2025 in 2025: Day 3

The Album - ABBA
Starting the day with ABBA feels sooooo good. I don't know if this album is underappreciated or anything, but turns out there are only 2 hit singles from it. That's odd, because this album is pure greatness. But then again, most ABBA albums are! I kind of see this album as being a little more theatrical, with songs like I'm a Marionette and I Wonder, which makes sense when I remember that is part of what makes up ABBA: The Movie. Which I have never seen. I should do that one day when I don't have 24,000 songs to listen to. Oh yeah, One Man, One Woman is grand.
Highlights: Take a Chance on Me, One Man One Woman, Thank You For the Music, I'm a Marionette
9/10

The Album - Blackpink
I was going to call them the queens of K-Pop, but I think that is 2NE1. So this makes them the princesses? Either way, this album is... somewhat disappointing? The singles are mostly awesome, but the collaborations with American artists are kinda lame. The production is top-notch, as expected, but I don't know - I just expected more from this album when it was released, given how awesome their singles are, and that attitude hasn't changed four years later.
Highlights: How You Like That, Lovesick Girls
6.5/10

Album of the Year - Faith No More
I tried to listen to this in full a couple of weeks ago and failed - I couldn't even make it halfway through. Today I have no choice. It starts off strong, but this album is peak 'Mike Patton is a wacky guy' levels of Faith No More. I preferred the Jim Martin and "gay disco" era, personally. I remember in 1997 seeing some live version of Ashes to Ashes where Patton screamed the chorus and it was actually badass, but I've never been able to find anything online since that comes close. There is some fun to be had here (Mouth to Mouth, Got That Feeling) and some decent songs, but overall I find this to be their most pretentious album. Which would explain why I enjoyed it back in 1997. Please file my report at the Faith No More Spiritual & Theological Centre.
Highlights: Mouth to Mouth, Ashes to Ashes, Got That Feeling
6/10

Ali G Indahouse Da Soundtrack - Various Artists
Again, this is simply Me Julie by Ali G & Shaggy. Fun comedy R'n'B from a fun comedy movie.
6/10

Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains
Remarkably, this is another album from that era that I recently revisited. Except in this case, I made it the whole way through; because under the dirge and ugly guitar tones and just straight up noise, there is a good album in here. This is a lot darker and grimier than their previous albums, and some of the songs do tend to go on a bit longer than they need to. And Layne Stayley sings like a man struggling under the weight of his heroin addiction. And it does kind of all start falling apart as the album goes on... The breakdown in Again still goes hard.
Highlights: Again, Grind, Brush Away, Sludge Factory - particularly that intro, special mention to the breakdown in Again (again)
7/10

Alive II - Kiss
Thanks to alphabet and naming conventions, this is the first 'Alive' album by Kiss that I will be listening to - Alive! will come last, thanks to that apostrophe in the name. Funny stuff. Anyways, this album is good. I've told you that before.
Highlights: Shock Me, I Stole Your Love, Rocket Ride, a whole bunch of stuff
8/10

Alive III - Kiss
Oh, more Kiss, you say? Don't mind if I do... Re-reading my post from Kissathon II, it's interesting how much I forgive Kiss for putting out live albums that are not really live. Like, it just is not a big deal to me at all. Because the Alive albums sound great.
Highlights: I Was Made For Lovin' You, Lick It Up, Forever, Detroit Rock City, God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II
8.5/10

Alive IV: The Millennium Concert - Kiss
Did you know: If I had used the official name for this album, it would have been in my queue after all the other Alive albums. Interesting. Or not. Anyways, I like this album more and more each time I listen to it, for reasons detailed here. Tempos annoyed the bejeebus out of this time around, as well, but I had to lift my rating for Do You Love Me? because this version is kicking my butt today.
Highlights: Deuce, Shout It Out Loud, Firehouse, Let Me Go Rock'n Roll, 100,000 Years, Love Gun, Black Diamond, Rock and Roll All Nite
8.5/10

Alive! - Kiss
And thus our first live Kiss marathon concludes. I'm sure I've listened to these four back-to-back before, but not in this order. Strange times we live in. Fun note: in my spreadsheet from Kissathon II, there is a note next to Nothin' To Lose that simply says "gene's vocals suck" like I wouldn't remember that. My love for Parasite just grows and grows - this version is pretty awesome, really. I've detailed this album before. Twice, even. And strangely, I have given it a different rating each time! That's the power of Kiss!!
Highlights: Damn-near most of the album, except for that drum solo in 100,000 Years (although I actually didn't find it that bad today)
9/10 

"Albums" listened to so far: 26

ALIVE II (1977)

This time, it's personal...

The main theme of this is these are live versions of great songs, and the live recordings are mostly inferior to the studio version. They are still enjoyable because they are good songs, but most just don't measure up to the original. There are some exceptions, such as Ladies Room, but then there are songs that go in the opposite direction - like a super fast crappy version of God of Thunder, complete with extended drum solo. Thankfully, this drum solo was edited to a listenable length, but it doesn't make the song much better.

That said, this album has grown on me over the years; I wasn't a fan my first few listens and then I just kind of left the discs in their case for many years. Not to mention I remembered the ending of I Want You to be much longer and far more annoying. However, giving the whole thing a better listen with Kissathon II has given me a new appreciation for the live tracks and the energy they have.

But that's not all! The album also has a handful of new studio tracks to entice Kiss fans into purchasing. They are all fairly standard, straight-forward Kiss songs. Except for Rocket Ride; Ace Frehley shows how awesome he is by closing out the album with one of his best songs ever.

Highlights:
Shock Me [Live], I Stole Your Love [Live], Rocket Ride

Lowlights:
God of Thunder [Live]


Verdict = 4 Smoking Les Paul Guitars

LOVE GUN (1977)

The shy young women gathered to hear from the world's best philosophers...

This album is a touch more consistent than the last couple. It opens with I Stole Your Love - which is probably the 2nd best opening song Kiss ever did. It has as much attitude as B.A. Baracus, but with dueling guitar solos so you know it means business! Christine Sixteen is a fun little sleazy Gene ditty about picking up high school girls or something. I'm not entirely sure; I didn't even pick up high school girls when I was in high school. Hell, I can't even pick up girls in general. Got Love For Sale is the most unappreciated gem in the Kiss catalogue. It has so much groove and coolness, yet people seem to forget it exists. Listen to it once and you'll be hooked like me. Or I'll hook your face with a pointy guitar!

Shock Me is Ace's first song on lead vocals and it is awesome. Because Ace is awesome and this song is awesome. Except for that time I saw Tommy Thayer singing it and had to boo. Tomorrow and Tonight has that obvious feel of 'we're trying to make an anthem here' but it doesn't quite work. Love Gun is one of the greatest Kiss songs ever. Wanna fight about it??

Hooligan is Peter's contribution and I really dig it. People like to hate on Peter Criss, but those people can fuck off; most of the time, his tracks were good and his vocals added something really different. Unlike Almost Human, which is basically God of Thunder part 2. I'm not overly fond of the first one, so an inferior reworking hardly lights my world on fire. Then we end with Plaster Caster - a super groovy classic track that was actually the 2nd Kiss song I ever learned and performed - and a cover of And Then She Kissed Me. Odd song to close things out, but the album still rules so take your complaints to Gene Simmons' accountant and Paul Stanley's zimmerframe.


Highlights:
I Stole Your Love, Got Love For Sale, Shock Me, Love Gun, Plaster Caster

Lowlights:
This album being considered inferior to Destroyer, when it rocks WAY harder


Verdict = 5 Smoking Les Paul Guitars