The offical Kiss thread

Any love for the 80's albums? Animalize and Asylum are two excellent 80's metal discs that don't get much attention these days. Other than "Heaven's On Fire," the band doesn't play much from them live. But there are some awesome songs on these discs, like "King of the Mountain," "Get All You Can Take," "Thrills in the Night," and "I've Had Enough."

Asylum is one of my favorites. Also from the 80's, Lick It Up and Creatures of the Night rank high on my list.

I love both of those discs, too. They get a lot more recognition than Animalize and Asylum. I actually think both of those albums trump Lick it Up, but not Creatures.

I love Creatures...wish they'd add the title track back into the setlist. Would also love to hear them play "Keep Me Comin'" live.

Anyone dig the remixes from the '85 version? I like the snare on the remixes...

JaguarBlaze wrote:

Any love for the 80's albums?

I can't stand Crazy Nights and Hot in the Shade, but I like the rest of them quite a bit.

I like HITS quite a bit, especially some of the second side, especially "King of Hearts" and "You Love Me to Hate You."

Any news on Kissology 4? I'm hoping it includes the "Animalize Live" show. I have the VHS, and would love a digital release...

JaguarBlaze wrote:

Any news on Kissology 4? I'm hoping it includes the "Animalize Live" show. I have the VHS, and would love a digital release...

I only saw a brief quote that they are working on it but that was last year, and not peep from KISS regarding Kissology.

Guest wrote:

I agree with you...Unmasked is my less favorit.

I've actually just recently started listening to this album. Had it for years and never really gave it a chance, but I have to say, there is some good stuff on this disk. Quite a departure for them and given the time frame and the condition of the band I think they did a pretty good job. Just kinda dawned on me while listening to the disk and reading the cover/liner notes how ironic the cover/title is. I'm not saying it is a great ablum, but I am liking it more.

Unmasked holds a lot of nostalgia for me. If you listen to bootlegs from the tour (most notably the Auckland '80 bootleg, Ace's last show with the band), the songs sound great live.

JaguarBlaze wrote:

Unmasked holds a lot of nostalgia for me. If you listen to bootlegs from the tour (most notably the Auckland '80 bootleg, Ace's last show with the band), the songs sound great live.

My dad attended that concert. He managed to get in for free by climbing over one of the fences.

I dust off UNMASKED once or twice a year and yesterday just happened to be the day. It's got a couple of OK tracks but for the most part it's just too damn slick and goes in one ear, out the other.

CREATURES and ASYLUM are my faves from the '80s period.

Creatures and Lick It Up are my favorites from the 80's. Asylum and Animalize are good as is Unmasked. Now, Crazy Nights and Hot In The Shade are a different story - I don't like them at all. Crazy Nights was the attempt to sound like 80's Heart. Hot In The Shade is nothing more than a collection of demos cleaned up - even KISS admits that these days. The record company didn't want to spend any more $$$ on recording and felt the demos were good enough to release - so they cleaned them up during the mix and released it as is.

For me , all 80's KISS is great. I was finally old enough to see them in concert by that era and didn't miss a tour. Great memories,man. My favorite from them in that era is Animalize.That album just doesn ot disappoint and never gets old. It's followed closely by Creatures and Lick It Up.

Crazy Nights and Hot In The Shade are good too. It's KISS. They don't really have a bad release to me.

80's Kiss is "my" Kiss...Asylum and Unmasked are my two faves...but they're all good, IMO. I also love Creatures & Lick It Up...

Unmasked was an album I enjoyed when it was released and still do. I tripped when putting "(Music From) The Elder on the turntable for the first time, but noticed that there was something more to them musicaly than singing about sex. Creatures Of The Night made a bold statment, a fine way to end a high school career. Lick It Up, Animalize, and Asylum all have great songs and some variety. Crazy Nights and Hot in The Shade...listen to them still but not as much as the other 1980's releases. Both have good tunes but are odd cause there is hardly any BALLS on either. A trend that began in 1980, faded, and then closed it out. Oh Well, the things folks do if they think they can make another buck.

When 'Animalize' was first released I loved that album and was my fav album of that time, also saw that tour with Krokus opening for them.

