Style: hard rock, heavy metal
Label: Mercury
Year: 1987
Home: New York
Members: Paul Stanley ~ vocals/rhythm guitar/keyboards
Gene Simmons ~ vocals/bass
Eric Carr ~ drums/b. vocals
Bruce Kulick ~ guitars/keyboards/bass/b. vocals
Additional: Phil Ashley ~ keyboards
Adam Mitchell ~ guitar
Tom Kelly ~ b. vocals
Here are my immediate thoughts, from the notes I took as listening to Crazy Nights over multiple spins & days: I don't want keyboards on a Kiss album; this has to have outside songwriters; Kiss has lost their balls; no, Gene, no, no; I'm so sorry, Bruce, you are in this drek; is this a Paul Stanley solo album in disguise with his backing band being Kiss? I shall elaborate a bit, though you are likely either nodding in agreement or say I'm being too harsh. That's what the comment space is for. I read everything & respond. "Here's a little song for everybody out there," Paul states to open the album. That should be a hint that this is not going to be Kiss as we know them & love them & want them, but instead a continuance on their self-destructive path to make music for the masses, but not for their fans, while even then the masses can do better with other big hair bands. Its such diminishing returns for Kiss in the '80's. They started with a misstep in Unmasked in 1980, yet were musically if not commercially strong with Music From "The Elder", Creatures Of The Night, & Lick It Up, then there is a fast decline to the pits of Hell with Animalize, Asylum & 1987's Crazy Nights. So, 4 out of 7 albums in my book I can't honestly recommend outside of a track here or there. Essentially, there's Kiss in the '70's & then Kiss after Lick It Up. These are different beasts. One should be rejoiced in. The other should be handled cautiously. I imagine a level of Dante's inferno where you are stuck wearing covid-19 masks, its always windy & rainy, & you constantly hear post-Lick It Up Kiss with non-Ace Frehley tracks from Unmasked for quasi-relief. I have elsewhere called late '80's Kiss a neutered Kiss. No balls. No guts. No growl. No beast. Kiss light. If Kiss had been done on the Donny & Marie Osmond show, i.e. wholesome family entertainment. Crazy Nights keeps the trend going. I seriously can't believe Kiss thought this was a good album, or that to continue on the path of playing bland '80's rock was the way to keep going. Not to mention pushing the keyboards high in the mix just makes me ask about their sanity even more. What were they thinking? Keep keyboards in the background, as Kiss is a guitar/bass strong band. End of story. Its thus ironic when Paul sings "Nobody is going to change me / cause that's who I am / these are crazy crazy nights" in "Crazy Crazy Nights", cause change is exactly what this album is about. Changing into something even farther from the Kiss mold. This is thus the most meaningless phrase ever sung by Paul in his dire rush to sound relevant ... rush into a brick wall. How far can you go with this sound? How did Kiss even make it through these years without falling apart? Too big to fail is likely the cause. The only thing I can say good about this album is Paul sings really really well & few songs I thought were catchy. But, you shouldn't describe Kiss as catchy. That's like describing Barry Manilow as headbanging or Nirvana as heavy metal. Speaking of Barry Manilow, is it just me, or does "Crazy Crazy Nights" have a melody line that sounds like a Broadway musical? Only Barry Manilow gets to do Broadway songs in my book. Sorry, Paul.Gene Simmons's "No, No, No" is not one of his strongest moments on record. Actually, he doesn't have any strong moments on this album, to the point where I had to look up if it was really him singing. Yet, I do want to give kudos to Bruce Kulick who goes crazy on this track. The song sounds perfect for the stage with an extended solo & flashing lights. Yet, it would be perfect with different vocals. Stop singing it weakly, Gene, like you're trying to be Barry Manilow. Give this a growl. This album badly needs some growling! Gene's "Thief In The Night" has an interesting riff and lead guitar part, & it sounds like its trying to growl ... but we need a better bass line & less of the backing vocals & a less tinny guitar. This is an interesting song & I mention it because it was recorded by Wendy O. Williams, produced & with bass by Gene, on her 1984 debut solo album WOW. Guests on the album included Paul, Ace, & Eric Carr. Her version will clobber you with throaty vocals, powerful drums that would make Eric blush, & a thick ass guitar. Gene then he did this version. Its amazing how one can turn a dirty ass song into something that might be sung in church. A Mormon Church, no less. Gene, oh, Gene, no, no, no. Just so many no's for Gene on this album. Of note, the lead guitarist on Wendy's version is Michael Race, who played on Creatures Of The Night on 4 songs instead of Ace, including the title track. Ah, but that was back when Kiss kicked ass! This album and others of the era by Kiss, which I remember being promoted when I was young, are the reasons I never got into Kiss as a boy. "Reason To Live" was the big MTV hit. Big as in, I guess, MTV had nothing else to play of value. If I heard this at the time I would have passed on it. I likely did & doing the same in my 40's.
