A Week of Kix (and Friends): Blow My Fuse Classic Review

"Are you ready to blow my fuse?"

Talk about a powerful sentence. Those seven words pretty much sum up what Kix is all about - and for good reason. Blow My Fuse is Kix's most successful - and thus famous - album to date. The disc spawned several singles, including the album's title track, "Don't Close Your Eyes," "Get It While Its Hot" and "Cold Blood."

Quite frankly I don't even need to write much here. If you love Glam, you likely already know the joy that is Blow My Fuse.

1988 was a huge year in music.  LA Guns released an album. David  Lee Roth released an album. Lita Ford, Iron Maiden, the Scorpions, Queensryche, Poison, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Cinderella, Britny Fox, Winger, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Vixen, the Bulletboys, Quiet Riot, Dokken and Guns n' Roses all released albums. Some of the bands I just listed released their biggest albums in 1988. Poison released Open Up and Say...Ah!!! and Queensryche released Operation: Mindcrime. You know what? Blow My Fuse is just as strong - if not stronger - than those two releases.

I love the deeper cuts on Blow My Fuse. I really believe "No Ring Around Rosie" is one of the best songs Kix ever recorded. That song has it all: great bass line, chorus fade, powerful guitars and - as always - great vocals. Plus, the lyrics are a pun on a nursery rhyme. Everyone knows I love a good literature reference. I found that I listened to  "No Ring Around Rosie" 12 times today. Listening to Kix while working makes me feel less violent. Maybe companies should just pipe  Kix to  employees to enhance productivity and keep the peace?

My husband's favorite Kix song is "Cold Blood." I have to admit I love it as well. The track is just a great hard rocker - the epitome of 1988 Glam. Ok, so the story isn't complicated: the girl is a tease. It's amazing how the simplest of stories can make for great songs. I guess that's been the case since the beginning of recorded music. The video for "Cold Blood" is quite good, too. It's a traditional "concert-party" clip and the heroine is very pretty. Kix always had pretty girls in their videos.   Fun fact: I'm fairly certain the pictures guitarist Brian Forsythe has on his Myspace page are from the "Cold Blood" video. Go take a look and add him as a friend. Not that he asked me to drum-up membership or anything. We all just need more friends.

Another favorite? "Get It While It's Hot."  I'm not sure what "It" is, but that is neither here nor there. Want to know the best part of this song? The big chorus of course. Well, that, the guitar solo and the fact that this song makes you want to move. Or hit something. Or someone. Maybe I just need anger management?  When I'm angry this is a good song because it sort of calms me. When I'm calm and I listen to this song, I can feel my blood rise a few points. Maybe I'm crazy. Or maybe "Get It While It's Hot" is just that good.

I dare a modern Glam band to move me like Kix. Actually, I'll ramp back the challenge: record a song as good as "Get It While It's Hot" and we'll talk.

Please tell me you already own Blow My Fuse. If not, purchase it now. Here is the video for "Get It While It's Hot:"

Here is the video for "Cold Blood:"

Comments

[Damnp78]

What agreat album indeed !!! I just found me a little gem the other day... a KIX Live album. Man alive ! It sounds as good as the real thing. I cant wait for Saturday Nite !!!! No oo ooooo Ring Around Rosie !

[red6ixx]

excellent band - great reviews - i love that album - is one of my faves - i would say i listen to at least 1 track from it every week - on rotation on the ipod.

[Xavier]

Best Kix album together with Hot Wire, but here I have to agree with your husband, my fave track on that album is also Cold Blood, but anyway, the whole album is a winner !!

[roxian]

Okay- been following you for a month now, Kix has brought me out of hiding and I've decided to post!

I hadn't heard "Cold Blood" since high school, just played the video and I found myself singing the words. I was amazed they came out of my mouth without even thinking about them! Kix is great and Cold Blood is a great song.

[KixRules]

Another great CD by KIX...To me is just behind Hotwire and Midnite Dynamite...However this is the album that put KIX on the map and for that you have to consider it their best work. 2 DAYS AND COUNTING UNTIL KIX IN BALTIMORE!!!!

[George]

I have to admit I never thought much about Kix other than "Don't Close Your Eyes" and possibly "Girl Money." But after all you've written about them, I'm tempted to give them more of a listen.

One thing that is clear though...they have some goofy album covers, don't they? The one for "Midnight Dynamite" is pretty bad and this one for "Blow My Fuse" is kind of cheesy too.

[lajustice77]

got everything Kix ever put out, I celebrate their entire catalog!

[Kenny Ozz]

"Blow my fuse is just as good or better than Operation Mindcrime or Open up and say Ahh..."????

I hate to keep disagreeing with you Allyson but is strongly disagree.

Dont get me wrong, Kix is a nice, solid, 80's rock band but this album isnt on the same level as those classics. I would even say most of the bands you listed had superior albums to Kix's that year.

I do really want to see Kix live and im sure they rock, but lets not get over-hyped hyped over this band

[Christian]

Of COURSE I own this CD. And yes, Cold Blood is my favourite, too. I play it on guitar, when my day is too much, I go into the guitar room, turn it all up and play this song.