I am so glad to see the Bruce lineups ranked so high! Bruce is my favorite Kiss guitarist. Love Eric Carr too. But.... you have to rank the original band as number 1. It was just magic.
I’ve worked at a number companies and they all want to create high performance teams. Hey there’s lots of advice how to do it, but there’s no recipe with specific ingredients. The Original KISS lineup is pure gold. The right time, people and situation. When that happens grab hold of it because it won’t last.
Best: Original lineup Worst: Mark St. John Most interesting : Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr Disappointing but it’s “business”: Current lineup --- Damn good post & channel sir🍻🍻
7. Mark & Eric 6. Tommy & Eric (tribute band to themselves) 5. Ace & Eric (pretty good) 4. Vinnie & Eric (I really like Vinnie Vincent) 3 & 2 (tied). Bruce & Eric 1. Ace & Peter (ORIGINAL)
I was positivelly surprised to see the Bruce/Carr-Lineup so high! It's my favorite lineup and Crazy Nights is really one of their greatest (and most underrated) record!
Thank you, Steve. As a true KISS fan, I definitely agree with you. In my opinion, musicianship-wise and technique or technician-wise, the best line up is Paul Stanley (awesome musician), Gene Simmons (awesome musician), Bruce Kulick (best musician guitarist of KISS that’s humble), and Eric Carr (R.I.P.- in my opinion The Fox 🦊 was the heaviest KISS drummer 🥁 like Bonham of Led Zeppelin). However, I agree the best classic KISS line up is the original lineup: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. As a musician, Peter Criss is a jazz-influenced drummer. In fact, Gene Krupa (R.I.P.) was a member of the KISS Army. The greatest proof that the original line up of KISS is #1 🥊💖🥇 is the song “Love Her All I Can” off Dressed To Kill. Just listen to Ace Frehley’s phenomenal guitar 🎸 work. That musicianship chemistry of the original KISS line up cannot be touched! 🥊🥊🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💖✝️
I think you nailed the ranking order, I’ve been a KISS fan since the mid 70’s and would have come to the same conclusion. When it comes to Revenge vs Carnival of Souls, I actually think Carnival of Souls is the better of the two. On Bruce, he’s my favorite guitarist next to Ace. He is humble even though he’s incredibly talented and just a super nice guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him while he was still in the band and he was just the easiest guy to talk to and very generous with his time.
There is something critical about Peter you didn't mention. Peter was by far one of the better singers in the band. And absolutely a better singer then Eric or Eric.
Peter had a unique voice that was perfect for Black Diamond and Nothing to Lose. But, Paul is on an entirely different level. Gene is a better singer and so was Ace. Peter was limited in what he could play, so unlike the other members who kept getting better, he wasn’t. Plus, his drug use and how he acted was the primary reason for everything falling apart. This is from independent sources. Not Paul and Gene. They Seem so Weird, Kiss and Sell, Kiss and Tell, and so on.
There are two reaction videos to Let Me Go, Rock n Roll. One with Peter Criss and one with Eric Singer. You’ll notice that Ace is still better than Thayer and Singer is better than Criss.
Completely agree on the order. I always thought the Ace, Eric, Gene, Paul lineup would've awesome if it wasn't for Ace being all but checked out at that point.
The best and most musically tight version of Kiss was with Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick. They were well-rehearsed and took the old Kiss catalog to a whole new level. Gene created a tight rhythm section with Eric, and Bruce's leads were a great combination of shred and melody. He know when to let loose and when to use some restraint.
I can't argue with that, I love Bruce, and Eric Singer is a great drummer. There's something about Eric Carr that I thought was awesome. Maybe its just because I saw him so many times in concert, I dunno. Thanks for watching!
Cool video. There were two other lineups that never recorded: 2001-Paul, Gene, Ace, Eric S; 2002-Paul, Gene, Peter, Tommy. I saw the 2001 lineup at Tokyo Dome in 2001. They really rocked. That was actually my last Kiss concert since I lost interest in the band after Ace departed for the second time. If they had brought Bruce back, I might’ve gone out and seen them again.
Correct. I saw them on the Australian 🇦🇺 leg of the “Farewell Tour” in 2001. The Japan/Australia leg happened just after contract negotiations fell through with Peter Criss & his manager. I actually have a cassette tape of my phone conversation with Paul on a Sydney radio station where I asked him why Eric S did not have his own makeup / costume & persona. All part of the contract agreement with our Promoter. The whole makeup debate for Tommy & Eric is another topic though !
Steve, my friend, just turning 60 this January, my Rock-N-Roll stage antic days are far behind me. I fall in the "almost made it" category as do most musicians who ever picked up an instrument. I did, however, do many things that I to this day am very proud of. Three days after my 21st birthday, I was on a plane out of Indiana and on my way to land at LAX in LA to be a Rockstar. I first picked up a guitar because I heard KISS Alive at a friend's house. Long story short, I not only played up and down the Sunset Strip in Hollywood and up and down the Vegas Strip in Las Vegas (because I ended up moving away from Hollywood to become a "big fish in a small pond" in Vegas and it was close enough to drive a Hollywood and play) and wound up opening for many of the bands that I used to watch on MTV and got to know a lot of them as close friends. I even got to not only meet but eventually work with my musical heroes, KISS! Just when we were getting serious label interest, the "grunge" scene hit and slammed the door on "good time party Rock-N-Roll music" and the clock ran out on my Rockstar dreams but I couldn't let go of my love of music so I became a professional audio engineer and worked in Vegas with everyone from KISS to James Brown, Mariah Carey to Prince, Motley Crue to Christina Aguilera, etc... you get the picture... Anyway, sorry that my comment was so winded, but I agree with your evaluation 100%! (Great minds think alike!) New sub here my friend! I look forward to binge watching your channel and seeing new content also! God bless and take care...
Hey man, thanks, that's awesome! I followed a similar path, although from my then homebase Portland, Oregon, but never made it far, but we tried :) Love hearing stories like this, reminds me of a more carefree time. Thanks for sharing, sounds like we have a lot of common ground :) God bless man!
