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...... Kiss are
the band everybody either loves or hates. I love them! I have been a fan since
I was in grade school. I was introduced to heavy metal through Kiss. My room
as a kid was plastered with Kiss posters, and I have never outgrown them. I
even got into fights with kids in school because they said Kiss sucked! But
enough of my ranting, on to the discs.
Click on the covers with the yellow borders for
additional facts about the album.
Kiss (Casablanca) 1974
1. "Strutter"
(3:10)
2. "Nothin' to Lose" (3:27)
3. "Firehouse" (3:17)
4. "Cold Gin" (4:22)
5. "Let Me Know" (2:58)
6. "Kissin' Time" (3:52)
7. "Deuce" (3:06)
8. "Love Theme from Kiss" [instrumental] (2:24)
9. "100,000 Years" (3:22)
10. "Black Diamond" (5:13)
Kiss' 1974 self-titled debut is one of hard rock's all-time classic studio albums. Their debut is full of some of their best work that contained elements of the glam rock of the time (ie. New York Dolls) as well as the heavy metal of Sabbath/Zeppelin and the rock & roll vibe of the Beatles. The whole recording is rather raw and almost primitive sounding, both of which give the album a charm that on later albums would be removed by over slick production. Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley wrote a majority of the material here including such timeless classics as "Deuce" (by Simmons), "Firehouse" and "Black Diamond" (by Stanley). Of course who could forget the Ace Frehley anthem "Cold Gin"? Really the only weak track is a cover of the 1959 Bobby Rydell hit "Kissin' Time," which was added to later pressings of the album to tie in with a Kissing Contest promotion the band was involved in at the time. I use to own an original pressing of this album without "Kissin' Time" on it but sold it because the price was right. "Kiss," the album, is in my opinion one of the greatest 70's heavy metal albums of all time.
Death Angel has covered "Cold Gin," Overkill covered "Deuce" as has Redd Kross (on Bordella of Blood soundtrack).
Kiss - Hotter than Hell (Casablanca) 1974
1. "Got to Choose"
(3:54)
2. "Parasite" (3:01)
3. "Goin' Blind" (3:36 )
4. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:31
5. "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" (2:14)
6. "All the Way" (3:18)
7. "Watchin' You" (3:43)
8. "Mainline" (3:50)
9. "Comin' Home" (2:37)
10. "Strange Ways" (3:18)
Kiss' self-titled debut didn't perform as well as Neil Bogart had hoped so with the album fading on the charts in the summer of 1974, Kiss was rushed back into the studio to work on a new release. What resulted was "Hotter Than Hell," another quintessential Kiss release. "Goin' Blind" is one of the greatest Gene Simmons penned songs he has ever written. Of course "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" and the title track continued to be played in concert for years to come and both were featured during their 2000 Farwell tour. "Strange Ways" is a song that has been forgotten but is an excellent Ace Frehley song featuring one shredding guitar solo. "Comin' Home," another Ace song, was also all but forgotten until 1996's "MTV Unplugged" album, where it was the concert opener. "Parasite" is one of my favorite all time Kiss songs. The artwork was also a big deal at the time, especially since it wasn't released in Japan until many years later.
Anthrax has covered "Watchin' You" and "Parasite."
1. "Room Service"
(2:59 ) |
 Kiss - Dressed to Kill (UK pressing on red vinyl w/ Love Gun label) Casablanca/Pye CALH-2008 (UK, released 5/77) |
Kiss was fast becoming America's top rock concert attraction, yet their record sales up to this point did not reflect their ticket sales so Neil Bogart (President of Casablanca) decided to produce the next KISS album himself. What resulted is one of the all time classic "heavy metal" discs. This disc, along with Black Sabbath's debut, Judas Priest's "Sad Wings of Destiny," Aerosmith's "Rocks" and Deep Purple's "Machine Head" have probably inspired more metal bands than any other discs put together. This is the quintessential 70's KISS studio platter in my opinion. Of course "Rock and Roll All Night" was a big hit, but a pair of songs that were reworked from Gene & Paul's former band, Wicked Lester ("Love Her All I Can" and "She") are two of the strongest tracks. Two other favorites are the Ace Frehley track "Getaway" and the Frehley/Stanley penned "Rock Bottom."
Anthrax has covered "Love Her All I Can" and "She"
Kiss - Alive (Casablanca)
1975
| DISC
ONE 1. "Deuce" (3:44) 2. "Strutter" (3:17) 3. "Got to Choose" (3:35) 4. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:12) 5. "Firehouse" (3:59) 6. "Nothin' to Lose" (3:29) 7. "C'Mon and Love Me" (2:53) 8. "Parasite" (3:22) 9. "She" (6:55) |
DISC
TWO 10. "Watchin' You" (3:40) 11. "100,000 Years" (11:59) 12. "Black Diamond" (5:51) 13. "Rock Bottom" (3:36) 14. "Cold Gin" (5:26) 15. "Rock and Roll All Night" (4:06) 16. "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" (5:46) |
Kiss Alive! Is one of the greatest LIVE albums of all time, if not the greatest. Alive! captured Kiss' raw and heavy live sound that made them concert favorites. The album also rocketed Kiss into mega-stardom. Alive was their first top ten album and it remained on the charts for 110 weeks and went quadruple platinum. (Platinum was a new term for albums that had sold over 1 million copies, something that was more rare in the 70's than it is today.) Kiss' favorite producer, the guy they had wanted since their first demo, Eddie Kramer was brought in to turn the knobs and tweak the sound. He did a great job as he managed to capture Kiss' energy and their early youthful hunger. "Rock and Roll All Night" became the Top 20 hit and was the main reason for the album's success, but there are so many other classic tracks that are just as strong, if not stronger: "Deuce," "Strutter," "Firehouse," "Parasite," "She," "100,000 Years," "Black Diamond," and "Cold Gin" all sound even better in the heavier live setting. Throughout the years there has been complaints, rumors, and speculation over the extensive overdubbing to correct mistakes. All I have to say to that is, "so freaking what!" Who wants to hear mistakes? Alive! remains as one of Kiss' greatest achievements ever and left an indelible mark on heavy metal.
1. "Detroit
Rock City" (5:20) |
 Ace Frehley 1976 |
Instead of trying to copy the success of their live recording, Kiss decided to go the opposite direction and record an experimental studio album. Alice Cooper/Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin was brought in for this album. The band experimented with orchestration for the first time ("Beth") as well as the use of a boy's choir ("Great Expectations"). There was still loads of killer heavy metal to absorb in tracks like the demonic/comic based "God of Thunder" and the sing-along anthems "Flaming Youth," "Shout It Out Loud," "King of the Night Time World," and, of course, the song that would be the band's concert opener for years to come "Detroit Rock City." This was the song that was released as the album's first single with "Beth" as the B-side. To the surprise of everyone, including Kiss and Bob Ezrin, "Beth" became the albums top ten single rather than the strong "Detroit Rock City." I must confess, that while I like this CD, it doesn't get anywhere near the spin time of "Kiss", "Hotter than Hell" or even "Rock n Roll Over" as these sound more like Kiss to me. They were raw and raunchy heavy metal, as oppossed to the direction of "Destroyer." The cover painting featured Kiss' new stage costumes that they would use for the next two tours as well as on their 2000 Farwell Tour.
Nirvana would later cover "Do You Love Me?" The Mighty Mighty Bosstones did a killer version of "Detroit Rock City" on the Kiss My Ass tribute. Hammerfall, as well, recorded a cover of "Detroit Rock City" as a bonus track on their "Crimson Thunder" CD. Razamanaz pulls off a cool cover of "King of the Nighttime World". Stryper covered "Shout it Out Loud".
Once again, just like the previous album, Kiss decided not to take the safe route. With the massive success of their previous album, the experimental Bob Ezrin-produced /co-written "Destroyer," Kiss could have strived to make their next outing sound very similar and re-hired Ezrin again. Instead they decided to return to the heavy metal/hard rock of their first four albums and hire producer Eddie Kramer. "Rock and Roll Over" is one of Kiss' most consistent records and one of my favorites. “Rock and Roll Over” tends to be the first record I pull when looking for some Kiss to play.
The album's produced a couple hits in the sleazy rocker "Calling Dr. Love" and the acoustic ballad (written by Paul Stanley for Rod Stewart), "Hard Luck Woman". Both are good songs, but I tend to enjoy the heavy metal anthems a bit more. Songs like "I Want You," "Take Me," and "Makin' Love" all top my charts. "Baby Driver" is a highly underrated stand out cut as well. This song, like "Beth" was co-written by Peter Criss and Stan Penridge, who had been writing with Criss long before Kiss formed and who would continue to write with Peter for years to come. Peter lets loose on the vocals on this song and is, in my opinion, one of his finest vocal performances. Rock and Roll Over also sports my favorite Kiss cover. The original vinyl version of this album came with a sticker reproduction of the cover art, which I still own.
I wish KISS would have used Eddie Kramer more often. He tended to bring out the harder rocking side of KISS, and would get the best out of the original members whereas some of the producers they would use in the future would produce the rock and roll right out of the band and would have no problem replacing members with studio musicians. Kramer’s work on Ace Frehley's solo album should have been proof enough to continue working with him, but who did they go with for Dynasty and Unmasked? The producer of Peter Criss's solo album, the worst of the four solo albums, Vini Poncia. Ahhh, but I am getting ahead of myself with that rant. ACK!
The Galactic Cowboys recorded a stellar version of "I Want You."
