Paul Stanley Names the Toughest KISS Album of His Career
Legendary producer Bob Ezrin has openly reflected on the challenges of producing Kiss’ 1981 concept album Music From ‘The Elder’, admitting that he placed Paul Stanley in an unusually demanding position. Speaking during a Q&A at the Kiss Kruise: Land-Locked in Las Vegas last month, Ezrin discussed the album’s turbulent history. Intended as a bold, ambitious statement designed to win over critics and rejuvenate Kiss’ commercial fortunes, the record instead became one of the band’s most controversial projects—and nearly derailed their career.
Ezrin recalled listening to the album in full for the first time in decades while contributing to a 2016 book about the record. “I was sitting there just as a punter listening and thinking, ‘Wow, listen to that—that’s really great!’ There are some amazing moments on the record. But I have to say honestly that we put Paul in a very difficult position. Because he was basically playing in an almost operatic role,” he said.
Many of the album’s tracks, including “Just a Boy” and “Odyssey,” required Stanley to sing in a style more suited to opera or Broadway while simultaneously narrating the album’s intricate story through lyrics. Ezrin noted that Stanley might have been better equipped for the role if the album had been made after his 1999 starring turn in a Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera. “Before The Phantom, that was completely foreign to him. He was playing this musical theater role, which was not comfortable for him. He did a fantastic job at it, but at the end of the day, he didn’t feel fulfilled like he would have if we had done a regular rock record,” Ezrin said.
The Producer’s Perspective on The Elder
Despite the album’s struggles and polarizing reception, Ezrin insisted he has no regrets. “Everything you do along the way is valuable in some way or another, even if it’s just to teach you a lesson. There are some really great performances by some amazing people, several of whom are no longer with us. So to me, it’s a monument to that time and to those people at that time,” he said.
Ezrin’s perspective highlights an important aspect of the record: while The Elder may not have achieved the commercial or critical success originally intended, it captured a unique moment in the band’s evolution. The album pushed Kiss—and Stanley in particular—outside their comfort zones, creating a work that remains a fascinating and ambitious detour in their discography.
Remembering Ace Frehley
During the same interview, Ezrin reflected on the recently departed founding guitarist Ace Frehley, offering both fond memories and candid insights. “Ace was a party all the time, but also just an amazing guitar player. …Ace had the greatest sense of humor and the best laugh in history. If you were in a room with him and he started talking and telling jokes and laughing, you would be on the floor. There was no way to avoid it,” Ezrin said.
He also addressed Frehley’s feelings about The Elder. “There were some times where we butted heads, as has been memorialized often. He wasn’t really a fan of The Elder; he didn’t really want to do that record. The rest of us did. To his credit, he pulled up his big boy pants and gave some great performances on the album. And in hindsight, I’d have to say he was probably right and we were wrong. But you know, you just have to do your best with the ideas that you have and the time you are in.”
Looking back, Ezrin framed both The Elder and the contributions of the band’s members as a testament to artistic risk-taking. While not every experiment yields a commercial hit, the album endures as a bold creative statement, capturing a band willing to challenge themselves—and their audience—at a pivotal moment in their career. In many ways, it stands as a reminder that some of rock’s most intriguing and memorable work emerges from the willingness to take risks, embrace discomfort, and push boundaries, even when the results are uncertain.
