Gene Simmons-Kiss (1978)

 


Artist: Gene Simmons

Title: Kiss

Label: Casablanca

Format: 8-Track

Catalog Number: NBL8-7120

Year of Release: 1978

Country and Year of Edition: US 1978

Sell Price: $18.04

Sell Date: 9/1/26

Condition: VG/G+

Discogs Last Sold: 8/12/26 G/no cover $8.00

Low: $4.90

Median: $7.00

Average: $9.71

High:$20.00 VG+/generic

Current low price: n/a

Curren Number on Sale at Discogs: 0

Have/Want: 93/59

Where Sold: Frisco, TX

Time It Took To Sell: 2 years

Where and When Bought: ebay 8-track lot

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B-

Sad To See It Go: No

Most kids of the 70's knew this series of Kiss solo albums released in 1978 by sight.  Every record store had all 4 displayed side by side for a time and each one went on to sell a million copies.  For some reason I only had the Peter Criss one, even though I liked the singles from Ace and Gene to buy them on 45.  I LOVED "Radioactive" and really didn't care about the B-side "See You In Your Dreams."  As I listened to this lately, I've notice the extended "demonic" intro on "Radioactive" I never realized existed.  The single I played a million times started cold into the music and I prefer it that way.

Oddly enough the B-side I never liked or even remembered much as a kid, "See You In Your Dreams," has been going through my head from these recent listens.  There are better tracks that stand out.  The "hard" one in the Gene tradition is "Tunnel of Love."  "True Confessions" (not the Blue Oyster Cult song, but similar enough to wonder if it was perhaps inspired by it) and "Living In Sin" are the better Rock songs here.  This record seemed to be more for Gene to stretch out into quieter approaches sometimes with strings.  "See You Tonight/Nowhere To Hide" is the standout of these.

"Radioactive" is not as good as I remembered it.  I question if it is even the best song on the record. The Gene voice I loved in "God of Thunder" from Alive II in childhood was what made me love "Radioactive."  The exaggeration in a line like "she's got me eating out of her hand" in that spoken/shouting thing Gene does.  It didn't bother me that the sound was a little lighter to get on pop radio when I was 8 and my brain wanted to remember it tougher than it really was.  

Joke's abound from closing with "When You Wish Upon A Star" to the telephone interruption in the middle of "Living In Sin."  I still somehow don't really know Ace & Paul's records outside of the "New York Groove" 45 I bought with "Radioactive" and hearing a track here and there over the years. I guess I will get around to it someday.   

Two down, two to go.

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

Rock and Roll Over (1976)

Alive II (1977)

Various Artists-Music Machine (1977)


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