Music from "The Elder" de Kiss
Álbum de Kiss
- Fecha de lanzamiento: 10 de Noviembre de 1981
- Compositores: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Bob Ezrin, Lou Reed
- Productores: Bob Ezrin
Music from "The Elder" es un álbum de Kiss, publicado en 1981. El disco incluye 11 canciones, entre ellas «A World Without Heroes», «Dark Light», «Under The Rose» y «Only You».
Lanzado en 1981, Music from "The Elder" es el noveno álbum de estudio de Kiss y el mayor fracaso comercial y el álbum más desconcertante de su carrera. En un intento por recuperar la credibilidad del rock tras el pop de "Unmasked", la banda se reunió con el productor de "Destroyer", Bob Ezrin, para crear una obra seria. El resultado fue un ambicioso álbum conceptual de rock progresivo y sinfónico, con orquestas, coros y una narrativa sobre un joven héroe que lucha contra el mal. El disco era tan radicalmente diferente a todo lo que Kiss había hecho que alienó por completo a su base de fans. Fue un fracaso comercial estrepitoso que casi destruye a la banda y que marcó la salida no oficial del guitarrista Ace Frehley.
Antecedentes de su creación
Tras la salida de Peter Criss, la banda reclutó al batería Eric Carr. La idea inicial era grabar un álbum de hard rock directo, pero la llegada del productor Bob Ezrin cambió completamente el proyecto. Ezrin, junto con Paul Stanley y Gene Simmons, desarrolló una compleja historia conceptual que iba a servir de base para una película. El guitarrista Ace Frehley se opuso firmemente a esta dirección, defendiendo un regreso al rock and roll, pero fue ignorado. Su frustración fue tal que apenas participó en la grabación, y su salida de la banda se hizo inevitable.
La grabación, en los estudios de Ezrin en Toronto y en Nueva York, fue un proceso elaborado. Se contrató a la American Symphony Orchestra y a un coro para crear el sonido sinfónico que Ezrin buscaba. El legendario Lou Reed fue invitado a coescribir algunas de las letras. El álbum fue concebido con una secuencia de canciones específica para contar la historia, pero la discográfica, en un intento desesperado por encontrar un éxito, cambió el orden en el último minuto, haciendo la narrativa incomprensible.
Análisis musical y estilo
El sonido de "The Elder" es rock progresivo y sinfónico, con influencias de bandas como Pink Floyd y Genesis. El hard rock característico de Kiss está casi ausente. El álbum está dominado por baladas orquestales, pasajes instrumentales atmosféricos y arreglos complejos. Es el trabajo más atípico e irreconocible de su carrera.
Recorrido por las canciones
La balada "A World Without Heroes", coescrita por Lou Reed, es una de las canciones más aclamadas del disco. "The Oath" es uno de los pocos temas que se acerca al heavy metal. "I" es un intento de crear un himno de autoafirmación. La mayoría del álbum consiste en piezas conceptuales como "Just a Boy" y "Under the Rose".
Lanzamiento y rendimiento en listas
El álbum fue un desastre comercial, el peor de su carrera. Fue el primer álbum de Kiss en no alcanzar el estatus de oro en Estados Unidos. La banda estaba tan avergonzada que ni siquiera realizaron una gira para promocionarlo.
- USA Billboard 200: 75
- Alemania (GfK Entertainment): 10
- Noruega (VG-lista): 7
Acogida de la crítica
La crítica y los fans masacraron el álbum. Fue universalmente ridiculizado por su pretenciosidad y por ser completamente ajeno al espíritu de Kiss. Con el tiempo, ha desarrollado un estatus de álbum de culto, apreciado por algunos por su audacia y su singularidad. "Music from 'The Elder'" es un fascinante y legendario fracaso, el ejemplo perfecto de una banda perdiendo completamente el rumbo, pero un documento esencial para entender su posterior resurrección.