Kiss - The Originals (Casablanca NBLP-7032) 1976
Record 1: Kiss
Record 2: Hotter Than Hell
Record 3: Dressed to Kill
Kiss - The Originals booklet
The originals is a 3-LP set that includes the first three albums in a gatefold/folder cover. Only the Canadian release came as a proper gatefold with the band logo printed repetitiously on the inner cover, while in both Japan and the United States used more of a folder-style construction. Each of the albums is wrapped in individual paper sleeve with the original album cover art printed on each respective album. The album also contained a large Kiss Army sticker, a set of trading cards and a 12"x12", 16-page, booklet that offered an illustrated history of the band up to 1976. The cards came as one sheet and were pre-perforated so that they could be easily separated. Uncut card sets, as well as the original sticker and booklet are highly collectible. The Japanese copies also came with a lyric booklet.
"The Originals" is one of the most popular collectibles in the KISS catalogue, and one of only a few releases limited to only a few countries. There are several versions from several different countries. White label promos seem to go for more money on auction sites, although these are no different than the regular versions other than the label on the record itself. Copies of the complete Japanese version with OBI strip can sell for upwards of $300, while complete regular US and Canadian versions sell for $100 - $150, depending on the condition of the vinyl, cover and all the inserts. Oddly enough, the 8-track tape version, which came with a folded booklet sells for even more.
The cover art, designed by Dennis Woloch, used a nuclear explosion picture similar to that which had previously been used on Jefferson Airplane's "Crown Of Creation" (1968) in a similar format. It was taken of a 1950s Nevada atomic test explosion.
The album set entered the US album charts in August 1976 and during an initial 10-week run would reach a high position of #36 in late September. That in itself is not too bad for a repackaging and indicates the strength of KISS sales at that point. For four weeks in October (10/2-10/23) three KISS albums - "Alive!," "Destroyer," and "The Originals" - would be in the Top 200.
In the U.S. "The Originals" went into a second printing. The cover of the package would be altered to state "Second Printing" in the top right corner. A main difference for the US versions can be found with the printed inner dust sleeves. On the original issue au uncoated paper stock was used for the sleeves, while the second printing used a gloss stock. There are also differences between the center-rings; the first pressing had the "Casbah" design while the second pressing using the "Filmworks" label design.
Kiss - Love Gun (Casablanca) 1977
| 1.
"I Stole Your Love" (3:04 ) 2. "Christine Sixteen" (3:14 ) 3. "Got Love for Sale' (3:27 ) 4. "Shock Me" (3:46) 5. "Tomorrow and Tonight" (3:38) 6. "Love Gun" (3:18) 7. "Hooligan" (2:59) 8. "Almost Human" (2:47) 9. "Plaster Caster" (3:28 ) 10. "Then She Kissed Me" (3:02) |
 |
Love Gun was Kiss' fifth studio album in three years and would be the last studio album for a long time that all the original members would actually play on. By this time KISS mania had overtaken the world. The merchandising was flooding the marketplace with everything from trash cans to lunchboxes to makeup kits to comic books to dolls. However this album was still somewhat focused, although no where near the greatness of their last albums. The album included a few highlights, including the first appearance of Ace singing lead vocals ("Shock Me"). Another Criss/Penridge penned song "Hooligan" comes off as rather immature, especially when compared to "Baby Driver" or even "Beth." This aside however, the title track is one of Kiss' best straight forward hard rockers and "I Stole Your Love" is one of Kiss' most underrated heavy metal numbers. "Almost Human" is another underrated Kiss song that contains another killer guitar solo by Ace. "Plaster Caster" is, however, one of the most insipid songs ever written. Wish it would have been forgotten but Kiss decided to resurrect it for the 1996 MTV Unplugged set. The other weak spot is the Phil Spector song "Then She Kissed Me." The cover painting once again featured what would become the new stage cloths for the bands massive 1977 tour.
Anthrax has covered "Shock Me" on Spacewalk-A Tribute to Ace Frehley.
Kiss - Alive II (Casablanca) 1977
| DISC ONE 1. "Detroit Rock City (3:56) 2. "King of the Night Time World" (3:05) 3. "Ladies Room" (3:14) 4. "Makiní Love" (3:13) 5. "Love Gun" (3:40) 6. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:35) 7. "Christine Sixteen" (2:45) 8. "Shock Me" (5:51) 9. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:06) 10. "Tomorrow and Tonight" (3:25) DISC TWO 11. "I Stole Your Love" (3:35) 12. "Beth" (2:24) 13. "God of Thunder" (5:16) 14. "I Want You" (4:14) 15. "Shout It out Loud" (3:39) 16. "All-American Man" (3:13) 17. "Rockin' in the USA" (2:36) 18. "Larger Than Life" (3:59) 19. "Rocket Ride" (4:07) 20. "Any Way You Want It" (2:33) |
 Peter Criss |
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Kiss - Double Platinum (Casablanca) 1978
1. "Strutter '78"
(3:42 )
2. "Do You Love Me?" (3:34 )
3. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:23)
4. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:19)
5. "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" (2:14)
6. "Love Gun" (3:17)
7. "God of Thunder" (4:14)
8. "Firehouse" (3:19 )
9. "Hotter Than Hel"l (3:32)
10. "I Want You" (3:03)
11. "Deuce" (3:03)
12. "100,000 Years" (3:22)
13. "Detroit Rock City" (3:35)
14. "Rock Bottom" (5:27)
15. "Rock and Roll All Night" (2:47)
16. "Beth" (2:46)
17. "Makin' Love" (3:13)
18. "C'Mon and Love Me" (2:55)
19. "Cold Gin" (4:25)
20. "Black Diamond" (4:17)
Double Platinum was a double-album collection that featured all the original versions of their hits except for "Strutter." In an attempt to entice collector's who would have already owned all these songs, Kiss recorded "Strutter '78." This new version was no where near as good as the original as it was toned down with a more disco beat. The original album came with a paper platinum record inside a silver embossed cover. The cd re-issue lost all the effects of the original packaging, until 1998 when the album was again released in digi-pack format with all the original elements of the cover art in place, including a smaller version of the platinum record.
Kiss - Paul Stanley (Casablanca) 1978
1. "Tonight
You Belong to Me" (4:40)
2. "Move On" (3:11)
3. "Ain't Quite Right (3:35)
4. "Wouldn't You Like to Know Me?" (3:18)
5. "Take Me Away (Together as One)" (5:34)
6. "It's Alright" (3:34)
7. "Hold Me, Touch Me" (3:40)
8. "Love in Chains" (3:33)
10. "Goodbye" (4:09)
Paul's album is actually one of the better and the most Kiss-like of the four solo albums, which should be no surprise since Stanley has always written a majority of the Kiss material. Bob Kulick, who had worked with Kiss in the past and had even tried out for Kiss in their early stages, helped out on this release as did well known drummer Carmine Appice. Best songs are "Tonight You Belong to Me" and "Take Me Away (Together as One)."
1.
"Rip It Out" (3:40) |
 Ace Frehley 1977 |
BY FAR the best, and the heaviest, of the four simultaneously released Kiss solo albums. Ace wisely chose Eddie Kramer (Kiss, Jimi Hendrix, Derik & the Dominos) to produce his album. Session drummer and future Late Night With David Letterman drummer Anton Fig helped Ace's disc to became the unexpected best seller and the only one to have a hit single in a remake of Hello's "New York Groove." Who would have thought that Ace would be the only of the four Kiss members to garner a hit single. Ace is not a technical player, but he has more feeling and emotion in his playing than most technical shredders ever could. He has his own style and it comes through on each and every song. "Rip It Out" was the perfect opener for this album. A heavy rock and roll romp that's as good as any Kiss song on any album IMO. Ace's guitar playing is electrifying here. "Speeding Back to My Baby", co-written by Ace's wife Jeanette, keeps the energy level high. This is Ace simply letting his hair down and playing some simple, hard driving, rock and roll. The magnum opus of this album was the brilliant instrumental closing Fractured Mirror. A beautiful song, yet one that is still somewhat dark and heavy. Ace would continue to build upon on future solo albums. On my iPod I have all three Fractured songs put together and they sound great. Soon I'll be adding the fourth installment. There is not a stinker on this disc.
Space Ace was the subject of his own tribute in 1996 with this album being a major focus of the tribute. $7.99 NEW at Hasting's. Haven't seen it used for that price.
Kiss - Gene Simmons (Casablanca)
1978
1. "Radioactive"
(3:51)
2. "Burning up with Fever" (4:22)
3. "See You Tonight" (2:28)
4. "Tunnel of Love" (3:53)
5. "True Confessions" (3:30)
6. "Living in Sin" (3:51)
7. "Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide" (4:12)
8. "Man of 1,000 Faces" (3:17)
9. "Mr. Make Believe" (4:02)
10. "See You in Your Dreams" (2:49)
10. "When You Wish Upon a Star" (2:43)
Gene's album was the biggest surprise, and the biggest disappointment, of the four solo albums. Most people, myself included, expected Gene's album to be the heaviest of the four in '78. I suppose part of that misconception was due to Gene's rough and tough character. Gene is often the first to brag about his bad boy persona and about the number of girls he claims to have been with. The truth is, Gene was a huge fan of the Beatles and enjoyed pop as much as he did heavy guitar rock. Simmons made sure that the top artists of the day lent a hand: Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, Donna Summer, Cher, Bob Seger, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Helen Reddy, among others. Unfortunately, this didn't help any. Perhaps the most surprising and the most embarrassing is the cover of the Disney's "When You Wish Upon a Star," complete with Disney style music. GAK! The rest of the albums jumps from Beatles style pop to '70s funk/disco to AOR. That's not to say it's all bad. Actually there are several great songs on here. "See You Tonight" is an excellent acoustic ballad. "Radioactive" is a decent enough rocker that was originally written by Gene for "Love Gun". The dark intro to "Radioactive" deceives you into thinking that a monster of an album is about to be played. "See You in Your Dreams" is a reworking of Gene's song off "Rock and Roll Over," which he was apparently unhappy with on that record. I personally like the 'Rock and Roll Over' version, but this version is good as well. "Tunnel of Love" is a pretty catchy pop rock song as is "Living In Sin". Gene Simmons solo album was certainly not the worst of the four, that title would go to Peter Criss, but far from the heavy rock and roll we were all expecting and hoping for in '78.
