Which KISS album is their masterpiece ? (POLL)

I think I know what you mean, but I’d never previously characterised classic era Kiss as blues based rock - I always thought their music specifically excluded the blues, and that lack of blues was almost a defining feature - instead, they copped their early inspiration from Chuck Berry rock’n’roll (his riffs at least) and the Who’s blues-less bludgeoning hard rock.

if you mean you prefer them when they played it straight, and with less attempted epic grandiosity or orchestration (relatively speaking, it’s still Kiss) or Queen-like accents, then I’m with you.

 

I just look at the majority of their 70’s albums (except for Destroyer which is a Bob Ezrin creation) as basic blues based rock. The chords, the basic verse/chorus structures - all of Ace’s incredible guitar solos (which were missing from every song on Destroyer)

To me it’s all British Blues-Rock band stuff - their version of Stones, Zep, Who, etc...
& more importantly - it seemed honest & heartfelt. It wasn’t contrived sounding (like Destroyer & everything they did after A&P left). The original band was never about pop music or progressive or metal, hairband or any of that stuff.

 

Rock N Roll Over
Solid front to back

 

What, is this like Reddit, where going against the hive mind gets you banned?

 

Surely, somebody has an argument against Hotter Than Hell being a masterpiece. I won't buy it, though. Ballsy mix: check. Wall to wall of killer no filler songs: check. Mix of Gene, Paul, and Catman vocals: check. Ace on fire and ripping away on the axe: check.

 

That “joke band” in their prime was eating up the UK’s Led Zeppelin in concert. Sure, they had bigger numbers but do you think that Zeppelin would had wanted Kiss opening for them in the 75-77 time frame? Kiss would had eaten their sloppy ass lunch.

 

Alive!

(Music From) The Elder

 

Do you think any touring band back in the mid-70’s would want to follow this? None. Except for maybe Wings and I wouldn’t really call them a “touring band.”

 

Great album!

 

I always heard this song as a mash up between Scorpions ‘Still Loving You’ and Humble Pie ‘Walk on Gilded Splinters’.

 

I hear the former, but not the latter {but then, I have only heard the Dr. John version, so perhaps Humble Pie's version is closer!}

 

Definitely need the edge and bombast of the Humble Pie version.

 

perfect example of why Ace & Peter were so integral to Kiss’ success. Those guys brought it live

 

After slagging off Zeppelin last night I went and watched their London O2 concert. I was pretty impressed and it was much better than any footage I had ever seen of them......at least of them in their peak years. But I still don’t think too much of them regardless. I have always thought of the band as kind of a “training wheels” rock band. You like them when you are young but they don’t offer much past a certain age.

I think some people just look at the costumes and the show that Kiss puts on and think that they are just a novelty act or something. But think about the sheer number of books, movies, documentaries, retrospectives, etc., that have been done on Kiss over the years. There are not too many bands besides maybe The Beatles who have had as much ink spilt over, and every little bit of their history has been covered in the most minute of detail. I don’t think a “novelty act” would garner such attention over so long of time.

 

I revisited Double Platinum today; hell of a comp and the sound is SO much better than on my original CDs.

 

Honestly, if Eddie Kramer had produced the debut, it would be that hands down. Failing that, it’s Ace’s solo album. Not a bum track on it, and it has the strongest overall ‘KISS’ identity as far as I’m concerned. Destroyer is a close second due to the next strongest set of songs and great production, but Great Expectations and Sweet Pain hurts it. After that, the remainder of the makeup years up to Love Gun and COTN-Asylum era are all on equal footing.

 

I think "Love Gun" is their stupidest album, it's a utterly stupid album even by Kiss standards, so I vote this one as their masterpiece.

 

Not sure how it's stupid? I mean, there are some great tunes and playing on that album...I don't think Hooligan has aged well (it was fun when I was 9) and I never cared for Got Love For Sale...but the rest?

 

That has a been a frequent listen recently. I don't know if it is *the* masterpiece, but it definitely rips.

I would say the whole KISS catalog is a masterpiece.

 

Love Gun ("You pull the trigger of my love gun.."), Plaster Caster, Tomorrow and tonight, Christine Sixteen.. are stupid songs, involuntarily hilarious..
Anyway, I enjoy it. To like seriousness on Kiss is missing the point

 

I don't listen to Revenge and I cherry-pick from Animalize, Carnival and Ace's solo record. Otherwise, I love their catalogue.

 

Exactly: no more (or less) stupid (or sexual) than rock 'n' roll ever was. Well, maybe a tiny bit more.

You're referring to lyrics, it seems, and not music, and focusing on double entendres, in order to determine your "masterpiece".

Given your determining criteria, I have to say, 80s Kiss lyrics are often whole new level beyond Love Gun, so maybe you should look there too.

 

Alive!, then Destroyer. Both have a Detroit flavor.

 

Debut followed very closely by The Elder

 

Eddie Kramer's Rock and Roll Over

But it's only 33 minutes so just add two stupid (/silly) songs from Love Gun

• "I Stole Your Love"
• "Christine Sixteen"
• "Got Love For Sale"
• "Shock Me"
• "Tomorrow And Tonight"
• "Love Gun"
• "Hooligan"
• "Almost Human"
• "Plaster Caster"
• "Then She Kissed Me"