In the 11 years since their last album, the big and bloated Psycho Circus, the reunited, original, make-up wearing Kiss split once again when Ace Frehley and Peter Criss hit the door. In a shocking move that disgusted Kiss purists, remaining members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided that Ace and Peter's characters were up for grabs, and handed the make-up over to their new guitar-playing spaceman, Tommy Thayer, and their catman 2.0, Eric Singer, for subsequent tours. It was hardly the first time Paul and Gene were painted as an anything-for-a-buck duo -- they've licensed everything from Kiss action figures to Kiss caskets after all -- but maybe, just maybe, it was a sincere move after all, one designed to please fans. Unlike Psycho Circus with Ace and Peter, Sonic Boom with Tommy and Eric captures the spirit of the original group through simple, unashamedly macho songs that could have appeared on any of their pre-Destroyer albums. Lunkheaded lyrics like "The deck is loaded when I like what I see" ("Russian Roulette") or "Danger you, danger me, danger us" ("Danger Us") aren't so much an issue when the hooks are as solid and the songs are as exciting as they are here. "Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)" is the quintessential Gene song with the usual demon bass fills, plenty of cowbell, and "Baby it's time to take off your clothes" lyrics, while the closing "Say Yeah" is a sure fan pleaser, falling somewhere between "Black Diamond" and "Nothin' to Lose." Besides the underlying feeling that there's a bit more smirking than before, there's little sign the original duo have matured, which is good news, but the old-school idea of one song for the spaceman ("When Lightning Strikes") and one for the cat ("All for the Glory") should've been dropped, as both slow down the proceedings, plus Eric's number sings of "We're all for one and we're all for the glory" with absolutely no sense of irony. No one will be turned on to the band by Sonic Boom, and all the usual criticisms -- dumb, sexist, gaudy, and dumb -- apply, but the Kiss Army have waited over two decades for something this solid and fun. Pretend this is the back-to-basics follow up to Love Gun, and those 20 years of so-so albums fade away. Classic and maybe even a little awesome, Sonic Boom makes that "hottest band in the world" tag much easier to swallow.

1. Modern Day Delilah
2. Russian Roulette
3. Never Enough
4. Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)
5. Stand
6. Hot And Cold
7. All For The Glory
8. Danger Us
9. I’m An Animal
10. When Lightning Strikes
11. Say Yeah!

Since the 1996 reunion tour was a blockbuster success, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons decided to keep Peter Criss and Ace Frehley around for a little while longer -- long enough to record a full-fledged reunion album, Psycho Circus. Anyone expecting a stylistic breakthrough from a reunited (allegedly revitalized) Kiss would be unfamiliar with the band's history. Throughout the years, the only real change has been in the guitarists and drummers; the band's sleazy, big, dumb pop-metal has remained the same. The problem is, it's the kind of music that sounds more convincing when it's performed by a young, hungry band that makes records on the cheap. That way, the albums really sound as sleazy as the men who make them. As the band pushes 50, Kiss no longer sound young, hungry, or sleazy -- they sound like professional dirty old men. And since they're professionals, they can turn out some catchy hooks when called upon, but Psycho Circus ultimately feels worn out, more of a huge advertisement for an impending tour than a full-fledged record. Certainly, they're crafty enough to toss out a few anthems to please fans ("I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll," "You Wanted the Best"), and that may be enough to appease fans longing for an album by a reunited Kiss, especially since Frehley is a better, more charismatic guitarist than anyone else that has floated through the band. But cynics (i.e., anyone who isn't a hardcore fan) will probably view it as pandering. Which raises an interesting question: who is more cynical, Kiss for writing fan-baiting rock & roll anthems simply to sell records, or the reviewers who call them on it?

1. Psycho Circus (5:30)
2. Within (5:10)
3. I Pledge Allegiance To The Sta (3:32)
4. Into The Void (4:22)
5. We Are One (4:41)
6. You Wanted The Best (4:15)
7. Raise Your Glasses (4:15)
8. I Finally Found My Way (3:40)
9. Dreamin' (4:12)
10. Journey Of 1,000 Years (7:19)

Before Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley reunited with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, they recorded Carnival of Souls with guitarist Bruce Kulick and drummer Eric Singer, intending to release the record either in late 1995 or early 1996. Once the reunion took off, Carnival of Souls was shelved and Kulick and Singer were unceremoniously given their walking papers, the final chapter of their history erased from public record. Unsurprisingly, the unreleased album became a hot bootleg in collector's circles, paving the way for its official release in the fall of 1997. In some ways, it should have stayed unreleased, since Carnival of Souls hardly captures Kiss at their best. None of the songs, either the predictable rockers or the by-the-book power ballads, stand out, and the music sounds canned, forced, and over-produced, with little of the self-deprecating humor that made the comeback tour a success. Only the dedicated -- who probably already own it on bootleg -- will have the patience to wade through the record to find the few minor items of worth.