The thing that made Pete perfect for the early music was the fact he wasn’t a rock drummer. He was the Gene Krupa, big band/jazz school, and the way he swings on those tracks gives them a dirty, garage band vibe that the hitters like Carr and Singer just don’t have. I’ve always known the best way to tell if Pete is playing on later tracks is by the use of his high hats. A standard drum theme in music is high hats for verses, and pre choruses, and rides for choruses and bridges. Pete uses his high hats almost exclusively, using his ride as more cymbal like than bell like, which gives Anton fig away instantly on the later recordings. Peter Criss was also a fantastic vocalist. His only issue was, he couldn’t write songs. And once cocaine came into the picture, it derailed him, feeling somehow he didn’t get enough of the spotlight as a songwriter. Remember, back then, as now, songwriters get the biggest piece of royalty monies. So the incentive to be a major writer in the band fueled his jealousy for Gene and Paul.
Nice video. I think you forgot about the line up Gene, Paul, Ace and Eric Singer. This was a short period timeline during the farewell tour around Japan. In my opinion it was an excellent one.
Yes, I liked this line-up on their "Off the Soundboard" album. At this point, Ace could still play well enough, but the band needed a boost of energy, which Eric Singer brought to the band.
Saying better, is always a slippery slope, because different types of drummers, don't always mean better!!! Peter Criss came from a jazz and blues and big band swing background, but instilled it into Rock and Roll, and Peter had a unique jungle rhythm and jazz filled riffs and unique style, and by far best voice and powerful and soulful voice in Kiss!!!@
Well, better is always subjective for sure. Peter's style was perfect for the original line up and music, and yeah, I thought he had a great voice. Thanks for watching!
100% Steve. Great commentary. Saw 1 - classic. But for me, 2 live was exceptional. The energy was incredible, the movement on stage & the playing. Wonderful gigs. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Okay, gene & paul were in every lineup so just listing the lead guitar/ drummer combos. I’m not counting the random one offs but am including the touring lineups. There were nine that I know of. Let me know if I missed any. 1. Ace & Peter 2. Bruce & Eric Carr 3. Bruce & Eric Singer 4. Ace & Eric Carr 5. Vinnie & Eric Carr 6. Mark & Eric Carr 7. Tommy & Eric Singer 8. Ace & Eric Singer 9. Tommy & Peter Saw them in 2004 when Peter briefly rejoined the group. Ace left in 2002 so Tommy was on guitar. Probably the strangest lineup. Just seemed to lack the chemistry and excitement of the other lineups.
You nailed it. 100%. I thought about whether Vinnie should be higher than Ace w/ Eric bc they barely did anything together, but I sawVinnie live with Kiss & the Invasion & it was a train wreck both times. With the original lineup, the song was always more important than the player, which makes it #1 in my book.
I've seen every lineup... more than once. KISS concert total 36 as of today. I have to say I would push Vinnie version up to #3. I know Dude is a whacko but he wrote Lick it Up and that did a lot for KISS. I 100% agree with every other placement you made... you'll never beat the original but that goes for most things. I am the guy the looking forward to the AI version. I mean Gene will fly without strings now! LOL! Great Video! But... I can sit and talk KISS all day... and NO I don't live in my parents basement. ROCK ON EVERYBODY!
Wow, you got me beat :) I get ya on Vinnie he was a great player, great songs, just never felt right to me, but hey thats just MHO. Thanks for watching man!
I actually completely agree with you on the list. The top two I think we’re interchangeable but yes the magic was undeniable. What you failed to mention though was that sonic boom was also quite a subpar album. I listen to it once and gave it away. The most talented lineup was number two.
Your number 3 is my number 2. I loved when Revenge came out. It was like a total "come back" album for me. Anything with Vinnie gets my total thumbs down and is last on my list. The rest I agree.
I enjoyed the video. Thank you for posting! I liked your lineup and respect all the reasons you gave too. And I agree that the original is hard to beat and the reason you gave for that is because of the good times, attitude, and era it all began in. Agreed 💯 But if you were to ask me who my favorite lineup is, it’s Paul, Gene, Singer, and Kulick. Their sound was just more raw in my opinion, like in Alive III, and I truly believe that Singer and Kulick are better, more talented musicians. I like Kulick’s riffs more as he added some variations in songs that gave a scream kind of sound, and I think Singer hits the drums harder and can play faster with more variation than Criss. He could sing better than Carr too. And I also think he can sing just as well if not better than Criss🤷🏻 I just saw them in concert this year and they’re still killing it. Singer sang Beth and you could tell there was no added background artificial made sound aiding his vocals. It was Awesome ❤
agree 100%- except for monster... I'll the album- I do hear the similarities you mentioned though... Paul wrote those 4 songs you mentioned so the probably sound so similar because of that. Pretty interesting though. Great Job
00:56 He/Mark actually did a tour with them. Although he almost never played live. At one point Bruce and Mark were on stage for half a show each, and as far as i know he only did 1 full show with them in Poughkeepsie 1984. It's up on RUclips and Spotify, etc. So listen to it if you haven't already. My guess is that if you have a hard time with Vinnie you're gonna have a real hard time with Mark. I'd put the last lineup last on the list. Thayer is the only Kiss member out of everybody that doesn't have his own style, and i can't go for that. Lastly you forgot two lineups. 2001-2002 Kiss was Eric, Ace, Paul and Gene. And 2003 Kiss was Peter, Tommy, Gene and Paul. They even released Kiss Alive IV together. Nice video. Always fun with a chart.
The rawness,guts and balls of the original four is magic and could never be duplicated,,,,hell,,,, this is what got us all into Kiss in the first place. I've been a fan since '77, I was 10 years old, I've seen Kiss live 8 times and the only member I never saw live was Mark St John as he only ever played 3 dates,November 27, 28, and 29,I have seen the Animalize live DVD though. Great video btw and I agree with your selections.
My ranking. 1st the original line up due to the dirty raw no nonsense rock and roll they produced on 6 albums. 2nd the eric ace Paul gene line up. I am tempted to rate this as the best and you will understand why if you see Sydney 1980 footage. 3rd the revenge line up. I saw them play and I think with the Revenge album they definitely were on the right track. The look the sound. Everything. Back to rick n roll. 4th vinnie Paul eruc gene. I think creatures was one of their best albums and lick it up was their last good album until revenge. Yeah he was crazy on stage but I still like the look and sound of the band based on bootleg recordings. 5th eric carr Paul gene Bruce. Live they were good but they never toured Australia with this line up so I have to rely on bootlegs. Asylum and hot in the shade are simply not good albums. Crazy nights is a good pop album but the fact no songs get played on tour tells you something. I blame Paul and gene for the poor productivity from 1984 to 1989. 6th the sonic boom line up. Its a cover band. I refused to watch them. Monster is forgettable. Sonic boom I like but I can't help listening to it and thinking it would be much better with the real space Ace licks and new York vocals. 7th mark eric Paul Peter. Animalize has only a few good tracks and they only performed 3 shows. My ranking is much different to yours. That's why Australia is the land down under.
