Kiss - Music From The Elder (1981) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- KISS with Robert Christie, Antony Parr & Christopher Makepeace, The American Symphony Orchestra & St. Robert's Choir --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paul Stanley - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar Ace Frehley - Lead Guitar Gene Simmons - Lead Vocals, Bass Eric Carr - Drums Bob Ezrin - Bass on "Escape From The Island". Allan Schwartzberg - Drums on "I". Produced by Bob Ezrin. Associate Producer: Brian Christian. Recorded at Ace In The Hole Studio, CT, March - July 1981, A & R Studios, NYC, NY, May 1981, Record Plant Studios, NYC,NY, May, July - September 1981, Ezrin Farms, King Ontario, White Truck and Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada, March & May 1981, by Brian Christian, Rick Hart, Robert Hrycyna and David Brown. Additional Engineering by Rob Freeman, Corky Stasiak and Kevin Doyle. Mixed at Manta Sound Studio, Toronto, Canada. Photography: David Spindel. Art Direction: Dannis Wolloch. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Track Listing 1) The Oath (Stanley, Ezrin, Tony Powers) 4:33 2) fanfare (Ezrin, Stanley) 0:59 3) Just A Boy (Stanley, Ezrin) 2:34 4) Dark Light (Frehley, Anton Fig, Lou Reed, Simmons) 4:11 5) Only You (Simmons) 4:22 6) Under The Rose (Carr, Simmons) 4:47 7) A World Without Heroes (Stanley, Ezrin, Reed, Simmons) 2:38 8) Mr. Blackwell (Simmons, Reed) 4:48 9) Escape From The Island (Ezrin, Carr) 2:51 10) Odyssey (Powers) 5:49 11) I (Simmons, Ezrin) 3:53 12) Dialogue 1:05 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "When the earth was young, they were already old..." Since the dawn of time, the Elder have watched silently over a virgin world and its own creatures... Now, they have assumed the form of mortals so that they might walk amongst men and guide them... The Elder are an ideal... They embody the wisdom of the ages and the power of goodness and knowledge... But the Elder were not alone in the beginning and are not alone still... Another force existed eternally... In every place, in every time, an evil is loosed whose sole purpose is to destroy, all that is good. And in every time, and every place, it is the task of the Elder to find and train a warrior... a champion to conquer the evil. As the looming clouds gather, the council of the Elder sits at their ancient table under the sign of the Rose. Once again they must combat the evil that is lurking in darkness and spreading throughout the world. They await the word from Morpheus, the caretaker, whether the boy be deemed ready for the sacred rite of accession to the Order of the Rose...and for the pronouncement of his sacred duty... The odyssey begins... --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) The Oath (Stanley, Ezrin, Tim Powers) 4:33 Like a blade of a sword I am forged in flame Fiery hot Tempered steel fire-bright to the night I take I fear nots Now compelled by something I cannot see I go forth surrending into 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 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 I gave my sword 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? Like a blade of a sword I am forged in flame Fiery hot Tempered steel fire-bright to the night I take I fear nots Now compelled by something I cannot see I go forth surrending into 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) fanfare (Stnaley, Ezrin) 0:59 Instrumental --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) Just A Boy (Stanley, Ezrin) 2:34 Who steers the ship through the stormy sea If hope is lost and 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 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) Dark Light (Frehley, Anton Fig, Lou Reed, Simmons) 4:11 Look out, Cause there's something wrong And you don't know what it is Watch out, Or it's Sodom and Gomorrah 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 its due A dark light - 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 out, 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 light - 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 light - Is everywhere descending A dark light - Is shining at you Dark light, Dark light Is shining at you, Dark light --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) Only You (Simmons) 4:22 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 know 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 true Why do I listen to you If I am all that you say Why am I still so afraid Only you....! (3) In every age In every time A hero is born As if by a grand design --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) Under The Rose (Carr, Simmons) 4:47 Though you may be pure at 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 Loneliness will haunt you Will you sacrifice? Do you take the oath Will you live your life Under the rose --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) A World Without Heroes (Stanley, Ezrin, Reed, Simmons) 2:38 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) Mr. Blackwell (Simmons, Reed) 4:48 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 I 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) Escape From The Island (Frehley, Ezrin, Carr) 2:51 Instrumental --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) Odyssey (Powers) 5:49 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) I (Simmons, Ezrin) 3:53 Paul: I was so frightened I almost ran away I didn't know that I could do Anything I needed to Gene: And then a bolt of lightning Hit me in my head Then I began to see I just needed to believe in me Gene: Now I, I believe in me And I, I believe in something more Than you can understand Yes, I believe in me Paul: 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 Gene: Ain't no pretending Ain't no make believe But I've got to be the one I gotta do what must be done Gene: Now I, I believe in me And I, I believe in something more Than you can understand Yes, I believe in me I believe in me Yes, I believe in me - yeah Paul: 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 Gene: 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 Gene: Now I, I believe in me And I, I believe in something more Than you can understand Yes, I believe in me 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! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) Dialogue 1:05 The Elder: Morpheus, you have been summoned here to offer your judgement of the boy. Do you still deem him worthy of the Fellowship? Morpheus: I certainly do, my lord. As a matter of fact, I, I think you're gonna like this one. He's got the light in his eyes and the look of a champion, a real champion... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------