Gunfighter: A Modern Warrior's Life

Ground Beef Wellington a la Jamie Oliver: A Recipe Review

I tried out a new recipe this week, and I thought that I should share it with you.  As you can see in the title of the post, it was Ground Beef Wellington.  Now, I have never had a regular Beef Wellington, but I have always wanted to try.  The problem is that I don't like to experiment with expensive food items, so going the ground beef route seemed like a good place to start.

I'll present the recipe, and make my review after you've had a look at it.

 

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 potato, peeled and diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small can mushroom pieces, drained, or some fresh mushrooms, chopped

some fresh rosemary, leaves pulled off the stems and chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 egg, beaten together in a small bowl

1 pound ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

a bit of flour

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted if frozen

 

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and preheat the oven to 350 F. Add the onion, carrot, celery, potato, mushroom and rosemary. Cook, stirring, about 8-10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the frozen peas. The residual heat will do to thaw them. Cool the veggie mix a bit.

In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, half the beaten egg, salt and pepper and cooled vegetable mix. Just use your hands and mix it all up.

On a floured board, roll out the puff pastry. You can put the two sheets on top of each other and roll out one big rectangle (about 12×16″) and make a large Beef Wellington or cut that into 4 smaller rectangles, as I did, to make 4 smaller ones. I was thinking we’d be eating leftovers for lunch and thought the smaller ones would work better.

Place 1/4 of the ground beef mix onto each rectangle, brush the outside long edge with some beaten egg and roll up lengthwise, pinching the edges together to seal. Put on a large cookie pan, seem side down. Repeat for each. (You could of course make smaller portions if you’ve got younger children.) Brush the tops with the rest of the egg and bake for an hour at 350 F.

 

Review:  This looked like it was going to be a good recipe.  Generally speaking, I like the way that Jamie Oliver does things because his food never comes across as particularly pretentious.  I only have one Jamie Oliver cookbook, and it is one of my favorites.

This recipe is easy to make, andmore impirtantly, it is easy to change.  I say that because as the recipe is written it may prove to be very bland for the palate that enjoys a little more flair.

I didn't omit anything from the recipe, but I did add a few things here and there.

I added two links of uncooked Chorizo sausages (sans casing) to the ground beef  mixture, and for the sake of time, I used about a cup and a half of frozen hash browns instead of peeling and dicing a potato.  In addition, I used about a tablespoon of Gourmet Garden's Moroccan seasoning (which I really love).  I also added a half teaspoon of curry powder.

I followed the rest of the recipe in all respects, and in an hour, I had a nice looking dish that had the house smelling quite nice.

When it was time to serve, the dish presented quite nicely, which made me happy, because it is important to me that the food that I prepare looks good as well as tastes good.

I served the dish to Mrs Gunfighter and Soccer girl and when they tried it, I was rewarded with a resounding "Meh".

I tried it, and came up with the same result.  I was a good dish, but not a great dish.  The next time I attempt this, and I do plan to give it another go, I am going to do my usual thing and go a wee bit bonkers with my rockin' spice rack.

The Bottom Line:  Try it, but don't be afraid to change it to taste.  This is a recipe with incredible potential.  Make it your own and rock the spice rack!

Book Review: A Game of Character

Craig Robinson is Michelle Obama's brother.  You knew that, right?  I'm sure you did... but if you think that the fact that he has written a book is only because he knew that he would find a publisher to put out anything that he wrote down just because he is the President's brother in law.... well, you might be right about that, too.  You know how it is... there is always someone who wants to cash in on someone else's celebrity, isn't there?  As true as those statements might be, they aren't the case when it comes to Craig Robinson's book "A Game of Character", because Mr. Robinson has some things to say that I think you'll like.

From what I read in this book, it is clear that Craig Robinson was shaped by the way he was raised... as most of us are.  He was raised by hard working parents who instilled the values that we so frequently talk about in America, but don't always see.  This book is going to inspire you.... and it won't matter a bit if you are a Republican, a Democrat, and Independent, or a None-of-the-abover.

If you happen to be a big fan of either Barack or Michelle Obama (and I openly confess to my own admiration of our President and his wife) you are likely to enjoy this book based on that alone, even though this book isn't about them.  If you aren't particularly enamored of the President, you needn't worry, because this book isn't a love letter the the President or his wife. 