Hey that's all good. In reality, its all subjective, that's what's cool. We can all have different opinions and share them. You make good points. We agree on number 1 so that's all that matters huh? 😀
@@stevelongmusic880 yes us Australians actually consider Eric Carr the real kiss drummer. Where Americans shunned Dynasty and Unmasked we had kiss hysteria during that period.
@@stevelongmusic880 do yourself a big favour and look at the 1980 Sydney concert here on RUclips. The Dynasty and unmasked tracks are heavier with Eric's savage drumming.
well, interestin' topic, Vinnie V. wrote some gr8 tunes with Kiss, so in my opinion the line-up with him should be higher. As a live act one cannot deny the powerhouse Tommy/Eric/Gene/Paul was.But of course I agree with you, the original line-up is nr.1, no question about it, because they created most of the classic songs, the personas, the stage act.
Yeah I left those off. Probably, hate to admit it, Tommy and Peter at the bottom. Ace and Eric probably closer just above the last lineup. Thanks for watching!
as much magic as the original line up has, i still put it at 2, the bruce, eric carr lineup is 1000% my fave, the energy is un matched, and as much as i love revenge as an album,, those parts were written for eric carr
Good vid But forgot the line up of Peter and Tommy from 03. Also Ace and Eric singer did a couple shows outside the US, but I wouldn’t really count it as a lineup
I loved why you had the original band as number one. As an old front man for a number of metal bands in the 80's....a lot of times ( and the same is true in athletics ) the WHOLE is greater than the sum of it's parts. I played with some technically great musicians...many of whom were ( I lived in the Greater Cincinnati area at the time ) the VERY best in the Tri - State area....but the CHEMISTRY wasn't there...and you KNOW when you have that chemistry...just because you have the 4 or 5 best musicians playing together...doesn't mean you're gonna be the best band !
I'm Argentine, a Kiss follower since '78. I'm really sorry about Mark St John's short stint and fate; apparently his West Coast personality didn't fit well with the rest, all of them New Yorkers. He also was a bit arrogant apparently, and maybe the recent memories of Vinnie's similar attitude had something to do with the little patience Gene and Paul had toward him. Mark himself expressed once that the reactive arthritis thing (a condition that recedes) was an excuse for his replacement. Animalize is in my opinion the best album they put out between Creatures and Revenge. Good content, thanks.
Well, I know I didn't include either in my list. Singer played like 15 dates with Ace, but I would probably put them right before the Eric Carr/Ace, just because Ace was not at his best during the Elder, and they were all but broken up. As for Criss and Thayer, well I would rate that lower again because it was short lived and Peter wasn't up to his original ability at the time. I dunno. What do you think? Thanks for watching!
I agree with most of your opinions here. The first KISS album is killer, and unique. I also agree with you, that Crazy Nights is a great album. But I know most KISS fans rank it as one of their weakest efforts. Apart from the debut, and a few songs here and there, I like the 80's KISS best.
To honestly say who the best or worst KISS lineup was needs some context for 1) the best sounding live, 2) the best studio band, and 3) the most appealing lineup for the fans. 1)Does anyone remember the very brief lineup of Gene, Paul, Ace and Eric? To me that was the KISS sound of the 80s albeit I've only heard 'The Oath' from the early 80s show 'Fridays' with that version of the band playing live. Imagine if that band had toured? 2) In the studio KISS did their best work with the Gene, Paul, Eric and Bruce lineup. 3) Bottom-line is the original KISS will always be true KISS fans' favourites.
Well I see these opinionated rankings with things to do with the band (albums, album covers, songs, solo albums, etc etc) and I go meh, who cares. Yet I watched this and imo you nailed it. Exactly my order. You said why and what you felt, backed it up. And importantly you said that despite not the best technical musicians, it just worked. Ppl comparing Ace and Tommy. Ppl hating on Ace for his addictions and hating on Tommy for being a copy. Ultimately it’s the band. Totally agree. Eric and Tommy are polished but there is no feel. It’s a job. Peter and Ace (along with Gene and Paul) had passion and desire to create something amazing and that they did. It showed every night on stage. Incredible. E & T never experienced that and in reality turned up for work with something missing. That was the drive to be successful. Not their fault but it showed. The list is the same as mine. CNs gets panned and I love it despite being a fan from DTK. Great vid. Thank you.
1:03 already there is a mistake… Mark Toured with KISS…together with Bruce, there were Shows when KISS had both of them in the same stage the same show…with both of them playing 50% of the show each… Also I miss the Paul/Gene/EricS/Ace Lineup, I Miss the Paul/Gene/Peter/Tommy Lineup here too… And if we are getting picky, there also would be the 3 different 3 Person lineups, that sometime happened… and also there was the Paul/Gene/Eddie/Ace show
Eric Singer couldn't hold Peter's drumsticks!!! Peter Criss had a great jungle rhythm and jazz filled riffs and unique style and voice was by far the best in Kiss ever!!! Original lineup is the only one that truly matters!!!
Well you are right. They are a totally different style of drummer, and Peter has more feel, the chops and the voice. Eric is pretty much a straight ahead rock drummer. Thanks for watching!
@@databasedan6833 you're not very bright, right? Vinnie vincent composed and performed on two albums. Appeared on album covers, official photographs, played a lot of concerts, etc. He wasn't a session musician, like Valentine . For all purposes he was a band member, even though he didn't sign a contract.
