2025 in 2025: Day 191

It is Xmas time! And what better way to spend than listening to music endlessly? 

10,000 Volts - Ace Frehely

Well, it is Kissmas! So remembering the Ace man with his final album is probably the most fitting way to start the day. There is a lot of autotune on his vocals and his guitar solos are so awfully sloppy - especially on Back Into My Arms Again. That is the absolute worst attempt at a guitar solo I have ever heard Ace attempt. And I have watched numerous Kiss bootleg concerts where he was clearly bombed and playing like a drunken fool. HOWEVER, most of the songs themselves are really enjoyable and just Ace being awesome.. RIP Spaceman!!!

Highlights: Fightin' For Life, Up in the Sky, 10,000 Volts, Cosmic Heart

8/10

11 - Bryan Adams

BA moving further to the middle of the road with this one; not bad and there are a few songs that lift the intensity a bit, but overall most of it is kind of forgettable. Crazy that this is actually almost 20 years old now, and it is the most recent Bryan Adams album I own!

Highlights: She's Got a Way, The Way of the World, Broken Wings, Tonight We Have the Stars

7/10

11:11 Eleven Eleven - Regina Spektor

Ugh, it is Xmas - why am I wasting time listening to a zionist warbling about nothing? Because as great as a couple of the songs are, the rest is just super hipster folk jazz. She really was a great lyricist, though. But fuck her zionist nonsense and fuck israel, too!

Highlights: Back of a Truck, Braille, Buildings, 2.99 Cent Blues

6/10

12 Bar Blues - Scott Weiland

Ok, so this is what happens when your art rock student does not have blues rock musicians to make music with. You get a lot of weird noise and just bizarre songs. 

Highlights: Lady Your Roof Brings Me Down, Barbarella, Opposite Octave Reaction

6/10

14 Shots to the Dome - LL Cool J

This is some serious gangster stuff from Cool James. The man goes hard and lyrically still has some fire here.

Highlights: Funkadelic Relic, Pink Cookies in a Plastic Bag Getting Crushed by Buildings, Soul Survivor, Straight From Queens

7/10

And that is it for my Kissmas? I gots to go open some presents!

'Albums' listened to so far: 1925

Still 100 albums to go and only 6 days? This could be... interesting...

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2025 in 2025: Day 179

Travelling Without Moving - Jamiroquai

This is where they started to crossover between their acid jazz roots and fun with a little bit of pop. But those basslines are still the funkiest thing since I got up and funked the funky.

Highlights: Alright, High Times, Travelling Without Moving, Cosmic Girl

7/10

The Trip 7 - Various Artists

This must have been the final in 'The Trip' series. Surely? I mean, grunge was dead by now and this contains some pretty terrible stuff that could not be considered alternative whatsoever. But there are a few tracks I had on my music video collection back in high school. Only a few. That dude from Ash was a terrible singer.

Highlights: In the Meantime - Spacehog, Deb's Night Out - Shihad, Bluster - Salt, Rude Awakening - Prong

6.5/10

Trip the Light Fantastic - Sophie Ellis-Bextor

This is an album I forget about, but it is fairly solid and features many a disco beat. The slower ballad-type songs are also quite enjoyable.

Highlights: Can't Have It All, What Have We Started?, If You Go, If I Can't Dance

7/10

Tron: Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Daft Punk

One of the best film scores possible. Rather dark and brooding, with a dash of electronica thrown in. It really is the most electronic of musical pieces that are the strongest.

Highlights: Derezzed, Tron Legacy (End Titles), Arena, Nocturne

7/10

TROUBLE - Ayumi Hamasaki

Normally Ayu mini-albums/E.P.s are almost perfect and amazing, but this one is a bit average in parts. Which is not helped by her voice being run ragged from excessive touring and hearing problems. Ends spectacularly, however. I would have loved 2012 Ayu to record these songs instead.

Highlights: The way I am, W, aeternal

8.5/10

Trouble Walkin' - Ace Frehley

This album is so much better than it had any right being. And that is really saying something, coming from a massive Ace Frehley fan like me. I have written at length as to how much I love this album, yet I do not think I could ever convey it well enough. RIP Spaceman!!!

Highlights: Five Card Stud, Fractured III, Do Ya, Hide Your Heart

10/10

True - Spandau Ballet

It is only the title track and I am sitting here wondering how or why I have three copies of this song in different "albums"...

9/10

Turnstiles - Billy Joel

I am not saying this is peak Billy Joel, but it certainly is a solid album and conveys his best aspects. This album needs a genuine remix. Strangely, half of the song titles feature some place in the USA. Maybe it is a concept album about a dude on a road trip and he is recounting what was going on?

Highlights: Prelude/Angry Young Man, Miami 2017 (I've Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway), Say Goodbye to Hollywood, New York State of Mind

7.5/10

Twelve Stops & Home - The Feeling

Just straight up cheesy love songs and all-round fun pop rock. And I love it for that! They are all so masterfully crafted. 

Highlights: Fill My Little World, Love It When You Call, Strange, Never Be Lonely

8/10

Twentieth Century - Cold Chisel

There is somewhat of a punk influence in some of these tracks, but it also features one of their most iconic ballads and some of the best singing Barnesy did while in this group.

Highlights: Saturday Night, Flame Trees, No Sense, Only One

7/10

Twentysomething - Jamie Cullum

Perfect background music while you are waiting in the reception of your real estate agent's office. I might not call them the worst cover songs ever, but he sure was trying his best!

Highlights: the whitest way to listen to Jimi Hendrix

5/10

#TWICE - TWICE

The Japanese EP of early TWICE singles. Because it was super cheap and I had no idea who TWICE was in 2017 - this EP sure changed that. Now I am far too used to hearing these songs in their native Korean, but it is still the funnest 15 minutes of your life.

Highlights: CHEER UP (Japanese Ver.), KNOCK KNOCK (Japanese Ver.), Like OOH-AHH (Japanese Ver.)

8.5/10

Twisted Angel - LeaAnn Rimes

I only have the single Life Goes On. But two versions of it, because I am extra cool like that. I should probably just keep the non-country version, but we all know LOGMAN does not play like that...

Highlights: Life Goes On [Almighty Mix], Life Goes On

8/10

TWISTER - NICO Touches the Walls

They call this an EP, yet it is longer than some albums I have. Oh, I see - there is a bonus disc of the EP in acoustic form. The first half is definitely the better way to go!

Highlights: VIBRIO VULNIFICUS, SHOW, FRITTER, 来世で逢いましょう [Acoustic ver.]

6.5/10

Two Fires - Jimmy Barnes

This album is actually way better than I even remember it to be - a real solid blend of R&B with Barnesy's style of rock. Big hooks all over the show!

Highlights: When Your Love is Gone, Fade to Black, Sister Mercy, Little Darling

8/10

Tyrannosaurus Hives - The Hives

This is punk rock.

Highlights: Antidote, Abra Cadaver, B is for Brutus, Two-Timing Touch and Broken Bones

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1756

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2025 in 2025: Day 167

Soul Assassins II - Various Artists

DJ Muggs making phat beats with various MCs and singers... and all LOGMAN has is Xzibit and King T telling my sorry ass You Better Believe It. Gawdam X to the Z back in 2000 was awesome.

8/10

Soul Deep - Jimmy Barnes

An Aussie pub-rock legend shows his roots by banging out some classic R&B. And absolutely killing it. The production is a bit dated now, but overall these are some VERY good renditions.

Highlights: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher, When Something Is Wrong With My Baby, River Deep Mountain High, Signed Sealed Delivered (I'm Yours)

8/10

Soul Deeper - Jimmy Barnes

To celebrate the 10 years of Soul Deep probably being Barnesy's most popular album, he decided to do a follow-up. No super keyboard sounding strings, but also not entirely R&B this time and more just covers from the 60s. 

Highlights: Hold On I'm Coming, To Love Somebody, 634-5789, All the Young Dudes

7/10

Sound Loaded - Ricky Martin

This man and his Latin groove really jam. And this album influenced his work for 9/11, so extra points there! It is actually more fun than I recall.

Highlights: Loaded, Saint Tropez, She Bangs, The Touch, One Night Man

7/10

The Sound of Revenge - Chamillionaire

Of course this is only the hit song Ridin'. I think this might actually be the 'clean' version, which irritates me to no end. Which also tells me I do not listen to this song enough!

8/10

Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

A proper collaborative 'band' album instead of just James Murphy being solo like the debut album, which leads to quite a different sound. Massive extended sprawling instrumentals like it is The Cure doing electronica and hitting all the hipsters right in the feels. Nancy Whang saying "Get innocuous!" makes my day!

Highlights: All My Friends, Someone Great, Get Innocuous!, New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down

9/10

Sound-G Sign - Brown Eyed Girl

Welcome back to random K-Pop songs of the day! Very atypical of 2009 - this could easily be 2NE1 or any other group of the time that is not as good as them.

