496: Kiss - Destroyer

Year: 1976

1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of the Night Time World
3. God of Thunder
4. Great Expectations
5. Flaming Youth
6. Sweet Pain
7. Shout It Out Loud
8. Beth
9. Do You Love Me?
10. Rock and Roll Party

RollingStone Says:
By the time their fifth album was released, KISS was the most popular band in America, with sold-out stadium tours and eventually its own pinball machines, makeup line and a TV movie. Built around the proto power ballad "Beth," this is a ridiculously over-the-top party-rock album that just gets better with age.
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Adam Says:
Kiss was my favorite band as a kid. There, I said it. Something about the makeup and theatrics just dazzled my still developing mind. To be honest, like many children, I think I liked the "image" of Kiss more then the actual music. Luckily I find that as I get older, I grow to apreciate the music more and more.

Having now listened to the majority of Kiss's work, I would probably agree with this being one of their strongest efforts. Songs like ''Shout It Out Loud'' and "Beth" are among the best that "Classic Rock" has to offer. On the other hand though, tracks like "God of Thunder" really bring the whole silliness of Kiss to the forefront. While not a bad song per se, it comes across as very over the top and cartoonish. Most of this is due to Gene Simmons growling his way through the vocals and sounding maybe just a teensy bit too in to his character. Likewise ''Great Expectations" sounds wildly out of place....at first. One listen to the lyrics though reveals Kiss is still as lowdown and dirty as ever.

Still I hold a special place in my heart for this band, and this record. I guess I can understand how some might be turned away from Kiss, but to me they're probably the most pure, dirty, unadulterated fun you can have in Rock. What you see is quit literally what you get. Over the top, cartoon rock, built on a very sturdy foundation.

Overall - 4/5
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Dan Says:
I have a great hatred for classic rock. No particular reason mind you, but a hatred I have nonetheless been burdened with in my short 26 years of life. However, I didn't find this album altogether putrid. The ballads were enjoyable as far as the melodies go on such songs as "Great Expectations" and especially "Beth." Other than that I found the rest of the songs with the party-rock sound annoying. Hopefully one day I will come around to enjoying such music (as my counterpart Adam I'm sure wishes), but not today.

Overall - 2/5