As recording began for what would become Kiss's 1987 released Crazy Nights, one note of contention still needed to be resolved. That would be how Stanley felt about his co-founder, Gene Simmon's lack of commitment in pursuit of other interests.
"Look," he said. "You're off doing all these other things while still reaping the benefits of this band, and I'm getting screwed. It's not fair for me to put in this kind of time, while somebody else who is supposed to be my partner, is not." Simmons would simply reply, "That's fair."
Not for nothing, Simmon's temporary absences, and limited contributions, gave space to Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick to step forward as writers on some tracks. Stanley would also continue to write with Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Adam Mitchell, among others.
Wanting to find commercial success, Kiss felt it was important to depart from self producing, such as they had with their previous two albums, and bring in someone to help them. They found that in Producer Rob Nevison. Nevison had previously worked with the likes of Heart and Ozzy Osborne, but this type of resume also meant he wasn't immediately available to the band. Things did ultimately work out with the Producer coming onboard, and guiding Kiss through what would become Crazy Nights.
It all opens with the title track, which is a solid starting point. Unlike previously albums which would have seen Simmons and Stanley alternating vocals, track two and three delivered yet another Stanley led vocal, I'll Fight Hell To Hold You, and Bang Bang You. The first of the two is pretty okay, but I admit I don't understand why it would fade out during a ripping guitar solo. As for the latter, that's a hard pass. I don't need a song with Stanley belting he's going to bang bang you (me) with his love gun.
Simmons finally takes the vocals for the fast paced No, No, No., and then again for Hell Or High Water. Both are okay. Nothing to write home about, but also not bad.
From there, I honestly only paid partial attention the album, and this was mainly because, much like prior Kiss efforts, things just feel into generic hard rock territory. Basically, not a lot of hits to really draw me in. Towards the tail end, I did enjoy Turn On The Night, but things wrapped up relatively uneventful.
As 1988 rolled around, Kiss focused their efforts on the double platinum selling compilation album, Smashes, Thrashes, & Hits. The catch to its release was that it wasn't just a gathering of prior hits. Instead, the album contained two new tracks, and thirteen all new remixed versions of classics. The most noteworthy is the complete re-recording of the Peter Criss hit, Beth, which now features Eric Carr on lead vocals (his first for the band). The album received the accolade as Kiss's best selling album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking record sales in 1991.
With that all said and done, I have one final Kiss album to make my way through, 1989's Hot In The Shade. I'll jump into that tomorrow, and from there, who knows where I'll go.
Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.
Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.
![]() |
THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS October 20, 1984 |