When I was a kid, I never had much money. So I always kept a close eye on the cut-out bins. Those KISS solo albums went to the cut-out bins faster than any new release ever. I remember getting 3 for $1.99 each. Ace’s was the only one that I paid full price for. Rightfully so.
It’s still the same way. I recently saw three of the solo album reissues in the kiss section at my local music stores, marked 20% off. Guess which one wasn’t there?
Ace's first solo album is still one of my all time favorite albums. The drumming especially is phenomenal,but I actually like songs from every solo album.
Ace had the best solo album. Gene agrees.. which is crazy considering Gene’s ego. But then again, maybe we were all wrong about Gene’s ego. Paul on the other hand really believes his album was great. I mean, it was good. But c’mon, that Ace album was shockingly great.
You're right on the money with Ace's album. And no, we're not all wrong about Gene's ego. He's still the obnoxious blow hard he's shown himself to be for over 50 years in the public eye.
Aces album was great. The best of the 4. Paul's was good too. Genes was ok. Peter's was bought because it made the set complete. I listened to one or two songs and put it back in the sleeve. Never listened to it again. Wore Aces out several times. Had it on cassette for decades.
Ace, if you really think about it, never left KISS. KISS left Ace! Why would I say that, you might ask? Simple:Ace was ALWAYS straight-ahead Hard Rock/Heavy Metal. That wasn't the case with Gene and Paul. I won't even bring Peter into this equation. For example:In late 1981, when the Powers-That-Be released Music From The Elder, and Ace Frehley was given his own personal copy of the album, do you know what he did with it? He smashed it against the wall, and stormed out of the building! He knew that Gene and Paul had lost the plot. They'd become so ensconced in living fairytale lives, that they'd forgotten how to Rock! In 1982, Ace Frehley was terminated from KISS. As far as I'm concerned, though: Ace was the TRUE Rock Soldier!!!
Correct! Listen to Ace's guitar solo on "Strangeways." Enough said. He was the heart of KISS and Gene Simmons knows it. Paul can dis Ace as much as he wants. Ace's licks and riffs are copied by almost every guitarist of the last 40 years.
@@dougtull4594 Paul's just jealous. He can play Rythym Guitar, definitely, but he never could play a Lead Guitar Solo. I never heard Paul play even one Lead Guitar Solo ever, and, believe me, I've looked for some clips of Paul playing Lead Guitar. Ace could, and still can, play CIRCLES around Paul !
Exactly. Ace’s was by far the best. Paul’s was even better than Gene’s. I was thinking Gene would have a bunch of heavy songs. Nope, it was pop rock and the “When You Wish Upon a Star” had me shaking my head in shame.
My first record EVER … was Ace Frehley’s solo album. 45 years later … *still* in my top 5 I’ve ever owned, borrowed or listened to. Timeless rockin’ classic for the ages
Peter's '78 solo album is my absolute favorite of the four, as well. Always has been. It was the first I bought of the four in 1978. It was/is unique. It was a genuine "solo" album cos it strayed away from the KISS "type of music". I💚Peter's soul/rock voice, vibe & persona. Peter oozed rock & roll. He also looked like A ROCK STAR! Much more so than the other three. His natural 70's silver/grey Italian curls, coolest hair in the rock business & the way he dressed off stage. Fashion-wise he always had GREAT taste/style. WAY TO GO, Pete!!!
I love how cool projects and things the fans all love are considered “mistakes”, “failures” and “folly” by Gene and especially Paul. See what they did without the creative motor of Bill Aucoin and Sean Delaney? Played the same songs for 25 years and took almost zero chances either creatively or business-wise. KISS was truly the sum of many parts.
Ace served up a big can of fuck you to the boys. Our parents bought the Best of the Solo Albums for Xmas that year. I was eight, my sisters 10 and 6. We played the three Ace tunes over and over and over and never bothered with the others. I eventually bought the actual Ace solo album and was continually blown away by how great a straight up rock and roll album it is. Anton also played on Ace's Anomaly album which really has the same spirit. Too bad Anton never got the Kiss drum stool..
