Casablanca - 1976
9/10
For the second Kiss ‘70s phase, every album takes what was laid on Destroyer and repeats the same process, changing very little in the formula. It should be no surprise then, that the second full-length for 1976 is somewhat a “more of this” effort that just happens to land some of my favorite songs. This is usually the safe direction to go, but that safety net may only save you for an album or two, which many a thrash metal band found out the hard way. Thankfully, I think Rock ‘N Roll Over did just fine with it.
Thus, the tighter songwriting prevails for a decent amount of this album. Mostly one-sided energy fared enough creativity to drop loads of addictive and memorable songs, and the bounciness of the rhythms, if nothing else, flaunts itself to an obvious degree. Opener “I Want You” tampers with start/stop playing, working off an acoustic intro that folds into grooves like none other. Its massive counterpart “Calling Dr. Love” gives Gene a chance to front this tactic, and while it’s a little more on-the-nose, there’s no denying the levels of fun. “Ladies Room” rings in this same type of beat with a less abrupt chorus, laying on those classic harmonies, and “See You In Your Dreams” acts as a flipside where vocals are traded off for effect. It’s tracks like these that nobody talks about, and in my opinion get super overlooked.
Of course, there are some that rightfully stand out due to sheer contrast while working into this idea. The juxtaposition between the two closer songs is possibly my favorite feat. Closer “Makin’ Love” just about touches speed metal again, being extremely riff oriented with an explosive opening, while the classic “Hard Luck Woman” gives the folkiest vibes we’ve ever gotten from Kiss thus far. Peter’s raspy vocals against the acoustic bottom make this his best song. This leaves our obvious fillers, two that are still great and two that feel empty. “Love ‘Em And Leave ‘Em” and “Mr. Speed” (the latter being undeniably catchy) are another duo that hold strong energy for what they are, and fill things out nicely. The only gripes to be had are “Baby Driver” and “Take Me,” neither being outstandingly bad, but certainly lacking any kind of innovation.
Despite the fact that Rock ‘N Roll Over is basically “Destroyer Part 2,” I find a lot of its nuances endearing and rather charming. It’s objectively a slight step down, mostly because of the last two tracks mentioned in the last paragraph, but I often find myself returning to this album more often. The grooves, the bounciness, and the balanced consistency are undeniable. As with most of the band’s records, if you can deal with a few skippable tunes, you’ll do fine!
No comments:
Post a Comment