Best KISS studio album.

[Torgo]

My personal favorite KISS album is actually 1982's Creatures of the Night.   A lot of people don't care for this album but as I grew up in the 80's I was more exposed to KISS' 80's music so I've always had a particular fondness for their 1982-1985 output especially.

1992's Revenge is also an underrated KISS album IMO.

I would consider though 1976's Destroyer as the quintessential KISS studio album.  Producer Bob Ezrin really gave them a kick in the pants on this album to really try harder in terms of compositional improvements and studio embellishments.   

[ulthar]

I chose the original KISS (1974).  But, I could really choose any album from LOVE GUN back, and this also reflects when I grew up.  I also like the solo albums.

I played guitar in a band in high and we covered a lot of KISS stuff.  Some of our KISS covers:

KISS:

Firehouse, Cold Gin (the only song they let me sing), Deuce, Black Diamond (to me, one of their best songs of all, especialy with the longer intro on ALIVE)

HOTTER THAN HELL:

Parasite

DESTROYER:

Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder (some)

ROCK AND ROLL OVER

Calling Doctor Love, Mr Speed, Hard Luck Woman

LOVE GUN

Christine Sixteen, Shock Me, Then She Kissed Me

We also did a bunch of AC/DC, some Queen, The Rolling Stones, etc.  Overall, we weren't very good, but we had a blast.

[RCMerchant]

What? You didn't cover "Rock and Roll All Night"?
I thought the best was DRESSED to KILL...and the song SHE off that as the best track.
  I was really into this band in about '75...I had posters, a cool Ace t-shirt, and all their albums! They usta have neat stuff come in the albums,like stickers and stuff. 
And then my taste in music "matured". 
Looking back...I really still enjoy them...maybe it's,like,an early second childhood.

ROCK AND ROLL ALL NIGHT>>>

[youtube=425,350] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E5Fm-Ad2tY
...AND PARTY EVERY DAY!

[IzzyDedjet]

This was hard for me.  I love KISS. 
Love Gun, Great Expectations, God of Thunder, War Machine, Hooligan...Really, until that Michael Bolton tune, I don't think there was ever a bad KISS song.
Hell, Even things like Crazy Nights, Domino, and Unholy weren't bad at all.

[ulthar]

Hey, RC, "Rock and Roll All Night" is a good song and certainly one of their most popular.

But, watch this and tell me this song does not rock.  This one is not complete, but it is one of the most "edgy," unpolished, "let's just jam" versions I've found.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG_FWQQMxDE

For a more polished version of Cold Gin that shows Ace's whole solo, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3JvuWQhYWU

Ya gotta love that sunburst Les Paul.  That's not Eddie Van Halen style right hand fretting either (the style that makes EVERYONE sound fast), that's flat picking.  And, you can hear Ace's classical training coming out in some of the licks.   

Ace was my hero for a lot of years.

[ulthar]

Sorry to double post, but I could not resist.

Black Diamond is probably my most favorite KISS song.  To me, it blows all their spit-and-polish later stuff out the water.

Enjoy.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIy3ChsaZ0o

[RCMerchant]

 I agree...the first 3 albums were the best! Ace was also my favorite...I didn't buy any of the solo albums...except Ace's! SHE is a favorite because of Ace's solo on it. Other favorites are the two you posted vids of,and STRUTTER was a BIG one for me as well!
  WOW! Was looking for an early MIDNIGHT SPECIAL video of KISS in the early day's...and DAM!!!  It 's f#cking SHE!!!!

                            [youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO9nj2CnCeY

                   They don't have the big stage yet...and the pyros are nil...bare bones KISS! Too cool!!!!

[Torgo]

One of my best friends of 20 years is a massive KISS fanatic.  He has a huge collection of pretty high quality (for the most part) KISS bootlegs from 1974 all the way through to the reunion tour.

He's also got the Wicked Lester LP which was the band that Gene and Paul were in prior to splitting and forming KISS with Peter and Ace.

I just burned off of him Ace's 1989 solo album "Trouble Walkin'".  Anyone who loved his 1978 solo album as I did would be wise to check out Trouble Walkin'.  It's much better than his Frehley's Comet stuff and is more of a true successor to his 1978 and prime KISS material like Rocket Ride and Shock Me.