I feel like the original lineup in the 70s and the original lineup in the Reunion should be 2 different tiers, cause one is significantly worse than the other lol
I would rank 'em like this: *#7* Tommy & Eric Singer *#6* Mark & Eric Carr *#5* Ace & Eric Carr *#4* Vinnie & Eric Carr *#3* Bruce & Eric Carr *#2* Bruce & Eric Singer *#1* Ace & Peter The original lineup is the greatest. No way around it. People can mock Kiss in any number of creative ways but _that_ band became the *BIGGEST* band in the world. No one can ever take that away from them. You tossed out the transitory lineups featuring Tommy and Eric playing with three original members, and I commend you for that. By 2001 the band was a full-fledged nostalgia act. Psycho Circus has its moments but it was all creative collapse after that. Probably why 11 years passed between studio albums. I understand putting the Mark St John lineup last as he wasn't really all that prolific a member. However, I put that incarnation above the final lineup because I enjoy Animalize more than Sonic Boom and Monster.
Yes. The final line up should be last because Paul and Gene's voices were in decline and they were using playing recorded songs "live." I'd include the Anton Fig line up, maybe at 5 or 6 out of 8.
For me: 1 - Gene, Paul, Eric Singer, Bruce Kulik; Gene, Paul, Eric Singer, Thommy; Gene, Paul, Eric Carr, Bruce. I love the original songs, but the songs of the late 80's to mid 90's is my favorite.
Least favorite lineup for me Gene, Paul, Eric S. and Tommy Thayer,second favorite is Gene, Paul,Eric C. and Bruce Kulick(I can't count Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John because their time in the band was short lived) of course my number one favorite lineup Gene, Paul,Peter and Ace.
I would argue they didn't replace Ace with studio musicians quite a bit--more like "a few times." He wasn't on creatures at all nor did he want to- that was when he was quitting. I can only really think of the studio songs on Killers, Alive 2, Sweet pain and a couple solos on unmasked that Paul did
Ive seen kiss a dozen times, first time was in '82 at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The Plasmatics opened up and Wendy O was wild as hell. But Kiss felt off even then, and i was 12. I kept going to concerts and was disturbed by all the "final" tours. I went to 3 final tours before i gave up. They went from looking like superheroes to old men in drag. Last time i went was around 2014, and they were not rhe same band.
You cant give Ace credit for Creatures... I'd consider that Vinnie era.
I am so glad to see the Bruce lineups ranked so high! Bruce is my favorite Kiss guitarist. Love Eric Carr too. But.... you have to rank the original band as number 1. It was just magic.
Bruce really did save the makeup less KISS in the 80's in my opinion!
mine too!
Ace wasn't involved in the making of Creatures album so the Creatures line up was actually with VV already.
I’ve worked at a number companies and they all want to create high performance teams. Hey there’s lots of advice how to do it, but there’s no recipe with specific ingredients.
The Original KISS lineup is pure gold. The right time, people and situation. When that happens grab hold of it because it won’t last.
Best: Original lineup
Worst: Mark St. John
Most interesting : Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr
Disappointing but it’s “business”: Current lineup
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Damn good post & channel sir🍻🍻
Thank you so much!
Original lineup is all that matters, and legendary
7. Mark & Eric
6. Tommy & Eric (tribute band to themselves)
5. Ace & Eric (pretty good)
4. Vinnie & Eric (I really like Vinnie Vincent)
3 & 2 (tied). Bruce & Eric
1. Ace & Peter (ORIGINAL)
Mark is best
Peter Criss and Ace were the best ever in the band in general!!! Enough said
I was positivelly surprised to see the Bruce/Carr-Lineup so high! It's my favorite lineup and Crazy Nights is really one of their greatest (and most underrated) record!
Thank you, Steve. As a true KISS fan, I definitely agree with you. In my opinion, musicianship-wise and technique or technician-wise, the best line up is Paul Stanley (awesome musician), Gene Simmons (awesome musician), Bruce Kulick (best musician guitarist of KISS that’s humble), and Eric Carr (R.I.P.- in my opinion The Fox 🦊 was the heaviest KISS drummer 🥁 like Bonham of Led Zeppelin). However, I agree the best classic KISS line up is the original lineup: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. As a musician, Peter Criss is a jazz-influenced drummer. In fact, Gene Krupa (R.I.P.) was a member of the KISS Army. The greatest proof that the original line up of KISS is #1 🥊💖🥇 is the song “Love Her All I Can” off Dressed To Kill. Just listen to Ace Frehley’s phenomenal guitar 🎸 work. That musicianship chemistry of the original KISS line up cannot be touched!
🥊🥊🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💖✝️
I think you nailed the ranking order, I’ve been a KISS fan since the mid 70’s and would have come to the same conclusion. When it comes to Revenge vs Carnival of Souls, I actually think Carnival of Souls is the better of the two. On Bruce, he’s my favorite guitarist next to Ace. He is humble even though he’s incredibly talented and just a super nice guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him while he was still in the band and he was just the easiest guy to talk to and very generous with his time.
There is something critical about Peter you didn't mention. Peter was by far one of the better singers in the band. And absolutely a better singer then Eric or Eric.
That's true, Peter is a great singer! Thanks for watching!
Right.
Right, If you like finger nails on a black board. LOL!
Peter had a unique voice that was perfect for Black Diamond and Nothing to Lose. But, Paul is on an entirely different level. Gene is a better singer and so was Ace. Peter was limited in what he could play, so unlike the other members who kept getting better, he wasn’t. Plus, his drug use and how he acted was the primary reason for everything falling apart.
This is from independent sources. Not Paul and Gene. They Seem so Weird, Kiss and Sell, Kiss and Tell, and so on.
There are two reaction videos to Let Me Go, Rock n Roll. One with Peter Criss and one with Eric Singer. You’ll notice that Ace is still better than Thayer and Singer is better than Criss.
Completely agree on the order. I always thought the Ace, Eric, Gene, Paul lineup would've awesome if it wasn't for Ace being all but checked out at that point.
Agreed. Thanks for watching!
The best and most musically tight version of Kiss was with Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick. They were well-rehearsed and took the old Kiss catalog to a whole new level. Gene created a tight rhythm section with Eric, and Bruce's leads were a great combination of shred and melody. He know when to let loose and when to use some restraint.
I can't argue with that, I love Bruce, and Eric Singer is a great drummer. There's something about Eric Carr that I thought was awesome. Maybe its just because I saw him so many times in concert, I dunno. Thanks for watching!
Agree with Ya seasons… my favorite lineup of them too. And the points you brought up are really good too!
I couldn't agree more.
Any line up containing Eric Carr is AWESOME!!.
