KISS Discography - My Life As a Kiss Fan

[King Postwhore]

As Blob said Monster is a very solid album.

Ace's solo album is very high in my list.  It was a big F you to the other band members (Gene & Paul) who mocked Ace telling him he couldn't make a strong solo album.  They were very wrong.

[Stadler]

I hope you take it for what it is.   I know Paul's voice is just a shell of what it once was (though, when I saw them last in 2014, not nearly as bad as some made it out to be), but the spectacle is still there and that's kind of what it has always been about.  I think every rock fan has to see "Rock and Roll All Nite" live at least once.

[Lowdz]

I've never bothered to rank the albums as you have but I would think Ace would be higher than this, certainly miles above Monster.
Aces album was played a huge amount by me, and Rip It Out was one of the first songs I worked out on my own on the guitar. I love Ace, love every KISS song he wrote except for Cold Gin - never liked that one.
I prefer Pauls solo album over Aces, but it's still a cracker. He really showed the band what he was about. It's just a shame he preferred to party than play. He has a quirky songwriting style all his own.

Monster is an ok album but too many misses thanks to the contrived nature of it that others have mentioned. Eric's song is shit, as is Ace tommys. There's some good stuff but I haven't given it much of a chance to be honest. It would be lower tier for me.

Guess I'll have to rate hem in order before you're done Stadler.

[Stadler]

You know, I was going to hold off on saying this until the end, but now seems like a good enough time: do try to rank them (and I for one would love to see your list), because it was a LOT harder than I thought it would be, and while I pledged I would not change them as I go, I found myself changing them as I go.   In the original list, when I made my first post, Monster was Number 10, and ahead of Sonic Boom (though I didn't just "flip" them).   And I went back and made it a point to listen to everything (at least the stuff that I hadn't listened to in a month or so) and it dropped for me.    Not because it sucked, but because others were better; I've listened to Sonic Boom about four times in the last three, four days. 

It's the deceptiveness of a list; I REALLY love Kiss and I have since I was 11.  I would sit in my parents basement with an old phonograph listening to everything up through Dynasty, OVER AND OVER while I either talked on the phone, shot billiards, or made Revell models.  I would listen to them in chronological order.  Reverse chronological order.  All the side ones.  Then all the side twos.   I listened to side two of Gene and side one of Paul's solo albums more times than I can count.  To this day, "Love In Chains" reminds me of Lori M********, a beautiful girl I knew in middle school who was really shy (gimme a break; I was 13 going on 14 and didn't know shit) and it probably always will.

So to be honest, the difference between 15 and 10, and 10 and 5 and 5 and 1 is probably not all that much in the grand scheme of things.     

[Stadler]

By the way, the trivia answer....  The Lady Gaga. 

[TAC]

I think Ace's album is fantastic. Even kind of progressive, if you ask me. It's right up there with Paul's.

As mentioned before, I cannot comment on the last two albums.

[kirksnosehair]

That still commercially available, TAC?  Ace's album, I mean.

[TAC]

I would think so.

Oh look!
https://www.amazon.com/Ace-Frehley-Remastered-Kiss/dp/B000001ELF/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1461955738&sr=1-3&keywords=Ace+Frehley

$4.99 new and A-Prime!

[cfmoran13]

I remember back in 6th grade, around the time of Animalize, I used to draw their various stage set-ups on the backs of my tests.  I even used to think "Wouldn't it be awesome if they could do one final show when the band is over where every member, past and present, played to celebrate the entire history of the band".  Of course, this was back when everyone was still alive and Bruce had just entered the picture.

[Lowdz]

It would be easier to bring Eric and mark back than to dig up Vinnie Vincent from whatever hole he's hiding in.

[King Postwhore]

Vinnie. Sheesh, what a headcase.

[Cyclopssss]

Back then I totally was into the whole KISS thing. I liked Ace´s album a lot, but not as much as I loved Paul´s. That was near perfect for me. Ace had some real cool tunes and grooves on the album though. I remember liking Ozone a lot, Fractured mirror, back in the new york groove and a couple others. Not so hot on Whipe out, though.  Plus those covers were fantastic.

[Prog Snob]

Back then I totally was into the whole KISS thing. I liked Ace´s album a lot, but not as much as I loved Paul´s. That was near perfect for me. Ace had some real cool tunes and grooves on the album though. I remember liking Ozone a lot, Fractured mirror, back in the new york groove and a couple others. Not so hot on Whipe out, though.  Plus those covers were fantastic.

