What Are The 4 Worst KISS CDs?

[Mezro]

Pick 'em and stick 'em. What 4 suck shit from an armpit?

4. Hot In The Shade - mixed by a salty vagina with more filler than killer. Really felt like Gene just phoned it in and could care less about the songs. KISS lite is not my thing. Better hide your heart/better hold on tight/this CD sucks/I want my money back tonight.

3. Unmasked - some great songs here but the way it was produced and mixed turned it into pop slop. Can you imagine a heavy mix (ala Creatures of the Night) on Unmasked?

2. Crazy Nights - sure, the songs were filled with radio friendly hooks and polished like a pop diamond but there were some decent tunes. What lands Crazy Nights on the shit pile are 2 really, really bad songs - "Crazy, Crazy Nights" and "Turn On The Night." I would rather choke myself with a pile of used tampons than be forced to ever hear either of these two again.

and the most filthy chunk of rotted KISS flesh ever unleashed on society is...

1. Peter Criss solo - horrible...fucking horrible. This is the only KISS release that I listened to once. One time people and then never, ever again. Oh, I tried to give it a second chance, I really did...but it sucks...it sucks hard...it sucks so hard that my balls were dry for a month. Don't ever waste your money on this vanity project/abortion. Show it no mercy...

Mezro...and there you have it...next...

[Vinnie Velvet]

4. Unmasked

Ya know, I like the Ace songs. Gene's were promising and I dug 'Shandi' from Paul -- but a poppy production and some really gay songs from Paul didn't make this a great KISS album by any means -- which is why it goes here.

3. Asylum

This album reeks of shit -- really bad.

2. Crazy Nights

The title song -- what were they thinking?? Oh yeah, they were thinking "GAY". How about Gene's "No, No, No."

1. Hot in the Shade

Absolute shit. Case in point: Boomerang (Gene), You Love Me to Hate You (Paul), Silver Spoon (Paul). UGH. I could go on...

[VonHalen]

5. Hot In the Shade
4. Crazy Nights
3. Asylum
2. Animalize
1. The Elder

They had a couple of cool tunes on each but overall, absolute SHit!!!!

[Kermit The Frog]

The 'Kissco' album, the one with 'I was made for loving you', sucked a huge cock

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by Mezro
Pick 'em and stick 'em. What 4 suck shit from an armpit?

4. Hot In The Shade - mixed by a salty vagina with more filler than killer. Really felt like Gene just phoned it in and could care less about the songs. KISS lite is not my thing. Better hide your heart/better hold on tight/this CD sucks/I want my money back tonight.

3. Unmasked - some great songs here but the way it was produced and mixed turned it into pop slop. Can you imagine a heavy mix (ala Creatures of the Night) on Unmasked?

2. Crazy Nights - sure, the songs were filled with radio friendly hooks and polished like a pop diamond but there were some decent tunes. What lands Crazy Nights on the shit pile are 2 really, really bad songs - "Crazy, Crazy Nights" and "Turn On The Night." I would rather choke myself with a pile of used tampons than be forced to ever hear either of these two again.

and the most filthy chunk of rotted KISS flesh ever unleashed on society is...

1. Peter Criss solo - horrible...fucking horrible. This is the only KISS release that I listened to once. One time people and then never, ever again. Oh, I tried to give it a second chance, I really did...but it sucks...it sucks hard...it sucks so hard that my balls were dry for a month. Don't ever waste your money on this vanity project/abortion. Show it no mercy...

Mezro...and there you have it...next...

I know I'll catch wind for this....but I prefer the original 4 to the 'unmasked' lineup(s) in the eighties - however I still really really dug that 'Lick It Up-Animalize-Asylum-Crazy Nights-Hot In The Shade-Revenge' stuff too, just not as much.

Worst KISS stuff, IMO:

Peter Criss Solo - Yeah yeah, 2 or maybe 3 decent songs, but nowhere near up to par. This and Ace's album is, coincidentally, the album that most racists love to defend....so what...it still sucks, regardless of your Stanley/Simmons issues.....next.....

