Alive! (Kiss album)
Alive! | ||||
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Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland) July 20, 1975 (RKO Orpheum Theater, Davenport) July 23, 1975 (Wildwoods Convention Center, Wildwood) | ||||
Studio | Electric Lady (New York City) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 72:35 | |||
Label | Casablanca | |||
Producer | Eddie Kramer | |||
Kiss chronology | ||||
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Singles from Alive! | ||||
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Alive! is the fourth album overall, and the first
The album's title was an homage to the 1972 live album Slade Alive! by the English rock group Slade, a band that heavily influenced Kiss.[3][4]
Background
From 1974 to 1975, Kiss released three albums: Kiss, Hotter Than Hell, and Dressed to Kill.[5] Although the three albums helped establish a cult following for the band in the Rust Belt, they were commercial failures.[6] Guitarist Paul Stanley attributed the low sales to Kiss' weak sound when they were in the studio versus when they were in concert. According to Stanley: "I never thought any of our first three albums captured the intensity of what the band was going for or was. And it was a problem because people would come to see us and many of them weren't buying our albums."[7] Kiss was famous for its elaborate stage performances, where the band members would wear kabuki-style makeup, use pyrotechnics, and spit fake blood.[6] Bassist Gene Simmons said that because of Kiss's notoriety, they were kicked off of multiple tours with groups like Argent, Black Sabbath, and Savoy Brown because they were afraid to play after Kiss.[8]
Kiss's record label, Casablanca Records, had similar financial issues. By 1974, Casablanca's profits were declining, so CEO Neil Bogart decided to release a double album of audio highlights from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, a show that averaged fourteen million viewers a night.[9] Casablanca shipped 750,000 copies, but the album was an enormous failure.[6] Distributors mailed back their free copies, and Casablanca co-founder Larry Harris said: "It hit the floor with a lifeless, echoing thud."[6] The failure negatively affected many acts signed with Casablanca, including Kiss; the band only received a $15,000 advance for the first three albums, and had yet to receive any royalties.[6] As a result of the breach of contract, Kiss began looking at other labels to sign with, and a lawsuit was eventually filed against Bogart.[10]
In a last-ditch effort to save the label, Bogart decided to capitalize on Kiss' onstage notoriety and have the band record a live album. Kiss's manager Bill Aucoin was receptive toward the idea, as he felt the band could finally achieve the sound they strove for. He also liked the fact that a live recording would be less expensive than a studio recording.[11] The band members also liked the idea, and within a few days, Bogart arranged the Dressed to Kill Tour.[6] Bogart could not finance the tour, however, so Aucoin paid for the entire tour with his own money, a total of $300,000.[6]
Recording
Alive! was recorded over four stops on the Dressed to Kill Tour: May 16 at
Kiss' wild and energetic stage presence did not translate well to the live recordings.
Kiss rerecorded parts of the album at Electric Lady Studios in August.[15] The live recordings were so heavily altered, only Criss' drum tracks remained untouched.[15] Even the audience was doctored, as Kramer spliced together the best cheers and screams from various Kiss performances.[5] The band wanted the listener to feel like they were in fact in the audience watching the show, and since directly recording an audience would not sound good, this was considered to be the next best solution.[5] Speaking about the heavy studio redubs years later, Kramer said: "Who cares if it was overdubbed? The energy still comes through."[16]
Release
Alive! was released on September 10, 1975.[17] The packaging featured a gatefold sleeve, a tour program with photos, and handwritten notes from the four band members.[5][6] The first stop for the tour supporting the Alive! album was on its release day in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Five days after its release, Aucoin informed Bogart that Kiss were going to leave Casablanca. In response, Bogart signed a two million dollar check to retain the band.[6]
Re-releases
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2022) |
Alive! was originally reissued as a double-CD set in what has now become known as a "Fatboy" 2CD case. When the Kiss back catalog was remastered, it was housed in a slimline 2CD case and, in keeping with the rest of the reissue program, had the artwork restored. Alive! was
The album was reissued in 2014 on vinyl with the original artwork and sleeve. The album was reissued again in 2020 for its 45th anniversary on colored vinyl.
Reception
Critical
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [22] |
Pitchfork | 10/10[23] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [24] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10[25] |
Alive! received negative and mixed reviews from contemporary critics. Alan Niester of
Modern reviews have generally been highly positive. Greg Prato of AllMusic considered Alive! to be "Kiss' greatest album ever."[13] In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, the album was called "a nonstop Kiss-Krieg of two-note guitar motifs, fake-sounding audience noise, and inspirational chitchat," but also "the next best thing to being there, clearly."[24] Jason Josephes of Pitchfork wrote that "the album may seem like a joke, mainly because it contains every arena rock cliche in the book," but called it "total sonic proof of Kiss climbing their apex."[23] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff remarked how Alive! "turned Kiss into an insane rock 'n' roll phenomenon" by elevating what were "economical and low-key hard rock ditties for kiddies" to "larger-than-life status, each now a bombastic track enveloped in fire-breathing mayhem, exploding smokebombs and screaming, hysterical crowds way too high in the mix."[21]
Commercial
Alive! peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 album charts, and charted for 110 weeks, by far the longest chart run in the band's history.[27]
Legacy
In 2003, the album was ranked No. 159 on
"Alive! was the first album I ever bought," Soundgarden's Kim Thayil told Guitar World in 1992. "And I wasn't alone: you can hear their influence all over metal and punk."[31] Scott Ian and Charlie Benante of Anthrax were immediate fans of the album and "loved every single song on that record."[32][33]
The RIAA only acknowledge 500,000 units sold in the United States, even though the album has sold over 9 million copies worldwide. The album has not been re-certified by RIAA after December 4, 1975, 3 months after it was originally released.
