9. "Strange Ways" From Hotter Than Hell, 1974
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zod3TQJ3D1g If we accept the premise that Metal would soon to be birthed from an unholy melding of 60s psychedelic/acid rock with early 70s glam and hard rock then we need look no further than this track as a great example of proto-metal in the womb. The tune is penned by Frehley who lacked the confidence to do his own singing in the early days of Kiss so Peter Criss is featured on vocals a fact that is not nearly as annoying as it would prove to be later on in the decade. The brief moments of brilliance displayed by Frehley during his post-Kiss solo career are definitely foreshadowed here. 8. "Room Service" From Dressed to Kill, 1975
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx2FQf37Mk0 This high-energy opener to the album features a great repeating riff (during the chorus) and the walking bass-line style of Gene Simmons that featured so prominently on early Kiss albums. At this point in their career Kiss was a barely noticed NY phenomenon, a fact reflected in poor sales of their first three albums. Had the forthcoming Kiss Alive not catapulted them to fame it is more than likely that they would have been cast into rocks rotting compost heap of almost made-its. The lyric is a typical Paul Stanley love-in that tells the tale of a rock star getting some, you guessed it room service. Hilarious.
Reverend Rock
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Ross Ingall is a 52 year old ordained Canadian baptist minister who has been listening to hard rock and metal quite literally since each was invented. A second career pastor who attended seminary in his 40's, the Rev hosts Too Metal For Church on Metal Nation Radio. Writing both under his own name as well as the psuedonym/nickname Reverend Rock, Ross has been writing music articles on the web since 1999.
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