1. Hate (4:37)
2. Rain (4:46)
3. Master & Slave (4:57)
4. Childhood's End (4:20)
5. I Will Be There (3:49)
6. Jungle (6:49)
7. In My Head (4:00)
8. It Never Goes Away (5:41)
9. Seduction Of The Innocent (5:16)
10. I Confess (5:23)
11. In The Mirror (4:26)
12. I Walk Alone (6:08)

Despite coming off a monster ballad with Hot in the Shade's Michael Bolton-penned "Forever," Kiss was plagued by financial instability due to Simmons and Stanley's extravagance; worse, drummer Eric Carr succumbed to cancer in November 1991. But even with the grunge movement in full effect, Kiss was luckily recognized as a major influence on everyone from Trent Reznor to Lenny Kravitz -- their '70s legacy intact despite the band's often dubious choices in the '80s. And even though they, too, were on the brink of commercial extinction, being savvy businessmen first and foremost, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley fully understood the lay of the land. Not only did they need to make a definitive record, they needed to completely re-invent themselves, visually and sonically. The first step was to secure hard rock veteran Eric Singer to fill Carr's shoes; next, the band rekindled its relationship with producer Bob Ezrin. Again, never ones to ignore lucrative business opportunities, Simmons and Stanley swallowed their pride and rejoined forces with former bandmate Vinnie Vincent. Together, they co-wrote Revenge's three centerpieces -- "Unholy," "I Just Wanna," and "Heart of Chrome." Bringing Vincent back to the Kiss fold ultimately proves to be the album's coup de grâce. Some of the cuts are excellent, delivered with conviction and panache, but for all the hype, the album is also tainted with filler. On the up tip, Ezrin's mongo-enormous production galvanizes the Kiss sound, making it fresh again. The band's promotional efforts would help propel the album's first-week sales sky high, culminating with a Top Ten Billboard chart entry, but indifference once again plagued the ensuing arena tour.

1. Unholy (3:42)
2. Take It Off (4:51)
3. Tough Love (3:44)
4. Spit (3:33)
5. God Gave Rock 'N' Roll To You (5:20)
6. Domino (4:01)
7. Heart Of Chrome (4:03)
8. Thou Shalt Not (3:59)
9. Every Time I Look At You At Yo (4:40)
10. Paralyzed (4:15)
11. I Just Wanna (4:08)
12. Carr Jam 1981 (2:44)

Realizing that their last albums weren't even close to being in league with their output from the '70s, Kiss made a conscious effort to get back on track with 1989's Hot in the Shade. The group began trying out new material, and was soon forced to issue a record in conjunction with an upcoming tour. Hence, Hot in the Shade is a slight improvement over its flat predecessors (Asylum, Crazy Nights) -- but not by much. The songwriting is still unfocused, but at least the keyboards that plagued Crazy Nights had thankfully been put away, and the production isn't as pop-oriented as most of their other '80s albums. The album did spawn Kiss' first Top Ten single in ten years with the syrupy ballad "Forever," but again, the group missed the mark by padding the album with lots of filler ("You Love Me to Hate You," "Love's a Slap in the Face," "Cadillac Dreams," etc.). Also included were a couple of obvious attempts at hit singles ("Rise to It" and the dreadful "Hide Your Heart"), and a track that sounds like a total ripoff of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me," titled "Read My Body." Drummer Eric Carr's only lead vocal on a Kiss record, "Little Caesar," is one of the album's few bright spots, but Hot in the Shade unfortunately proved to be Carr's last album with Kiss; he died from cancer in 1991.

