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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

World Series Of Kiss - Round 3 - KISS VS Ace Frehley 78



Rich: While the self titled debut contains the most classic KISS songs ever recorded and was the start of the phenomenon as we know it, I have an unhealthy love of the 1978 solo albums (with the exception of the deplorable tragedy that is Gene's).  Ace's solo is a good solid album from start to finish and edges out any of the over played classics from the debut. Ace for the win. Winner: Ace Frehley

BJ:  The first Kiss album is near and dear to my heart, but if I'm honest there are a few songs on it that just aren't very good. I absolutely love Ace Frehley's solo album, it was such a stunning achievement on his part, obviously he'd impressed with Shock Me and Rocket Ride but really, who could have expected his solo album to be quite this freakin' solid? Ace was smart about it, he swung for the fences and actually had his shit together. And the album is all Ace. He kicked ass. Rip It Out is one of my favorite songs by anybody. Ace's album is a riot all the way through, a goddamn rock and roll milestone in my opinion. The first Kiss album is also a milestone of course, essential and historical, but fuck it, I vote Ace. Winner: Ace Frehley

AAron:  This whole thing has really got me looking introspectively as a KISS fan. The question that I have to look deep inside myself to answer is… am I a bigger fan of KISS or Ace Frehley. To me, this may be the battle of the two greatest albums of all-time. I love both of these albums so much. I argued that none of the solo albums could match a collective KISS album, but now that it’s come down to it I find myself questioning those feelings. I think that am a bigger Ace Frehley fan than I am a KISS fan, as crazy as that sounds. I would be heartbroken if I could never listen to either of these ever again. I believe that Ace ’78 is the greatest album of all time, but I think that the debut album is the best KISS album. See the conundrum that I am having? We shouldn’t have included the solo albums, because Ace just might win it all. Winner: Ace Frehley

Chris: Ace Frehley has pretty much sailed through all of these matchups with easy wins. If it were, pretty much, any other album in the catalog that trend would continue. Ace’s run ends here. The 1974 debut album is just too much of a powerhouse with its song lineup to be beatable in this contest. Hard to top the original. Winner: KISS

Wally: Ace is far and away the best of the solo albums no question at all, but c'mon I have said it in previous rounds the debut KISS album is pretty much a masterpiece. Deuce, Cold Gin, Strutter, Firehouse, Black Diamond. These songs are simple raw rock n roll at it's finest, played by hungry musicians that had everything to prove. Hope to see KISS in the final battle. Winner: KISS

In a surprising upset Ace Frehley advances past KISS. Score 3 - 2

7 comments:

RJhog (Classic Rock Bottom) said...

I love the Ace Frehley album, but in no way is it better than the debut. Kiss should have won this one.

Bernardo said...

Dynasty for me, though I love them both.

Unknown said...

Injustice here. 5 undeniable classics vs NYg, Rip it out, Speedin and Fractured Mirror. We have gone waaay to far here. Just like the solos were overly bashed at first, they are being over fondly thought of now. Groove was the only song people cared about through the past 35 years. You may be a bit tired of the origional disc, but that is because its greatness kept it around forever. For shame!

Brian J. Kramp said...

Mike, you're entitled to your opinion, but I don't see your point when you say NY Groove is the only song people cared about, I for one care a great deal about the rest of Ace's album. I'm supposed to go by what the lemmings want to hear on the radio?

Unknown said...

Totally pointless post BJ. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion am I. But this, I like it therefore it must be great is about as immature as you can get. Say it is your favorite, fine. KISS is my favorite band of all time, but I can hardly say they are the best band ever. This is just plain DUMB. without the first disc there would probably not be KISS past Dressed to kill.
KISS provided the entire foundation for the bands live preformances still through today. What has Ace Frehley solo provided for the band? One cover song. Not sure what is drivivg this revisionist history, but the solos were the least relevant discs from the least relevant era of the band.

Brian J. Kramp said...

You missed my point completely, Mike. What you deem relevant has nothing to do with how much I like an album. I don't care if it's relevant. Relevant to what? How on earth is it revisionist history for me to say I like the Ace Frehley solo album more than the Kiss album?

Wallygator said...

Mike, none of us would argue that the KISS album provided the foundation. Nor the fact that it contains some of the most classic KISS songs ever recorded. The World Series Of Kiss is five "Decibel Geeks" choosing their favorite albums, not the "most important" albums or "best selling" but the albums that moved us for whatever reasons and it's been fun to go back and listen to the catalogue and reminisce about the great memories that KISS has provided us for 40 years.

To dismiss that as "plain dumb" because you don't agree with the result is your perogative, I appreciate your passion and since I voted for KISS, I agree with your choice, I am still shaking my head over the result but that's why Baskin Robbins has 31 flavors of Ice Cream and in the words of Gene Simmons himself "there's no reason why I cant like steak and cheesecake". Ace Frehley's solo album advanced because 3 out of 5 passionate Kiss fans enjoy it and that's what makes this thing fun! I am still pissed off that LICK IT UP is gone. Cheers!

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