Kiss - Peter Criss (Casablanca)
1978
1. "I'm
Gonna Love You" (3:19)
2. "You Matter to Me" (3:17 )
3. "Tossin' and Turnin'" (4:01)
4. "Don't You Let Me Down" (3:43)
5. "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" (3:01)
6. "Easy Thing" (3:54)
7. "Rock Me Baby" (2:53)
8. "Kiss the Girl Goodbye" (2:46)
9. "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll (3:37)
10. "I Can't Stop the Rain" (4:26)
Like Simmon's album, Peter Criss' album was a huge surprise. It was far from what most Kiss fans expected. Truth was, Peter had a car accident and had to bust his hump at the last minute to get this album completed. He ended up using several tracks that were written for his former band Lips. Peter, being the eldest member of Kiss, has long been a fan of Motown, R&B, and Frank Sinatra style music. Picture Peter Criss wearing red velvet and playing Las Vegas with his backing band, the Cheeze Muffins. Those influences are exactly what Peter delivered on his solo record. Melodic R&B with horns, pianos, female backing vocals and not a hard rock or heavy metal song to be found. It's hard not to think of these solo albums as Kiss albums, but they are not. However, these albums were being marketed to Kiss fans; fans of hard and heavy rock and roll. So, it's no surprise that Peter's album isn't looked at in such favorable light as Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley's solo albums, both of which catered to that crowd. As with the other three Kiss solo platter, Peter Criss' solo album shipped platinum. Of course, it sold on the KISS name alone and ended up being the worst selling of the four simultaneously released Kiss platters. . The worst part of it all is that despite how poorly this record was received by fans, Kiss would choose the producer of Criss' solo album to also produce the next Kiss studio album. Just goes to show you where their heads were at during this period of their careers.
I admit, I completely hated this album when it was first released. I mean, I was a kid at the time and I was expecting rowdy rock 'n' roll and this was not that. However, over the years I've come to appreciate the straight forward R&B and soul of Peter's solo album. Sure it's cheesy, but who doesn't like a big 'ol hunk of cheddar every once in a while>
1. "I Was Made
for Loving You" (4:30) Despite all appearances, KISS were in turmoil during this period of time. Even though Peter Criss appears on the album cover. Session drummer Anton Fig, who had recently recorded on Ace's solo album, subbed for the ailing Catman. Rumors were that Criss had seriously hurt himself in an accident. Peter Criss, along with Stan Penridge again, did make an appearance on the song "Dirty Livin'." Dynasty marked the beginning of an unfocused KISS which ultimately almost killed the band. They began backing away from their heavy metal roots and embracing pop and even disco. "I Was Made for Loving You," an experimental disco song, actually became a minor hit for the band. There were a few gems mixed in like the melodic rocker "Sure Know Something," but most of the material was ruined by a glossy pop production. Producer Vini Poncia, who also produced the awful Peter Criss solo album, destroyed Kiss' signature hard rock sound. Ace did a great reworking of the Rolling Stones "2000 Man" which would have been even better with a more raw heavy production. So, "Dynasty" is not the band's worst album, that is to come next, but not up to the standards set by "Kiss" and "Dressed to Kill." |
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KISS - The Best of the Solo Albums (Casablanca) 1979
SIDE ONE
1. "New York Groove" (3:05)
2. "Living in Sin" (3:53)
3. "See You Tonight" (2:30)
4. "Rip It Out" (3:42)
5. "Fractured Mirror" (5:28)
6. "Don't Let Me Down" (3:45)
SIDE TWO
7. "Radioactive" (3:53)
8. "Tonight You Belong To Me" (4:42)
9. "Take Me Away (Together As One)" (5:37)
10. "Rock Me Baby" (2:57)
11. "I Can't Stop the Rain" (4:28)
12. "Hold Me, Touch Me" (3:44)I've included this album on the official page because it was officially released on vinyl in 1979. However, "Best of the Solos" has never been officially released on CD format. I own the German version (Casablanca/Phonogram 6302 060) with the backwards ZZ's as seen above. There also exists a German version with the normal Kiss logo (Casablanca/Bellaphon NB-7060), as well as several different covers for other countries such as Argentina, Australia, UK, and France. I also own a bootleg CD version that can be viewed on my Kiss bootleg page. With the number of Kiss compilations that have come out over they years, I'm actually surprised that this one wasn't officially released on CD.
1. "Is That You?"
(3:57) |
 Ace Frehley 1979 (photo by Colleen Bracken) |
Though most of Kiss’ core fan base wasn’t a big fan of the direction the band took with “Dynasty”, the album was still a big hit fueled by the bands reputation and the hit single “I Was Made For Loving You”. Because of the success of that album Kiss brought back producer Vince Poncia to take the band even further away from the hard rock and heavy metal they were known for. With “Unmasked” there is no doubt that the band, along with Poncia, were purposely moving in a pop direction. Vincent Poncia even has co-writing credits on just about every song on this album. The production is overly slick, the guitar sound is weak, some songs are laced with keyboards, and the album features a lot of studio musicians, including drummer Anton Fig who performs the drums in Criss’ stead. Despite being featured on the cover and listed as a member, Peter Criss had already parted ways with the band and had no part of “Unmasked”. Kiss had completely lost their focus and were beginning to lose their fan base as well. In general, most Kiss fans rate Unmasked as one of the band’s worst albums.
Despite this, I have heard the record so many times over the years that it has grown on me. Yes, I am a Kiss die-hard! Ace contributes three songs to “Unmasked”. All three songs are typical of what anyone would expect from Ace, sounding much like the material on his 1978 solo album. “Talk To Me” is easily the most catchy of the three, though “Torpedo Girl” is the most humorous and is a song I’ve always thought that Ace should resurrect and perform live. “Talk To Me” registered as a minor hit in Europe, though it didn’t chart in the U.S.. Unfortunately all three songs are given the slick production of the rest of the album and thus robbing them of their raw rock and roll sound.
For years I had always assumed that “Is That You?” was Paul Stanley composition and it wasn’t until the Kiss Behind the Mask book that I realized that the song was written by Gerald McMahon. Paul Stanley is a very diverse songwriter. “Shandi” showcases Paul’s pop songwriting. This song would have fit well on his solo 1978 solo album. With a slightly tougher production “Shandi” would probably have been considered a classic Kiss song. It was the only single to be released from the album. I’ve read that Paul Stanley is actually the only Kiss member to record on this song, save for the guitar solo by Ace Frehley. Tom Harper played bass, Anton Fig played drums and Holly Knight performed the keyboards. “Easy As It Seems” is actually a very good pop rock song and could have been a hit for most any other band. With Kiss, people wanted something different.
I’ve always liked the cover art for this album. It’s probably my second favorite behind “Rock and Roll Over”. The original LP came with a poster of the last frame of the comic, which I also own.
1.
"Fanfare" (1:21) |
 Eric Carr |
The Kiss prog-rock concept album. Who would have thunk it? New drummer Eric Carr had refueled the band's desire to rock hard so KISS began working on a straight-ahead rock album in early 1981. Since they wanted to return to their "Destroyer" sound, they brought in Bob Ezrin once again. From what I have read, despite Ace and Eric being against going in a different direction, Stanley, Simmons, and Ezrin decided to go with a mythical concept record rather than the metal album that Ace was hoping for. Simmons even visualized a movie and and elaborate rock-opera tour to follow up the record. Instead what happened was the album flopped -- big time! The album quickly went out of print and became a highly sought after collector's item, especially in the mid-80's when Kiss' popularity exploded once again. I actually really liked the album. It didn't resemble the Kiss of the early 70's but it was far better than the disco exploration of the late 70's. Two of the best tracks were written by Ace ("Dark Light" and the instrumental "Escape From the Island"). Frehley officially left the band at this point and only returned to do a small appearance on the late night show Fridays.
"Only You" was covered by Doro on her self titled CD.
1. "I'm a Legend Tonight"
(4:00 ) |
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"The Elder" bombed so bad worldwide that Kiss' record company outside the U.S., Phonogram, demanded that the band immediately assemble another album to prove to their fans that they were not prog-rockers but still a heavy metal group. The band decided to release another greatest hits package but since "Double Platinum" had just been released four years earlier, the band decided to include four brand new tracks. ("I'm a Legend Tonight," "Down On Your Knees," "Nowhere to Run," "Partners In Crime") The new tracks resemble the KISS of old more than anything they had done recently. Despite Ace being on the cover and listed as a member, Bob Kulick once again subbed for Ace. "Killers" didn't become the chart topper the record company had hoped for but it did proove to fans that Kiss were set to rock once again. Unfortunately this album was never released in the US, so it has always been a highly sought after collector's item. With the addition of the new tracks, it's worth the search. Mine is German and has the German Kiss logo with the backwards ZZs.