Highlights: Sign, Drunk on Sleep

6/10

The Sounds of Science - Beastie Boys

Another compilation where I took out everything I have elsewhere, because I should have all Beastie Boys. However, I have never owned Licensed to Ill or Some Old Bullshit, so I need some songs from those albums and the other random songs that are on here. Mostly the hardcore stuff. I have Aglio e Olio on vinyl. Still sealed. Someone pay me a million dollars for it.

Highlights: Slow and Low, Fight For Your Right, Soba Violence, Alive, I Want Some

8/10

South - Heather Nova

My iTunes has this labelled as "Alternative & Punk". While the lyrics for Virus of the Mind do speak to anti-conformity, they may be off a bit there with that assessment. This is pretty solid, if lacking the outright emotion of Oyster and Siren, and instead is a more mature acoustic pop album. A little happier in some ways. Definitely more of a "love" vibe.

Highlights: Just Been Born, Tested, Virus of the Mind, It's Only Love, Like Lovers Do

7.5/10

Space Invader - Ace Frehley

This album has really grown on me since Kissathon II; I thought it was pretty average at the time of release, but the more I have listened to it the more I just enjoy how much Ace rocks on it. 

Highlights: Starship, Past the Milky Way, Space Invader, Reckless

8/10

The Space Madness Sessions - Ryan Adams

We go from the coolest man ever making fun rock, to the douchiest douche making crappy alt country rock and in poor demo form. What a world. Is someone else singing here? Because some of these feature the worst singing since me.

Highlights: You must be joking

3/10

Spaceman - Ace Frehley

Yes more Ace Frehley! Hard to believe there are 4 years between this and Space Invader - it all feels very similar. Soar high in outer space, Ace!

Highlights: Bronx Boy, Mission to Mars, Quantum Flux, Rockin' with the Boys

8/10

Spacewalk: A Salute to Ace Frehley - Various Artists

"Insult to Ace Frehley" would be more accurate. While not as terrible as I remembered, it is still rather terrible. It at least ends with a super awesome song by Ace, so it has that going for it...

Highlights: Take Me to the City - Ace Frehley

5/10

The Spaghetti Incident? - Guns N' Roses

GnR doing covers is fine and all, but Duff unleashing his punk was truly a revelation to teenage LOGMAN. So while the general public felt personally offended by such an obvious waste of time, LOGMAN decided this was cool and was probably the first Guns N' Roses CD I ever bought. 

Highlights: New Rose, Ain't It Fun, Down on the Farm, Hair of the Dog

8/10

Spawn: The Album - Various Artists

A expansion of the Judgement Night soundtrack concept, except this time it was teaming up alt bands with electronic artists. And not nearly as consistently good. A bit too focused on the electronic side, which featured artists that were not very good and results in stuff sounding VERY dated.

Highlights: One Man Army - The Prodigy & Tom Morello, (Can't You) Trip Like I Do, Kick the P.A. - Korn & The Dust Brothers, Torn Apart - Stabbing Westward & Wink

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1580

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2025 in 2025: Day 160

The Scandalous Sex Suite - Prince

Remixes of Scandalous from the Batman soundtrack. One has a big extended guitar solo, one has Kim Basinger talking like Prince is trying to mack on her.

Highlights: That big guitar solo?

6.5/10

Scary Monsters - David Bowie

80s Bowie is just a lot of fun with his oddity. And funky basslines. 

Highlights: Ashes to Ashes, Fashion, Kingdom Come, Teenage Wildlife

7/10

Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters

Is this gayest album of 2004? Turning Pink Floyd into a club dance song would certainly suggest that. The whole thing just constantly switches between Elton John doing 70s pop and late 90s club remixes. 

Highlights: Music is the Victim, Take Your Mama Out, Filthy/Gorgeous, Laura

6.5/10

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists

Super hipster indie rock all the way, but some of it is pretty good. Especially the songs performed by the bands in the movie. I would totally go to a Sex Bob-omb concert.

Highlights: We Are Sex-Bob-omb - Sex Bob-omb, Black Sheep - Metric, Teenage Dream - T-Rex, Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene

6.5/10

Scoundrel Days - a-ha

More of the usual from these dudes, somewhat darker? It was the mid-90s, so everyone was on that kick, but it is still kind of a mature pop thing.

Highlights: Cry Wolf, Manhattan Skyline, Scoundrel Days, The Swing of Things

7/10

Scream & Shout [Single] - will.i.am

It says Britney Spears is here, but is that her doing the British speaking voice? Repetitive trash. Which could apply to almost every song by will.i.am or Britney Spears.

4/10

Sea Change - Beck

This was the album that got me interested in Beck; it is more acoustic and introspective than anything else he had released to that point, and that was the sort of thing I saw myself doing. There are some good songs, but some of it is a bit... uninteresting. All very chill. Particularly compared to his other work.

Highlights: Sunday Sun, Lost Cause, Lonesome Tears

6/10

Second Sighting - Frehley's Comet

Nothing as catchy as the debut Frehley's Comet album, but still pretty decent Ace Frehley rock album. His style never changes. And that was a good thing. RIP Ace!!!

Highlights: Insane, It's Over Now, Loser in a Fight, Juvenile Delinquent

7/10

Secret - Ayumi Hamasaki

Big beats. Big strings. Big rock guitars. Big hooks. Big ballads. Big feels. Big anthems. If I ever met an Ayu fan that did not love this album, I would be big skeptical of them. 

Highlights: Startin', Born to Be..., kiss o' kill, BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters

9/10

Secret Samadhi - Live

This was Live trying to be a bit darker and edgier and just ending up being noisier and messier. And half these songs genuinely sound the same. Some really lame lyrics and even lamer guitar solos.

Highlights: Graze, Lakini's Juice, Gas Hed Goes West

6/10

SEE YOU - BiSH

Ah I missed BiSH! BiSH is OVER episode something seven? For every great month, there was a really average month. This was one of the latter.

Highlights: I am wasting my time with this marathon when I could be listening to better BiSH

6/10

Seeker Lover Keeper - Seeker Lover Keeper

Three of Australia's top indie folk women unite to make a super group of indie folk women and the result is... amazing lyrics and killer harmonies. I would say it is possibly a little underwhelming, but honestly it is pretty much what it says it is on the box. And I will always have all the heart emojis for Sarah Blasko.

Highlights: Even Though I'm a Woman, Light All My Lights, Bridges Burned, We Will Know What It Is

7/10

Send Away the Tigers - Manic Street Preachers

The most consistent rock album by the Manics. It is just straight up Summer rock, like they have been listening to ELLEGARDEN all Summer like me! Except Summer is only just beginning. And replace actual Summer lyrics with a communist manifesto.

Highlights: Your Love Alone is Not Enough, Indian Summer, The Second Great Depression, Rendition, Autumnsong

9/10

Seventeen Seconds - The Cure

Well, this sure is a change of pace. The REAL first album by The Cure. Lots of dark space and atmosphere and clean guitars.

Highlights: A Forest, Seventeen Seconds, Play For Today

7/10

SEX AND LOVE - Enrique Iglesias

Enrique and every guest artist he could find! And Pitbull just hanging around as usual. Some of this is just by the numbers, but some of it is a full on PARTY! And the ballads are pretty much all perfection.

Highlights: Bailando, There Goes My Baby, El Perdedor, Physical, Heart Attack

7/10

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

I gave a detailed review of this album waaaay back in the day! And I still maintain it is overrated.

Highlights: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, With a Little Help from My Friends, Sgt, Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1485

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2025 in 2025: Day 146

Psychic Lover - PSYCHIC LOVER

LOGMAN's gateway drug to Japanese rock! And it is not that I forget how awesome they are, it is more that I end up forgetting to just put them on and rock out. This album seems to be mostly anime-related songs and themes, but I do not care. They could be commercial tunes and I would still love them. 冒険王ビィト! is genuinely one of the most feelgood songs on the planet.

Highlights: 冒険王ビィト!, 冒険者 ON THE ROAD (Album Version), TAKE MY SOUL FOREVER, 特捜戦隊デカレンジャー

8.5/10

Psychic Lover II - PSYCHIC LOVER

It is going to be a full on PSYCHIC LOVER morning. And I am thankful for that! More shredding guitars and massive gang vocals and raising my fist in the air. Holy balls to the wall that opening riff in SWAT ON デカレンジャー is ridiculous! This album may actually be even more consistently awesome than their first!

Highlights: LOST IN SPACE, SWAT ON デカレンジャー, WONDER REVOLUTION, 鼓動 -get closer-, LET'S TRY TOGETHER

9/10

PSYCHIC LOVER III -WORKS- - PSYCHIC LOVER

More, you say?!? This is more of a compilation of random songs and remixes and even a couple of solo songs by each member. 

Highlights: NO NAME HEROES, SURVIVAL, いざ行け! ビートル, デカレンジャーアクション

8/10

Psychic Lover IV -BEST- - PSYCHIC LOVER

Quick note of honesty; this was the actual album, but then I shed it of everything except the 'new' songs. Then added a few singles that were later released in different versions. IMAJO is phenomenal.

Highlights: Prisoner, FLASHBACK, JUMP!

