Remembering The Brilliance of Eric Carr

Better Late Than Never is something we hear a lot and this seems to apply a lot to the late Eric Carr, who was the drummer for KISS from 1980-1991. While many hardcore KISS fans loved his drumming during his time with the band there are still many who did not show such appreciation until many years after his tragic death in November of 1991. Perhaps it was out of loyalty to the great Peter Criss, who was the original drummer of the band or perhaps it was because the KISS Army had to experience the reality of Don't Know Whatcha Got 'Til It's Gone. Either way, many are finally seeing how great he was and even going as far as stating that Carr was in fact the best drummer KISS ever had.

With the band ending its touring career many fans have taken some time to look back on the entire performance career of the band. Thankfully, the band did include songs from each era during their final touring set list, which brought Carr into the conversation again about the best that the band had to offer during their entire career. With this blog I will give many examples of how his time in KISS allowed him to both add new life to some classic songs while also showing how creative he was when it came to what he brought to the new music that he performed on.

First Show with KISS at the
New York Palladium 07/12/1980

New Life to Some Classic Songs

To begin, this section does not seek to take anything away from the magic that the great Peter Criss brought to the band. In fact, my next updated drumming blog will be about the brilliance of the Catman who retired from active performing several years ago.

When a new member comes into the band there is going to be change and the most obvious one when KISS made their first lineup change was that Carr made KISS a heavier band. Criss came from a more swing/big band/R & B background and while Carr loved all kinds of music, he had a more extensive background in heavier styles of drumming. So one listen to a KISS concert video (sadly, they never released a live album with Carr on drums) and you will hear a stronger drive in the classic songs. This was important because such drumming was the trademark of 80's rock music. Therefore, Carr's style allowed KISS to keep up with the times.

Creatures of the Night Tour 1982-1983

However, Carr brought more than just a heavier feel to the groove, He literally changed some parts of the classic songs that again gave them new life. Consider the the way Carr played the main groove on the KISS classic Detroit, Rock City. This is a live mainstay and also featured one of Criss' best performances. Carr having a totally different style and approach added some double bass to what was Criss' smooth shuffle beat and then did many fills that focused more on upbeats than the straight drive that was part of Criss' amazing performance. This change was so important to the changing sound of the band that even Eric Singer kept elements of Carr's performance once he took over for the late Carr

Detroit, Rock City Australia 1980

Black Diamond has always been one of the highlights of any KISS show and that's where Carr shined the most. Most people focus on the fact that he sings the lead vocal on that song, which is true but his drumming approach is totally different than what Criss did. First off, during the chorus he doesn't drive the band with a cowbell driven beat between vocal lines. He uses the toms with both a pounding pulse along with some quick 32nd notes that added some flavor to his beat (see 1:53-1:56) which seemed to fit the story line of the song as it is about a woman who walks the streets at night. During the guitar solo he adds more to the accented section by adding some nice fills and even some cool double bass work (see 2:53-3:18).

Black Diamond 1988 Japan

In KISS' later years they removed the halftime outro of the song, which was really sad because it was one of the most dramatic parts of the show. Eric added much more drive and color to the section, especially when he went around his whole set in the middle of the groove while his band mates did their famous choreography (see 3:27-3:31). These are some real phenomenal performances on the drums and this says nothing about his stellar lead vocal part. The man was a true talent.

Black Diamond Australia 1980

Lick it Up tour, 1983

Finally, let's take a look at Carr's performance on the KISS classic Cold Gin. On the original version of the song Criss played a regular hi-hat driven beat on the verses of the song. Carr uses a tom driven beat that gav ethe song a heavier feel. On the choruses Criss played a figure between his hi-hat and snare in between the vocal lines on the chorus. Carr on the other hand plays a downbeat on the snare while he keeps his right hand on a bigger tom while his left hand travels around two higher pitched toms. This means that he has to play the fill leading with his left hand. For most drummers this is a little more challenging because leading with one's weaker hand requires more concentration What might have helped Carr with this figure is that he was naturally left handed but played a right handed drum set. Either way, it's a tough fill to play.

Cold Gin Detroit 1984

During his drum solo in Detroit, 1984

Creativity

The first thing that I would like to comment on are some drum fills he does on the song Under the Rose, which is a song Carr co-wrote with Gene Simmons on the album Music From the Elder. This album was also Carr's first recorded performance with the band and features a beautiful guitar part that he wrote. This is a very atmospheric song with a lot of dynamics with a powerful chorus. It has a dramatic vocal line with an amazing guitar lick that comes after the vocal part. The drumming on this guitar feature are accented crashes with some light tom fills but what Carr plays is just beautiful. He does what sounds like some quick 32nd notes on the toms that give an almost flam like effect that leads to the crash along with some powerful sixteenths that are placed in just the right spots to help drive the riff (see 1:08-1:28).