Ace's was the best by FAR!!! the others were sappy and weak. It proves who was the most overall Rock and musically talented of the band. listen to Fractured Mirror, he plays everything on it except drums.
Ol' Ace was, and still is, wise beyond his years. He knew the heart of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Fans, and he knew that this stuff that Gene and Peter, and to a degree, Paul, had done would never fly. He knew that fans can be fickle. Here one day, and gone the next. Ace never strayed from what KISS was supposed to be-A Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band, designed to knock yer socks off! Ace never lost the plot! The other guys were the ones that were guilty of that!
I had them all on vinyl. Aces was so good it was mind blowing. I adored Paul's solo also but Genes was disappointing. I always loved his songs on Kiss albums but on solo he sounded bizarre except great tracks Always near you, Radioactive and burning up with fever. Peters was a jazz album really but i loved Tossin n Turnin, and You Matter to me. But Ace had the gem. Absolutely loved it.
I always thought that Ace's album was the best. Basically, it was the purest of all four albums. It was pretty much straight-ahead Heavy Metal. Paul's album was fairly close to Ace's album, but with more in the way of being Balladesque. Gene's album was all over the place...and I really didn't like it that much... and then, there was Peter's album, which, for me, was a huge case of NO WAY!!! Strange how that the Guitarists of KISS knew what they were doing, and definitely sold better than Gene's and Peter's albums. What a world!
I was so happy but also bummed that unlike my best friend, I couldn't afford all four albums. ACE was my favorite member in the group I worshipped so off to Kmart I walked for Ace's album. It was Awesome! Paul's wasn't far behind. Gene's was next with Peter's far behind. Paul's was a great album and closest to Kiss
Yep, my choices as well. Aces record was great. Not a bad song on there. Paul's had some good ones but not all of them. Gene's was ok. Peter's was just....part of the set.
Accurate. Ace’s was a great rock record, Paul’s was closest to Kiss’ sound, Gene’s was all right, and Peter…well, he tried but I don’t think he understood the assignment.
You've got the same line-up, from best to worst, that I've got! Ace's was the best, Paul's wasn't as good as Ace's, but it wasn't too far behind. However, I draw the line at Gene's album. It was all over the place! Especially with him singing "When you wish upon a star". Come on! That's a kid's song!!! Talk about stupid-That was the ultimate in stupidity from him. At least at that point. Then... there's Peter's album. I can't believe that I'm saying this-and afterwards, I just might want to go wash my mouth and mind out with some Lye Soap, or something-but, even after lambasting Genes album like I just did, I'd rather hear that, than Peter's album!!! Seriously-Peter's album blows chunks, man! GREAT BIG CHUNKS!!!!!!!!!! Peter didn't take this album seriously...and it shows!
Got a kick at Peter's frisbee album. I think Paul's album would have been a bit better if he didn't do his vocal falsettos and just belted those falsettos instead. I also believe tempo plays a big role on style.
just heard it for the 1st time, the sound production is so good, I don't usually like brass instruments but thankfully they are very subdued in the mix there
My first records at 4 in 1978, 1) Destroyer, 2) Alive I 3 ) My sister soon took to Golden C circle, I was 4. And I picked VB out Peters. I came from Kindergarten, RAN home to jam to my wax, my KISS records. Peters is kinda thin, but it's so special to me. Same time givin' A.Coopers G. T. Hell, n Killers. What time to be a lil kid. I'd never have ANY other way, guys.
In hindsight, each member making a solo album probably wasnt a good idea. But, at the time , it seemed like a good idea. There was a lot of hostility and competitivenous among the goir Kiss members, especially Ace and Peter and Gene and Paul. My brother bought the Ace Frehley solo album. But, i ended up listening to it more than he did. Inever even ended up buying any of the other three dolo albums. Ace was my favorite member of Kiss anyway. Years later, i have heard Genes solo record, and his is pretty good. I'm sorry, but Ace Frehleys solo album is by far the best. Not only that, but it far outsold the others. I think, if memory serves, Peter's did the worst. To put all four records out on music store shelves on the same day, wasnt a good idea. It think it just served to divide the members of Kiss even further Kiss was always better as an ensemble, the band unite, all for one and one for all.
