KISS - ASYLUM Album Review!

[@RickenbackerMike]

Eric Carr= Miniture John Bonham….. Love it!

[@firewaterMM]

I did see the Asylum your. WASP opened for them at my show. Riding the success of Lick it Up, Heaven's on Fire and now Tears are Falling, I was insanely excited for the show. That huge KISS sign was super cool. I was 17 with no car and living in the mountains so, suffice to say I had a lot of time to listen to that album over and over again. I had hopes they'd play at least 3 cuts from the album but only got Tears and Uh All Nite. But they did We Won't Be Fooled Again by The Who and it blew me away. They looked silly but not any sillier than Motley Crue or Ratt. The stage was much larger in scope than the Animalize stage/tour.

[@ozzycastalotovich2249]

Correction; Neither Bruce or Eric were ever offically Kiss members, they were, as all additions were after 1982, hired hands. Unlike most rock groups, Paul & Gene never invited any other members into the fold, which is why only the original members, the real Kiss so to speak, were inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Also, regarding the bass & backing vocals on this and the previous album, "Animalize", Gene was not present during the recording of either, it's Jean Beauvoir that appears on both albums.

[@HARDROCKreverie]

C'mon, dude. Obviously I'm not saying they were getting 1/4 cut of the profits or making the decisions. But on Animalize Bruce just plays a couple of leads and Mark is the guy, and with Asylum Bruce's name is one of the four big ones on the album and the tour book. Of course they're hired hands.

[@trevor-johnsen]

​there's a difference between being a business partner and a band member. Bruce & Eric were obviously band members, but they weren't partners in the KISS company.

[@jonstreng7850]

Hated the album cover. The material was much better than Animalize. Eric Carr is the most powerful drummer KISS has had. He sang terrific also. T I never really paid much attention to the guitars on KISS tunes after Ace left. After he left Paul and Eric were the glue that held the group together. Who wants to be Lonely is my favorite on the LP. I wish they would have done it on the tours in later years To me I'm Alive sounds like a combo of Under the Gun and Fits Like a Glove. Track 7 - Gold. Excellent video also..

[@LSPalm]

Might be Jean Beauvoir doing bass on King of the Mountain

[@MondoMiami]

I LOL at so many points in this review. I think we are roughly the same age, and I had many of the exact same thoughts in 1985 about Bruce’s strong leads, Gene’s cliched lyrics, the kind of solid-but-bland feel of the album overall, (I, too, love Trial By Fire), etc.

[@botboy6977]

I remember getting this and being very disappointed. After 3 really heavy and very good albums they release asylum! It was kinda like a newer version of Unmasked. Over time I’ve warmed up to it a little. Quite a few songs are in the 2-3 stars for me. 2 5stars, who wants to be lonely and tears r falling.

[@firewaterMM]

When this album came out the only songs I didn't like we're again the Gene songs except for Anyway You Slice it, which I didn't love but didn't mind. I've grown to kinda like the others but over all this album ranks below Animalize for me. (Below Crazy Nights as well, shhh)

[@stevechristie2660]

Another great review.Secretly Cruel,a Gene song rips off Mr.Speed,a Paul (and Sean Delaney) song.I have always thought that Mr.Speed 'borrows' the riff from the great T.Rex song 'Get it on'.I think it was titled 'Bang a gong'in the U.S.and as I said,love the review but not only that, the comments at the end make it great viewing,cheers !

[@HARDROCKreverie]

Thanks Steve! Cheers!

[@Starman2112ofKings]

I remember when it came out in 85 and seeing that horrendous album cover. I thought well as long as it rocks I can still buy it. Yikes was I wrong I didn’t think it was very good either. Til about 5 years ago I gave it a try again and like it quite a bit now. So for me…….. King of the Mountain- 4 (cool way to open) Anyway you Slice it- 4 (definitely best Gene song on the album) Who Wants to be Lonely- 4 Trial by Fire- 3 I’m Alive- 1 (musically it rocks but can’t stand Paul’s in the stratosphere vocal) Love’s a Deadly Weapon- 2 (musically love it) but stupid song. Tears are Falling- 5 (Great 80’s song that still sounds good) doesn’t work live tho then or definitely not now. Yikes!!! Secretly Cruel- 3 (not bad for a Gene song) Radar for Love- 2. Ugh! Uh! All Night- 4

[@LorKen17021991]

Always loved Radar for Love too. Love this ballsy riff

[@davealmer3803]

This was when KISS was being sponsored by Victoria Secret. There was NO stage show in Toronto 86 and they played at 100 miles an HR.

