Animalize

Kiss

By the end of the ’70’s and into the 80’s Kiss had lost the plot. They were still making an album a year which is amazing to think of now in a world where bands can take 5 to 10 years between albums. Dynasty, Unmasked and Music from the Elder were to me all pretty crap. In 1983 they did the unthinkable and removed the make-up. At the same time they released Lick It Up which was a really good album and probably saved their careers.

With the release of Animalize Kiss were firmly in control of phase II of their career, they had ditched Peter and Ace and the next line up would be stable for a good few albums. Paul and Gene saw the way things were going with all the young bands coming out of L.A. and as elder statesmen they just jumped right in and went with the flow of the times. This video clip shows just how in control of everything they were.

JAMES DAUBENEY