1. "Creatures
of the Night" (4:02)
|
 Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Vinnie Vincent |
KISS comes screaming back with one of their heaviest albums ever. The drum sound on this disc has to be the heaviest, biggest sound ever laid down on tape. We're talking cannons here. The song writing is so much more aggressive than the past few disco dabbling albums and surpasses the new material on "Killers." With a little help from Vinnie Vincent (real name-Vinnie Cusano), KISS begins to make a come back. Every song on this disc is excellent. "Rock & Roll Hell" seems to be a song about what Ace was going through at the time. "I Love It Loud" is a Gene Simmons penned anthem with Eric Carr's drums mixed way out front. "I Still Love You" is a Paul Stanley ballad that is better than any he's written in the past few years. His vocals on this song are excellent. "War Machine" is one of the heaviest songs ever written by KISS. I'm surprised some death metal band hasn't picked up on this one yet. (Wrote that several years ago, and wouldn't ya know it, Six Feet Under covered it.) "Creatures of the Night" sounds as if Kiss had been reborn! Unfortunately the band had lost so many fans that despite the album being the best they had done in a long time, it didn't do very well and Kiss decided it was time to remove their signature make-up. "Creatures" was re-released after the make-up came off with a completely different cover and an altered sound, due to new mastering (and possibly remixing). The original cover and mix was re-released on cd a few year later when Mercury released the complete KISS catalogue calling it "The Remasters" series. Yup, I have 'em both. Turns out the non-makeup cover is a bit hard to find these days. Still find it rather amusing that the guy who actually played guitar and co-wrote much of this album was never featured on either cover. The original cover art and the video featured Ace Frehley but by this time Ace was long gone despite repeated attempts by the band to get him back for the insuing tour. Eventually Vinnie Vincent became Ace's "permanent" replacement. The non-makeup re-release featured Bruce Kulick on the cover.
Kiss - Creatures of the Night/Rock and Roll All Night (live) (Mercury) 1982
1. Creatures of the Night
2. Rock and Roll All Night (live)
Somewhat rare 2 track 12" single featuring autograph etchings on on one side and double-grooved vinyl on the other. An odd collectible vinyl. Dropping the needle on the turntable will guarantee a 50/50 chance of hearing either "Creatures of the Night" or a live version of "Rock and Roll All Night". Autographed by Paul, Gene, Ace and Eric Carr. Comes in a clear plastic cover with a yellow/red sticker. Each side has a different center ring. I lightened up the color on the vinyl in the scan above so that the autographs would be more visible.
This is one of those collectible vinyls I had purchased new in 1980 but sold off in my madness in 1990. Finally secured another copy in 2010, twenty years after selling my initial copy. (Thanks Trog!)
1. "Exciter"
(4:11) |
 Japanese vinyl pressing of "Lick It Up". |
Kiss, who were once again becoming masters of marketing, knew the time was right to drop the makeup, so in September 1983 the band shocked the world by unmasking on MTV in the wee hours on the night, after a re-run of a Van Halen concert. MTV at the time considered anything that had to do with Kiss as old hat. That night on MTV, despite the fact that "Lick It Up" was the simplest song the band had ever written, the video for "Lick It Up" helped re-established the band among the growing hordes of heavy metal fans. The album became the band's first record to achieve gold status since 1980's "Unmasked." Of particular surprise was the strong Eric Carr penned track "All Hell's Breaking Loose." Vinnie Vincent had become accepted as Ace's replacement but would soon leave the band to form the Vinnie Vincent Invasion with Dana Strum and Rob Rock. Vincent co-wrote most of the album's stellar, yet simple, material.
1. "I've Had
Enough (Into the Fire)" (3:52 ) |
 Paul Stanley, Mark St.John, Gene Simmons 1984 |
I saw KISS on this tour in both Rochester, NY and at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. I remember wondering who this new guitar player was, because it wasn't Mark St. John, who had played on the album as Vincent's relpacement. Mark was dealing with some sort of degenerative arthritis in his hands. Newcomer Bruce Kulick was shredding on the stage in his place.
In any case, this was the second strong album in a row from Kiss and once again they were filling up the large stadiums. The album went double platinum. Mark's guitar playing stood in direct contrast to that of Ace, as he was a more technical player, yet in my opinon did not have the same charisma as Ace. Fortunately this worked in the bands favor as shred was what the people wanted. "Heaven's On Fire" became a huge MTV hit. The band seemed as though they were once again at the top of their game. Unfortunately however, Gene Simmons was more concerned with pursuing an acting career, so once again the band would begin to become unfocused, leaving Stanley to pick up the pieces. Simmons contributions to this album already showed his lack of interest, especially in the Spinal Tap-ish "Burn Bitch Burn." (Maybe Gene was hanging out with Biff from Saxon too much.) Overall, however, Animalize was still a strong album.
|
1. "King Of
The Mountain" (4:19 ) |
 Bruce Kulick autograph |
 Paul Stanley |
The year was 1985 and I was in such Kiss hysteria at that point in my life that I loved this album despite it's overly slick pop production. I played the album so much that I wore the grooves off the vinyl. With “Asylum” Kiss began to lose their identity and began sounding like the hordes of pop metal bands that were flooding the market at the time. Despite this, “Asylum” is a strong album and a superior album to “Animalize”. The single from this album, “Tears Are Falling” was the only hit song. Many people have said that this song is “Lick It Up Again”, but frankly I think that “Tears” is a stronger track with it’s infectious melody and hooky chorus. Songs like "King of the Mountain," and "Who Wants to Be Lonely" are still great Kiss songs but would have sounded so much better with a heavier, rawer heavy metal production. All in all, “Asylum” flows well from beginning to end.
Bruce Kulick, brother of Bob Kulick who had worked with Kiss in the past, was enlisted as the band's fourth guitarist, but most fans already knew him from the Animalize tour. Bruce is a more than adequete guitarist. His lead guitar work is a bit more technically accomplished than Ace Frehley’s, though there is an argument to be made about style and soul. However, Bruce was the right man for the job at the time. By the mid-80’s, shred was the name of the game, and Bruce could stand up to just about anyone.
“Asylum” sold platinum. I saw Kiss several times on this tour, once even getting my picture in Faces Magazine in the front row at the Philadephia, Spectrum show. They put on a killer, although stripped down performance. My CD copy is autographed by guitarist Bruce Kulick.
The Paul Stanley group, as it was at this point, were sunk deep into the bubblegum, pop -metal crevices. As during the early 80’s with Unmasked, Kiss had again lost focus and were more interested in following in Bon Jovi’s footsteps than just sounding like Kiss. Producer Ron Nevison had a big hand in this album. He had formerly worked with the Babys, Eddie Money and Survivor and had big success with chart-topping records for Heart and Ozzy Osbourne. However, what works for other bands, doesn’t necessarily work for Kiss. Nevison added keyboards and synths to KISS sound and it only served to makes the album wimpy. The production also suffers from woefully wimpy bass overall. However, Gene and Paul wanted another multi-platinum hit record, and that’s exactly what they got. The album sold like gangbusters, with the glitzy title track becoming a huge hit in England. The entire album is peppered with some great guitar solos from Bruce Kulick. The 80’s was a time of guitar shred. From Eddie Van Halen to Yngwie Malmsteen, guitarist were flying all over the fret-board and Bruce was no slacker either. He certainly was the right guitarist for the time. Bruce also received four songwriting credits on the album. Another song authored by Kulick that was written during these sessions and left off the record was titled “Sword & Stone”. The song was eventually recorded by Bonfire and released on the Shocker soundtrack. |
|
|Once again, I was so steeped in Kiss-mania at the time that I loved this disc and played it continually. I still like it today, but don't play it anywhere near as much as some of their other discs. My friend Alex thinks this is one of Kiss' best discs, and he loves the song "Crazy, Crazy Nights" and was quite disappointed that they did not play it on their 2000 Farwell Tour. I saw Kiss several times on the Crazy Nights tour. The tour featured no tank drum risers, fewer pyrotechnics, and a a stripped down performance. With the exception of Eric and Bruce, the band seemed to be on auto pilot. I enjoyed the shows, but it wasn't what it use to be either.
Kiss - Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (Mercury)
1988
1. "Let's Put the
X in Sex" (3:48)
2. "(You Make Me) Rock Hard" (3:26)
3. "Love Gun" (3:31)
4. "Detroit Rock City" (2:44
5. "I Love It Loud" (3:45)
6. "Deuce" (3:20)
7. "Lick It Up" (3:53)
8. "Heaven's on Fire" (3:19)
9. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:38)
10. "Strutter" (3:18)
11. "Beth" -w/ Eric Carr (voc.) (2:46)
12. "Tears Are Falling" (3:54)
13. "I Was Made for Loving You" (4:29)
14. "Rock and Roll All Night" (2:56)
15. "Shout It out Loud" (3:07)
Another greatest hits compilation that includes songs from their 80's catalogue but strangely leaves out anything from "Crazy Nights." The inclusion of two non-album tracks ("Let's Put the X In Sex" & "(You Make Me) Rock Hard,") made this compilation a must buy. Neither song is as good as the hits from this album and both border on Spinal Tap silliness, but hey, I'm a Kiss fan. I had to own it. Another interest on the album was the inclusion of "Beth" with Eric Carr on vocals. To bad Kiss didn't let Eric sing on more songs as he has a strong voice, as is truly evident on the solo album released after his death.
