It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 50 years since KISS unleashed their debut album on the masses. So much has changed. Countless scenes have come and go. And while KISS did have ups and downs along the way. They’ve always been a consistent presence throughout the decades. Uncompromising (with one or two exceptions) about who they are. Never throwing the towel in. And it all started on Feb 18th, 1974.
The eponymous self-titled didn’t take off like the newly founded ‘Casablanca’ records had hoped. The band’s live sound was tampered. The mix made more for the previous decade. After all, the album did come out just four years after The Beatles’ break up. But KISS were trying to drive rock further. Not only with a stage show that no one had ever seen before. But also with hard punching rock songs of high quality. Meant to be played at maximum volume.
For every production fail, there’s a song that makes up for it. The album is loaded. And is still the album that KISS goes to more than any other live. And it’s not hard to wonder why. Which such classics as ‘Firehouse,’ ‘Deuce,’ ‘Strutter’ and Ace Frehley’s eponymous track ‘Cold Gin.’ The band firmly established that they were not just a silly act in clown make up. But a group worth its effort. And that the show they provided was merely icing on the cake.
But that’s not all, the deep cuts are also worth their weight in gold. ‘Let Me Know’ is a timeless classic. A song that’s much closer to ‘Rubber Soul’ era Beatles than the hard rock powerhouse they would become. The album closers, ‘100,000 Years’ and ‘Black Diamond’ are cornerstones in all of hard rock. The latter being a true accomplishment of epic excellence. And a feature of Peter Criss’ killer vocals. And while they weren’t singles, they’ve solidified their place in rock lore.
All in all, the album is stacked. KISS’ debut is has become one of the most legendary in all of rock. Initially a flop, it’s become a cornerstone in the signature albums in an entire genre. Starting a phenomenon that would last for decades. So crank it, love it and jam on KISS’ self titled debut album.
