Post by Erik Rupp on Aug 13, 2009 8:31:44 GMT -5
KISS - Self Titled Debut (1974)
Four guys from New York City (or, more precicely, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx), formed a band in 1973 with lofty goals, but little focus initially. By mid 1973, though, there was a focus - especially musically. While the band also spent a lot of time developing their visual image, they had also been developing their musical catalog for well over a year by that point - from the time that Paul Stanley (guitar/vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass/vocals) led the band Wicked Lester to a recording contract with Epic Records (a deal they essentially walked away from when they became dissatisfied with both the band and the unreleased album that they recorded in 1972).
The musical catalog that Paul and Gene had developed, along with lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, was actually impressive enough that former Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart was willing to sign KISS as the debut band/release for his brand new label, Casablanca. Bogart signed them on the strength of their five song demo (recorded by the legendary Eddie Kramer), without having seen the band live. Bogart actually believed so strongly in their music that he suggested that they may want to drop the visual image that the band had developed. It didn't take much convincing from KISS manager Bill Aucoin, however, that there were all sorts of marketing possibilities with an image like that, and that they were sure to grab attention with such an over the top look.
A look that for many has far overshadowed the music, but one listen to their debut album shows that KISS really knew how to write and perform some great hard-edged Rock and Roll.
Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise were hired by Neil Bogart and Bill Aucoin to produce the debut KISS album, and their job was pretty much to sift through all of KISS' material up to that point to pick the best songs and then get solid performances down on tape. That's just what they did.
The album opener, "Strutter," sets the tone for the album. From the explosive drum intro to the great guitar riffs to Gene Simmons' bass part that recalls both Paul McCartney and much of the 60's R&B bass playing, "Strutter," truly is a great Rock and Roll song. KISS has long been known for a band that writes catchy chorus hooks, and this song is no exeption - except that the chorus hook here is the guitar riff, and not the vocal part. KISS was very adept at writing guitar riffs that are as memorable as most bands' vocal hooks, and, "Strutter," is a great example of that. Another noteworthy aspect of the song is Ace Frehley's guitar solo. Simple, but tasteful, and very tast-y. It is a great example of an understated solo that fits the song perfectly, and is memorable in it's own right.
"Nothin' To Lose," is, in some respects, a throwaway Retro-Rock song. 50's Rock and Roll was becoming popular again to a certain degree at that point, and Gene Simmons wrote a song that took 50's Rock and put it on steroids (much like what Ted Nugent was doing in the mid 70's). While it isn't the great song that, "Strutter," is, it is still a solid track that holds up well live. Upon repeated listening it is also a song that seems to get stronger. It's one of those songs that many listeners (including myself) warm up to over time. Peter Criss adds quite a bit with his vocal responses to Gene's singing in the chorus.
If, "Strutter," set the tone, then Paul Stanley kept with that tone on, "Firehouse." This one's a little slower, with a killer groove, and it is a great companion to the opening track. The riff has a certain, "Rolling Stones by way of Led Zeppelin," kind of feel to it (sort of Jimmy Page playing a slower, heavier version of the riff from, "Satisfaction"), and the vocal melodies are infectious. That is in part because of Paul Stanley's outstanding vocal performance. Often overshadowed by KISS' image, Paul Stanley is actually a very, very good singer, and, "Firehouse," is a great example of his singing ability.
Ace Frehley's first songwriting contribution to KISS comes in the form of, "Cold Gin," a song with another monumental guitar riff and memorable chorus. The one possible weakness in the song is Peter Criss' spastic drumming in the chorus. It almost sounds like he's having a seizure, but it worked for many Rock fans in the 70's. The middle section of the song features some great instrumental riffing among the KISS frontline.
From there the album moves back to more of that Retro-Rock feel with, "Let Me Know." This is a song that dates back to at least 1971, and maybe earlier. It was the first song that Paul Stanley played for Gene Simmons when they met. Again, this isn't a great song, but it is very good. It is surprisingly upbeat and happy, and features some very nice vocal harmonies. The coda riff would be recycled and reused live with different songs (most notably, "She," from ALIVE), and it is another big, rocking riff.
At the urging of Casablanca President Neil Bogart and manager Bill Aucoin the band went back into the studio after the album had been released to record a cover of Bobby Rydell's, "Twisting Time," (renamed, "Kissin' Time") for the purpose of using it when the band would make appearances at kissing contests (which were somewhat popular at the time). What the band didn't know was that Bogart planned to add it to the 2nd and all subsequent pressings of the debut album. It was also released as a single. While the members of KISS went along with this idea, they were less than thrilled. The song isn't as bad as they thought - it's actually very catchy and KISS' arrangement of the song almost makes it sound like one of their own compositions. Almost. It was, and remains, one of the weak spots on the album, but the song isn't bad.
