I don't know what it is about Kiss that they keep ending up on my radar. It's certainly not the music, because I not only have never heard the majority of their music, but the stuff I have, I don't necessarily like. Yet oddly they continue to pull me towards them.
When BMG and Columbia House were a thing back in my high school years, I tried (unsuccessfully) to get every single Kiss album from them. It was one of those "Sign your friends up and get four CD's free," things. For whatever reason, the CD's never came though.
Decades passed, and I was well into amassing my massive CD collection, and things came full circle. One day, I had to have Kiss albums. At first, I started by grabbing only the albums which had songs that I wanted. I think there was five or six albums in this group. Then things went bad. Suddenly, I needed ALL of them. Very quickly, I was the owner of twenty studio albums, four solo albums and three live albums. Most of which to this day I haven't listened to.
Well, what better time then now? Let's start with their debut. The self titled, 1974 released, Kiss.
It's got rock. It's got roll. It starts out with Strutter, and it's a pretty solid album. I mean, I don't hate it. If anything, it only stood out to prove my theory correctly that the true talent of the band was actually Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Sure, Paul Stanley is a good singer, and Gene Simmons a decent bass player, but the other two work magic around their instruments. This is so apparent in tracks Cold Gin, which showcase Frehley on guitar, and Kissin' Time which gives Criss an opportunity to show his drumming skills. To be honest,they're actually the only reason these otherwise lame songs turned out to be good. It certainly wasn't the lyrics or bass.
As for the rest of the album, it's great to hear the foundation the would become the legacy of Kiss. However, this is not the album that makes me a fan - Nor do I know if one even exists that will. I guess I'll find out.
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Have you ever been to a live show? Because a live show is definitely what will turn you into a KISS fan. I like KISS and was given a chance to go to a live show back in 2016 and, wow, they're incredible. Their music is fun but their showmanship and spectacle is incredible. Oddly enough my daughter who is into rock & roll recently started listening to some of my KISS albums. Last night we watched a few clips of live shows on Youtube. They certainly catch your attention and you don't forget them.
ReplyDeleteHave you shown your daughter Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park?
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/TheGodOfThunder76/videos/kiss-meets-the-phantom-of-the-park-full-movie/203832737359897/
But no, I have not been to a Kiss concert. I have to stay away from loud music because of my ear damage.
I never listened to any Kiss until junior year in college (except Beth. I think everyone knows Beth but may not realize it's Kiss). Anyway - they have some great music although all I've ever heard was their Greatest Hits CD. Looking forward to the rest of your reviews.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly only familiar with their hits as well, and actually am not a fan of Beth.
DeleteNot a fan of the song itself or not a fan of Kiss singing a rock ballad? (Is Beth considered the first Heavy Metal/Hard Rock ballad I wonder?)
DeleteNo. Beth came out in 1976. Styx is credited with the first ballad for their 1973 track, Lady. REO Speed Wagon and Journey then made careers out of it.
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