Customer Reviews

Dynasty

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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."

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.

Kiss has gone from classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, pop, possibly almost every genre of music. Here, they flirted with elements of the disco craze of the late 1970s, and they fared very well. Not a favorite of every Kiss fan, DYNASTY is one album that shouldn't be overlooked. Every track is diverse in its own right, and all are written and performed very well.

I WAS MADE FOR LOVIN' YOU - The definitive Kiss disco song that sounds somewhat dated today but still remains an enjoyable, well-known classic.

2000 MAN - Ace took a crack at remaking a Stones song, and with his creative touch, made it sound like his own.

SURE KNOW SOMETHING - Another disco/rock track that pops up here and there on a Kiss hits compilation. Not as fast-paced as I WAS MADE, but it is still an enjoyable, nearly forgotten track from the band.

DIRTY LIVIN' - Peter Criss' only vocals on the album with a bluesy-like guitar and his rough vocals making it an enjoyable listen.

CHARISMA - Catchy, sing-along chorus and a seductive guitar make this "filler" track very enjoyable.

MAGIC TOUCH - Medium-paced rocker with a thunderous vocal from Paul Stanley.

HARD TIMES - Ace rocks away on this track and sings in his usual humorous way.

SAVE YOUR LOVE - Repetitive chorus, but the track is still catchy.

XRAY EYES - Gene takes over in this track, and most of the rhythms here sound similar to those in UNMASKED.

DYNASTY is a worthy purchase. Every Kiss fan should own this, but even the casual listener should find this to be an enjoyable collection with barely, if any, filler tracks.

When I was 10 years old I rode my bike to the record store in Cottage Grove Mn and bought this album with my allowance money.
It remains one of my fave Kiss albums if not my fave. I listened to this album during those tender young years so it's easy to see why it takes me back to such wonderful times. It reminds me how much I miss the 70's. In the months following Dynastys release I saw Kiss play live in concert at the Minneapolis Met Center which was where the huge Mega Mall of America is standing now. My first concert at 11 years old! Judas Priest was the warm up group!

It's somewhat dissapointing now to learn about what went on behind the scenes. It hear that Gene only played bass on one or two songs. And Peter only worked on one song at all which was "dirty livin." Too bad really since they are all such talented musicans as individuals. Except Gene who is very talanted as an organizer and businessman. The brains behind the band so to speak. But not much of a musican.

The real talent behind this album was Ace and Paul. Let's face it folks Paul is one of the greatest rock singers of all time and it REALLY SHOWS on this album. Ace shoves his guitar riffs down your throat and sings not bad either. The controversial disco beat only shows on "I was made for lovin you." And it actually works out well.

I hear there was a session drummer for all but one song on this album and he got no credit at all.

If your just starting out with Kiss it might be good to start with Destroyer or some other album.

I will always love this album for the memories but that's about it.

A classic. Buy this one. I bought it today along with other five "Kiss" albums. I love this C.D. A classic. Inspiring. Buy it now. If you have doubts, check my review and they will be over.

1.- "I Was Made For Lovin' You".- 5/5.- You all know this one is a classic and one of the most important songs ever. So I don't need to explain this one too much.

2.- "2,000 Man".- 5/5.- One of my favorite "Kiss" songs, although written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, a super hit and a classic. The Unplugged version is the best version of this song.

3.- "Sure Know Something".-5/5.- Another "Kiss" classic, for me. I love this one, specially the Unplugged version. That's the best one.

4.- "Dirty Livin'".- 5/5.- I'm pretty sure I've heard it before, but I don't recall when. I guess it's one of those songs who you feal they were born with you. Like "Crazy Nights", "Reason To Live", "Talk To Me" and many others. A classic.

5.- "Charisma".- 4/5.- A great song. Very "Gene Simmons" style. For me a great song on "Dynasty", but not THAT perfect.

6.- "Magic Touch".- 5/5.- Another one of those songs that was born with you. Fantastic song.

7.- "Hard Times".- 5/5.- A classic. That simple. One of the best "Kiss" songs for me.

8.- "X-Ray Eyes".- 5/5.- I love this one. A true classic. One of my favorite's. I adore this one as much as "I Was Made For Lovin' You". Terrific!

9.- "Save Your Love".- 4/5.- The second song on this album sung by Ace. I like it, but it is not that good as an outro to one of the most perfect albums EVER. But the song is so great...


There you go. The perfect guide that tells you to buy this one NOW. I've done my part.....now it's your turn.

Why is it believed that a band is only relevant if it sticks to the same formula? Ac/dc does the same music over and over again and I stopped buying their albums. Do I dislike Ac/dc? No, Ac/dc rocks but how many times are they going to rewrite the same songs? That brings me to Dynasty, Kiss' return album(In the 70's if you didn't put out an album a year you were dead. These days it takes years.)after 2 years. The last album being Love Gun. But actually they had lots of releases after Love gun and before Dynasty. They were: Alive 2, Double Platinum, & the solo albums. I count 6 records in 2 years. Some time off! Anyway, Dynasty is a strong Kiss album showing deversity lacking in other bands material. Some would criticize Kiss for selling out and hopping on the Disco band wagon. So what if they did? I was made for loving you is a classic to this day (Even Homer Simpson loves the song!). Sure it didn't sound like any other Kiss album but that's what makes it so special. I can't name a song on it I don't like. This is without a doubt, an essental Kiss album.

4.5 Stars

After a two year hiatus (the previous year saw the release of the four KISS solo albums) KISS returned with a brand new studio album, "Dynasty," (1979) their first since "Love Gun" (1977).

The consensus among many music critics is that "Dynasty" is the album which saw KISS "jump the shark." The KISS ARMY is largely split on this one. While some view "Dynasty" as the beginning of the end, others rate it highly alongside such classics as "Love Gun," "Destroyer" (1976) and "Alive" (1975).