1. "Rise to
It" (4:08 ) |
 Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick
|
"Little Caesar," an Eric Carr penned song, that he was able to sing on as well, is one of the highlights of this album. The production is much less glossy than "Crazy Nights" and the keyboards have been deleted, but the fact that Kiss were using so many pop writers proved that they still had their minds set on conquering the dying pop metal world. The album did spawn Kiss' first Top Ten single in many years with the sticky sweet ballad "Forever," but it failed to do much else. Even the obvious attempts at radio singles like "Hide Your Heart" did little to bring Kiss out of the slump that they were in. Fact is, everybody wanted Kiss to rock hard, not to sing pretty ballads, myself included. Unfortunately this would be the last album for Eric Carr who died of cancer in 1991. I missed KISS on this tour as well.
Ace did a version of "Hide Your Heart" on "Trouble Walkin'" that is far superior to the Kiss version. Molly Hatchet also recorded a weak version of this song.
Kiss - Revenge (Mercury) 1992
| 1.
"Unholy" (3:40) 2. "Take It Off" (4:50) 3. "Tough Love" (3:44) 4. "Spit" (3:32) 5. "God Gave Rock & Roll to You" (5:18) 6. "Domino" (4:01) 7. "Heart of Chrome" (4:02) 8. "You Shalt Not" (3:59) 9. "Every Time I Look at You" (4:38) 10. "Paralyzed" (4:14) 11. "I Just Wanna" (4:07) 12. "Carr Jam 1981" (2:46) |
 Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Bruck Kulick |
I was sort of scared but at the same time excited when I heard that Kiss would be using Bob Ezrin to produce once again. It was also sad to think of Kiss without Eric Carr who had been with the band even longer than original drummer Peter Criss. Kiss replaced Carr with Eric Singer (Black Sabbath, Badlands) "Revenge" was the heaviest disc they had recorded since "Creatures of the Night,", driven by heavy riffs, relentless rhythms and thundering drums. "Carr Jam 1981" is a memorial to Eric Carr. This unfinished version of "Breakout," which appeared on Ace's first Comet album, has newly added guitar solos over top Eric's demo drum tracks. Vinnie Vincent once again has some co-writing credits on two of Revenge's better songs.
Kiss - Alive III (Mercury) 1993
1. "Creatures Of The
Night" (4:40)
2. "Deuce" (3:42)
3. "I Just Wanna" (4:21)
4. "Unholy" (3:43)
5. "Heaven's On Fire" (4:02)
6. "Watchin' You" (3:35)
7. "Domino" (3:47)
8. "I Was Made For Lovin' You" (4:31)
9. "I Still Love You" (6:04)
10. "Rock And Roll All Nite" (3:33)
11. "Lick It Up" (4:18)
12. "Forever" (4:20)
13. "I Love It Loud" (3:40)
14. "Detroit Rock City" (5:11)
15. "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" (5:21)
16. "Star Spangled Banner" (2:38)
"Alive III" is a nice collection of live material highlighting the band's 80's material. I was glad to hear three songs from "Creatures" live as well as favorites like "Heaven's On Fire" and "Lick it Up." I was also surprised by the inclusion of "I Was Made for Loving You." While I like this song, it sure does stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of the rest of these rockers. I wish they would have left off "Rock and Roll All Night" and "Detroit Rock City" and included songs like "Crazy, Crazy Nights", "Tears are Falling", "Thrill in the Night" or some of their other 80's material that they hasn't already been released on an official live disc. Regardless "Alive III" is a good performance by one of my life long favorite bands.
Kiss - Greatest Kiss (Mercury) 1997
1. "Detroit Rock City"
(3:39)
2. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:35)
3. "Sure Know Something" (4:02)
4. "Deuce" (3:07)
5. "Do You Love Me?" (3:35)
6. "I Was Made for Loving You" (4:31)
7. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:47)
8. "Christine Sixteen" (3:15)
9. "Beth" (2:49)
10. "Strutter" (3:12)
11. "Cold Gin" (4:23)
12. "Plaster Caster" (3:27)
13. "Rock and Roll All Night" (2:49)
14. "Flaming Youth" (3:00)
15. "Two Sides of the Coin" (3:18)
16. "Shout It out Loud" -live (3:39)
Yet another KISS compilation! Kiss or Mercury Records, whoever is responsible, are becoming the kings of compilations. This one is non-essential to any true fan as all the material contained has seen the light of day on other albums. Nothing really new, no unreleased tracks, not even a stinking remix, just one new live track. The 1996 live recording of "Shout it Out Loud" was the only reason for me to buy this, but I waited until I found it real cheap. Got it free through BMG!
Kiss - MTV Unplugged (Mercury) 1995
1. "Comin' Home"
(2:21)
2. "Plaster Caster" (3:17 )
3. "Goin' Blind" (3:37)
4. "Do You Love Me?" (3:13)
5. "Domino" (3:46)
6. "Sure Know Something" (4:14)
7. "World Without Heroes" (2:57 )
8. "Rock Bottom" (3:20 )
9. "See You Tonight" (2:26)
10. "I Still Love You" (6:09)
11. "Every Time I Look at You" (4:43)
12. "2000 Man" (5:12 )
13. "Beth" (2:50)
14. "Nothin' to Lose" (3:42)
15. "Rock and Roll All Night" (4:20)
Gene Simmons has always been the king of marketing, so it is no surprise that Kiss would attempt to revive their careers with a reunion and an acoustic set all at the same time. Unplugged is the 90's way to revive a career, just look at Eric Clapton. Kiss chose to do this as a celebration of their 25th anniversary. What is surprising is how good this album is and the array of material the band chose to play. Coming off the heels of their recent Kiss Convention tour in which they were already playing all acoustic sets for fans, the band is tight and on the mark. The exception would be Ace who voice sounds a bit rusty. Regardless, it was good to hear him back where he was meant to be. Paul's vocals are very strong, especially on "I Still Love You." If this was just a marketing stunt, then it worked, because it rekindled my somewhat dwindling interest in Kiss in the mid-90s. Ace rules!
1. "Room Service"
(3:38) |
 Paul Stanley 1996 |
This is the album that was released for the reunion tour. "You Wanted the Best" is a compilation of songs from the first two Alive albums plus the unreleased live recordings of "Room Service," "Take Me," "Let Me Know," and "Two Timer." Not a bad disc, but the original live albums are a better listen. "Kiss Tells All" is a 17-minute interview with the four original band members conducted by Jay Leno. Held out for a used copy but ended up getting it for free from BMG. This one was also release on vinyl.
Kiss
- Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (Mercury) 1996
1. "Hate" (4:36)
2. "Rain" (4:46)
3. "Master and Slave" (4:57)
4. "Childhood's End" (4:20)
5. "I Will Be There" (3:49)
6. "Jungle" (6:49)
7. "In My Head" (4:00)
8. "It Never Goes Away" (5:42)
9. "Seduction of the Innocent" (5:16)
10. "I Confess" (5:23)
11. "In the Mirror" (4:26)
13. "I Walk Alone" (6:07)
Before Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley reunited with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, they recorded "Carnival of Souls" with guitarist Bruce Kulick and drummer Eric Singer. It was intended to be their next album but things changed once the reunion happened. Kiss never intended to release the album but bootlegs were floating around so Kiss and Mercury decided to release the disc. "Carnival of Souls" is a heavy and dark Kiss album. It is pretty obvious that the band was trying to follow the trends in music at the time. Grunge was the flavor of the month, so Kiss followed suite with this dark, grungy album. This is most likely the reason why Alice in Chains producer Toby Wright was brought in.
Out of the twelve songs on the album, Bruce Kulick co-wrote nine, including his vocal debut. It’s also pretty well known that Paul and Gene were not getting along well at this time. Bruce Kulick played bass on all of Paul Stanley’s songs and guitar on all Gene Simmons songs. It is rumored that on some songs, only Bruce and Eric Singer played, without Gene or Paul at all. Still, despite all these facts, I find Carnival of Souls to be a good listen. My favorite songs are "Hate", "Rain" "Childhood's End" and "I Confess." "I Confess." was co-written by Christian artist Ken Tamplin and Gene Simmons. "Hate" would have been a cool song to hear live. It's sort of a shame this album didn't get the proper promotion or a tour. It is the forgotten Kiss album.
Kiss - Greatest Hits (Polygram) 1997
1. "Crazy Crazy Nights"
(3:45)
2. "I Was Made For Loving You" (4:30)
3. "Detroit Rock City" (3:38)
4. "Lick It Up" (3:59)
5. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:35)
6. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:45)
7. "Beth" (2:46)
8. "Love Gun" (3:16)
9. "God Of Thunder" (4:15)
10. "Sure Know Something" (4:02)
11. "Deuce" (3:04)
12. "Do You Love Me" (3:34)
13. "Strutter" (3:12)
14. "Rock And Roll All Night" (2:53)
15. "Plaster Caster" (3:27)
16. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:30)
17. "Shock Me" (3:47)
18. "Cold Gin" (4:22)
19. "Black Diamond" (5:14)
20. "God Gave Rock And Roll To You II" (5:20)
A European "Greatest Hits" collection issued in anticipation of the final date of the Alive/Worldwide 96-97 Tour at Finsbury Park, London, England on July 5, 1997. This collection is odd in that it contains several songs that would never have made a "Best of" collection in the U.S. The lead single, "Crazy Crazy Nights" was considered a commercial flop in the U.S.. The single was released on August 18, 1987 with "No, No, No" as its B-side and peaked at #65 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in America on 31 October 1987. However, the song was more commercially successful in the U.K. as it peaked at #4, proving to be Kiss's first Top 10 single in Europe. "Sure Know Something" is also an odd inclusion, even if I do think it's a great song. "Plaster Caster" is perhaps the oddest of all inclusions here. I'm not sure why this song was chosen over more popular songs like "Parasite", "Firehouse", "I Love It Loud". or even "Tears Are Falling" or "Forever". Otherwise, the rest of this compilation is fairly standard fair for Kiss and includes four songs from the band's incredible 1974 debut. According to one KISS site, this compilation will become a collector's item due to low production and the fact that it was only pressed in the U.K.
