ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 83 KISS - ROCK AND ROLL OVER (1976)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Kiss
Album: Rock And Roll Over
Producer: Eddie Kramer
Band Members: Gene Simmons/Ace Frehley/Peter Criss/Paul Stanley
Singles: Calling Dr. Love/Hard Luck Woman
Best Single/Best Album Cut: Hard Luck Woman/Take Me
Best Of The Rest: Everything
RIAA Certification: Platinum
Album Cover: 10/10

A couple of Crissmas gifts for you this week.  I picked Rock And Roll Over because it has one of my favorite Peter Criss songs on it (Hard Luck Woman), although that song was written by Paul Stanley.  What you may not know about that particular song is that Stanley wrote it with Rod Stewart in mind.  But Roddy boy didn't want it.  That worked out well if you ask me 'cause it's perfect for The Catman's voice. 

Anyway, Rock And Roll Over was the fifth overall studio release for Kiss back in 1976.  It was the second album released by the band that year, with the first being Destroyer.  The album was awarded Platinum status by the RIAA. 

This album rocks so much 'cause it's just straight ahead, balls out rock and roll.  If it has a weakness (and it doesn't), that would be that Ace didn't write any of the material.  It would be the next studio album that Ace finally put in a vocal performance.  I love every song, but my absolute favorites would be Take Me, Hard Luck Woman, Mr. Speed and Love 'Em And Leave 'Em.

It's still easy to find.  Check out Best Buy as all of the first six Studio Albums (Kiss, Hotter Than Hell, Dressed To Kill, Destroyer, Rock And Roll Over and Love Gun) are $4.99 each, and that is the latest remastered versions.

1. I Want You

2. Take Me

3. Calling Dr. Love

4. Ladies Room

5. Baby Driver

6. Love 'Em And Leave 'Em

7. Mr. Speed

8. See You In Your Dreams

9. Hard Luck Woman

10. Makin' Love

[Jon]

...I'm not looking forward to listening to this.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Yes, you are.

[Jon]

there are not the droids you're looking for?

[Scott]

I was in my hometown this past October and my brothers had been doing some work in the basement of my parent house, when I went down there to check it out I noticed that the old paneling in my old room had been exposed and on it was the sticker that came out of this album when I bought, it was in good shape too!  Made me smile!

 

This isnt my my favorite KISS album, but it does have the best KISS hidden treasure on it, Love 'em Leave 'em really stuck with me when I first heard it.  The style Ace played was really cool, I never heard a geetar solo quite like that, even though it was small, the sound and tone was, and still is, one of my favorite geetar sounds ever.

 

Mr Speed is a great hidden treasure as well. The issue I have is opening track on side 1.  I Want You isnt very good, I always wished they would placed this as the last song on either side.  Ladies Man is the other problem child on the album, its just not very good either.

 

Probably Peters best moments as a KISS member ever, Hard Luck Woman and Baby Driver are cool cool songs!

[Niels (Mod)]

I became a KISS-fan before I really knew, what they sounded like. I loved Horror-comic books, so not long after I first saw them, there were a lot of posters on my wall. I then saw Destroyer and this album in my little town's only record-shop, but I couldn't afford to buy neither of them. I had to wait 4 months until my birthday in april 1977. My parents got me Destroyer, and I had to wait another 3 months before I got RARO. Great album. The heaviest album KISS ever made. I loved "Baby Driver". What a rock-voice, Peter Criss has got on that one. "I want You" was the first KISS-video I ever saw, in may 1977. KISS was without a doubt the biggest band in the world at that time. Oh, and Paul has got a great voice on "See You In Your Dreams". Definetly in Top 3 of KISS-albums, and no, Jon, "The Elder" is NOT in Top 3!!!!

[RJhog (Admin)]

Lead vocal on See You In Your Dreams is Gene.  Paul is on backing vocals.

[Niels (Mod)]

Well, I KNOW that. I was a KISS-fan, 2-3 years before you, my friend  I won't say, that I've been a KISS-fan LONGER than you, because I haven't, since IMO, the band that I loved as KISS "stopped" after the Dynasty-tour. Of course I mean the "....dream tonight" backing vocals!!!!!!!! I love his voice in that part. Just as he's got a cool voice, when he sings "Turn it up louder" in "Shout It Out Loud". And, RJhog, I KNOW SIOL is NOT from RAROL!!!!! 

[RJhog (Admin)]

No offense intended there Niels. 

[Niels (Mod)]

None taken, bro'

[Jon]

The first Kiss album I ever bought was "Unmasked" because it was a cutout and only .99 and, except for the first song, that album made me realize why I wasn't a Kiss fan. That's my story. HA!

[Niels (Mod)]

I was very dissapointed, when I bought "Unmasked"- I also thought that "Is That You" was the best song on the album, and realized it was a cover. They became very populare in Denmark around that time, and I thought that was soo weird, since they had made their weakest album. I saw them on that tour, but man, I wish I could have seen them on the "Dynasty"-tour instead.

[Jon]

I bought the mp3 from Amazon for "Is That You?" because they gave me a download credit. And that's the only time I've used one of those credits, everything else I got expired. So yes, the one time I bought an mp3 song was a Kiss song.