It's nice to know that someone likes the Crazy Nights album
@@Benjiraccoon apparently I’m in the minority:). Thanks for watching!
Crazy nights was awesome. I like it.
I love that album!
Cool video. There were two other lineups that never recorded: 2001-Paul, Gene, Ace, Eric S; 2002-Paul, Gene, Peter, Tommy. I saw the 2001 lineup at Tokyo Dome in 2001. They really rocked. That was actually my last Kiss concert since I lost interest in the band after Ace departed for the second time. If they had brought Bruce back, I might’ve gone out and seen them again.
Thank you! Yeah, didn’t realize Eric took over for Peter when his contract ran out. Thanks for watching!
Correct. I saw them on the Australian 🇦🇺 leg of the “Farewell Tour” in 2001. The Japan/Australia leg happened just after contract negotiations fell through with Peter Criss & his manager. I actually have a cassette tape of my phone conversation with Paul on a Sydney radio station where I asked him why Eric S did not have his own makeup / costume & persona. All part of the contract agreement with our Promoter. The whole makeup debate for Tommy & Eric is another topic though !
Yeah, I was wondering about those 2 line ups, as well.
Paul, Gene, Peter and Tommy did Alive 4, the orchestra show, but I can understand if it doesn't count because they didn't do an album of new material.
@@TheJohnnyCotts It counts, I missed it :( Thanks for watching!
Steve, my friend, just turning 60 this January, my Rock-N-Roll stage antic days are far behind me. I fall in the "almost made it" category as do most musicians who ever picked up an instrument. I did, however, do many things that I to this day am very proud of. Three days after my 21st birthday, I was on a plane out of Indiana and on my way to land at LAX in LA to be a Rockstar. I first picked up a guitar because I heard KISS Alive at a friend's house. Long story short, I not only played up and down the Sunset Strip in Hollywood and up and down the Vegas Strip in Las Vegas (because I ended up moving away from Hollywood to become a "big fish in a small pond" in Vegas and it was close enough to drive a Hollywood and play) and wound up opening for many of the bands that I used to watch on MTV and got to know a lot of them as close friends. I even got to not only meet but eventually work with my musical heroes, KISS! Just when we were getting serious label interest, the "grunge" scene hit and slammed the door on "good time party Rock-N-Roll music" and the clock ran out on my Rockstar dreams but I couldn't let go of my love of music so I became a professional audio engineer and worked in Vegas with everyone from KISS to James Brown, Mariah Carey to Prince, Motley Crue to Christina Aguilera, etc... you get the picture... Anyway, sorry that my comment was so winded, but I agree with your evaluation 100%!
(Great minds think alike!)
New sub here my friend! I look forward to binge watching your channel and seeing new content also!
God bless and take care...
Hey man, thanks, that's awesome! I followed a similar path, although from my then homebase Portland, Oregon, but never made it far, but we tried :) Love hearing stories like this, reminds me of a more carefree time. Thanks for sharing, sounds like we have a lot of common ground :) God bless man!
well done, i never get so far......but I m on the "almost made it" club too.
Wow....!! Rock on.... You've been there done that wore the tee shirt wow and respect .....kiss alive best live album for me ,
The thing that made Pete perfect for the early music was the fact he wasn’t a rock drummer. He was the Gene Krupa, big band/jazz school, and the way he swings on those tracks gives them a dirty, garage band vibe that the hitters like Carr and Singer just don’t have. I’ve always known the best way to tell if Pete is playing on later tracks is by the use of his high hats. A standard drum theme in music is high hats for verses, and pre choruses, and rides for choruses and bridges. Pete uses his high hats almost exclusively, using his ride as more cymbal like than bell like, which gives Anton fig away instantly on the later recordings. Peter Criss was also a fantastic vocalist. His only issue was, he couldn’t write songs. And once cocaine came into the picture, it derailed him, feeling somehow he didn’t get enough of the spotlight as a songwriter. Remember, back then, as now, songwriters get the biggest piece of royalty monies. So the incentive to be a major writer in the band fueled his jealousy for Gene and Paul.
As a die hard Peter Criss fan, very realistic comment!!!
Nice video. I think you forgot about the line up Gene, Paul, Ace and Eric Singer. This was a short period timeline during the farewell tour around Japan. In my opinion it was an excellent one.
Yeah I missed it and Peter and Tommy with the Kiss Symphony. Thanks for watching!
Yes, I liked this line-up on their "Off the Soundboard" album. At this point, Ace could still play well enough, but the band needed a boost of energy, which Eric Singer brought to the band.
I’m glad that you put the original 4 as #1. That was my favorite lineup.
They were great weren't they? Thanks for watching!
Saying better, is always a slippery slope, because different types of drummers, don't always mean better!!! Peter Criss came from a jazz and blues and big band swing background, but instilled it into Rock and Roll, and Peter had a unique jungle rhythm and jazz filled riffs and unique style, and by far best voice and powerful and soulful voice in Kiss!!!@
Well, better is always subjective for sure. Peter's style was perfect for the original line up and music, and yeah, I thought he had a great voice. Thanks for watching!
I love Bruce years
100% Steve. Great commentary. Saw 1 - classic. But for me, 2 live was exceptional. The energy was incredible, the movement on stage & the playing. Wonderful gigs. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you and thanks for watching!
Okay, gene & paul were in every lineup so just listing the lead guitar/ drummer combos. I’m not counting the random one offs but am including the touring lineups. There were nine that I know of. Let me know if I missed any.
1. Ace & Peter
2. Bruce & Eric Carr
3. Bruce & Eric Singer
4. Ace & Eric Carr
5. Vinnie & Eric Carr
6. Mark & Eric Carr
7. Tommy & Eric Singer
8. Ace & Eric Singer
9. Tommy & Peter
Saw them in 2004 when Peter briefly rejoined the group. Ace left in 2002 so Tommy was on guitar. Probably the strangest lineup. Just seemed to lack the chemistry and excitement of the other lineups.
Great job, great list, great narrative. Well done sir.
Thank you so much, I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
You nailed it. 100%.
I thought about whether Vinnie should be higher than Ace w/ Eric bc they barely did anything together, but I sawVinnie live with Kiss & the Invasion & it was a train wreck both times.
With the original lineup, the song was always more important than the player, which makes it #1 in my book.
