I went through a period a few weeks back where I was OBSESSED with this record and couldn't stop listening to it. It might be my all-time favourite Kiss album.
This is the first kiss album I got when it came out! I was 6 yrs old! Still remember going to record bar in the mall to get it! My best friend had a bday party and I gave it to him lol! My older brother had been into kiss, but after dynasty he was done! He gave me all his kiss stuff! Kiss at my elementary school was still huge! I don’t understand the whole hate saying everyone hated kiss they didn’t at my school! Anyway, this album is top 5 for me in the kiss catalog! Great review!
Love this review~ this album came out when I was 14 yrs old and first caught the love bug with my first girlfriend. 'Tomorrow' & 'Easy As It Seems' pretty much sums up what was going on with me during this time.This album had it all~ romantic songs from Paul, dramatic stuff from Gene (Naked City) & funny stuff from Ace. The only disappointment was Ace's guitar tone~ compare 'Rocket Ride' to 'Talk To Me' & you wonder if it is the same guy plugged into the same amps. Otherwise~ I LOVED it & I'm glad you do too. In other news~ there were a LOT of guest musicians on this album. My second favorite was 'Dynasty' & my favorite KISS song ever~ 'Magic Touch'
Thank you ! I agree 100% on this review. I would never recommend it for someone wanting to get into KISS as a starter album but as a one off 1980 Pop/Rock album it's quite good. A little pedestrian but still good. Not a true KISS album but there are some solid songs on it. Too bad it's often considered crap by most including the band.
As a child I found it hard to believe Paul was behind the vocals on "Is that you" I hated that song as a child, but came to love it in later years The Shandi music video was the last thing Peter did with kiss until 1995. Ace frehley! Talk to me is amazing. We fans always joke Ace always says ack so- he needs to talk instead! Naked city- underrated iconic use in the Unmasked commercial. Gene also used that voice on this 78 solo. Tomorrow is Paul's Rick Springfield jam! Tough but sensitive is Paul. He's a Lover and always has said that Two sides= Ace's humor!!! You have to remember that! Rumored based on Jeanette frehley and one of Ace's gf's at the time She's so European- One of kind!! Still do not love easy as it seems. The congas should not be used. Torpedo girl- ACE'S HUMOR IS HYSTERICAL!
YES... couldn't have said it better myself. Maybe because I'm not a superfan of most of their other stuff. I've always loved these tracks (and The Elder) for that matter. They're more pop and experimental oriented which appeals to my sensibilities. Gene and Paul still talk down on both albums. I say its two times they didn't try to follow the crowd or just play balls-out, straight ahead rock n roll. Good pick for a review. You should consider doing The Elder as well.
This was poorly received at the time but has aged well. My mom loves Shandi because her name is Sandy- and Paul is her rock crush. She was 14 when it was released and she could pretend Paul was saying Sandy! Paul HATES this album sooo much. In 2001 in Japan they played Talk to me with the rare Eric singer/ Ace frehley lineup.
Giggens my man, I thoroughly enjoyed your review of UNMASKED! The pure joy and enthusiasm you have for this LP would surely bring a smile to the faces of Gene, Paul, Ace and Anton! It certainly made me smile and I'm a die hard fan of the EARLY KISS records that preceded Unmasked. My VERY FIRST Rock concert was KISS on the Destroyer Tour, September 6th 1976 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto Canada! 🇨🇦 I was JUST 15 years old then and one of the youngest fans in the crowd. KISS was a heavy hard rock band when I grew up with their music in the 1970's. Nevertheless Unmasked IS an album I enjoyed, and STILL do, because the songs were well written! BUT... I cannot stand The Elder! Horrible idea. BIG mistake! UNMASKED is Abbey Road compared to The Elder! 🤣
Most of these songs could've been singles, it's an album of single hit potential even "Naked City" could've had a cool promo video. Wish they'd had the lyrics on the inner sleeve, they were always lazy with part.
this was my 1st cassette tape. good album, but is sandwiched between a great album, and horrible album, in a revolving door period. It tends to get overlooked, due to the attention the others get.
Nah, I bought it when it came out and loved it. Is it Kiss gold musically, no far from it but it's a good commercial product of the times and every bit as good as Dynasty which at the time was a bigger disappointment to me but it's somewhat related to stylistically.
Well, I like this Album quite a bit. It's far from my favourite Album, but some Songs are great. I'm very interested on your thoughts on Elder and Carnival of Souls
Excellent review, Giggens. "Unmasked" is one of my favourite Kiss albums.
Absolutely!
I went through a period a few weeks back where I was OBSESSED with this record and couldn't stop listening to it. It might be my all-time favourite Kiss album.
I agree i always come back to this album to listen!! Great pop rock album!!
So good!
Got the whole cover artwork Inked all over my arms and hands😍
Awesome!
I always thought “You’re All That I Want” would have made an amazing set closer. You can practically hear the confetti in the recording. Great review!
Yep...
Shandy was huge in aussie & new zealand!
They played it when I saw them in Auckland in the 90s.
I love the album! I think the album needed a little harder sound...
This was my first kiss album , bought 1983 second hand, loved it.
I made a playlist of Ace's late 70's Kiss songs and treat it like a second 70's Ace solo album.
Excellent job G! This was fun to listen to!
