Kiss
wasn't quite the hottest band in the land when they made their 1975 double-live album
Alive!
, but they were about to be. This was the album that catapulted the group from cult attraction to mega-superstars, becoming their first Top Ten album and remaining on the charts for 110 weeks. Culled from shows in Detroit, New Jersey, Iowa, and Cleveland on the
Dressed to Kill
tour, the record features producer
Eddie Kramer
doing a masterful job of capturing the band's live performance on record.
had released three middling studio albums up to this point, with some great songs amid some absolute filler-grade inclusions, all of it often marred by shoddy production.
's live renditions of songs from
' self-titled 1974 debut, that same year's
Hotter Than Hell
, and 1975's
strip them down to their rawest form, absorbing the excitement of both the live performance element and
' unmatched, fantastical stage show. Party anthem "Rock & Roll All Nite" became a Top 20 smash and was the main reason for the album's success, but there are many other tracks that are just as strong -- "Deuce," "Strutter," "Firehouse," "Parasite," "She," "100,000 Years," "Black Diamond," and "Cold Gin" all shine in a live setting. Although there's been some speculation about extensive overdubbing to correct mistakes,
remains
' introduction to the world, and a lasting document of their larger-than-life rock & roll power. ~ Greg Prato & Fred Thomas