4. Rock and Roll Over (1976): I am sorry for the delay, but let me be honest; I decided to go back this weekend and re-listen to the top four. This is a great album and when I started the list it was actually number one, but over the past weekend it didn’t click like it had, so I’m putting it here. But let’s be clear: I think this is an amazing album. Strong songs (only “Baby Driver” is really weak), strong playing (Paul sings his ass off on this record), and strong sound (it was recorded “live” in a theater in New York). Although six of the ten songs have been played live, this is poorly represented in the recent live sets, with only “Calling Dr. Love” seeing any real play. I think side two of this record is one of the best album sides in the catalogue; the only three that come close are Creatures side two, Destroyer side two, and Hotter Than Hell side one (in alphabetical order!). In trying to rationalize why it might have slipped, I can only say that it’s because it was the follow-up to an incredibly strong record, and as good as it is, it doesn’t match up song for song. “Hard Luck Woman” (famously written by Paul for Rod Stewart, but Gene wouldn’t give it up) is a pale attempt to capitalize on the success of “Beth”; “Calling Dr. Love”, while a good song, is really just a Gene showcase, just not as definitive as “God Of Thunder”. The “lesser” Gene songs are strong – “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em” is a top ten Kiss song for me, and I love “See You In Your Dreams” – and “Makin’ Love” is possibly my favorite Paul song in the catalogue, but on the whole, this is a great album by a band riding the wave as opposed to treading new territory. Also, not to pile on, but while some of Ace’s solos are excellent (“Take Me”, Love ‘Em…” and “Makin’ Love”) Peter’s drumming is not the tribal experience it was on previous records (particularly on Destroyer and Hotter Than Hell). My motto is, in case of a tie, the earlier work should prevail, and such is the case here. The cover is my favorite of the “drawn” (i.e. not a photo of the band) covers.
Trivia: What was the source of inspiration for “Calling Dr. Love”?
3. Destroyer (1976): In recording their follow-up to the ground-breaking success, Alive!, the band took a pretty strong left turn, relatively speaking, bringing in Alice Cooper producer Bob Ezrin to run the show. The band’s sound changed radically into a more polished, less gritty sound, as compared to their first three albums, and it paid off with their first platinum album. Like the debut, Destroyer has played a heavy role in setlists to this day, with up to six of the nine songs appearing in any given show. For me, there is no filler on this record, though “Great Expectations” is not essential, and I’m not the hugest fan of “Beth” (though I used to sing it to my daughter as she fell asleep). The rest I love; “Flaming Youth”, “Shout It Out Loud” and “Do You Love Me?” are all solid, and I actually like “Sweet Pain”. “God of Thunder” and “Detroit Rock City” are still concert staples, the former being Gene’s solo spot, featuring his blood and flying (he usually sings the song from atop the lighting truss). I’m usually a “Gene” guy, but this is probably Paul’s strongest record, singing five (and half) of the albums nine songs. The “half”, “Shout It Out Loud” (one of my favorite Kiss songs), is split with Gene in a classic call-and-response. My daughter was thrilled when I played that in the car; you can clearly hear Gene panned to the left and Paul panned to the right during the verses, a very cool effect. It’s not my absolute favorite, but it is many people’s favorite, and for good reason. It’s a solid record that captures almost every enduring aspect of Kiss.
Trivia: The cover was painted by Ken Kelley; can you name two other prominent album covers painted by Kelley?
Topic: KISS Discography - My Life As a Kiss Fan (Read 63567 times)
