Kiss' 1974 self-titled debut is one of hard rock's all-time classic studio recordings.
Kiss is chock full of their best and most renowned compositions, containing elements of
Rolling Stones/
New York Dolls party-hearty rock & roll,
Beatles tunefulness, and
Sabbath/
Zep heavy metal, and wisely recorded primal and raw by producers
Richie Wise and
Kenny Kerner (of
Gladys Knight fame). Main songwriters
Stanley and
Simmons each had a knack for coming up with killer melodies and riffs, as evidenced by "Nothin' to Lose" and "Deuce" (by
Simmons), "Firehouse" and "Black Diamond" (by
Stanley), as well as "Strutter" and "100,000 Years" (collaborations by the two). Also included is the
Ace Frehley alcohol anthem "Cold Gin," "Let Me Know" (a song that
Stanley played for
Simmons upon their very first meeting, then titled "Sunday Driver"), and one of
Kiss' few instrumentals: the groovy "Love Theme from Kiss" (penned by the entire band). The only weak track is a tacky cover of the 1959
Bobby Rydell hit "Kissin' Time," which was added to subsequent pressings of the album to tie in with a "Kissing Contest" promotion the band was involved in at the time. Along with 1976's
Destroyer,
Kiss' self-titled debut is their finest studio album, and has only improved over the years. ~ Greg Prato