The next song, however, not only isn't bad, it's as far removed from bad as you can get. "Deuce," is one of the iconic KISS songs. Gene Simmons reworked the riff for the Stones', "Bitch," and turned it on it's ear. With Paul Stanley's Raspberries-esque guitar riff intro in place, "Deuce," is an explosive song that would become their live set opener for much of the next couple of years.
The one true throwaway track on the album is the instrumental, "Love Theme from KISS." The title inspired by Mountain's, "Theme from an Imaginary Western," "Love Theme," actually sounds more like the Allman Brothers than Mountain. Again, not a bad song, per se, but more of a song without a whole lot of substance, and very little of KISS' energy that is present on all the other tracks on the album.
The album closes out with two more of their best songs, "100,000 Years," and "Black Diamond."
"100,000 Years," is a Paul Stanley written track centered around a fantastic, funky bass line. It's a bit of a science fiction song lyrically (one of the few times Paul would ever touch on that type of theme), but the song's strength is in the riffs and vocal melodies, and also in Peter Criss' funky, loose groove on the drums. It also features an unusual, building solo from Ace Frehley, one that, while repetitive, doesn't become grating (and doesn't wear out it's welcome) at all.
The last song on the album, "Black Diamond," is a song that even many of the band's detractors will point to as a, "Good song." With a mellow acoustic intro and a soft vocal from Paul Stanley, the song then erupts into all sorts of dark musical fireworks centered around a mammoth set of riffs and Peter Criss' raspy vocals. That the song doesn't really end, but rather slows down and fades out in a dark, haunting exit is appropriate for the album.
Many people don't take KISS seriously, musically, but listening to this album that is clearly a mistake. KISS may be a band designed to get attention for reasons other than their music, they didn't forget to write some good, and even great (on occasion) Rock and Roll songs.
The audio production on KISS is, for a low budget album recorded at the end of 1973, not bad. It sounds crisp and clean, and has a certain warmth to it. The drums sound snappy and full, the guitars are crisp, but still have some warmth to them, and the bass tone is full, but still just punchy enough to cut through all the other instruments. Kenny Kerner, Richie Wise, and engineer Warren Dewey did a fine job given the amount of time allotted and the low rent studio they had to use.
Despite a couple moments of either fluff or throwaway material, KISS is one of the strongest debut albums of the 1970's.
5/5
Four guys from New York City (or, more precicely, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx), formed a band in 1973 with lofty goals, but little focus initially. By mid 1973, though, there was a focus - especially musically. While the band also spent a lot of time developing their visual image, they had also been developing their musical catalog for well over a year by that point - from the time that Paul Stanley (guitar/vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass/vocals) led the band Wicked Lester to a recording contract with Epic Records (a deal they essentially walked away from when they became dissatisfied with both the band and the unreleased album that they recorded in 1972).
The musical catalog that Paul and Gene had developed, along with lead guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss, was actually impressive enough that former Buddah Records executive Neil Bogart was willing to sign KISS as the debut band/release for his brand new label, Casablanca. Bogart signed them on the strength of their five song demo (recorded by the legendary Eddie Kramer), without having seen the band live. Bogart actually believed so strongly in their music that he suggested that they may want to drop the visual image that the band had developed. It didn't take much convincing from KISS manager Bill Aucoin, however, that there were all sorts of marketing possibilities with an image like that, and that they were sure to grab attention with such an over the top look.
A look that for many has far overshadowed the music, but one listen to their debut album shows that KISS really knew how to write and perform some great hard-edged Rock and Roll.
Kenny Kerner and Richie Wise were hired by Neil Bogart and Bill Aucoin to produce the debut KISS album, and their job was pretty much to sift through all of KISS' material up to that point to pick the best songs and then get solid performances down on tape. That's just what they did.
The album opener, "Strutter," sets the tone for the album. From the explosive drum intro to the great guitar riffs to Gene Simmons' bass part that recalls both Paul McCartney and much of the 60's R&B bass playing, "Strutter," truly is a great Rock and Roll song. KISS has long been known for a band that writes catchy chorus hooks, and this song is no exeption - except that the chorus hook here is the guitar riff, and not the vocal part. KISS was very adept at writing guitar riffs that are as memorable as most bands' vocal hooks, and, "Strutter," is a great example of that. Another noteworthy aspect of the song is Ace Frehley's guitar solo. Simple, but tasteful, and very tast-y. It is a great example of an understated solo that fits the song perfectly, and is memorable in it's own right.
