Love Gun was
Kiss' fifth studio album in three years (and seventh release overall, peaking at number four on Billboard), and proved to be the last release that the original lineup played on. By 1977,
Kiss merchandise was flooding the marketplace (lunch boxes, makeup kits, comic books, etc.), and it would ultimately lead to a
Kiss backlash in the '80s. But the band was still focused on their music for
Love Gun, similar in sound and approach to
Rock & Roll Over, their previous straight-ahead rock release. It included
Ace Frehley's lead vocals on "Shock Me," as well as one of
Kiss' best and most renowned hard rockers in the thunderous title track. The album's opener, "I Stole Your Love," also served as the opening number on
Kiss' ensuing tour, while "Christine Sixteen" is one of the few
Kiss tracks to contain piano prominently. "Almost Human" is an underrated rocker and features a great
Jimi Hendrix-esque guitar solo from
Frehley (no doubt due to ex-
Hendrix producer Eddie Kramer manning the boards again), while "Plaster Caster" is a tribute to the famous groupies of the same name. The only weak spots on an otherwise stellar album are an obvious "Rock & Roll All Nite" ripoff titled "Tomorrow & Tonight," and a pointless remake of the
Phil Spector-penned classic "Then He Kissed Me" (reworked as "Then She Kissed Me"). [In 2014, Universal released a Deluxe Edition of the album featuring demos, live tracks, and interviews. Of special interest is the "Teaching Demo" of the title track where
Paul Stanley guides the band through the song's chord changes and breaks.] ~ Greg Prato