Ace Frehley Solo - While much better than Peter's in a 'rock guitar' way, Ace knows $#!+ about writing lyrics. And since I'm big on lyrics, this albums sucks the big wazoo. Big Time. Don't believe me? How does: "Speedin' back to my baby.....and I don't mean maybe" make sense? Don't get me wrong, Ace's 'Frehley's Comet' release proved further that this guy truly knows $#!+ about writing lyrics....

The Elder - This coulda/woulda/shoulda been a great release...it was a great idea....at first. This was about as exciting as a Nirvana album, with similar chord patterns....like drowning a guitar. Oh well...

Carnival Of Souls - Speaking of Nirvana, who was KISS fooling? I can clearly see why they didn't want to release this. With only a few songs that were really great, it wasn't enough to save it. Sounded like the autobiography of a sadistic satanist. But enough of Ace Frehley....

The 'Unmasked Years' In General - Sure there were about 20-30 songs that were great during these years, I still prefer the original lineup, despite the lazy slacking and usual drunkenness abandon of Peter and Ace - the original lineup had the best synergy and overal musical outcome.


Disagree? So what....it's only your opinion.....

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by Mezro
Pick 'em and stick 'em. What 4 suck shit from an armpit?

4. Hot In The Shade - mixed by a salty vagina with more filler than killer. Really felt like Gene just phoned it in and could care less about the songs. KISS lite is not my thing. Better hide your heart/better hold on tight/this CD sucks/I want my money back tonight.

3. Unmasked - some great songs here but the way it was produced and mixed turned it into pop slop. Can you imagine a heavy mix (ala Creatures of the Night) on Unmasked?

2. Crazy Nights - sure, the songs were filled with radio friendly hooks and polished like a pop diamond but there were some decent tunes. What lands Crazy Nights on the shit pile are 2 really, really bad songs - "Crazy, Crazy Nights" and "Turn On The Night." I would rather choke myself with a pile of used tampons than be forced to ever hear either of these two again.

and the most filthy chunk of rotted KISS flesh ever unleashed on society is...

1. Peter Criss solo - horrible...fucking horrible. This is the only KISS release that I listened to once. One time people and then never, ever again. Oh, I tried to give it a second chance, I really did...but it sucks...it sucks hard...it sucks so hard that my balls were dry for a month. Don't ever waste your money on this vanity project/abortion. Show it no mercy...

Mezro...and there you have it...next...

I know I'll catch wind for this....but I prefer the original 4 to the 'unmasked' lineup(s) in the eighties - however I still really really dug that 'Lick It Up-Animalize-Asylum-Crazy Nights-Hot In The Shade-Revenge' stuff too, just not as much.

Worst KISS stuff, IMO:

Peter Criss Solo - Yeah yeah, 2 or maybe 3 decent songs, but nowhere near up to par. This and Ace's album is, coincidentally, the album that most racists love to defend....so what...it still sucks, regardless of your Stanley/Simmons issues.....next.....

Ace Frehley Solo - While much better than Peter's in a 'rock guitar' way, Ace knows $#!+ about writing lyrics. And since I'm big on lyrics, this albums sucks the big wazoo. Big Time. Don't believe me? How does: "Speedin' back to my baby.....and I don't mean maybe" make sense? Don't get me wrong, Ace's 'Frehley's Comet' release proved further that this guy truly knows $#!+ about writing lyrics....

The Elder - This coulda/woulda/shoulda been a great release...it was a great idea....at first. This was about as exciting as a Nirvana album, with similar chord patterns....like drowning a guitar. Oh well...

Carnival Of Souls - Speaking of Nirvana, who was KISS fooling? I can clearly see why they didn't want to release this. With only a few songs that were really great, it wasn't enough to save it. Sounded like the autobiography of a sadistic satanist. But enough of Ace Frehley....