Thanks man! Thanks for watching!
Partially agree
I've seen every lineup... more than once. KISS concert total 36 as of today. I have to say I would push Vinnie version up to #3. I know Dude is a whacko but he wrote Lick it Up and that did a lot for KISS. I 100% agree with every other placement you made... you'll never beat the original but that goes for most things. I am the guy the looking forward to the AI version. I mean Gene will fly without strings now! LOL!
Great Video! But... I can sit and talk KISS all day... and NO I don't live in my parents basement. ROCK ON EVERYBODY!
Wow, you got me beat :) I get ya on Vinnie he was a great player, great songs, just never felt right to me, but hey thats just MHO. Thanks for watching man!
Both Ace and Peter are sloppy players
@@matskindell4130
...that fit like a glove.
I actually completely agree with you on the list. The top two I think we’re interchangeable but yes the magic was undeniable. What you failed to mention though was that sonic boom was also quite a subpar album. I listen to it once and gave it away. The most talented lineup was number two.
You are right, I didn't mention Sonic Boom, and I should have. Thanks for watching!
Awesome review. I agree. The original magic can never be beaten. The chemistry in the rock lab is inspirational
Your number 3 is my number 2. I loved when Revenge came out. It was like a total "come back" album for me. Anything with Vinnie gets my total thumbs down and is last on my list. The rest I agree.
Yeah, I was listening to Revenge today. Pretty darn good album. Thanks for watching!
I like the ranking. Good point on #1. 70’ s kiss is awesome. Some 80’s albums are good.
Have to agree 100% with your rankings.
I agree with you on #1 and #2
Spot on about the original 4 being the best lineup.
I enjoyed the video. Thank you for posting! I liked your lineup and respect all the reasons you gave too. And I agree that the original is hard to beat and the reason you gave for that is because of the good times, attitude, and era it all began in. Agreed 💯
But if you were to ask me who my favorite lineup is, it’s Paul, Gene, Singer, and Kulick. Their sound was just more raw in my opinion, like in Alive III, and I truly believe that Singer and Kulick are better, more talented musicians. I like Kulick’s riffs more as he added some variations in songs that gave a scream kind of sound, and I think Singer hits the drums harder and can play faster with more variation than Criss. He could sing better than Carr too. And I also think he can sing just as well if not better than Criss🤷🏻 I just saw them in concert this year and they’re still killing it. Singer sang Beth and you could tell there was no added background artificial made sound aiding his vocals. It was Awesome ❤
Thanks man, and I you are right, Kulick and Singer are both monsters, great players and Eric does have a great voice! Thanks for watching!😀
Best Kiss line up? The original. End of story.
Yep, totally agree! Thanks for watching!
Gonna say Eric Carr,Peter Criss,Eric Singer
agree 100%- except for monster... I'll the album- I do hear the similarities you mentioned though... Paul wrote those 4 songs you mentioned so the probably sound so similar because of that. Pretty interesting though. Great Job
Thank you and thanks for watching!
The best is the original, they created KISS, none of the others created the impact that the original line up did
1. 🥇Paul, Gene, Eric, Bruce
2. 🥈Paul, Gene, Peter, Ace
3. 🥉Paul, Gene, Eric, Ace
Love these
Good choices, thanks for watching!
Only one choice!!!! Original lineup, the rest of them would've never had a chance to shine, if the fantastic four wasn't legends!!!!!
00:56
He/Mark actually did a tour with them. Although he almost never played live. At one point Bruce and Mark were on stage for half a show each, and as far as i know he only did 1 full show with them in Poughkeepsie 1984. It's up on RUclips and Spotify, etc. So listen to it if you haven't already. My guess is that if you have a hard time with Vinnie you're gonna have a real hard time with Mark.
I'd put the last lineup last on the list. Thayer is the only Kiss member out of everybody that doesn't have his own style, and i can't go for that.
Lastly you forgot two lineups. 2001-2002 Kiss was Eric, Ace, Paul and Gene. And 2003 Kiss was Peter, Tommy, Gene and Paul. They even released Kiss Alive IV together.
Nice video.
Always fun with a chart.
Thanks, yeah I didn't include those. Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!
The rawness,guts and balls of the original four is magic and could never be duplicated,,,,hell,,,, this is what got us all into Kiss in the first place.
I've been a fan since '77, I was 10 years old, I've seen Kiss live 8 times and the only member I never saw live was Mark St John as he only ever played 3 dates,November 27, 28, and 29,I have seen the Animalize live DVD though.
Great video btw and I agree with your selections.
Ha k you so much, I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
Agree 💯 per cent with U!
The original lineup just worked the best!
Great list - Personally, I would switch #3 and #2 but agreed with everything else.
Good thing you had the original lineup as best.
Spot on
Thanks and thanks for watching!
100%! Bravo!
Thanks for posting this. I remember asking you to make this video.
My ranking.
1st the original line up due to the dirty raw no nonsense rock and roll they produced on 6 albums.
2nd the eric ace Paul gene line up. I am tempted to rate this as the best and you will understand why if you see Sydney 1980 footage.
3rd the revenge line up. I saw them play and I think with the Revenge album they definitely were on the right track. The look the sound. Everything. Back to rick n roll.
4th vinnie Paul eruc gene. I think creatures was one of their best albums and lick it up was their last good album until revenge. Yeah he was crazy on stage but I still like the look and sound of the band based on bootleg recordings.
5th eric carr Paul gene Bruce.
Live they were good but they never toured Australia with this line up so I have to rely on bootlegs. Asylum and hot in the shade are simply not good albums. Crazy nights is a good pop album but the fact no songs get played on tour tells you something. I blame Paul and gene for the poor productivity from 1984 to 1989.
6th the sonic boom line up. Its a cover band. I refused to watch them. Monster is forgettable. Sonic boom I like but I can't help listening to it and thinking it would be much better with the real space Ace licks and new York vocals.
7th mark eric Paul Peter. Animalize has only a few good tracks and they only performed 3 shows.
My ranking is much different to yours. That's why Australia is the land down under.
Hey that's all good. In reality, its all subjective, that's what's cool. We can all have different opinions and share them. You make good points. We agree on number 1 so that's all that matters huh? 😀
@@stevelongmusic880 yes us Australians actually consider Eric Carr the real kiss drummer. Where Americans shunned Dynasty and Unmasked we had kiss hysteria during that period.
