In a new interview Terrie Carr of WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, the rock music station licensed to Dover and Morristown, New Jersey, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons reflected on the band’s classic debut studio album, which was released in February 1974 via Casablanca Records. Much of the material on the LP was written by Simmons and KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley, with the two of them splitting the lead vocal duties fairly evenly. Gene said about the effort (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I think probably it’s the most honest record we’ve ever done. It doesn’t have to be the best, but painters and artists talk about the honesty of innocence before you learn to do things. Like kids — the most honest art is when a small child dips into mud or poop in the bathtub and starts creating imagery and stuff. That’s the most honest expression of art before you know form and function and any of that stuff. So we didn’t know anything about the recording process. We barely knew how to tune the instruments, and we sort of could write songs and based on our love of… We were Anglophiles. We loved the English version of what the Americans invented, which was rock and roll and blues, and it became rap and all that. It all started here [in the U.S.], but come on, the English gave us THE BEATLES and [LED] ZEPPELIN and stuff, and we gave them THE GRATEFUL DEAD. It’s just leagues apart. Nothing American ever rose to that level with people that play guitar. Nothing — not even close. And when you list the top — I don’t know — 10 bands of all time, they were all English or Irish. THE BEATLES and THE [ROLLING] STONES and the English invasion and stuff — on and on and on. Amazing songs. And so we started writing songs like that, and not copying or anything, but within that vein. And it came easy. Paul and I were long students of songwriting and the English bands and everything. THE KINKS — oh my goodness, those early years. ‘Waterloo Sunset’ was so, so simple, stripped of even production.

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Drummer Peter Criss, who co-founded the rock band KISS, has announced via short video from fansite KissFAQ that he will release his first solo album in eighteen years. The band historian Julian Gill shared details of the record on the fansite.

“I have an announcement,” Criss tells fans in the video. “I have my new rock and roll album to [share with] you KISS Army guys coming out in the fall, and I really hope you like it, man. And I wanna say God bless to each and every one of you.”

Gill noted that the record is a “hard rock, kick-ass album” that features the production work of Barry Pointer, while Criss is joined by guitarists John 5 and Mike McLaughlin, bassists Billy Sheehan and Matthew Montgomery, and pianist Paul Shaffer. The record also features the talents of backing vocalists Dennis and Sharron Collins, and Cathryn Manning.

“I was honored to listen to this album at Peter’s studio with him last night, and it was absolutely amazing to hear this new music,” adds Gill. “It was vibrant and powerful.

“I’m so excited for it to be released, and I think KISS fans are gonna love this album. Peter’s drum sound is absolutely massive and his vocals are powerful. Barry Pointer’s production is stunning, and Peter’s got an incredible group of musicians and background vocalists behind him.”

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