KISS Unmoored and "Unmasked"

I was 12 years old when this album came out 42 years ago today on May 20, 1980. In my young mind, KISS could do no wrong. In retrospect, there is so much wrong with this record I don’t know where to begin. That terrible cover? The weak ass production? The flimsy material? All this from a band that had a hugely successful album and a big hit single the year before. (“I Was Made For Loving You” from the Dynasty LP.) With a world tour that kept them on the road deep into the fall of 1979, why the Hell were they even releasing another album so quickly? They obviously had very little quality material to work with. You can bet the record label wanted more product so they could get that cash cow back out on the road as soon as possible. We now know this band was coming apart at the seams already, due to personal differences and the excessive drinking and drug use of drummer Peter Criss and lead guitarist Ace Frehley. Peter didn’t even play on this record. He was, for all intents and purposes, already out of the band. Sales were so poor in the US the band did only one stateside show, instead heading for Australia where the album was doing alright. The band had never played there before so a huge reception was guaranteed. As a fan, I have to wonder if they had taken a little more time with this one maybe they could have been more successful riding into the 80s on a high note instead of this clunker. The market was so flooded with KISS crap in the late 70s that the bubble was bound to burst sooner or later. Following this up with Music From "The Elder" in 1981, I’m not sure if they ever really recovered from their missteps of that era. Soon Ace would be gone, then they took off the make up, and it was a desperation circus from there on out until the 1996 reunion tour. I could go on and on. But, truthfully, even with its painfully obvious flaws, I still love this album. It meant far too much to me in my youth for me to ever turn my back on it. I will always judge it with the mind of a 12-year old. And even in their weaker moments, KISS was always there for me when a whole lot of other shit in the world seemed suspect, unreliable, and, worst of all, ordinary.

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Here's a couple of the better tunes on the record if you're curious: