most pleasant surprise comes from lead guitarist Ace
Frehley — partly because no one knew quite what to expect
from Kiss’ resident space cadet. It turns out to be the best
album of the lot, a hard rocker with plenty of melody, as
tonishingly strong vocals and certainly the best single tune to
be found on any of the four records, a paean to the Big Apple
by Russ Ballard called “New York Groove.” One suspects
producer Eddie Kramer is due some of the credit here, but it’s
still Ace’s album and a well-deserved success.
But however the records could be ranked musically, they
amount to a four-part collection that few hard-core Kiss fans
will be willing to leave incomplete — which means four times
as many albums sold.
And that's part of the plan, too.
Eagles release Christmas single
By Robert Hilburn
' it- " He P la V ed f° r us ,ast September and I went crazy. I loved the
Los Angeles Times song. We knew it was perfect for Don to sing. There hasn’t been a
California’s best-selling chroniclers of urban malcontent, the decent Christmas record in a long time. So, we went ahead and
Eagles, have stepped away from their usual country-rock shadings recorded it.
for a sentimental slice of holiday rhythm and blues on their new Henley said he has liked the song ever since hearing it during his
single. high school days in Texas. After deciding to record it, he and Frey
The A side of the single is a remake of “Please Come Home for wrote “Funky New Year,” a mostly tongue-in-cheek tune about the
Christmas,” and early ’60’s regional success for singer Charles typical New Year’s Day hangover.
Brown. The flipside is an Eagles original titled “Funky New Year.” “We didn’t want to put anything from the new album on the back
Neither song will be on the band’s next album, due early next year. of the single so we thought we’d better write something to go with
“The record is an effort to comnpete with the Blues Brothers,” it,” he said. “Besides, we both know more about New Year’s than
quipped the Eagles’ Glenn Frey from Florida, where the quintet is we do about Christmas.”
working on the followup to Hotel California. Despite the authentic tone of “Please Come Home for Christ-
“They’re trying to recycle the ’60’s soul music,” Frey said, poking mas,” the Eagles’ wry outlook surfaces in the photo on the single’s
fun at comics John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd’s much-publicized jacket cover. It shows the band sitting glumly around a Miami
attempts at moving over into the music field. “And we didn’t want a swimming pool in the sunshine trying to get some comfort from a
couple of dilettantes to corner the market.” plastic Christmas tree.
Seriously now . . . Henley said the Eagles already have finished a dozen songs for
“We’ve always wanted to do a Christmas record,” he explained. the followup to “Hotel California,” the album that has sold nine
“Whenever we talked about it, Don (Henley) would mention the million copies and whose title track won a Grammy as best single
Charles Brown song. The last time he went to his mother’s house in record of 1977. The group is working against a Feb. 15 deadline
Texas, he dug it out of his old record collection in the attic. and hopes to be on the road by March or April.
Eagles