Tom Kelly ~ b. vocals
Here are my immediate thoughts, from the notes I took as listening to Crazy Nights over multiple spins & days: I don't want keyboards on a Kiss album; this has to have outside songwriters; Kiss has lost their balls; no, Gene, no, no; I'm so sorry, Bruce, you are in this drek; is this a Paul Stanley solo album in disguise with his backing band being Kiss? I shall elaborate a bit, though you are likely either nodding in agreement or say I'm being too harsh. That's what the comment space is for. I read everything & respond. "Here's a little song for everybody out there," Paul states to open the album. That should be a hint that this is not going to be Kiss as we know them & love them & want them, but instead a continuance on their self-destructive path to make music for the masses, but not for their fans, while even then the masses can do better with other big hair bands. Its such diminishing returns for Kiss in the '80's. They started with a misstep in Unmasked in 1980, yet were musically if not commercially strong with Music From "The Elder", Creatures Of The Night, & Lick It Up, then there is a fast decline to the pits of Hell with Animalize, Asylum & 1987's Crazy Nights. So, 4 out of 7 albums in my book I can't honestly recommend outside of a track here or there. Essentially, there's Kiss in the '70's & then Kiss after Lick It Up. These are different beasts. One should be rejoiced in. The other should be handled cautiously. I imagine a level of Dante's inferno where you are stuck wearing covid-19 masks, its always windy & rainy, & you constantly hear post-Lick It Up Kiss with non-Ace Frehley tracks from Unmasked for quasi-relief. I have elsewhere called late '80's Kiss a neutered Kiss. No balls. No guts. No growl. No beast. Kiss light. If Kiss had been done on the Donny & Marie Osmond show, i.e. wholesome family entertainment. Crazy Nights keeps the trend going. I seriously can't believe Kiss thought this was a good album, or that to continue on the path of playing bland '80's rock was the way to keep going. Not to mention pushing the keyboards high in the mix just makes me ask about their sanity even more. What were they thinking? Keep keyboards in the background, as Kiss is a guitar/bass strong band. End of story. Its thus ironic when Paul sings "Nobody is going to change me / cause that's who I am / these are crazy crazy nights" in "Crazy Crazy Nights", cause change is exactly what this album is about. Changing into something even farther from the Kiss mold. This is thus the most meaningless phrase ever sung by Paul in his dire rush to sound relevant ... rush into a brick wall. How far can you go with this sound? How did Kiss even make it through these years without falling apart? Too big to fail is likely the cause. The only thing I can say good about this album is Paul sings really really well & few songs I thought were catchy. But, you shouldn't describe Kiss as catchy. That's like describing Barry Manilow as headbanging or Nirvana as heavy metal. Speaking of Barry Manilow, is it just me, or does "Crazy Crazy Nights" have a melody line that sounds like a Broadway musical? Only Barry Manilow gets to do Broadway songs in my book. Sorry, Paul.Gene Simmons's "No, No, No" is not one of his strongest moments on record. Actually, he doesn't have any strong moments on this album, to the point where I had to look up if it was really him singing. Yet, I do want to give kudos to Bruce Kulick who goes crazy on this track. The song sounds perfect for the stage with an extended solo & flashing lights. Yet, it would be perfect with different vocals. Stop singing it weakly, Gene, like you're trying to be Barry Manilow. Give this a growl. This album badly needs some growling! Gene's "Thief In The Night" has an interesting riff and lead guitar part, & it sounds like its trying to growl ... but we need a better bass line & less of the backing vocals & a less tinny guitar. This is an interesting song & I mention it because it was recorded by Wendy O. Williams, produced & with bass by Gene, on her 1984 debut solo album WOW. Guests on the album included Paul, Ace, & Eric Carr. Her version will clobber you with throaty vocals, powerful drums that would make Eric blush, & a thick ass guitar. Gene then he did this version. Its amazing how one can turn a dirty ass song into something that might be sung in church. A Mormon Church, no less. Gene, oh, Gene, no, no, no. Just so many no's for Gene on this album. Of note, the lead guitarist on Wendy's version is Michael Race, who played on Creatures Of The Night on 4 songs instead of Ace, including the title track. Ah, but that was back when Kiss kicked ass! This album and others of the era by Kiss, which I remember being promoted when I was young, are the reasons I never got into Kiss as a boy. "Reason To Live" was the big MTV hit. Big as in, I guess, MTV had nothing else to play of value. If I heard this at the time I would have passed on it. I likely did & doing the same in my 40's.
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