Dressed to Kill (album)

Dressed to Kill is the third studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on March 18, 1975. It was produced by Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart, as the label's financial situation at the time did not permit the hiring of a professional producer.[7]

Dressed to Kill
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 19, 1975
RecordedFebruary 1975
StudioElectric Lady Studios, New York City
GenreHard rock
Length30:07
LabelCasablanca
ProducerNeil Bogart, Kiss
Kiss chronology
Hotter Than Hell
(1974)
Dressed to Kill
(1975)
Alive!
(1975)
Singles from Dressed to Kill
  1. "Rock and Roll All Nite"
    Released: April 2, 1975
  2. "C'mon and Love Me"
    Released: July 10, 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Blender[2]
Christgau's Record GuideB[3]
Pitchfork(9.5/10)[4]
Rolling Stone[5]
The Village VoiceB[6]

Album information

Dressed to Kill was re-released in 1997 in a remastered version.[8] Possibly due to the short length of the album, original vinyl versions had long pauses between each track to create the illusion that the sides were longer than they were. Each side ran just 15 minutes, and some of the song times were listed incorrectly on the vinyl versions. For example, "Two Timer" was listed at 2:59 and "Ladies in Waiting" was listed at 2:47.

While the album cover depicts Kiss in business suits, the only member of the band who actually owned one was Peter Criss. The suits worn on the cover by the rest of the band were owned by manager Bill Aucoin.[7] The original vinyl release of the album also had the Kiss logo embossed around the picture. The photograph of the band on the album cover was taken on the southwest corner of 23rd Street and 8th Avenue looking north in New York City.

Reception

Dressed to Kill peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the US and was certified gold by the RIAA on February 28, 1977.[9][10] "C'mon and Love Me" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" were released as singles but failed to rise up the charts. A live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" from Alive!, issued as a single later that year, reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11]

Hi-Fi for Pleasure said of the album:

Hopefully the coming and going trendiness of Kiss won't leave them high and dry. We're so desperately short of showman crutch [sic] rock that albums like these feel like fresh air and just as rare. But the signs are there that they've been pronounced a bit too proficient to be really heavy.[12]

"Rock and Roll All Nite" is one of Kiss' most well-known songs – and has remained a staple in the band's concerts since 1975 – along with "Rock Bottom", "C'mon and Love Me" and "She".

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Room Service"Paul StanleyStanley2:59
2."Two Timer"Gene SimmonsSimmons2:47
3."Ladies in Waiting"SimmonsSimmons2:35
4."Getaway"Ace FrehleyPeter Criss2:43
5."Rock Bottom"Stanley (intro: Frehley)Stanley3:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
6."C'mon and Love Me"StanleyStanley2:57
7."Anything for My Baby"StanleyStanley2:35
8."She"Simmons, Stephen CoronelSimmons, Stanley, Criss4:08
9."Love Her All I Can"StanleyStanley2:40
10."Rock and Roll All Nite"Stanley, SimmonsSimmons2:49
Total length:30:07

Personnel

Kiss

Production

  • Neil Bogartproducer
  • Dave Wittman – engineer
  • George Lopez – assistant engineer
  • George Marino – CD mastering
  • Joseph Palamacco – remastering
  • Bob Gruen – photography

Charts

Chart (1975) Peak
position
Weeks
on chart
Canadian Albums Chart[13] 26
US Billboard Pop Albums[14] 32 29

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[10] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

  • Casablanca NBLP-7016 (March 19, 1975): First LP issue
  • Mercury 824 148-2 M-1 (July 1987): First CD issue
  • Mercury 314 532 3762 (July 15, 1997): Remastered CD
  • Mercury B0020146-01 (April 1, 2014): 180 gram vinyl LP, reissue

References

  1. Prato, Greg. "Kiss: Dressed to Kill" at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-04.
  2. Blender review
  3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: K". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 28, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  4. Josephes, Jason. "Kiss: Dressed to Kill". Archived from the original on June 26, 2003.
  5. Fletcher, Gordon (July 17, 1975). "Kiss: Dressed to Kill". Rolling Stone.
  6. Christgau, Robert (June 16, 1975). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  7. "Bill Aucoin Q&A session at the 1997 Atlanta KISS Expo". KISSaholics Magazine (#20). July–September 1997. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  8. "Dressed to Kill". Discography. KISS FAQ. Archived from the original on 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  9. "Kiss: Dressed to Kill > Charts & Awards" at AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  10. "American album certifications – Kiss – Dressed to Kill". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  11. Prato, Greg. "Rock and Roll All Night" at AllMusic. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
  12. Hi-Fi for Pleasure, 1975 – precise issue unknown. Review credited to "MT"
  13. "Search – RPM – Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  14. "Kiss Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
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