Nope...
17. Gene Simmons (1978): I didn’t intend for there to be such a stark contrast between the eras, but I let the results fall where they would and didn’t want to artificially pump up the later, non-makeup or reunion albums. So this is where the real rubber hits the road, and the distinctions get a lot harder. This is the solo album I initially listened to the most, since it was so different from Kiss, but had all the elements, if that makes sense. Gene’s voice – which I love – is all over it, and while some of the songs sound dated these days, at the time I was pleasantly surprised at how diverse this was from the guy that seemed to be such a one-note guy generally. I’m a massive Beatles fan (as is Gene) so many of the songs were right in my wheelhouse, and having a version of “See You In My Dreams” with Rick Nielson from Cheap Trick on it was gold. I was bummed that Gene didn’t play more bass (I love his bass playing; perhaps that is why so many of the later-era albums are lower; he didn’t play bass on a lot of them), but Neil Jason does a good job capturing Gene’s vibe. I could do without the creepy, cheese of “Living In Sin”, though to be honest; it’s the one thing I dislike about Gene distilled down to 3:50. I swear to this day that is Paul on the intro to “See You In Your Dreams”, making him the only member of Kiss to appear on another member’s solo album.
16. Love Gun (1977): One of the original six, but in my opinion, by far the weakest. Well known for the title track (one of Paul’s favorite Kiss songs) and Ace’s vocal debut (“Shock Me”), the album also featured several middling songs that later appeared on Alive II, including “Christine Sixteen”, “I Stole Your Love” and – amazingly, since it was never actually performed live - “Tomorrow And Tonight”. I like the other songs, but they’re a shade silly even for Kiss, and while I can look past the lyrics, it’s more that the songs themselves feel a little light weight. Even the cover, “Then She Kissed Me” (a gender reversal from the original) seems a little lacking for the self-proclaimed “Hottest Band In The World”. Having said that, at the age of 12 or 13, the paper “gun” in the album was cool (until it ripped after about the third try) and to this day, the “KISS” in red blood letters on the record inner sleeve was beyond cool.
Trivia: Depending on who you ask, either two or three people played piano on the "original six" Kiss albums. One such appearance is on Love Gun; who played the piano? Second trivia: everyone knows Eddie and Alex Van Halen played on the demo for "Christine Sixteen" (and Ace copied the solo for the final version). What was the OTHER song that the VH brothers demo'd for Gene?
Topic: KISS Discography - My Life As a Kiss Fan (Read 62128 times)