I loved Eric, great drummer! And don't tell anyone, I loved the Dynasty and Unmasked albums :)
@@stevelongmusic880 do yourself a big favour and look at the 1980 Sydney concert here on RUclips. The Dynasty and unmasked tracks are heavier with Eric's savage drumming.
Gene,Paul, Ace,Peter were the best!
Yep, thanks for watching!
6:40 - I'd include the Who (1964-78) on that list...
Nice job...actually agree 100%. You should do an "Ozzy Lineups WORST to BEST" video.
That's not a bad idea, I'll do it. Thanks for watching!
I agree with that line up also.
My favorite kiss lineup will always be the original with Paul,gene,peter & ace!
Mine too! Thanks for watching!
well, interestin' topic, Vinnie V. wrote some gr8 tunes with Kiss, so in my opinion the line-up with him should be higher. As a live act one cannot deny the powerhouse Tommy/Eric/Gene/Paul was.But of course I agree with you, the original line-up is nr.1, no question about it, because they created most of the classic songs, the personas, the stage act.
Who here surprised of number of 1?… No one, makes these videos kind of boring
Absolutely agree with you 100%. Spot on!
Great minds think alike :) thanks for watching!
W Ranking I agree 100%
I'm grateful I got to see Ace with Eric Singer in Japan. Hot damn, that lineup was excellent.
I bet that was cool! Thanks for watching!
spot on
Where would you place the quick lineups of Paul Gene Tommy and Peter, and Paul Gene Ace and Eric?
Yeah I left those off. Probably, hate to admit it, Tommy and Peter at the bottom. Ace and Eric probably closer just above the last lineup. Thanks for watching!
as much magic as the original line up has, i still put it at 2, the bruce, eric carr lineup is 1000% my fave, the energy is un matched, and as much as i love revenge as an album,, those parts were written for eric carr
Good vid But forgot the line up of Peter and Tommy from 03. Also Ace and Eric singer did a couple shows outside the US, but I wouldn’t really count it as a lineup
The original ! They were by far the most successful !
I think you nailed it man.
Thanks, appreciate it! Thanks for watching!
I loved why you had the original band as number one. As an old front man for a number of metal bands in the 80's....a lot of times ( and the same is true in athletics ) the WHOLE is greater than the sum of it's parts. I played with some technically great musicians...many of whom were ( I lived in the Greater Cincinnati area at the time ) the VERY best in the Tri - State area....but the CHEMISTRY wasn't there...and you KNOW when you have that chemistry...just because you have the 4 or 5 best musicians playing together...doesn't mean you're gonna be the best band !
I'm Argentine, a Kiss follower since '78. I'm really sorry about Mark St John's short stint and fate; apparently his West Coast personality didn't fit well with the rest, all of them New Yorkers. He also was a bit arrogant apparently, and maybe the recent memories of Vinnie's similar attitude had something to do with the little patience Gene and Paul had toward him. Mark himself expressed once that the reactive arthritis thing (a condition that recedes) was an excuse for his replacement.
Animalize is in my opinion the best album they put out between Creatures and Revenge. Good content, thanks.
I loved Animalized, I thought it was a great album. Thank you so much and thanks for watching!
The two best players left early, after that I don't care what Gene and Paul did.
Boohoo😂😂
Agreed, Peter Criss and Ace best by far!!!!
I love the energy
Gene & Paul
Carr-Singer & Bruce
Yeah, I did enjoy them too, thanks for watching!
i would say you are spot on
Spot on !
The original lineup was the best!!!!
Amen! Thanks for watching!
Agree
Agreed!!!
The Frehley/Singer Line Up ans Criss/Thayer lineup... Where Do you rank them?
Well, I know I didn't include either in my list. Singer played like 15 dates with Ace, but I would probably put them right before the Eric Carr/Ace, just because Ace was not at his best during the Elder, and they were all but broken up. As for Criss and Thayer, well I would rate that lower again because it was short lived and Peter wasn't up to his original ability at the time. I dunno. What do you think? Thanks for watching!
KISS was always best when they had 4 vocalists...
Agreed, thanks for watching!
I do agree with you great job 👏 👍🙏
Thank you!
That was a good list man.
I agree with most of your opinions here. The first KISS album is killer, and unique. I also agree with you, that Crazy Nights is a great album. But I know most KISS fans rank it as one of their weakest efforts. Apart from the debut, and a few songs here and there, I like the 80's KISS best.
To honestly say who the best or worst KISS lineup was needs some context for 1) the best sounding live, 2) the best studio band, and 3) the most appealing lineup for the fans. 1)Does anyone remember the very brief lineup of Gene, Paul, Ace and Eric? To me that was the KISS sound of the 80s albeit I've only heard 'The Oath' from the early 80s show 'Fridays' with that version of the band playing live. Imagine if that band had toured? 2) In the studio KISS did their best work with the Gene, Paul, Eric and Bruce lineup. 3) Bottom-line is the original KISS will always be true KISS fans' favourites.
Well I see these opinionated rankings with things to do with the band (albums, album covers, songs, solo albums, etc etc) and I go meh, who cares.
Yet I watched this and imo you nailed it. Exactly my order. You said why and what you felt, backed it up. And importantly you said that despite not the best technical musicians, it just worked. Ppl comparing Ace and Tommy. Ppl hating on Ace for his addictions and hating on Tommy for being a copy. Ultimately it’s the band.
Totally agree. Eric and Tommy are polished but there is no feel. It’s a job. Peter and Ace (along with Gene and Paul) had passion and desire to create something amazing and that they did. It showed every night on stage. Incredible. E & T never experienced that and in reality turned up for work with something missing. That was the drive to be successful. Not their fault but it showed.
The list is the same as mine. CNs gets panned and I love it despite being a fan from DTK.
Great vid. Thank you.
Appreciate it, thx!
What about Gene Paul Tommy and Peter, the lineup of The Symphony Concert and the 2003 Tour
Yeah I missed that one and the one with Ace and Eric Singer. My bad. Thanks for watching!
I 100% agree with you!
