03/20/2014
THE 40 GREATEST SONGS EVER PART 1
To celebrate the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame finally recognizing KISS, as well as the 40th anniversary of the band�s first album, here�s the first part of our KISS kountdown.
Words: Geoff Barton, Paul Elliott, Ken Sharp
40
War Machine
One of the heaviest tracks Kiss have recorded was, surprisingly, co-written by Gene Simmons, Bryan Adams and Adams�s writing partner Jim Vallance. Also surprising is the fact that Simmons came up with the bones of the song while tinkering on a cheap miniature synthesiser. Bombastic, powerful and badass, The Demon�s foreboding vocals on War Machine are full of scowling menace.
39
Tomorrow
Paul Stanley has dismissed 1980�s Unmasked as �a pretty crappy album�, but there is one track on the record that he still loves. �Tomorrow is a really great song,� he says. He�s right � it�s a pop-rock classic, and the hit that never was.
To celebrate the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame finally recognising Kiss, as well as the 40th anniversary of the band�s first album, here�s the first part of our Kiss kountdown.
Words: Geoff Barton, Paul Elliott, Ken Sharp
40
War Machine
One of the heaviest tracks Kiss have recorded was, surprisingly, co-written by Gene Simmons, Bryan Adams and Adams�s writing partner Jim Vallance. Also surprising is the fact that Simmons came up with the bones of the song while tinkering on a cheap miniature synthesiser. Bombastic, powerful and badass, The Demon�s foreboding vocals on War Machine are full of scowling menace.
39
Tomorrow
Paul Stanley has dismissed 1980�s Unmasked as �a pretty crappy album�, but there is one track on the record that he still loves. �Tomorrow is a really great song,� he says. He�s right � it�s a pop-rock classic, and the hit that never was.
38
Forever
Although the 1989 album Hot In The Shade is now all but forgotten, this masterful, acoustic-based power ballad was a Top 10 hit in the US. Paul wrote it with the king of power ballads � and of bad hair � Michael Bolton.
37
Unholy
Gene Simmons: �I got the idea for Unholy from a song that [Kiss collaborator] Adam Mitchell wrote that Doro Pesch recorded called Unholy Love. I just loved the word �unholy�. Vinnie Vincent and I wrote the lyric together.�
36
Sure Know Something
For 1979�s Dynasty album, Paul Stanley wrote this brilliant pop song with producer Vini Poncia, co-writer of Leo Sayer�s hit You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. With its smooth funk vibe and killer chorus, Sure Know Something is high-class Kiss.
35
Modern Day Delilah
From 2009�s Sonic Boom, this track incorporates all the hallmarks of a quintessential Kiss tune: a fiery, muscular riff hot-wired to a soaring lead vocal by Stanley (the song�s writer), and sporting tough, kiss-off lyrics to a love gone bad. The band�s first single in 11 years, the song was the opener on the Sonic Boom tour.
34
Makin� Love
A cast-iron classic of Kiss�s sexually charged oeuvre, this torrid tale of a marathon all-night �session� was co-written by Paul Stanley and Sean Delaney (who also helped develop the band�s on-stage choreography). Special mention for Ace Frehley, whose guitar playing here is at its most loose and lethal.
33
100,000 Years
Gene Simmons: �I read a book called 100,000 Years where 100,000 years ago we were visited by aliens. Also Einstein�s theory of relativity. I was reading all kinds of space and time continuance stuff, and it was all swirling around my head. I showed this stuff to Paul, and he�s going: �What�s 100,000 years?� I said: �Let�s just try it.� And then Paul came up with some stuff and I added the riff.�
32
Nowhere To Run
It�s Kiss�s lost classic � a great song pissed away as a makeweight on the stopgap �best of� album Killers. It�s powerful and melodic � vintage Paul Stanley � and its thrumming intro echoes The Who�s Pinball Wizard.
31
Heaven�s On Fire
Beginning with Paul Stanley yodelling, this is one of the great Kiss songs of the 80s. Assisted by �hit doctor� buddy Desmond Child, Paul based Heaven�s On Fire around a huge chanted chorus and created a hair-metal masterpiece.