1. Rise to It (4:04)
2. Betrayed (3:40)
3. Hide your Heart (4:26)
4. Prisoner of Love (3:45)
5. Read my Body (3:49)
6. Love's a Slap in the Face (4:05)
7. Forever (3:53)
8. Silver Spoon (4:42)
9. Cadillac Dreams (3:47)
10. King of Hearts (4:27)
11. The Street Giveth and... (3:32)
12. You Love me to Hate You (4:04)
13. Somewhere Between (3:48)
14. Little Caesar (3:11)
15. Bommerang (3:31)

Just when you thought Kiss couldn't be further removed from their raw rock/metal roots with 1985's lackluster Asylum, the band sinks even further with 1987's popfest Crazy Nights. Kiss were the most unfocused they had ever been by 1987 (the absence of original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley obviously had something to do with it). They hooked up with producer Ron Nevison, who had recently produced chart-topping records for Heart and Ozzy Osbourne. Keyboards had no business being on a Kiss record, yet they rear their ugly head throughout Crazy Nights. "Turn on the Night," "Reason to Live," the anthemic "Crazy Crazy Nights" (a British Top Ten hit), and perhaps the worst Kiss song ever recorded, "My Way," are all bogged down with keyboards. Still, a song or two does contain music that would be reminiscent of the Kiss of old if it weren't for Nevison's glossy production ("No, No, No," etc.). Rather than being a true hard rock force, a status they had begun to reclaim on 1982's Creatures of the Night and 1983's Lick It Up, Kiss were merely trying to replicate the hit formula of other bands of the day (Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, etc.). As Crazy Nights displays, their lack of success in that area was dire.

1. Crazy Crazy Nights (3:47)
2. I'll Fight Hell To Hold You (4:09)
3. Bang Bang You (3:53)
4. No, No, No (4:17)
5. Hell Or High Water (3:27)
6. My Way (3:59)
7. When Your Walls Come Down (3:23)
8. Reason To Live (4:00)
9. Good Girl Gone Bad (4:34)
10. Turn On The Night (3:18)
11. Thief In The Night (4:07)

By 1985, Kiss was a shadow of its former self. Gone was the raw rock of their not so distant past, as well as their memorable, "heavy Beatles" songwriting. In its place was a sound that was too similar to other pop-metal bands at the time, as well as unimaginative, predictable songs, as evidenced on Asylum. The album marked the appearance of Kiss' fourth guitarist in four years, Bruce Kulick — brother of Bob Kulick, who played as a session guitarist on Alive II, Killers, and Paul Stanley's 1978 solo album — who had replaced Mark St. John on the 1984-1985 Animalize tour. Besides the popular video/single "Tears Are Falling," Asylum is chock-full of nondescript fluff ("I'm Alive," "Trial by Fire," "Secretly Cruel," "Love's a Deadly Weapon," etc.). Although the band again treads on Spinal Tap territory with "Uh! All Night," several tracks could have benefited greatly from a heavier sound, such as "King of the Mountain," "Any Way You Slice It," and "Who Wants to Be Lonely." Although it attained platinum status, Stanley and Gene Simmons would rightfully dismiss Asylum later on.

1. King Of The Mountain (4:20)
2. Any Way You Slice It (4:04)
3. Who Wants To Be Lonely (4:03)
4. Trial By Love (3:26)
5. I'm Alive (3:47)
6. Love's A Deadly Weapon (3:31)
7. Tears Are Falling (3:53)
8. Secretly Cruel (3:44)
9. Radar For Love (4:02)
10. UH! All Night (4:01)

With two strong albums back to back (Creatures of the Night and Lick It Up), Kiss fans were confident that the band's next album would be just as good. Although 1984's Animalize was a big hit (eventually going double platinum), it was the beginning of the band's second unfocused period. Instead of leading the heavy metal pack with raw hard rock (i.e., their classic albums from the '70s), in the mid- to late '80s, Kiss seemed to be copying other successful pop-metal bands (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, etc.), both musically and visually. Mark St. John replaced the departed Vinnie Vincent on guitar (guitarist number three in a span of three years) and proved to be a highly technical player, the complete opposite of original member Ace Frehley's straight-ahead style. Still, there were a few strong compositions on Animalize, such as the MTV hit "Heaven's on Fire" and two heavy tracks: the opener, "I've Had Enough (Into the Fire)," and "Under the Gun." But by this point, bassist Gene Simmons was more interested in pursuing an acting career than being an integral member of Kiss, so many of his compositions are either forgettable ("While the City Sleeps") or just plain embarrassing (the Spinal Tap-esque "Burn Bitch Burn"). Although a commercial success, Animalize was not nearly as strong as its two predecessors.

