I have done a few of these already on the Best & Worst songs from every Judas Priest, Cheap Trick and Whitesnake albums. I really enjoyed doing those so I thought I would continue that process and this time we would go through every Kiss studio album (including the 4 solo albums) and see what is the best song and the worst one off each album as well. Kiss has 24 studio albums to go through so sit back, grab a drink and take it all in. Now, let’s preface this with the fact that these are my choices and not necessarily yours as we can have different opinions. My worst song could be your favorite and this is okay. We all like different things or this would be a very dull world. I hope you enjoy the list!! And we will go chronological if you were wondering.

‘KISS’ (1974)

THE BEST SONG – “BLACK DIAMOND”: On an album with so many ‘classic’ Kiss tunes, it was hard to pick. The album ends with one of the band’s best songs, “Black Diamond”.  The song was written by Paul and he does sing on it, but is mostly sung by Peter.  The songs starts off with a 12-string acoustic guitar and Paul sings the opening line and when he screams “Hit It!”, the song turns in to a blistering rock song with Peter taking over vocals. The song was written about New York and those ladies working on the street that they would fantasize about.  Peter’s gravelly vocals gave the song such a powerful edge and he put so much heart and soul in to those vocals.  Towards the end of the song, there is a brief musical interlude with Ace tearing it up on guitar and Peter laying down some fills all accompanied by that nasty bass riff from Gene before Peter lays down a final barrage of drum fills and then the song slowly, distortedly comes winding down to an end.  It is dark and foreboding and so metal.

THE WORST SONG – “KISSIN’ TIME”: The worst is a cover of the Bobby Rydell Song “Kissin’ Time” which was written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe.  It was recorded two months after the release and added a couple months after that to the album.  The band was not happy about this at all, but they were pressured into recording it.  Paul, Gene and Peter all sang on the song and it is just a shit song.  It has that whole 50’s, early 60’s style and is not a wrong song.  It is easy to hear that they didn’t want to be there singing this crap and that is why I want the original version so I don’t have to hear that song anymore.

‘HOTTER THAN HELL’ (1974)

THE BEST SONG – “PARASITE”: Another album which was hard to choose. I like “Strange Ways” as well but chose this one. “Parasite” was solely written by Ace, but he still didn’t have the confidence to sing so Gene is on vocals for this one. That opening guitar riff is so freaking awesome.  This is one of those songs that feels like Gene and the Demon personae.  It is a hard driving, guitar heavy menacing rock song and an early favorite of mine.  It was also Ace’s solo that stuck with me as well and I find to be one of his best.

THE WORST SONG – “ALL THE WAY”: Side Two opens up with the first of two Gene songs in a row.  “All the Way” is a basic song, not very memorable for me and doesn’t usually end up in any of my favorite Kiss playlists that I have going. Not too heavy, no outstanding riffs, no real catchy chorus and Ace’s solo doesn’t blow me over the moon either.

‘DRESSED TO KILL’ (1975)

THE BEST SONG – “SHE”: A Wicked Lester song, “She”, was written by Gene Simmons and his friend Stephen Coronel. The groove was still there from that original version, but the song was much heavier and Ace takes it up a notch with the guitar.  The solo was even taken from The Doors song “Five to One”.  The song for me has this great flow and I love Peter’s playing as the style is more jazz than rock.  It fits the song well.  This is another one of my favorite tracks and though it is not a full on rocker in the “anthem” sense, it has something really cool and different about it that really resonates with me.

THE WORST SONG – “ANYTHING FOR MY BABY”: The atrocious “Anything for My Baby” with horrible vocals on the opening to the overall lame feel of the entire song.  Pure filler as they must have been out of song ideas to throw this one in.  It also has this 50’s/60’s vibe that doesn’t work at all.  Enough said.

‘DESTROYER’ (1976)

THE BEST SONG – “DETROIT ROCK CITY”: The album opens with a radio broadcast (the broadcaster is played by Gene Simmons) of the death of a driver killed in a car crash then segues in to the young man getting into his car and heading to the concert playing Kiss’s “Rock & Roll All Nite” on the radio.  “Detroit Rock City” was so different than anything they had done prior, musically and lyrically.  They took a chance shaking things up a bit and it worked.  The song does mention Detroit, but is really about a young fan that is killed why he was on his way to a Kiss concert.  The story is based off an actual event that occurred outside a Kiss concert in Charlotte where a fan was hit by a car and killed outside the arena.  Knowing it is based a real life event adds a little extra to the impact of the song. The song has a great guitar riff, a great solo, some cool drum parts and even a sweet little bass line.  During the song, you go back and forth between the song and hearing the car drive down the road getting closer to the show.  The song ends with the car crashing and it goes straight in to “King of the Night Time World”. The most creative song they had done to date.

