Post by Erik Rupp on Nov 12, 2009 13:46:09 GMT -5
KISS - Dynasty (1979)
By 1977 KISS had become the most popular band in the U.S. - they were riding high with a pair of high charting, big selling albums (Love Gun and ALIVE II), and a wildly successful two part tour.
In 1978 they took a break from touring, but released a double album, "Best of," collection (Double Platinum), as well as four solo albums all released under the KISS name with matching covers. Thay also filmed the TV movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, which was broadcast by NBC in the fall of that year (and despite the questionable quality of the movie it was a big ratings hit). While it looked like the band was continuing their skyrocketing ascent to outsiders, the truth was significantly different. Internal squabbles, out of control egos, substance abuse problems, and both the band and management losing touch with their core fanbase all threatened the future existence of the band.
Looking at the musical landscape the band and their manager, Bill Aucoin, decided that they needed to come up with a more radio friendly sound for their next album. They needed something a little less threatening and dangerous. They needed a producer who could take them to that level. Peter Criss had worked with producer Vini Poncia for his solo album, and suggested him to the band as the right guy for the job. Eventually the band agreed and Poncia (best known for working with Ringo Starr) was hired.
Most people think of Dynasty as KISS', "Disco," album, but that impression is only correct when it comes to one song. The rest of the album was a combination of KISS' Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun styles (straightforward Hard Rock) mixed with the Power Pop that was in vogue at the time. It was a cleaner, crisper sound, but also very safe and radio friendly. Mission accomplished. In fact, a strong argument could be made that Dynasty was the best recorded album in KISS' catalog up to that point. Sonically, Dynasty is excellent. Sure, it could use a little more low end, and the guitar sound is a little thin, but that all played into getting airplay on AM radio (and with the limitations of AM radio a thin sound often sounded better).
But what about the songs? After all, that's what an album is all about, right?
Well, Dynasty is a very well written, well performed album. From the leadoff track, "I Was Made For Lovin' You," to the closer, "Save Your Love," the album is well crafted.
The leadoff track on the album (and lead single), "I Was Made For Lovin' You," is what most people tend to think of when Dynasty comes up. It was a huge hit with it's big, pumping bass drum propelled beat. The guitars were toned down a little from what KISS normally did, but were still prominent and distorted - moreso than on any other, "Disco," song of the era. "I Was Made," would actually be more accurately be called a Disco-Rock song as it does work fairly well as a Rock song.
The vocal melodies are extremely well written, and the chorus hook is one of the strongest of the band's career. It is one of those songs that gets stuck in your head and you just can't get it out. Adding one more touch of Rock to the mix, Ace gives a particularly nice, feedback laced (if short) solo which helps with the Rock credibility of the song.
In fact, Ace is all over Dynasty. When not adding his signature style to the songs of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, he was writing and singing his own. "Hard Times," is a great straightforward Hard Rock song that would have fit well on Rock and Roll Over or Love Gun, and, "Save Your Love," is a solid, if unspectacular track that Ace brought to the album. It might not have held up as well on previous KISS albums, but on the more Pop oriented Dynasty it works fairly well.
One other song that Ace sang was a cover of the Rolling Stones', "2,000 Man." The song sounds very little like the Stones spacey, trippy psychedelic song of the late 60's. Instead, it becomes a throbbing song that rocks with a powerful beat. Ace's vocals fit this version of the song to a, "T," as Ace shows a confidence that he developed while recording his solo album the year before. The song is reworked so much (and so well) to fit KISS' style that it may be more identified with KISS than with the Stones - despite the fact that the Stones wrote and recorded it a decade earlier. KISS' version is clearly better and more coherent as a Rock song.
One of the best, classiest, and most melodic bass lines you'll ever hear can be heard on, "Sure Know Something." In fact, the song as a whole is classy and melodic, as well as dynamic. Paul Stanley wrote and sang this one, and it is one of the highlights not only of Dynasty, but of the entire KISS catalog. There are some really, really nice harmony vocals in the background on this one.
Peter Criss made just one appearance on Dynasty, and that was his lone songwriting and vocal contribution, "Dirty Livin," which comes close to Disco in style, but ends up as more of a polished late 70's Rock song. It's a good song even if it isn't quite as good as a few of the other songs on the album. Peter's vocal is excellent, however, helping the song to stand out in that respect.
Gene Simmons, one of the driving forces in the band not just as a bass player, but as a vocalist, only had two songs that made it on to the album, and while both are good, neither is great. "Charisma," is a solid, and very catchy, midtempo Hard Rock track that shows a more polished version of KISS' Demon, while, "X-Ray Eyes," is more in line with the style Gene was known for previously (although still noticeably more polished than almost anything he had done previously outside of his solo album). Gene doesn't bring one killer, kick ass song to the proceedings, which may have added to some of their core fans' discontent with Dynasty. At only nine songs there was certainly room for one more, and a harder edged, more powerful song from Gene would have fit the bill. It just wasn't there, as Gene said years later that he just didn't have that kind of song in him at that time.
Paul Stanley's songs are all great, as he seemed to be much more comfortable with the direction of the album than Gene was. Paul's, "I Was Made For Lovin' You," and, "Sure Know Something," along with the midtempo, but dynamic and bombastic, "Magic Touch," are all highlights on the album. In fact, with songs of the quality that Paul brought to the table with those three songs one can only wonder whether or not Paul could have come up with another great song to fill out the album to an even ten tracks.
Ultimately, while not sounding exactly like any of their previous albums, Dynasty still manages to sound like KISS. Much like Destroyer's expansion of KISS' style, Dynasty added to the palette from which KISS used to create their songs for years to come. For some this gave the band a welcomed diversity of styles, for others it further watered down the band's signature sound.