1. I've Had Enough (Into The Fire (3:53)
2. Heaven's On Fire (3:21)
3. Burn Bitch Burn (4:42)
4. Get All You Can Take (3:44)
5. Lonely Is The Hunter (4:28)
6. Under The Gun (4:01)
7. Thrills In The Night (4:21)
8. While The City Sleeps (3:41)
9. Murder In High Heels (3:53)

Due to the underachievement of their exceptional 1982 comeback album, Creatures of the Night, Kiss knew the time was right to drop the makeup, so in September 1983 the band shocked their fans by unmasking on MTV. Their first non-makeup album, Lick It Up, followed soon after and successfully re-established the band among the heavy metal masses worldwide. Kiss also reconnected with their stateside fans — Lick It Up was the band's first record to achieve gold status since 1980's Kiss Unmasked. The album's success was spurred by MTV's repeated airing of the imaginative video for the album's strong title track, and songs such as "Exciter," "Not for the Innocent," "A Million to One," and the rap-rocker "All Hell's Breaking Loose" confirmed that the band was back on the right track. Vinnie Vincent again proved to be a worthy replacement to original guitarist Ace Frehley but would unfortunately leave the band after the completion of the Lick It Up worldwide tour (eventually resurfacing with the Vinnie Vincent Invasion in the late '80s). Lick It Up is undoubtedly Kiss' best non-makeup album.

1. Exciter (4:11)
2. Not For The Innocent (4:23)
3. Lick It Up (3:56)
4. Young And Wasted (4:05)
5. Gimme More (3:44)
6. All Hell's Breakin' Loose (4:33)
7. A Million To One (4:10)
8. Fits Like A Glove (4:04)
9. Dance All Over Your Face (4:16)
10. And On The 8th Day (4:02)

By 1982's Creatures of the Night, Kiss had finally ditched their plans of becoming "respectable artists" (starting with 1979's Dynasty) and had come to the realization that they were a loud, no-holds-barred heavy metal band. Easily their best since 1977's Love Gun, Creatures of the Night contains very little filler and sounds as if Kiss had been reborn (it also includes one of the heaviest drum sounds ever captured in the studio by any rock band). The band is inspired and enthusiastic throughout, especially on such rockers as the opening title track, "Killer," "War Machine," "Saint and Sinner," and one of their great anthems, "I Love It Loud." Also included is one of Kiss' better ballads, "I Still Love You" (later featured on 1996's Unplugged set), as well as "Rock and Roll Hell," a song written about Ace Frehley, who would soon officially make his resignation from the band public. Guitarist Vinnie Vincent (real name: Vinnie Cusano) handles guitar duties here and was eventually named as Frehley's replacement, playing on the ensuing tour. Although Creatures of the Night deserved to be the album that put Kiss back on top of the charts, it performed below expectations (topping out at number 45), as did its tour. Hence, the album is one of Kiss' most underrated. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the makeup had grown stale and was now getting in the way of their music. The time had finally come for the band to unmask. [Creatures of the Night was later reissued in 1985 with a different cover (non-makeup) and remixed. But when all of Kiss' albums were remastered and re-released on CD in 1996, the original 1982 version was used.]

1. Creatures of the Night (4:01)
2. Killer (3:18)
3. Keep Me Comin (3:56)
4. Rock And Roll Hell (4:12)
5. Danger (3:54)
6. I Love It Loud (4:15)
7. I Still Love You (6:06)
8. Saint And Sinner (4:51)
9. War Machine (4:14)

By the end of 1980, Kiss knew that their next album had to be a strong one — a glorious return to hard rock à la their classic Destroyer. New drummer Eric Carr had refueled the band's desire to rock, and the quartet began working on a straight-ahead rock album in early 1981. Midway through, the band felt that they were rewriting past songs, and the sessions were aborted. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley then came up with the idea of recording a concept album, based on a mythical original story by Simmons. Destroyer producer Bob Ezrin was back and encouraged the band's concept-album idea (against both Ace Frehley's and Carr's wishes). Simmons and Stanley had high hopes for Music from "The Elder" (such as a movie, an elaborate tour, a follow-up record, etc.), but it completely bombed upon release. The reason? The music is totally uncharacteristic of Kiss — it resembles heavy prog rock for the most part. Some of the songs could have been classics if the pompous and/or hard-to-decipher lyrics were replaced, such as "The Oath," "Only You," "I," and "Just a Boy." Only two tracks resemble the Kiss of old (Frehley's "Dark Light" and the instrumental "Escape from the Island"), while the rest is downright embarrassing ("Odyssey," "A World Without Heroes," "Under the Rose"). Music from "The Elder" was the final straw for Frehley, who would leave the band in 1982.

