Critics nominally slag on Peter's solo album for sport, but you know what? I don't think it is actually as bad as they say it is. One thing they fail to understand is, Criss' background and influences - R&B, doo wop, and jazz, which he stays true to here. Admittedly, the glossy production gives it quite the karaoke feel, and like on Gene's album, he carries over with the female backing vocals, but there are some songs worth hearing a few times. Not many, mind you, but they exist. As with the other solo records, guest stars abound, and here's another twist of fate - the producer (Vini Poncia) was the guy who produced a bunch of Ringo Starr solo albums - and, well, he figures prominently on the next few Kiss records, too. Most of the first side is complete garbage, but it is partially redeemed by a competent second side. Honestly, compared to the quirky shenanigans on Gene's album, and the ridiculous faux-serious stance on Paul's, I'd actually give Peter's a slight edge just from a consistency standpoint. At least the guy knows what the hell he wants to play and sing about.

Another decidedly odd effort, but in a different way. Gene really had no desire to go solo and this was much more of a lark for him, as a good chunk of these tracks were rejected demos from the Destroyer sessions. It has much more of a pop feel than normal Kiss music, but it belongs on its' own weird wavelength as well - many songs are drenched in awful female doo-wop backing vocals, and crossed Ezrin touches like faux-classical piano and violin passages, which gives it a mock Electric Light Orchestra feel, as well. I hear whiffs of late-70's Cheap Trick in this, too, which makes sense, because Rick Nielsen guested on the record. Bonus idiot savant piece of trivia - one of the backing vocalists was none other than Peggy Bundy a.k.a. Katey Sagal.

The big drawback is Ace's singing voice, which for the most part is flat and oft-putting. That, and all of the songs are about getting extremely wasted. Many people have speculated that this album functioned as a spotlight for Ace's talents, but on the contrary - I think it was more of a subconscious cry for help, but the protagonist was too burrowed in his own head to realize it. Another item of note here was that Anton Fig, who would become Peter Criss' in-studio replacement for the next couple of Kiss records (more on that later), plays drums throughout.

By this time, KISS-hysteria was in high gear. Sold-out shows, past albums constantly being re-released and selling like hotcakes, merchandising and fan club memorabilia going through the roof - all in all, while across the water, England was ostensibly burning under the banner of the punk rock, these guys were living the rock 'n' roll lifestyle for all it was worth. Well, at least Ace and Peter were, as Gene and Paul abstained from drugs and alcohol, only part taking in the hedonistic pursuits of the fairer sex. But hey, five studio albums, one live album, tons of live shows, of basically the same shtick over and over and over…and by now two things were happening. Folks in the band were really getting full of themselves, buying into their own hype and ego, and conversely, just getting lazy, too. Here is where a guy like Bob Ezrin could have stepped in as producer and in the very least, righted the ship for a period of time, enabling the band to release a small series of significant efforts in album format. But instead, Love Gun is the last real gasp, and even then, that's debatable. There are some damn fine tracks here, but in evidence as well, harbingers of the heaping bowls of BS that was to come en masse, and quite soon at that.

Recorded in Los Angeles by the Kerner/Wise team, and apparently it did not go so well, for various reasons. The sound of this one is not as clean and polished as the debut, which many people prefer. I just take it for what it is, really. There are some great songs here, a few not up to snuff, and what might be suffering in comparison to the first album is that unified mindset, even though I feel like I am splitting hairs.