If you are a sports fan, you will like this book, and if you aren't a sports fan, there is plenty for you, too, because this book isn't a love letter to the game of basketball, either. 

To tell you the truth, I don't care much for basketball... so reading this book wasn't some sort of vicarious thrill ride for me.  I'm not particulalry interested in Robinson's Ivy League education, or his success in the corporate world, even though rising to a Vice Presidency at Morgan Stanley is no mean feat.  What I am interested in, as a family man, is the core of this book.

This is a book about character.  This is a book about the rewards of hard work and effort.  This is a book about determination.  This is a book about respect.

Craig Robonson writes in a clean, conversational style, and if you don't get anything else out of this book, you will leave believing in the value of strong families, hardwork, study, love, and discipline.

You won't be disappointed.

 

 

 Disclaimer:  This review is presented as part of a TLC book tour.  Although I was provided a free copy of the book, I was not compensated in any other way, nor was my review influenced by that fact. 

CD Review: Charleston, SC 1966

I haven’t reviewed any music in a while and that is mainly because it has been a while since I have a new CD that I thought was worth writing about… until now.

 

Last Friday I bought Darius Rucker’s second country CD, called:  Charleston, SC 1966.  Before I review this recording, I must offer this quasi-disclaimer:  I have been a fan of this singer since he fronted Hootie & The Blowfish, 15 or so years ago, so you might think that I am predisposed to give this guy a pass.  Well, that isn’t true.  If Rucker wasn’t a great singer, I would tell you so.  If Rucker’s music was saccharine, I would tell you.  If Rucker’s new CD wasn’t great, I would tell you.  The good news is that none of those things are true.

 

This is CD is really good from start to finish.  Starting with folksy and warming This to the bluesy Southern State of Mind, and Love Will Do That, Rucker proves that he really has the chops to make it as a solo country act.  The songs are well written, and not overly twangy (which would really have put the kibosh on it for me), and of course, Rucker’s amazingly soulful voice, make this potentially the best CD that I have purchased all year.

 

If you are a fan of country music, this CD should be a no-brainer, must have for you.  If you don’t consider yourself a big country music fan, I would advise you to give this CD a try.  Not only might you discover a love for a genre of music that you don’t normally listen to, you might also find an appreciation of an artist that you really should be paying attention to, no matter what he is singing.

 

Grade:  “A” for Awesome!

TattooStory (3)

If you have been reading me for a while, you know that I have tattoos.  You know the stories behind all four of them , as I have talked about them in several places on my blog over the past few years.  Well, last night, I was once again privileged to be tattooed by master tattoo artist, and seriously cool guy, Paul Roe, proprietor of British Ink Custom Tattoos, right here in Washington, DC.

As you know, most of my tattoo work is of a religious nature... what I like to call faith statements... and this new (5th) piece is no different.  This one is on the inside of my right forearm.  Have a look:

(Please to forgive the photography.  Mrs GF had to deal with a squirmy subject)

Totally Lutheran.  Totally badass!

 

I love this... it is a total faith statement and a total historical hat tip to someone that I truly admire.  If you aren't familiar with this emblem, it is probably because you are neither a Lutheran or a student of the history of the Christian faith.  In any event, I'll explain it to you:   You know who Martin Luther was, don't you?  he was that splendid German Augustinian Monk/Priest/Doctor of The Church who was responsible for starting The Reformation.  The emblem on my arm was Luther's personal seal, and has become the symbol of Lutherans worldwide. 

The text above the seal "Here I Stand" is a quote from Luther, from when he was made to appear before the German "Diet", and Charles the 5th, the Holy Roman Emperor.  Luther had been branded as a heretic by some, and was brought before the Diet, The Emperor, and the representative of the Pope in order to be questioned and forced to recant his teachings. 

Naturally, Martin Luther, being the total badass that he was, refused to recant and ended his appearance before the Emperor saying "Since acting against conscience is neither safe nor right, I cannot, and will not recant!  Here I stand. I can do no other.  God help me, Amen!"

Now... I don't have to give you a lesson on medieval european history to tell you that only a true tough guy could stand up to the Pope AND the Emperor.  I mean, people like that tend to end up being burned at the stake.

If I can be anywhere near as hard core in my faith as Luther, I'll be doing it right.