THE WORST SONG – “SWEET PAIN”: Now, I didn’t dislike any song on this album so it was hard to pick a “worst”, but I did. “Sweet Pain” is a Gene song with some great guitar work on it which was not done by Ace because according to interviews, he was too drunk to show up. Bob Ezrin got impatient and brought Dick Wagner back in who laid down an Ace sounding guitar solo.  There are some women on backing vocals, but no one credited. Now the song is about…well, you guessed it…sex.  It feels like it might be a little about sadomasochism.  It is classic Gene but might be the weakest on the album.

‘ROCK AND ROLL OVER’ (1976)

THE BEST SONG – “MAKIN’ LOVE”: The final track on the album is the Stanley/Delaney song and it is the kick ass tune “Makin’ Love”.  A pure, energetic rocker with a massively impressive drum roll at the end.  This is the type of song that made me love Paul.  His self-assured vocals brought a cockiness and a ballsy feel to the song that you can’t help be won over.  Ace cranks out a speedy, frantic filled solo and then Peter does his best drumming to end the album on a massive high note!  You know I always like an album that ends with a song leaving you wanting more and this does that in spades.

THE WORST SONG – “LOVE ‘EM AND LEAVE ‘EM”: I didn’t dislike any song on this album either so another hard choice. The second side kicks with a Gene sex song (is there any other kind) called “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em”.  I don’t know if this song will win over any new fans for Gene songs as it is not his best, but it is a fun song with a rather catchy chorus.  The song is simple and to the point and saved by a spirited Ace solo.

‘LOVE GUN’ (1977)

THE BEST SONG – “SHOCK ME”: Ace is finally on lead vocals with “Shock Me” and might be my favorite Ace song.  The song is based off an incident that is well documented where Ace touched an ungrounded metal railing and had the life shocked out of him.  No, he didn’t die, but he was thrown back a little.  He continued the show with no feeling in his hand and I believe the show was December 12, 1976, at the Lakeland Civic Center in Lakeland, Florida.  Ace having little confidence wanted Gene to sing and Gene, thankfully, talked Ace in to singing.  Ace finally agreed and actually recorded the song lying down on the floor.  I hope that method has changed. The song is utterly brilliant and the guitar work is some of Ace’s best. In fact, he does all the guitar work on this one, both lead and rhythm.  This defines Ace Frehley in my book!!

THE WORST SONG – ‘THEN SHE KISSED ME’: Some of these albums, I love through and through so it is not easy to pick a least favorite. So, I went with this one. The album ends on a low note with a cover.  I guess they ran out of songs.  The song is “Then She Kissed Me” performed by the Crystals in 1963 and written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and the legendary Phil Spector.  It features Paul on vocals and it sounds like a 60’s song with a 70’s edge.  It is very cheesy, so much so it borders on good and I always find myself singing along by the end. Totally out of place, but who cares.

‘PAUL STANLEY’ (1978)

THE BEST SONG – “TAKE ME AWAY (TOGETHER AS ONE): The final song on Side 1 is “Take Me Away (Together As One)” which is done in the same vein as the opening track with a slow beginning before slamming it home in to a rocker.  The slower parts are longer and the more rocking parts are heavier.  The drum work is a step up with Carmine Appice on the drums for this one.  Paul whispers some lyrics and then full vocals on others.  It is a battle back and forth between and soft and hard.  In the end, the song works and is one of the memorable and best tracks on the album…at least for me.

THE WORST SONG – “GOODBYE”: The album ends with “Goodbye” which is another pop song.  Production wise, I think it is a little all over the place in its structure and a little tired sounding.  Still, I wouldn’t skip it as there is nothing to the point of skipping or deleting on this fantastic album, but it is my least favorite track on the whole thing.

‘GENE SIMMONS’ (1978)

THE BEST SONG – “ALWAYS NEAR YOU / NOWHERE TO HIDE”: “Always Near You / Nowhere to Hide” is a pure ballad and one of the best ballads Gene has ever done.  I love this song.  It was taken from a demo called “Always Near You” (which you can hear the demo on ‘The Vault’ of course).  There is a Beatles influence on this one as and some fine backing vocals by the Group With No Name and Gene hits some really high notes at the end as it builds to a climactic finish.