[@masonmixon8031]

Yes....Motley Crue were THE BAND everyone else wanted to be back in the day

[@johnpatterson4272]

I'm thinking the KISS Asylum (KISS) sign including the Monster (Spider) lighting grid and the original Love Gun stage as a juxtaposition of effects for the final shows of the EOTR tour.

[@MondoMiami]

Except they won’t do anything special like that. They don’t care about what fans want. Money money money.

[@johnpatterson4272]

Agreed, a rather shallow way to go out with such a legacy of decades. @@MondoMiami

[@ruedigernassauer]

The title "Asylum" means in English also sanatarium. They chose this title because being in the studio for awhile felt like being in an asylum to them. That´s what Paul or Gene said in an interview back then.

[@ubermensch6669]

Paul has never used that nasally voice on tears are falling ,it really stands out in their catalog and was never used on alieve 3 which was a bummer

[@danthaman03]

To me this album is like the Star wars holiday special. Even Crazy nights and Hot in the shade had some magical tracks on it.

[@HARDROCKreverie]

Star wars holiday special 😅 Yeah, I hear a lot of people now who like to talk about how underrated this album is and it's "a lot heavier than we used to think," but--I don't know what it is--something about this album just bothers me. It's like they're just trying too hard to follow the trends instead of making a real kiss album.

[@danthaman03]

@@HARDROCKreverie exactly Kiss became another cookie cutter formula big hair band 1985 to 1989. People think kiss jumped the shark with Dynasty Unmasked and the Elder but they had some great tracks.

[@HARDROCKreverie]

@@danthaman03 I won't argue with that a bit. The most disappointing thing about the late '80s to me is that kiss hadn't learned their lesson in the early '80s.

[@danthaman03]

@@HARDROCKreverie perhaps Dr Suess could have written some songs for them. He was a genius. He could write a book in a an hour.

[@HARDROCKreverie]

@@danthaman03 Dr Seuss could not write deuce. He would not write hell's breaking loose. But if kiss had him sit beside them, I bet he could improve asylum. Thank you for this moment Dan. When I woke this morning I could not have imagined I had this creativity inside me. Lol

[@perwarmell5741]

Ohh there is a difference between us... I love Radar for Love

[@bradbaird6526]

I was 15 when Asylum came out when I was 16 and started driving it was my mainstay. One of my favorites! Maybe just for the time. I do agree with Trial By Fire! Great song! Appreciate the way you go through and your thoughts. Great for us fans but not the kool aid drinkers😆

[@HARDROCKreverie]

Thanks, Brad! Alright, some Trial By Fire love! 😆

[@ubermensch6669]

I always wandered why bruce kulick didn’t join kiss right after ace left ,bruce was already a professional musician in the business with meatloaf and blackjack

[@HARDROCKreverie]

I absolutely wish I had some kind of an answer for that, too. Really do.

[@charlene2400]

Animalize really was the tipping point. I loved side 1, and side 2 meh. Asylum, maybe couple songs, with Any Way You Slice being my fave. The next two while poppy/catchy, and moments, were forgettable, for me at least.

[@WilliamCurry-bh3dk]

did you like the songs ?

[@WilliamCurry-bh3dk]

your all I want !!!

[@Ramatx]

Great album

[@uuu098]

I saw this tour, it was my first concert, and it rocked! Although I was very young, I was not disappointed. As for the album, it is mediocre. One of their worst of the 80's. I don't mind the image or clothes, the songs just don't have the bite/edge that the previous few albums had. Tears are Falling is great however! As for the lyrics, what do you expect!? Kiss never wrote thought provoking lyrics. These lyrics aren't any worse than any of their other albums (excpet for maybe Bang Bang You LOL!)

[@jamieperdue8663]

I'll take Asylum over Animalize any day of the week. Bruce's best playing. Their last good album. Revenge was ok though.

[@kameel68]

Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick make it a good album. The songwriting suck on this album.

[@HARDROCKreverie]

Except for a few tracks, I have to agree.

[@jaysonnorman8955]

I think Asylum is superior album to Animalize. Yes, Animalize is heavier, but Asylum has more layers to it. Bruce Kulick is a far more melodic guitarist than Mark St. John. I like Animalize, but it gets stale as you're chugging along through the album. There are more breaths of fresh air on Asylum.