Anyway, here are a couple of other images of Luther's seal, to show you the evolution of my new tattoo:

Once again, kudos to Paul Roe.  I'm telling you, he is a fine artist and an engaging conversationalist, even while tattooing.  We talked about everything from guns to old testament scripture, to family and classic cars in the 90 minutes it took him to do this piece.  Paul and all of the artists at British Ink are top notch and shouldn't be missed if you or someone you care about wants good, high-quality, custom tattoo work (no, I'm not getting a discount on future work for writing this... it's just the truth).  

You can visit Paul's shop here! 

 

 

 

Business Review: CarMax

As I mentioned to some of you yesterday (via Twitter... what do you mean you aren't following me?), I had to go out and buy a car.  It wasn't because I had the new car bug... I certainly didn't, because Mrs. Gunfighter and I aren't really car people.  I mean, having a new car is cool, but not having a car payment is even better in our book, so we tend to drive our cars until they start to cost more money than they are worth in terms of maintenance or repairs.  Well, this turned out to be the case last week.  I'll tell you the story, briefly.

I tool the car to get inspected last week, figuring it would pass, as we had just (that same week) gotten new tires.  Everything else was working fine, so there were no worries.  Anyway,the car failed inspection becaue the tie-rods were loose.  Damn.  OK, small thing as one our neighbors is dating a preofessional auto mechanic who does side-work for extra cash.  This guy works on the car for awhile and tells us (and I believe him) that our rack & pinion system was so trashed, that fixing the tir-rods wouldn't be enough, and that even with his discount, the reapirs would cost nearly 900 dollars.  Naturally, we weren't going to plop down a thousand dollars on, so it was time to go spend some dough.

We had heard good things about CarMax, and we are fortunate enough to have one of their locations less than five miles from our home, so at 11:30 I went to the dealership and found something that I thought Mrs GF would be comfortable with for her commute into DC, since she would be the person putting the most mileage on it.  After seeing what was available and comparing prices, I came up with a 2008 Ford Edge.  I told the salesman that I would be back so that my wife could see it and make a decision.  When we returned at 2:30, we had our test drive, and were signed, sealed and delivered by 4:30.

Now, that might not seem like that big of a deal to some of you, but I really, really hate the car buying process, and the folks at CarMax made it quick and easy... and I left without feeling that we had been screwed somehow, which is usually how I feel when buying a car.

The staff was courteous, knowledgeable, and didn't waste my time.

The CarMax in Woodbridge, Virginia gets full marks from the Gunfighter family.

The new GF-mobile!

Book Review: Red Inferno

In the waning days of the European theater of the Second
World War, the forces of the Soviet Union were closing in on Berlin, and Adolph Hitler.  Newly ascended American President Harry Truman halted the United States army on the banks of the Elbe river, so that the Soviets could take the city, in light of the horrific casualties they suffered through the German invasion of their country.

When the Germans were finally finished, Germany was divided into zones of occupation for the forces of the four major allied powers, as was the city of Berlin.   This was the beginning of more than forty years of stalemate in Europe, and the setting of what became known as the cold
war.
 
At least, that is what happened in our history… but what if things had gone differently?
 
I just finished reading Robert Conroy’s new alternate history novel, Red Inferno, in which the author asks the same question. In this story, Harry Truman, not wanting to appear weak to Soviet leader Josef Stalin, sends a token, two division-sized force to Berlin as the Russians were closing in on the city from the east.
 
Josef Stalin, being absolutely freakin’ insane, decides that Truman is trying to halt the Soviet advance, and after provoking an “incident”, attacks the American force. The United States responds, and a new war is born before the previous fight against the Germans is finished. The Soviets decide
that for the sake of their own security, the United States must be driven out of Europe, but Truman isn’t having any of that, and fights back
 
During the initial Soviet assault against American forces, a sizable remnant of American units are cut off and trapped in Potsdam, Germany, and are trying to survive against Soviet pressure while the American leadership tries to slow down the inexorable main Soviet thrust to the west. Because of pressure by the Red Army, the U.S. can do very little to help the besieged units in Potsdam, but this force is resupplied by air, and survives by its wits (and the employment of German soldiers to help them fight the Soviets), and the good leadership of it’s officers.
 