That's pretty much how it was for me. I was big into KISS for a long time. Collected everything. Put the makeup on when did their return tour with the makeup.

[vazquez]

Ace Frehley is one my TOP 3 for sure, but I´m a big fan of Ace, above all the other members.

Monster is a fine album. Sonic Boom is a lot better, but still... it´s nice they are still doing strong albums.

[Stadler]

13.Dressed To Kill (1975):  This is an album whose placement suffers simply from being a prince among kings.  I love this record, and it includes what is one of my favorite Kiss songs to this day, “She”, but in the grand scheme of things, it falls just a shade short.  In hindsight, we know that financially Kiss was hanging on by a thread at this point and there is the ever-so-faint whiff of desperation to this record.  It is incredibly short (about 30 minutes) and famously, the “time” between songs is longer than standard to give the impression that the record itself is longer than it is.   Two of the songs (the aforementioned “She” and “Love Her All I Can”) are leftovers from Gene and Paul’s pre-Kiss band, Wicked Lester, the less-than-3:00 song "Rock Bottom" has an almost two-minute acoustic guitar introduction tacked to it, and the album is “produced” by Neil Bogart, their record label head, because they literally couldn’t afford to pay anyone to do it.  The cover is one of my favorites (I’ve actually gone to that street corner in New York City, the southwest corner of 23rd St. and 8th Ave) but if you notice, on the right side it says “KISS KISS KIS” because they couldn’t fit the last “S” in the design.  But it does contain the first lead guitar from Paul Stanley, “C’Mon And Love Me”, the excellent Gene songs “Two Timer” and “Ladies In Waiting”, and the original studio version of what would ultimately become their biggest song and current day set-closer, “Rock and Roll All Nite”. 

12.Sonic Boom (2009):  I’m not going to apologize for really liking this album, and I listen to it a lot.  Paul’s voice is showing wear for the first time - it’s a lot huskier than it ever was in the past – and on songs like “Danger Us” he’s noticeably struggling.  I get the animosity for the new guys, especially Tommy Thayer – and there are a couple moments on here where he directly quotes Ace (“All For The Glory” is a VERY obvious one) - but this is a solid set of good old fashioned hard rock from a solid band.  None of it is especially groundbreaking – hell, in just the one song “Hot And Cold”, Gene borrows from The Who for the verse riff, the solo borrows from the solo from “C’mon And Love Me” over a riff borrowed from Cheap Trick (“Heaven Tonight”) and the chorus borrows from “Love ‘Em And Leave ‘Em” – but the band does it so well its hard to find fault.  This is only the second album in the band’s catalogue to not have even one co-writer from outside the band, and it shows in a consistency that makes this a great record to put on and listen through start to finish.  I even like the songs sung by Eric and Tommy (though his song here has an “electricity” theme which is somewhat suspect to me).  There’s a fair number of songs where Gene and Paul share vocals, something I love, and even one where they sing co-lead (the better-than-it-should-be “Stand”).  Provided Paul’s voice can hold out, if they put out a couple more like this and Monster, I’d be more than okay with that.

Trivia:  Famously, the guitar solo in “She” was ‘borrowed’ by Ace; what band, guitar player and song was the source?  Okay, that was easy; for bonus points, who then ‘borrowed’ Ace’s solo (band, player, song)?

[BlobVanDam]

I rank Dressed To Kill the weakest of their first six albums, with none of my favourites. Out of the "Alive" tracks, I don't like Rock Bottom, Come on and Love Me is ok, She is solid, and I've just heard Rock n Roll All Night too many times, and it's not an interesting enough song to survive that many plays.

I agree with your thoughts on Sonic Boom almost entirely. A strong album, with nothing groundbreaking, but just done well, and it rocks like a unified band of four guys jamming it out in the studio, which is something that was becoming lost after Alive, when they started doing their own thing, and using session musicians. It's great hearing all of their voices together with some back and forth.
Paul's voice is definitely starting to sound rough here, but is still mostly good. It's a little worse on Monster, although on the recent song on the Ace solo album, I think he was sounding a bit smoother again, so maybe he has more in him for another album. I'd be happy with more albums like this.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Trivia:  Famously, the guitar solo in “She” was ‘borrowed’ by Ace; what band, guitar player and song was the source?  Okay, that was easy; for bonus points, who then ‘borrowed’ Ace’s solo (band, player, song)?

