Kiss: Gene Simmons (Remastered)

iTunes Review

There is a streak of schizophrenia running through Gene Simmons’ solo album that suggests Kiss’s most recognizable member might have also been its least comfortable. At every turn the album runs in opposing directions. The lumbering metal of “Burning up With Fever” sits next to the lackadaisical soft rock of “See You Tonite.” The cocksure come-ons of “Tunnel of Love” (“You wanted my disease / You’ll have to do as I please”) lead to the anxiety of “Mr. Make Believe” and “Man of 1,000 Faces,” songs that reveal a man at odds with his own costumed celebrity. Finally, there is the orchestral performance of “When You Wish Upon a Star” that closes the album. This inexplicable inclusion can only be viewed as Simmons’ contrarian jab to an audience whose narrow expectations he resented. Between “Radioactive” and “True Confessions,” the album serves up its share of Simmons’ trademark rock ’n’ roll, but the subtext is simply too much to ignore. While his debut solo outing undoubtedly gave Simmons the opportunity to indulge his lifelong interest in Beatles-esque pop and theatrical performance styles, it’s hard not to interpret the album’s shifting themes as the reflection of a rock star’s conflicted psyche.