Compared to their predecessors - you know, the guys they want to emulate, then presumably eclipse (Cream) - the overall sound is bottom-heavy, dependent from the start on Mel Schacher's "lead bass" and Don Brewer's brawny drum kit, while Mark Farner's guitar is notoriously thin and reedy for a power trio. Songwriting wise, it's all credited to Farner, but you have to wonder how much hinged on manager Terry Knight as well, although he never took public credit, just in the monetary sense. What's interesting here is there is no real funk to speak of - unless the production and instrumental tone counts - and no R&B for that matter, just one gut-bucket rocker and/or power-ballad-ish exercise after another. The only place where the guys really go overboard is - where else - "T.N.U.C.", where Schacher's awesome high-level, frantic bass groove is quite danceable, and then gives way to an extended Brewer drum solo. Most of the time they want to fire their jam guns, but are restrained to 1-2 minutes of craziness at most, like on "Heartbreaker". Knight actually had these guys looking for hit singles, if you can believe it, with "Time Machine" and "High on a Horse", which are OK tracks, but Cream never cared about singles, so why should Grand Funk Railroad? Something about this doesn't quite gel - not even the album title, which presents the band as fresh new blood, but instead, you get the feeling everyone involved knows this is half-speed all the way around. I'm not even sure this is necessary for the progression, but in the very least, you do get to hear the genesis of this whole, crazy GFR thing.

The oddly titled Hit to Death in the Future Head goes a long way in completing the transitional process from confused ramshackle go-nowhere noisemaker hippies to the laser-focused Neo-psychedelic machine of the mid 90's, but it’s not quite there yet. There are still the occasional experimental goofs to be found – well, just one huge one that is hard to ignore at the end of the disc. The first half of the disc hazes back and forth between punkish, neo-psych headbangers like “Forever”, “Hit Me like you Did the First Time” (which sounds like Bee Gees mixed with Sonic Youth), and “Ginger Ale Afternoon”, and throbbing trippy ballads like “The Sun” and “Felt Good to Burn”. However, I do find the second half of the disc more compelling, thanks to one track in particular – “Halloween on the Barbary Coast”, which is a complete precursor of the stuff for the upcoming Transmissions of the Satellite Heart. Furthermore, the opening guitar riff is like a joke take on Led Zep’s “Kashmir”, so there is that for entertainment value. Despite the increase in levity, I also sense tension building in the otherwise hilarious “Frogs”, which for me is the other standout on the second side of the disc. “I’m waiting for the frogs to fall, down on me” – I am guessing this is meant to be a humorous lyric, but possibly there is a bit of dark humor hidden in here. Of course, the downfall of the second half of the disc is the last track, the infamous “Noise Loop”. The decision to put this on here is inexcusable. Without it you have a very good 40-minute CD, but with it now it is near 70 minutes long and not necessary. The only reason it could be there is to mess with people who are high on something and forgot to change to another CD. For me, this is the false start before the group really got things moving in earnest on the next two albums. I used to own the next CD but LOST IT SOMEHOW – it was easily a long time favorite – but I do have Clouds Taste Metallic which I think is good in its own right.

This was their third disc and it should be mentioned the CD version was a moderately different re-package from the original vinyl, which was much shorter. Apparently, Telepathic Surgery was supposed to be the sound collage which eventually became “Hell’s Angels Cracker Factory” – although something tells me “U.F.O Story” could have been part of that as well – but that was not sufficient for the record company, so instead, other material was used. The CD version includes both, of course, making this a long haul to get through. Many of the elements which are on the ‘Lips classic early to mid-90’s works are actually present on this album, but in a lower-budget format. Wayne Coyne handles all of the guitar tracks, as well as the vocals, which is a different tack than later efforts when he usually had a second guitarist to handle all their crazy tangents. If you factor in the loads of sound effects used throughout the CD there is a lot to process. I feel like there is often too much to process, and beyond that, the overall mood of the disc is darker than later efforts. Especially when you get to the midsection of it, where you really get the effect of feeling hazy, and not in a good way. Building on the above point, the whole thing appears to be structured like one messy, trailer-trashy, speed-induced acid-trip gone wrong, with all of the weird fade-ins and fade-outs and other random noises. Even Wayne’s vocals at this time match up with this take – he’s not the airy, high-pitched, starry-eyed singer of later albums crooning about jelly and man with headaches saving the world. He’s hoarse and borderline barking his lines at the listener. It all makes for quite the eerie experience which is interesting – at least compared to later efforts – but I do not care to come back to it too often, out of personal preference. I guess it depends on your level of fandom, but even a fan would have to admit that they are still working things out at this stage.

Critics nominally slag on Peter's solo album for sport, but you know what? I don't think it is actually as bad as they say it is. One thing they fail to understand is, Criss' background and influences - R&B, doo wop, and jazz, which he stays true to here. Admittedly, the glossy production gives it quite the karaoke feel, and like on Gene's album, he carries over with the female backing vocals, but there are some songs worth hearing a few times. Not many, mind you, but they exist. As with the other solo records, guest stars abound, and here's another twist of fate - the producer (Vini Poncia) was the guy who produced a bunch of Ringo Starr solo albums - and, well, he figures prominently on the next few Kiss records, too. Most of the first side is complete garbage, but it is partially redeemed by a competent second side. Honestly, compared to the quirky shenanigans on Gene's album, and the ridiculous faux-serious stance on Paul's, I'd actually give Peter's a slight edge just from a consistency standpoint. At least the guy knows what the hell he wants to play and sing about.

Another decidedly odd effort, but in a different way. Gene really had no desire to go solo and this was much more of a lark for him, as a good chunk of these tracks were rejected demos from the Destroyer sessions. It has much more of a pop feel than normal Kiss music, but it belongs on its' own weird wavelength as well - many songs are drenched in awful female doo-wop backing vocals, and crossed Ezrin touches like faux-classical piano and violin passages, which gives it a mock Electric Light Orchestra feel, as well. I hear whiffs of late-70's Cheap Trick in this, too, which makes sense, because Rick Nielsen guested on the record. Bonus idiot savant piece of trivia - one of the backing vocalists was none other than Peggy Bundy a.k.a. Katey Sagal.