THE WORST SONG – “WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR”: For the final song on the solo album we get the totally pointless cover of “When You Wish Upon A Star” which Gene wanted on here to show his love for Disney.  This song just kills the whole vibe of the album and for me is unlistenable.  I keep looking for a version of the solo album without this track, but sadly there isn’t one…but there should be!!

‘PETER CRISS’ (1978)

THE BEST SONG – “TOSSIN’ AND TURNIN'”: I know, I know…I picked a cover. “Tossin’ and Turnin’” is the only true cover song on the album originally done by Bobby Lewis back in 1961.  It more of a rocker with some R&B tendencies and it fits Peter’s gritty vocal style.  The reason I picked it is that Peter feels more at home with this one and the drum work is not bad either along with the saxophone break. With an album with so many bad moments, it was hard t pick a good one.

THE WORST SONG – “EASY THINGS”: As I said above there are so many bad moments it is hard to pick the worst of them. Side 2 kicks off with “Easy Things” and is the first song Peter doesn’t play drums on and there are a few on this side where that is true.  It is an acoustic sounding song probably trying to capture the magic of “Beth” to no avail.  It does jump in tempo and Peter gets more emotional in his vocal delivery, but it is so cheesy and it sounds like they are trying way too hard for a ballad hit and it is all misses.

‘ACE FREHLEY’ (1978)

THE BEST SONG – ‘FRACTURED MIRROR’: With so many great songs, I went with the instrumental. The closing song on the album was “Fractured Mirror”.  Ace showed that he was a technical guitarist and that he had the chops to hang with the best.  From the opening bells of the song, the opening guitar riff and throughout the beautiful melodies he created to the ending of that same opening guitar riff, Ace delivered a masterpiece that all his other instrumentals would be compared against.  Sadly, all were good, but none were this good.  He isn’t show boating or showing how fast he can shred, Ace was performing a true song that felt like it had a beginning, a middle and an end.  The song feels reflective and it feels like you are traveling through space or something other-worldly.  It was a song, only the guitar was the vocals taking you on this journey that you will always remember.

THE WORST SONG – “WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND”: This album was perfect for me, no bad songs. Not a one. But I have to pick one so this is it. Side 1 ended with “What’s On Your Mind?” which was more of a pop song that still kept its rock & roll elements. It felt a little fun, a little light and it was catchy as hell.  Not the best song of the album, but it still works and you know probably would’ve worked on Paul’s album as well.

‘DYNASTY’ (1979)

THE BEST SONG – “SURE KNOW SOMETHING”: Paul is on vocals with this one. “Sure Know Something” which he and Vini wrote incorporates some disco elements and was the band’s next single. It barely missed the top 40 as it clocked it at #47 on the Billboard Charts. I don’t really think this is a disco song. It has a great dirty bass groove and feels more R&B than disco. Of course, there are a lot of pop elements, but the tone and feel to me are more of the sound Paul had on his solo album. The chorus rocks out so not sure why the disco label on this one. That groove in it makes it one of my favorite tracks on the album.

THE WORST SONG – “DIRTY LIVIN'”: Another album where no real bad songs. So my least favorite is the final song on Side 1 is “Dirty Livin’” which is Peter’s only appearance on the album…literally. The song was written by Peter Criss, Stan Penridge and Vini Poncia. The song is another one that was leftover from his early days with Stan in his band Lips and a leftover from his solo album as well. The song is definitely on the pop side and the song is softened up with those backing vocals added on the chorus. It has a nice solo by Ace to help it and it does fit Peter’s style so it might be a throwaway song, but at the same time, I kinda like it.

‘UNMASKED’ (1980)

THE BEST SONG – “NAKED CITY”: A favorite song on the album is Gene’s “Naked City”. This was written by Simmons and Vini as well as Bob Kulick and Peppy Castro. The song is more of a pop/rock song and doesn’t have the full edge of the classic Kiss tunes, but it is smoking when it comes to overall tone, groove and Gene’s vocals.  Even without all original members (Anton on drums, Bob Kulick on some guitar, Ace was still the solo), it is still Kiss and it is still fantastic.  The song is about New York City (which a lot of their songs are about).  The song talks about the fact there are so many people in the city, so many lonely and lost people.  It is actually quite a sad, insightful and observant viewpoint of the city.