Dynasty is a good album, great in spots, and it isn't a Disco album at all.
4/5
By 1977 KISS had become the most popular band in the U.S. - they were riding high with a pair of high charting, big selling albums (Love Gun and ALIVE II), and a wildly successful two part tour.
In 1978 they took a break from touring, but released a double album, "Best of," collection (Double Platinum), as well as four solo albums all released under the KISS name with matching covers. Thay also filmed the TV movie KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, which was broadcast by NBC in the fall of that year (and despite the questionable quality of the movie it was a big ratings hit). While it looked like the band was continuing their skyrocketing ascent to outsiders, the truth was significantly different. Internal squabbles, out of control egos, substance abuse problems, and both the band and management losing touch with their core fanbase all threatened the future existence of the band.
Looking at the musical landscape the band and their manager, Bill Aucoin, decided that they needed to come up with a more radio friendly sound for their next album. They needed something a little less threatening and dangerous. They needed a producer who could take them to that level. Peter Criss had worked with producer Vini Poncia for his solo album, and suggested him to the band as the right guy for the job. Eventually the band agreed and Poncia (best known for working with Ringo Starr) was hired.
Most people think of Dynasty as KISS', "Disco," album, but that impression is only correct when it comes to one song. The rest of the album was a combination of KISS' Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun styles (straightforward Hard Rock) mixed with the Power Pop that was in vogue at the time. It was a cleaner, crisper sound, but also very safe and radio friendly. Mission accomplished. In fact, a strong argument could be made that Dynasty was the best recorded album in KISS' catalog up to that point. Sonically, Dynasty is excellent. Sure, it could use a little more low end, and the guitar sound is a little thin, but that all played into getting airplay on AM radio (and with the limitations of AM radio a thin sound often sounded better).
But what about the songs? After all, that's what an album is all about, right?
Well, Dynasty is a very well written, well performed album. From the leadoff track, "I Was Made For Lovin' You," to the closer, "Save Your Love," the album is well crafted.
The leadoff track on the album (and lead single), "I Was Made For Lovin' You," is what most people tend to think of when Dynasty comes up. It was a huge hit with it's big, pumping bass drum propelled beat. The guitars were toned down a little from what KISS normally did, but were still prominent and distorted - moreso than on any other, "Disco," song of the era. "I Was Made," would actually be more accurately be called a Disco-Rock song as it does work fairly well as a Rock song.
The vocal melodies are extremely well written, and the chorus hook is one of the strongest of the band's career. It is one of those songs that gets stuck in your head and you just can't get it out. Adding one more touch of Rock to the mix, Ace gives a particularly nice, feedback laced (if short) solo which helps with the Rock credibility of the song.
In fact, Ace is all over Dynasty. When not adding his signature style to the songs of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, he was writing and singing his own. "Hard Times," is a great straightforward Hard Rock song that would have fit well on Rock and Roll Over or Love Gun, and, "Save Your Love," is a solid, if unspectacular track that Ace brought to the album. It might not have held up as well on previous KISS albums, but on the more Pop oriented Dynasty it works fairly well.
One other song that Ace sang was a cover of the Rolling Stones', "2,000 Man." The song sounds very little like the Stones spacey, trippy psychedelic song of the late 60's. Instead, it becomes a throbbing song that rocks with a powerful beat. Ace's vocals fit this version of the song to a, "T," as Ace shows a confidence that he developed while recording his solo album the year before. The song is reworked so much (and so well) to fit KISS' style that it may be more identified with KISS than with the Stones - despite the fact that the Stones wrote and recorded it a decade earlier. KISS' version is clearly better and more coherent as a Rock song.
One of the best, classiest, and most melodic bass lines you'll ever hear can be heard on, "Sure Know Something." In fact, the song as a whole is classy and melodic, as well as dynamic. Paul Stanley wrote and sang this one, and it is one of the highlights not only of Dynasty, but of the entire KISS catalog. There are some really, really nice harmony vocals in the background on this one.
Peter Criss made just one appearance on Dynasty, and that was his lone songwriting and vocal contribution, "Dirty Livin," which comes close to Disco in style, but ends up as more of a polished late 70's Rock song. It's a good song even if it isn't quite as good as a few of the other songs on the album. Peter's vocal is excellent, however, helping the song to stand out in that respect.
Gene Simmons, one of the driving forces in the band not just as a bass player, but as a vocalist, only had two songs that made it on to the album, and while both are good, neither is great. "Charisma," is a solid, and very catchy, midtempo Hard Rock track that shows a more polished version of KISS' Demon, while, "X-Ray Eyes," is more in line with the style Gene was known for previously (although still noticeably more polished than almost anything he had done previously outside of his solo album). Gene doesn't bring one killer, kick ass song to the proceedings, which may have added to some of their core fans' discontent with Dynasty. At only nine songs there was certainly room for one more, and a harder edged, more powerful song from Gene would have fit the bill. It just wasn't there, as Gene said years later that he just didn't have that kind of song in him at that time.
Paul Stanley's songs are all great, as he seemed to be much more comfortable with the direction of the album than Gene was. Paul's, "I Was Made For Lovin' You," and, "Sure Know Something," along with the midtempo, but dynamic and bombastic, "Magic Touch," are all highlights on the album. In fact, with songs of the quality that Paul brought to the table with those three songs one can only wonder whether or not Paul could have come up with another great song to fill out the album to an even ten tracks.
Ultimately, while not sounding exactly like any of their previous albums, Dynasty still manages to sound like KISS. Much like Destroyer's expansion of KISS' style, Dynasty added to the palette from which KISS used to create their songs for years to come. For some this gave the band a welcomed diversity of styles, for others it further watered down the band's signature sound.
Dynasty is a good album, great in spots, and it isn't a Disco album at all.
4/5