Dopo aver sciolto i "Wicked Lester", Paul Stanley e Gene Simmons decisero di formare un nuovo gruppo. Il ruolo di batterista fu affidato a Peter Criscuola (in seguito Peter Criss) , mentre il ruolo di chitarrista solista fu affidato ad Ace Frehley, anche se in un primo momento fu scelto Bob Kulick. Su suggerimento di Stanley il gruppo cambiò il nome in KISS. Ogni membro creò una maschera e un trucco facciale che diveranno il loro marchio di fabbrica negli anni a venire. Paul Stanley è il figlio delle stelle (" The StarChild"), Gene Simmons è il demone ("The Demon"), Ace Frehley è l'uomo dello spazio ("The Space Man") mentre Peter Criss è l'uomo gatto ("The Catman").
Dopo aver firmato un accordo con la Casablanca Record, i KISS rilasciarono nel febbraio del 1974 il loro primo album, denominato KISS. L'album a mio avviso è un capolavoro. A distanza di anni sembra quasi di sentire un "Best Of" della band. Ancora oggi quasi tutte le tracce vengono eseguite dal vivo, vero marchio di fabbrica della band.
Il disco si apre con quello che possiamo definire il primo grande classico della band. "Strutter" è suonato magistralmente dai quattro, cantata ottimamente dallo "StarChild". La seconda traccia invece è "Nothin' To Lose", impossibile non canticchiare il ritornello della song. In questo caso dietro il microfono troviamo Peter Criss. "Firehouse" invece è un pezzo che dal vivo rende ti più, ma è un altro grande pezzo che si ascolta con piacere, con Simmons e Stanley che si alternano al microfono. "Cold Gin" è un pezzo firmato Frehley. E' un capolavoro senza dubbio. Grande riff e grandissimo assolo dello "SpaceMan", il resto lo fa l'ugola di Simmons, pur non dotato di una grande voce, si destreggia bene dietro il microfono. Subito dopo troviamo forse la traccia più debole del lotto. "Let Me Know", si lascia ascoltare ma nulla di più. "Kissin Time" invece dopo un primo ascolto può sembrare banale, ma dopo un pò ti entra in testa e non va più via. Ed ecco arrivati all'altro capolavoro dell'album, la mia preferita in assoluta del "Bacio". "Deuce" ha un riff magistrale di chitarra, un cantato favoloso (con ancora Simmons dietro il microfono) e un assolo stupendo. Immancabile nelle esibizioni dal vivo della band. La seguente traccia è la prima strumentale del gruppo che passa via tranquilla, senza sbavature , ma non lascia il segno. Il basso di Simmons ci introduce "100,000 Years", ennesimo grande pezzo del lotto, con Stanley che canta ancora una volta in maniera sontuosa. Chiude il disco quel capolavoro di "Black Diamond". Stanley ci introduce dolcemente la canzone, sembra di sentire una ballad, invece la canzone esplode in un riff strepitoso di chitarra. La canzone viene proseguita alla voce dal "Catman". Batteria magistrale e assolo di chitarra da alta scuola chiudono questo brano da applausi.
A mio avviso i KISS sono una delle più grandi band che il panorama Rock abbia mai visto, certo non ai livelli dei Led o Purple, ma anche loro ci hanno regalati dischi strepitosi che ancora oggi si lasciano ascoltare con piacere, non capisco infatti perchè vengono odiati cosi tanto da chi non è un loro fan. Io onestamente mi tengo stretto i dischi dei KISS, e sopratutto questo disco d'esordio.
"You Wanted The Best! You've got The Best! The Hottest Band In the World... KISS!!"
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 Strutter (03:12)
I know a thing or two about her
I know she'll only make you cry
She'll let you walk the street beside her
But when she wants she'll pass you by
Ev'rybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter!
She wears her satins like a lady
She gets her way just like a child
You take her home and she says "Maybe, baby"
She takes you down and drives you wild
Ev'rybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter!
