Kiss Solo Albums – Key Tracks Make One Incredible Album

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Kiss solo albums

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It’s 1978 and Kiss was on top of the world.

Stadiums bounced with anthems like “Detroit Rock City,” and fans proudly wore the band’s iconic makeup.

Yet, behind the spectacle, tensions simmered.

Wanna be famous? Be careful what you ask for.

Creative differences and the relentless pressure of their success threatened to tear them apart.

Some members thought they were better than the sum of the parts.

The solution? An unprecedented move: each member would release a solo album on the same day.

These albums weren’t just vanity projects; they were supposedly portraits of the men beneath the masks. Perhaps somewhat flawed portraits.

Paul Stanley delivered the polished arena rock that defined Kiss.

Ace Frehley unleashed a raw torrent of guitar riffs.

Gene Simmons explored his eclectic musical tastes.

And Peter Criss revealed a vulnerable side with soulful ballads.

But imagine if, instead of four separate releases, these solo albums had converged into a single, explosive Kiss album.

This is the debate that The Kiss Army has had for decades. Right next to the question – was The Elder any good?

Picture this: Gene Simmons collaborating with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry on the spooky, atmospheric “Radioactive.”

Ace Frehley unleashing the ferocious drumming of Anton Fig (years before his David Letterman fame) on the high-octane “Rip It Out.”

Paul Stanley delivering the stadium-ready anthem “Tonight You Belong to Me,” a song that could have easily become a Kiss classic.

That’s just side one.

This “lost album” would be a sonic tapestry woven from the diverse threads of Kiss’s musical DNA.

It would showcase their individual strengths and the unique chemistry that made them icons.

We’d hear the band at their peak, pushing boundaries and experimenting with new sounds.

Wishful thinking.

Side one then closes with Simmons’ surprising ballad, “Always Near You/Nowhere to Hide,” a Beatles-esque track with lush harmonies.

Side two ignites with Frehley’s undeniable hit, “New York Groove,” injecting funk and swagger (thanks to Russ Ballard).

Stanley keeps the energy high with “Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me,” a quintessential Kiss rocker.

Then, things get interesting with Simmons’ sleazy, tongue-in-cheek “Living in Sin,” featuring Cher.

Criss takes center stage with the heartfelt “I Can’t Stop the Rain,” showcasing his vocal range.

Finally, the album closes with Stanley’s poignant “Goodbye,” a reflection on a band at a crossroads.

This hypothetical album is a window into an alternate timeline where Kiss channeled their individual passions into a collective masterpiece.

In other words – they wanted to be a band and not a gathering of individuals and egos.

It shows that even at their peak, they were still searching, evolving, and pushing boundaries.

Then came a disco hit to wipe all that out!

While the solo albums ultimately exposed the cracks that would lead to the band’s first breakup, this imagined record celebrates their strengths once you eliminate the filler.

Okay – years later came Best of the Solo Albums for overseas markets.

Great! Too little too late. Even that track listing is flawed.

Read 10 Songs from Kiss’ 1978 Solo Albums That Would Have Made a Killer Kiss Record via Ultimat_Guitar.com.

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Szul