Post by Erik Rupp on Sept 20, 2009 11:58:23 GMT -5
KISS - Love Gun (1977)
BANG! Love Gun!
So began the hype surrounding one of KISS' all time biggest and most iconic albums.
1977 was the absolute peak of KISS' career, and in the middle of that year they released Love Gun. Love Gun really plays a lot like Part II of the previous album, Rock and Roll Over. Both have largely the same styles, and both were produced and engineered by the legendary Eddie Kramer.
Love Gun opens both sides with huge songs - "I Stole Your Love," and, "Love Gun." Huge in terms of musical power (both feature mammoth riffs and larger than life vocal melodies and chorus hooks), AND in tems of popularity. Both would go on to be featured live for decades (although, "Love Gun," has had more staying power). And both were written and sung by Paul Stanley. When you can start both sides of an album the way that KISS did on Love Gun (back in the days when you had to flip that piece of vinyl over to hear the other 4 or 5 songs on the album) you're in good shape.
Once you get past the respective opening tracks what do you have? A bunch of solid album cuts ("Shock Me," "Hooligan," "Plaster Caster," "Almost Human," "Got Love For Sale,") a couple would be singles in, "Tomorrow and Tonight," and "Christine Sixteen," (which actually was a single, and the album's biggest hit), and a misguided cover song that really sounds out of place ("And Then She Kissed Me").
The quality of most of those album cuts is fairly strong (some of them are really, really good), and of the KISS originals on the album there really isn't a bad track among them. (Although, "Plaster Caster," "Got Love For Sale," and "Almost Human," are pretty close to filler status, but for me they just stay this side of, "Filler." And then there's, "Tomorrow and Tomight," which comes across like the little brother of, "Rock and Roll All Nite.")
The production on Love Gun is a little thinner than on Rock and Roll Over, and the songs as a whole tend to lack as much weight as the previous album's songs. Some fans have gone so far as to call Love Gun, "Son of Rock and Roll Over," which isn't all that far from the mark. The albums make a great pair, and the best songs on Love Gun are as good as or better than the best songs on Rock and Roll Over. The album just doesn't have quite as much gravitas as does it's predesessor, though. It's close, very close, but isn't quite at that level.
KISS was on a roll at this point, and there is a good reason why die-hard KISS fans consider this to be among their best albums.
It's a damn good album.
BANG, indeed!
4.25/5
BANG! Love Gun!
So began the hype surrounding one of KISS' all time biggest and most iconic albums.
1977 was the absolute peak of KISS' career, and in the middle of that year they released Love Gun. Love Gun really plays a lot like Part II of the previous album, Rock and Roll Over. Both have largely the same styles, and both were produced and engineered by the legendary Eddie Kramer.
Love Gun opens both sides with huge songs - "I Stole Your Love," and, "Love Gun." Huge in terms of musical power (both feature mammoth riffs and larger than life vocal melodies and chorus hooks), AND in tems of popularity. Both would go on to be featured live for decades (although, "Love Gun," has had more staying power). And both were written and sung by Paul Stanley. When you can start both sides of an album the way that KISS did on Love Gun (back in the days when you had to flip that piece of vinyl over to hear the other 4 or 5 songs on the album) you're in good shape.
Once you get past the respective opening tracks what do you have? A bunch of solid album cuts ("Shock Me," "Hooligan," "Plaster Caster," "Almost Human," "Got Love For Sale,") a couple would be singles in, "Tomorrow and Tonight," and "Christine Sixteen," (which actually was a single, and the album's biggest hit), and a misguided cover song that really sounds out of place ("And Then She Kissed Me").
The quality of most of those album cuts is fairly strong (some of them are really, really good), and of the KISS originals on the album there really isn't a bad track among them. (Although, "Plaster Caster," "Got Love For Sale," and "Almost Human," are pretty close to filler status, but for me they just stay this side of, "Filler." And then there's, "Tomorrow and Tomight," which comes across like the little brother of, "Rock and Roll All Nite.")
The production on Love Gun is a little thinner than on Rock and Roll Over, and the songs as a whole tend to lack as much weight as the previous album's songs. Some fans have gone so far as to call Love Gun, "Son of Rock and Roll Over," which isn't all that far from the mark. The albums make a great pair, and the best songs on Love Gun are as good as or better than the best songs on Rock and Roll Over. The album just doesn't have quite as much gravitas as does it's predesessor, though. It's close, very close, but isn't quite at that level.
KISS was on a roll at this point, and there is a good reason why die-hard KISS fans consider this to be among their best albums.
It's a damn good album.
BANG, indeed!
4.25/5
