1976 studio album by Kiss

Rock and Roll Over is the fifth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on November 11, 1976, by Casablanca Records. It was recorded at the Star Theatre in Nanuet, New York. The album contains the songs "Hard Luck Woman" and "Calling Dr. Love", which became hit singles in the United States.

Album information

To get the proper drum sound, Peter Criss recorded his tracks in a bathroom, communicating via video-link with the rest of the band.[1] This is the first Kiss album to not feature a writing credit from Ace Frehley.

Many of the songs that appear on the album were developed before or during Destroyer. Three of Gene Simmons` songs are clear re-workings of demos from the 1975 Magna Graphics Studios demo: "Calling Dr. Love" is a re-working of "Bad, Bad Lovin`"; "Ladies Room" is based on "Don`t Want Your Romance"; and "Love` Em and Leave` Em" is based on "Rock and Rolls-Royce";[2] Criss`s "Baby Driver" is a rewrite of a Peter Criss/Stan Penridge demo from Criss`s pre-Kiss band Lips; and "Hard Luck Woman", a song Paul Stanley originally planned to pitch to Rod Stewart, was held over to provide Criss a ballad to sing following the success of "Beth".

Recording

Using the Record Plant recording truck, Kiss began recording in the Star Theater, an abandoned theater-in-the-round, in Nanuet, New York on September 30th, 1976 and completed basic tracks on October 11th, with overdubs being done at the Record Plant from October 12th-17th. [3] Working 16-17 hours a day, Eddie Kramer attempted to capture the live sound of the band by utilizing the entire building. Ace, Paul and Gene`s amplifiers were placed under the stage in separate dressing rooms to prevent bleed into the drum mikes. Peter`s drums were recorded both on the middle of the stage and in a bathroom. Vocals were sometimes done in hallways. Kramer recorded with the same special tube microphones that he had used with Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Engineer Corky Stasiak has amusingly recounted a story of his skateboarding down the steep aisle of the theater and attempting to jump onto the stage, only to pinball into the drums and microphones. He hurriedly reset everything, without the band`s nor Kramer`s knowledge. Shortly thereafter, while listening to a playback, Paul Stanley commented, “it sounds better today than it did yesterday.”[4]

Release

Rock and Roll Over was released by Casablanca Records on November 11, 1976,[5] and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.[6]

The cover artwork is by Michael Doret, who worked with Kiss again on 2009`s Sonic Boom.[7] Inside the sleeve was a sticker of the cover art and a glossy photo press release pamphlet. The live album Kings Among Scotland, by Anthrax, pays homage to the artwork.[8]

"Hard Luck Woman" did not equal the success of "Beth", but became another top 20 single, as did "Calling Dr. Love". The latter also became a concert staple.

Reception

In a contemporary review of the album, Robert Christgau wrote that Kiss "write tough, catchy songs, and if they had a sly, Jagger-style singer they`d be a menace", but are diminished by appearing as a "caricature" of themselves.[11]

Modern reviews are generally positive. Greg Prato of AllMusic was largely praising of Rock and Roll Over for the band`s "return to the raw hard rock of their first four albums", proclaiming it "one of Kiss` most consistent records".[9] A Pitchfork reviewer compared the album to Destroyer, finding it "sonically punchier, if not just a bit lacking in complete vitality".[14] In his Collector`s Guide to Heavy Metal, Martin Popoff called Rock and Roll Over "the most childish Kiss album" and "a disappointment after the amusing ambitions, diversions and excursions of Destroyer", lamenting the "return to the wee dumb hard rock cartoons of the early albums".[12]

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original release.[19]

Personnel

Kiss

• Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar, first guitar solo on "I Want You"
• Gene Simmons – vocals, bass; rhythm guitar on "Ladies Room"
• Peter Criss – drums, vocals
• Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing vocals

Production

• Eddie Kramer – producer, engineer, mixing at the Record Plant, New York City
• Corky Stasiak – engineer

Charts

Certifications