Studio albums

Studio album by Kiss

ReleasedFebruary 18, 1974

Recorded October – November 1973, Bell Sound Studios, New York City

Genre Hard rock, heavy metal[1]

Length 35:11

Language English

Label Casablanca

Producer Kenny Kerner, Richie Wise

Kiss chronology

(1974)

(1974)

Kiss is the debut album by American rock band Kiss. When it was released on February 18, 1974, Kiss had been a

band for a little over a year. Much of the material on the album was written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, as

members of their pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester. Simmons estimated that the entire process of recording and mixing

took three weeks, while co-producer Richie Wise has stated it took just 13 days.[2]

Album information

The album was recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, which was owned by the company that owned

Buddah Records. Neil Bogart, founder of Casablanca Records, was an executive at Buddah prior to forming

Casablanca.[2] Casablanca Records held a party at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles to celebrate the West

Coast release of Kiss (February 18) and to introduce the record company to the press and other record industry

executives.

In keeping with the Casablanca theme, the party included palm trees and a Humphrey Bogart lookalike. Kiss

performed their usual loud and bombastic stage show, which turned Warner Bros. Records (Casablanca's record

distributor) against the group.[2] Soon after the show, Warner Bros. Records contacted Neil Bogart and threatened to

end their deal with Casablanca if Kiss did not remove their makeup. With manager Bill Aucoin's backing, Kiss

refused. Shortly after the release of Kiss, Warner Bros. released Casablanca from their contract.[2]

The album's cover showed the group positioned against a black background in a pose visually reminiscent of The

Beatles' With the Beatles album (Criss stated that this was the visual effect the band was looking for). Three of the

four band members applied their own makeup for the album cover photo, as they usually did, but Criss' makeup was

applied by a professional, whose work came out looking quite a bit different from the look Criss had established, and

to which he would return immediately afterward. Ace Frehley, wanting to impress the other members of Kiss, dyed

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his hair with silver spray paint. Not only did it not come out for several weeks, but Frehley suffered an allergic

reaction to the silver in it (as can be seen in his later makeup around the eyes).[2] According to Criss, photographer

Joel Brodsky thought Kiss were literally clowns, and wanted to place balloons behind the group for the shoot.[3]

Brodsky denied this, chalking it up to imagination.[2]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores

Source Rating

Allmusic [1]

Vista Records [4]

Rolling Stone [5]

Blender [6]

Pitchfork (8.0)[7]

Metal Nightfall [8]

This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Kiss sold approximately 75,000 copies after its initial release, without the presence of a hit single.[2] It was certified

Gold on June 8, 1977, having shipped 500,000 copies.[9] The album was re-released in 1997 (along with most of

Kiss' earlier albums) in a remastered version.

Songs

With the exception of "Kissin' Time", all of the material for Kiss was written before the band entered the studio.

Some of the songs were written during Wicked Lester's brief existence, while "Firehouse" was written by Paul

Stanley while he was attending Music and Art High School in NYC.[2]

"Strutter"

"Strutter", which opens the album with a drum fill, is an uptempo rock song that was written before Frehley joined

Kiss. Stanley wrote the lyrics, and the music was based on a song Simmons had written years before, "Stanley the

Parrot".[2] Simmons and former Wicked Lester member Brooke Ostrander recorded a 45 rpm version of "Stanley the

Parrot" in a New Jersey apartment. "Strutter" remains one of the few Kiss songs where Stanley and Simmons share

songwriting credits, and was a standard number at Kiss concerts throughout the 1970s. It was released in August

1974 as the third and final single from the album.

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"Nothin' to Lose"

"Nothin' to Lose", the band's first single, is a song written by Simmons and sung by him, Criss and Stanley. The song

chronicles the singer coercing his girlfriend into trying anal sex, and her subsequent enjoyment of it. The B-side was

"Love Theme From KISS", the album's instrumental.

"Firehouse"

The North Carolina glam metal band FireHouse takes its name from the song "Firehouse". The song is well known

for Simmons fire breathing during live concerts.