9/10

PSYCHIC MANIA - PSYCHIC LOVER

And we are not done yet! Another compilation that was originally two-discs, but again I removed the stuff already in my library, to make a more streamlined compilation that kicks even more booty. If only they had named their last studio album Psychic Lover V as well... Oh well, at least I will get to hear that next week!

Highlights: タギルチカラ!, Duet してください (斉木ックラバー ver.), Searching for Truth, 特捜戦隊デカレンジャー 10 YEARS AFTER

9/10

Psycho Circus - Kiss

I have all but given up actually writing proper reviews, so please read my most read Kiss review! I think some Brazilian Kiss fan group shared it for some reason. Big Tommy Thayer haters and felt my pain? RIP Ace!!!

Highlights: Into the Void, Raise Your Glasses, Psycho Circus, I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll

7/10

Psycho Circus Live Bonus Disc - Kiss

Post-reunion tour Kiss is an interesting beast. This is where it became more gimmick than ever. Still a decent listen, though. I really need to watch some Kiss concerts this weekend.

Highlights: Let Me Go Rock & Roll, 100,000 Years, Black Diamond

7/10

Psyclone - Jimmy Barnes

This may well be my first time listening to this album. Something about mid-90s Barnesy just never grabbed me; he seemed to reject the awesome pop hooks and had clearly been listening to some alternative music. And I do not like the way his vocals are produced. This is very straight-forward rock; the guitars and drums all sound the same the whole way through.

Highlights: Change of Heart, Stumbling, Because You Wanted It

6.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1326

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R.I.P. Ace Frehley

I am taking a break from the iTunes library marathon this afternoon, as I just heard the news about Ace Frehley. And I am not sure how I can focus on making fun of the lame music I listen to.

I grew up a bit of a Kiss fan, but it wasn't until High School that my friends and I really got in to them. Then by the time the reunion tour hit town, I became a full-fledged member of the Kiss Army and Ace Frehley was king. As I got more in to playing guitar, learning and jamming along to Kiss songs was paramount to improving my fledging abilities. But also, they were an absolute blast! I even started watching old live footage and mimicking Ace's on stage choreography, then trying it out while jamming on my own at home. Because that is what makes life great.

When we met with a record producer back in 2002, he asked me my thoughts on a whole bunch of stuff and I simply replied "So long as I get to go on stage and act like Ace Frehley, I'm happy". I was never the best guitarist or even tried to be; I just wanted to be able to play like Ace and attempt to be as cool. But nobody was as cool when playing the guitar.

Back in 2015, the day after my 35th birthday, I had the opportunity to go see Ace live in concert - and attend a meet and greet. I took along an old magazine from around 1998 in the hopes he could sign the fold-out poster of Ace with his Les Paul. His reaction was something like "What the hell is this?" and then he showed it to his bodyguard, both enjoying how cool it was, before signing the poster and the cover. Then I gave him a birthday card (it was his birthday 2 days later) and told him how much of an influence he had been on me. I know he heard that stuff all the time, and I'm sure he did not care at all, but it honestly was one of the coolest moments being able to talk to someone that I considered a massive guitar hero. Then he and his band absolutely tore the house down and it was awesome. And loud!

For some reason, I had been thinking that this day would come - and I had been dreading it. I was hoping I might get the opportunity to see him in concert again, maybe attend another meet and greet before he was gone. But sadly, that was not to be.

The original Spaceman has now left us to return to his home planet. This one may have been his temporary home, but he made our world a better place with his music and influence. Here's to you, Ace!

2025 in 2025: Day 139

Orion - Ryan Adams

I do not think he used a fake name for this one, right? And for good reason; it is probably a bit more solid than the ones he did that way. Clearly put more effort in. It is not metal like he claimed, but that suits me fine. More of a 70s prog rock concept album about battles in outer space. Some seriously great riffs all around.

Highlights: Fire and Ice, Imminent Galactic War, By Force, End of Days

6.5/10

The Other Side of the Coin - Ace Frehley

This is a bootleg of Ace Frehley demos from the 80s and 90s. Most are pretty much what you would expect from bootleg demos, but at least it has Back in to My Arms Again, which is from 1984 and he finally recorded a proper studio version 40 years later... and it is awful. The demo is a million times better. We will get to the modern version at the tail end of this marathon... Some of this stuff sounds like Ace was auditioning for Devo.

Highlights: Take Me to the City, Back in to My Arms Again, Into the Night

6/10

Otras Canciones - George Harrison

I really have no idea what this compilation is. Half the titles are just Titulo desconocido and all the songs are in poor quality. Some rare songs, some single versions, some songs repeated. Clearly a messy bootleg, this one!

Highlights: The sheer randomness

6/10

Our Secret Spot - the HIATUS

The tamest album from the Hiatus. It was released right before the ELLEGARDEN reunion tour started, so I get the feeling it was a bit rushed and maybe lacked a bit of effort. Between the Black and Grey was released a year later, so clearly my man had a lot going on. 

Highlights: Servant, Back on the Ground, Firefly / Life in Technicolor, Get Into Action

7/10

Our Version of Events - Emeli Sandé

This is just the song Next to Me. I ended up with this by chance, but that is good because it is a pretty cool song.

8/10

Out of Control - Peter Criss

For some reason, I remembered this being not so great. I even remembered my Kissathon II review as saying it was bad. I listened today, and I thought it was pretty good. Then I read my Kissathon II review, and I scored it about what I would now. Except I would be much less harsh on the production? So I would be less funny? Sounds about right.

Highlights: There's Nothing Better, My Life

6/10

Out of Here - Corduroy

An album that genuinely changed my life - it really altered how I approach funk guitar and my own playing in general. This and Jamiroquai's A Funk Odyssey were insanely influential at the time. As much as I dig their funk-jazz instrumentals and fake movie scores, adding vocals just took these guys to the next level for me. Adding beautiful melody lines and harmonies? Killer stuff. Not literally, or the 3,000 of us that bought this album would be long dead...

Highlights: Don't Wait For Monday, Practice What You Preach, Out of Here, The Diceman, Motorhead

9/10

Out of the Light - Brian May

The bonus disc for the Back to the Light reissue. Some instrumentals, some live songs, all good times. Hearing him and Slash go back to back like that kind of makes Slash sound bad. 

Highlights: Too Much Love Will Kill You [Guitar Version], 39/Let Your Heart Rule Your Head [Live], Too Much Love Will Kill You [Live], Driven By You [Cozy and Neil Version '93]

7/10

Out of the Vein - Third Eye Blind

This album rocks to hard... for the first half. It is just big powerful banger after big powerful banger, hook after hook, fist in the air and screaming along! Then the second half is all totally chilled out and kind of repetitive and less inspired? Except for Company. That song still goes kind of hard.

Highlights: Blinded, Forget Myself, My Hit and Run, Faster

8/10

Outside - David Bowie

Yes, I know the album title is actually 1.Outside. I will fix it later. But that is the least of this album's concerns. The whole thing is a mash of weird industrial and prog and electro crazy and should be listened to in the dark.

Highlights: We Prick You, Outside, Hallo Spaceboy, Strangers When We Meet

5/10

Outtakes and Demos - Queen

Another self-compiled collection of tracks from the Queen reissues. Quite interesting for the most part. I would like a proper version of Feelings Feelings if they have it somewhere. 

Highlights: Feeling Feelings [Take 10], Sail Away Sweet Sister  [Take 1 with Guide Vocal], Football Fight [Early Version - No Synths!], The Hero [Revisited Version]

6.5/10

The Overture & The Underscore - Sarah Blasko

About as lo-fi as a chill indie record could ask for. And without being all that negative or depressing. However, it is the darker songs that really shine on this album. Blasko often sings with a very breathey style, but I really dig when gets a bit more forceful. And her lyrics are genuinely topshelf.

Highlights: Beautiful Secrets, Don't U Eva, Sweetest November, Remorse

7/10

Oyster - Heather Nova

Talk about influential albums! So much emotion and passion wrapped up in acoustic songs, layered with beautiful harmonies, solid rhthym and very moody guitars. Honestly, when I was 20, this was the album I wanted to make.

Highlights: Walk This World, Walking Higher, Maybe An Angel, Doubled Up, Island

8.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1248

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2025 in 2025: Day 138

One of the Boys - Katy Perry

Before she became so incredibly insufferable, Katy Perry was making bubblegum pop-rock with Alanis Morissette's main collaborator. And boy does it show! This stuff is way more guitar-based than anything she has done since and sounds like Alanis doing a pop album or something. Luckily, most of the songs are actually VERY good, even if the lyrics are a bit immature. 

Highlights: Waking Up in Vegas, Thinking of You, I Kissed a Girl, Hot N Cold

7/10

One Sweet Day - Rumble Fish

Random K-Pop ballad. And not a boy band? This one is called You Really Are. It is good.

7.5/10

One Way Ticket to Hell...And Back - The Darkness

I generally like this album as a follow up to Permission to Land. It still rocks really hard, but is a little less 'old school' in its approach. But they changed bassist for this one, and their original guy (who has since returned) is awesome, so that loses points. 

