KISS Dynasty comes to an end. (Dynasty - Kiss)

Member Name: Captain Kidd

Product:	Dynasty - Kiss
Date:	21/06/01 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A few good tracks, Great cover

Disadvantages: too lightweight, almost an end of an era

Dynasty is a difficult album to review. Some fans say it's rubbish, while others say it has its good points.
Dynasty was released in 1979 at a very turbulent time in the bands history. It's well documented that Peter Criss did not play drums on the majority of the tracks due to his car accident, but this was probably a blessing in disguise for him as he was becoming increasingly disenchanted with life with KISS. Also it gave the rest of the band another reason to justifiably oust Peter from the band.
Anton Figg (better known as the drummer in the band on the David Letterman show) filled in for Peter very comendably.
The album has 9 tracks, all of which are of a reasonable standard looking back on it and listening to it again. It includes several stand out tracks such as Ace's cover of the Stones' "2000 Man" and "Hard Times". It also includes one of the bands biggest hits in "I Was Made For loving You" and reached #11 on the Billboard charts in the US. Written (according to Paul Stanley) in about 10 minutes on his sofa in Manhattan during the peak of the disco phaze in the US, the song was really a dig at the music industry saying this stuff is sooo easy to churn out and sell - which it did!
Dynasty got slated by critics and fans alike on its release for being too pop/rock orientated (much like the future "Unmasked" album) instead of being just rock orientated like its predecessors. Being produced by Vini Poncia didn't help things as he was primarily known as a soft rock/pop producer and obviously had an adverse effect on the content.
Still, it's an album that no self respecting KISS fan should be without and isn't that bad to listen too nowadays, but I wouldn't recommend it to a newcomer!!

Summary: