Crash from Legendary Rock Interviews Responds to the KISS Podcast “Three Sides Of The Coin” & Issues a PETER CRISS Challenge to their fans and The Hosts
Peter Criss “One For All” CD & LP
SilverCat Records © 2007
THE HEADLINE SHOULD READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS…….
Legendary Rock Interviews Responds to Ep. 196 of the podcast, Three Sides Of The Coin‘s “Homework” & Issues their fans a Philanthropic Challenge & Presents A Retro Review of Peter Criss’s 2007 LP/CD, “One For All” that brings in BIG money for The Male Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) & Feline Rescue, Inc. in Saint Paul, MN.
Sadly, NOBODY but Mark Cicchini responded!
I tried but here it is, my Track-By-Track Retro Review of Peter Criss’ “One For All” CD\LP for Legendary Rock Interviews!
One For All: A nice bluesy blend of guitars and organ starts off this lyrical re-telling of Peter’s recollections of the HORRIFIC events of the U.S.A.’s DARKEST DAY, 9.11.2001!
Doesn’t Get Better Than This: A lil’ homage guitar wise to Jimi Hendrix’ “Little Wing” in spots. Lyrically autobiographical & a love letter to Gigi!
Last Night: Beautiful acoustic fretwork lay under Peter’s emotive lyrics and vocals. A tearjerker!
What A Difference A Day Makes: Jazzy, Soulful and a lil’ Rhythm & Blues to top it off. This kind of has a Vegas Lounge vibe to it musically and vocally!
Think Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine mixed with the raspiness you have after smoking a carton of Marlboro Red’s in a day!
Hope: Gorgeous orchestration is a highlight of this track even though, at times, it is too high in the mix! Really enjoy ol’ Pete’s vocal phrasing throughout the tune. A rippin’ but all-too-short guitar solo blazes by like a comet around the two minutes mark.
WARNING: KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN OR YOU’LL MISS IT!
Faces In The Crowd: A nod from Peter to HIS CAT-fans of KISS and him!
HOLY SHITAQUA! Someone turn the Eddie Kramer and Alive-ish crowd noise W-A-Y down in the mix!
Good vocal performance from Petey!
Send In The Clowns: Hmmmm, a cover of the Stephen Sondheim‘s JAZZ Standard made popular by Über-Diva, Barbara Streisand!
Gee, I wonder the lyrics are about?!??!
Anyone….Bueller, Bueller?
Falling All Over Again: More subtle acoustic fret work on this! More of a lyrical love letter. One of my favorite tones on this album occurs here.
Whisper: Musically, a subtle gorgeous layered piece & more mushy stuff for GiGi!
Either he left the shitter seat up and she went into assdown/splashdown mode or they ARE two peas in a pod & don’t give two shits what anyone says??!!??
Vocally……eh?
Heart Behind These Hands: Another Soulful/Bluesy Peter vocal exercise. Some sweet n’ smooth B3 through a Leslie make this tune a favorite., if not MY favorite tune on here!
Memories: Very Beatles-esque! A touch of da funky geetar grabs my attention from the start! Sadly, it doesn’t hold my attention!
Space Ace:
NO COMMENT on the reasoning behind this song! A Tour de Force musically that sees Led Zeppelin “inspired” guitar riffage and Bonham drum-bashing laid atop some Latin Percussion. Interesting tune musically! Fun!
BONUS TRACK:
Beth 2007:
Just Kidding! Gotcha! I could not resist!
Honestly, I’m glad Peter didn’t go there. Seriously, nothing beats the most-popular version from 1976’s KISS album “Destroyer”!
Not any KISS w/ Peter Criss live version, not Eric Carr‘s studio version from KISS’ “Smashes, Thrashes & Hits”, Peter’s “Criss – Cat #1” album version or Eric Singer singing it live with KISS!
*I AM NOT bashing the late-great ERIC CARR (R.I.P) or current-KISS Drummer, ERIC SINGER! BOTH were and are insanely talented drummers and singers who have openly admitted to Mr. Criss being an influence on them!
He helped lay the foundation so they could hold down the KISS drum throne for future generations of THE KISS ARMY!
THANK YOU MR. PETER CRISS!!!
Bret Michaels could learn a thing or ten from Peter!
There is NO Fucking need to re-hash various versions of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” solo album-after-solo album either by tacking it on as a bonus track or having a musician singer email a part over via MP3 then having Pete Evick mix it in to one of the previous 3,428 versions of that damn song!
IMHO, “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” sucked in 1988 & it sucks today!!!
REVIEW CONCLUSION:
You feel the pain, just not from the memories of that HORRIFIC day described in “One For All” but also the fact that the producer of the album allowed Peter’s off-key vocal to stay anywhere near the finished product!
WTF! Why?
You will remain nameless throughout the duration of MY review because, IMHO, you did notseem to care about the end result?!!? WHY NOT?
You’re COMPLETELY undeserving of any positive remarks in this review because, THE PRODUCTION & OFTEN TIMES, THE MIX, SUCKS! Get your ears & ego checked!
Peter’s heart and intent of the lyrics and music is in the right place as is the musician’s performance of ALL the songs but the production & mix miss the mark by a mile!
……and now, the rest of the story [aka my review conclusion]:
Some bad cheese, some good cheese, some really bad vocals, some typical Peter vocals, some surprising and GREAT vocals where he taps into his Jazz, Soul and R&B roots while conjuring the spirits of Smokey Robinson & The Beatles, some cool instrumentation, orchestration and production trickery, some borrowing of ALIVE! audience cut n’ paste production techniques, some “HOPE” w/ a ripping’ it out-spirited guitar solo, sad, uplifting, sorrowful, positive, in-the-now and Ayatollah Cris-cuola lyrics.