Kiss - Psycho Circus (Mercury) 1998 (2 cd
Limited Edition)
DISC ONE (studio) |
 |
It's 1998 and KISS are still kicking. Since the 1996 reunion tour was such a success, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided to keep Peter Criss and Ace Frehley around for a little while longer to record a full-fledged album. This new reunion studio disc was much anticipated. Sort of a black and white album as half the material is killer KISS and the other half is, uh, well, it's filler fluff. "Psycho Circus," "Raise Your Glasses," and "We Are One" are good to decent KISS tracks. "Into the Void" is an Ace Frehley penned song that is one of the best he has written for KISS since "Shock Me." Ace's guitar solos are peppered throughout the album. Since he has such a charisma and style to his playing, that alone made some of the lesser songs better. One the other hand, the Peter Criss sung ballad “I Finally Found My Way” is weak and "You Wanted the Best" has one of the worst choruses ever written .
In usual KISS fashion the packaging is outstanding. The cover has an effect of a curtain opening to reveal a circus wagon with the four Kiss-faces in frames. Also included on the disc is a KISS screen saver.
I was checking out another Kiss fan's CD collector's site and saw that there was a special edition 2-CD version of 'Psycho Circus." Of course, I freaked out and immediately emailed the owner of this site in an attempt to find out where he got it from. Come to find out that this version is somewhat common in his neck of the woods (Norway). Well, to make a long story short, the man hooked me up and I am very grateful. (thanks kmorg) Disc two contains killer live tracks recorded live on December 12, 1998 at ISU Hulman Center, Terre Haute and December 13, 1998 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana. These songs also include Ace's guitar solo and Peter's drum solo.
Kiss - The Very Best of Kiss (Mercury) 2002
1. "Strutter"
(3:10)
2. "Deuce" (3:05)
3. "Got To Choose" (3:52)
4. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:30)
5. "C'mon And Love Me" (2:59)
6. "Rock And Roll All Nite" [live] (4:01)
7. "Detroit Rock City" [edit] (3:38)
8. "Shout It Out Loud" (2:50)
9. "Beth" (2:45)
10. "I Want You" (3:02)
11. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:41)
12. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:32)
13. "I Stole Your Love" (3:04)
14. "Christine Sixteen" (3:12)
15. "Love Gun" (3:16)
16. "New York Groove" (3:03)
17. "I Was Made For Lovin' You" (4:29)
18. "I Love It Loud" (4:15)
19. "Lick It Up" (3:56)
20. "Forever" (3:52)
21. "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You II" (5:18)
New "best of" compilation trying to hit all the hits in one volume. According to the pre-release hype, "The Very Best of Kiss" was suppose to "span the band's entire career." While there are a few tracks from the non-makeup years of the late 80's and early 90's, this compilation focuses mostly on the band's 1970's output with only the last four tracks covering the years from 1980 - 1999. Missing are hits like "Tears Are Falling", "Heaven's on Fire", "King of the Mountain" and "Crazy, Crazy Nights". The is also nothing from "Psycho Circus". For as much radio airplay as the title track received in my hometown, I guess I expected it would be included. Still, for a single disc compilation this isn't a bad listen. Few would deny that the 1970's was the best years of the band. I was a bit surprised to see "New York Groove", from Ace's solo platter included on this release with nothing included from the other three solo discs. I believe it was the only charting single from the four 1978 solo albums. With no new material on this collection and "Greatest Kiss" having been released only a few years before this one, and containing some of the same songs, I think "The Very Best of Kiss" is a bit unnecessary.
Kiss - Kiss Symphony Alive IV (Sanctuary)
2003
DISC ONE DISC TWO |
 Gene Simmons live in Albuquerque, NM, October 20, 2003 |
It seems like forever ago since Kiss promised to release Alive IV. Instead they released yet another compilation album on Mercury. As big a Kiss fan as I am, I didn't buy that disc. I wanted Alive IV! Gene, Paul, Peter and Ace! Unfortunately it never came. Then, a year or so later I hear word that Kiss will instead be releasing a live album with a symphony orchestra. Well, I have mixed feelings about this disc. First of all, I have not stopped listening to it since I bought it, so I really cannot complain to much. However, releasing Alive IV without Ace irritates me a bit. I mean, what happened to all those recordings they did during the "Farewell Tour"? Kiss even released one song from those tours on the box set claiming that it was a song from "Alive IV."
Kiss Symphony - Alive IV is a double live disc. Disc one is broken down into two acts. Act I is Kiss as I had hoped they would be. Live and loud. These six songs all sound great. Of course Ace is missed but longtime Gene Simmons assistant and ex-Black n Blue guitarist Tommy Thayer pulls off Ace's solos almost to a tee. To be quite honest, I really would not have minded if the entire disc were just like these songs. Live Kiss, just like we all saw them on their tours ever since the reunion in '97. But alas, instead we have Act II. Surprisingly, these tracks are quite enjoyable. This Act has Kiss performing with the Melbourne Symphony Ensemble. It's not the full orchestra, but a handful of selected strings and wind instruments. They run through some of the bands most known ballads, like "Beth" and "Forever", as well as two obscure songs off "Dynasty". "Sure Know Something" and "Shandi" actually work quite well in this rock meets orchestra environment. Likewise "Beth" sounded great with an actual orchestra playing behind Criss. Add to this a smokin' version of "Goin' Blind" and we are left with an excellent disc.
Disc 2 is Act 3 and features the entire Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The photos of the orchestra, and the accompanying choir were amusing as they were all painted up in Kiss make-up. Together they go through a set of classic KISS tracks, such as "Detroit Rock City", "Do You Love Me" and "Rock And Roll All Nite". Unlike Metallica's "S&M" Kiss tends to drown out the orchestra, which may or may not be a bad thing. However, songs like "Great Expectations" sound spectacular. Of course, why shouldn't it? It sounds very similar to the original "Destroyer" version, an album that was already full of Bob Ezrin's orchestration. However, these versions add that spark of energy that comes from a live recording. Actually, running down the track listing, it became immediately apparent that Kiss knew this album would work best in the orchestral setting as many of the songs selected are from the "Destroyer" album. Personally, I enjoyed disc one a bit more than disc two, but I must say that despite my disappointment over not getting a full Kiss show like I was expecting, Kiss Symphony is actually rather pleasing. I enjoyed it immensely.
Kiss - Kiss
Symphony: Alive IV (Single Disc
Edition) (Sanctuary) 2003
Act 1: KISS Electric
01. "Deuce" (4:08)
02. "Lick It Up" (5:11)
03. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:11)
Act 2: KISS & The Melbourne Symphony Ensemble
04. "Beth" (3:40)
05. "Goin' Blind" (3:34)
06. "Shandi" (3:36)
Act 3: KISS & The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
07. "Detroit Rock City" (4:49)
08. "King Of The Night Time World" (3:30)
09. "Do You Love Me?" (4:10)
10. "Shout It Out Loud" (4:09)
11. "God Of Thunder" (4:26)
12. "Love Gun" (4:25)
13. "Black Diamond" (7:11)
14. "Great Expectations" (4:46)
15. "Rock And Roll All Nite" (7:20)
BONUS TRACK
16. "Do You Remember Rock 'N Roll Radio" (3:34)
Recorded in Melbourne, Australia, Feb. 28th, 2003, with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Campbell; Produced by Mark Opitz. This release cuts the Symphony down to a single CD and includes a studio bonus track; a cover of the Ramones ""Do You Remember Rock 'N Roll Radio" from the Ramones Tribute CD. The bonus track was recorded by Gene, Paul and Eric Singer on drums. Missing from the original 2-CD collection is "Strutter", "Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll", "Psycho Circus", "Forever", "Sure Know Something", and "I Was Made For Lovin' You". I suppose this single disc version was released to give casual fans a cheaper option than the slightly more expensive 2-disc collection. However, for the $2 - $4 extra, it's worth is to buy the 2-disc set. The only real reason to own this CD is the bonus track, which is why it is in my collection. (Thanks Randy).
Kiss - 20th Century Masters - Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss (Mercury)
2003
| 1.
"Strutter" (3:12) 2. "Deuce" (3:05) 3. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:29) 4. "C'mon and Love Me" (2:57) 5. "Rock and Roll All Nite" [live] (3:56) 6. "Detroit Rock City" (3:38) 7. "Beth" (2:48) 8. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:32) 9. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:44) 10. "Love Gun" (3:17) 11. "Christeen Sixtee" (3:12) 12. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" (4:28) |
Yet another 'best of' Kiss compilation. I mean "The Very Best Of Kiss" was released not even a year before this one and "Greatest Kiss" is not that old either. This is pure record company greed here. 20th Century Masters compilation presents scattered highlights of the first half-decade of Kiss' existence, and completely ignoring the hugely successful 80's maerial. A more career-spanning collection would have included the hits "Lick It Up", "I Love It Loud", "Heaven's On Fire" and the 1990 Top Ten single "Forever." Ahh, but I suppose they are saving that for a second volume. For a cheap and short introduction to the band, this isn't a bad compilation. To the rest, buy cheap or pass. In my case I was given a free copy, so your can't beat that.
