Dynasty [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Kiss | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B000001ELL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,419 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Japanese pressing packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Mercury. 2006. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 1979, January 22, 2000

By 

Buck Murdock (the place) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dynasty (Audio CD)

Disco was huge at the time and KISS would explore the genre with "I was made..." and "Sure know something". These are both cool songs. Ace Frehley's version of the Stones' "2000 man" is also a highlight. This album always gets a bad rap and many say that it marks the official "selling out" of KISS. That term is always funny to me, when used with celebrities. Its like fans think that their favorite celebrites are these honest, perfect, "not in it for the money" decent folks. KISS makes great music and have an inventive style, who cares what business deals or creative choices they make. The only down fall of this record is that Peter Criss has all but left the group at this point, only playing on "Dirty Livin'". The rest of the record has Anton Fig on drums. If you can stand a little disco and deal with the fact that one of the members hardly performed on this record, buy it. Most importantly, hear it for yourself.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ace Frehley makes this album worthwhile, July 8, 2002

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dynasty (Audio CD)

After the flurry of albums in 1978, i.e. the Double Platinum and four solo CDs, KISS released their first collective studio album since Love Gun. Dynasty did have a new sound, which led to a decline in their popularity. That's too bad, because Dynasty isn't as bad as its reputation.

The album kicks off with their quasi-disco hit, "I Was Made For Lovin' You," which not only got to #11 on the Billboard Singles Chart, but was recently covered by Paulina Rubio on her English debut album. The original is way, way better.

Ace does a racing cover of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Man," successfully injecting vintage KISS guitar. He does the same in the bitter breakup song "Save Your Love."

The grinding "Dirty Livin'" is Peter's only song here and the last studio song until Psycho Circus's "I Finally Found My Way." One thing I didn't know was how bad Peter Criss's attitude had sunken. So they had to bring in an uncredited session drummer? That's rough.

The songs from "Charisma" to "X-Ray Eyes" do indeed have the new sound. It still rocks, but it's somewhat slowed down. The sole exception is, yes, Ace's "Hard Times."

The lead vocals distribution was out of the ordinary as well. Gene only got to sing two songs--"Charisma" and "X-Ray Eyes," while Ace got to sing a record three. Well, he would also sing three on Unmasked as well. I favor his contributions over the others, as they save the album from being a disaster. Then there's Paul's three and Peter's one--that makes nine, right?

Dynasty is the first and best of KISS's four transitional albums. Not quite a genre album, but the material still rocks even though not as much as Destroyer or Rock And Roll Over. Even so, this album does not deserve the epithet "stinker."

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Album With A Bad Rap, February 5, 2005

By 

J. Anderson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dynasty (Audio CD)

While not up to the standards of previous KISS releases, DYNASTY was no slouch. Ace contributes more than ever. It's sad to know that this would be the last time they would perform together on a recording of new material until 1998's PSYCHO CIRCUS. This was a band coming apart at the seams. But they got together and rocked one last time. I do not like the fact that this album was labled as KISS' "disco" record. It is nothing of the sort. The only song on the record that would even come close is "I was made for lovin' you" which did have a disco flair. But by 1979 disco was on the way out. And the musical diversity of this album was mis-interpreted by critics and fans alike. Like most bands with multiple superstars, they were exploring other avenues in creative sound. And thank god for that! KISS, especially in the case of Mr. Gene Simmons, was hurting for new ways of musical expression. I mean, there are just so many times you can get away with rhyming the words "knees" and "please". I was happy to see Mr. Simmons back off and let the others contribute more to this effort. His contributions were getting stale, and his themes were always the same: "See what a big rockstar I am! My tallywhacker is so big! It's too much for you! I'm god's gift to groupies!" Really Gene, have some diversity, will you? His solo LP reeks with this stuff. Somewhere around "Rock and Roll Over" Gene started to be much too full of himself, and he continues to be the sex driven power and egomaniac to this very day. They say that Peter and Ace left the band due to drug and alcohol problems. If I was forced to work with Mr. Simmons in his state of mind...I'd probably take to the bottle too! Dynasty is still a great record. It's worth a spin.