1. Album information

2. Poster versions

3. Reception

4. Tour

5. Track listing

6. Personnel

7. Charts

8. Certifications

9. References

Dynasty is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Kiss, produced by Vini Poncia and released by Casablanca Records on May 23, 1979. It was the first time that the four original members of Kiss did not all appear together for the entire album. In later interviews, the band admitted they started listening to outsiders about what direction the music should go in around the time of Dynasty.

Album information

The album and the following tour were billed as the "Return of Kiss". Kiss had not released a studio album since Love Gun in 1977. Instead, the band released their second live album, Alive II, and each member had recorded eponymous solo albums, which were simultaneously released on September 18, 1978.

After pre-production and rehearsals were completed, Vini Poncia (who had produced Peter Criss), decided that Criss' drumming was substandard, an opinion shared by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. By this time, Criss was hindered by injuries to his hands that he had suffered in a 1978 car accident. Kiss hired the South African-born studio drummer Anton Fig, who played on Ace Frehley, to play on the Dynasty sessions. "On Dynasty, Peter was pretty much out of commission," reflected Stanley, "so I wouldn't point to it as a classic Kiss album."^[8] With the exception of his song, "Dirty Livin'", Criss does not appear on the album, and he did not perform on another Kiss album until Psycho Circus in 1998, on which he again only played on one song. Fig was again hired to replace Criss during recording sessions for the following album, Unmasked. Eric Carr was hired as Criss' permanent replacement before the Unmasked Tour began.

Frehley, who himself left the band three years later, sings three songs on Dynasty: "Hard Times", "Save Your Love" and a cover version of the Rolling Stones' song "2000 Man". Although he had frequently sung backing vocals and had written the Kiss classics "Cold Gin" and "Parasite", Frehley had only previously been lead singer on his songs "Shock Me" on Love Gun, and "Rocket Ride" on the studio side of Alive II, as he lacked confidence in his ability as a lead singer.

Stanley's "I Was Made for Lovin' You" was an attempt to cash in on the popularity of disco music. It was one of the band's most successful singles, peaking at #11 on the American singles chart. He also sang on "Sure Know Something" and "Magic Touch". In contrast, Simmons sings lead vocals on only two songs, "Charisma" and "X-Ray Eyes".

Giorgio Moroder was originally scheduled to produce Dynasty.{{citation needed|date=January 2012}} Escape from Hell was the subtitle of Dynastys Japanese release.

The album includes a colorful jacket cover which is actually a collage of photos taken from the photo session and not a group shot as it appears. The label shows a portrait of all four members instead of the usual Casablanca label. Inserts included a merchandise order form and a full-color poster.

Poster versions

The album was originally intended to include a poster of the band members in straitjackets. However, Casablanca did not feel that this was appropriate for Kiss' younger fans, and had the poster altered, so that the band appears to simply be wearing black shirts.

Reception

Dynasty restored the band to commercial prominence, reaching #9 on the US Billboard album chart. It was certified platinum by the RIAA and was the last high-charting album by Kiss for several years. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" was Kiss' first songwriting collaboration with Desmond Child, who showed up later on Animalize, Asylum, Crazy Nights, Smashes, Thrashes & Hits and Hot in the Shade.

The Kiss remaster says it is a double platinum album.

Tour

The Dynasty Tour, also known as "The Return of Kiss", spanned the entire second half of 1979 and was Kiss' most ambitious and expensive. It was their first tour since the Alive II tour ended on April 2, 1978, in Japan. Kiss sported new costumes with colors that coincided with the colors of their respective solo albums: purple (Stanley), red (Simmons), blue (Frehley) and green (Criss).

The new production had Simmons being hoisted to a small stage atop the scaffolding during his bass guitar solo (typically played before "God of Thunder"). The harness malfunctioned on several occasions. Frehley was similarly elevated for his smoking guitar solo and the tour was the first to feature his "light-guitar" and his rocket-shooting stunt. A trick was designed for Stanley that involved him putting on a headset and shooting a laser out of his right eye (to mock the effect seen in Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park a year before). After several run-throughs both Stanley and Bill Aucoin cancelled the idea, citing the danger involved to both him and the fans.

The tour saw a decline in audience. Shows at Madison Square Garden and the Pontiac Silverdome were cancelled, while an additional night at the Los Angeles Forum was moved to the 10,000-capacity Anaheim Convention Center. The last concert with all the original members took place at the Toledo Sports Arena, in Toledo, Ohio, on December 16, 1979. The tour was considered a financial failure, and it became the final tour with the original band until the 1996 Reunion Tour sixteen years later.

The tour is famous for being the only tour to have songs from all four members' solo albums. Simmons performed "Radioactive", Criss performed "Tossin' and Turnin'", Frehley performed "New York Groove" and Stanley performed "Move On". The two former songs were replaced early in the tour by more familiar songs. "Dirty Livin'" was reportedly rehearsed, but never performed.

Frehley said in various interviews that Kiss was becoming a youth-oriented band with children attending their concerts with parents.

Track listing

Personnel

• Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Sure Know Something", bass guitar on "I Was Made for Lovin' You"
• Ace Frehley – vocals, lead guitar, all guitars on "2,000 Man", bass guitar on "2,000 Man", "Hard Times" and "Save Your Love"
• Gene Simmons – vocals, bass guitar
• Peter Criss – drums, percussion and lead vocals on "Dirty Livin'"

Additional musicians

• Anton Fig – drums, except "Dirty Livin'"
• Vini Poncia – backing vocals, keyboards

Production

• Vini Poncia – producer
• Jon Mathias – engineer
• Jim Galante – engineer
• Jay Messina – mixing
• George Marino – mastering engineer

Charts

Singles

Certifications

References

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