"Cold Gin"

This song was the first composed for Kiss by Frehley. Insecure in his own singing ability, Frehley turned over the

vocals for the album to Simmons. "Cold Gin" was a concert staple throughout the 1970s. On Kiss' Alive/Worldwide

Tour, Frehley assisted on lead vocals.

The song refers to the stimulating effect that cold gin supposedly has on the male sex drive. The song credits cold

gin as the only thing that keeps the couple together in a troubled relationship.

There was a Kiss tribute band from Los Angeles named after this classic song featuring Kiss member Tommy

Thayer as Frehley, Jaime St. James as Criss, Chris McLernon as Simmons, and Anthony White as Stanley.

"Cold Gin" was covered by the alternative metal group Disturbed at a one time tribute show to Pantera guitarist

"Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. It was known to be the guitarist's favorite song. The live performance was performed

with members of Drowning Pool and Anthrax live on stage, featuring David Draiman on vocals. Vinnie Paul was on

drums.

Pantera and Skid Row performed the song together live while the bands were on tour together in 1992, with Ace

Frehley on guitar as a special guest. The performance was taped and included on Pantera's 2000 home video, 3

Vulgar Videos from Hell. Death Angel covered the song on their 1988 album Frolic Through the Park.

Frehley noted: "I wrote 'Cold Gin' in a New York subway, in my head, both lyrics and music. I had a spiral notebook

with me. I never took a guitar lesson, nobody believes that. I didn't realize it was gonna become a Kiss classic".

The song was released live on Kiss' popular and successful live album Alive!. When Alive! was re-released as part of

the Kiss Alive! 1975–2000 box set, the song was mistakenly credited to Stanley instead of Ace Frehley in the

72-page booklet that accompanied the album.

Weezer vocalist and guitarist Rivers Cuomo has said that this was the first song he ever learned to play on guitar.[10]

"Cold Gin" was named 7th best drinking song of all time.[11]

"Let Me Know"

"Let Me Know", previously titled "Sunday Driver", was the song Stanley played when he was first introduced to

Simmons, and it was later recorded by Wicked Lester. Simmons and Stanley shared lead vocal duties on the song,

which was given a bridge and instrumental coda when recorded for Kiss.[2] In later Kiss concerts this coda was

moved to the end of "She" and before that, "Watchin' You".

"Kissin' Time"

"Kissin' Time" was not included on the original album; in fact it was not recorded until two months after the album's

February release. By April, the album was clearly not the commercial success the band and Casablanca Records

founder Neil Bogart were hoping for. Bogart, who knew that a catchy single could save the album, ordered Kiss back

into the studio to record "Kissin' Time", which was a Top 20 hit for Bobby Rydell in 1959. It was released as a single

on May 10, but never reached any higher than number 83. It did, however, boost sales of the album even though it

Kiss 101

was not added to the album until it was reissued in July 1974 (against the wishes of the band).[2]

"Deuce"

Although Simmons admits that he does not know the meaning of this song's lyrics,[2] "Deuce" has been a staple at

the band's concerts, opening their shows from 1973–1976 and again for their 1996 reunion.

"Love Theme From KISS"

This instrumental came from a song titled "Acrobat" from the band's 1973 club shows; it can be found on their 2001

Box Set. The song is shortened for the album. It is the only Kiss song to have songwriting credit go to all four

original members.

"Love Theme From KISS" appears in a 2010 movie Somewhere, directed by Sofia Coppola.

"100,000 Years"

"100,000 Years" begins with a bass solo by Simmons. The live version includes a long drum solo continuing on from

the short one found on the album as heard on Alive! The demo version can be heard on the 2001 release of the Box

Set. The drum solo is inside the song, and Stanley says "Do you feel all right?" This was done on live performances.

Also, there is a lost verse towards the end of the song but it never made the final cut.

"Black Diamond"

"Black Diamond" begins with Stanley singing the first verse accompanied by a twelve-string, acoustic guitar. After

he yells out "Hit It!", the full band kicks in and Criss assumes lead vocal duties, repeating the first verse. After that

they have the chorus (Ooh, Black Diamond). The song then slows down for Frehley to do his guitar solo, after which

the song gradually slows down and fades out. After Criss' departure from the band the vocal duties have continued to

be by subsequent drummers Eric Carr and Eric Singer.