THE WORST SONG – “SHE’S SO EUROPEAN”: “She’s So European” is a Gene track and I love Gene, but this song is So Awful. It is too poppy and doesn’t fit his demon persona. There are keyboards in it and that ruins it even more. There is no punch or darkness which I like for Gene. UGH!!

‘MUSIC FROM THE ELDER’ (1981)

THE BEST SONG – “A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES”: The second side kicks of with the only U.S. single, “A World Without Heroes”. The song was written by Paul Stanley and his demo was called “Every Little Bit of Your Heart”. When they re-worked it for the album, Lou Reed and Gene stepped in and changed up some of the lyrics and helped get it to its final version. This is a ballad, plain and simple. Actually sung by Gene and a song the band has been known to play in their acoustic sets. Sadly, no Ace on this song as lead guitar is done by Paul. The song is very dark and a little morose while at the same time quite beautiful. Another song that really sounds nothing like a Kiss song, but I absolutely love it. It did go to #57 on the Billboard charts.

THE WORST SONG – “ODYSSEY”: Song #3 on the album, wait wrong sequence. This is song #10 and it is called “Odyssey”. I’m not sure what I can say about this track other than it is sung by Paul, has Allan Schwartzberg on drums and Tony powers on keyboards and is trying to be something it is really not. They are trying to go and do this overblown, look how artistic we can be crap that fails on every level. It feels all Broadway and over-the-top and if that was what they were going for then they succeeded.

‘CREATURES OF THE NIGHT’ (1982)

THE BEST SONG – “CREATURES OF THE NIGHT”: The first song on the album is also the first single, “Creatures of the Night”. The song was written by Paul Stanley and Adam Mitchell and had Steve Farris on lead guitar. Steve would go on to play for the band Mr. Mister. Also on the album was Adam as additional guitars and Mike Porcaro on bass as Gene wasn’t available or something. The song starts off explosive with Eric’s drums (which dominate this album) and then some wicked, heavy guitar riffs. Paul sings with a swagger not seen in years. He sounds confident and serious and this is a much heavier and more determined Kiss. This told me immediately that Kiss meant business and this was going to be a special album…and it is!!

THE WORST SONG – “KEEP ME COMIN'”: “Keep Me Comin’” is another Stanley and Adam Mitchell song with Vinnie Vincent on the lead. The song is a little over-the-top and will get you moving and actually sounds a little 80’s when the other songs don’t. Paul sounds fantastic again and he is strutting around like a peacock with those lyrics shaking his tailfeather. It is a fun song, but might be the weakest song on a killer album.

‘LICK IT UP’ (1983)

THE BEST SONG – “A MILLION TO ONE”: “A Million to One” was written by Paul Stanley and Vinnie Vincent which tells the story of our hero of the song telling his ex-lover that there is basically no hope in hell she will find a love as great as his.  Paul’s cocky attitude in the lyrics and the vocals propel this into one of his greatest performances on a song on any album. Musically, the song hits on all cylinders as well.  The powerful sound coming from Eric’s drum gave this song an extra punch that you felt with each swing of the sticks. Not to be outshined, Vinnie’s guitar playing is masterful with great riffs and a great solo all along with the underrated rhythm guitar of Paul.

THE WORST SONG – “DANCE ALL OVER YOUR FACE”: “Dance All Over Your Face” is a rather dark, violent song.  It sounds like Gene is going to beat the crap out of his girlfriend for cheating on him with another man.  It is the weakest Gene song on the album and not one of my favorites for the violence against women feel to it. As a result, I don’t really feel anything else needs to be mentioned about this song.

‘ANIMALIZE’ (1984)

THE BEST SONG – “I’VE HAD ENOUGH (INTO THE FIRE)”: The opening track, “I’ve Had Enough (Into the Fire)” was written by Paul Stanley and Desmond Child. A powerful combination. The song is a scorcher with Eric’s explosive drums and Mark’s frantic shredding and a nasty solo that says, “Hello, I have arrived” (although staying would be the issue). The song is heavy and Paul sounds in his prime as he vocals are sublime. It is borderline metal and Kiss knows how to pick a song to open an album as this one quickly grabs hold and pulls you in to the album. There is no Gene on this song as Paul plays both rhythm guitar and bass.

THE WORST SONG – “BURN BITCH BURN”: “Burn Bitch Burn” is a darker sounding song and it is an uptempo rocker that moves along at a breakneck speed. Sadly, this is not one of the better Gene songs on the album and the lyrics might be some of the worst I’ve heard from Gene and that is saying something. I think the lyric that stands out to everyone is “I Wanna Put My Log in Your Fireplace”…yes, subtle he is not. Now Mark’s riff are gritty and a little nasty and he lays down a pretty solid solo and I have to say his work on here was really great so it is sad what happened.