Track listing
All credits adapted from the original releases.[35][2]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Deuce" | Gene Simmons | Simmons | 3:32 |
2. | "Strutter" | Paul Stanley, Simmons | Stanley | 3:12 |
3. | "Got to Choose" | Stanley | Stanley | 3:35 |
4. | "Hotter Than Hell" | Stanley | Stanley | 3:11 |
5. | "Firehouse" | Stanley | Stanley | 3:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Nothin' to Lose" | Simmons | Simmons, Peter Criss | 3:23 |
2. | "C'mon and Love Me" | Stanley | Stanley | 2:52 |
3. | "Parasite" | Ace Frehley | Simmons | 3:21 |
4. | "She" | Simmons, Stephen Coronel | Simmons, Stanley, Criss | 6:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Watchin' You" | Simmons | Simmons | 3:51 |
2. | "100,000 Years" | Stanley, Simmons | Stanley | 12:12 |
3. | "Black Diamond" | Stanley | Criss, intro by Stanley | 5:47 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rock Bottom" | Stanley (intro: Frehley) | Stanley | 3:08 |
2. | "Cold Gin" | Frehley | Simmons | 5:21 |
3. | "Rock and Roll All Nite" | Stanley, Simmons | Simmons | 3:37 |
4. | "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" | Stanley, Simmons | Simmons | 5:09 |
Personnel
- Kiss
- Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
- Peter Criss – drums, vocals
- Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Additional personnel
- J.R. Smalling – spoken word introduction[36]
- Production
- Eddie Kramer – producer, engineer, mixing
- George Marino – remastering
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[46] | Gold | 20,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[47] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[48] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Wagner, Jeff (January 30, 2013). "10 All-Time Greatest Metal Live Albums". Noisecreep. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 (CD Booklet). New York City: Mercury Records. B0007586-02.
- ISBN 0-609-81002-2.
- ^ Ken Sharpe interview with Jim Lea
- ^ Ultimate Albums. Season 1. Episode 13. April 26, 2003. VH1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Staff (July 4, 2018). "How Kiss's Alive! Saved Their Record Label - And Changed the Music Industry". Mental Floss. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ Sharp, Simmons & Stanley 2013, p. 488.
- ^ Sharp, Simmons & Stanley 2013, p. 491.
- ^ a b Simmons 2001, p. 111.
- ^ Sharp, Simmons & Stanley 2013, pp. 492–493.
- ^ Sharp, Simmons & Stanley 2013, pp. 491–492.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-9802-4.
- ^ AllMusic
- ^ KISS - Classic Albums VH1- ALIVE
- ^ Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ KISS - Classic Albums VH1- ALIVE
- ^ Wiederhorn, Jon (September 10, 2019). "44 Years Ago: Kiss Release the Game-Changing Concert Album 'Alive!'". Loudwire. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- All Media Network. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ http://www.blender.com/guide/back-catalogue/52637/alive!-l.html[dead link]
- ^ ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 28, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ ISBN 978-1894959025.
- ISBN 978-0-857-12595-8.
- ^ a b Josephes, Jason. "Kiss: Alive!". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on November 2, 2005. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8. Archived from the originalon December 4, 2013.
- ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
- ^ Niester, Alan (January 1, 1976). "Alive!". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ "Kiss Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
- ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ "The 500 Gretest Albums of All Time: Kiss, 'Alive!'". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ "Top 10 Live Albums Every Rock Fan Should Own". Guitar World. September 23, 2009. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ (quoted in) Tolinski, Brad: 'The Woodshed', Guitar World, September 1996
- ISBN 978-0-306-82419-7.
- ^ Benante, Charlie (July 2016). "How Kiss changed my life". Classic Rock. No. 224. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ Blabbermouth (February 12, 2007). "KISS: SoundScan-Era Record Sales Revealed". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ Kiss (1975). Alive! (LP Sleeve). Los Angeles, California: Casablanca Records. NBLP 7020-798.
- Medium.com. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6471a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kiss – Alive!". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Kiss – Alive!". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Kiss Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 5175". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
- Cash Box. March 6, 1976. p. 43. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Kiss – Alive". Music Canada.
- ^ "American album certifications – Kiss – Alive". Recording Industry Association of America.
Sources
- ISBN 978-1-4000-4523-5.
- Sharp, Ken; ISBN 978-0-0621-3173-7.