Episode 142 is here, and we’re heading into one of KISS’s most mysterious albums—Music From “The Elder”! We’re diving into Side 1 of this ambitious, theatrical project. From soaring ballads to dramatic storytelling, how does KISS’s bold experiment hold up? We’re breaking it all down! Soddam And Gomorrahhh!!!

Music from “The Elder” is the ninth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on the Casablanca Records label in 1981. The album marked a substantial departure from their previous output with the concept and orchestral elements. Music from “The Elder” was the first album with the drummer Eric Carr and the last album to feature guitarist Ace Frehley until their 1996 reunion.

Due to poor sales, Kiss did not embark on a supporting tour for the first time in its eight-year history, opting instead to make a handful of promotional appearances.

Kiss was in the midst of a transitional phase as the 1980s began. Drummer Peter Criss was not involved in the recording of 1980’s Unmasked and he officially left Kiss in May of the same year. His replacement Eric Carr was officially introduced in July. The group had recently embarked on a hugely successful tour of Australia and New Zealand – where the group’s popularity was at its peak – in November, but the band’s commercial fortunes at home were drastically reduced from the 1975–79 era.

Due to the lackluster sales of Unmasked, Kiss toured exclusively outside the US for the first time in their career, except for one concert at the Palladium Theatre in New York City. The overseas tours were well attended, partly because Kiss had rarely ventured abroad and because the more pop-oriented Dynasty and Unmasked albums did better in the European markets than their earlier hard rock albums.

This commercial downturn in the US is attributable to many factors; two of the biggest being the softening of Kiss‘ image in an effort to appeal to a broader fanbase and the softening of their music. Unmasked was a decidedly more pop-oriented effort than earlier albums and represented a sales drop-off of 65% from 1979’s Dynasty. It also became the first Kiss album to fail to achieve platinum status since 1975’s Dressed to Kill. The glut of Kiss merchandising that had cropped up in the late 1970s led to a backlash from many fans who felt that Kiss was more concerned with making money than with making good music.

Recording sessions for the album commenced in March 1981 at Ace Frehley’s home recording studio in Wilton, Connecticut and went on from May 11, 1981 at Ezrin’s farmstead near Toronto, Canada. During the recording, Ezrin and Kiss worked in complete secrecy and no one other than them ever heard the album in progress. Ezrin, in particular, had insisted that he would only communicate with Kiss or Aucoin. Members from the American Symphony Orchestra and St. Robert’s Choir arranged by Michael Kamen were employed to add an orchestral sound to the tracks.

Frehley did not accompany the band to the Canadian recording sessions and became increasingly frustrated, as he disagreed with the group’s decision to abandon their original plan to record a straight rock album. Additionally, a number of guitar solos he recorded were not included in the final cut. Frehley resented what he felt was Simmons’ and Stanley’s domination of the recording sessions and was often outvoted 2–1 on band decisions after Criss’ departure, as Carr was not a partner in Kiss as the other three members were, but rather an employee. This was the last album to feature Frehley until their 1996 reunion Alive/Worldwide Tour, apart from appearing on the cover of the compilation album Killers and the next album Creatures of the Night and a handful of promotional appearances with the band until late 1982.

The basic plot of “The Elder” involves the recruitment and training of a young hero (The Boy) by the Council of Elders who belong to the Order of the Rose, a mysterious group dedicated to combating evil. The Boy is guided by an elderly caretaker named Morpheus. The album’s lyrics describe the boy’s feelings during his journey and training, as he overcomes his early doubts to become confident and self-assured. The only spoken dialogue is at the end of the last track, “I”. During the passage, Morpheus proclaims to the Elders that The Boy is ready to undertake his odyssey. “The Elder are a life-form without body”, Simmons explained, “they are benevolent, but committed to the balance of opposites. And when darkness gets too strong, a hero is born to restore the balance.” A number of narrative passages were cut from the final version of the album. These passages were meant to provide details of the story, and to act as transitional elements between songs

KISS
Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar, all guitars on “The Oath”, guitar solo on “Just a Boy” and “A World Without Heroes”
Gene Simmons – vocals, bass, rhythm guitar on “Only You”
Ace Frehley – vocals, lead guitar, bass on “Under the Rose”, “Dark Light” and “The Oath”
Eric Carr – drums, percussion, acoustic guitar on “Under the Rose”, backing vocals

Production
Bob Ezrin – producer
Brian Christian – associate producer, engineer
Rick Hart, Robert Hrycyna, David Brown – engineers
Rob Freeman, Corky Stasiak, Kevin Doyle – additional engineering
Tom Laughlin – chief technician
Ted Jensen – mastering engineer at Sterling Sound, New York

Additional Musicians
Bob Ezrin – keyboards, bass on “Escape from the Island”, orchestral arrangements
Allan Schwartzberg – drums on “Odyssey” and “I”, additional overdub
Tony Powers – keyboards on “Odyssey”
The American Symphony Orchestra
St. Robert’s Choir
Michael Kamen – orchestral arrangem

Intro Music/Wheel Spin Music by LiteSaturation from Pixabay