I personally love this album. The main criticism is that it sounds too commercial, too poppy, etc. While the album does feel slick and while "I was made for lovin' you" would no doubt make the Be Gees proud, "Dynasty" is still most definitely a rock album. While other KISS fans would beg to differ, I feel "Dynasty" stands as one of the band's best albums. The album is very well-written with killer hooks, so really "selling out" made for an extremely captivating and catchy collection of songs.

It should be noted that with "Dynasty" the band started to collaborate with outside writers. In terms of the band's 70s out-put is concerned, I would rank "Dynasty" above "Hotter than Hell" (1974) "Dressed to Kill," (1975) and "Rock N' Roll Over" (1976) and slightly below "KISS," (1974) "Alive," "Love Gun" and "Alive II" (1977).

KISS has the notorious reputation of jumping on the bandwagon of whatever is the flavor on the month and that really started here with this album. The Stanley/Desmond Child/Vincent Poncia pure disco "I Was Made for Lovin' You" is probably the catchiest, most infectious song of KISS's career. So while most bands would be chastised for such an obvious sell-out, KISS is given a free pass because this song is pure ear-candy. Guitarist Ace Frehley lends his vocal talents to an outstanding cover of The Rolling Stone's "20th Century Man," which outshines the original. The seductive disco-tinged "Sure Know Something" (Stanley/Poncia) is another song that might not be so out-of-place on the "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) soundtrack. The Peter Criss sung "Dirty Livin'" (Criss/Poncia/Penridge) is perhaps the most underrated song on the CD. This hard-rocking disco-tinged ode to excess stands as one of the band's best songs. It should be noted that "Dirty Living" is the only song that Peter Criss plays on "Dynasty." Due to his continuing erratic behavior and substance abuse, Anton Fig stepped in for the Cat Man as a ghost drummer for the rest of the album. The somewhat off-beat Gene Simmons sung "Charisma" (Simmons/Marks) throws the album a curve-ball, but is effective and keeps up the momentum. Stanley's "A Magic Touch" may not have been good enough to be released as a single, but is still a better than average rocker. Ace Frehley's "Hard Times" is basically filler and a bit of a disappointment when you consider how great his '78 solo album was, but it's not bad. Gene Simmon's melodic "X-Ray Eyes" is a continuation of the style that had so worked for him on his '78 solo album, but the Beatle-esque harmonies are eschewed in favor of a more KISS flavored sound. "Dynasty" ends on a very strong note with Frehley's hard-rocking, edgy "Save Your Love," which is easily up-to-par with the best of his work from his '78 solo album.

While "Dynasty" was a huge hit upon release, it ultimately wound-up hurting the band in the long run. While "I Was Made for Lovin' You" no doubt thrilled the masses, the KISS ARMY was left scratching its head. For KISS purists, the idea of KISS doing a pure disco song on a disco-tinged album was very off-putting. And while "Dynasty" struck the right balance between commercial pop and hard-rock, the scale was tipped in the direction of the former for KISS's next album "Unmasked" (1980) which further led the band astray. So while "Dynasty" is a fine album, it was the beginning of what would be a dark period in the band's lengthy career.

This is also known as Kiss' disco album. There are really only two songs that carry any sort of disco beat: "I Was Made For Loving You" and "Dirty Livin'." Everything else is pretty much straight ahead rock music.

The highlights for me are Ace Frehley's contributions. "Hard Times," "Save Your Love," and an excellent cover of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Man." Even after his solo album, Ace still had some great musical ideas. "Hard Times" is probably my favorite Ace Frehley song of all time.

Out of Paul Stanley's contributions, "Sure Know Something" ranks as one of his all-time best songs. The band saw its merits when they included an acoustic version on their unplugged album from the mid-90's. And as for "I Was Made For Loving You" being badmouthed as a disco tune, it still holds its own today as a fan favorite.

Gene had two strange contributions -- "X-Ray Eyes" and "Charisma." While not deep lyrically ("I've got x-ray eyes, ahh; And I can see right through your lies, ahh "), I guess they fit with the Demon persona.

Peter's track "Dirty Livin'" is okay, but if any song deserves the disco label, it's this one.

Before you dismiss this as a Village People album, look at the time this originally came out -- 1979, the height of the disco era. Kiss was able to adapt with a mega selling single ("I Was Made For Loving You"), and stayed a top concert draw. It may not be their best album, but it's got some of what I feel to be Ace Frehley's best Kiss contributions.

But this is my favorite KISS album. Some say it's 'too pop.' I simply don't agree. "I Was Made For Loving You" is a heavily pop-influenced song, no doubt. But the rest of this is pretty straight-ahead rock and roll. Paul's "Sure Know Something" is a true classic, mixing a softer verse with a heavy chorus (granted the chorus riffs are just like Paul's "Tonight You Belong To Me" riffs but I doubt many people notice that.) His "Magic Touch" is a heavy, riff-laden gem.

Ace, riding the success of his solo record delivers 3 more solid tunes. "2000 Man" is the most famous but "Hard Times" is the one that should stick out. Great song. "Save Your Love" has great verses but the initial chorus is somewhat bland. But it ends up being another solid tune.

Heck, even Gene gets on base both times with the killer "Charisma" and "X-Ray Eyes." Both songs have great grooves and melodies -- these two songs are pretty much better than anything Gene has produced before or since.

Only Peter's "Dirty Livin'" falls short but he was an unhappy camper and it shows.

"Dynasty" is more heavily-produced than KISS' previous records. The instrumentation is a little more complex, the melodies a little brighter. But this is not a disco record, it's a rock and roll record .. and a heck of a good one.

As far as I'm concerned this is a must have.