Hotter Than Hell Kiss

BUY THIS ITEM

  • $52.99 Online price
    $47.69 Member price
    Join Now
    • skip to cart
  • Add To List uiAction=GetAllLists&page=List&pageType=list&ean=4988005525659&productCode=MU&maxCount=100&threshold=3

GET FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OF $25 OR MORE

DELIVERY & GIFT DETAILS:

Usually ships within 24 hours

Delivery Time and Shipping Rates

Eligible for gift wrap & gift message.

CD

  • Release Date: 09/24/2008
  • Original Release: 1974
  • Sales Rank: 200,640
  • Label: UNIVERSAL JAPAN
  • UPC: 4988005525659

Listener Rating: (5 ratings)

See All Detailed Ratings

More Formats 
CD - Remastered$8.59
 
  • Overview
  • Tracks
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Customer Reviews
  • Details & Credits
Track List
Click on LISTEN or link to hear an audio clip.
To listen to samples you'll need a Windows Media Player

Hotter Than Hell

1LISTENGot to Choose 3:54
2LISTENParasite 3:01
3LISTENGoin' Blind 3:36
4LISTENHotter Than Hell 3:31
5LISTENLet Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll 2:14
6LISTENAll the Way 3:18
7LISTENWatchin' You 3:43
8LISTENMainline 3:50
9LISTENComin' Home 2:37
10LISTENStrange Ways 3:18

About this Artist

Editorial Reviews

Although Kiss' self-titled debut performed respectably on the charts, it was not the blockbuster they had hoped for. With the album fading on the charts in the summer of 1974, Kiss was summoned back into the studio to work on a follow-up. Producers Richie Wise and Kenny Kerner were onboard again, and even though the sonics are muddier (and more filler is present in the compositions), Hotter Than Hell is another quintessential Kiss release. Many of the songs have been forgotten over the years (few have been featured in concert after the '70s), but there are still more than a few gems to be found. It's unclear if the members of Kiss were having problems with their personal relationships at the time, but it's a common thread that runs through the songs. The plodding "Got to Choose" and the rapid-fire "Parasite" deal with love gone bad; the title track is about unobtainable love, while "Goin' Blind" is a disturbing tale of a 93-year-old having an affair with a 16-year-old. Also included are the early favorites "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" and "Watchin' You," as well as the original electric version of "Comin' Home" (an acoustic version was the opener of 1996's MTV Unplugged) and "Strange Ways," which contains one of Ace Frehley's best guitar solos. Even though Hotter Than Hell actually fared worse on the charts than the debut, it has become a revered album among Kiss fans over the years -- and rightfully so. Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

The KISS Army marches on.by Anonymous

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

July 28, 2006: I must admit I did not like this record that much when I first heard it, but it has slowly grown on me over the years. Now I am prepared to say that I like it better than their debut album. I can still only give it three stars because of the poor production quality, but the lyrics, especially, indicate growth and development among the bandmembers and the lesser known KISS songs on this record, unfairly dismissed as filler by many reviewers, actually fare better than some of the better known KISS classics featured here (which, as was the case with their debut, sound much better on Alive!)There are several unearthed KISS gems on this record, many of which the band has never performed live, which deserve to be heard. "Goin' Blind" is one of Gene Simmons's best early compositions, having been written before the band was formed, and features one of his best vocal performances. The song could as easily been recorded by Jethro Tull or Genesis and shows that KISS could expand beyond the often limited boundaries of Hard Rock if they so chose. "Mainline," written by Paul Stanley and sung by Peter Criss, betrays a southern rock influence. "All the Way" is a funky soulful Simmons composition that illustrates his obssession with aloof women, a theme he would return to several times in his compositions. "Comin" Home," featuring a rare Paul Stanley/Ace Frehley songwriting credit sounds like Slade in their heyday. This record also features two of Ace Frehley's best compositions: "Parasite," which would become a staple of their live performances and "Strangeways" which strangely would not. The latter is one of the heaviest songs the band has recorded and was, fortunately, rescued from obscurity on the band's 2001 box set. Of the KISS classics featured here, "Parasite" and "Hotter Than Hell" fare the best in comparison with their live versions on Alive! I actually prefer the studio version of the title track to the live one as I believe the former is more reflective of Stanley's original vision for the song. The slower, grinding pace of the studio version captures the essence of the song perfectly which Stanley has admitted in a recent interview (for the authorized KISS biography Behind the Mask) was a undisguised rewrite of Free's "All Right Now" with a twist: in the KISS song the protagonist strikes out. If you have never heard this record, or if you have not heard it in some time, I would highly recommend that you add it to your collection.

This review was written about the CD Remastered edition.

Number 3 on the list of the best KISS albumsby Anonymous

Reader Rating:
See Detailed Ratings

May 26, 2003: The KISS album "Hotter Than Hell"is Number 3 on the list of the best KISS albums.The strongest song is "Hotter Than Hell"and the weakest is "Comin' Home".This album also has the first Gene Simmons ballad,"Goin' Blind".If you collect KISS albums and you don't have this album,your collection is incomplete.

This review was written about the CD Remastered edition.


More Customer Reviews