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Lead vocals Length

1. "Strutter" Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons Stanley 3:12

2. "Nothin' To Lose" Simmons Simmons, Peter Criss 3:26

3. "Firehouse" Stanley Stanley, Simmons 3:18

4. "Cold Gin" Ace Frehley Simmons 4:22

5. "Let Me Know" Stanley Simmons, Stanley 2:59

6. "Kissin' Time" Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe Simmons, Stanley, Criss 3:53

7. "Deuce" Simmons Simmons 3:05

8. "Love Theme from KISS" Frehley, Stanley, Simmons, Criss Instrumental 2:24

9. "100,000 Years" Stanley, Simmons Stanley 3:23

10. "Black Diamond" Stanley Criss 5:13

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Personnel

• Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar

• Gene Simmons – vocals, bass guitar

• Ace Frehley – lead guitar

• Peter Criss – drums, percussion, vocals

Additional personnel

• Bruce Foster – piano on "Nothin' to Lose"

• Warren Dewey – fire engine on "Firehouse"

Charts

Album

Chart (1974) Peak

position

US Billboard Pop Albums[12] 87

Singles

Single Chart (1974) Position

"Kissin' Time" US Pop Singles[13] 83

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments

Canada (Music Canada)

[14] Gold 50000^

United States (RIAA)

[9] Gold 500000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

[1] Prato, Greg. "Kiss > Review" (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ album/ r11052/ review) at Allmusic. Retrieved September 4, 2011.

[2] Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography, Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5

[3] Sharp, Ken. (July 19, 1996). "The Return of Kiss – 'It's Time for Spectacle'". Goldmine #147.

[4] Rupp, Erik (August 13, 2009). "KISS – Kiss (1974)" (http:/ / www. vistarecords. proboards. com/ index.

cgi?board=albumreviewsanddiscussion& action=display& thread=2). vistarecords.proboards.com. .

[5] "Kiss: Album Guide" (http:/ / www. rollingstone. com/ music/ artists/ kiss/ albumguide). rollingstone.com. . Retrieved September 4, 2011.

[6] Blender review (http:/ / www. blender. com/ guide/ back-catalogue/ 52637/ kiss-l. html)

[7] Josephes, Jason. "Kiss: Kiss" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20030626073049/ www. pitchforkmedia. com/ record-reviews/ k/ kiss/ kiss.

shtml). Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. pitchforkmedia. com/ record-reviews/ k/ kiss/ kiss. shtml) on June 26,

2003. .

[8] powersylv (December 13, 2006). "KISS – Kiss (1974)" (http:/ / metal. nightfall. fr/ index. php?idchoix=450) (in French). metal.nightfall.fr. .

[9] "American album certifications – Kiss – Kiss" (http:/ / www. riaa. com/ goldandplatinumdata. php?artist="Kiss"). Recording Industry

Association of America. . If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

[10] "Ace Frehley" (http:/ / weezerpedia. com/ wiki/ index. php?title=Ace_Frehley& oldid=32730). Weezerpedia. August 17, 2011. . Retrieved

September 4, 2011. "…Cold Gin being the first song that Rivers ever learned to play"

[11] Guitar World Staff (5 February 2009). "Top 10 Drinking Songs of All Time" (http:/ / www. guitarworld. com/

top-10-drinking-songs-all-time). Guitar World (Future US): 7: “Cold Gin” Kiss. .

Kiss 103

[12] "Kiss Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ album/ r11052/ charts-awards) at Allmusic. Retrieved February

11, 2010.

[13] "Kiss Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles" (http:/ / www. allmusic. com/ album/ r11052/ charts-awards/ billboard-single) at Allmusic.

Retrieved February 11, 2010.

[14] "Canadian album certifications – Kiss – Kiss" (http:/ / www. musiccanada. com/ GPSearchResult. aspx?st=Kiss& sa=Kiss& smt=0). Music

Canada. .

Последна редакция от Gene_Simmons - 09.03.2012, 11:59