1. The Oath (4:32)
2. Fanfare (1:00)
3. Just A Boy (2:34)
4. Dark Light (4:12)
5. Only You (4:22)
6. Under The Rose (4:47)
7. A World Without Heroes (2:38)
8. Mr. Blackwell (4:48)
9. Escape From The Island (2:51)
10. Odyssey (5:49)
11. I (3:53)
12. finale (1:04)

Although Unmasked was certified gold shortly after its release in the U.S., it quickly fell off the charts. Deciding factors included the band's failure to mount a stateside tour, the fact that the majority of the compositions on Unmasked were easily forgettable, and longtime fans' weariness with Kiss' attempts to branch out into other musical styles. Vini Poncia was on board as producer again, and again he replaces the raw, heavy rock of earlier Kiss releases with pop gloss. Several tracks are indeed strong, and would have benefited greatly by a more direct sound, such as "Is That You?," "Talk to Me," "Two Sides of the Coin," "Naked City," and the single, "Shandi." But there's more filler on Unmasked than the average Kiss release — "What Makes the World Go 'Round," "Tomorrow," and "She's So European" are tedious and predictable, both compositionally and sonically. Again, session drummer Anton Fig fills in for Peter Criss, who would officially split from the band soon after the album's release (eventually replaced by Eric Carr). Although the band's popularity dwindled in their homeland, they embarked on a massively successful European and Australian tour, where Unmasked was a huge hit, until year's end.

1. Easy As It Seems (3:24)
2. Is That You? (3:57)
3. Naked City (3:51)
4. Shandi (3:35)
5. She's So European (3:31)
6. Talk To Me (4:02)
7. Tomorrow (3:16)
8. Torpedo Girl (3:44)
9. Two Sides Of The Coin (3:15)
10. What Makes The World Go 'Round (4:13)
11. You're All That I Want (3:01)

Dynasty marked the first time that the original four members of Kiss didn't all appear together for the entire album — session drummer Anton Fig subbed for Peter Criss due to the latter's erratic behavior and injuries sustained in a serious car crash. And even though it was a platinum-plus smash, Dynasty marked the beginning of Kiss' unfocused period, which would ultimately end in a nosedive of the band's popularity, as well as Criss and Ace Frehley leaving the band by 1982. In latter-day interviews, the band admitted that they started to listen to outsiders about what direction the music should go around the time of Dynasty. And since small children were a large part of Kiss' audience by 1979 (due to merchandising and the God-awful TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom), the band began backing away from heavy metal and embracing pop. Included is their hit disco experiment, "I Was Made for Loving You" (which was no better or worse than any other rock-meets-disco experiment of the late '70s), as well as "Sure Know Something," a melodic pop/rocker that should have also been a smash. Many other tracks would have been better if they weren't so glossed up (due to producer Vini Poncia), such as "Charisma," "Magic Touch," "Hard Times," and a great reworked cover of the Rolling Stones obscurity "2,000 Man." Not a horrible album (that distinction would go to 1981's Music from "The Elder"), but certainly not on par with such classics as Hotter Than Hell, Destroyer, or Love Gun.

1. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" – 4:33
2. "2,000 Man" – 4:56
3. "Sure Know Something" – 4:01
4. "Dirty Livin'" – 4:27
5. "Charisma" – 4:25
6. "Magic Touch" – 4:42
7. "Hard Times" – 3:31
8. "X-Ray Eyes" – 3:46
9. "Save Your Love" – 4:40