Kiss - 20th Century Masters-Millennium Collection: Best of Kiss, Vol. 2 (Mercury) 2004
1. "Creatures of
the Night" (4:05)
2. "I Love It Loud" (4:18)
3. "Lick It Up" (3:58)
4. "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" (4:35)
5. "Heaven's on Fire" (3:23)
6. "Thrills in the Night" (4:24)
7. "Tears Are Falling" (3:56)
8. "Uh! All Night" (4:03)
9. "Crazy Crazy Nights" (3:48)
10. "Reason to Live" (4:01)
11. "Hide Your Heart" (4:25)
12. "Forever" (3:49)
Yes, I know, yet another Kiss compilation is a long past overkill. I mean in the last decade there are probably a good ten compilations to surface. However, yhe majority of Kiss hits collections to surface have focused primarily on the group's makeup years. Not that there is anything wrong with than neccessarily, but I always felt that the band 80's, non-make-up material was excellent as well, and was always sorely missed on any greatest hits compilation. I mean, I was there for Creatures, Lick It Up, Animalize, etc. I saw the tours, loved the albums, wore the t-shirts, so these songs have a lot of value to me and am glad they are finally being released as a Vol. 2 to the make-up years Millennium Collection. 20th Century Masters - Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss, Vol. 2 (quite the title, eh?) is the first Kiss collection ever to almost exclusively focus on their non-makeup era, covering the years 1982 through 1989. The only make-up album represented is "Creatures of the Night" which was the start of a new era of Kiss as they left behind the 70's sound for an 80's heavy metal sound. The two tracks chosen from that album are both Kiss standards and some of their heaviest songs ever. (I wouldn't have minded if they included "War Machine" or "I Still Love You" as well.) "Lick It Up" is an obvious choice being the song that helped to dig Kiss out of the quick sands of obscurity in the early 80's back to the supergroup they became for the rest of the decade. "All Hell's Breaking Loose" is an excellent choice and a forgotten gem of the era. Likewise the next two songs from Animalize, "Heaven's On Fire" is another obvious choice, being another huge hit for the band and "Thrills in the Night" being an excellent, forgotten gem from that record. The rest of the compilation is very much similar, taking two songs from each studio album from that decade, with one being the "hit single" and the other being a good companion choice, although I think I could have found a better choirce than "Hide Your Heart" from Hot in the Shade. 20th Century Masters - Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss, Vol. 2, a good overview of the non-makeup era of Kiss and a welcome addition to my collection (especially for the measly $7 I picked it up for at Wal-Mart.) Also released at the time of this CD is the DVD collection.
Kiss - 20th Century Masters
- The Millennium Collection, Vol. 3 (Mercury) 2006
1. "God Gave Rock
'N' Roll to You II" (5:21)
2. "Unholy" (3:43)
3. "Domino" [live] (3:49)
4. "Hate" (4:37)
5. "Childhood's End" (4:21)
6. "I Will Be There" (3:50)
7. "Comin' Home" [live] (2:51)
8. "Got to Choose" [live]" (3:33)
9. "Psycho Circus" (4:51)
10. "Into the Void" (4:22)
11. "I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock and Roll" (3:33)
12. "Nothing Can Keep Me from You" (4:03)
Volume 3 for Kiss in the Millennium Collection closes out the collection with songs from the 1990's. This collection starts with "God Gave Rock And Roll To You II" from the 1991 soundtrack to "Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey" and finishes with the single from the 1999 "Detroit Rock City" soundtrack. Since Kiss' really only had three studio albums in this decade, "Vol. 3" is slightly more lackluster than the first two. However, is it still a good representation of what was going on in the 90's for the band. I personally felt that "Revenge" and "Carnival of Souls" were two of Kiss' strongest albums and both were easily as strong as anything they had done in the past. Also, the "MTV Unplugged" album was fantastic. As such, this collection is a good listen. As any Kiss fan would, there are many songs I felt were left out. Only two songs from "Revenge" is probably the worst offense. I realize that the label wanted to included at least one song from every release, so the live version of "Domino" from "Alive III" was included instead of the studio version. However, I would rather have not had the live album represented and had the studio version of this cut. Also, from "Revenge" I think "Take It Off" should have been included. From "Carnival of Souls", "Jungle" or "Rain" could have easily been included as well. Complaints aside, the songs that are included are some of the best from this era of Kiss. The inclusion of "Comin' Home" from the MTV Unplugged series was a smart marketing idea. This song was originally only released on the vinyl version of Unplugged, and was later released on the expensive Kiss Box. Being on this collection may entice some fans to purchase it, if only for that one track. "Got to Choose" is also from the "Unplugged" CD. Of the "Psycho Circus" material, the title track and Ace's "Into the Void" are essential. I might have exchanged "I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock and Roll" for "Raise Your Glasses", but that is just a personal preference. The album closes with Kiss' attempt at a hit ballad for their own "Detroit Rock City" movie. This song is very similar to Aerosmith's block buster "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" and was likewise written by Diane Warren. Unfortunately it didn't become the blockbuster the band had hoped. Another nice inclusion might have been the band's re-recorded version of "Detroit Rock City" from that same movie. While it was used in the movie, it has yet to be officially released on CD. This might have enticed more Kiss die-hards to purchase this cash-cow. It was also one of the few Kiss' songs from the reunited original line-up that had that entire line-up actually playing on the studio song.
Kiss - Playlist+Plus (Mercury) 2008
| DISC ONE 1. "Strutter" (3:12) 2. "Deuce" (3:05) 3. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:29) 4. "C'mon and Love Me" (2:57) 5. "Rock and Roll All Nite" [live] (3:56) 6. "Detroit Rock City" (3:38) 7. "Beth" (2:48) 8. "Hard Luck Woman" (3:32) 9. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:44) 10. "Love Gun" (3:17) 11. "Christeen Sixteen" (3:12) 12. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" (4:28) |
DISC TWO 1. "Creatures of the Night" (4:05) 2. "I Love It Loud" (4:18) 3. "Lick It Up" (3:58) 4. "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" (4:35) 5. "Heaven's on Fire" (3:23) 6. "Thrills in the Night" (4:24) 7. "Tears Are Falling" (3:56) 8. "Uh! All Night" (4:03) 9. "Crazy Crazy Nights" (3:48) 10. "Reason to Live" (4:01) 11. "Hide Your Heart" (4:25) 12. "Forever" (3:49) |
DISC THREE 1. "God Gave Rock 'N' Roll to You II" (5:21) 2. "Unholy" (3:43) 3. "Domino" (4:01) 4. "Hate" (4:37) 5. "Childhood's End" (4:21) 6. "I Will Be There" (3:50) 7. "Comin' Home" [live] (2:51) 8. "Got to Choose" [live]" (3:33) 9. "Psycho Circus" (4:51) 10. "Into the Void" (4:22) 11. "I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock and Roll" (3:33) 12. "Nothing Can Keep Me from You" (4:03) |
This three CD set is basically a re-packaging of of the three separate "Millenium Best of" volumes as part of Universal's "Playlist Plus" series. The only difference between this collection and the original "Millenium Best of" collections is that "Domino" is the studio version, rather than Alive III as on the "Millenium Best of Volume III." Unlike most Kiss releases, there is nothing extra with this collection. The three discs are wrapped in a cardboard sleeve with the discs sitting inside diecut sleeves, as opposed to those evil plastic digi-trays, making the "Playlist Plus" series ecologically responsible. (Yes, there is a ton of sarcasm in that sentence.) There is no booklet, though there are some excellent photos of the classic line-up of the band on each of the four outer panels. This would be a great collection for those just looking for a good career retrospective. However, this collection doesn’t offer the fan who already owns everything else anything new.
 KISS - Jigoku-Retsuden (DefStar/Japan) 2008 1. "Deuce" (3:08) 2. "Detroit Rock City" (3:57) 3. "Shout it Out Loud" (2:54) 4. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:10) 5. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:26) 6. "Love Gun" (3:14) 7. "I Was Made For Lovin' You" (4:42) 8. "Heaven's on Fire" (3:24) 9. "Lick It Up" (3:56) 10. "I Love It Loud" (4:09) 11. "Forever" (3:53) 12. "Christine Sixteen" (2:59) 13. "Do You Love Me" (3:39) 14. "Black Diamond" (4:20) 15. "Rock and Roll All Nite" (2:49) |
 Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley 2009 |
In 2008 Gene and Paul decided to take Kiss into the studio and re-recorded a bunch of their classics and hits. The results are this CD titled "Jigoku-Retsuden" which roughly translates to "Intense Transmission From Hell". Unfortunately for the hordes of Kiss fans worldwide the release was only made available in Japan. KISS self-produced this set with Greg Collins. Collin would go on to co-produce "Sonic Boom" the following year. Thankfully for the U.S. fans, the CD was released the following year and included in the "Sonic Boom" 2 CD, 1 DVD set under the new title "KISS Klassics", bringing the price down considerably on the original single disc versions of "Jigoku-Retsuden". I am not really sure what the reasons were for re-recording these songs and releasing them once again, especially with any number of these tracks finding their way on a dozen different compilations. However, one thing is for sure, the sonics on these new songs are unmatched by anything the band has recorded in the past. There is an argument to be made about the magic of the original recordings. That nostalgic feel for those tracks is hard to ignore, but I have found myself really enjoying this CD as I crank it in my car stereo. Listen to a song like "Hotter than Hell" side by side with the original recording, and even the remastered CD version of the original recording doesn’t stand up sonically. "Heaven's On Fire" is given a slightly heavier treatment than the original as well, though none of these songs stray far from the original compositions. Tommy Thayer sticks to playing Ace’s solos as close to the originals as possible. While it might have been cool to hear a little improvision, I also understand the need to preserve the spirit of the original songs. Eric Singer is given his first lead vocal spot on a Kiss record, singing "Black Diamond", which he belts out like the professional he is. Overall, this is a disc for Kiss die-hards and probably not something most fans will care too much about, but being the Kiss fanatic I am, I had to own it.
