By 1979, the New York City Natives, Kiss, were at the height of their stardom. Five years prior, the band released their debut and sophomore records to mediocre success. But come 1975 and their Alive! album, they shot into rock and roll superheroes. Since 1975, their studio records and live albums would each slide into a top-15 spot on the Billboard 200.
What fans and the band wouldn’t know is that ‘79s Dynasty would be the last record to feature all four original members. Drummer Peter Criss would only play on “Dirty Livin’.” It wouldn’t be until 1998’s Psycho Circus that all four original members would be credited on a record together.
Despite the band drama and fallout, Dynasty would peak at the No. 9 position on the Billboard 200 charts. Their biggest single to date, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” would also climb the charts. The disco-infused pop-rock tune would climb to the No. 11 spot on the charts while also peaking at the 37 spot on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play.
“I Was Made for Lovin’ You” starts the album. The unforgettable intro mixed with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons’ “Do Do Do” has become stapled into rock fans’ minds around the globe. While there is very much a heavy disco influence, the band is able to keep their hard rock roots throughout. Stanley has a simple chugging riff on this track, which allows Ace Frehley to explore different licks and notes. Even the most diehard rock fans sing the band’s earworm chorus. On this specific song, Frehley’s solo is quick, to the point and magical. It’s not too flashy and over the top like some Kiss solos. Frehley can find a nice groove to settle into.
“We’ll do festivals and sometimes find ourselves headlining over these hardcore metal bands and in the beginning we say, ‘Do we really want to play that?’” Stanley told Howard Stern. “And the whole audience is doing ‘do, do, do,’ and that’s the beauty of music.”
Song two is “2,000 Man.” This cover of The Rolling Stones classic is one of the few rare covers that the band put on their records. This song is one of two songs sung by the late Frehley. Like The Beatles, Kiss makes sure that every member sings lead on at least one song on the record.
What most fans don’t or didn’t know at the time is that Anton Fig drums on all the songs on the album except for “Dirty Livin’.” Fig’s timing on “2,000 Man” is perfect. He can find nice pockets to nestle into while keeping a steady beat. Fig would go on to work with Frehley after he departed from Kiss in 1982. Covers are unexpected for a Kiss record. Especially how early on it appears.
“At one time, the Rolling Stones were the essence of what a real rock ‘n’ roll band should be: swagger, great licks, controversy and confidence… Keith Richards was a big influence on me,” Frehley told Magnet Magazine in 2009. “On the 1979 Kiss album Dynasty, I paid respect to Keith and Mick [Jagger] by covering their song “2000 Man.” It became a signature song for me, and some fans to this day think it was a song I wrote!”
The typical ballad appears after “2,000 Man.” Simmons drives “Sure Knowns Something” entirely on bass. Throughout the song, the band punches hard on the chorus, then lets up on the meat of the tune as the spotlight returns to surround Simmons, in all his glory, even in ‘79. On this tune, Stanley takes over the guitar solo instead of Frehley. Something about Stanley soloing on this tune feels more right than Frehley.
The fast rock and hard beats return with “Dirty Livin’.” As mentioned, Criss sings on this tune. In fact, it is one of the stronger songs on the record and matches Criss’ voice. Criss isn’t the most polished or versatile singer, but when he sings specific songs, he is able to leave his own mark on it. Kiss is able to paint a clear picture of being in the city, living on the sleezy side and seeing all different kinds of characters and events going on at night.
It’s easy to tell that Criss returns to the drums on this track. There’s more of a jumpy and groovy rhythm that became a staple of Criss. There’s also a more noticeable chemistry on this song than on some of the other tracks. I think that if Kiss had more tunes that were oriented like “Dirty Livin’” then there would not have been a ton of backlash from some of the core fans of the band when the record was released.
On the back half of the record, there are some diamonds in the rough. Take song five, “Charisma.” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” and “Sure Know Something” overshadow how great “Charisma” is. “Charisma” is the first song sung by Simmons on Dynasty. For some reason, when the record was being put together, the Simmons songs were sprinkled in at the bottom of the album.
Producer Vini Poncia did a great job of capturing the full sound of the band. The band has always been big, even when they were playing small clubs. So, capturing as much noise from the band as possible is a real task. With “Charisma” in mind, Poncia finds a nice balance between the foreground and Fig on drums in the background. Even when it comes to harmonizing the band, like in the last minute of the tune, Stanley and Simmons balance perfectly.
One of the last truly great songs on the record is song seven titled “Hard Times.” Frehley also sings this track. This song is more autobiographical than some other Kiss songs might be. Fans can determine that Frehley is singing about growing up in The Bronx, being in gangs, and causing trouble.
“Growing up in the Bronx was really an education. By the time I hit 13 years old, I got tired of getting beaten up—I decided to join a gang,” Frehley told Goldmine in 2022. “ It was all this crazy stuff and I was going, “What am I getting involved in?” Thank God I had my guitar-playing skills. At the same time I was trying to get away from the gang, I was playing in bands so I could use that as an excuse on the weekends when the gang was going out to do something.”
Even though there was a lot of backstage drama, which resulted in an original member leaving, Dynasty is heavily overshadowed by one main track. If you listen to the entire record, there are a ton of gems in the back that deserve more attention. Also, the record should be loved more has this is the last recording of the “Golden Age.” All before more members left, replacements came in and different musical directions were taken. So, take a listen back to the greatness just beneath the surface and see just how great the album truly is.
Rating: 7.5/10
Tracklist:
1. I Was Made for Lovin’ You
2. 2,000 Man
3. Sure Know Something
4. Dirty Livin’
5. Charisma
6. Magic Touch
7. Hard Times
8. X-Ray Eyes
9. Save Your Love
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. I am always looking for the next concert to attend.