If you are a male and a Kiss fan, I think I can say with some degree of confidence that your favorite member of Kiss was either Gene or Ace. Gene blew fire and spit blood which made all of us think he was super cool. Ace was cool just because he seemed the most rock ‘n’ roll. Although I would never admit it back then, Paul’s solo album in 1978 was my favorite. I thought both Gene and Peter were clueless. Ace’s record was more for the guitar fan. Paul wrote the most Kiss like solo album. 28 years later, my opinion has not changed one bit. Anyone who purchased Gene’s solo record A**hole got a glimpse into how really out of touch he really is. Peter still can’t decide if he likes rock or big band music. Ace actually carved out a good solo career but based on “Live To Win,” it is clear that Kiss was really Paul Stanley’s music with Gene Simmons’ stage show. As a whole, Kiss were able to pull it off but when you take each member by themselves, you can see that Paul is the clear winner.

This album is pretty much what one would expect from Mr. Stanley. I read that none of the tracks were stale remnants from previous recording session but all new compositions. All the tunes are melodic rockers, even the ballads. The level is really consistent and really never dips. Sure, it is a relatively short album but 10 songs are all that is needed. The album flows better by not having any filler tracks. I had high expectations for this record and it does not disappoint.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 6 at lulu.com/strangesound.