In Ace Frehley’s recent autobiography, No Regrets, he discusses the work he put into his 1978 solo album. All four KISS members released their solo albums on the same day, September 18, 1978. The CD ace writer is considered by many kiss fans to be the best of the four. But some disagree, believing that Paul, or even Gene, is the best album. Indeed, all albums are pleasant to the ears. Here are the highlights (and clunkers) from each album.
Try: Ace Frehley
It’s the next album that KISS fans have been waiting for. They are directly in the footsteps of Acc. There are many songs about good times. Ace also has some very nice guitar solos in “Rip It Out” and “Ozone”. Some fans criticized “Wiped-Out” as a little silly, like this song about getting drunk with a girl at a party .
In No Regrets, Ace explains that he is more lazy to cover “New York Groove”. He credits his creator, Eddie Kramer, with seeing the potential in the song. “New York Groove” went on to become the biggest hit in his career. In his book he also talks about how he created the unique metallic bell sound on his guitar, which is featured in “Broken Mirror”.
Most original: Gene Simmons
Gene is a Beatles fan, and this influence is evident in “Make The Lord Believe”, one of Gene’s best tracks. The vocals for “Look Into Your Dream” also reveal Gene’s admiration for the Beatles.
“Man of 1000 Faces”, one of the standouts on the CD, has a great lyric and a very nice use of strings and brass. “Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide” is a beautiful ballad, leading the chorus towards the end.
“Living in Sin” is a track that listeners will either love or hate. The lyrics are plain silly, like: “I live in sin / in Holiday Inn”. This track is best enjoyed if viewed in a humorous way. Fans also seem to be discriminating about “True Confessions,” a track featuring Helena Reddy on backing vocals, as well as a church choir.
Gene also took the opportunity to cover the Disney song “When You Want a Star”, but this was a nice play. It’s nice to hear this song for adults who haven’t listened to it in years.
Sincerely: Paul Stanley
Paul has some excellent songs here. One of his main stand-outs is the opening track, “The Night You’re With Me”. This song starts slowly and like a ballad, and gradually changes into a rock, metal number. “Take Me Away” has nice lyrics and is an unusual ballad.
Some of Paul’s songs are striking songs. “It’s Not Right” is about a man deciding to end a love relationship because it’s “not right”. In “Alright”, the narrator reveals that he is interested in a one-night stand rather than a relationship. Paul received some criticism for “Have Me, Touch Me,” a piano-heavy ballad. Since it’s romantic lyrics, it can be considered a bit out of place compared to other tracks.
Most dangerous: Peter Criss
Peter’s album strays a lot from the traditional KISS sound. His album includes a number of soulful, R&B; songs were brought, such as “I am a virgin of love for you”. Great power, soft, powerful. “Things to Me” has a dated, disco era sound, but it’s surprisingly all the same. The song has a sweet sentiment, and the songs are catchy.
“Don’t Let Me Go”, “Easy Things”, and “Goodbye Girl Ass” are some of Peter’s best slower tracks. “Rain”, a ballad that doesn’t stop featuring piano, is worth listening to. Some consider Peter’s work to be adult contemporary, which turned them off who were expecting something in the hard rock/metal genre.
When these albums were released in 1978, each LP sleeve contained one of the artist’s posters. Not only are these CDs worth listening to, but each CD contains an enhanced mini-poster as an added bonus! Whether you’re interested in the music or the posters, all four albums are definitely worth checking out.