‘ASYLUM’ (1985)

THE BEST SONG – “I’M ALIVE”: Side 1 ends with a Speed Metal song called “I’m Alive” written by Paul, Desmond and Bruce (#3). This song reminds me of “Under the Gun” off ‘Animalize’, but I don’t care. It is fast, heavy and a blast. I love all the showmanship Bruce lays down with all his fills and his fire-blazing fret work during that solo. It is a song that flies through the notes and leaves you breathing hard by the end. It definitely makes you want to flip over the vinyl to Side 2 to see what else is in store for us.

THE WORST SONG – ‘SECRETLY CRUEL’: The final Gene song on the album is “Secretly Cruel” and is solely written by him. Shakespeare, Gene is not, heck he ain’t even Dr. Seuss, but Gene can pen together the silliest sexual innuendos you can imagine. I have to say Gene’s contributions on this album aren’t up to snuff. Do I like this song? No, I didn’t even like the demo on Disc 3 of ‘The Vault’ where I gave the song a 1. This version might be a 1.5 or 2.0. Not much better.

‘CRAZY NIGHTS’ (1987)

THE BEST SONG – “NO, NO, NO”: “No, No, No” explodes out of the gate with a guitar solo by Bruce and this song is all Bruce and Bruce at his best. He freaking tears it up and then throw in that destructive double bass drum of Eric and what a song. We are finally to Gene’s first song and not a moment too soon. The song is written by Bruce, Eric and Gene and with original titles like “Assume the Position” and “Down on All Fours”, I wonder what this was about!! This might be the heaviest song on the album and is probably my favorite Bruce song for sure and one of my favorites of Gene’s in a long, long time. Bruce gets two guitar solos and he has so many fills and riffs thrown in that is a Bruce showcase song for sure. He was a gunslinger with that guitar.

THE WORST SONG – “BANG BANG YOU”: Paul completely loses me with this horrid track called “Bang Bang You”. It seems Paul took a page from Gene’s playbook to come up with the most sexual and the stupidest lyrics that suck more than a whore in a vacuum shop (WTF am I saying?…I don’t know, that is how bad this song is). And to think this is a Paul and Desmond Child song. I guess Desmond can have a sucky song after all.

‘HOT IN THE SHADE’ (1989)

THE BEST SONG – “FOREVER”: There really isn’t one, but I guess I’ll go with “Forever”. The second single off the album became the band’s biggest hit since “Beth” going all the way to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by Paul Stanley and Michael Bolton. The Micheal Bolton who was giving us all those soulful ballads meant for old people. The song is “Forever” and features Paul and Bruce handling the acoustic guitars to open the track and Phil Ashley on keyboards. It is a power ballad and it is so sugary sweet, but I can live with it. It is also a cool moment for Eric has his playing is great as it is subtle enough yet he has a lot of little fills in it that give the song a little extra something.

THE WORST SONG – “HIDE YOUR HEART”: Then we get the first single off the album and one of the very few Kiss song I truly despise and that is “Hide Your Heart” written by Paul, Desmond Child and Holly Knight. After the success Desmond Child had with “Livin’ On a Prayer’ with Bon Jovi, Paul Stanley wanted to write a song in that same vein. Instead of Tommy and Gina, we get a cheap knock-off version of Johnny and Rosa. The problem with their relationship wasn’t the hardships of life, but that Rosa had a boyfriend named Tito who sounds like a gang leader in the shady part of town. Already, we know Rosa has bad taste in men. The story doesn’t end well like Tommy and Gina did. Basically this was a poor man’s version of “Livin’ on a Prayer” and the storyline sucked and was a total rip-off. It was too formulaic and Kiss too busy trying to chase trends at the time instead of being a leader and this was a perfect example of the trash that came out as a result. 

THE BEST SONG – “UNHOLY”: Gene actually opens the album which he hasn’t done since I don’t know when…maybe ever!! I know he would have had the opening track on his 1978 solo album, but I don’t think he has ever lead off a Kiss album. Pretty cool. The song is “Unholy” and was written by Gene and Vinnie Vincent. It is heavy, dark and as eerie as they come. The Demon was back in full force. It was the first official single off the album and they were making a statement that this isn’t the 80’s Kiss, that Kiss is long gone. The bass groove is ominous sounding, Eric Singers’ drums are massive and Bruce Kulick lays down a nasty solo. It is all awesome!!