The 'Unmasked Years' In General - Sure there were about 20-30 songs that were great during these years, I still prefer the original lineup, despite the lazy slacking and usual drunkenness abandon of Peter and Ace - the original lineup had the best synergy and overal musical outcome.


Disagree? So what....it's only your opinion.....

[Rikk]

ENGINEROOM, you're nuts!!! FREHLEY's solo album is one of my favorite KISS albums. I rank that thing up there with LOVE GUN and some of the others. CARNIVAL OF SOULS...some really great songs and a raw feel. ELDER...again...some crap...but also good tracks like MR. BLACKWELL, A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES, DARK LIGHT, ONLY YOU...and some of Ace's best work. And don't badmouth NIRVANA, bitch!

MEZ, VINNIE...I like UNMASKED. I think it's horribly overproduced, EASY AS IT SEEMS is one of the worst songs they ever did...but songs like TORPEDO GIRL, TWO SIDES OF THE COIN, IS THAT YOU, NAKED CITY, SHE'S SO EUROPEAN are all decent or good songs. Basically, though, UNMASKED takes everything that makes DYNASTY one of the band's best albums and overschlocks it.

Anyway, worst four...

4. HOT IN THE SHADE - Some of this album is unlistenable, uncreative and uncommercial, all at the same time. If one likes ballads, well then yes, FOREVER is a good one. It's certainly better than any Sammy Hagar ballad. RISE TO IT, HIDE YOUR HEART...pieces of putrid shit. LITTLE CAESAR is junk...sorry, Eric. Really, the one standout on this whole CD for me is CADILLAC DREAMS. I really like that tune. It has a good groove and actual personal lyrics. Good tune on an overproduced AND underproduced record that is a total mess.

3. GENE SIMMONS (Solo Album) - I just purchased this piece of shit recently. It was the last thing the band ever had anything to do with that I didn't own. I don't know why I kept putting it off...but now I wish I put it off longer. There are a couple of moments here for me...RADIOACTIVE (though it's better live on the DYNASTY tour...check out Largo '79). Thing is, I actually love Ace's album and somewhat enjoy Paul's. And even Gene's new album had a few good songs...not a good album, but better than this one. Basically, this is a very bad album...over-indulgent, cheesy production...a lot of crap (though for some reason, I kind of enjoy WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR). That said, it has nothing on the horrors of...

2. PETER CRISS (Solo Album) - I remember purchasing this on CD (again, I didn't get into KISS until my teens and I didn't hear a lot of these albums initially). This is absolute shit. Fucking horrible. I like Peter's drumming...his sound fits with KISS. He may not have the chops that both Erics have/had, but his raw sound and rat-tat snare-sound really compliment those distorted guitars and sexually-crazed vocals. But this album...it is as much KISS as Kirk Hammett recording a polka album would be Metallica. In other words, there is no reason any KISS fan needs to own this unless he genuinely enjoys awful music. I remember purchasing it with a few of my friends...we got back to my pad to listen to the CDs that we had just purchased...and I put this album in. I put in the opening notes of YOU MATTER TO ME (the song I remembered was the single from this record). The cheddar-laced keyboard riff and disco beats started in, and my friends all looked at me wide-eyed and then started laughing their fucking asses off! "What kind of shit did you spend $10 on??" I hung my head in shame. Thanks Peter.

1. CRAZY NIGHTS - This is the worst thing in their catalogue. I hate it. I hate every moment on it. I do not like one song, one solo, one riff, one drumbeat...and that keyboard! AHHH!! This is nauseating music. Amazing to think that ten years earlier that year they released LOVE GUN and ALIVE II. Is this musical progression? And you have to remember...I am one of those KISS fans that really enjoys LICK IT UP and ANIMALIZE. I even like a few of the songs on ASYLUM. But this? This is where they DESERVED to lose every fan they had. They're lucky they didn't.