Kiss was more than the sum of it's parts, all together they were great, individually not so much.Two or three, tops, tracks off of each album were okay (less for Criss's album 🤣 ) and would've been better as a compilation album. Between a few friends I listened to all four and thought "boy, glad I didn't buy these!"
Hey Paul and rest of ya, we didn't expect gone with the wind type movie with kiss meets phantom, we just lived and proud you could even do a movie, fk lost your way... all of y
Hell yeah. If they had taken the best rocking tracks (mostly from Ace & Paul) and a couple from Gene & Peter, AND stayed in the black and silver outfits, I think the 79 album and tour could have saved them from their core audience abandoning them.
My favorite of the solo albums is Paul’s. Best lyrics, vocals and production. Not a bad song on that album; in fact “Wouldn’t You Like to Know Me” should have been a major hit.
I think Ace made the best album because he stayed true to the rock sound he played in Kiss. No fucking around or bullshitting. Rip it Out is balls-out killer rock and roll with Anton Fig kicking the shit out of his skins (his drumming on Joan Armatrading’s Me, Myself and I is great). Paul pulled off a couple of good tracks like Love in Chains and I liked Peter’s You Matter to Me but not a great album as a whole. Gene’s See You Tonight is good and I like Mr Make Believe but When You Wish Upon A Star has no place on a rock album.
Peter has 4 nice ballads, plus You Matter To Me....half a solid record...i like hearing Gene singing, not shouting. See You Tonight is a classic, and he has some Beatles type harmonies on some tunes....Paul's is a 1978 Kiss Album, if you missed one that year, and Ace surprised with Fractured Mirror, and much more...NY Groove hit # 13!
Got the picture disc of Paul and the all 1st age in vinil! And then on cd, pictures ,cassettes and stuff troug My time Alive on this planet, for the hardest banda in the Word,,,,KISS!
Loved Kiss since I was 15 and Destroyer album Was so excited at 4 solo albums.sold loads of my albums to record exchange shop in order to buy all 4.Super excited with Paul S Tonite u belong to me but....Peter and Gene crap whereas....Ace Frehley Brilliant.Pure rock!
I loved all their solo albums for different reasons. I thought it was awesome that the 4 of them could express themselves and was surprised by all 4, in certain songs. If any of this wasn’t meant to be, it wouldn’t have happened.
Everyone had the Ace solo album. Every song on Ace’s was great. It was by far the best of the Solo albums. I’m guessing it’s Genes ego that has him saying his has out sold the other ones. Hell, Paul’s is better than Gene’s in my opinion.
Ok, I looked it up. As everyone on here has said, Ace had the highest sales, not Gene. Paul was number 2 in sales then Gene. Of course Gene’s lies and said his sold the most as if we can’t look it up. His ego will never allow him to admit that both Ace and Paul’s out sold him. Peter’s was last, I think we all knew that already.
I don't see why Paul says it's a folly. Outside of not realizing the market and over shipping, first the album covers were great and second, it gave all the fans to hear the band members in their own environment. I think it was a great idea. We learned two things. Paul and Ace could succeed as solo artists. Gene and Peter, couldn't and need kiss more than anything. And, is there a better album to have signed than these 4? Heck no. And there's no way to date Gene's is the most selling album. No way.
No one actually believed Paul’s album was the best. At the time, I truly believed he would have the best.. but Ace’s album was so shockingly great. Damn. Real hard rock.
Paul is fk'd up. I'll never understand his stories about women. Who the fk keeps dating a chick when she's also involved with someone else?- especially, when ur the lead singer of the most popular band on the planet?! wtf
I think, at the time, everyone was expecting 4 KISS albums!! But, these were SOLO albums! The problem was they all had KISS in one corner! If they didn't have KISS on them people may have had a different opinion about them.. Someone doing a solo album is a chance for them to do things they aren't always able to do in a band situation.. Just a thought...
Back in the NY Groove🤘 was the only song off their solo albums, that made it a Kiss crowd favourite. So obviously they overlooked and underestimated the spacemans music contributions.
