KISS (1974)

40 years ago and Peter Criss already looks like he wants Gene to get the fuck away from him

So here we are at the beginning - seems like an interesting place to start. And what better way to begin than with Kiss' first album? Well, that certainly sounds like the beginning.

Needless to say, this isn't the greatest album in the world. Kiss were monsters on stage and certainly had the look, but this album shows their intial problems trying to get that energy recorded. As a result, this album falls flat and can sound a little lifeless.

That said, this album is still pretty cool. Out of the 10 tracks, 7 are considered absolute classics and at least 5 of those are still a must in the Kiss live setlist to this day. Think about that for a minute...

The only weak links would be 'Kissin' Time' (which is still kinda fun, if not incredibly cheesy) and the obvious 'Love Theme from Kiss'. I get what they were doing with both songs, trying to play up the gimmick of Kiss. But it just doesn't work. 'Love Theme from Kiss' just plods along without ever offering anything of interest. And while 'Firehouse' is amazing live, this studio version suffers from a severe lack of energy and the guitars sound like they aren't even distorted. It's kinda weird...

Am I being too harsh here?

I don't want it to sound like I don't enjoy this album, so I'll finish it with the good - just like the album does. Yes, it closes with 2 tracks that make my top 20 Kiss tunes list - '100,000 Years' and the epic 'Black Diamond'. Any complaints anyone has about this album are pretty much knocked down by those 2 songs right there. Then they take your girl and have their way with her.

It's Kiss, what else would you expect.

Oh wait I almost forgot about something... 'Deuce'. You know, that song that has opened about a million Kiss concerts and rocks everyone's socks off 99% of the time? Yeah, that's on here too.

Kiss are here!


Oh, Prime - I can't believe I'm going to write 50 of these...

Highlights:

Black Diamond, 100,000 Years, Deuce

Lowlights:

Love Theme from Kiss

Verdict = 3 Smoking Les Pauls and a Thumbs Up