Category Archives: KISS
KISS – Kiss
Kiss – Kiss [Remastered] (1997, Mercury Records/Casablanca Records)
Original Release: 1974, Casablanca Records
Track Listing:
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
Band:
Paul Stanley – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ace Frehley – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Gene Simmons – Bass, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Peter Criss – Drums, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Produced by: Kenny Kerner & Richie Wise
The Godfathers of Hair Metal have arrived! My absolute favorite band came charging right outta the gates on their debut. From top to bottom, outside of one track, it’s all classics and KISS has been playin’ ‘em in concert for decades for good reason. My favorite of all these faves? That would have to go to “Black Diamond”. Peter has a great raspy voice and did an excellent job on this dark song.
I went KISS crazy around 1998 (shortly after picking up Alive II and Psycho Circus) licking up all of the recently remastered albums along with the later stuff they didn’t bother remastering. Now, I’m a proud owner of all of KISS’ releases (I still say compilations don’t count).
This is not only the starting point of a legendary band, I would point to this album as a starting point for anyone interested in giving KISS a try.
Funny story about my first brush with KISS…
Back in the late 80s, at the skating rink in my hometown, there was a KISS pinball machine back in the video game/food section (circa Alive maybe?). I wouldn’t even go near it. They guys freaked me out too much with the black & white face paint and crazy costumes (especially Gene). I thought they were some evil REALLY heavy metal band. 
Highlights: Um… It’s the debut album from KISS. Every track is a classic… Well, except for…
Lowlights: “Kissin’ Time” (absolutely pointless promotional tool)
KISS – Psycho Circus
KISS – Psycho Circus (1998, Mercury Records)
Track Listing:
1. “Psycho Circus” – 5:30
2. “Within” – 5:10
3. “I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll” – 3:32
4. “Into the Void” – 4:22
5. “We Are One” – 4:41
6. “You Wanted the Best” – 4:15
7. “Raise Your Glasses” – 4:14
8. “I Finally Found My Way” – 3:40
9. “Dreamin’” – 4:12
10. “Journey of 1,000 Years” – 4:49
Band *deep breath*:
Paul Stanley – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar; Lead guitar on “Psycho Circus”, “I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll”, and “You Wanted the Best”; Bass on “We Are One”, “Raise Your Glasses”, and “I Finally Found My Way”
Gene Simmons – Lead Vocals, Bass, Rhythm guitar on “We Are One”
Ace Frehley – Lead Guitar (Credited as, but only actually played on “Psycho Circus”, “Into the Void” and “You Wanted the Best”), Lead Vocals on “Into the Void”
Peter Criss – Drums (Credited as, but only actually played on “Into the Void”), Lead Vocals on “I Finally Found My Way”
Additional Musicians:
Bruce Kulick – Lead Guitar on “Within” (intro)
Tommy Thayer – Lead Guitar
Kevin Valentine – Drums
Bob Ezrin – Fender Rhodes on “I Finally Found My Way”
Shelly Berg – Piano on “I Finally Found My Way” and “Journey of 1,000 Years”
Produced by: Bruce Fairbairn
Wow, giving proper musician credit has always been a pain on KISS albums and this is no different. I love KISS, but how sad is it that that Ace & Peter barely even played on this “reunion album”? Instead we get future “Space Ace” Tommy Thayer playing lead guitar and Kevin Valentine on drums. Sheesh.
This was my second KISS album. My first was Alive II. At the time, I read Metal Edge magazine religiously and I was just coming into my own as a rock/metal fan and they were constantly running articles and interviews with KISS, hyping their live show and this upcoming album. So finally decided to check’em out during “winter” (not Christmas!) break of ’98 with Alive II when I had some extra Christmas $$$ to blow. Honestly, I didn’t care for that album and I remember my best friend (who knew nothing of KISS either) commenting, “this album sucks”. I hesitantly agreed and it almost ended my love affair with KISS before it began. Later, it would grow on me, but I still don’t think it’s anything special.
ANYWAY, back to this album, all of Metal Edge’s constant hyping convinced me to try some new KISS, having already sampled 70s KISS, and again, I was fairly disappointed with Psycho Circus. I soldiered on, thanks to the KISS remasters that came out around that time and soon became a huge KISS fan, but this one still stuck out as lackluster to me as “Psycho Circus” was really the only song where they knocked it out of the park. To this day, it’s one of my favorite KISS songs.
While I would occasionally sample this album, it was still fairly average in my opinion, but in time it’s grown on me a lot. It’s nowhere near being KISS’ best. It’s not a great album at all, but I can safely say (in my own mind at least) that it’s a good album. “Psycho Circus” makes a VERY strong start for the album, but the problem is, it was the best they had to offer on this album. Still, Psycho Circus is full of rock ‘n’ roll anthems and love letters from KISS to us fans telling us that they’re back and more larger than life than ever. I seriously doubt this album won over any new fans for the band, despite the fact that this album went Gold, but it’s a serviceable effort for the diehards.
KISS found a great producer in Bruce Fairbairn, who is one of my faves, and has worked with other rock giants such as Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Poison, Scorpions and AC/DC.
By the way, the company that held the publishing rights to Alice Cooper’s ”I’m Eighteen” sued Paul Stanley & former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick citing “substantially similar” qualities between “I’m Eighteen” and the Stanley/Kulick-penned “Dreamin’”. The case was settled out of court.
Highlights: “Psycho Circus”, “I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll”, “Into the Void”, “I Finally Found My Way” (yes, it’s an obvious “Beth” ripoff, essentially “Beth Part II”, but I still dig it), “Journey of 1,000 Years”
KISS – Paul Stanley
KISS – Paul Stanley (1978, Casablanca Records)
Track Listing:
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 (Think of Me When We’re Apart)” (3:40)
8 “Love in Chains” (3:33)
9 “Goodbye” (4:09)
Band:
Paul Stanley – Vocals, Guitar
Various people (including Carmine Appice & Bob Kulick) – Everything else
Of the four solo albums KISS released back in ’78, this is my favorite. What can I say? Paul Stanley is my favorite member of the band. I dig the songs he sings and writes in KISS and this is the most KISS-like of the simultaneously released solo albums, so therefore I dig this.
Ace’s album definitely rocks harder, but Paul turns in a great hard rock/pop effort here.
Hightlights: “Tonight You Belong to Me”, “Ain’t Quite Right”, “Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me?”
Lowlights: “Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We’re Apart)”
KISS – Hotter Than Hell
KISS – Hotter Than Hell (1974, Casablanca Records)
Track Listing:
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)
Band:
Paul Stanley – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Gene Simmons – Vocals, Bass
Ace Frehley – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Peter Criss – Drums, Vocals
This is the 2nd album from KISS, and I remember not liking it when I first heard it early in my early days of being a KISS fan. First, I was put off by the cover. It looked extremely cheap and cheesey, but it is also infamous because the photo shoot for this picture turned into a big party full of drunken sex (I hope and assume KISS were not the only ones involved in the debauchery). Secondly, the album’s production was pretty raw and muddied, IMO. Overtime though, this album has grown on me and has some killer material and produced concert faithfuls such as “Let Me Go, Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Watchin’ You”.
Highlights: “Got to Choose”, “Parasite”, “Hotter Than Hell”, “Watchin’ You”, “Mainline”, “Comin’ Home”, “Strange Ways” (a pretty heavy KISS song at the time)
Lowlights: “Goin’ Blind”. The lyrics are weird, and the song just sounds weird to me as well.
