Friday, June 11, 2004  

Gods of Thunder

Wicked Lester, "Keep Me Waiting"
Wicked Lester, "When the Bell Rings"
Wicked Lester, "Sweet Ophelia"
Wicked Lester, "(We Want to) Shout It Out Loud"
from The Original Wicked Lester Sessions (bootleg, 1972)

Wicked Lester was Gene and Paul's band before they formed Kiss and its attendant Army. "Keep Me Waiting" and the protest song (no kidding) "When the Bell Rings" feature bongos, which I'm not sure ever made it onto a Kiss record. Or at least not until Dynasty. The bridge of "Keep Me Waiting" sounds a bit like Iggy Pop's "The Passenger." Then bathe in "Sweet Ophelia," just your friggin' average jam about a chick who loves a midshipmen from Baltimore so much that she won't get with Cap'n Gene and Lt. Paulie. Sounds like the Band. "(We Want to) Shout It Out Loud" doesn't seem to have any relation to the Kiss song "Shout It Out Loud," but it's obvious that those calculating boys Gene & Paul recognize a good song title when they hear it. It sounds like a stripped down version of the Zombies.

Want the demo? This guy has it and more Kiss rarities for sale or trade. Also, be sure to visit the Kiss homepage---it clicks ass!!!---and pick up some tchotchkes. There are so many good Kiss fan sites out there, but I like Lynn's Kiss Dominion because "This site will showcase KISS and a true KISS fan!" So true, Lynn, so true! Her self-created Kiss art is especially notable.

Posted by CP | Link |

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