{"id":12352,"date":"2014-01-08T01:00:46","date_gmt":"2014-01-08T06:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southeastofheaven.com\/?p=12352"},"modified":"2022-01-06T19:42:18","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T00:42:18","slug":"the-album-by-album-challenge-kiss-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/?p=12352","title":{"rendered":"The Album by Album Challenge: KISS (Part I)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"kissWelcome to another \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge.\u201d For those that are new here, the \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge\u201d is where I take a band\u2019s entire discography and listen to every album in order of release from front to back. With my unforgiving and well-aged ear, I call it how I hear it. In some cases, I find that what I once thought was good is actually pretty crappy and sometimes crap manages to age into something pretty kick ass. And in some cases, face melting is still just good ol\u2019 face melting.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This time around I decided to tackle the KISS studio discography. I decided with KISS to only do the 20 studio albums and none of the 20,000 live albums that KISS has put out! Ok, I know, they only put like what, six or seven live albums? Even if they were mostly done in the studio I still didn\u2019t do them. This challenge at times was downright painful but nonetheless it was great fun. I found some great gems that I didn\u2019t know existed and I found some songs that I wish I had never discovered at all. Again, it\u2019s KISS and even through the falters and failures, I will always be a fan and have a huge place in my heart for the hottest band in the world\u2026 KISS!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\"\"Kiss \u2013 Kiss<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> February 18, 1974
\nThe Good<\/strong>: Strutter, Nothin\u2019 to Lose, Firehouse, Cold Gin, Let Me Know, Deuce, Love Them from Kiss, 100,000 Years, Black Diamond
\nThe Bad<\/strong>: Kissin\u2019 Time,
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kiss\u2019 debut album is such a solid album and I just can\u2019t for the life of me figure out why I forget this from time to time. Destroyer gets so much attention but if you look at the track list alone, this album spawned more consecutive KISS classics that just about any of their other releases. It\u2019s so raw and I love that you can really hear their influences so loud and clear. You can hear The New York Dolls, Rolling Stones, and even The Beatles. \u201cLove Theme from KISS\u201d is such a cool little ditty that even has a kind of Allman Brothers kind of groove to it.<\/p>\n

At this point in the game KISS was such a young band and there\u2019s an innocence to their sound. It sounds so natural and so real. It\u2019s unpolished, it\u2019s raw, but it\u2019s so full of excitement. This actually sounds like a band that was meant to rule the world. \u201c100,000 Years\u201d and \u201cBlack Diamond\u201d just may be two of Kiss\u2019 greatest songs of all time and the only real dud on this album was \u201cKissin\u2019 Time.\u201d I have no idea what they were going for with this song but that song just sucks a big one. Other than that, this is flawless, timeless rock n\u2019 roll record for sure.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Kiss \u2013 Hotter Than Hell<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> October 22, 1974
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Got to Choose, Parasite, Goin\u2019 Blind, Hotter Than Hell, Let Me Go Rock N\u2019 Roll, Watchin\u2019 You, Comin\u2019 Home,
\nThe Bad:<\/strong> Mainline,
\nThe Indifferent<\/strong>: All the Way, Strange Ways<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still not sure how I feel about this album as a whole but to me, this album really has no flow. This is a prime example of how sequencing can really make a break an album. Hotter Than Hell has some great songs on it and much like the debut it contains a lot of classics. Songs like \u201cGot To Choose\u201d, \u201cParasite\u201d, \u201cLet Me Go Rock N\u2019 Roll\u201d and the title track went on to become staples in Kiss live repertoire while \u201cWatchin\u2019 You\u201d is right up there with some of my all time favorite KISS songs.<\/p>\n

As a whole, this album really isn\u2019t that great of a listen from front to back. It\u2019s almost as if you could re-sequence the album yourself in order to create a better listening experience. Openign with \u201cGot To Choose\u201d really wasn\u2019t the best idea as I don\u2019t feel it\u2019s a strong opener. They should\u2019ve either r opened with the title track or \u201cLet Me Go Rock N\u2019 Roll.\u201d Kick my ass from the beginning ya know? Don\u2019t\u2019 hit me with a sponge and expect me to be blown away. Also, closing the album with \u201cStrange Ways\u201d just kind of had me scratching my head as I\u2019m still trying to decide if I like this song or not. Maybe I would\u2019ve liked it more with Ace singing but Peter Criss just kinda had me going, \u201cMeh.\u201d All in all this album falls flat but does contain some pretty awesome Kiss tuneage.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Kiss \u2013 Dressed to Kill<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> March 19, 1975
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Room Service, Rock Bottom, C\u2019mon and Love Me, Anything for My Baby, She, Love Her All I Can, Rock N\u2019 Roll All Nite,
\nThe Bad<\/strong>: Getaway
\nThe Indifferent<\/strong>: Two Timer, Ladies in Waiting<\/p>\n

