''Rock and Roll Over'' is the fifth studio album by American
rock band
Kiss, released in 1976. It was recorded at the Star Theatre in
Nanuet, New York.
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.
Three of
Gene Simmons' songs are clear re-workings of demos from the 1975 Magna Graphics Studios demo: "Ladies Room" is based on "Don't Want Your Romance"; "Love'Em and Leave'Em" is based on "Rock and Rolls-Royce" and "Calling Dr. Love" is a re-working of "Bad, Bad Lovin'" Criss sings "Baby Driver" – 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, but Simmons insisted Criss sing it. "Hard Luck Woman" did not equal the success of "
Beth", but became another top 20 single. "
Calling Dr. Love" became a concert staple. This is the first Kiss album to not feature a writing credit from
Ace Frehley.
The cover artwork is by artist
Michael Doret, who worked with Kiss again on 2009's ''
Sonic Boom
A sonic boom is a sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding similar to an explosion or a thunderclap to t ...
''. Inside the sleeve, there were 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.
Release
''Rock and Roll Over'' was released by
Casablanca Records on November 11, 1976. and peaked at No. 11 on the
''Billboard'' 200.
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.
Modern reviews are mixed. Greg Prato of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
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".
[ Pitchfork reviewer made a comparison with '' Destroyer'' and found it "sonically punchier, if not just a bit lacking in complete vitality".]
Track listing
All credits adapted from the original release.
Personnel
;Kiss
* Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar, first guitar solo on "I Want You"
* Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
; rhythm guitar on "Ladies Room"
* Peter Criss – drums, vocals
* Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing vocals
;Production
*Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer (born 19 April 1942) is a British recording producer and engineer. He has collaborated with several artists now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Led Zepp ...
– producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
, engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, mixing at the Record Plant, New York City
*Corky Stasiak – engineer
Charts
Album
Singles
Certifications
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock And Roll Over
Kiss (band) albums
1976 albums
Albums produced by Eddie Kramer
Casablanca Records albums