I really love this album too, I would not say it is in my top five, definitely top ten.
This is the first kiss album I got when it came out! I was 6 yrs old! Still remember going to record bar in the mall to get it! My best friend had a bday party and I gave it to him lol! My older brother had been into kiss, but after dynasty he was done! He gave me all his kiss stuff! Kiss at my elementary school was still huge! I don’t understand the whole hate saying everyone hated kiss they didn’t at my school! Anyway, this album is top 5 for me in the kiss catalog! Great review!
Such a classic album!
Love this review~ this album came out when I was 14 yrs old and first caught the love bug with my first girlfriend. 'Tomorrow' & 'Easy As It Seems' pretty much sums up what was going on with me during this time.This album had it all~ romantic songs from Paul, dramatic stuff from Gene (Naked City) & funny stuff from Ace. The only disappointment was Ace's guitar tone~ compare 'Rocket Ride' to 'Talk To Me' & you wonder if it is the same guy plugged into the same amps. Otherwise~ I LOVED it & I'm glad you do too. In other news~ there were a LOT of guest musicians on this album. My second favorite was 'Dynasty' & my favorite KISS song ever~ 'Magic Touch'
Such a classic album, it deserves way more love!
Thanks!
Woah, thank you so much!! Glad you enjoyed the video!!
Thank you !
I agree 100% on this review.
I would never recommend it for someone wanting to get into KISS as a starter album but as a one off 1980 Pop/Rock album it's quite good. A little pedestrian but still good.
Not a true KISS album but there are some solid songs on it.
Too bad it's often considered crap by most including the band.
Its so gooood!
As a child I found it hard to believe Paul was behind the vocals on "Is that you" I hated that song as a child, but came to love it in later years
The Shandi music video was the last thing Peter did with kiss until 1995.
Ace frehley! Talk to me is amazing. We fans always joke Ace always says ack so- he needs to talk instead!
Naked city- underrated iconic use in the Unmasked commercial. Gene also used that voice on this 78 solo.
Tomorrow is Paul's Rick Springfield jam! Tough but sensitive is Paul. He's a Lover and always has said that
Two sides= Ace's humor!!! You have to remember that! Rumored based on Jeanette frehley and one of Ace's gf's at the time
She's so European- One of kind!!
Still do not love easy as it seems. The congas should not be used.
Torpedo girl- ACE'S HUMOR IS HYSTERICAL!
YES... couldn't have said it better myself. Maybe because I'm not a superfan of most of their other stuff. I've always loved these tracks (and The Elder) for that matter. They're more pop and experimental oriented which appeals to my sensibilities. Gene and Paul still talk down on both albums. I say its two times they didn't try to follow the crowd or just play balls-out, straight ahead rock n roll. Good pick for a review. You should consider doing The Elder as well.
Oh it'll happen!
Naked City is the best song on that album imo
Such a cool song!
This was poorly received at the time but has aged well. My mom loves Shandi because her name is Sandy- and Paul is her rock crush. She was 14 when it was released and she could pretend Paul was saying Sandy!
Paul HATES this album sooo much. In 2001 in Japan they played Talk to me with the rare Eric singer/ Ace frehley lineup.
So cool they played Talk to Me in 2001, wow!
Giggens my man, I thoroughly enjoyed your review of UNMASKED! The pure joy and enthusiasm you have for this LP would surely bring a smile to the faces of Gene, Paul, Ace and Anton! It certainly made me smile and I'm a die hard fan of the EARLY KISS records that preceded Unmasked. My VERY FIRST Rock concert was KISS on the Destroyer Tour, September 6th 1976 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto Canada! 🇨🇦
I was JUST 15 years old then and one of the youngest fans in the crowd. KISS was a heavy hard rock band when I grew up with their music in the 1970's. Nevertheless Unmasked IS an album I enjoyed, and STILL do, because the songs were well written! BUT... I cannot stand The Elder! Horrible idea. BIG mistake! UNMASKED is Abbey Road compared to The Elder! 🤣
Most of these songs could've been singles, it's an album of single hit potential even "Naked City" could've had a cool promo video. Wish they'd had the lyrics on the inner sleeve, they were always lazy with part.
This album put me off kiss to the point of not buying anything they did till I finally bought a bootleg animalize cassette.
The album cover didn't help the songs. I never got tired of Shandi or Tomorrow. I like it a lot but not as much as you.
Great Album - Is that You - not a favorite - also not a Kiss original, a cover.
this was my 1st cassette tape. good album, but is sandwiched between a great album, and horrible album, in a revolving door period. It tends to get overlooked, due to the attention the others get.
It's impossible for someone who wasn't alive at that time to understand how cheesy and awful this album is. Terrible. Embarrassingly weak.
Nah, I bought it when it came out and loved it. Is it Kiss gold musically, no far from it but it's a good commercial product of the times and every bit as good as Dynasty which at the time was a bigger disappointment to me but it's somewhat related to stylistically.
Well, I like this Album quite a bit.
It's far from my favourite Album, but some Songs are great.
I'm very interested on your thoughts on Elder and Carnival of Souls
It'll happen soon!
It bombed because it’s crap. KISS is the original 6 studio albums, LIU,Revenge and COFT.
Do The Elder...Do The Elder!!! 🤣
It'll happen!
Horrible album