Love Gun [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Kiss | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 1997)
• Original Release Date: 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Island / Mercury
• ASIN: B000001EL7
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,613 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Product Description

Japanese-only SHM-CD (Super High Material CD) paper sleeve pressing of this classic album from the Glam Hard Rockers, originally released in 1977. SHM-CDs can be played on any audio player and delivers unbelievably high-quality sound. You won't believe it's the same CD! Universal. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The last, great KISS studio CD of the originals, January 27, 2000

By 

Timothy Lee Young (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Gun (Audio CD)

After having 23 years of critiquing KISS for myself, and always looking forward to newer material, I must say this is a definate must-own CD for the die-hard original-KISS fan like myself. It's the last cohesive studio effort by the fab-four, and one that holds it's own through every new CD that has ever been made through this very day; thereby, it attains classic status. This is classic KISS, now with Ace on vocals--SHOCK ME rocks! Ace has been a quiet force in guiding the KISS sound since their first self-titled album; but now instead of writing songs for the others to sing, he takes the vocal helm with SHOCK ME; SHOCK ME would not have gone over the top if another member sang it, it is ACE's singing that boosts this debut to the outer limits! All the other songs have a place on this CD...they are your great, basic rockin' KISS tunes that have a hint of cheese (goofiness) in them that endear them to our hearts. KISS will always be the hottest band in the world--this album is what took them to their soared heights of popularity back in 1977, and it is what keeps them at that exact same heights to this very day! CHEERS!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "You pulled the trigger of my.....Love Gun", December 1, 2004

By 

Christopher Fryer (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Gun (Audio CD)

I can still remember bringing this album to art class back in grade school much to the disgust of most of the girls. Needless to say it was never played again but at least for one class period everyone had to listen to KISS! Love Gun has a couple of my all time favorite Kiss songs, Love Gun (great vocals, great guitar)and Plaster Caster (simple song with cool vocals by Gene). Other klassics are Almost Human (cool lyrics), I Stole Your Love, and Christine Sixteen (solo by Eddie Van Halen I believe). Ace's Shock Me and Peter's Hooligan are good as is the cover of Then She Kissed Me. The two songs I could do without are Tomorrow & Tonight (rehash) and Got Love For Sale (weak and not catchy at all). Unfortunately the cd does not have the original cardboard "Love Gun" but it does contain some fine good-time rock!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars When they finally started slipping, May 10, 2004

By 

John Alapick (Wilkes-Barre, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love Gun (Audio CD)

Love Gun was Kiss' 6th studio album in a 3-year period, an amazingly prolific output considering how many bands today release only one album during the same period. This is not only when the band was at the height of their popularity, but also when chinks started to show in their armor. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss not only wanted to leave the band but were also experiencing difficulties with drugs and alcohol. This is also when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons' songwriting skills started to slip as this was their first studio album that wasn't strong from beginning to end.

There are several strong tracks here and most of them are on the first half of the album. "I Stole Your Love" is one of their best album openers and one of Stanley's heavier songs. "Christine Sixteen" was the first single and one of Simmons' poppier efforts at the time, definitely a prelude to much of the material that would grace his solo album released the following year. "Got Love For Sale" is a great rocker from Simmons. "Shock Me" would be Frehley's debut as a lead vocalist and features one of his best solos. "Plaster Caster", which was later featured on their MTV Unplugged album, and the title track, which features one of Simmons' best bass lines, are also strong tracks. After that, the album runs out of gas. "Tomorrow And Tonight" is an attempt at another great anthem ala "Rock And Roll All Nite" that doesn't catch fire. The tracks "Almost Human" and "Hooligan" are weak compared to their previous work. Finally, the last track "Then She Kissed Me" is arguably the worst of their cover tunes. Basically, it's a decent album with some great songs, but not among their best work.