Bill Aucoin told how Ace liked to fool Gene and Paul. And Paul wrote, Ace was "clever". It's not wrong to say: They underestimated him, because Ace played the fool and gave them only his weaker stuff for the KISS albums. And than again Ace was clever enough to cover the mega seller "NY Groove". It looks like a cheap trick, sorry.
I was only 10, and Hold Me Touch Me confused the fk outta me. How do u go from I Want You to that shit??!! Ace's solo lp was easily the best. I never bothered buying Peter's shit sandwich. After that, I did not even care that Peter was replaced
Gene basically told on himself, Cher heard the name Jean Simmons and the thought never crossed her mind about Gene and KISS. This is in 1978, when KISS was as popular as they ever would be. I bet his ego suffered terribly
Genes solo album was so disappointing for me I thought it would be some badass Black Sabbath type stuff and got some Disney album full of guest stars and wish upon a star
I think most of everyone's song's could have worked out if they were slightly rearranged. Such as Gene's "radio active" could have sounded pretty good with Peter's or Paul's vocals as well or Paul's "tonight you belong to me" would've sounded better at 140 bpm and excluding his falsettos. Ace's "rip it out" would've sounded pretty cool with Paul's vocals on it as well with Gene's falsettos on the chorus. Gene's "see you tonight" would've also been good with Peter's vocals, sort of like a "hardluck woman " feel to it.
Ace's album wasn't just great, it completely destroyed the others. Gene's is actually my second favorite. Paul's is really good. Peter's has 2 good songs imo.
Meet Stanley B. Eisen, PhD - professor of aeronautical engineering at Newlyrich-Knowitall University. But that's his secret identy. The public only knows him as "The Incredible Sulk"...
The solo records may not have been a great idea at the time but in hind sight the 4 solo records are 1 hot property. Back in the 70's Peter's solo record should have did the best out of all of them because his songs were the most radio friendly. His music was what was in the clubs. But Gene and Paul didn't think Peter's solo record sounded KISS enough so it went no where.
I just can't envision any animal, let alone Lassie the dog on Gene's album. While he was at it, Gene should have invited Liberace to perform on the album.
37:49 and 38:19 are pretty funny, in that Paul is saying each of the solo albums sold 500,000 copies, and Gene is saying each of the solo albums sold 1 million each. 😂
Considering the fact that Gene had so many talented people on the solo album, knowns and unknowns, can you imagine how much more of a bomb it could have been if it was just him by himself? It already is a two ton turd as it is.
Gene says his has sold the best, but that appears to be untrue. His *debuted* at the highest chart initially, but in the long haul it’s well established that Ace’s sold the best.
sorta weird Gene lists Dolly Parton among the people he met through Cher, and then says it was a good thing they were all actors not musicians. Dolly is one of the most successful music artists of all time, and hadnt even been in any movies yet, when Gene met her she was famous for her music and stage presence.
I used to work at a store that had New York Groove (Aces version) on its playlist, as well as Hard Luck Woman. Always thought it was funny that those were the only 2 Kiss related songs they played, nothing sang by Paul or Gene
Marketing wise, in hindsight, they should’ve did a double album with one side each with their best solo tracks. Just to get Ace and Paul’s tunes would’ve sold more evenly… instead of a competition on who would sell the most individual albums among them. They could’ve had a top selling collective solo album. Casablanca was too ambitious, naive, hyped and coke fueled at the time.
Ace's far outsold the other three. There are some really good songs on his, and one can only wonder what they would have been like if they recorded them as KISS. I thought there were a few good songs on Gene's, but Paul's and Peter's are pretty thin.
@@MartinAlvarado It's all opinion. Gene's had a few decent tracks, and of course Ace's was the best. Paul's and Peter's sucked. In fact if I had to choose I'd take Peter's over Paul's. The only Kiss-fan consensus on the solo albums seem to be that most agree Ace's was the best.
@@MartinAlvarado, Ace's easily outsold the other three and is still easily the best of the albums. His guitar work and vocals are stellar. And, Anton Fig's drumming is so off the charts. Listen to his work in "Rip It Out." I think Gene's is the second-best of the four. Paul's and Peter's were kind of weak. Their vocals were good on both, but the material's just not there.