Love Gun was Kiss' fifth studio album in three years (and seventh release overall, peaking at number four on Billboard), and proved to be the last release that the original lineup played on. By 1977, Kiss merchandise was flooding the marketplace (lunch boxes, makeup kits, comic books, etc.), and it would ultimately lead to a Kiss backlash in the '80s. But the band was still focused on their music for Love Gun, similar in sound and approach to Rock and Roll Over, their previous straight-ahead rock release. It included Ace Frehley's lead vocals on "Shock Me," as well as one of Kiss' best and most renowned hard rockers in the thunderous title track. The album's opener, "I Stole Your Love," also served as the opening number on Kiss' ensuing tour, while "Christine Sixteen" is one of the few Kiss tracks to contain piano prominently. "Almost Human" is an underrated rocker and features a great Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar solo from Frehley (no doubt due to ex-Hendrix producer Eddie Kramer manning the boards again), while "Plaster Caster" is a tribute to the famous groupies of the same name. The only weak spots on an otherwise stellar album are an obvious "Rock and Roll All Nite" ripoff titled "Tomorrow and Tonight," and a pointless remake of the Phil Spector-penned classic "Then He Kissed Me" (reworked as "Then She Kissed Me").

1. I Stole your Love (2:59)
2. Christine Sixteen (3:06)
3. Got Love For Sale (3:25)
4. Shock Me (3:45)
5. Tommorrow And Tonight (3:35)
6. Love Gun (3:11)
7. Hooligan (2:58)
8. Almost Human (2:46)
9. Plaster Caster (3:25)
10. Then She Kissed Me (2:55)

With the massive success of their previous album, the experimental Bob Ezrin-produced Destroyer (which contained the surprise ballad hit "Beth"), Kiss could have taken the safe route and continued in that direction — or return to the raw hard rock of their first four albums. They chose the latter. Hooking back up with Eddie Kramer, the producer of their 1975 breakthrough release Alive! and their very first demo, Kiss rented out the Nanuet Star Theater in upstate New York to record their next album, Rock and Roll Over. With a more direct, in-your-face production, Rock and Roll Over is one of Kiss' most consistent records. Two of the album's best tracks became hit singles — the sleazy hard rocker "Calling Dr. Love" and an acoustic ballad that was originally intended for Rod Stewart, "Hard Luck Woman" (later covered by country star Garth Brooks). But like all other classic rock albums, the lesser-known material is often just as strong — "I Want You" and "Makin' Love" became concert staples over the years, while "Mr. Speed" is one of the most underrated songs in Kiss' catalogue. Also included are the fan favorites "Take Me," "Ladies Room," "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em," and the original version of "See You in Your Dreams," which was later re-recorded for Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album.

1. I Want You (2:59)
2. Take Me (2:50)
3. Calling Dr. Love (3:39)
4. Ladies Room (3:25)
5. Baby Driver (3:35)
6. Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (3:43)
7. Mr. Speed (3:18)
8. See You In Your Dreams (2:29)
9. Hard Luck Woman (3:27)
10. Makin' Love (3:08)

The pressure was on Kiss for their fifth release, and the band knew it. Their breakthrough, Alive!, was going to be hard to top, so instead of trying to recreate a concert setting in the studio, they went the opposite route. Destroyer is one of Kiss' most experimental studio albums, but also one of their strongest and most interesting. Alice Cooper/Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin was on hand, and he strongly encouraged the band to experiment — there's extensive use of sound effects (the album's untitled closing track), the appearance of a boy's choir ("Great Expectations"), and an orchestra-laden, heartfelt ballad ("Beth"). But there's plenty of Kiss' heavy thunder rock to go around, such as the demonic "God of Thunder" and the sing-along anthems "Flaming Youth," "Shout It Out Loud," "King of the Night Time World," and "Detroit Rock City" (the latter a tale of a doomed concert-goer, complete with violent car-crash sound effects). But it was the aforementioned Peter Criss ballad, "Beth," that made Destroyer such a success; the song was a surprise Top Ten hit (it was originally released as a B-side to "Detroit Rock City"). Also included is a song that Nirvana would later cover ("Do You Love Me?"), as well as an ode to the pleasures of S&M, "Sweet Pain." Destroyer also marked the first time that a comic-book illustration of the band appeared on the cover, confirming that the band was transforming from hard rockers to superheroes.

