Kiss - batch review

The ultimate band for a batch review, because they were my first music love, when the live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" from Alive hit the airwaves when I was nine (I believe this was about six months after the studio version was released as a single). I'm not going to critically re-assess a band mostly hated by almost all critics at this late stage in my life, because it would be like cursing my elders (no reference to that album intended).

My history with the band was that, as noted, I glommed onto them with Alive and stuck with them through Dynasty, when I was 13. After that, I dropped them unceremoniously and went on to other things. During that four year period, I went back and familiarized myself with their first three studio albums, and of course, Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and Love Gun, along with Alive II, were huge albums in the earliest stages of my melomania, and I remember listening to them all endlessly. I also saw them live at least once at Madison Square Garden, and maybe twice. I honestly can't remember which tour(s), and after a little effort trying to figure it out, I gave up. Thanks to my father taking me to at least one show as a pre- or early teen. I remember I had a hand-painted Peter Criss t-shirt that I created especially for the concert. Yes, he was my "guy" in the band. Not very cool, I know.

Anyway, I'm not going to bother rating this run of albums, as noted above, because that would involve listening to them all four times again, as an adult, to assure fairness, and I'm not going to take the time to do that. I did however, in writing this batch review, listen to all these albums again once, including all four solo albums. I believe I had Ace's, and probably Peter's, but I can't really remember. I think I thought Gene Simmons seemed like a jerk, and Paul Stanley was obviously for the "girls" (although I guess Peter Criss was too, although maybe not so explicitly, sexually). Anyway, here's what I streamed, for cataloging purposes. I do love how short they are all - never overstayed their welcome.

Kiss

Hotter Than Hell

Dressed to Kill

Alive

Destroyer

Rock and Roll Over

Love Gun

Alive II

Ace Frehley

Gene Simmons [this one strikes me as particularly atrocious]

Peter Criss

Paul Stanley

Double Platinum

Dynasty

I would probably rate these all "liked" at best if I gave the requisite listens, except for Alive, which I can definitively give 7 (B+) and post on because I still know it so well after all these years. I thought I would feel differently about Destroyer (maybe it could end up a 7 (B+) too because it appears to be their most "critically regarded" album?), but by the end, I was waiting for it to finish. I actually already have and will keep a copy of Alive II (which I de-fatboxxed) and will keep it for nostalgia purposes and post on it too since I know it so well too. And having both of those live ones is nice because they released three studio albums before each, so having these two is essentially a live best-of from each period (so, excluding only Dynasty).

Anyway, my last thought was to add Double Platinum in honor of their place in my life, and to have studio representatives of the best of all those albums (except Dynasty). But when I streamed it again, I thought it went on for too long. I opted instead for The Best of Kiss: 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, because it's shorter, I love the series, 10 of its 12 tracks are also on Double Platinum, and the other two are one more from Love Gun ("Christine Sixteen"), and, as an added bonus, one from Dynasty too ("I Was Made for Lovin' You"). So it nicely and succinctly summarizes the entire studio run that I stuck with the band. And all the songs dropped from Double Platinum are skippable, except "Black Diamond" and maybe "Cold Gin," both of which are on Alive.