Ok, so this album is nowhere near as bad as I remembered it but again, what\u2019s up with the sequencing of this album? There is really no flow to this album and this one also contains some of my favorite KISS songs. What\u2019s up with that long as acoustic intro to \u201cRock Bottom\u201d? Were they just trying to fill in some time or something? It\u2019s pretty and all but damn lose that shit. \u201cC\u2019mon & Love Me\u201d is still as awesome as always but \u201cShe\u201d is the song that should\u2019ve been more of what KISS was about. This song is so heavy and has such a great hook and groove to it. I always forget how lame the studio version of \u201cRock N\u2019 Roll All Nite\u201d is. It\u2019s still a great song but how did they make this song with NO GUITAR SOLO? Thankfully we had the \u201cAlive I\u201d version fix that all for us. All in all this album has some greatness to it but fails as a whole to really blow me away.<\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss – Destroyer<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> March 15, 1976
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Detroit Rock City, King of the Nighttime World, God of Thunder, Flaming Youth, Sweet Pain, Shout It Out Loud, Do You Love Me?
\nThe Bad:<\/strong> Great Expectations
\nThe Indifferent<\/strong>: Beth<\/p>\n

So there\u2019s a reason this album is considered to be KISS\u2019 best album. It really just is. There\u2019s something really special about this album and I always love listening to it from front to back. I mean, except for that craptastic \u201cGreat Expectations\u201d and \u201cBeth\u201d (which I can give or take) the songs on this album are some of the band\u2019s best. The opening of \u201cDetroit Rock City\u201d and how it slides right into \u201cKing of the Nighttime World\u201d is without a doubt one of the coolest moments ever. I sometimes underestimate this album but all in all, it really is as of now the best thing they\u2019d done since the debut album. Even as shitty as \u201cGreat Expectations\u201d is, it doesn\u2019t even taint this album one bit because the other songs on it are so fucking strong. Is there where KISS used up their awesomesauce? I guess only time will tell.<\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss \u2013 Rock and Roll Over<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> November 11, 1976
\nThe Good:<\/strong> I Want You, Take Me, Calling Dr. Love, Ladies Room, Mr. Speed, Hard Luck Woman, Makin\u2019 Love
\nThe Bad<\/strong>: Baby Driver, Love \u2018Em and Leave \u2018Em,
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong><\/p>\n

This album sounds like a step back from Destroyer. Rock and Roll Over has some really good songs on it but even as good as they are they don\u2019t touch the greatness of those tunes on Destroyer. \u201cI Want You\u201d is a great tune and \u201cMr. Speed\u201d is one of those songs that I forget how much I like. As for the bad, who the fuck let Peter Criss and that fucking atrocious \u201cBaby Driver\u201d happen? Talk about your huge mistakes. It\u2019s really a shame because I love Pete\u2019s voice and even as corny as it is I LOVE \u201cHard Luck Woman.\u201d That\u2019s a great song right there. Something tells me that things just get gradually worse from here as we\u2019re heading into \u201cKissco\u201d era stuff. I\u2019m bracing myself for impact here. Ok, no Paul jokes there smart asses.<\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss \u2013 Love Gun<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> June 30, 1977
\nThe Good:<\/strong> I Stole Your Love, Christine Sixteen, Got Love For Sale, Shock Me, Tomorrow and Tonight, Love Gun, Almost Human,
\nThe Bad:<\/strong> Hooligan, Plaster Caster, Then She Kissed Me,
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong><\/p>\n

So this hasn\u2019t hit \u201cKissco\u201d yet so I could at least wipe the sweat off my brow. Love Gun starts off so fucking strong that by the time \u201cShock Me\u201d was kicking in I was thinking, \u201cWow, this album just may be as great as Destroyer\u201d but then something happened. That something was \u201cHooligan.\u201d Criss wrote the fucking worst songs and how they ever allowed them to make records is beyond me but hey, when you\u2019re writing songs like \u201cPlaster Caster\u201d who are you to judge right? At this point, it\u2019s impossible to think that KISS song lyrics are anything more than absolutely ridiculous but that\u2019s always been a part of KISS charm. It\u2019s not rocket science but c\u2019mon guys, \u201cPlaster Caster\u201d is retarded beyond retarded even by normal KISS standards. Closing the album with an atrocious cover of \u201cThen SHE Kissed Me\u201d? You\u2019ve gotta be killing me. This album had so much promise but man, what a fucking buzz kill.<\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss \u2013 Dynasty<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> May 23, 1979
\nThe Good:<\/strong> I Was Made For Loving You, 2,000 Man, Sure Know Something, Magic Touch, Hard Times, Save Your Love,
\nThe Bad:<\/strong> Dirty Livin\u2019, Charisma,
\nThe Indifferent:<\/strong> X-Ray Eyes,<\/p>\n