Words: Geoff Barton, Paul Elliott, Ken Sharp
40
War Machine
One of the heaviest tracks Kiss have recorded was, surprisingly, co-written by Gene Simmons, Bryan Adams and Adams�s writing partner Jim Vallance. Also surprising is the fact that Simmons came up with the bones of the song while tinkering on a cheap miniature synthesiser. Bombastic, powerful and badass, The Demon�s foreboding vocals on War Machine are full of scowling menace.
39
Tomorrow
Paul Stanley has dismissed 1980�s Unmasked as �a pretty crappy album�, but there is one track on the record that he still loves. �Tomorrow is a really great song,� he says. He�s right � it�s a pop-rock classic, and the hit that never was.
To celebrate the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame finally recognising Kiss, as well as the 40th anniversary of the band�s first album, here�s the first part of our Kiss kountdown.
Words: Geoff Barton, Paul Elliott, Ken Sharp
40
War Machine
One of the heaviest tracks Kiss have recorded was, surprisingly, co-written by Gene Simmons, Bryan Adams and Adams�s writing partner Jim Vallance. Also surprising is the fact that Simmons came up with the bones of the song while tinkering on a cheap miniature synthesiser. Bombastic, powerful and badass, The Demon�s foreboding vocals on War Machine are full of scowling menace.
39
Tomorrow
Paul Stanley has dismissed 1980�s Unmasked as �a pretty crappy album�, but there is one track on the record that he still loves. �Tomorrow is a really great song,� he says. He�s right � it�s a pop-rock classic, and the hit that never was.
38
Forever
Although the 1989 album Hot In The Shade is now all but forgotten, this masterful, acoustic-based power ballad was a Top 10 hit in the US. Paul wrote it with the king of power ballads � and of bad hair � Michael Bolton.
37
Unholy
Gene Simmons: �I got the idea for Unholy from a song that [Kiss collaborator] Adam Mitchell wrote that Doro Pesch recorded called Unholy Love. I just loved the word �unholy�. Vinnie Vincent and I wrote the lyric together.�
36
Sure Know Something
For 1979�s Dynasty album, Paul Stanley wrote this brilliant pop song with producer Vini Poncia, co-writer of Leo Sayer�s hit You Make Me Feel Like Dancing. With its smooth funk vibe and killer chorus, Sure Know Something is high-class Kiss.
35
Modern Day Delilah
From 2009�s Sonic Boom, this track incorporates all the hallmarks of a quintessential Kiss tune: a fiery, muscular riff hot-wired to a soaring lead vocal by Stanley (the song�s writer), and sporting tough, kiss-off lyrics to a love gone bad. The band�s first single in 11 years, the song was the opener on the Sonic Boom tour.
34
Makin� Love
A cast-iron classic of Kiss�s sexually charged oeuvre, this torrid tale of a marathon all-night �session� was co-written by Paul Stanley and Sean Delaney (who also helped develop the band�s on-stage choreography). Special mention for Ace Frehley, whose guitar playing here is at its most loose and lethal.
33
100,000 Years
Gene Simmons: �I read a book called 100,000 Years where 100,000 years ago we were visited by aliens. Also Einstein�s theory of relativity. I was reading all kinds of space and time continuance stuff, and it was all swirling around my head. I showed this stuff to Paul, and he�s going: �What�s 100,000 years?� I said: �Let�s just try it.� And then Paul came up with some stuff and I added the riff.�
32
Nowhere To Run
It�s Kiss�s lost classic � a great song pissed away as a makeweight on the stopgap �best of� album Killers. It�s powerful and melodic � vintage Paul Stanley � and its thrumming intro echoes The Who�s Pinball Wizard.
31
Heaven�s On Fire
Beginning with Paul Stanley yodelling, this is one of the great Kiss songs of the 80s. Assisted by �hit doctor� buddy Desmond Child, Paul based Heaven�s On Fire around a huge chanted chorus and created a hair-metal masterpiece.