Highlights: One Way Ticket, Is I Just Me?, Hazel Eyes, Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

8/10

One World - PASSPO☆

This album rocks. I wrote lots about it before, so I will instead use my brain power to do other things... like listen to this without writing. 

Highlights: Next Flight, WING, 2DAYS, Tap My Toe

8/10

The Open Door - Evanescence

I was going to be all 'how did I end up with this album?', but then Call Me When You're Sober hit and I was like 'oh yeah, this song is really good'. The rest? Not my bag at all.

Highlights: Call Me When You're Sober

6/10

Open Up And Say... Ahh! - Poison

Peak hair metal! There really is nothng metal about this music, but boy we sure thought it was heavy metal when I was a kid. Who cares? It is as fun as a banana split. Especially this album; it is mostly super cheesy and upbeat and a total party.

Highlights: Nothing But a Good Time, Fallen Angel, Your Mama Don't Dance, Back to the Rocking Horse

7.5/10

Opiate - Tool

This is the most normal alt. rock recordings Tool ever did. And, susequently, is probably the only work of theirs that I still think is fun. Fun like a Limp Bizkit album. I like fun.

Highlights: Hush, Jerk-Off (Live), Opiate, Cold and Ugly (Live)

7.5/10

Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

This is just Electric Feel. I do not know anything else by these guys. I do not even know how I ended up with this song in my library.

7/10

Orange Sunshine - JUDY AND MARY

A little less raw crazy punk, a little more polished crazy punk. All very fun, if not all that memorable, but probably the sort of thing that grows on you with more listens.

Highlights: Radio, Cheese Pizza

7/10

Orbital Period - BUMP OF CHICKEN

This album is kind of a bit more epic than their other works - a lot more big ballady-type things. A couple of songs that almost had me thinking I was listening to RADWIMPS. Overall, I actually really dig it.

Highlights: メーデー, supernova, 花の名, Believe

7/10

Orgazmo: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists

This is only Now You're a Man by DVDA - the band of Matt Stone and Trey Parker. They should just put out an album of DVDA songs. Also, please note that Orgazmo is their best movie, outside of Baseketball.

8/10

Origins Vol. 1 - Ace Frehley

Ace and a whole bunch of his friends cover a lot of classic 60s and 70s rock. Including Kiss. Seems unnecassary, but it is Ace so I will take it gladly. Even if all of this is not that exciting. Mike McCready's guitar solo on Cold Gin sounds like he recorded it on his phone and emailed it to Ace in 128kps Mp3 form.

Highlights: White Room, Spanish Castle Magic, Rock and Roll Hell

6.5/10

Origins Vol. 2 - Ace Frehley

Ace is back with more special guests and cover songs from the 60s and 70s, but with less Kiss? Mostly the same guests and same artists being covered. I think he has mentioned he wants to do another Origins album. I hope he does not.

Highlights: Never in My Life, I'm Down, Jumpin' Jack Flash

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1235

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2025 in 2025: Day 114

Live + 1 - Frehley's Comet
Ace and his band live - not really a lot to say. Except that I would likely rate the Greatest Hits Live album a bit higher. Oh, and the studio track is very good.
Highlights: Words Are Not Enough
7/10

Live Acoustic E.P. - Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan and a piano performing what sounds like a VERY small group of people. Nothing wrong with any of it, whatsoever.
Highlights: Building a Mystery
6.5/10

Live at Avatar Studios - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
It is all the between-song banter that I enjoy most. I would trade all the extended Grateful Dead-inspired jam endings for another few minutes of yelling out random stupid things like JIMMY HACKEYSACK and RHODA RO. I like Easy Tiger, so this is an Easy Pleaser for me. And that end solo for I Taught Myself How to Grow Old is amazing.
Highlights: I Taught Myself How to Grow Old, Goodnight Rose, Magnolia Mountain, Everybody Knows
7/10

Live at Glam Slam 1992 - Prince
This was part of the Diamonds and Pearls reissue a couple of years ago. It is a killer performance and Rosie Gaines is a the second star of the show. Prince is number one, of course. Some big long funky jams and high energy new jack swing action.
Highlights: Diamonds and Pearls, Jughead, 1999/Baby I'm a Star/Push, Cream/Well Done/I Want You/In the Socket
8/10

Live at The Apollo, Vol. II - James Brown
Bah gawd this album is just about the cold hard funkiest live album ever recorded. So many jams, I am sure everyone in the band got a couple of solos throughout. And those beats! You can not have hip-hop without sampling some of that.
Highlights: There Was a Time, Bring It Up, Sweet Soul Music, Maybe the Last Time
8.5/10

Live at the BBC - The Beatles
A very fine collection of The Beatles performing their early hits and some rock'n roll classics. It is a great showcase of how talented they were as musicians. And hilarious dudes all round, because the between-song banter is generally hilarious.
Highlights: Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby, Ticket to Ride, Matchbox, Slow Down, Honey Don't
7/10

Live at the BBC, Vol. 2 - Queen
This is a little LOGMAN collection of the extra BBC tracks found on all the reissue bonus discs. I would just get the On Air set, but I am really only missing a few now and I am sure they will be reissued in other ways. 
Highlights: We Will Rock You [Fast Version], Spread Your Wings, See What a Fool I've Been, Flick of the Wrist
8/10

Live at the Brixton Academy - Faith No More
Mike Patton sounds like he has cold or is just a terrible singer. I am guessing the latter. The funny thing is when he actually tries to sing something properly he sounds a million times better! I mean, this is just garbage. Wait - there are two bonus studio tracks? In 30 years this is my first time realising that. Perhaps even teenage LOGMAN could not make it through how bad this album was to hear them?
Highlights: The Cowboy Song
4/10

Live at the Rainbow: 31 March 1974 - Queen
More live Queen? Yes please! Especially this performance; Queen II is one of the greatest albums ever, so getting an actual concert from the tour supporting that album is great. And it is a pretty darn impressive performance - they sound absolutely massive and just nail everything.
Highlights: White Queen (As It Began), Father to Son, Ogre Battle, Son and Daughter
8/10

Live at the Rainbow: November 1974 - Queen
And Queen return some 8 months later to promote their Sheer Heart Attack album. Good for them! It is a little lacking compared to the previous show, but it is still pretty great. And boy this crowd are Jonesing for Liar the whole show. Pretty funny when Freddie just gives up trying to introduce it, because the crowd just will not stop yelling about it.
Highlights: The March of the Black Queen, Stone Cold Crazy, In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited
7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 995

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2025 in 2025: Day 88

Greatest Hits - Ice Cube

This is purely You Can Do It, because this song is one helluva a badass track. I should have the full album, or at least more Ice Cube, probably.

9/10

Greatest Hits - Falco

You know the drill; this is just Rock Me Amadeus and... Putting on the Ritz? That's not even a Falco song. This version of Rock Me Amadeus seems to be some sort of remix. Clearly I need to sort this out...

8/10

Greatest Hits - Bob Seger

An actual full album - though I do hesitate to call a greatest hits compilation an album. Bob Seger is highly underrated. I am not saying that he is the greatest rocker ever or anything like that, but he has some seriously fantastic songs that should be played on classic rock radio stations a lot more. For those weirdos that still listen to radio stations.

Highlights: Hollywood Nights, Still the Same, Night Moves, Against the Wind

7/10

Greatest Hits - Aretha Franklin

Bah gawd this woman could sing. This contains a whole lot of cover songs, but also a nice range of her soul classics and 80s jams. I think I may actually prefer the Blues Brothers version of Think.

Highlights: I Knew You Were Waiting, Respect, Like a Natural Woman, Rock Steady

7/10

Greatest Hits - Diana Ross

This is purely I'm Coming Out, which is a glorious display of funk and pop and dance.

10/10

Greatest Hits - 2Pac

Surprisingly, I have never really been much of a 2Pac fan. However, I have Changes and All About U, because they are killer. Changes is definitely better than that Van Morrison song.

10/10

Greatest Hits - Joe Tex

This is just Ain't Gonna Bump No More - which may well be the funnest funky song on the planet. How have I never heard more Joe Tex?

10/10

Greatest Hits III - Queen+

This is basically the Queen+ portion of the album, since I have all the rest elsewhere. But why has No One But You not been released elsewhere?

Highlights: The Show Must Go On (Live w/Elton John), Somebody to Love (Live w/George Michael), No One But You

9/10

Greatest Hits Live - Ace Frehley

When I did Kissathon II, these songs had been split across a couple of older Ace Frehley compilations. It has since been released as its own album, so it is nice to have them all in once place - even if it is clearly two different concerts. The two bonus studio tracks are the absolute best songs.

Highlights: One Plus One, Give it to Me Anyway, Shock Me (Live), Stranger in a Strange Land (Live)

8/10

Greatest Hits Live - Split Enz

Not sure how I ended up with this, but it is purely Six Months in a Leaky Boat. I would be interested to hear the rest of the album. And my library certainly needs more Split Enz.

9/10

Greatest Hits Vol. 1 - KoЯn

Thank Prime this is just their cover of Word Up! Which is vastly inferior to both the original and the Gun cover. That version rocks the cocks!

