Style: hard rock
Label: Mercury
Year: 1985
Home: New York
Members: Paul Stanley ~ vocals/guitar/bass
Gene Simmons ~ bass/vocals
Bruce Kulick ~ lead guitar/b. vocals
Eric Carr ~ drums/b. vocals
Additional: Jean Beauvoir ~ bass/b. vocals
Allan Schwartzberg ~ drum overdubs
Asylum is often called the worst Kiss album, or at least competing for bottom place. I put Unmasked on the bottom, by far, which for me doesn't even sound like Kiss outside of a few tracks by Ace Frehley. Though, Asylum does not climb very high on my ladder of Kiss studio albums, even if you exclude their classic '70's output. The criticisms around this album usually call out Kiss for joining the '80's hair metal bandwagon with a bad sound & weak songs. Essentially, not being Kiss. Unmasked had them trying for some strange '70's pop rock that was even farther from Kiss than anything before or after. By the time Asylum came out Kiss had already moved into the '80's mold so there should be no surprise with this musical transition. If anything it has weak songs, but they'd already stacked up their share of weak songs. Perhaps Asylum gets worse ratings by some because it came after some good albums like Creatures Of The Night, Lick It Up & the under-rated Music From "The Elder", while 1980's Unmasked came in a transitional moment in the music industry & thus might be forgiven a bit for its musical flavor. This is the first album to feature guitarist Bruce Kulick as an official member, having already covered for Mark St. John on both the previous album & tour. While in the drum seat continues to be the powerhouse Eric Carr. Kulick contributes some songs, but doesn't really throw the band for a loop as a new presence. What does throw the band for a loop is the presence of outside songwriter Desmond Child. Child would become known for helping launch comebacks for Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, & essentially mold the '80's big hair sound by writing one chart topping hit after another for a whose who of the scene. He's also known for writing songs that sound more like him & less like their respective artists, where one can mix & match a Child song between artists without much worrying about losing the band's personality. Child has written great songs & continues to do so to the present day, but just because one is a hit songwriter doesn't mean they fit for every band. Jewel is a hit songwriter, but I can't imagine her handing over "Who Will Save Your Soul" to Kiss. While Kiss themselves are hit songwriters, but I can't see them offering Barry Manilow Gene's "Dance All Over Your Face." Child doesn't know the classic Kiss sound & is steering them elsewhere, somewhere better suited for Bon Jovi who when working with Child didn't have a distinctive sound that had changed heavy metal. He's the wrong fit. If only they'd had Bob Rock or Rick Rubin. Even when Child tries to write a Kiss-like song, he doesn't quite get it right. Child is a far superior writer than anyone in Kiss, but Kiss is who they are for lyrics that are a bit rough. This is not a band of slick wordplay or poetry or Jim Morrison laments or Bob Dylan rambles. Child tries, but he's not heavy metal. More so, he's not dangerous. He's sexy & sly with tons of innuendoes, but never dangerous. His music is for mass consumption with things that walk the line, like Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)", not to make parents cringe via anal sex which Kiss did in "Nothin' To Lose" from their debut. "Plaster Caster" from 1977's Love Gun about having a plaster cast made of one's male genitalia could never come from Child's pen, but we expect something like this from Gene. What we expect isn't being found here. That's the problem. What Kiss does, he can't do. Thus, the problem with Asylum is Kiss neutered of their power. Gone is the beast on stage & in the music. On first listen the album isn't bad, but on repeated listens its obvious Kiss isn't singing with their plaster castered cocks anymore. Though, there are moments, which for me makes this not their worst album ever. "King Of The Mountain" is a big & bold song that might not be one of their great hits of the post-70's, worth putting in your shuffled playlist. "Who Wants To Be Lonely" is a good ballad. Paul also needs credit for good singing. Its ironic that this would be called Asylum, given fans were not crazy about it, or it drove fans crazy with frustration. To play on another pun, if your lover reaches over for this Kiss, turn away. Its going to be a sloppy kiss.
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