THE WORST SONG – “EVERY TIME I LOOK AT YOU”: We are on the back half of the album and we are to our first ballad with “Every Time I Look at You” written by Paul and Bob. The guitar solo on this one is played by Dick Wagner who has played on prior Kiss songs but way back around 1976. Bruce is on bass and acoustic guitar. It is mostly an acoustic track and a pure, soft and sweet ballad. I guess the album need to slow down after one banging track after another. This was the final single from the album and didn’t even chart although I remember MTV playing it a lot. It is not my favorite song on the album and not one of my favorite ballads by the band. It is too soft. I think they were trying for a new “Beth”, but power ballads were about played out by 1992.

‘CARNIVAL OF SOULS’ (1997)

THE BEST SONG – “MASTER & SLAVE”: Paul is on vocals for “Master & Slave”. Gene’s bass on this is slick and groovetastic. It is the driving force to the song. The song might be my favorite Paul performance on the whole album. He seems to be in to this song a lot more and the driving beat of the song is a little more upbeat despite the subject matter. The Bruce solo is so distorted and dirty that it stands out and really takes the song to the next level. Everyone killed it on this song especially Paul’s scream towards the end of the song.

THE WORST SONG – “I CONFESS”: Then we get the final Gene song with “I Confess” written by Gene and Ken Tamplin. It has a whole ‘Music From the Elder’ vibe even though it was written in the 90’s. It is another filler track as there isn’t really anything interesting going on with it. It has no real direction. The demo for this is on Disk 1 of ‘The Vault’ and I didn’t like that version much either.

‘PSYCHO CIRCUS’ (1998)

THE BEST SONG – “JOURNEY OF 1,000 YEARS”: This choice might surprise a lot of people. This song saved us from total damnation on Side 2 of the album. “Journey of 1,000 Years”  was written by Gene. And of note, Gene wrote all of his songs without help, no co-writes, and they are some of his best. The song has an epic feel to it and that it feels larger than life. There is a grandness to it that it is both dark and foreboding. Gene delivers an earnest performance both believable and serious. It is pure magic. Might be my favorite song on the album. It is a great song to end the album as it feels important and you want to hear it again. There is a great demo of this on ‘The Vault’ called “Roar of the Greasepaint” that is just as killer that is so worth checking out.

THE WORST SONG – “RAISE YOUR GLASSES”: “Raise Your Glasses” written by Paul and Holly and it is a cheesy, cliched pile of cow dung. There is nothing original about it and I find it quite boring both lyrically, vocally and musically. This was the start of a trio of bad songs on the album and I blame it for all the suckiness to come.

‘SONIC BOOM’ (2009)

THE BEST SONG – “SAY YEAH”: The album ends with what I think is a great Kiss song and a new classic, “Say Yeah”. It is Paul on vocals and he sounds amazing on this one. The song is catchy as hell and will get you singing along with that chorus. It has a great hook that slams the chorus home. It is a new anthem and a fantastic closing track. I don’t mind when they play this live, but it is seems to be a bathroom song for most as they never bothered listening to this album which is a shame. This to me is the most Kiss-like song on the album.

THE WORST SONG – “STAND”: I didn’t think there was a bad song on this album only some songs not as good as others. My Choice is “Stand” which has vocals shared by Paul and Gene. And who doesn’t love that. When they sing together you know they are going for a pure Rock Anthem. And this one is hit and miss. I love them sharing verses, but that chorus is pretty freakin’ cheesy. It doesn’t make me want to stand up, raise my arms in the air and worship at the alter of Kiss, but at the same time the corniness of the chorus is a little catchy. It seems like it is trying to be “God Gave Rock & Roll To You III”, but just a bit outside. Not their best anthem, but not their worst.

‘MONSTER’ (2012)

THE BEST SONG – “FREAK”: “Freak” has Paul on vocals he is right home with this one as Paul has always felt like a freak ever since he was a kid. He has a problem with one of his ears and it was deformed which was the cause of a lot of childhood trauma. Paul has obviously overcome that in a grand way. Now Paul is telling every to let that Freak Flag fly in this rocking track. It is one of the more empowering songs Kiss has written in a long time. This is the only song on the album to feature an outside party. Brian Whelan plays the piano for this. Everything else is pure Kiss.