Under the Rose

The song I Still Love You is another special song if you're a fan of Carr. Aside from it being what many KISS fans consider to be Paul Stanley's finest recorded vocal performance, Carr is in fact the rhythm section on the song as he plays the drums and the bass guitar. The drumming performance is absolutely brilliant as it's a great combination of power groove and heartfelt fills that support Stanley's emotional singing performance. Then there is the bass line that has a strong presence along with some nice tasteful runs that display Carr's prowess as a multi-instrumentalist. For those who do not know, Carr played drums, guitar, bass guitar, piano and sang. In other words, he was the most musical diverse member of KISS. This is why he was the most musical drummer the band ever had due to his extensive musical vocabulary.

I Still Love You

The Thunder

Double bass drumming is a big part of hard rock music and something the band was looking for when they sought to replace Criss. Carr took a backseat to no one as his double bass abilities were up there with the best in the business. When he first joined the band his power and double bass drumming gave new life to a group moving into a new decade where rock music was changing. He also gave KISS a drive that hadn't been heard before. This was most evident on The Oath, which is the opening track of the original release of the album Music From the Elder. Unfortunately, the mix on the song was horrible but one can still hear the power that Carr brought to the band. Fortunately, one can get some idea of how the song should sound when you hear the only live performance Carr did of this song with the band from the old television show called Fridays.

The Oath Live on Fridays

On the set of the Tears are Falling video

Thankfully, some of the later albums, such as the underrated Asylum, give us a better presentation of Carr's double bass abilities. On the opening song, which is titled King of the Mountain, there is a nice double bass figure that is consistent throughout most of the song.

King of the Mountain

There is also some double bass work with some nice movement around the toms on the intro to I'm Alive Of course there are times when you just have to drive the point home and kick the audience in the face, which he did when he used this groove on the opening of his drum solo from 1985-1988

I'm Alive

The song Boomerang off of Carr's last album Hot in the Shade is far from KISS' best song but the drums are worth mentioning as they feature some of Carr's powerful double bass drumming. That and the tom fills that go over the pounding drive over the verses are amazing.

Boomerang

Somewhere in Europe during the
Monsters of Rock Tour, 1988

The Creative Force

What happens when a drummer, who not only plays other instruments and write songs, creates a drum solo? You get something that was not common among his peers that people still talk about to this day. Over the years Carr not only created an entertaining solo that showcased his drumming abilities and showmanship along with his ability to create his own music. His solo at Budokan in Tokyo in 1988 during the Crazy Nights tour was probably the best he ever did. Along with doing things that had become a signature of what he was known for as a soloist he started to add electronics to what was already a brilliant solo. You will see that he does more than hit pads to end the solo. He is also able to play a cool rock riff over his groove. And, since it was 1988, he was definitely a pioneer of a movement that is still rarely done by drummers today.

Eric Carr Drum Solo at Budokan, 1988

As stated earlier, Carr was also a songwriter and while he did earn some co-writing credits during his time with KISS (1981 Under the Rose and Escape From the Island from the album Music From the Elder, 1983 All Hell's Breakin' Loose from the album Lick it Up, 1984 Under the Gun from the album Animalize and 1987 No, No, No from the album Crazy Nights), it wasn't until 1989 when the band finally let him sing his own song on a KISS album. The song was called Little Caesar, which was the nickname given to him my band mate Gene Simmons with the song featuring him on drums and bass guitar yet again. Bandmate and close friend Bruce Kulick played all the guitars with the rest of the band on background vocals.

Little Caesar

Thankfully, even death didn't take away the chance for fans to hear more from Carr. Bruce Kulick along with songwriting partner and close friend Adam Mitchell have partnered with Carr's family to release a lot of demos and finished songs that showcased Carr's amazing talents. So far we have his posthumously released solo albums titled Rockology and Unfinished Business with fans hoping for more in the future. Some highlights from these releases are:

Somebody's Waiting: A powerful ballad in the spirit of the 80's power ballad era. We have some great drumming and beautiful expressive vocals by Carr. He also performs bass guitar on this song

Somebody's Waiting

Eyes of Love: A demo of a great rock song again that is in the spirit of the 80's.

Eyes of Love

Tiara: A beautiful and haunting love song that showcases Carr's piano abilities.