@@dougtull4594 I can accept Ace´s is the best one (tho I prefer Paul´s for songs like "Tonight you belong to me" or "Wouldn´t you like to know me" are among the best classic Kiss songs) but Gene´s is the worst of them all. Simmons´ solo album is simply ridiculous. Peter´s is pretty good. The type of music he chose might not be our favorite but the album is even. Well sung, written and performed.
@FUNKY Tunk Is that why Ace's solo album outsold the other three and spawned the only chart-topping hit of any of the four? And, Ace's solo album is the most rock n' roll of the four and the songs are awesome.
At the time, Ace' album sold 750,000 or so - the others more or less stiffed, epecially Peter's .... I question Gene's new sales figures. It's possible, I suppose, but that would only be due to market expansion via CD during the music buying craze after Live Aid that went on for a while - back when Best Buy and other places sold CD's. Gene, Paul, and Peter's albums showed up as cut-outs very quickly in record stores and even Ace's had some of that - because although his had done well, Casablanca had pressed waaaaaay too many of the solo albums. Gene is re-imaging history here. And Paul saying his, Gene and Peter's sold 500K each - that's absolute bullshit. There is a difference between ORDERS and SALES. Record stores returned their albums in droves - even as cut-outs they just sat there. If you were around at the time, you saw cardboard boxes of them sitting on the floors of record stores-not even in the racks - going for $2 or even less - still bombed, can't even recover the shipping costs. If Peter's album sold one million copies, who bought them? Did your buddies have the album in their collection? No? Neither did any of mine or anyone else I knew. You'd see Peter Frampton's dreadful "I'm In You" in homes - but not Peter's, or Gene's, or Paul's - where were these sales? Brazil? Kiss were never anything in England, or France, they had a small footprint in Germany and Scandinavia. Must have been Japan and Indonesia, eh? There are some myths being pushed here ....
I was 11 when these came out and Paul’s was by far my favorite followed by Peters then Ace and never really liked Genes at all. After all these years Pauls is still my favorite followed very closely by Aces and don’t care for Peters anymore and still hate Genes. Just MY opinion! Be blessed!
So now we know why Ace's solo record is the best, he had at least two years to write the songs (he claims to have not even turned any demo's in for RARO, and only has one writing credit on both Destroyer and Love Gun). Whereas the other 3 had to write, record, and mix their songs in the same amount of time as he had to just recording and mixing.
That is an excellent point....Ace said he was holding back, but why? Also, it would be interesting to really know when his 9 songs (& 1 outtake )for that album were written.
I always loved Paul's album totally the best. Every song is perfection. I must have listened to it a million times, one of my top favorite KISS albums or albums in all of rock history, "Tonight You Belong To Me" and "Together As One" being top favorite songs of mine and "Love In Chains" too. Ace's album was totally awesome too every song a total jam. Gene and Peter's solo albums were pretty cool and listenable and showed off their different side of influences compared to KISS, though they were very underwhelming compared to their KISS music and kind of disappointing , but Paul's and Ace's were just passionate and emotional heavy rock and ballads and just totally kick ass awesome songs.
I agree completely. Paul’s is my pick of the four solo albums (Ace’s is a very close 2nd) and you named my 3 favorite tracks from it as well. The only song that I remain indifferent to is “Hold Me, Touch Me”. To my tastes, some of Paul’s best and most underrated material is from ‘77 - ‘79. Tracks like “Love In Chains”, “Magic Touch”, “All American Man”… great stuff 😎🤟
everything ace has recorded live by the fans... sounds better than kisses live stuff recorded by the fans. ace had the best solo record. i think the bands problems were called gene and paul. not the stream of others they talk shit about...
imagine if all members say of Sabbath, Zeppelin or Metallica did the 4 solo albums released at once thing! that might have been interesting to say the least. I doubt it will ever be done again though by any band.
Gene admitted that he wanted his solo album to be the greatest show on earth. That shows how inflated his ego had become. Paul, Ace and Peter kept their albums much more simple.