1:03 already there is a mistake… Mark Toured with KISS…together with Bruce, there were Shows when KISS had both of them in the same stage the same show…with both of them playing 50% of the show each…
Also I miss the Paul/Gene/EricS/Ace Lineup, I Miss the Paul/Gene/Peter/Tommy Lineup here too…
And if we are getting picky, there also would be the 3 different 3 Person lineups, that sometime happened… and also there was the Paul/Gene/Eddie/Ace show
True, Mark did play like 3 shows with Bruce covering a chunk, you are right. And yeahI did miss the short-lived lineups. Thanks for watching!
Look at you!! 745 subs Steve!!!!!❤
Hey, thanks! I'm so appreciative of all the support!
Have to put the Vinnie line up ahead of the Thayer line up. Lick It Up is far better than anything they did with Thayer.
Actually thats a good point. I just didn't care for him live, guess it jaded me. Thanks for watching!
I agree to a large degree. I would perhaps have ranked Ace+Carr a bit higher, based on the Unmasked Tour. The live recordings from that one rock.
Eric Singer couldn't hold Peter's drumsticks!!! Peter Criss had a great jungle rhythm and jazz filled riffs and unique style and voice was by far the best in Kiss ever!!! Original lineup is the only one that truly matters!!!
Well you are right. They are a totally different style of drummer, and Peter has more feel, the chops and the voice. Eric is pretty much a straight ahead rock drummer. Thanks for watching!
Is it ignorance or apathy?
Ignorance, is being dumb enough to have the illusion that anyone can replace Peter Criss and Ace!!!! Legends
@@kevinchandler179 but they did, and did well.
nice ill agree with this list and i will say rain and jungle were memorable on Carnival of Souls
Ah yeah, they are pretty cool. Thanks for watching!
Although Psycho Circus is not one of the great albums, Kevin Valentine did a terrific job on drums….
but he wasn't an official member.
vinnie vincent wasn’t either..he never signed a contract…but here he is in this video….,
@@databasedan6833 you're not very bright, right? Vinnie vincent composed and performed on two albums. Appeared on album covers, official photographs, played a lot of concerts, etc. He wasn't a session musician, like Valentine . For all purposes he was a band member, even though he didn't sign a contract.
Ok apparently your tin foil hat has to be adjusted kiss fan boy! I was just saying a guy was a good drummer…..lol
The worst lineup by far was the last one
You mean the impostors? Lol 😂
I agree, no Peter or Ace no Kiss
@@kevinchandler179 They have done a better job than Peter & Ace on Psycho Circus lol, they just didin't fit anymore, it was hardly KISS with them.
Amen to that Tommy and Eric are just pretending to be ace and Peter.
I feel like the original lineup in the 70s and the original lineup in the Reunion should be 2 different tiers, cause one is significantly worse than the other lol
Yeah, that makes since, they were definitely at different levels. Thanks for watching!
I would rank 'em like this:
*#7* Tommy & Eric Singer
*#6* Mark & Eric Carr
*#5* Ace & Eric Carr
*#4* Vinnie & Eric Carr
*#3* Bruce & Eric Carr
*#2* Bruce & Eric Singer
*#1* Ace & Peter
The original lineup is the greatest. No way around it. People can mock Kiss in any number of creative ways but _that_ band became the *BIGGEST* band in the world. No one can ever take that away from them.
You tossed out the transitory lineups featuring Tommy and Eric playing with three original members, and I commend you for that. By 2001 the band was a full-fledged nostalgia act. Psycho Circus has its moments but it was all creative collapse after that. Probably why 11 years passed between studio albums.
I understand putting the Mark St John lineup last as he wasn't really all that prolific a member. However, I put that incarnation above the final lineup because I enjoy Animalize more than Sonic Boom and Monster.
Yes. The final line up should be last because Paul and Gene's voices were in decline and they were using playing recorded songs "live."
I'd include the Anton Fig line up, maybe at 5 or 6 out of 8.
For me: 1 - Gene, Paul, Eric Singer, Bruce Kulik; Gene, Paul, Eric Singer, Thommy; Gene, Paul, Eric Carr, Bruce. I love the original songs, but the songs of the late 80's to mid 90's is my favorite.
Yeah I love the 80-90s Kiss, Thanks for watching!
Least favorite lineup for me Gene, Paul, Eric S. and Tommy Thayer,second favorite is Gene, Paul,Eric C. and Bruce Kulick(I can't count Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John because their time in the band was short lived) of course my number one favorite lineup Gene, Paul,Peter and Ace.
I would argue they didn't replace Ace with studio musicians quite a bit--more like "a few times." He wasn't on creatures at all nor did he want to- that was when he was quitting. I can only really think of the studio songs on Killers, Alive 2, Sweet pain and a couple solos on unmasked that Paul did
Great video.
Thanks, thanks for watching!
Is that a Guild Songbird in the background? I had one of those. Nice.
Actually its a 2002 Taylor 714CE. LOVE this guitar :) Thanks for watching!
1. 1973 - 1980 Gene, Paul, Ace & Peter
2. 1982 - 1984 Gene, Paul, Vinnie & Eric Carr
3. 1984 - 1991 Gene, Paul, Eric Carr & Bruce
4. 1992 - 1996 Gene, Paul, Bruce & Eric Singer
5. 1996 - 2001 Gene, Paul, Ace & Eric
6. 1980 - 1982 Gene, Paul, Ace & Eric Carr
7. 2004 - 2024 Gene, Paul, Tommy & Eric Singer
8. 1984 Gene, Paul, Eric Carr & Mark
9. 2001 - 2002 Gene, Paul, Ace & Eric Singer
10. 2002 Gene, Paul, Eric & Tommy
11. 2003 Gene, Paul, Eric & Tommy
Ive seen kiss a dozen times, first time was in '82 at Cobo Hall in Detroit. The Plasmatics opened up and Wendy O was wild as hell. But Kiss felt off even then, and i was 12.
I kept going to concerts and was disturbed by all the "final" tours. I went to 3 final tours before i gave up. They went from looking like superheroes to old men in drag. Last time i went was around 2014, and they were not rhe same band.
That's the last time I saw them too, took my daughter. She had a hard time with a 62ish year old Paul Stanley shaking his butt - haha
@@stevelongmusic880 It is a little weird that Paul still sees himself as a 25 year old sex symbol.
OEM # 1 CAN NEVER BE MATCHED, PURE MAGIC!
I was completely unaware of Paul's mj rants 😅