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One Of The Most Underrated Talents In Rock And Roll History

Erik Rupp | Southern California | 04/23/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a member of KISS Eric Carr had the opportunity to play on albums that sold over ten million copies worldwide and to play to millions of fans on world tours in support of those albums. In turn, KISS (Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley) had the opportunity to work with a phenomenal drummer, AND a very talented singer/songwriter. They had the opportunity, but rarely took use of it. ROCKOLOGY shows just how much Gene and Paul missed the boat by not fully utilizing the talents of a VERY popular member of their band. "Eyes Of Love" is the best KISS song that never made it on to a KISS album. Recorded as a demo submitted for the HOT IN THE SHADE album, "Eyes" showcases Eric's strong vocals and has a better chorus hook than almost anything on HITS. One huge opportunity missed - it could have been a great single follow up to "Forever." "Somebody's Waiting" is a great Heavy ballad; it's not wimpy, but has a great melody and wonderful harmony vocals. Another opportunity missed. A song recorded as a demo submitted for the CRAZY NIGHTS album that should have been included on that album is "Mad Dog." Featuring a couple of great riffs, and a strong vocal hook (although no "real" lyrics - just a scat/guide vocal harmony track to write lyrics to), "Mad Dog" would have been a standout track on an album that desperately needed a kick-ass straight ahead Rock And Roll tune! "Heavy Metal Baby" (just a working title, he never got around to writing lyrics on this one either) is a mid-tempo down-tuned riff-heavy song with a great sense of groove. "HMB" could have been written for REVENGE, but the notes don't say whether or not this was the case. Regardless of whether or not it was written for REVENGE, it would have fit right on that album - AND been one of the best tracks! Another strong track is "You Make Me Crazy," which takes its musical cues from both Van Halen (think "Panama") and Bryan Adams (ditto - "The Kids Wanna Rock"). Again, no lyrics but a strong vocal melody and a killer set of riffs. In fact, some of the songs were written with Bryan Adams in mind, as Bruce Kulick (who plays all the guitars on the album, and produced it as well) attests to in his notes for "Can You Feel It?" "CYFI" is a strong track that would have worked well on HITS, as "Nightmare" would have as well. "Nightmare is another mid-tempo song with a great chorus hook. As an album ROCKOLOGY is not as cohesive as it would have been had Eric recorded it with the intention of these songs being released together as a solo album. Since he never got the chance to really work on a proper solo album, however, this is all that can be expected. Actually, it is much more than most fans DID expect, since the existence of most of these recordings was not common knowledge. Kudos to Bruce Kulick for taking the time to getting these songs as close to completion as possible. A MUST for die-hard KISS fans, and one to check out for the casual fans to find out what Eric was all about."

A Great CD for any KISS collector...

Sean Parauka | Orange, CT United States | 09/27/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Thanks to former KISS guitarist, Bruce Kulick, this forgotten album of KISS's late drummer, Eric Carr has been released. This CD was made in 1989 with Eric Carr on drums and LEAD vocals and Bruce as the lead guitar player. Together, Eric and Bruce made a pretty decent album with some excellent songs and outstanding guitar riffs.



Eric Carr reflects his gifted talents on the drums and on LEAD vocals on this album. His openeing song, "Eyes of Love" is an outstanding tune that could have definitely been a hit if the radio promoted it back in '89. The lyrics are pure genious and the chorus is very catchy. The riffs are great and Eric does a great job witht the microphone. The next song, "Somebody's Waiting" is a softer rock ballad that is very strong standing from an emotional standpoint. I really like this one.



A couple more great tunes from the album are the instrumental "Just Can't Wait" and the ballad, "Tiara." The first one, "Just Can't Wait" is a very catchy instrumental piece. For those KISS fans that have heard Ace Frehley's "Fractured Mirror" instrumentals, then you'll love this. Then the ballad, "Tiara" is probably the second best song on the album next to "Eyes of Love." It is about a girl that Eric is in love with and the lyrics are extremely passionate.



Those four songs are the songs that make the album a decent one. The rest of the songs are either below par or unfinished. The rest of the songs I think could have been better. If you are a KISS collector and follow the solo albums of the members, you should definitely buy this.



Rest in Peace, Eric Carr."

The Fox rocks on "Rockology"

Byron Fogle | New Jersey | 04/20/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Eric Carr was definitely an underrated performer in this industry. This long awaited release of songs is a treasure to behold. Eric having passed on in 1991 only left us with great memories and a few offerings on KISS albums. The release of this new CD "Rockology" is what any fan of the late KISS drummer has dreamed of. Tracks like "Eyes of Love" Somebody's Waiting" and "Can You Feel It" easily could've been KISS classics and concert staples but they are better off here on his own album with no KISS shadow dwindle this much deserved spotlight. Some songs on this CD are not completed songs (I.E. no vocal tracks) but that doesn't mean they don't rock. Some songs even have a guide vocal to give you an idea on where Eric would've taken the song if he had lived to complete them. Fans continue to purchase demo tapes of bands with no vocals on them all the time, but the difference here is these are all top notch sound quality digitally remastered and produced by longtime band mate & friend Bruce Kulick. Rockology is one journey every KISS fan and Eric fan should partake in."