Love Gun

Digitally remastered Japanese edition of the band's 1977album in a miniaturized gatefold LP sleeve with the originalartwork limited to the initial pressing only. The albumreached #4 & contains 10 tracks, including the top 30 hit'Christine Sixteen'. 1998 M

The last album with the original lineup (unless you count the 1998 reunion Psycho Circus), Love Gun contains a few missteps (such as the reworking of the classic "Then He Kissed Me") but is mostly packed to the gills with the good, fun, trashy rock & roll that made Kiss legendary. One frequently overlooked high point is the song "Almost Human," which strikes a positively creepy note. Then there's Ace Frehley's first stint on lead vocals with "Shock Me," the un-PC but affectionate "Plaster Caster," and the well-known title track. True, there's no equivalent to "Rock & Roll All Night" (the obvious attempt falls flat), but that doesn't stop this from being not only classic Kiss, but classic 1970s rock. -- Genevieve Williams