I won’t give any real spoilers, but the book ends with some interesting twists that I think you'll like.
 
The premise of this story is sound, and I enjoyed it. Conroy did what he usually does in his novels, and limits the number of point-of-view-characters to sensible numbers and goes easy on the philosophy, while concentrating on telling his tale.
 
This book was a fast, fun read. The combat scenes weren’t gratuitously gory, neither was their any gratuitous sex (which doesn’t really bother me, but there you are, I’m a Philistine, ok?). If you are a fan of alternate history, you will, without a doubt, enjoy this novel.

Book Review - True Blue

Several weeks ago, the fine folks at Hachette Books were kind enough to ask me if I wanted to review an advanced copy of David Baldacci's new police mystery, entitled "True Blue".  Despite the fact that I almost never read police stories (never mind what I do for a living), I decided to give it a go.  Since today is the official release date for the book, there is no better time than now for a review.

OK, let's get to it, shall we?  I enjoyed this book.  I did... and that surprised me.  I fully expected a lot of crappy and archaic terms that someone got of a badly-made police movie from the 1950's... but that isn't what happened.  Baldacci seems to have really done his homework especially as it regards the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department.  This simple fact helped me enjoy the book more that I would have thought, because I have so many pals on the Department (special shout out to my protege M, in 1D). 

In this story, Baldacci tells the tale of Mason "Mace" Perry, a hot shot former police officer who was set-up, convicted of a crime that she did not commit, and imprisoned.  Her sister, Elizabeth, is Washington DC's Chief of Police (hello Cathy Lanier!), a true leader in this ever politicized town.  When Mace is finally released from prison, she figures that the only way she can get back on the force is to bring to justice, all of the people who set her up, thereby restoring her honor (and her eligibility to wear the blue again).  She'll have a long way to go, because as soon as she get's out people start getting murdered.

Despite her sister's repeated warnings, Mace sets out to investigate one of the murders on her own, and then she meets Ace Georgetwon lawyer Roy Kingman.  Combining forces, Mace and Roy begin to... well, I think that I will let you find out the rest on your own, but believe me when I twell you, this is where the wild ride begins! 

In this book you will find murders, police procedure, lawyers (good and bad), spies, government deception, crime in the name of  "National Security" (and haven't we had enough of that?!), corruption, and all sorts of action.

If you live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, I think that you will enjoy the book, even though Baldacci could have been a little more descriptive of the specific locations he used to tell his story, but truthfully, I don't think that any of this impinges on the story itself.

If you like police mysteries, you'll like this book.  Give it a read, I don't think that you'll be unhappy.  As I said, today is the official relase date for the book, so it is available at local bookstores and online.

GF

Please Note:  While Hachette Books provided a copy of the book, I have not been compensated in any other way.

Movie Review: 1408

Welcome to Day 2 of my review week.  I have wanted to talk about this 2007 old-school horror flick for a while.  1408 stars John Cusack, and features Samuel L. Jackson in a strong supporting role.

The premise of this movie is fairly simple, John Enslin (Cusack), a writer who's subject in the paranormal, ghosts, spirits, hauntings, etc... finds out via an anonymous tip, about a New York hotel, one room in particular, that he won't be able to spend a night in.  Enslin, being a no-fear kind of skeptic, takes up the challenge and attempts to book that particular room.  The hotel manager, a mysterious fellow played by Samuel L. Jackson, tries to talk Enslin out of staying in that room, telling him about the number of deaths that have taken place in it over the years.  Enslin decides to go for it, and the scary ride begins.

Look, I have never been a fan of horror films, but they don't really leave me quaking in fear, either.  I'll admit that when I was a little kid, I was afraid of the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz (true story), but that's about it, and I got over that by the time I was thirty nine.  Since that time, only one other horror flick has ever... disturbed me, and that was Stephen King's "IT".  This has held true, until I saw 1408.

Like I said, the scary ride starts as soon as Enslin gets inside the room.  If you have seen this movie already, you know what kind of things happen in the film, if you haven't, I won't give everything away, but I will tell you that Enslin sees, hears, and interacts with a number of phantoms, ghosts, and really freaky electronic communications devices.  He sees and speaks to his dead father and has a heartbreaking scene with his dead daughter.