"Nothin' To Lose," is, in some respects, a throwaway Retro-Rock song. 50's Rock and Roll was becoming popular again to a certain degree at that point, and Gene Simmons wrote a song that took 50's Rock and put it on steroids (much like what Ted Nugent was doing in the mid 70's). While it isn't the great song that, "Strutter," is, it is still a solid track that holds up well live. Upon repeated listening it is also a song that seems to get stronger. It's one of those songs that many listeners (including myself) warm up to over time. Peter Criss adds quite a bit with his vocal responses to Gene's singing in the chorus.
If, "Strutter," set the tone, then Paul Stanley kept with that tone on, "Firehouse." This one's a little slower, with a killer groove, and it is a great companion to the opening track. The riff has a certain, "Rolling Stones by way of Led Zeppelin," kind of feel to it (sort of Jimmy Page playing a slower, heavier version of the riff from, "Satisfaction"), and the vocal melodies are infectious. That is in part because of Paul Stanley's outstanding vocal performance. Often overshadowed by KISS' image, Paul Stanley is actually a very, very good singer, and, "Firehouse," is a great example of his singing ability.
Ace Frehley's first songwriting contribution to KISS comes in the form of, "Cold Gin," a song with another monumental guitar riff and memorable chorus. The one possible weakness in the song is Peter Criss' spastic drumming in the chorus. It almost sounds like he's having a seizure, but it worked for many Rock fans in the 70's. The middle section of the song features some great instrumental riffing among the KISS frontline.
From there the album moves back to more of that Retro-Rock feel with, "Let Me Know." This is a song that dates back to at least 1971, and maybe earlier. It was the first song that Paul Stanley played for Gene Simmons when they met. Again, this isn't a great song, but it is very good. It is surprisingly upbeat and happy, and features some very nice vocal harmonies. The coda riff would be recycled and reused live with different songs (most notably, "She," from ALIVE), and it is another big, rocking riff.
At the urging of Casablanca President Neil Bogart and manager Bill Aucoin the band went back into the studio after the album had been released to record a cover of Bobby Rydell's, "Twisting Time," (renamed, "Kissin' Time") for the purpose of using it when the band would make appearances at kissing contests (which were somewhat popular at the time). What the band didn't know was that Bogart planned to add it to the 2nd and all subsequent pressings of the debut album. It was also released as a single. While the members of KISS went along with this idea, they were less than thrilled. The song isn't as bad as they thought - it's actually very catchy and KISS' arrangement of the song almost makes it sound like one of their own compositions. Almost. It was, and remains, one of the weak spots on the album, but the song isn't bad.
The next song, however, not only isn't bad, it's as far removed from bad as you can get. "Deuce," is one of the iconic KISS songs. Gene Simmons reworked the riff for the Stones', "Bitch," and turned it on it's ear. With Paul Stanley's Raspberries-esque guitar riff intro in place, "Deuce," is an explosive song that would become their live set opener for much of the next couple of years.
The one true throwaway track on the album is the instrumental, "Love Theme from KISS." The title inspired by Mountain's, "Theme from an Imaginary Western," "Love Theme," actually sounds more like the Allman Brothers than Mountain. Again, not a bad song, per se, but more of a song without a whole lot of substance, and very little of KISS' energy that is present on all the other tracks on the album.
The album closes out with two more of their best songs, "100,000 Years," and "Black Diamond."
"100,000 Years," is a Paul Stanley written track centered around a fantastic, funky bass line. It's a bit of a science fiction song lyrically (one of the few times Paul would ever touch on that type of theme), but the song's strength is in the riffs and vocal melodies, and also in Peter Criss' funky, loose groove on the drums. It also features an unusual, building solo from Ace Frehley, one that, while repetitive, doesn't become grating (and doesn't wear out it's welcome) at all.
The last song on the album, "Black Diamond," is a song that even many of the band's detractors will point to as a, "Good song." With a mellow acoustic intro and a soft vocal from Paul Stanley, the song then erupts into all sorts of dark musical fireworks centered around a mammoth set of riffs and Peter Criss' raspy vocals. That the song doesn't really end, but rather slows down and fades out in a dark, haunting exit is appropriate for the album.
Many people don't take KISS seriously, musically, but listening to this album that is clearly a mistake. KISS may be a band designed to get attention for reasons other than their music, they didn't forget to write some good, and even great (on occasion) Rock and Roll songs.
The audio production on KISS is, for a low budget album recorded at the end of 1973, not bad. It sounds crisp and clean, and has a certain warmth to it. The drums sound snappy and full, the guitars are crisp, but still have some warmth to them, and the bass tone is full, but still just punchy enough to cut through all the other instruments. Kenny Kerner, Richie Wise, and engineer Warren Dewey did a fine job given the amount of time allotted and the low rent studio they had to use.
Despite a couple moments of either fluff or throwaway material, KISS is one of the strongest debut albums of the 1970's.
5/5