THE WORST SONG – “TAKE ME DOWN BELOW”: “Take Me Down Below” actually sees Gene and Paul sharing vocals…hell yeah!! Now usually when that happens we get a massive rock anthem, but sadly not this time. It feels like a sleazy rocker and the lyrics are plain awful. I was hoping they were long past that, but boys will be boys I guess. This is easily the most skippable track on the album.

And there you have it. My opinion on the best and the worst song on every Kiss studio album. Let me know some of your favorites and some of you least favorites…or even ones you hate. Thanks for hanging around so long and I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, maybe we will get more of these as this was a lot of fun to do. Have a great day.

If you want to check out the complete Kiss Review Series, start clicking away below…

The Kiss Review Series:

1. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)
2. Kiss – Kiss (1974)
3. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell (1974)
4. Kiss – Dressed to Kill (1975)
5. Kiss – Alive! (1975)
6. Kiss – Destroyer (1976)
7. Kiss – “Flaming Youth” 45 Promo Single – Bonus Edition (1976)
8. Kiss – “Beth” – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition (1976)
9. Kiss – Special Kiss Album For Their Summer Tour (1976)
10. Kiss – The Originals (1976)
11. Kiss – Rock & Roll Over (1976)
12. Kiss – “Calling Dr. Love” – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition (1977)
13. Kiss – Love Gun (1977)
14. Kiss – “Christine Sixteen” – 7″ Single – Bonus Edition (1977)
15. Kiss – Alive II (1977)
16. Kiss – Double Platinum (1978)
17. Kiss – Paul Stanley (1978)
18. Kiss – Gene Simmons (1978)
19. Kiss – Peter Criss (1978)
20. Kiss – Ace Frehley (1978)
21. Kiss – Best of Solo Albums (1978)
22. Kiss – Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Movie (1978)
23. Kiss – Dynasty (1979)
24. Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” (1979) – 12″ & 7″ Singles (Bonus Edition)
25. Kiss – Unmasked (1980)
26. Peter Criss – Out of Control (1980)
27. Kiss – Music From The Elder (1981)
28. Kiss – Killers (1982)
29. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1982)
30. Kiss – Lick It Up (1983)
31. Kiss – Animalize (1984)
32. Wendy O. Williams – WOW (1984) (Bonus Edition)
33. Kiss – Animalize Live Uncensored (1985)
34. Kiss – Asylum (1985)
35. Kiss – “Tears Are Falling” 7″ Single (Bonus Edition) (1985)
36. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1985 Re-Issue)
37. Vinnie Vincent Invasion – Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986)
38. Black N’ Blue – Nasty Nasty (1986)
39. Ace Frehley – Frehley’s Comet (1987)
40. Kiss – Exposed VHS (1987)
41. Kiss – Crazy Nights (1987)
42. Kiss – “Crazy Crazy Nights” – 12″ Single (Bonus Edition)
43. Kiss – “Reason To Live” – 12″ Picture Disc (Bonus Edition)
44. Kiss – Chikara (1988)
45. Kiss – Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (1988)
46. Kiss – Hot In The Shade (1989)
47. Kiss – “God Gave Rock And Roll To You II” (1991) – 12″ Picture Disc
48. Kiss – Revenge (1992)
49. Kiss – Alive III (1993)
50. Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You (Live)” (1993) – CD Maxi Single (Bonus Edition)
51. Kiss – Konfidential VHS (1993)
52. Kiss – Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved (1994)
53. Kiss – MTV Unplugged (1996)
54. Kiss – You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (1996)
55. Kiss – Greatest Kiss (1997)
56. Kiss – Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997)
57. Kiss – Psycho Circus (1998)
58. Kiss – The Second Coming Documentary (1998)
59. Eric Carr – Rockology (1999)
60. Mark St. John – Mark St. John Project (1999)
61. Eric Singer Project – ESP (1999)
62. Bruce Kulick – Audiodog (2001)
63. Kiss – Kiss Symphony: Alive IV (2003)
64. Gene Simmons – Asshole (2004)
65. Kiss – Rock the Nation 2004 World Tour: Instant Live (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Charlotte, NC 7/28/04) (2004)
66. Kiss – Rock the Nation Live! DVD (2005)
67. Kiss – Alive! The Millennium Concert (2006)
68. Paul Stanley – Live to Win (2006)
69. Kiss – Kissology: Volumes 1 to 3 (2006-2007)
70. Kiss – Jigoku-Retsuden (2008)
71. Kiss – Sonic Boom (2009)
72. Kiss – Monster (2012)
73. Kiss – The Casablanca Singles 1973-1982 (2012)
74. Kiss – Kiss 40 (2014)
75. Kiss – Kiss Rocks Vegas (2016)
76. Kiss – Kissworld: The Best of Kiss (2017)
77. Kiss – Off the Soundboard: Tokyo 2001 (2021)
78. Kiss – Off the Soundboard: Live in Virginia Beach July 24, 2004 (2022)
79. Kiss – The Albums Ranked From Worst to First (2021)
80. Kiss – Destroyer: 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (2021)
81. Kiss – Destroyer: 45th Anniversary 2-LP Deluxe Edition (Colored Vinyl) (2021)
82. Kiss – Creatures of the Night: 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition (2022)
83. Kiss – Creatures of the Night: 40th Anniversary 3-LP Deluxe Edition (Colored Vinyl) (2022)
84. Kiss – Off the Soundboard: Poughkeepsie, NY Mid Hudson Civic Arena, November 28, 1984 (2023)