Tiara

After Carr's passing, KISS put out a recording that featured the only drum solo that Carr ever recorded. It is titled Carr Jamm 1981 and is available on their album Revenge. Along with the thunderous drum solo, it also features some great music written by Carr that unfortunately wasn't finished as a KISS song. However, in 1987 former bandmate Ace Frehley, finished the song with the assistance of Richie Scarlet to create the song Breakout. In the spirit of Carr's powerhouse drumming, drummer Anton Fig offers an amazing performance both on his groove along with his drum break.

Carr Jamm 1981

Breakout - Frehley's Comet

Promo poster with Ludwig drums

While many genuine KISS fans supported Carr during his time with the band it seemed like he never received his proper due because he wasn't the original drummer. Unfortunately, that's a common concept in rock music, which at times deprives fans of some great music because replacement members can at times be not only better musicians but people with less baggage, thus, helping contribute to a better experience of the band. No one denies the beautiful chemistry of the original lineup but one cannot deny the commitment and drive of this particular lineup that featured both Carr and Kulick.

KISS - Animalize Live Uncensored

Carr passed away the same day as Queen's Freddie Mercury so even in death, it seemed like he was not getting his due. Thankfully, his family and devoted fans continue to remember and celebrate him to the point where the honors continue to come his way. From being inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame in 2021...

Eric Carr Metal Hall of Fame Induction

...to Kulick honoring his dear friend on a recent a KISS Kruise.

Bruce Kulick -Eric Carr Tribute

Conclusion

I am a KISS fan and continued to follow the band after Carr's tragic death. It has never been the same for me but I know that life goes on and am glad that the band continued because the band truly is bigger than its individual members.

In some ways I think I saw his passing coming. I attended his last performance in the Los Angeles area on September 14, 1990 at Long Beach Arena. It was there when I first noticed that something felt wrong during his drum solo. It's hard to explain but there was just something in his playing that didn't seem right. Many years later I got a hold of a bootleg cassette of that show and to my surprise the solo was fine. Still, I trust what I felt that night so what was it? It wasn't just Carr's solo though that bothered me. I remember at one point Stanley told the crowd that the band would return next year for their their 20th Anniversary tour and while the audience cheered I shook my head as I looked at each member onstage. In my heart I knew one of them would not be there and it was not a pleasant feeling.

From Eric Carr's last show at
Madison Square Garden on 11/09/1990

Five months later was when Carr's health problems began. Soon after that was when he was diagnosed with a rare form of heart cancer. He would leave us later that year on November 24, 1991. I was numb as it took me a long time to process this devastating loss. I couldn't imagine KISS without him and I was quite angry with the band for many years. I did buy the Revenge album because I knew that Carr was going to be on the album but I refused to attend any concerts or events for a number of years. Like many fans, I felt that they did not do enough to honor him.

Five years later, it all made sense. What drew me back to the band was MTV Unplugged! How could I not watch the reunion of the original lineup along with them also joining the current lineup onstage for the encore? That would lead to the Reunion Tour and there was no way I was going to miss that. The show was spectacular and to have this second chance to see the original lineup was important to me because I was too young to have seen them during their first run.

Until the moment of the show when Carr's absence really hit me. They played Black Diamond. It was spectacular as it is the song that any KISS fan had to see live. However, for me, this was the first time I saw them perform it without the Fox on vocals. It broke my heart. It was a visual reminder that Carr was gone and that he was not coming back. It doesn't hit anyone harder than to see this reminder in person.

Yes, I love Criss and was happy to see him return to the band. Yes, I felt the energy of the KISS Army as they celebrated the return of the ones who began this movement. But I was never going to forget Eric Carr and for me, once he put his stamp on the band, he was irreplaceable.

I believe that God took Carr home because the music business is vicious and even though Carr would have been in the band sixteen years at the time of the Reunion Tour, there was no way that principle would come before profit. Not to take anything away from Kulick and drummer Eric Singer, who were certainly victims of this reality, but this would have destroyed Carr. He gave his heart and soul to the band and to have the dream taken from him...I truly believed it would have killed him. So, in all of God's mysterious ways He found a way to remove Carr from the chaos in order to spare him the agony.

It is ironic that KISS ended their touring run in the same arena where Carr. I did not attend the last show as I had my last live moment with KISS in my home state but Carr was certainly on my mind when I saw footage from the last two shows.

Eric Carr's Last Drum Solo at Madison Square Garden

Thankfully, even though so many of his fans miss him, we still have so much of his musical legacy to celebrate his life as well as his contribution to the hottest band in the world! He was a true talent and those who knew him say that he was the nicest person that they ever knew. To know that he was a better person than he was a musician tells me that I looked up to the right person when it came to the drummer I admired during my formative years.

Thank you Eric Carr for the good times as well as the inspiration.

I will always remember you.

My tribute to the Fox

Lair of the Fox