Now, there have been horror films that are much more gory than this one, in fact, this movie isn't what I could call super-bloody, but the camera-work is fantastic, the suspense is palpable, and the writing is tight.  I dare you to watch this without a significant rise in your pulse rate.

This movie is one he** of a ride, from the beginning ALL THE WAY TO THE LAST SECOND.

See it.

Gunfighter's Review Week: Cougar Town

Today is Monday, and I am officially kicking off Gunfighter's Review Week.

Gunfighter's review week? you say quizzically?  Yes.  This week... or maybe a little longer, I am going to post reviews of few television shows, movies, books and products that I have recently seen/read/purchased.  The reason for this week is to share some things with you, and/or bloat my blog with more useless drivel as I write a new post about the Use of Taser devices in the law enforcement community (and this one is bound to really anger some folks... not that I have ever been one to shrink from that). 

Oh, and guess what?  I am about to unveil my new banner!  It's gonna be really boss.  So look for that before the end of the week!

OK, enough stalling... let's get it on! (said in the voice of Mills Lane, not Marvin Gaye, which would be totally inappropriate)

Cougar Town

With the arrival of fall, we get the new crop of television shows that the networks hope that viewers will enjoy enough to boost their ratings so that they can sell more advertising time.  As usual, there are good shows, so-so shows, and shows that are absolute crap.  Let's talk about absolute crap today, shall we?

Last night (ok, it was Wednesday night, but I am trying to do some front-end loading on my blog.  I'm busy.  Sue me), I watched the third installment of ABC's "Cougar Town". 

This show is (thankfully) a 30 minute sitcom that is about the post-divorce life of a 40 year old single mother, played by Courtney Cox.  No, the show isn't about a plucky single mom, trying to get by after the bad MAN left her to support herself etc...  Quite the opposite, the show is about a 40 year old woman who despairs at the loss of her twenties, and begins to desperately try and reclaim her youth.

There are so many problems with this show that I scarcely know where to start, but I'll give it a shot: In the first episode, Cox' character, Jules, starts the show with concerns about her body image.... really?  Courtney Cox?  C'mon.  Next she is righteously indignant about the fact that her also divorced male neighbor is banging (yes, banging) a string of young one-night stands.

Jules has a (thankfully normal) teen-aged son painfully who gets through her sometimes bawdy, frequently drunken, and always embarrassing mid-life crisis-fueled behavior, by trying to ignore as much of it as he possible can.  Sometimes with the help  of his equally embarrassing, alimony-receiving father, who isn't particularly bright, nor talented, nor ambitious.

To this exciting mix, add Jules 40-something neighbor and best friend who is married, and has an infant whom she doesn't particularly like, who doesn't want Jules to go out and party with her young colleague, wishing instead that Jules would stay home and have movie nights (and wine) with her.

This show is horribly cliche, and not particularly well-done.  I won't even talk about the empowerment of women (unless being pathetic is empowering these days.  "See, it's not just men who can get laughs via promiscuity!").  It's silly.  It's sad.  It is just plain bad.

Hopefully, this show won't last through the end of the season... if you haven't seen it yet, don't waste your time.

Today is Monday, and I am officially kicking off Gunfighter's Review Week.

Gunfighter's review week? you say quizzically?  Yes.  This week... or maybe a little longer, I am going to post reviews of few television shows, movies, books and products that I have recently seen/read/purchased.  The reason for this week is to share some things with you, and/or bloat my blog with more useless drivel as I write a new post about the Use of Taser devices in the law enforcement community (and this one is bound to really anger some folks... not that I have ever been one to shrink from that). 

Oh, and guess what?  I am about to unveil my new banner!  It's gonna be really boss.  So look for that before the end of the week!

OK, enough stalling... let's get it on! (said in the voice of Mills Lane, not Marvin Gaye, which would be totally inappropriate)

Cougar Town

With the arrival of fall, we get the new crop of television shows that the networks hope that viewers will enjoy enough to boost their ratings so that they can sell more advertising time.  As usual, there are good shows, so-so shows, and shows that are absolute crap.  Let's talk about absolute crap today, shall we?

Last night (ok, it was Wednesday night, but I am trying to do some front-end loading on my blog.  I'm busy.  Sue me), I watched the third installment of ABC's "Cougar Town". 