Now 10000 years later, I feel 'Animalize' has aged badly and my fav albums of the 80's from KI$$ are the one, two punch of 'Creatures of the Night' and 'Lick It Up'

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

I can only speak for myself, but that was (at the time) my fav KISS album and recall peps who were not into metal or KISS buying that album on the strength of the hit single 'Heaven's On Fire'

manny wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

I can only speak for myself, but that was (at the time) my fav KISS album and recall peps who were not into metal or KISS buying that album on the strength of the hit single 'Heaven's On Fire'

My brother and I were casual KISS fans at best during that time and I remember we were both knocked out by "Heaven's On Fire," but when we heard the rest of the album we were kinda underwhelmed.

Fat Freddy wrote:

manny wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

I can only speak for myself, but that was (at the time) my fav KISS album and recall peps who were not into metal or KISS buying that album on the strength of the hit single 'Heaven's On Fire'

My brother and I were casual KISS fans at best during that time and I remember we were both knocked out by "Heaven's On Fire," but when we heard the rest of the album we were kinda underwhelmed.

I've Had Enough (Into the Fire) - very cool opener...good energy
Heaven's on Fire - strong commercial single
Burn Bitch Burn - kinda weak
Get All You Can Take - OK
Lonely Is the Hunter - strong song
Under the Gun - strong song
Thrills in the Night - another would-be commercial single
While the City Sleeps - not bad
Murder in High Heels - kinda weak

Fat Freddy wrote:

manny wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

I can only speak for myself, but that was (at the time) my fav KISS album and recall peps who were not into metal or KISS buying that album on the strength of the hit single 'Heaven's On Fire'

My brother and I were casual KISS fans at best during that time and I remember we were both knocked out by "Heaven's On Fire," but when we heard the rest of the album we were kinda underwhelmed.

I was still a huge KISS fan and agree with you

thejokeriv wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

manny wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

I can only speak for myself, but that was (at the time) my fav KISS album and recall peps who were not into metal or KISS buying that album on the strength of the hit single 'Heaven's On Fire'

My brother and I were casual KISS fans at best during that time and I remember we were both knocked out by "Heaven's On Fire," but when we heard the rest of the album we were kinda underwhelmed.

I was still a huge KISS fan and agree with you

...though we did get huge chuckles out of Stanley's "Let's hit de HIGH-way doin' SIXTY NIIIIIINE!" in "Under the Gun"

I think Animalize is below average but "Heaven's On Fire" and "Thrills in the Night" are excellent.

I love Unmasked, Elder, Creatures, Lick It Up and Asylum.

Fat Freddy wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

manny wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

I believe that ANIMALIZE is still the best selling of their 80s albums but when I look back I wonder why. It's not as strong as the album before it (LICK IT UP) or the one after (ASYLUM). I guess "Heaven's On Fire" was simply the right song at the right time for them.

I can only speak for myself, but that was (at the time) my fav KISS album and recall peps who were not into metal or KISS buying that album on the strength of the hit single 'Heaven's On Fire'

My brother and I were casual KISS fans at best during that time and I remember we were both knocked out by "Heaven's On Fire," but when we heard the rest of the album we were kinda underwhelmed.

I was still a huge KISS fan and agree with you

...though we did get huge chuckles out of Stanley's "Let's hit de HIGH-way doin' SIXTY NIIIIIINE!" in "Under the Gun"

LOL!!!!!! I rarely listened to the whole album and forgot about that line! I had the vinyl back in the day and usually after the first two songs (I've Had Enough, Heaven's) the album was usually switched to something else. The second side rarely got play from me until years later when I got the CD........

That said, I do like the album better now than I did back in the day. Not a shock considering that in 1984 it was competing for time on my turn table with Maiden's Powerslave, Metallica's Ride The Lightning, Mercyful Fate's Don't Break The Oath, Slayer's Haunting The Chapel, Dio's Last In Line, Priest's Defenders Of The Faith, Queensryche's The Warning, Scorp's Love At First Sting, Ratt's Out Of The Cellar, Wasp's S/T, Yngwie's Rising Force and even Grim Reaper's See You In Hell.....

No wonder Animalize couldn't compete for time on my turntable!!!! Come to think of it, 1984 was a damn good year for Metal!!!!!

Oh hell yeah, 1984 was one of the best years EVER. Small wonder it got dwarfed by so much competition.