Listado de Canciones
- A World Without Heroes
Letra
A world without heroes Is like a world without sun You can't look up to anyone Without heroes And a world without heroes Is like a never ending race Is like a time without a place A pointless thing devoid of grace Where you don't know what you're after Or if something's after you And you don't know why you don't know In a world without heroes In a world without dreams Things are no more than they seem And a world without heroes Is like a bird without wings Or a bell that never rings Just a sad and useless thing Where you don't know what you're after Or if something's after you And you don't know why you don't know In a world without heroes There's nothing to be It's no place for me - Dark Light
Letra
Look out, Cause there's something wrong And you don't know what it is Watch out, Or it's Sodom and Gommorah The malevolent order Right now, Before it's much too late Before it's much too late A dark light---A darkness never ending A dark light---The devil gets his due A dark night---Is everywhere descending A dark light---Is coming for you Now look up, Well the skies are black And they're getting darker all the time Watch up, For the things that you believe in You're gonna be attacked, and you won't know what it is Wise up, You better watch your step You better watch your step A dark light---A darkness never ending A dark light---Of perversion and hate A dark night---Is everywhere descending A dark light---There's no time to wait Look out, For the death of love There will be no more love Watch out, It's yourself that you are fooling Who do you think you're fooling Shout it out, It's a terrible thing Such a terrible thing A dark light---A darkness never ending A dark light---The sun is turning cool A dark night---Is everywhere descending A dark light---Is shining at you Dark light, Dark light Is shining at you, Dark light - Under The Rose
Letra
Though you may be pure of heart And free of sin And though you have been chosen To begin And yet you must be worthy of The prophecy But seek and you shall find Your destiny Loneliness will haunt you Will you sacrifice? Do you take the oath Will you live your life Under the rose The more you hurt the less you feel The pain And the more you change, the more you stay The same But now before you lies the quest At hand And from this boy you may become A man Do you understand Will you sacrifice? Do you take the oath Will you live your life Under the rose - Only You
Letra
Only you have the answers But the questions you have to find Only you know the secrets But the truth lies deep in your mind Only you are the answer You turn the night into day - yeah Only you are the manchild You are the light and you are the way Tell me the secrets I wanna know Tell me the secrets I wanna know Only you Only you are the manchild You are the light and you are the way I can't believe this is is true Why do I listen to you If I am all that you say Why am I still so afraid Only you.... ! Only you.... ! Only you.... ! In every age In every time A hero is born As if by a grand design - Odyssey
Letra
From a far off galaxy, I hear you calling me we are on an odyssey Through the realms of time and space In that enchanted place You and I come face to face Once upon not yet, long ago someday Countless times we've met, met along the way Through the luminescent night On beams of neon light You and I in wing-ged flight As we cross the starry sea, powered by what we see Now and then, the victory Once upon not yet, long ago someday Countless times we've met, met along the way There's a child in a sundress Looking at a rainy sky There's a place in the desert Where an ocean once danced by There's a song in the silence Weaving in and out of time We are notes in the music Searching for remembered rhyme On a mountain high somewhere Where only heroes dare Stand the stallion and the mare We have been and we shall be each other's destiny One another's odyssey Once upon not yet, long ago someday Countless times we've met, met along the way We've met along the way.... We've met along the way - Just A Boy
Letra
Who steers the ship through the stormy sea If hope is lost then so are we While some eyes search for one to guide us Some are staring at me But I'm no hero Though I wish I could be For I am just a boy Too young to be sailing I am just a boy And my future is unveiling And I'm so frightened of failing - Fanfare
- The Oath
Letra
Like a blade of a sword I am forged in flame Fiery hot Tempered steel fire-bright to the night I take I fear not Now compelled by something I cannot see I go forth surrendering to history Your glory, I swear I ride for thee Your power, I trust it rides with me Your servant, I am and ever shall I be Through a dream I have a come to an ancient door Lost in the mist I have been there a hundred times or more Pounding my fists Now inside, the fire of the ancient burns A boy goes in and suddenly a man returns I gave my word and gained a key I gave my heart and set it free There's no turning back from this odyssey Because I feel so alive suddenly And I wonder, is this really me? - Mr. Blackwell
Letra
I never said I was more than I am Do what I want and I don't give a damn You're all so weak you know it makes me ill Don't like you now and probably never will You cheat and lie, and wonder why You can't sleep at night You're not well, mr. Blackwell And we can tell You're not well, mr. Blackwell Why don't you go to hell? I am a sinner who just loves to sin I am a fighter who just loves to win I am the truth about this crummy hole There's nothing here that can't be bought or sold You're cold and mean, and in between You're rotten to the core You're not well, mr. Blackwell And we can tell You're not well, mr. Blackwell Why don't you go to hell? You're a victim, a real disgrace You should be banished from the human race We'll drink to sorrow then we'll drink to waste We'll drink a toast to the inhuman race Here's to the world and the times we're in Here's to the kid a real man among men You're cold and mean, and in between You're rotten to the core You're not well, mr. Blackwell And we can tell You're not well, mr. Blackwell Why don't you go to hell? - Escape From The Island
- I
Letra
I was so frightened I almost ran away I didn't know that I could do Anything I needed to And then a bolt of lightning Hit me on my head Then I began to see I just needed to believe in me Now I, I believe in me And I, I believe in something more Than you can understand Yes, I believe in me They said I didn't stand a chance I wouldn't win no way But I've got news for you There's nothing I can't do Ain't no pretending Ain't no make believe But I've got to be the one I gotta do what must be done I believe in me Yes, I believe in me, yeah I don't need no money I don't need no fame, no I just need to believe in me And I know most definitely Don't need to get wasted It only holds me down I just need a will of my own And the balls to stand alone I believe in me Yes, I believe in me - yeah Well do you really Yes, I believe in me Do you do you Yes, I believe in me I wanna rock 'n roll Yes, I believe in me! Morpheus, you have been summoned here to offer your judgement ofthe boy Do you still deem him worthy of the Fellowship? I certainly do, my lord As a matter of fact, I, I think you'regonna like this one He's got the light in his eyes and the look of a Champion, a real champion