Kiss - Sonic Boom (Kiss Records) 2009
DISC ONE (SONIC BOOM) DISC THREE (DVD) |
DISC TWO (KISS KLASSICS) 1. "Deuce" (3:08) 2. "Detroit Rock City" (3:57) 3. "Shout it Out Loud" (2:54) 4. "Hotter Than Hell" (3:10) 5. "Calling Dr. Love" (3:26) 6. "Love Gun" (3:14) 7. "I Was Made For Lovin' You" (4:42) 8. "Heaven's on Fire" (3:24) 9. "Lick It Up" (3:56) 10. "I Love It Loud" (4:09) 11. "Forever" (3:53) 12. "Christine Sixteen" (2:59) 13. "Do You Love Me" (3:39) 14. "Black Diamond" (4:20) 15. "Rock and Roll All Nite" (2:49) |
 Single LP issued with a gatefold cover and full size poster. Each color of five different color vinyls was limited to a run of 1,000 copies and sold out within a week. The album was only available through KISSonline.com. As such, the album has become an instant collector's item. |
Let me get this out of the way first. No, I don’t like the fact that Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer are wearing the trademark make-up of Ace and Peter. Yes, I wish the band would have either made up new characters or just dropped the make-up all together. However, I am a Kiss die-hard. Since the original band said goodbye on the Farwell Tour, I have seen this incarnation of the band several times and they have put on an outstanding show. Whoever is in the band, the music is what matters most and with "Sonic Boom", I think Kiss has a winner. This is the Kiss album fans have been waiting for. Classic, hard, rock and roll. The album actually sounds like a mixture of Kiss from the 70’s and 80’s.
The albums lead-off track and first single, "Modern Day Delilah" is a superb song and will most likely see release on many compilation CDs to come. The song has a ton of groove and hook. Stanley’s signature wail is front and center and really give the song life, although Gene’s vocals are also very present in the chorus. Gene Simmons gets track number two with “Russian Roulette”. It sounds like Gene might have been trying for a sound like on Love Gun, but came off more like something from Hot In the Shade. Either way, not a bad song. “Never Enough” is an upbeat Kiss rocker that will be great in concert. This is one of those songs that is easy to sing along to and should be a crowd pleaser in concert. “Nobody’s Perfect” could have been on Love Gun or Rock and Roll Over. Despite a clear modern production, this rocker sounds like vintage Gene Simmons and Kiss. “Stand” features both Paul and Gene together and once again has a vintage Kiss sound, right down to some very Ace-like guitar solos. The newer members of Kiss are both given a shot at lead vocals on Sonic Boom as well. “All for the Glory” features drummer Eric Singer on vocals. This is one of the harder rocking songs on the album. Singer has a raspy voice that is not unlike former drummer Peter Criss. The song also features a lot of layered, melodic background vocals and another solo that is very Frehley-like. “When Lightning Strikes” is Tommy Thayer’s song. The song is punchy and one of the standouts on the CD. “I’m An Animal” is another Simmons composition with a slow, heavy groove that reminds me of some of this other work like “Almost Human” and “Unholy”. The album finishes off with “Say Yeah” a song that has a 8o’s appeal and would have fit well with the new songs on “Killers”. Sonic Boom is a good Kiss CD. It may not rival fan favorites like Destroy and Dressed to Kill, but it’s a quality product from Kiss and an enjoyable listen.
Kiss struck up an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart for the US release. For $12, you get the new eleven song album, the re-recorded "Kiss Klassics" CD that had been released in Japan a year earlier, and a live DVD from Buenos Aires. I was already familiar with the re-recorded tracks. While these are a nice inclusion, they are not all that essential. The originals are better. The band didn’t really take many liberties with the songs and just recorded them pretty much as they had already been. The packaging is a four panel digi-pack and comes with a 2-page booklet with photos and lyrics. The Kiss Korner at Wal-Mart also featured new Kiss blankets, Kiss Mr. Potato Heads, Kiss cards, miniature action figures. t-shirts, and other Kiss paraphernalia. While I am a bit of a Kiss fanatic, and think it's funny that a band like Kiss would sell merchandise made more for children and teachers going for their early childhood education degree, I just couldn't bring myself to purchase one of the Kiss Mr. Potato Heads. I will admit I did stand there contemplating it for awhile. Instead, I stuck with the “Sonic Boom” CD and walked over an picked up the new Lynyrd Skynyrd as well.
Kiss - Destroyer [Resurrected] (Universal Music) 2012 
Kiss - Monster (Universal Music) 2012
1. Hell Or Hallelujah (4:07)
2. Wall Of Sound (2:56)
3. Freak (3:35)
4. Back To The Stone Age (3:01)
5. Shout Mercy (4:04)
6. Long Way Down (3:51)
7. Eat Your Heart Out (4:06)
8. The Devil Is Me (3:41)
9. Outta This World (4:29)
10. All For The Love Of Rock & Roll (3:22)
11. Take Me Down Below (3:25)
12. Last Chance (3:06)
"Monster" is the second studio album from the Simmons/Stanley/Thayer/Singer Kiss line-up. With it, the band continues to crank out their signature brand of hard-hitting rock and roll. The promo sticker on the front promises, "No Filler! No Ballads! Just Full-Throttle Rock 'n' Roll!" That seems to be exactly what Kiss delivers .
Any Kiss fan should be able to appreciate the '70's influences on this album. Though the songs are unmistakably Kiss, there are times when I hear some Stones and Led Zeppelin influences. There are tons of meaty guitar riffs played with a '70s flair, though some songs like "Hell or Hallelujah" and "Wall of Sound" have some similarities to 80's Kiss. "Hell Or Hallelujah" is the first single from the album and is a fantastic start to the record. Much like "Modern Day Delilah" and "Psycho Circus", It's one of those Paul Stanley song that should remain in the band's setlist for a long time. "Wall of Sound" reminds me of the heavy hitting stuff from "Creatures of the Night" and "Revenge". Other tracks like "Freak" and "Long Way Down" have more of the 70's vibe, with "Long Way Down" in particular having some of the Zeppelin influence. "The Devil Is Me" seems to be Kiss trying to create another character-appropriate song for Gene, much like "God of Thunder". While it's a good song, I don't think it's quite a classic.
"Back to the Stone Age" is a strong song, though I have a feeling it's one we will never hear live. The song is built around a fast downbeat and heavy bass and drums. It also features a kickin' guitar solo, in which Tommy Thayer doesn't completely stick to the Ace-style. On their last CD it seemed the band was concerned with confining Thayer to the Ace Frehley box. Ace is a guitarist with an unmistakeable style and charisma. There is no doubt about that. However, with "Monster" they band seems to have let Thayer step out of the shadow of Ace a little, though not completely. His solos still fit the style of the record, but it doesn't sound like he's purposely trying to echo Ace on every song.
"Outta This World" is a Tommy Thayer composition and is one of those character appropriate songs, this time around for the Spaceman. This song is an obvious attempt at Ace-style song writing, complete with cow bell, guitar solo and lyrics that coincide with Tommy's "role" as Space Ace. Tommy sings the song as well and does a fine job. He's probably a technically better singer than Ace, but he doesn't have the same instantly recognizable charisma. Still, it's a solid hard rocker, though I do wonder what it might have sounded like with Ace Frehley in the equation.
"All for the Love of Rock & Roll" is an Eric Singer sung song that sounds like it could have been written for "Dressed to Kill" or "Hotter than Hell". The song seems to be forcing Eric into the roll as the Cat, complete with cow bells and many Peter Criss-isms. The song, the riffs, the drumming, the guitar solo are all pure Kiss. Criss or not, this is a fun Kiss song.
As usual Kiss' lyrics aren't rocket science. It's all sex and rock and roll, sans the drugs. "Take Me Down Below" sinks as low as songs like "Uh All Night" and "Let's Put the X in Sex".
"Monster" sees Kiss reaching back into their history while moving forward with the makeup lineup featuring Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. While many see the band as nothing more than a nostalgia act, Kiss continues to push forward. "Monster" delivers the full-throttle rock and roll the band promised.
There are several different packages available for "Monster". Best Buy has the 3-D hologram version of the cover, while Wal-Mart stores have a 64-page book version of the album. There is also limited edition pressing of the album on black vinyl and picture disc. The Kiss fanatic in me pre-ordered the vinyl version then rushed off to both Wal-Mart and Best Buy to grab the two CD versions. Yes, I know, I'm a geek!
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Related
Collections: Paul Stanley Peter Criss Eric Carr Frehley's Comet Union Vinnie Vincent Invasion |
 Kiss 1976 |