Iffy production yet HORRIFIC Mix, interesting choice of lame cover art but interesting choice of artists/songs to cover i.e., Dinah Washington & the Stephen Sondheim/Barbara Streisand/Jazz Standard “Send In The Clowns” that SOLIDIFIES & CEMENTS Peter’s claim of being a Jazz aficionado, singer and musician, however Peter should have done a dual cover of Stephen Sondheim & Barbara Streisand’s “Send In The Clowns” w/ Smokey Robinson’s “Tears Of A Clown” w/ Donnie Vie & Enuff Z’Nuff harmonizing w/ Peter’s Beatles-esque harmonies while Peter did his Soul N’ R&B thang he does on “S.I.T.C.” & should do on “T.O.A.C.” in honor of the songwriter’s, singer’s & the time he painted a tear drop on HIS Catman makeup during THE KISS 1st Farewell Tour ALL with Gigi’s guidance in the A&R, bedroom, kitchen, Mental & Physical Health Care, Artist Management, Musician Travel Coordinator, Guest Musician Bed & Breakfast Owner/Operator.
I can’t wait for Peter to release his often mentioned Rock N’ Roll album!
I LOVE his raspy Rod Stewart-ish vocals atop his swinging, 50’s and 60’s style drumming! Think “Hard Luck Woman” and “Hooligan” meets “Bad Attitude” & “Good Times”!
That, to me, is PERFECT Peter Criss!
*****
BACKSTORY FOR ALL OF THIS!
On September 21st, I watched Episode #196 of the Three Sides Of The Coin Podcast (TSOTC) with Michael Brandvold, Tommy Sommers and Mark Cicchini.
Ep. 196 featured ex-Criss bandmate Mark Montague on to speak of his friendship with the OG Catman, PETER CRISS!
He fondly recalled his initial meeting with Peter via an audition to join the band that would become CRISS, pre-album touring, the sessions for their EP and the “Cat #1” LP, touring in support of the LP, the tour dubbed “The Bad Boys” of KISS, Peter’s reunion with the original line-up of KISS in early 1996 & the subsequent demise of CRISS & his involvement in the often-maligned “One For All” LP by Peter Criss in 2007!
Mr. Montague has recently published a book about his time, personally and professionally, with KISS OG Catman & Drummer, Peter Criss.
The book is entitled “LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG” by Mark ‘Tall Man’ Montague! I’ve yet to get a copy but believe me, it is on Crash’s WANT LIST as I totally digg the “Criss – Cat #1” era but little has ever been said about it publically, until the Three Sides Of The Coin Podcast went where no podcast had ever gone before!
Damn skippy I WILL REVIEW the book as soon as it arrives cuz that’s just how I roll! Well, that way and downhill!
As with every episode of TSOTC, they issued a “homework challenge” of people’s opinion of “One For All”. I decided to do some TSOTC Homework & issue an philanthropic challenge to TSOTC/Peter Criss fans!
Sadly, only TSOTC co-host, Mark Cicchini took me up on it, THANK YOU MARK!
Here WAS my response to the TSOTC Homework & a philanthropic challenge I issued towards the fans of the Three Sides Of The Coin Podcast and their fans AS POSTED ON THE TSOTC FB POST ON 09.21.2016!
Dear Mark, Tommy and Mike of TSOTC,
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED YOU THREE WISENHEIMERS!
I will become the FIRST person to listen to Peter Criss’ album “One For All” from beginning to end, front to back and top to bottom. Hell, I’ll even listen to it back to front! Why? It may help people and pussy….read on!
Have I ever heard the Peter Criss “One For All” album? No! Honestly, I’ve been to upwards of 50 different music stores from Kansas, Houston, Nashville, L.A., Long Beach to Fayetteville and all points in between & NEVER saw a copy.
I’m sure they’re all over Ebay and Amazon but never looked!
So, I’ll do this, if anyone will mail me a copy, I will listen to the ENTIRE album once a day for one week (the pain one might endure for their favorite podcast!) then write an honest, track-by-track review of it to be published on my website www.LegendaryRockInterviews.com
In my 25+ years in journalism, I’ve NEVER published a negative review of anything because I believe if someone has the dream and talent to release an album, I’m just a writer/music lover w/ NO musical ability whatsoever so I can’t bash someone who clearly has a dream and musical ability!
With that being said, if a certain song or all the songs on “One For All” suck or I digg them, I will express that and why in the track-by-track review & PUBLISH it. Who knows? Will “One For All” dethrone “Cat #1” as my favorite Peter Criss has happened? Let’s give it a fair shot!
I will give credit to the person who gifts me the CD & will explain why (this episode of TSOTC) I am reviewing a 13-year-old album!
IF I receive more than one copy of Peter Criss’ “One For All” CD, I’ll set up a special FB Group where I’ll sell them on THEN once all are sold, l’ll take the $$$ and split it evenly & donate the $$$ in Peter Criss honor to these two organizations, The Male Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) & Feline Rescue, Inc. in Saint Paul, MN.
It will all be documented in the FB Group I open IF a 2nd copy of Peter Criss’ “One For All” is received! I’ll make a new post w/ photo of CD in honor of each CD sender!
So, if you’ve got a copy you don’t want, mail it to me and together, we will possibly help two great organizations!
Cheers,
Crash
SEND CD(s) and/or LP(s) TO:
Crash Crafton
c/o Catfish Stew Music
P.O. BOX 594
Coldwater, KS.
67029-0594
U.S.A.
*******P.S.*******
As of today, Tuesday, October 4, 2016, my PHILANTHROPIC/PETER CRISS OFFER STANDS!!! #PayItForward
Purchase Peter Criss’ “One For All” from Amazon:
Click here for Peter Criss “One For All” from Amazon
Category: LRI Press Releases, Reviews
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