7/10

Greatest Kiss - Kiss

I have said it before and I will say it again, but this is the best Kiss compilation. And while I have all these songs on their respective albums, I will never remove this from my library, because sometimes you just need an awesome Kiss compilation to get you in the groove.

Highlights: The Whole Kit and Caboodle

10/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 727

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2025 in 2025: Day 75

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

A whole bunch of super cool riffs. These dudes were the kings of the mid-00s indie rock sound... for about 6 months.

Highlights: Jazqueline, Take Me Out, Auf Achse, Michael

8/10

Freaks (Radio Edit) [Single] - Timmy Trumpet & Savage

Savage has such a rad voice. And this song is still surprisingly enjoyable.

8/10

The Freddie Mercury Album - Freddie Mercury

What better way to cash in on a rock legend's death by releasing a compilation of solo songs and remixes a year after his passing? I still remember when The Great Pretender was released and people were shook at seeing Freddie without his moustache again. 

Highlights: In My Defence (Ron Nevison Mix), Barcelona, The Great Pretender, Time (Nile Rodgers Mix), Mr. Bad Guy (Brian Malouf Mix)

8/10

FREE URSELF [Single] - Prince

I won the gamble on this one.

9/10

The Freedom Sessions - Sarah McLachlan

Very chilled - even by Sarah McLachlan standards. Mostly acoustic versions of songs that I will listen to next week? So let's see what I think of them then!

Highlights: Mary, Good Enough, Ice Cream, Ol' 55

6.5/10

Frehley's Comet - Frehley's Comet

It feels like forever since I had some Kiss, so getting some Ace is a very welcome kick after the chill-ness of most of this morning's playlist. I don't think I mentioned this last time, but the original version of Into the Night was actually in an episode of Miami Vice. They should have used the Frehley's Comet version to make the show even more perfect.

Highlights: Rock Soldiers, Into The Night, Calling to You, Stranger in a Strange Land

8/10

Freight Train Heart - Jimmy Barnes

Fun fact: American Idol's Randy Jackson played bass on half of this album - I'm guessing it was when he was part of Journey, because they played on half of this album as well. They killed it. Bah gawd Driving Wheels just has the most driving rhythm section and kicks lots of butt. This whole album does, actually. 

Highlights: Driving Wheels, Last Frontier, Walk On, Seven Days

9/10

The Freightwhaler Sessions - Freight Whaler

How does it work having the name spelt two different ways? We are unable to agree on the spelling? Are DRA fans just annoying like that? This is actually... very good.

Highlights: Bar Lights, The Ghosts are Out Tonight, Sometimes That's Hard to Do

7.5/10

Friction, Baby - Better Than Ezra

I used to have this album, but then traded it in, because it is not very good. But I kept one song - Desperately Wanting. Because it IS very good.

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 616

2025 in 2025: Day 53

Destroyer - Ryan Adams

Not a cover of the Kiss album. That is disappointing. What it is instead is very low-fi acoustic alt country and it is all very fine. There is some weird synth or something in Bartering Lines. And then it all ends with a song that sounds like it is absolutely not from the same sessions, because it sounds like The Cardinals making noise rock complete with way too much wah.

Highlights: Born Yesterday, Poison and Pain, Memories of You

7/10

Destroyer - Kiss

Oh, this is the album I was after! Detroit Rock City is so awesome. So is King of the Night Time World. And the rest of the album. I must be in one of those moods this morning, because this album is hitting all the right notes for me today. 

Highlights: Detroit Rock City, King of the Night Time World, God of Thunder, Shout it Out Loud, Do You Love Me

9/10

Destroyer (45th Anniversary Super Deluxe) - Kiss

I actually kind of did talk about this before, but I'm willing to do it again. Manly because I have removed all the demos and stuff that I did not want to listen to again. Maturity is realising you don't need every song in the world in your iTunes library. This acoustic remix of Beth is good until that synth kicks in - very unnecessary. And I really dig Ain't None of Your Business - darn cool song! The rest of this is just the Destroyer album in various single edits and early mixes and even instrumentals. Beats listening to demos of bad Gene songs, I guess.

Highlights: Shout it Out Loud [Single Edit], Do You Love Me? [Alternate Mix], Ain't None of Your Business

7/10

Destroyer {Resurrected} - Kiss

Am I sick of this album yet? Luckily, listening to the {Resurrected} version is like listening to it with fresh ears. I think I like this version of Sweet Pain a little more? And not just because Ace 's guitar solo has been restored. I mean, you should always choose Ace Frehley guitar solos over everything. Actually, this mix of Beth is better as well - they've mixed in a little bit more acoustic guitar to fill things out nicely. Honestly, today has transformed my opinion on this album; I've generally considered it overrated, and while it is still not my favourite Kiss album, it is still better than you. Unless you are LA Park? Or Dr. Wagner, Jr.

Highlights: Sweet Pain (2012 Remix)

10/10 once I remove Rock and Roll Party and the Ace-less version of Sweet Pain

Details - Frou Frou

Imogen Heap was totally the 'it' girl back in 2005, right? And it felt like Guy Sigsworth was everywhere doing everything with everyone. I don't think I have listened to this since 2005... It feels like I might have some sort of deluxe version, because this album totally runs out of steam after 10 tracks and just gets really self-indulgent. But those first 10 tracks are awesome. It's no Destroyer, but it is a great collection of electronic pop music.

Highlights: Breathe In, Let Go, Only Got One, Shh

7/10

Devil's Night - D12

Another album I probably have not listened to since 2003. I totally dug Eminem back in the day, and thought this album would be cool. It is a bit too rude for me - I don't dig all the gross sex talk and what not. When that isn't going on, the songs are fun. How is it he mentioned him in a million songs but Eminem can not get that it is Christophe Reeve not Reeves? I need to seek out the radio version of Purple Pills - pretty sure it was called Purple Hills and Bizarre's rap was way different. Proof was the best rapper of the crew and his voice was cool. There are a lot more homophobic slurs than I remember.

Highlights: Shit Can Happen, That's How, Purple Pills, Instigator, Obie Trice (Skit), Revelation

6.5

"Albums" listened to so far: 413

2025 in 2025: Day 47

The Craft: Music from the Motion Picture - Various Artists

This is a whole bunch of 90s artists covering a bunch of 'classic' songs. Luckily for me, this includes a few of my favourite artists! We get Our Lady Peace doing a fairly standard remake of The Beatles' epic Tomorrow Never Knows, Letters to Cleo doing a song by The Cars, and then crap like Tripping Daisy completely ruining Jump Into the Fire. Bah gawd the LCD Soundsystem cover is a million times better, as is the original. But the real highlights are Heather Nova covering Peter Gabriel's I Have the Touch and some band called Love Spit Love performing the theme from Charmed! Yes, that is how I best knew the song and this version; it wasn't until many years later that someone told me it was actually a song by The Smiths. I like this version. I like Charmed. I have been meaning to watch that again - I never actually watched seasons 7 and 8...

Highlights: I Have the Touch - Heather Nova, How Soon Is Now? - Love Spit Love, Tomorrow Never Knows - Our Lady Peace

6/10

Crazy in Love - ITZY

This may be the most inconsistent ITZY release; there are some killer songs - and some that are right up there with the best of their songs - but there are also some of their worst songs on here. Or at least one bad song and a few weak ones. But yeah, those good songs are awesome. LOVE is a perfect ballad and Chillin' Chillin' is the most fun you can have - and hilariously both songs are exactly 3:30. Fun!

Highlights: LOCO, Sooo LUCKY, LOVE is, Chillin' Chillin'

7/10

Crazy Nights - Kiss

I'm not sure I need to write about this again? Maybe I do? Crazy Crazy Nights always hits hard. This album is just 80s good fun and makes me want to get a hot chocolate. It's cold, okay?

Highlights: Crazy Crazy Nights, Reason to Live, Turn on the Night

8/10

Crazy World - Scorpions

This is only the song Wind of Change. It is probably the only Scorpions song I have ever heard. Maybe I should hear more someday...

8/10

Creatures of the Night (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) - Kiss

This is two discs of demos and rarities from the Creatures of the Night sessions. Because listening to a bunch of Kiss demos has always worked out so well for me... but actually, these are not so bad. Things kick off with the *exclusive* tracks from Killers. I like them more than I apparently did during Kissathon II. Then it is demos for a song from Lick It Up, a song Peter Criss recorded on Let Me Rock You, the songs that appeared earlier/on Killers, a bunch of Gene's solo nonsense, a couple of songs recorded during the making of The Elder? And a Bryan Adams song. So anything BUT a song that actually was recorded for Creatures of the Night. I would actually complain, but I'll damned if the demo for Not For the Innocent isn't a million times better than how it actually ended up on Lick It Up; Paul singing the chorus is soooo much better! Also, It's My Life is here in demo form. And that song is awesome. Even without Ace doing some vocals. So this is not a total loss, although Chrome Goes Into Motion does sound legit like Spinal Tap. Then we are on to outtakes? So actual Creatures of the Night songs. Mostly. And mostly pointless. Unless you want to hear some bad guitar playing while Paul fumbles his way through I Still Love You a couple of times. At least the drums in the Saint And Sinner outtakes are massive. Gene's mouth-guitar solos are kind of fun, too. 

