31 years old.
Man time goes by.
“Hot In The Shade” now has a full time job, a drinking problem and is paying taxes to keep the economy going. Plus it’s got a woody problem.
Read on.
I purchased it from a store called Brashs. It specialised in sound systems and then it started to bring in musical product.
It had a decent metal and rock section but I felt that everything was way overpriced and hardly any discounts.
Then again, the price was pre-determined by the labels but who knew that kind of stuff back then. But it was the only store that had “Hot In The Shade”. So I purchased it for $20.
$20 back in 1989 is worth about $42 today with inflation added on. Which is about the price of Vinyl these days on average.
Anyway, I’ve been on a Bob Halligan Jr kick lately and he co-wrote two tracks here. “Rise To It” and “Read My Body”.
And this era of Kiss has its critics but it’s Bruce Kulick’s finest moments. His guitar work on “Crazy Nights” and “Hot In The Shade” is very underrated.
And Kulick really rose to it here and delivered a great solo.
“Rise To It” opens up with some slide guitar and a Mississippi Delta blues feel. But once the distorted guitars kick in, it’s melodic rock all the way.
But.
Listen to the riff in the Chorus.
It’s ZZ Top like. Think “Sharp Dressed Man”.
Lyrically, it’s typical Kiss, talking about hard ons or wood. Like when Paul sings “When you’re lying next to me, baby, I can guarantee, I’m gonna rise to it” he’s not talking about waking up in the morning.
And that got me thinking about ZZ Top and there song, “Woke Up With Wood”.
The lyrics, “when I woke up this morning, I was feeling mighty good, my baby understood had to do what she should, laying near a pile of wood”.
“God damn good times” is what I say. I’ve been in those morning wood situations a lot of times.
Suddenly I’m listening to “Sport’n A Woody” from Dangerous Toys. “Sport’n a woody, when you’re titties fly” and how they wish the lady was sedated so they penetrate her.
Then Ace Frehley comes to mind and how his baby is on her knees and she’s begging please for a ride on his rocket.
Ahhh, rock and roll music.
It never took it self seriously and it allowed us all to have a laugh and a good time.
I’m gonna raise my glass to Rock And Roll.
Oh wait, that’s another Kiss song. For a different time.
destroyerofharmony 
Nice one. I haven’t got to this album yet in my Kiss Review Series. I’m not too far away from, I’m in the 80’s now so getting close. This is not my favorite Kiss album so it will be interesting to explore it again in more detail, including this song.
I think it’s a very underrated album. Kulick shines again. Each song has some cool riffage. Plus the last recording to involve Eric Carr. And regardless with who they wrote, it still came across as Kiss.
Anything Bruce does is great. My favorite part of the 80’s Kiss. Eric is a very close second. I wish he would’ve gotten to sing more on the albums.
I still defend HITS. Loved it then, love it now! I remember being a bit wary of Rise To It as an opener at first. I thought they were going all Cinderella… but it’s a great song.
Same. I didn’t like some of the songs initially but after a few plays I started to warm to em. This one being one of em.
And you’re right about HITS. I liked it then and I still like it now.
Woke Up With Wood is one my fav’s from Afterburner. lol Rise To It is a great tune on a patchy album at best.
Yeah I went down a rabbit hole of wood.
I think HITS is very underrated. Then again the acronym of the title does foretell what it’s all about.
But.
It’s got good riffage and Kulick again shines.
Kulick’s guitar in the chorus of Rise to It is ZZ Top-like. Interesting connection. The delta slides paints a bit of Blues delta atmosphere and hints towards the Sphinx’s location. Humorous.
Yes, I join the glass raising for Rock and Roll not taking itself too seriously.
Woke Up In Wood was a fave for me off of ZZ Top’s Afterburner. It took me a few years to consider the title. They have a few other sexual innuendos in their discography; )