Which KISS album is their masterpiece ? (POLL)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by S. P. Honeybunch, May 4, 2021.

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  1. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney Thread Starter

    Which KISS album is their masterpiece?
     
  2. Mother

    Mother Forum Resident

    Location:
    Melbourne
    Alive!
     
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  3. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    The only albums from the list I'm not keen on are Revenge, Animalize and Ace's solo record. All of the others are still pretty regular visitors to my music system. My favourites - the ones that would currently score 5/5 - and therefore masterpieces in my world if nobody elses are:

    Debut
    Hotter Than Hell
    Destroyer
    Gene Simmons
    Paul Stanley
    Dynasty
    Unmasked
    Music From The Elder
    Crazy Nights
    Hot In The Shade
    Pysycho Circus

    The only live album I'd be tempted to add to the above list would be Unplugged.


     
  4. andy75

    andy75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    I think it is Alive! too. My personal fauvorite Kiss period is 1982 to 1988.
     
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  5. 80steen

    80steen John McClane

    Location:
    West Virginia
    S/T debut then Destroyer
     
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  6. 80steen

    80steen John McClane

    Location:
    West Virginia
    Especially Paul's outfit in Tears Are Falling lol
     
    poe_man, Sean, Anonamemouse and 3 others like this.
  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    I probably have a couple of gimme's and a couple of contentious ones.

    I think the debut album is a really strong set of rock songs, but the production lets it down.
    I think Hotter Than Hell is great, and in some ways the ugly production adds to it, in some weird way.

    It's undeniable that without Alive, the band and the record label would probably have folded. so the live album is almost certainly the most important thing the band ever did.... but I'm not going to include the live album.

    Destroyer is the band's first true masterpiece to me. To me Ezrin managed to harness the bands energy and direct it, and the band came up with some great songs to make the proceedings worthwhile ... I think they also stepped out of their comfort zone with a couple of the songs, and it paid dividends.

    Ace Frehley that first solo album under the Kiss banner .... sometimes this is my favourite thing that came out of the Kiss camp. On this album Ace shows he has more to offer than may have previously been seen. We get several songs that really could be in the hit single mode. Rip It Out, Speeding Back To My Baby, and the only actual hit off the solo albums New York Groove .... but for me this is beautifully balanced with some really adventurous tracks that for me are the meat of the album.
    Ozone, Snowblind and Fractured Mirror step beyond what we expect from Kiss, with some really interesting writing, time signature change ups, stylistic change ups and just some really interesting writing, that isn't just straight up Kiss rock.

    Paul Stanley solo album. Stanley shows an ability to write the easily accessible tracks that just work. This is like a really solid Kiss album, but it only has the Stanley perspective in it, and it just works beautifully.
    Take Me Away (Together as One) is among my favourite things done in the band context.

    Dynasty ... and here I suppose I get contentious. this album cops tons of flak form some quarters, because its "the disco album" .... aside from a couple of beats in there, I just don't hear that at all.... but I am a weirdo, so it's all good.
    I Was Made For Loving You is probably the song that has held up the longest over time out of the Kiss catalog, and it is a solid rock song, even with the beat, and the fat bass up front. The real treasure on here for me though comes with Magic Touch, Hard Times and Save Your Love ... they would make it onto a best of I put together.

    The Elder ... probably another contentious one ... when this first came out, I really wasn't sure what to think, but I gave it a chance and it grew on me a lot. Sadly Ace was upset the band didn't just get back into rocking hard, and got fed up with where they were heading, and that is the only real downside I see coming from this album. I love that they just went completely out there and tried something completely different, and although I will certainly admit, this is nothing like something one would expect from Kiss, I think it is really good, and something different always appeals to me.
     
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  8. healter skealter

    healter skealter Human animal

    I wasn't aware that they had a 'masterpiece', but if they do, it would be ACE FREHLEY.
     
  9. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Studio album, gotta go with Destroyer.
     
  10. Sear

    Sear Dad rocker

    Location:
    Tarragona (Spain)
    Dressed to Kill
     
  11. Bananas&blow

    Bananas&blow It's just that demon life has got me in its sway

    Location:
    Pacific Beach, CA
    Went with Rock and Roll Over. That or Love Gun. Or the Debut. Destroyer is not one of their better albums. Too inconsistent.
     
    Sean, blaken123, artfromtex and 7 others like this.
  12. YardByrd

    YardByrd rock n roll citizen in a hip hop world

    Location:
    Europe
    My most spun LP over the last five decades has been Alive II, but since it's not an option:
    Rock And Roll Over
    Ace's solo LP
    The Elder
    Creatures
    Carnival of Souls
     
  13. Nakamichi

    Nakamichi The iceage is coming....

    Location:
    St199nf
    Never heard "Kiss" and "masterpiece" mentioned in the same sentence before.
    Maybe its a U.S thing, they are regarded as a joke band in the U.K.
     
  14. Fitter Stoke

    Fitter Stoke You don't suspect my life's a mess...

    Although it may be studio contrived, it’s ‘Alive!’ that captures the raw essence of Kiss at its best. I never tire of it, or ‘Alive II’ for that matter. Otherwise, the obvious masterpiece is ‘Destroyer’ though it’s more of a Bob Ezrin creation than the band’s, I think.

    Mind you, if I was forced to have only one Kiss album in the car it’d be ‘Double Platinum’. Is that cheating?
     
  15. carlwm

    carlwm Forum Resident

    Location:
    wales
    I reckon most of their albums are at lest very good and a lot of them hit the level of 5/5. for me. They are better - at least in my opinion - than many, if not most, more lauded acts.
     
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  16. Harry Hood

    Harry Hood Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    That was my first thought too!
     
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  17. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    Many Kiss haters will knock Lick It Up as a failure. I like LIU it's a solid album that really rocks. Exciter is a ball busting staggering lead off track. Not For The Innocent, All Hell's Breakin' Loose, And On The 8th Day are solid Kiss tunes.
    I spin that 1983 vinyl, it's loud and crunchy just like Kiss wanted to sound with their entry into the no make up world.
    LIU a solid album offering indeed. IMHO
     
    Last edited: May 5, 2021
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  18. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Destroyer is their one and only great album. Not sure I'd call it a masterpiece though! Rock & Roll Over comes second.
     
    artfromtex likes this.
  19. Rufus rag

    Rufus rag Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Comic band! Guess it means the same thing!
     
  20. Sear

    Sear Dad rocker

    Location:
    Tarragona (Spain)
    They are more fun than Wish you were here or The Wall
    :D
     
  21. Sear

    Sear Dad rocker

    Location:
    Tarragona (Spain)
    I give you a "like" because of your bravery including turds like "Hot on the shade" and "Psycho Circus", not because I agree with you
    :laugh:
     
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  22. Warzawa

    Warzawa The Starman

    Agreed I love that first solo by Ace and im not even much of a Kiss fan but this def would be my #1
     
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  23. Fischman

    Fischman RockMonster, ClassicalMaster, and JazzMeister

    Location:
    New Mexico
    Largely regarded a joke in the US as well.
    For some, a very entertaining joke, and there's nothing wrong with that. But even most die hard fans acknowledge that they love them for what they are without the need to pump them up to cover what they are not... which is creators of masterpieces.
     
  24. Remy

    Remy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn NY
    I have a soft spot in my heart for Love Gun, but I just don't think they've made one. Alive II had would have been my choice if it been on the list.
     
    YardByrd likes this.
  25. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Destroyer opened up their world, txs to Beth!
     
    McLover likes this.
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