Highlights: Rock and Roll Hell [Take 2], I'm a Legend Tonight, Nowhere to Run, Not for the Innocent [Demo], It's My Life [Demo]

6.5/10

Creatures of the Night (1985 Remix) - Kiss

Ha! The last track on the Creatures of the Night (40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition) was the 1985 remix of Creatures of the Night. The first track on this album is the same song. So between the outtakes and then having this song repeated, I'm a little over this already. I wrote about this version of the album before and I stand by what I said. I definitely prefer this tracklisting. One day I might remove this album and just rework the tracklisting of the 'proper' version. One day...

Highlights: The better tracklisting

8/10

Creatures of the Night (Remaster) - Kiss

There was a noticeable volume jump to this from the 1985 remix, so I moved to turn it down. But then I decided I've been listening to this album for a while now and I want to hear it loud. It is much better. Also, the original mix is better than the 1985 mix. 

Highlights: Keep Me Comin', Rock and Roll Hell, I Love it Loud

9/10

Criss (Special Limited Edition EP) - Peter Criss

The Cat is a pretty fun song. The nursery rhymes are odd and mocking Gene and Paul always wins points with me. Did he end it with him hissing at people or something? This dude singing on Show Me is okay, I guess. He made a Queen reference, I think, so he also wins points with me. I seem to like him more than I did during Kissathon II. Like might not be the right word, but I was certainly harsh then.

Highlights: The Cat, Beth (Acoustic)

6.5/10

Criss Cat #1 - Peter Criss

Oh, that album title is not correct. This has been a fairly Kiss heavy day, which is at least proving easy for me to write about! Blue Moon Over Brooklyn is nowhere near as bad as I wrote initially. Or maybe it is just relative to how awful Peter Criss got later in his career? I also wrote that Down with the Sun is an instrumental? There are a lot of vocals - perhaps I was just referring to the music side of the song? Because the outro section is really good. Genuinely solid album!
Highlights: Bad Attitude, Walk the Line, Good Times, Down with the Sun

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 363

2025 in 2025: Day 6

amp-relection - School Food Punishment
Going in to this, I was under the impression this was some weird electronic lo-fi chill out album I had picked up from a friend some years ago and had listened to once or twice to no major impression. And this intro starts and I'm all like 'Yeah, just what I thought'. And then the first song goodblue starts and I'm like 'Oh I am all kinds of wrong!' because this album is my jam, right here! Power-pop with electronic elements and all sorts of good stuff going on. I hope you take a lot from my technical breakdown.
Highlights: goodblue, future nova, 駆け抜ける
7.50/10

And Now... The Runaways
Joan Jett fronting The Runaways is always good times. Apart from a terrible cover of Eight Days a Week. And the middle part of this album. And Takeover might be the dumbest song Jett has ever written - it's total cold war propaganda, complaining about how the Russians are causing all sorts of trouble? But then again, look at the modern world and tell her she's wrong. Anyways, there are some good songs in here, but this is definitely the lowest of The Runaways' discography.
Highlights: Saturday Night Special, Mama Weer All Crazee Now, Black Leather
7/10

...And Then There Was X - DMX
Aaah of course, this is just Party Up (Up In Here). Because it is the meanest, angriest, grooviest hip-hop song on the planet. Adding the rest of this album to my list of albums to update in full.
9/10

Angel Dust - Faith No More
Fun story time: on my first day of high school, a 7th form guy in my home room came to me and asked me if I liked Faith No More. I was familiar with Epic and a couple of songs from The Real Thing, I think, and I liked Midlife Crisis. So the next day, he brought in his Faith No More tape collection and told me to go listen to them. He also suggested that Angel Dust might be a bit different, but to give it a chance. He was right on all counts, because Faith No More were generally very good, and this album is their peak. Not sure what Sir James Martin's problem was, because his riffs and shredding are key to its success. Station. This whole thing rides the line between alt rock and whatever pretentious nonsense Mike Patton has going on in his head. Because there is some bizarre stuff going on here; cheerleaders, war marches, songs desperately trying to sound like Primus... but then there's some killer hooks and funky grooves. Plus, Patton's hairstyle during this period was on point. Please file my report at the Faith No More Spiritual & Theological Centre.
Highlights: Land of Sunshine, Caffeine, Mid-Life Crisis, Everything's Ruined, A Small Victory
8/10

Animalize - Kiss
Shredder!!! Modern Kiss should have attempted this album live - it would have been hilarious to hear Thayer try and do even the tiniest bit of this shredding. It would be like... me trying to do even the slowest bit of shredding. In the grand discography of Kiss, this would be totally middle of the road if Mark St John wasn't shredding everything everywhere all over your face. Oh you want some more ridiculous shredding? I think I can only spare another bit of that in every song!
Highlights: Shreddy-shred-shredd-shred-shredder!!
6/10

Soul Taker - Anipara Superband
This sounds like some live version I picked up somewhere... Pretty sure I scored this because it features Psychic Lover (I can def hear YOFFY singing some backing vocals and that guitar solo sounds suspiciously like IMAJO). I despise romaji, so I think I need to update the band name in iTunes to correct Japanese. Or just delete the song, because it's garbage.
2/10

ANOMALY - The Hiatus
The greatest band name ever. Featuring the greatest band member ever. And still only his third best band. It took me a long time to actually give this album a decent listen, because the opening is just... too much. BUT once you get past it, there are some great songs on here. A bit more aggressive than their first album. And a lot harsher. However, this may be 細美さん's best vocal performance on any album - he really let's it rip on songs like Insomnia. I would gladly wake up the world by playing ベテルギウスの灯 too loudly. But then, how could I play that song too loud?
Highlights: Insomnia, ベテルギウスの灯, 西門の昧爽
7.5/10

Anomaly [Deluxe Edition] - Ace Frehley
Oh, look - another album with the same name. And, hilariously, these were only released nine months apart. Anyways, a couple of years ago when playing catchup on my Ace Frehley collection, I finally picked up the reissue of this album. It's the same album, just with some bonus tracks that are completely pointless. Luckily, the rest of the album is unchanged, because this is still one of Ace's best albums. Genghis Khan features some of his absolute best playing in ever. And Fractured Quantum always gives me the utmost feels.
Highlights: Genghis Khan, Sister, Fractured Quantum
7.5/10 (again, take away the bonus tracks and this is a solid 8)

Another Disc - Brian May
This is the bonus disc for the Another World reissue. I finally managed to pick up all three Brian May solo box sets for more affordable pricing last year, and that made my little Brian May corner very happy. Nice touching tribute to Cozy Powell to open this - dude was a phenomenal drummer, as accentuated in the remix to Business. Then we get a bunch of covers of old rock'n roll songs. Including Hot Patootie from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Brian May doing Buddy Holly is a combination of two of my most favourite legends. This is all good, but then the whole collection trails off in to unnecessary reworkings of Business. Which makes me sick of Business. Which is a shame, because Business is my favourite track on Another World. I'm saying Business all the time so that you, too, will also be sick of Business.
Highlights: The rock'n roll covers, giving me the Business over Business
5.5/10

Another World - Brian May
I got so caught up in listening to this album I almost forgot to write anything. Business is awesome - being sick of it lasted about 30 seconds. The Guv'nor should have been the theme song to The Governor in The Walking Dead - I'm going to need someone to edit together some sort of highlights package for him to this song. Everything here is good, just fairly standard rock/blues type of stuff, with some nice ballads thrown in. Is it exceptional? No - but it is Brian May, so there is nothing bad about any of it.
Highlights: Business, The Guv'nor
7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 55

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

2025 in 2025: Day 1

I'm still not convinced there are 2025, but hey - here we go!

