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Alive!
Live album by Kiss
Released	September 10, 1975
Recorded	March – June 1975
Genre	Hard rock
Length	74:50
Label	Casablanca
Producer	Eddie Kramer
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B-) link Pitchfork link Rolling Stone link
Kiss chronology
Dressed to Kill (1975) Alive! (1975) Destroyer (1976)

Alive! was Kiss' fourth album and is considered their breakthrough, as well as a landmark for live albums. Released on September 10, 1975, the double-disc set contained live versions of selected tracks from their first three studio albums, Kiss, Hotter Than Hell, and Dressed to Kill. It peaked at #9 on the album charts and has, to date, sold over 4 million units although the RIAA only has it listed at Gold.^{[citation needed]} In 2003, the album was ranked number 159 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The album charted for 110 weeks, by far the longest in the band's history. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links This image is the cover of an album or single. ... // Many successful recording artists release at least one live album at some point during their career. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... This article is about Casablanca, the record label. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Eddie Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon and Robin Trower. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... Image File history File links Stars10100. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links Stars440. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... Dressed to Kill is a 1975 album from American hard rock group Kiss. ... Singles from Destroyer Released: March 1, 1976 Released: April 30, 1976 Released: July 28, 1976 Released: August 1976 Destroyer is the fourth studio album and fifth album overall by hard/glam rock band Kiss, released on March 15, 1976 in the United States. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1971. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kiss is the self-titled debut album from the American hard rock band Kiss. ... Hotter Than Hell (1974) is the second album from the rock group Kiss. ... Dressed to Kill is a 1975 album from American hard rock group Kiss. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003. ...

It was certified Gold on December 4, 1975 when it sold 500,000 copies. By the end of January 1976, the album had gone Platinum. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with RIAA certification. ... The description Gold Album is applied to recorded music albums that have sold a minimum number of copies (in the US, currently 500,000 sales). ...

Uncertainty and risk

Despite Kiss' reputation as a live act, which emphasized theatrics (such as explosions, smoking guitar solos, fire breathing, and blood spitting), as much as it did the music, their notoriety did not translate to increased record sales. Kiss was essentially surviving on then-manager Bill Aucoin's American Express card. Complicating matters was the fact that their label, Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records, was having financial difficulties of its own stemming from a major misstep: the label had released a double album of Johnny Carson monologues earlier in the year. However, the album was a flop, and Casablanca Records had pressed millions of copies in anticipation. The band and Aucoin were nevertheless able to convince Bogart that a memento of a Kiss show would boost their album sales. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as AmEx or Amex, is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. ... Look up credit card in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Neil Bogart (February 3, 1943 – May 8, 1982) was an American record executive. ... This article is about Casablanca, the record label. ... For other persons named John Carson, see John Carson (disambiguation). ...

Years later, both guitarist Paul Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons recounted that in the weeks after the release, they saw a significant increase in concert attendance. In the documentary Kiss: X-treme Close Up, Stanley remembers that at one particular show in Dayton, Ohio, "the place was packed; I mean you couldn't have gotten another person in with a shoehorn." For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... This article is about the metal musician. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... : Gem City : Birthplace of Aviation United States Ohio Montgomery 56. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

Overdubbing controversy

There has been considerable debate as to how much use was made of studio overdubs. Gene Simmons states in his autobiography Kiss and Make-Up that very little corrective work was done in the studio and that most of the studio time was devoted strictly to mixing down the multi-track recordings. He also emphasized that Kiss could not have done extensive overdubbing even if they had wanted to; thanks in no small part to the Johnny Carson album fiasco, the extremely meager budget allotted to the band simply would not allow it. Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously taped musical recording. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... The Tascam 85 16B analogue tape recorder can record 16 tracks of audio on 1 inch (2. ...

According to Dale Sherman's book Black Diamond and Goldmine magazine, in the early 1990s, Eddie Kramer stated there were a few overdubs to correct the most obvious mistakes: strings breaking or off-key notes, for instance. However, in recent years, Kramer has stated that the only original live recording on the album is Ace Frehley's guitar. In a recent televised interview, he also stated the only original live recording on the album is Peter Criss's drums. In addition, on the recent VH1 special of the story of Kiss, the band members themselves make it more known that the album was severely doctored in the studio, and various musicians (Fred Durst for one) comment on the album in this special, revealing how disappointed they were to find out their heroes doctored the supposed "live" album in the studio. Goldmine, established in 1974, is an American magazine that focuses on the collectors market for records, tapes CDs, and music-related memorabilia. ... Eddie Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon and Robin Trower. ... The term off-key is a Colloquialism spreading quickly across the south of England, originating in Tilehurst, Berkshire off-key is used to express something that was not expected and positive, for example the rave was off-key would refer to a more than pleasant pill session down the local... Fred Durst (born William Frederick Durst August 20, 1970, Jacksonville, Florida) is an American nu metal vocalist, best known as the front man of nu- metal pioneers, Limp Bizkit. ...

Paul Stanley has noted that there's a bass mistake in the choruses of "C'mon and Love Me." He's also made comments that even though there have been live albums recorded later that make Alive! sound like it was recorded in a washroom, he has no qualms about it.

Re-release

Alive! was first issued as a 2CD set in what has now become known as a 'fatboy' 2CD case. When the Kiss back-catalogue was remastered it was housed in a slimline 2CD case and, in keeping with the rest of the reissue programme, had the artwork restored.