This show is (thankfully) a 30 minute sitcom that is about the post-divorce life of a 40 year old single mother, played by Courtney Cox.  No, the show isn't about a plucky single mom, trying to get by after the bad MAN left her to support herself etc...  Quite the opposite, the show is about a 40 year old woman who despairs at the loss of her twenties, and begins to desperately try and reclaim her youth.

There are so many problems with this show that I scarcely know where to start, but I'll give it a shot: In the first episode, Cox' character, Jules, starts the show with concerns about her body image.... really?  Courtney Cox?  C'mon.  Next she is righteously indignant about the fact that her also divorced male neighbor is banging (yes, banging) a string of young one-night stands.

Jules has a (thankfully normal) teen-aged son painfully who gets through her sometimes bawdy, frequently drunken, and always embarrassing mid-life crisis-fueled behavior, by trying to ignore as much of it as he possible can.  Sometimes with the help  of his equally embarrassing, alimony-receiving father, who isn't particularly bright, nor talented, nor ambitious.

To this exciting mix, add Jules 40-something neighbor and best friend who is married, and has an infant whom she doesn't particularly like, who doesn't want Jules to go out and party with her young colleague, wishing instead that Jules would stay home and have movie nights (and wine) with her.

This show is horribly cliche, and not particularly well-done.  I won't even talk about the empowerment of women (unless being pathetic is empowering these days.  "See, it's not just men who can get laughs via promiscuity!").  It's silly.  It's sad.  It is just plain bad.

Hopefully, this show won't last through the end of the season... if you haven't seen it yet, don't waste your time.

CD Review: KISS - Sonic Boom

A new KISS album?  After all this time?  Oh HELL YEAH!

Let me tell you the story.  I was filing some paperwork in the office yesterday, and listening to one of Washington DC's last rock & roll radio stations when I heard it announced the KISS would be playing a concert at the Verizon Center.  I immediately announced to one of my colleagues that I was going... which made him laugh "Really Bill?  a KISS concert?  I suppose you'll be going to WalMart to get their new album tonight".  The truth is, I had no idea that KISS had released a new album.  I seldom listen to the radio and I pay little attention to music industry news, so I hadn't heard anything about the concert or the album.

As soon as I was finished shuffling paper, I called Mrs. Gunfighter and asked if she wanted to go to the concert and got the response I expected:  A laugh followed by "um... NO!"  Not to be put off, I decided that she would get 24 hrs to change her mind before I bought a ticket to go ALONE (I hope you are feeling guilty, sweetheart.... sending me off to Rock  Roll All Nite... by myself).  As I write this, she has about 4 hours to recant.

Anyway, feeling good about myself, I went home in the afternoon, got a haircut, picked up soccergirl from swimming, got her home to finish her homework, gave her a snack, an was about to whisk her off to Girl Scouts, when Mrs. GF came home.  The Mrs. decided to come to Scouts with us, so after dropping SG at the meeting, we decided to kill an hour at WalMart, where I immediately snapped up the new KISS album; Sonic Boom.

A lengthy intro, I know... but I'm not just an aging KISS fan, I'm also a middle-aged suburban dad who blogs, what do you want?

When I got in my car to head into work on this fine morning, I loaded the new CD into the player, to rock out while I made the I-95 trek with the other Lemmings.  Let me tell you, I got no surprises.

Look, KISS is a party band... a stadium band.  They play rock and roll right out of the 1970's because that's where their roots are... and that's where most of their fans are from.  They didn't disappoint me.  Now, I don't think that this effort is going to garner them any timeless gems like "Calling Dr. Love" (which I am listening to as I write this)or the anthemic "Rock & Roll All Nite", but that doesn't mean that the album is no good.  Quite the contrary, it is good.  The music is good, lyrics are good, and the vocals are good... this is classic KISS, and I love it.

I suppose it is easy to believe that I would give the album a glowing review just because I was in my teens at the height of KISS's success... that I would give them a pass for nostalgia's sake in some sort of pathetic grasp at my youth, but I hope you know me better than that.  The bottom line is that, if you are a KISS fan, or ever were a KISS fan, this album won't disappoint you.  If you've never listened to a KISS album before, this is good a place as any to start.

NOTE:  I would have included an image but the new Typepad image up-loader is still in Beta, and it really sucks!