S5. Episode 1. Fanfare and Just a Boy

About this episode

The episode explores KISS's album The Elder, discussing its troubled history and the impact of its fantasy themes on the band's identity.

Regarding… Music From The Elder  kicks off Season Five of the  Regarding…  series with a deep dive into KISS’s most infamous left turn:  The Elder , the soundtrack to a movie that never existed—until now. Co-Hosts Greg “Wolfie” Wolf, Scott D. Monroe, Chaz Charles, and Corey Morissette enter the album track by track with eyes wide open, asking not whether it’s good or bad, but what actually happens when a band builds an entire fantasy world and forgets how to live inside it. This season isn’t about rehabilitating  The Elder , and it’s not about burying it either. It’s about documenting it honestly. Oaky...honestly, they didn't need to ask if it was bad...but that is entirely besides the point. There are those who would disagree. The episode opens by framing the record’s troubled history—Bob Ezrin, post- Wall  ambition, band dysfunction, label interference, and the infamous resequencing that altered the original narrative. The hosts debate original vs. remastered track order before settling on the band’s restored vision:  “Fanfare” into “Just a Boy.” From there, the discussion digs into why the album alienated fans, how its medieval fantasy tropes…

People in this episode

Hosts: Greg Wolf, Scott D. Monroe, Chaz Charles, Corey Morissette

Topics covered

• KISS
• album analysis
• music history
• fantasy themes
• band dynamics

Keywords

• KISS
• The Elder
• album analysis
• music commentary
• fantasy tropes

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Music From The Elder, The Elder, Tommy, 2112, Lord of the Rings

More episodes of Regarding...Series

• S5. Episode 9. Mr. Blackwell · June 9, 2026 · 1h 14m
• S5. Episode 8. The Oath · May 25, 2026 · 1h 2m
• S5. Episode 7. A World Without Heroes · May 13, 2026 · 1h 20m
• S5. Episode 6. Seb Hunter And His Elder Movie (Trailer...) · April 20, 2026 · 1h 6m
• S5. Episode 5. Dark Light · March 17, 2026 · 1h 35m
• S5. Episode 4. Under The Rose · March 3, 2026 · 1h 31m