[Sarge's Little Helper]

ENGINEROOM, you're nuts!!! FREHLEY's solo album is one of my favorite KISS albums. I rank that thing up there with LOVE GUN and some of the others. CARNIVAL OF SOULS...some really great songs and a raw feel. ELDER...again...some crap...but also good tracks like MR. BLACKWELL, A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES, DARK LIGHT, ONLY YOU...and some of Ace's best work. And don't badmouth NIRVANA, bitch!

MEZ, VINNIE...I like UNMASKED. I think it's horribly overproduced, EASY AS IT SEEMS is one of the worst songs they ever did...but songs like TORPEDO GIRL, TWO SIDES OF THE COIN, IS THAT YOU, NAKED CITY, SHE'S SO EUROPEAN are all decent or good songs. Basically, though, UNMASKED takes everything that makes DYNASTY one of the band's best albums and overschlocks it.

Anyway, worst four...

4. HOT IN THE SHADE - Some of this album is unlistenable, uncreative and uncommercial, all at the same time. If one likes ballads, well then yes, FOREVER is a good one. It's certainly better than any Sammy Hagar ballad. RISE TO IT, HIDE YOUR HEART...pieces of putrid shit. LITTLE CAESAR is junk...sorry, Eric. Really, the one standout on this whole CD for me is CADILLAC DREAMS. I really like that tune. It has a good groove and actual personal lyrics. Good tune on an overproduced AND underproduced record that is a total mess.

3. GENE SIMMONS (Solo Album) - I just purchased this piece of shit recently. It was the last thing the band ever had anything to do with that I didn't own. I don't know why I kept putting it off...but now I wish I put it off longer. There are a couple of moments here for me...RADIOACTIVE (though it's better live on the DYNASTY tour...check out Largo '79). Thing is, I actually love Ace's album and somewhat enjoy Paul's. And even Gene's new album had a few good songs...not a good album, but better than this one. Basically, this is a very bad album...over-indulgent, cheesy production...a lot of crap (though for some reason, I kind of enjoy WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR). That said, it has nothing on the horrors of...

2. PETER CRISS (Solo Album) - I remember purchasing this on CD (again, I didn't get into KISS until my teens and I didn't hear a lot of these albums initially). This is absolute shit. Fucking horrible. I like Peter's drumming...his sound fits with KISS. He may not have the chops that both Erics have/had, but his raw sound and rat-tat snare-sound really compliment those distorted guitars and sexually-crazed vocals. But this album...it is as much KISS as Kirk Hammett recording a polka album would be Metallica. In other words, there is no reason any KISS fan needs to own this unless he genuinely enjoys awful music. I remember purchasing it with a few of my friends...we got back to my pad to listen to the CDs that we had just purchased...and I put this album in. I put in the opening notes of YOU MATTER TO ME (the song I remembered was the single from this record). The cheddar-laced keyboard riff and disco beats started in, and my friends all looked at me wide-eyed and then started laughing their fucking asses off! "What kind of shit did you spend $10 on??" I hung my head in shame. Thanks Peter.

CRAZY NIGHTS - This is the worst thing in their catalogue. I hate it. I hate every moment on it. I do not like one song, one solo, one riff, one drumbeat...and that keyboard! AHHH!! This is nauseating music. Amazing to think that ten years earlier that year they released LOVE GUN and ALIVE II. Is this musical progression? And you have to remember...I am one of those KISS fans that really enjoys LICK IT UP and ANIMALIZE. I even like a few of the songs on ASYLUM. But this? This is where they DESERVED to lose every fan they had. They're lucky they didn't.

Oops. I wasn't paying attention. Tell me again what is going on.

[DLR_EngineRoom]

Originally posted by Rikk
ENGINEROOM, you're nuts!!! FREHLEY's solo album is one of my favorite KISS albums. I rank that thing up there with LOVE GUN and some of the others. CARNIVAL OF SOULS...some really great songs and a raw feel. ELDER...again...some crap...but also good tracks like MR. BLACKWELL, A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES, DARK LIGHT, ONLY YOU...and some of Ace's best work. And don't badmouth NIRVANA, bitch!

