Individual Kisses

Kiss Solo Covers

Does anybody remember 1978 and the KISS solo albums? Of course you do. This marked the first time in rock history that all members of a band would release solo albums on the same day. Although the albums were solo (none of the members played on each others' album), the albums were released collectively as KISS albums. The goal was to give band members a platform for expressing themselves musically outside of KISS while maintaining a group project feel. How wise a decision this was is up for debate. Some fans believe it was the beginning of the end for the original line-up. It doesn't matter. These albums are classic.

If you were a die-hard KISS fan at the time, the solo records were something to drool about. I did my fair share of slobbering and had to wipe the album covers clean numerous times.

The question is this: Which of the solo albums was your favorite or which do you feel was best? I loved Ace's the most when the solo records came out, but over the years I have loved and grown to appreciate each of the records on its own terms. If you ask me which is my favorite today and then ask me next week, you are likely to get two different answers.

For now:

Paul Stanley.                          

Gene Simmons

Ace Frehley

Peter Criss

Paul's record was the most KISS-like in sound. Ace was my favorite dude in KISS at the time, hence his solo album was my favorite. If Ace hadn't been my favorite KISS member, it's likely Paul's solo album would have been my favorite. No musical acrobatics here, but there doesn't have to be. Songs like It's Alright, Wouldn't You Like to Know Me, Move On, and the cool ballad Hold Me, Touch Me speak for themselves.

Gene's record was odd for me at the time. I liked most of the stuff on it, but I was still too young and too much into the KISS sound to appreciate True Confessions, Burning up with Fever and Gene's rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star. I understand them better now. I can certainly dig the uptempo ballads like Mr. Make Believe, See You Tonight, and Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide as well as the gritty grind of Radioactive and Living in Sin.

Since I thought Ace was the coolest guy in the group, his album was my favorite by default. It wasn't just that, though. Rip It Out, Speedin' back to My Baby, What's on Your Mind, and New York Groove were near masterpieces. A couple of the songs on Ace's album could have been KISS songs, but he got a little further away from the sound than Paul did. Good stuff for sure.

Peter's album is the last on my list, but that doesn't mean I don't like it. Peter strayed farthest from the KISS sound and was booed for the effort by KISS fans. Wasn't that the point, to express yourself musically outside of KISS? Peter did a stunning job of that and ended up with the least successful of the solo records. Although his album is last on my list today, it has been at the top of my list on other occasions. There are some beautiful songs here. I Can't Stop the Rain and Easy Thing are wonderful ballads, Hooked on Rock 'N' Roll and Rock Me, Baby are ass-kicking foot stompers, and That's the Kinda Sugar Papa Likes and I'm Gonna Love You burst with an R&B groove that keeps you moving. It's always been claimed that Pete is tone deaf and can't sing in tune. I have never heard him out of tune and I love the tone of his voice.

Let me see your comments. Which KISS do you like best?