Doors - Five to One
Pearl Jam - Alive (I wouldn't know which guitarist without looking)

Also, on Ace's later live solos, he borrows a bit from the Doors' Spanish Caravan.

[bl5150]

Room Service never seems to get any love but I always loved the attitude/cheekiness of the vocal by Paul.

I really like DTK , although it has a couple of fillers.  Like Tim , I am ashamed to say that as a long time fan of the band I have never bothered to properly listen to Sonic Boom or Monster 

[Stadler]

Trivia:  Famously, the guitar solo in “She” was ‘borrowed’ by Ace; what band, guitar player and song was the source?  Okay, that was easy; for bonus points, who then ‘borrowed’ Ace’s solo (band, player, song)?

Doors - Five to One
Pearl Jam - Alive (I wouldn't know which guitarist without looking)

Also, on Ace's later live solos, he borrows a bit from the Doors' Spanish Caravan.

Well done!  I can't prove it, I wasn't there, but I'm pretty sure it's McReady.  He's the 70's rock guy, and has been out front for his love for Ace (and is a huge UFO guy). 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Wiki says McReady.

[Prog Snob]

I rank Dressed To Kill the weakest of their first six albums, with none of my favourites. Out of the "Alive" tracks, I don't like Rock Bottom, Come on and Love Me is ok, She is solid, and I've just heard Rock n Roll All Night too many times, and it's not an interesting enough song to survive that many plays.

I agree with your thoughts on Sonic Boom almost entirely. A strong album, with nothing groundbreaking, but just done well, and it rocks like a unified band of four guys jamming it out in the studio, which is something that was becoming lost after Alive, when they started doing their own thing, and using session musicians. It's great hearing all of their voices together with some back and forth.
Paul's voice is definitely starting to sound rough here, but is still mostly good. It's a little worse on Monster, although on the recent song on the Ace solo album, I think he was sounding a bit smoother again, so maybe he has more in him for another album. I'd be happy with more albums like this.

I agree with what you said in regards to Dressed to Kill. The only album from the 70s that I like less is Dynasty.

[TAC]

Dressed To Kill is OK for what it is, I guess. It's easily the weakest of the first 3, lacks the classics of the debut and the songwriting of the HTH. Feels very rushed, much like RnRO. I still rate it as a classic and the album cover is awesome.

[jjrock88]

The Dressed to Kill album cover is fantastic

[Mladen]

It's slightly rushed but still pretty good. I keep going back and forth between that one and Hotter than hell. But today, I'd say Hotter than hell is a better one. 

[TAC]

No contest between DTK and HTH.

[Lowdz]

I like. dtK, probably more than RnRO. It's the poorest of the first three though.

Sonic Boom is good but wouldn't rank above any of the first two decades. Some good stuff and it sounds like where KISS should have been following Love Gun. Almost like thirty years never happened 

[DragonAttack]

DTK….my favorite of the six originals.  I bought it about a year after 'Alive' came out, and was very interested in the studio versions.

(First, yes it was irritating to have to 'pause' my tape deck between songs to cut out all of the silence, and the album was incredibly short.)

I like all of side one, 'Room Service' especially (surprised that it was not performed on stage).  I cut some of the intro for 'Rock Bottom', because it is too long and repetitive, but whoda thunk they could create something that tender and pleasant sounding?

'C'mon And Love Me' suffers, not because it is a bad track, but due to the live version that I was accustomed to being played at a faster tempo.  'Anything For My Baby'...hard to drive and not do some air drums.  That, along with 'Love Her All I Can' are some really good Beach Boy/Beatle-ish tracks.  It was odd to hear 'She' without the 'Alive' guitar solo (I have the studio fadeout following 'She' on  my 'best of').  RnR All Nite is what it is, the perfect pop 'anthem' that is well constructed.

A four to six minute 'anything' added on would have really pushed this LP to the top.

Melodically, it is far superior to their previous efforts.

Sonic Boom:  can't judge it.  A friend gave me a ripped copy, but often it comes down to timing and age when one gives something a listen. 

[King Postwhore]

I've always liked DTK more than the first 2 album. Not by a lot but I dig it. Sonic Boom is an excellent return to form. I like crankin' that mofo.

