KISS Album Trilogy Discussion Thread

What is your preferred Kiss Album Trilogy?

1) The Originals- (KISS, Hotter Than Hell, Dressed To Kill)
2) The Originals 2 -(Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, LoveGun)
3) Pop/ Transitionary Period -(Dynasty, Umasked, Music From The Elder)
4) The Metal Trilogy -(Creatures of the Night, Lick It Up, Animalize)
5) The Glam Trilogy -(Asylum, Crazy Nights, Hot In the Shade)
6) The 90's Trilogy (-Revenge, Carnivals of Souls, Psycho Circus)

I pefer The Originals Trilogy which exemplified the true original KISS sound. The band was hungry and was raw in sound.

It would be interesting hear what other's choice would be on this forum. Each trilogy documents different stages of the band's career. I haven't included Sonic Boom and Monster as we are still waiting if there is going to be another album to complete the trilogy. However, you may choose #7 Sonic Boom, Monster if you are a fan latest output from the current KISS line-up.

 

2.

 

You forgot to include the solo album trilogy, with Peter Criss' album thrown out (which is what most people did with their copies anyway).

I'd probably lean towards the first trilogy, though the 2nd is probably on par with it IMO

 

Ouch. But, sadly true.

Tie - 1 & 3. 1 for nostalgia, but 3 are the ones I play more as an old man...

 

I agree, I tend to revisit #3 too. There is some solid material during an interesting period where the band was in a free fall.

 

I look at their career little differently:

1) The Originals - (KISS, Hotter Than Hell, Dressed To Kill)
2) The Originals 2 - (Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, Love Gun)
3) Pop/ Transitionary Period -(Solo albums, Dynasty, Unmasked)
4) The Return to Rock - (The Elder, Killers)
5) The Vinnie "Wiz" Vincent Years - (Creatures of the Night, Lick It Up)
6) The Sister Albums - (Animalize, Asylum)
7) Return to Pop - (Crazy Nights, Smashes)
8) The Demo Collection - (Hot In The Shade)
9) The 90's/Technical Ability Years - (Revenge, Carnivals of Souls)
10) The False Faces - (Psycho Circus)
11) Latter Days - (Sonic Boom, Monster)

 

rQUOTE="Curveboy, post: 15261549, member: 38980"]I look at their career little differently:

1) The Originals - (KISS, Hotter Than Hell, Dressed To Kill)
2) The Originals 2 - (Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, Love Gun)
3) Pop/ Transitionary Period -(Solo albums, Dynasty, Unmasked)
4) The Return to Rock - (The Elder, Killers)
5) The Vinnie "Wiz" Vincent Years - (Creatures of the Night, Lick It Up)
6) The Sister Albums - (Animalize, Asylum)
7) Return to Pop - (Crazy Nights, Smashes)
8) The Demo Collection - (Hot In The Shade)
9) The 90's/Technical Ability Years - (Revenge, Carnivals of Souls)
10) The False Faces - (Psycho Circus)
11) Latter Days - (Sonic Boom, Monster)[/QUOTE]

I agree with your further breakdown of the band's career. I was just looking at a higher level. There seems to be a trend with Kiss with their album output when you look in trilogies. Perhaps, Kiss will close the chapter #7 with one more album.

 

Wow, is this ever difficult.

If one knows me you might know that I love each trilogy for different reasons. Each one adds a color that makes up for the ultimate "Kisstory painting".

The short answer:
I'd pick #2 as it sums up the peak of the band and most closely merges what Kiss set out to be - great hooks behind a larger than life rock and roll band in full swing - the ultimate fantasy act on top of the world. This is especially true if I can also include "Alive II".

The Complicated Answer:
Many Kiss albums overlap for me and are not so easy to lump together. For instance, I sometimes think of the solo albums as leading into "Dynasty" and "Unmasked". Likewise, I often associate "Creatures Of The Night" with "The Elder", despite their drastic difference, just because one kinda led to the making of the other.

The Final Analysis:
You can't go wrong with any of the above trilogies. Flip a coin!

 

I think the Trilogies were set up early on; you had 1-3 then Alive, 4-6 then Alive II
But things went all to hell come the Solo Albums.

Though I did used to look at The Elder, Creatures, Lick It Up as the next trilogy...

 

Originals 2. They took what they'd established over the first three and kicked it up a notch.

 

Yes, definitely.

#5 (The 80's Glam Trilogy) is another one that I personally love and re-visit a lot nowadays. That trilogy isn't "in vogue" nowadays, as most just brush it off as a "product of the times" (as if that's somehow bad...), but I've always been on record as saying an album like "Asylum" is one of the finest of the decade. And the two following albums that closed out the 80's aren't half bad either...

 

Paul has some great songs on Asylum! It is a great time-capsule during the glam 80's.

 

This is the creme de la creme of KISS music, I would throw the 5 Alive II tracks in this era as well.

This was my introduction to KISS and I still love these albums.

I was raised in a srtict Pentacostal household, so while other kids were listening to KISS in the 70's, I was not allowed to (along with watching tv and many other "wordly" things).

In the summer 1986, when I was 13, my fellow metalhead broke out a box of KISS 8-tracks that he had when he was a kid and we spent the whole summer jamming 70's KISS. I absolutely fell in love with it.

 

I'll take 1,2,3, and 4. The rest can get bent.

If I had to choose only one: 2.

 

From the list, The Originals 2. Personally, I would replace Destroyer with Hotter Than Hell.

 

You realize the order of the discography doesn't work that way, right?

 

Wow hard choices !!
Based on the trilogies description I'd have to go 2-3-1-4-5-6 in that order.
I'd probably add in Paul and Ace's solo albums into Trilogy 3 where I think they fit best.

I am over in the US waiting patiently to head to Miami for Kiss Kruise VI ... Anyone else going??

 

2) The Originals 2 -(Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, LoveGun)

Followed by

4) The Metal Trilogy -(Creatures of the Night, Lick It Up, Animalize)

not far behind. As much as I'd love to vote for anything with Revenge in, I can't in all conscience vote for

6) The 90's Trilogy (-Revenge, Carnivals of Souls, Psycho Circus)

Revenge coupled with Unplugged (I know, live album) with just about anything else would be in serious consideration otherwise.

 

I picked 2. I said personally I prefer HTH as an album.

 

Based on the original question: 4

 

Dos for me but Uno comes close.

 

#2 for me. Rock and Roll Over is the peak for me, and the two on either side of it are pretty great, too.

 

I'll take 3 or 5 - music from both eras are criminally underrated, especially Unmasked and Crazy Nights.

 

Number 4. By far my three favourite Kiss albums! Love every single song on all three.

 

.2

Mark