The Bootleg Series:

1. Kiss – ‘Accept No Imitations’ (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ASYLUM TOUR)
2. Kiss – Look Wot You Dun to Me (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (CRAZY NIGHTS TOUR)
3. Kiss – The Summer of Satan: The Devils Ride Out! (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DESTROYER TOUR)
4. Kiss – Return to Capital Center (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DYNASTY TOUR)
5. Kiss – With Fire & Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (HOTTER THAN HELL TOUR)
6. Kiss – Northhampton PA March 19th, 1975 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DRESSED TO KILL TOUR)
7. Kiss – The Hottest Show On Earth (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH TOUR 2010)
8. Kiss – All the Way to the Ball Room (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (Australian Tour 1995)
9. Kiss – Kiss of Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (The Rising Sun Tour 2006)
10. Kiss – Agora Ballroom 1974: The Cleveland Broadcast plus Bonus Cuts (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE KISS TOUR)
11. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell: Radio Broadcast 1976 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ROCK & ROLL OVER TOUR)
12. Kiss – The Tickler (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (LICK IT UP TOUR 1983)
13. Kiss – Barbarize (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – North American Tour)
14. Kiss – They Only Come Out At Night (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – EUROPEAN TOUR)
15. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)
16. Kiss – Black Diamond: Lafayette Music Room, Memphis, TN April 18th, 1974 – FM Broadcast
17. Kiss – End of the Road: In Allentown 2020 (PPL Center, Allentown, PA, 4th February 2020) (End of the Road Tour) – Blu-Ray
18. Kiss – ‘Monster Tour: Simpsonville 2013’ (Charter Amphitheatre at Heritage Park, Simpsonville, C – 13th August 2013) – Blu-Ray
19. Wicked Lester – The Original Wicked Lester Sessions (Bootleg)
20. Kiss – The Ritz on Fire (August 12, 1988, The Ritz, New York City. A radio broadcast – Crazy Nights Tour)
21. Kiss – Kiss My Axe 1978: Live from the Los Angeles Forum in California, August 25, 1977 (Love Gun Tour)
22. Kiss – Gods of Thunder: The Legendary Concert Broadcast – Sao Paulo, August 27, 1994′
23. Kiss – Black Diamond: Lafayette Music Room, Memphis, TN April 18th, 1974 – FM Broadcast (Alternate Cover)
24. Kiss -Alive! in Amityville: June 1973 – (2021)

Kiss – The Box Set:

1. The Box Set (Part 1 of 6)
2. The Box Set – Disc One 1966-1975 (Part 2 of 6)
3. The Box Set – Disc Two 1975-1977 (Part 3 of 6)
4. The Box Set – Disc Three 1976-1982 (Part 4 of 6)
5. The Box Set – Disc Four 1983-1989 (Part 5 of 6)
6. The Box Set – Disc Five 1992-1999 (Part 6 of 6)

Gene Simmons – The Vault:

1. Part 1 – The Grand Opening
2. Part 2 – Disk 1
3. Part 3 – Disk 2
4. Part 4 – Disk 3
5. Part 5 – Disk 4
6. Part 6 – Disk 5
7. Part 7 – Disk 6
8. Part 8 – Disk 7
9. Part 9 – Disk 8
10. Part 10 – Disk 9
11. Part 11 – Disk 10
12. Part 12 – The Bonus Disk
13. Part 13 – The Best Songs of the Vault
14. Part 14 – The Worst Songs of the Vault
15. Part 15 – The Final Verdict