[Stadler]

11. Unmasked (1980):  This is an album very much of its context.   I was 13, and full-on in my fandom, but the cracks were beginning to show.  I still believed that Gene played bass on EVERY song, and Paul played rhythm on EVERY song, and Ace played lead on EVERY song, and Peter played drums on EVERY song… and this was the first album where it didn’t feel like it.  I kinda knew something was off, and as I started to get into “Kerrang!” magazine (the US press was all-in on supporting Kiss, not printing photos of them without makeup and not “blowing their cover” with rumors) I started to get my proof.  It is the first album by the band (not counting the solo releases) to not have all four members on it.  Peter Criss does not appear anywhere – not even the token “vocal” - except the cover (like Dynasty, Anton Fig of David Letterman’s “CBS Orchestra” plays drums).   Having said that though, I LOVED this album then, and still love it now, with the exception of the horrid “Shandi” (which is possibly my least favorite Kiss tune ever, and if not, then top three).  I really liked Gene’s songs on this album; “Naked City” and “She’s So European” take a lot of shit but I love those songs.   Not like, LOVE.   There are three Ace tunes and they are all good.  I can definitely overlook the insipid lyrics on “Torpedo Girl” because that transition into the chorus about midway through the song is GOLD.   Finally, believe it or not, I kind of dug the production from Vini Poncia.  I love the guitar sound they got on that album; very mid-rangy, almost twangy, and while it wasn’t “dangerous” in the way that early Kiss was, it was catchy, and I still listen to this album regularly.   

10. Dynasty (1979):  A perfect example of how an album gets defined by it’s single.   The band’s first collaboration with Desmond Child, “I Was Made For Loving You” was a clear and admitted attempt to cash in on the recent disco craze, and forever seemed to characterize this record, in my view unfairly (lightweight on record, the song is harder and actually very good live).  “Disco Kiss”.  But this album does rock.  Ace gets not one but THREE songs, one a cover of the Stones’ “2,000 Man”, and the album closer, “Save Your Love” is one of his best ever.  I love Gene’s “X-Ray Eyes” and “Charisma”, and Paul’s “Magic Touch” is a strong as well.  Peter Criss has at this point bailed; Anton Fig plays all the drums on the album except for one song, and I think that one appearance from Peter Criss, Dirty Livin’”, is in keeping with the worst of the catalogue (right up there with “Hooligan, won’t go to school again”).  Having said that, I literally wore out my vinyl copy because I played side two so often.  Of interest (to me, anyway) is that this is yet another album cover that mirrors a Beatles album (this one “Let It Be” or the US version of “A Hard Day’s Night”), interestingly, it is a montage of four photos and was not a group shot. 

Trivia: what is unique about “Naked City”?

[BlobVanDam]

Unmasked should be about 20 spots lower. Dynasty is hugely underrated, and is one of their most consistently good albums. The Alive III version of I Was Made For Lovin' You is the definitive version, and kicks ass. No disco, just rock.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Both would near the bottom of the list for me, unquestionably.

[Cyclopssss]

Yeah, how bitter is it that the albums that made them big are also the ones that they threw it all away with? Anyhow, with Dynasty, they still had me. Heck I even stole the album because I was so skinned at the time. There´s some good ones on there, I always liked Sure know something, Hard times, Charisma, even the single. But with Unmasked they totally lost the plot. But hey, true fans will buy ANY THING, right? Is that you, falling down the stairs?. Yeah, KISS, it is you. I never even did buy The Elder because it got such a bad rap, but looking back on that, it is a really special, unique album. But that´s for later....

[Lowdz]

Both would be high up for me. Top tier. I love the songwriting and yes, it isn't the KISS of before, but it's not a million miles away. They were two of the first albums I had by them which probably helps.
About the only song on both I don't like is 2000 Man, and I can live with it.

There's no deep cuts to get into, they are shooting for the mainstream, but they are good songs.

Ace was on fire at this time, on the back of his solo album, and Anton Fig is a great drummer.

[devieira73]

Personally I really like Unmasked a lot, although it's somewhat a weird record for the band, like The Elder (which I LOVE).
IMO Anton's drum work here and on Ace's is amongst my favourites in the band catalog, in the top 4, and the first two being on "creatures of the night" and "revenge".

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I'm going back through these two to give them another chance, just because.  One interesting thing I will note.  The chorus of Charisma (notably on the word "charisma") reminds me a lot of the big harmonies on the chorus of "Just a Boy" from MFTE.  So far for Dynasty, the only songs I would go out of my way to listen to would be 2,000 Man, Sure Know Something, and Hard Times.  MAYBE Save Your Love, but I don't really care for the background vocals on that one.