1. Detroit Rock City (5:20)
2. King Of The Night Time World (3:13)
3. God Of Thunder (4:15)
4. Great Expectations (4:21)
5. Flaming Youth (3:00)
6. Sweet Pain (3:20)
7. Shout It Out Loud (2:50)
8. Beth (2:47)
9. Do You Love Me (4:56)

By the release of their third album, 1975's Dressed to Kill, Kiss were fast becoming America's top rock concert attraction, yet their record sales up to this point did not reflect their ticket sales. Casablanca label head Neil Bogart decided to take matters into his own hands, and produced the new record along with the band. The result is more vibrant sounding than its predecessor, 1974's sludgefest Hotter Than Hell, and the songs have more of an obvious pop edge to them. The best-known song on the album by far is the party anthem "Rock and Roll All Nite," but it was the track "C'Mon and Love Me" that became a regional hit in the Detroit area, giving the band their first taste of radio success. Since the band was on the road for a year straight, songs such as "Room Service" and "Ladies in Waiting" dealt with life on the road (i.e., groupies), and a pair of songs were reworked from Kiss' precursor band, Wicked Lester ("Love Her All I Can" and "She"). With Dressed to Kill's Top 40 showing on the Billboard charts, the stage was now set for Kiss' big commercial breakthrough with their next release.

1. Room Service (2:55)
2. Two Timer (2:47)
3. Ladies In Waiting (2:31)
4. Getaway (2:43)
5. Rock Bottom (3:55)
6. C'mon And Love Me (2:55)
7. Anything For My Baby (2:32)
8. She (4:06)
9. Love Her All I Can (2:40)
10. Rock And Roll All Nite (2:46)

Although Kiss' self-titled debut performed respectably on the charts, it was not the blockbuster they had hoped for. With the album fading on the charts in the summer of 1974, Kiss was summoned back into the studio to work on a follow-up. Producers Richie Wise and Kenny Kerner were onboard again, and even though the sonics are muddier (and more filler is present in the compositions), Hotter Than Hell is another quintessential Kiss release. Many of the songs have been forgotten over the years (few have been featured in concert after the '70s), but there are still more than a few gems to be found. It's unclear if the members of Kiss were having problems with their personal relationships at the time, but it's a common thread that runs through the songs. The plodding "Got to Choose" and the rapid-fire "Parasite" deal with love gone bad; the title track is about unobtainable love, while "Goin' Blind" is a disturbing tale of a 93-year-old having an affair with a 16-year-old. Also included are the early favorites "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" and "Watchin' You," as well as the original electric version of "Comin' Home" (an acoustic version was the opener of 1996's MTV Unplugged) and "Strange Ways," which contains one of Ace Frehley's best guitar solos. Even though Hotter Than Hell actually fared worse on the charts than the debut, it has become a revered album among Kiss fans over the years — and rightfully so.

1. "Got to Choose" – 3:52
2. "Parasite" – 3:03
3. "Goin' Blind" – 3:34
4. " Hotter Than Hell" – 3:30
5. "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" – 2:16
6. "All the Way" – 3:17
7. "Watchin' You" – 3:45
8. "Mainline" – 3:50
9. "Comin' Home" – 2:37
10. "Strange Ways" – 3:20

Kiss' 1974 self-titled debut is one of hard rock's all-time classic studio recordings. Kiss is chock full of their best and most renowned compositions, containing elements of Rolling Stones/New York Dolls party-hearty rock & roll, Beatles tunefulness, and Sabbath/Zep heavy metal, and wisely recorded primal and raw by producers Richie Wise and Kenny Kerner (of Gladys Knight fame). Main songwriters Stanley and Simmons each had a knack for coming up with killer melodies and riffs, as evidenced by "Nothin' to Lose" and "Deuce" (by Simmons), "Firehouse" and "Black Diamond" (by Stanley), as well as "Strutter" and "100,000 Years" (collaborations by the two). Also included is the Ace Frehley alcohol anthem "Cold Gin," "Let Me Know" (a song that Stanley played for Simmons upon their very first meeting, then titled "Sunday Driver"), and one of Kiss' few instrumentals: the groovy "Love Theme from Kiss" (penned by the entire band). The only weak track is a tacky cover of the 1959 Bobby Rydell hit "Kissin' Time," which was added to subsequent pressings of the album to tie in with a "Kissing Contest" promotion the band was involved in at the time. Along with 1976's Destroyer, Kiss' self-titled debut is their finest studio album, and has only improved over the years.


1. "Strutter" 3:12
2. "Nothin' to Lose" 3:29
3. "Firehouse" 3:19
4. "Cold Gin" 4:23
5. "Let Me Know" 3:01
6. "Kissin' Time" 3:54
7. "Deuce" 3:08
8. "Love Theme From Kiss" 2:26
9. "100,000 Years" 3:25
10. "Black Diamond" 5:14