Most recently, Alive! was re-released in 2006 as part of the Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 box set (also featuring Alive!, Alive III and Alive! The Millennium Concert). The short running-time of Alive! allowed for a single, unedited CD edition in this latest release. In the music industry, a release is the event at which an album or single is first released for sale. ... Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 is a collection of live recordings from the American hard rock band Kiss. ... A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is one or more musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related things that are contained in a box. ... Alive! was KISSs fourth album and is considered their breakthrough, as well as a cornerstone for live albums. ... Alive III is a live album released by the American hard rock band Kiss in 1993, and certified gold in 1994. ...

Track listing

1. "Deuce" (Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons) – 3:32
2. "Strutter" (Stanley, Simmons) – 3:12
3. "Got To Choose" (Stanley) – 3:35
4. "Hotter Than Hell" (Stanley) – 3:11
5. "Firehouse" (Stanley) – 3:42
6. "Nothin' To Lose" (Simmons) – 3:23
7. "C'mon and Love Me" (Stanley) – 2:52
8. "Parasite" (Ace Frehley) – 3:21
9. "She" (Simmons, Stephen Coronel) – 6:42
10. "Watchin' You" (Simmons) – 3:51
11. "100,000 Years" (Stanley, Simmons) – 12:10
12. "Black Diamond" (Stanley) – 5:50
13. "Rock Bottom" (Frehley, Stanley) – 4:59
14. "Cold Gin" (Frehley) – 5:43
15. "Rock and Roll All Nite" (Stanley, Simmons) – 4:23
16. "Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll" (Stanley, Simmons) – 5:45

Deuce is a song written by KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons that first appeared on KISS eponymous 1974 debut album. ... This article is about the metal musician. ... Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... This article is about the Kiss song. ... Hotter Than Hell (1974) is the second album from the rock group Kiss. ... For the Dixieland jazz band, see Firehouse Five Plus Two FireHouse is an American hard rock band formed in Charlotte, NC in 1989 and named after the Kiss song of the same name. ... Nothin To Lose is a glam-rock band based in London, United Kingdom. ... A parasite is an organism that spends a significant portion of its life in or on the living tissue of a host organism and which causes harm to the host without immediately killing it. ... Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. ... For other uses, see She (disambiguation). ... Stephen Coronel is a guitarist and former member of Bullfrog Bheer, Wicked Lester, and Rainbow (not the famous Ritchie Blackmore band of the same name), three late 1960s/early 1970s prog-rock bands that later mutated into KISS. Categories: | ... Black Diamond is a song by KISS credited to Paul Stanley, even though it is said that it was co-written with Gene Simmons [1]. The song ends the bands first album, KISS, released in 1974. ... Rock Bottom can mean: Rock bottom, an all time low Rock Bottom (album), an album by Robert Wyatt Rock Bottom (SpongeBob SquarePants episode), the SpongeBob SquarePants Episode Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc. ... Cold Gin is a song by the American hard rock band KISS, featured on their debut album in 1974. ... Rock and Roll All Nite is a song by Kiss, originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. ...

Credits

• Gene Simmons - bass guitar, lead vocals
• Paul Stanley - rhythm guitar, lead vocals
• Ace Frehley - lead guitar, backing vocals
• Peter Criss - drums, vocals

Chaim Witz (חיים וויץ), (born August 25, 1949 in Haifa, Israel), better known by his stage name Gene Simmons, is an Israeli-American hard rock bass guitarist and vocalist. ... A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... This article is about the metal musician. ... Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ... Paul Daniel Frehley (born April 27, 1951[1]), better known as Ace Frehley, is an American guitarist best known as a founding member and lead guitarist for the rock band Kiss. ... Lead guitar refers to a role within a band, that provides melody or melodic material, as opposed to the rhythm of the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. ... George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known as Peter Criss, is an American musician best known as co-founder, drummer and vocalist for the rock band Kiss. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ...

Trivia

• Alive! peaked on Billboard's chart at # 9
• Alive! wasn't expected to sell well because not only was it a live album, but a double album as well (i.e. more expensive).
• Alive! was recorded as a means to fulfill contractual obligations with Casablanca, the band's label. Because the first 3 albums sold poorly, Alive! would quicken the band's progress in fulfilling album quotas with Casablanca before moving to another label
• Alive! was also released as a result of KISS being dropped from tours because headliners were constantly being upstaged by the band
• Alive! was the first KISS album to feature free goodies as part of the package (the spiffy photo book) and set a trend for the group to give the fans something extra with each succeeding album
• As evidenced by the track order on Alive!, "Rock and Roll All Nite" had not yet supplanted "Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll" as the band's closing number.
• Alive! is also the name of rock band Slade's first live album released in 1972, Kiss often cite Slade as a major influence.
• The Japanese version of Alive! is subtitled Crazy Beast (Running Amok) From Hell.
• 5 shows were recorded for the album--Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Tri-Cities, Wyoming; Wildwood, New Jersey; and Springfield, Illinois.
• Circus magazine picked Alive! as the second-best album of the year behind Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti.
• This was the first album that Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo ever got. Eventually he taught himself to play the song "100,000 Years" on the drums.
• In 2007, Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of the 25 best live albums. ^[1]

Rock and Roll All Nite is a song by Kiss, originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Charts

Album - Billboard (North America) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Singles - Billboard (United States) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Singles - Billboard (Austria) RIAA redirects here. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Singles - Bilboard (Canada) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

External links

• Kiss FAQ - Alive!, Accessed on July 8, 2005.
• Kiss Listed # 2 on Rolling Stone Greatest Live Albums