"Rock And Roll Over" Album Review

Alpha101 While "Destroyer" is my favorite Kiss album, I didn't want to review an album that already has a review. That being said, I always had mixed feelings about the album. At first, I loved it, but now, looking back, my opinion has changed a bit.

"I Want You" is one of the best songs by the band, easily. The opening soft and touching, but then things really pick up. It's repetitive, yes, but very catchy and memorable. Stanley's vocals were perfect in this one, and it was one of the first songs by Kiss that I truly enjoyed.

"Take Me" was one of the band's worst songs, in my opinion. I wouldn't necessarily say that it was horrible, but I could never see why that it was included on a great album such as this. It's simply a filler track.

"Calling Dr. Love" is almost Simmons' best song, if it wasn't for "God of Thunder." He does a great job in this one, and the chorus is one of my favorites to sing from the band. Also, while the band is obviously not known for it's guitar work, the solo was pretty impressive. Sure, it isn't very difficult to play, but it had a lot of emotion in it, and that isn't expected from this band, so it certainly took me by surprise.

"Ladies Room" was another really catchy song, and among the best on the album. Whenever I listen to the song, I remember the scene from "Detroit Rock City," and it always makes me chuckle.

"Baby Driver" is another disappointing track. The one praise that I could give about the song is that the guitar work, while easy to play, blended well within the song, and was the only thing that ever got me to listen to the song the whole way through.

"Love 'Em And Leave 'Em" was a good song. Yes, it was a little underwhelming compared to some of the other songs by the band, but it was, nevertheless, a joy to listen to.

"Mr. Speed" was another song that made me yawn a bit. I mean, this is Kiss, right? The most impressive and dangerous rock band in the world at the time? Where's the intensity, the great vocals, the words that will stick with me forever? None were found in this song. It was a laughable song, and I did not enjoy it when I first heard it, and still don't enjoy it to this very day.

"See You in Your Dreams" was a breath of fresh air for me. I almost gave up on the album, but I decided to listen to one last song, and this song did grab my attention. It isn't much, but it is catchy, and the solo was a fine addition.

"Hard Luck Woman" is one of the best songs in the history of the band. It's soft and beautiful, which the band usually isn't, though they have been a few times. The lyrics were surprisingly very well written, and Criss does a perfect job in this one.

"Makin' Love" had a great opening riff, and did a superb job at closing the album. Stanley was, mainly, unimpressive the entire album, but this song helped me regain my confidence in him. It's still one of my favorite closing tracks in history, but id did not make me want to listen to the album again. Nothing would make me want to re-listen to the album, actually.

In short, I was not a very big fan of this album. Like I said earlier, Kiss was known for it's controversy, clever lyrics, and smooth but, at the same time, intense vocals. Instead, this album sounded like a dog who got neutered. All the intensity was gone, and almost every song sounded like watered down pop, instead of rock. A few songs on the album were great, but, for the most part, this record was a snooze fest. This was definitely not my favorite Kiss album, but it wasn't bad. There is some enjoyment to be found, though it is sometimes difficult to find.

6.2/10 - Okay Album

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