ABBA - ABBA
Mamma Mia is a hell of a way to start this whole thing... ABBA's self-titled album is their third studio album and is just a barrel of good times like that opening song and SOS, which is probably one of all-time favourite ABBA songs. The deep cuts here are also pretty freaking great. Man in the Middle is so dang funky. Particularly the lyrics about a 50 year-old dude dating a 17 year-old... I disliked Rock Me when I was younger and first discovered ABBA. However, once I finally joined an ABBA tribute band and was required to do a bit more of a deep-dive on their catalogue, it really grew on. But, man, did I used to shred my voice screaming it! You know, I don't often miss performing live, but ABBA really do that for me. Genuinely one of the greatest pop bands of all-time. And this album at 4am just hits hard! First album in and already I wish I could stop and just listen to ABBA all day...
Highlights: Mamma Mia, SOS, Rock Me, So Long 
8.5/10

Abbey Road - The Beatles
From one brilliant pop act to another! And my favourite album, to boot! This is just perfection after perfection. Even Maxwell's Silver Hammer isn't actually that bad! I'll never understand why that song gets so much hate, yet Beatles fans are totally fine with the other trite Paul McCartney wrote. Anyways, I'm not going to get bogged down in hating, because it's followed by one of McCartney's shining moments and then Harrison hits us with some of his grooviest lead work ever. Then Lennon gets his prog going - I do kinda miss how much this song completely distorted on the old master. And I failed at picking the ending again - couldn't tell if that was the ending or if my headphones had cut out. And taking a bunch of half-finished songs and making that medley may well be one McCartney's finest moments. OK, yes, now I understand; if not for Maxwell and his silver hammer of silly, this would be the most perfect album in the history of history.
Highlights: George Harrison's lead guitar work, The awesome ending to She's So Heavy, The Medley
9.999/10

Ace Frehley - Ace Frehley
Ace's first solo album! I don't have much to add to my initial review, except that Anton Fig is an underappreciated drummer.
Highlights: Ace being Ace.
10/10

Acoustic EP - Charlton Hill
Well, here is something I haven't listened to in a VERY long time! I met Charlton Hill and his guitarist in probably my first week living in Melbourne, so thought I should do the supportive thing and buy his album - and this was a bonus disc that came with it. I'm pretty sure they're all just acoustic versions of songs on the album. I wonder what those dudes are doing now...
Highlights: Not a lot...
5/10

Acoustic Hits - The Cure
The acoustic version of The Cure's greatest hits. Man, I was having so much fun until all this acoustic stuff kicked in - too early in the morning for so much chilling out! Admittedly, I have not actually listened to this CD all that much. Turns out, this is kind of fun, too. I'm not crazy-tied to some of their random 80s singles, so hearing them in this fashion is at least interesting to me. And by the time In Between Days comes on, I'm thinking this may be a totally good vibe; no keyboard brass on Why Can't I Be You, fun acoustic percussion on everything, zero electronic noise on Wrong Number. It's The Cure's hit singles - there is nothing bad going on here.
Highlights: The use of Xylophone.
7.5/10

Active Duty - MC Hammer
It's Hammer! And he's bringing his crew of bad singers with super patriotic pro-USA, pro-war, SUPER pro-church lyrics . Watch out, terrorists!  Hammer's coming to getcha! USA! USA! On the whole, the album has great beats and the flow is tight; it's just the lyrics are mostly stupid. And it did not need to be 80 minutes long. Fun fact; one afternoon I was listening to this album (by choice, even) and decided to tweet MC Hammer to let him know. He replied with a fist bump. That was a great moment in life and I will give the album a pass for that reason.
Highlights: Hammer telling terrorists they gonna get some.
5/10

Actor - 緑黄色社会
Bah gawd this intro is phenomenal! There was no way the rest of the album could live up to it - and it does not. The thing about 緑黄色社会, is that their initial independent releases were so fantastic, they quickly became one of those bands that I just immediately buy anything from. Then they signed with a major label and with each subsequent release, their work just got less interesting. And this, their third album and second major label album, captures that completely. It isn't bad - I'm not sure they're capable of creating bad - but everything just sounds the same and provides me with no real emotional connection. And so this was the album where I tapped out. But hey, their popularity has only increased so hopefully they're making bank now. Good for them.
Highlights: Actor (Opening Track - not the whole album. Or even someone that goes by that for their occupation. Except maybe Tom Cruise. That would be a highlight, for sure!)
6/10

Ænima - Tool
Wow. Talk about a blast from the past... Tool were my favourite band in 1996/97 and this was probably one of those 'day one' albums for me. No doubt my friends and I listened to it a lot in 1997. And now, if not for this marathon, I would probably never choose to put on a Tool song under any circumstances. In fact, I just checked and not only do all my Tool tracks have 0 plays, they have 3 skips. All that said, listening to this does kinda make me want to pick up a guitar and jam along a little. Because Eulogy features a whole bunch of great riffs. Hooker With a Penis is more fun than I remember. But even 16 year-old LOGMAN had no interest in a bunch of transitions that range from windscreen wipers to a baby screaming and thunder. The German recipe still slaps, though.
Highlights: Stinkfist, Eulogy, The big meaty ending to Forty-Six & 2.
5/10

Albums Listened to So Far: 8

2025: The Year of Stupid Plans

My iTunes library tried to tell me I now have 2025 albums in my library. Now, I'm not 100% certain of how accurate that actually is; I've seen it split some things randomly and I don't know if it counts those as 2 different albums. But what I do know, is that this is 2025 and it's about time I do a silly thing I've been considering doing for some time:

I'm going to listen to everything in my iTunes library. Everything.

Looking at my phone/glorified iPod, the funnest plan for this is to select All Albums, which is sorted alphabetically by title, and then just hit Play All. According to my iTunes library, this will take something like 64 days. Obviously, I'm not going to be listening 24 hours a days for 64 days, so my calculations have this taking around 6 months. Six months of not being able to purposely choose exactly what I listen to. Which, to be honest, may actually be helpful, because some days I spend far too much time trying to decide before settling on the same stuff I always listen to.

So why am I telling you this? Because, of course, I will be bLogging about this as I go. I'll just keep it brief like the Ryan Adams (is cancelled) marathon. Some of the "albums" may well just be a song or two - sometimes I might have a single or just downloaded a song I like from a band I care nothing for, or somehow ended up with something random. There will also be a whole lot of stuff I haven't listened to in a very long (my iTunes library would have you believe I have never listened to Ten by Pearl Jam). And the benefit to playing by album title is that I won't just get stuck listening to one band all day. Well, that's going to happen a few times, like when I hit some of the massive box sets that are compiled as one album title, but at least it will happen a lot less. Just looking at the first day alone, I'm going to be hit with ABBA, Ace Frehley, The Beatles, MC Hammer and Tool. Hilariously mixed up! So that should keep me on my toes.

As I go, I will also be giving everything a rating so I can update the star rating in iTunes. And fixing any errors I might see, like incorrect years, genres or album art. And there may also be stuff I've never listened to before - and it might be terrible, so then I can delete it from my iTunes. Because my phone keeps telling me I have no space to add more music and I can barely remember what I have going on amongst the 24,245 songs. I know there has got to be some trash in there, and I may as well get rid of some of that to make room for trash I actually enjoy.

So in 2025, let's see take a serious deep-dive through my music collection...

Music Talk: Kiss Goodbye - Day Three

I'm kicking my day off with MTV Unplugged. This was actually a tough decision; I wasn't sure if I make today the last day or increase to four, and add a day of all the 80's and 90's stuff. And then the question would be where to put that in my journey - do I do it today so that I end tomorrow on great stuff, and I can sandwich it between good times? In the end, I decided to continue my focus on the original line-up by kicking it off with their reunion. And, quite honestly, this is the best fucking album and a great way to start a day when you just want to sleep but have to get up and do life.

The only downer to this approach is I'm pretty much going to just be listening to live albums, so I'll just be hearing the same songs all day. But these are all great live albums and they are playing great songs, so it's not that bad. Then we hit the fun "live" compilation of You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! I've already listened to, like, 80% of these tracks on day one, but this was an excuse to crank up Room Service and Two Timer, because I just love those tracks and these fake live versions are great. No one does fake live better than Kiss. 

Now it's time for a an actual reunion-era concert, thanks to the "Off the Soundboard" series - it's Kiss Live at Donington 1996! I have some bootleg video of this that sadly is not pro-shot, but I should totally sync the two up and watch some time. I've seen enough to know they all get a bit samey-samey, but goddamn I do love me some reunion tour stuff. And this is a very good concert that I enjoy a lot.

And we're now in the Psycho Circus! Ok, fine, I will listen to some Tommy Thayer. At least here I can kind of pretend it isn't him... and we do get Ace and Peter on one song, so that's something? I threw in It's My Life from The Box Set, because it was recorded around this time and it's actually a very cool song. And that bonus disc of live stuff is great as well.

Now we hit The Millenium Concert from the Alive box set, which I will forever label as Alive IV. I'm digging it today; I kinda like the slower tempo a lot of the songs have been given (even if some of the tempos are a little inconsistent), and everyone sounds in good form. It is so obvious Beth is not live that it is just downright hilarious. And just when I'm saying the slower tempos are cool, here they go and throw me the most pedestrian version of Rock'n Roll All Nite that probably only makes you want to party every other day...

And that will do me for today. I was going to finish off with Live in Tokyo from the "Off the Soundboard" series, but I don't have time. So instead, I will give Dressed to Kill another spin. Because I can.

Music Talk: Kiss Goodbye - Day Two

So Kiss had their "final" concert the other day, which has led me to making this a bit of a Kiss week on the ol' iPhone playlist. I was originally planning on a full-fledged Kissathon III: the timing felt very appropriate, because it was about 10 years ago I did the original Kissathon blogging, and it being the end of Kiss and their 50th anniversary, it just felt it was time to take an expert-level approach to this and include a whole bunch of stuff that I skipped last time and has been released since, such as Eric Carr's "solo album" and all of Gene Simmons' solo work (yes, even including the dreaded vault - 8 discs of demos that would likely make me laugh or die of boredom)... but then I realised that I really don't have the patience to deal with Tommy Thayer again.

