6. Lick It Up (1983): One of the more famous of the post-originals albums, this is the first one released after the epic unveiling on September 18, 1983 (my first reaction: "I would have put on makeup too") of Kiss without their makeup (actually, the album was released on the same day). The album was a hit, though Paul has famously said “the fans were listening with their eyes”, because the record is in a lot of ways more a sequel to the previous years’ “Creatures of the Night”, even down to the personnel. Co-writing all but two songs, Vinnie Vincent continued to bring his melodic sensibility to the band, and here he instilled a positive energy and a confidence in the group, one of only three albums to have no outside writers on it. The title track is one of the very few non-makeup songs to remain in the setlist after the makeup reunion, and is one of only two non-makeup songs played by the original band on the reunion tours. Controversial statement: I think Gene is on fire on this record. I could do without “Young and Wasted”, but “Not For The Innocent” and the last three songs on the record are classic Gene. I’m less enamored with the Paul songs; these don’t sound like the classic Paul from the solo album and are a lot more…. whiny-er, for lack of a better word. Paul starts to sing in a higher register here and it’s not my favorite but the songs are strong. I may not LOVE every song, but the only truly weak moment is the “what be this, and what be that?” part of the “All Hell’s…” rap. But I actually like the rest of the song (the second of only three songs credited to the four current members of the band). The worst part of this album is by far the videos; for such a visual band on stage, the videos for this record are comical and cringe-inducing.
Trivia: What are the three Eric Carr-era songs played by the original band live? What are the other two albums in the catalogue to have NO outside writers, only current band members?
5. Kiss (1974): Where the fire started, and still burns today. It’s not a coincidence that seven of the ten songs were also on the seminal “Alive!” record (and the remaining three were known to be played live), and anywhere from two to four of the songs regularly appear in the set list to this day. The album contains one of my top three favorite Kiss tunes ever (“Deuce”) and several others that are still strong favorites (“Cold Gin”, “Black Diamond”, “100,000 Years”, “Firehouse”). I think the fact that many of these songs had been played for years prior to their recording really shows. The solo in “100,000 Years” is by far my favorite by Ace. Even the two ‘filler’ tunes – “Kissin’ Time”, a cover recorded and added to the record after its initial release, and “Love Theme From Kiss”, an instrumental fragment from a live staple (the first of only three songs credited to the four current members of the band) – are listenable. Sometimes the production gets knocked, but I actually LOVE the sound of this record, and for me, it is in large part what I think of when I think of Kiss. The cover – an homage to “With The Beatles” – shows the makeup in transition for Ace and Gene, and Peter’s was done by an outside makeup professional for the first and only time.
Trivia: What song did Paul play for Gene upon their first meeting? What was the first song that Ace played with the band? What is the third of the three songs in the catalogue credited to all four current members at the time?
Topic: KISS Discography - My Life As a Kiss Fan (Read 62442 times)
