Casablanca - 1977
7/10
The final Kiss record of what I call “the classic six” consisting of two trilogies, each ending with live albums, is where we see the first signs of playing it too safe. While not a bad album, Love Gun sees the largest amounts of junk pumped out just for the sake of getting another record out. Having six full-lengths and two lives in a four-year span can hurt songwriting, even if some of the songs turn out just fine. So with that said, we’ve reached our last round of structure built on the Destroyer idea.
Considering that foundation, we’ve still got plenty of worthwhile tunes to discuss. For starters, the title track itself is one of the most iconic songs the band ever did, mixing heavy energy with strong drive and fun lyrics; even the basic ass chorus can be overlooked without issue. Opener “I Stole Your Love” kicks on some more speedy energy that sets the stage nicely, and “Tomorrow And Tonight” hearkens back to that ‘60s energy with its layered harmonies. I’d say the rhythms in “Christine Sixteen” reflect the same energy, one that aged very poorly for obvious reasons, despite its catchiness. If there’s any kind of consistency, it’s the heavy callback to these early rock tactics, which I guess explains why they felt the need to cover “And Then (S)he Kissed Me.”
Moreover, Love Gun holds the extremely overlooked “Shock Me,” our first taste of Ace Frehley vocals backed by some of their strongest percussion fills under beautiful lead sections. If the lack of consistent energy were the only problem, we’d have an album nearly as good as Rock ‘N Roll Over. Unfortunately, almost everything else here is rough. “Plaster Caster” is an obvious, bass-heavy filler that I can at least dig in the right mood, but “Got Love For Sale,” “Hooligan” and “Almost Human” are painfully corny and repetitive, making the obvious fillers on other albums look like bangers. I have a soft spot for many of them, but these certainly don’t fit the bill. Whatever was going on vocally in “Almost Human” had to involve drugs, I don’t care what Gene Simmons says.
Regardless of some of my heavier complaints, I still find myself returning to this record fairly often. Its strong moments are very strong, but the weak moments are very weak, so without that partial edge towards some of the other lesser tunes, it may not be the most desirable. New fans should certainly look elsewhere for their introduction, but there’s at least a lot to get from it for the seasoned listener. Take from it what you will.
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