Respectable opinion, although I disagree. While Elder did have it's moments, I only liked a few songs.

...and as far as Ace's solo goes....let's dissect and be specific....

1) New York Groove - but that's a cover - so although he did a great cover, it's not his lyrics

2) I'm In Need Of Love - No buts ifs or ands - a GREAT song!

3) Fractured Mirror - All Ace's guitar and none of his lyrics - AMAZING!!!

[Mr Badguy]

I`m going to find this hard as Kiss are one of my favourite bands and have been for twenty years and I have a lot of good memories of all their albums.

And twenty years ago was 1985, the year of "Asylum", and I`ve always had a soft spot for that album.

And I don`t care what anyone says, "Unmasked" is great.

Here goes:

4) "ANIMALIZE" : I find this album really poor. Paul Stanley is clearly in charge here and is the only original band member working full time and it shows. Add to that Mark St John, easily the worst guitar player Kiss ever had. Three or four good songs do not a classic make.

3) "CRAZY NIGHTS" : "Crazy, crazy nights" may have disappeared up its own ass in America, but here in Britain it was a top ten hit. However, some good songs are badly let down by Ron Nevison`s cold production and it`s a chore even thinking about listening to this.

2) "PAUL STANLEY" : I don`t care for this much at all. At least the other guys branched out and did something a bit different. Paul Stanley showed no imagination by churning out a bunch of B-list Kiss songs that perhaps only one or two would have been good enough for a Kiss group album.

1) "PSYCHO CIRCUS" : Having waited so long for the original band to get back together we should have all known it would be crap. "I pledge allegiance to the state of rock n roll" is probably the stupidest song title ever. I don`t care how many songs off this Kiss play in concert or compile on boxsets, they will never convince me that "Psycho circus" was a good idea. The bait-and-switch "who played what" debate just soured things more for me. If all they`ve got left is shit like this, i hope they never record another album.

[Mr. Vengeance]

There are NO KISS albums that suck. But if you want four that aren't as good as the others....

4. Carnival of Souls- Simply not KISS. Released after the reunion to cash in on an album that was (supposedly) recorded before Peter and Ace were brought back.

3. Peter Criss- This was the worst of the solo albums. (Paul and Ace good, Peter and Gene baaaad)

2. Psycho Circus- KISS not able to recapture the old days, despite the hype. Listenable but not good enough.

1. The Elder- This is simply not KISS. It has too much boring drivel and filler. There was no reason for this album. Their worst, but still better that 90% od the shit being put out today.

[Matt White]

ANYTHING recorded after 1978.......................

[Rikk]

Originally posted by Mr. Vengeance
Carnival of Souls- Simply not KISS. Released after the reunion to cash in on an album that was (supposedly) recorded before Peter and Ace were brought back.

It WAS recorded before they were brought back. I had a cassette copy of CARNIVAL OF SOULS in late '95...a boot. Then, when the announcement was made in early '96 for the reunion, I was curious as to what would happen with this new album. And the version I had was almost identical to the one that was released.

[Mr. Vengeance]

Yes, many people had that cassette, but the rumour has been that it was never an album, so much as a tape of demos. When the boots got out, Gene, ever the businessman, decided to release the supposed "Final sessions".

[Rikk]

Originally posted by Mr. Vengeance
Yes, many people had that cassette, but the rumour has been that it was never an album, so much as a tape of demos. When the boots got out, Gene, ever the businessman, decided to release the supposed "Final sessions".

That's a finished album. There's a whole write-up in a recent KISS book that includes a ton of descriptions and quotes from both the producer and Bruce Kulick. Those are no demos. In fact, when it was initially leaked onto the internet, it was known very well that that was the last album. And if they were demos as KISS has done before, there would be no reason for all the members to be taking vocals and playing instruments. On almost all previous demos, each guy does all his own instruments or just get a studio band that doesn't involve KISS at all.