And here comes Desmond Child to try and save the day! Haha. Desmond Child is a huge ass joke especially when talked about in the metal world. If you worked with Desmond Child it meant two things: One, you had pretty lost your testicles or you had them removed, gave them to the record company, and they mounted them on the wall. Two, you were a total hack looking for a \u201chit\u201d and nothing but a joke. In this case, look at \u201cI Was Made for Loving You.\u201d That song is KISSCO (Kiss Disco). It\u2019s lame, it\u2019s hilarious, and it\u2019s awesome. Yeah, I love that song. Then you have a kick ass Ace cover of a Stones song and again, as corny as it is, I totally dig \u201cSure Know Something.\u201d This is Kissco kids and even as corny as it is, it\u2019s pretty fucking fun. I do love the fact that Ace wasn\u2019t having any of it and stuck to his guns with \u201cSave Your Love\u201d and \u201cHard Times\u201d which both were so nasty and gritty. As for the bad, SURPRISE! A Peter Criss song called \u201cDirty Livin\u2019.\u201d The album closed with the Ace track \u201cSave Your Love\u201d which actually had a pretty cool resolve. Looking back on this one, I surprisingly didn\u2019t hate it like I thought I did. The kinda disco vibe was kinda cool actually and they pulled it off well but this just isn\u2019t \u201cKISS.\u201d This is a whole other band.<\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss – Unmasked<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> May 20, 1980
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Shandi, Talk To Me, Naked City, Tomorrow, Two Sides of the Coin, Torpedo Girl, You’re All That I Want
\nThe Bad:<\/strong>
\n The Indifferent:<\/strong> Is That You, What Makes the World Go Round, She\u2019s So European, Easy as it Seems<\/p>\n

Wow. Um, ok then. That went much better than I thought it would go. I totally remember hating this album but this time around there are some pretty cool songs on this album. I\u2019ve always been a fan of the cheesy \u201cShandi\u201d and \u201cTalk to Me\u201d and \u201cTwo Sides of the Coin\u201d are both classics. They\u2019re both Ace songs so of course I\u2019m going think that they kick ass. \u201cTomorrow\u201d sticks out too as it\u2019s got this kind of pre-punk sound to it. Listening to this I could totally hear Green Day covering it or something. It\u2019s a kinda cool sound a hit at some of KISS\u2019 more punk\/New York Dolls kind of influence. Even as good as the \u201cgood\u201d songs on this album are there are definitely no \u201chits\u201d on this album. The more forgettable songs on the album are mostly Paul songs. Sounds more like he was shooting for commercial accessibility while Ace just wanted to be Ace and kick ass. None of the good songs have that wow factor that is present in more of KISS\u2019 now classic\/popular tunes. This wasn\u2019t an all-out horrible album but it was far from memorable.<\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss \u2013 Music from \u201cThe Elder\u201d<\/strong>
\n Release Date:<\/strong> November 16, 1981
\nThe Good:<\/strong>
\n The Bad:<\/strong>
\n The Indifferent:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going through this one again. Read HERE<\/a><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

===================================================<\/p>\n

\"\"Kiss \u2013 Creatures of the Night<\/strong>
\n Release Date<\/strong>: October 13, 1982
\nThe Good:<\/strong> Creatures of the Night, Saint and Sinner, Rock N\u2019 Roll Hell, Danger, I Love It Loud, War Machine
\nThe Bad:<\/strong>
\n The Indifferent:<\/strong> Killer<\/p>\n

For this album it feels like KISS found their identity and morphed into more of a metal band than a top 40 sounding pop band. This sound is so much more natural and true to the foundation that KISS was laying in the 70s. This album is just fucking awesome but you can tell a few things here. First off, everyone knows that this album had NO ACE FREHLEY on it. You can tell that just by listening to the album itself. This was also the first album to feature Vinnie Vincent on guitar and as a collaborator. This was a good move on their part because Vincent gave KISS that shot of metal that made them a strong staying power when metal started to take over the world. The songs are all fucking killer on this album and it blows me away just how consistently good this album is. This is also the first album in a while that would spawn some later to become KISS classics such as the title track, \u201cI Love it Loud\u201d, \u201cI Still Love You\u201d, and \u201cWar Machine.\u201d \u201cCreatures of the Night\u201d is without a doubt one of KISS best songs to date and can we just say that I about snarfed my coffee when I learned that the solo for that song was done by the guitarist for 80\u2019s pop band Mister Mister? Mind = blown. All in all, this is KISS\u2019 strongest, most consistent album to date. I need to remember this album for its greatness as I seem to have totally forgotten this over the years. At a fork in the road KISS seems to have chosen the smartest of paths towards a sound and style that was more true to who they were and what they were all about.<\/p>\n

Klick HERE for Part II<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to another \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge.\u201d For those that are new here, the \u201cAlbum by Album Challenge\u201d is where I take a band\u2019s entire discography and listen to every album in order of release from front to back. With my unforgiving and well-aged ear, I call it how I hear it. In some cases, I find that what I once thought was good is actually pretty crappy and sometimes crap manages to age into something pretty kick ass. And […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[711,277],"tags":[8,1099,1100,1101,618,605,917,1098,1102],"class_list":["post-12352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-by-album-challenge","category-music-news","tag-ace-frehley","tag-bruce-kulick","tag-eric-carr","tag-eric-singer","tag-gene-simmons","tag-kiss-2","tag-paul-stanley","tag-peter-criss","tag-tommy-thayer"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19542,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12352\/revisions\/19542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southeastofheaven.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}