(Solo)
I know a thing or two about her
I know she'll only make you cry
She lets you walk the street beside her
But when she wants, she'll pass you by
Everybody said she's lookin' good
And the lady knows it's understood
Strutter- I know she'll just make you cry
Strutter- Look out, that girl just pass you by
Strutter- Whoa oh! She gets her way like a child
Strutter- Mama!, That girl will just drive you wild
Strutter! (repeats out)
02 Nothin' to Lose (03:27)
Before I had a baby
I didn't care anyway
I thought about the back door
I didn't know what to say, yeah, yeah
But once I got a baby
I tried every way
She didn't wanna do it
But she did anyway, yeah, yeah
So baby please don't refuse
You know you got nothin' to lose
You got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ooh, baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, ow, come on mama
You got, got nothin' to lose, you really, really, got nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ah, sing with the catman
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got
You got, you got, you got nothin' to lose
So now I got a baby
And I tried every way, I tried any way
You know she wants to do it, know she wants to do it
And she does anyway, yeah, yeah
But baby please don't refuse
You know you got nothin' to lose
You got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh, nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, ha, ha, oh, baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, ah, sing one time with Pete
You got, got nothin' to lose, don't you know baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got
You got, you got, you got nothin' to lose
You got, got nothin' to lose, I can't hear you
You got, got nothin' to lose, come on baby
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, ow
You got, got nothin' to lose, you got nothin'
You got, got nothin' to lose, oh, New York
You got, got nothin' to lose, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You got, got nothin' to lose, all right
Yeah
03 Firehouse (03:18)
Whoo, hoo, yeah
Whoo, hoo, yeah
She'll adore you and she'll floor you
With her wisdom and her vision
And you'll love it and think of it
Till you lose all intuition
Come on
She can move you and improve you
With her love and her devotion
And she'll thrill you and she'll chill you
But you're headed for commotion
And you'll need her so you'll feed her
With your endless dedication
And the quicker you get sicker
She'll remove your medication
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul afire
Get the firehouse
And the flames keep gettin' higher
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'd never leave her but you know you should
She's like bad weather but it seems so good
You'd never leave her but you know you should
Ooh
Get the firehouse
'Cause she sets my soul afire
Get the firehouse
Whoo, hoo, yeah
Get the firehouse
Whoo, hoo, yeah
04 Cold Gin (04:22)
Whoo, alright
My heater's broke and I'm so tired
I need some fuel to build a fire
The girl next door, her lights are out, yeah
The landlord's gone, I'm down and out
Ooh, it's cold gin time again
You know it'll always win
Cold gin time again
You know it's the only thing
That keeps us together, ow
It's time to leave and get another quart
Around the corner at the liquor store
Haha, the cheapest stuff is all I need
To get me back on my feet again
Ooh, it's cold gin time again
You know it'll always win
It's cold gin time again
You know it's the only thing
That keeps us together, ow
Whoa yeah
Ooh, it's cold gin time again
You know it'll always win
It's cold gin time again
You know it's the only thing
That keeps us together, ow
07 Deuce (03:06)
Get up
And get your grandma outta here
Pick up
Old Jim is workin' hard this year
And baby
Do the things he says to do
Baby, if you're feeling good
And baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
He's worth a deuce
Honey
Don't put your man behind his years
And baby
Stop cryin' all your tears
Baby
Do the things he says to do
Do it
Baby, if you're feeling good
And baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
He's worth a deuce
And baby, if you're feeling good
Yes baby if you're feeling nice
You know your man is workin' hard
Yeah
09 100,000 Years (03:23)
I'm sorry to have taken so long
It must have been a bitch while I was gone
You mind if I sit down for a while
You'll reacquaint yourself with my style
Well, how could you have waited so long
It must have been a bitch while I was gone
All this time you put up a fear
For a hundred thousand years
I'm sorry to have taken so long
It must have been a bitch while I was gone
All this time you put up a fear
For a hundred thousand years
And baby won't you let me
I think I'm goin' out of my head
I'm just about to, ooh yeah, ha
I'm sorry to have taken so long
It must have been a bitch while I was gone
You mind if I sit down for a while, would you babe
You'll reacquaint yourself with my style
10 Black Diamond (05:14)
Out on the street for a living
Picture's only begun
Got you under their thumb
Hit it !!!
Out on the streets for a living
Picture's only begun
Your day is sorrow and madness
Got you under their thumb
Whoo, black diamond
Whoo, black diamond
Darkness will fall on the city
It seems to follow you too
And though you don't ask for pity
There's nothin' that you can do, no, no
Whoo, black diamond
Whoo, black diamond
Out on the streets for a living
Picture's only begun
Your day is sorrow and madness
Got you under their thumb
Whoo, black diamond, yeah
Whoo, black diamond
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Mandrocker
I concerti dei Kiss sono prima di tutto scena, che musica.
«Deuce» e «Black Diamond»: l'essenza e il picco di questo album!
Di Axlspark
"Questo secondo me è uno dei più bei album dei Kiss ed è anche molto bello dal punto di vista tecnico."
"Insomma un ottimo album Hard Rock che segnerà l'epoca di quella che... è stata una delle più grandi band della storia della musica."