So instead, I made the bold choice to just do a Monday of the OG line-up. From the self-titled album through to the solo albums. And with a nice strong matcha, I gotta say... I had a great time. A great reminder of why I love Kiss so much. If I hadn't been exhausted from being awake for almost 24 hours and walking a millions kms, you can bet I would have picked up my guitar and jammed out to Dressed to Kill before bed. And I don't really need to talk about those first 12 albums, because 10 of them are pure awesome, 1 is pretty decent, and the last just hilariously awful. But I will reiterate that self-titled to Alive! is gold. I'm really hoping that Kiss can put together some type of awesome box set to commemorate that period next year. And maybe finally give Hotter Than Hell a remix while they're at it?

Of course, I am still waiting for my Diamonds and Pearls box set to arrive (well, not anymore - it arrived while I'm typing this), so I had to plan for another day of Kiss greatness. Which actually works for me, because then I can tick off the fake OG line-up albums.

So this morning I started things off with Destroyer {Resurrected}, which is now my official "go-to" whenever I want to listen to Destroyer. Honestly, I love how alive the mix is; the whole thing just lifts the energy to a higher level. Plus, it's great having an actual Ace Frehley solo on there instead of Bob Kulick and Dr. Wagner. Which leads me to my current listen... the Destroyer 45th Anniversary box set.

Not doing 100 hours of demos was a great choice. Because these demos are dumb. Admittedly, I do enjoy hearing Paul Stanley sing God of Thunder, and maybe It's the Fire could have been a decent song if they had finished it off, but the rest are either songs that eventually became better songs, or just Gene making a lameburger.

Now I'm on to the 3rd disc, which consists of single versions and remixes. And the real highlight - Ain't None of Your Business, an actual studio outtake from the sessions. It's some cover song? And was going to be Peter's song on the album before he gave them Beth. Kisstory would be completely different had that not happened; this album might not have been such a success, Kiss might never have reached the heights they did, and Ace Frehley might not have spent 40 years incorrectly thinking he had won a Grammy! Anyways, Ain't None of Your Business is actually much more like Peter's songs on their earlier albums, but doesn't fit in with the style of Destroyer at all. So I like it a lot.

Finally, we get a disc of the band live in Paris on the Destroyer tour. It's hilariously terrible quality. Almost has hilarious as Paul Stanley's guitar playing. But it's high energy fun that I can only wish I was watching instead of just listening to. Every time I listen to this box set (this would likely be the 3rd, at best) I convince myself I could never justify purchasing it at the exorbitant Kiss-style price tag. Then I see that atmos mix of Destroyer and the big silliness of the box set and I think to myself  'ooh I should get that next time I see it on special'.

Yes, I'm a moron.

Then we move on a 1977 concert from the "Off the Soundboard" series. This is better quality than the '76 show - which you would expect from a soundboard recording. I'm a fan of any live set that opens with I Stole Your Love, so this one is an immediate win for me! In fact, this setlist is almost completely songs from Destroyer to Love Gun, so that makes this quite different. Again, that is a plus! For some reason, the bass disappears every so often. Since this is a soundboard recording, I can only assume that means Gene hadn't yet learned the art of miming to backing tracks....

On to Double Platinum. I talked about that before. It's a Kiss compilation, but with added stuff to make the songs... more... something. And then we're on to Dynasty and Unmasked to close out the day. Maybe Greatest Kiss as well, since that's a full-on awesome compilation of the original line-up. All of this is awesome.

Prince may have to wait another day so I can action another day of Kiss.

KISSATHON 2015: Finished Business

Victory!

Kissathon blogging is finally complete! And what fun it was - I'm sure you had a great time as well. Now let's have a look at the overall results and determine where Kiss are the shit and where they are just shit...


Best Kiss Studio Album:
DRESSED TO KILL (1975)
No surprise. They wear the suits on the cover because they knew they'd be accepting this award.
Runners Up: Love Gun, Hotter Than Hell, Creatures of the Night

Worst Kiss Studio Album:
MUSIC FROM "THE ELDER" (1981)
This was quite close, and quite frankly I'm surprised Sonic Boom or Monster didn't take this. But I guess those albums had a few songs that weren't totally awful, whereas The Elder was just a joke.
Runners Up: Sonic Boom, Monster, Lick It Up

Best Solo Album:
ACE FREHLEY (1978)
Very close decision, but there is no denying the brilliance of Ace's solo debut.
Runners Up: Trouble Walkin' - Ace Frehley, Anomaly - Ace Frehley, Space Invader - Ace Frehley

Worst Solo Album:
GENE SIMMONS (1978)
Not as close as you would think. I really can't believe that some people can pretend that is a good album. Then again, some people try and pretend Music From "The Elder" is a good album. Some people are fucking stupid.
Runners Up: One For All - Peter Criss, Peter Criss, Out of Control - Peter Criss

Best Compilation:
GREATEST KISS (1997)
Less of a surprise than Dressed to Kill pulling out Best Studio Album. Especially considering my review basically saying it was near perfection - total spoiler alert if ever I saw one.
Runners Up: You Wanted the Best You Got the Best!!, 12 Picks - Ace Frehley, Double Platinum

Worst Compilation:
SPACEWALK: A TRIBUTE TO ACE FREHLEY (1996)
Good. Because not even an awesome Ace Frehley song can cure me from the Balschko's disease this album gave me.
Runners Up: Love Gun - Deluxe Edition Bonus Disc, The Box Set Disc 1, The Box Set Disc 2

Best Live Album:
MTV UNPLUGGED (1995)
This was extremely close - honestly only a fraction in it!
Runners Up: Alive!, Alive IV, Alive III

Worst Live Album:
ONE LIVE KISS (2009)
I just realised this was a pointless category - totally thought there were more live albums than there actually was.
Runners Up: Psycho Circus Bonus Disc, Live+1 - Frehley's Comet, Alive II

Best Album of the Makeup Era:
ALIVE! (1975)
Quite surprised to see this score so much higher than everything else because I thought I had been harsh on it. But it is pretty legendary - now you know why!
Runners Up: Ace Frehley, Dressed to Kill, Love Gun

Worst Album of the Makeup Era:
GENE SIMMONS (1978)
Well, that will teach you, Gene...
Runners Up: Music From "The Elder", Sonic Boom, Monster

Best Album of the Non-Makeup Era:
ALIVE III (1993)
I guess, technically, Unplugged was still the non-makeup era. But it had an unfair advantage by including the original lineup and being mostly songs from the makeup era. And being awesome.
Runners Up: Revenge, Crazy Nights, Asylum

Best Album of the 70s:
ALIVE! (1975)
These results are just a repeat of the Best Makeup Era results, for obvious reasons...
Runners Up: Ace Frehley, Dressed to Kill, Love Gun

Worst Album of the 70s:
GENE SIMMONS (1978)
Ha! In your face again, Gene!
Runners Up: Peter Criss, Rock and Roll Over, Kiss

Best Album of the 80s:
TROUBLE WALKIN' (1989)
Of course Ace's masterpiece would take this title. No other album in the 80s even came close!
Runners Up: Creatures of the Night, Killers, Live+1 - Frehley's Comet

Best Album of the 90s:
ALIVE III (1993)
Again, I've taken out the compilations because they have an unfair advantage by being made up of 70s Kiss. Alas, Kiss didn't actually release a great deal of original material in the 90s...
Runners Up: Revenge, Psycho Circus, Criss EP - Peter Criss

Worst Album of the 90s:
SPACEWALK: A TRIBUTE TO ACE FREHLEY (1996)
Ugh, I had to be reminded that album existed...
Runners Up: Cat #1 - Peter Criss, Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions, Criss EP - Peter Criss

Best Album of the 21st Century:
ALIVE IV (2000)
I probably should have just done the Century thing instead of the decades. Wouldn't have changed much, though.
Runners Up: Anomaly - Ace Frehley, Space Invader - Ace Frehley, Destroyer {Resurrected}

Worst Album of the 21st Century:
SONIC BOOM (2009)
Fuck you, Tommy Thayer!
Runners Up: One For All - Peter Criss, Monster, Live to Win - Paul Stanley

The Middle:
DESTROYER {RESURRECTED} (2012)
I thought it might be interesting to see what scored in the middle of the pack...
Runners Up: Frehley's Comet, Kiss, The Box Set Disc 4

The Other Side of the Middle:
REVENGE (1992)
So Destroyer {Resurrected} was number 30 - this is number 31. Surprising to see how far down an album like this scored, considering I really like it. And the ones that follow. Kind of shows the depth of awesome Kiss are when things don't actually start getting bad until after 40.
Runners Up: Unmasked, Rock and Roll Over, Psycho Circus Bonus Disc

Best Album:
GREATEST KISS (1997)
It's the best of the original line up - the best line up by far. So this album is a great compilation. Surprised to see it edge out MTV Unplugged, but is what it is!
Runners Up: MTV Unplugged, Alive!, Ace Frehley

Worst Album:
GENE SIMMONS (1978)
Kind of surprised to see it take the spot for worst of all, but it really is a terrible album. If you think otherwise, you should consider suicide. Please kill Tommy Thayer on your way out.
Runners Up: Music From "The Elder", Sonic Boom, One For All - Peter Criss