A long-awaited super deluxe box set from the demons of rock and roll

Disguised in Kabuki-esque makeup and looking imposing in studded leather uniforms, KISS was the grotesque footnote of a musical subset on the verge of being submerged by disco that deafened and blinded the musical landscape. Their brand of unadulterating hard rock, delivered with on-stage theatrics, wooed audiences across the United States, often upstaging the headliners they opened for. Sustaining a live reputation conflicted with the timid nature of their album sales, where sales of their sophomore effort, Hotter Than Hell, forced them off the touring circuit and back into the studio to cut a new album in February 1975.

Dressed to Kill, released the following month, was KISS’s third studio album released in over a year. After exhausting their backlog of material on their first two albums, there was immense pressure to gather up ten compositions to commit to tape. A track like “Ladies in Waiting,” written in one afternoon and the group both learning and recording it by the evening, is a byproduct of studio-rooted demand. “She” and “Love Her All I Can” were dusted and beefed up from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley’s pre-KISS group, Wicked Lester. KISS’s fondness for the touring life became an easy source of inspiration for “Room Service.” Casablanca president Neil Bogart felt the group needed a rallying anthem that summarized their philosophy, and the result was “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

Despite Dressed to Kill coming together in under two weeks, it’s so far removed from being deemed a ‘rushed effort.’ Neil Bogart, regarded as the bubblegum king of Cameo-Parkway and Buddha Records, took on the producer’s role to streamline KISS’s meat-and-potatoes sound. The album became an exercise in brevity, clocking in at precisely 30 minutes and driving home its emphatic arrangements. Copying a similar trick done by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, KISS gave the guitars greater definition by applying textural acoustics. Most of the album holds up to KISS’s down-and-dirty style, yet the group explores fresher territory like power pop (“C’mon and Love Me”) and R&B (“Anything for My Baby”).

Due to Casablanca’s dire financial straits, KISS and the label were banking on *Dressed to Kill *being a commercial success. It became a Top 40 album, and while the group was gradually making the progression into being a headlining touring act, the record sales were still as weak as their previous two studio efforts. Both the expense of KISS’s theatric-driven stage show and plateauing album sales drove Casablanca to the verge of bankruptcy. The only ounce of commercial salvation came in the form of “Rock and Roll All Nite” being a turntable hit on the airwaves. It wasn’t until the live version, released as a single later in the year, became both a Top 20 hit and the band’s signature song, but that’s another story for another review.

Since 2021, KISS’s recording legacy has finally been recognized with a series of super deluxe box sets, starting with the 45th anniversary of Destroyer, and followed by the 40th anniversary of Creatures of the Night a year later. These box sets, featuring remastered albums, rarities, live material, and all the fathomable memorabilia ephemera, are executed with the utmost detail and care, fulfilling a fix for the most rabid KISS collectors. The last three years were a dry spell, mainly due to the purchase of the KISS brand by the entertainment company Pophouse. The cogs are slowly moving for Universal to recognize Dressed to Kill for its 50th anniversary.

The 50th anniversary super deluxe edition of Dressed to Kill comes in a lavish, silver foil box that complements the monochromatic cover of the group sporting business suits at the corner of W. 23rd and 8th in Manhattan. Each audio component comes packaged in its own specially designed jacket, whether it’s original album artwork, tape box scans, or live shots. Keeping in line with the original release, each LP has a colored variation of the Casablanca ‘Blue Bogart’ label. The 100-page hardcover book is a beautiful publication by itself, consisting of Ken Sharp’s liner notes supplemented by interviews of band/crew/label members and plenty of unseen photos. Exclusive to the vinyl edition of the box set is a felt slipmat and a bonus flexidisc. The memorabilia isn’t limited to replica posters and backstage passes. There’s also custom hotel key fobs and license plates; my unboxing video below shows ALL the tchotchkes.

Don’t run to your local record store trying to nab this set, as it’s only available through KISS’s webstore. It’s a bone of contention amongst many buyers, rooted in KISSONLINE’s shoddy customer service or their practice of bundling unnecessary apparel items that you MUST purchase to get the box set. Not to play devil’s advocate, going the D2C route was most likely more feasible when comparing the speculative brick-and-mortar retail sales of the previous sets. Collecting KISS on vinyl is far from an affordable venture, considering they once charged $1,000 for a glow-in-the-dark vinyl edition of the *Creatures of the Night *box set. In this case, the $400 price tag is generous to KISS’s capitalist standards.

LP 1 is the original album. This remaster implies a heavier emphasis on the bottom end, bringing out Gene Simmons’ walking bass lines and proving how undermined he is as a bassist, let alone marketing extraordinare. Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley’s guitars on this album vary in character, ranging from the double-tracked richness of “Two Timer” and “She” to the biting lead solo on “Ladies in Waiting.” The acoustic introduction of “Rock Bottom” never sounded so spatial and glistening, and each of the two intertwining guitar parts is separated to soundstage-widening perfection.

Although the underlying acoustics throughout the album ride comfortably low in the mix, they sound their most prominent on the rhythmic “C’mon and Love Me.” Peter Criss’ drums benefit between the popping tom fills on “Getaway” and the extra umph on “Anything For My Baby.” KISS isn’t typically an audiophile-targeted group, but mastering maestro Bernie Grundman worked some serious wonders on this pressing of Dressed to Kill.

LPs 2 and 3 are demos, alternate mixes, and instrumental outtakes. One of the intriguing highlights is “Mistake,” a country-western ballad that sounds more like a Wicked Lester leftover than appearing sandwiched in the middle of a raucous KISS record. Each demo version of “Rock and Roll All Nite” has its minute variations, whether it’s additional handclaps, the party chatter that adds to the track’s ambiance, or alternate vocals. “Burning Up With Fever” is best remembered from Gene Simmons’ 1978 solo album. Hearing the original lineup perform it in a gruffier style is a historic gem; Ace’s distinguished guitar solo will make you smile. The alternate mixes of “Two Timer,” “C’mon and Love Me,” “Anything For My Baby,” and “Love Her All I Can” strip away the electric guitars and retransform the tracks as acoustic-driven reimaginations. Most of the tracks also appear as instrumental outtakes. They’re usually alternate backing tracks not used on the final album, making for fun and intricate comparisons.

LPs 4-6 are arguably the holy grail of KISS live recordings: Cobo Arena in Detroit on May 16th, 1975. This show holds its significance in KISStory for being the group’s first arena headlining show and where a large share of KISS Alive! was recorded. For as hyped up as it is, the result is one of the most bizarre KISS performances ever. It’s the one and possibly only time they chose to open the show with “Rock Bottom” and not with their typical ‘You wanted the best…’ opening battlecry. It’s fun to hear rarely performed deep cuts like “Two Timer” and “Let Me Know,” though bizarre to hear “Let Me Go Rock ‘n’ Roll” shortened without the live-only vamp and hear the typical opener “Deuce” performed as an encore. All of the show’s unique qualities mesh wonderfully with a sold-out crowd of 12,000 Motor City spectators, not to mention the firecrackers going off throughout the recording.

LPs 7-8 are the first of two shows performed at the RKO Orpheum Theatre in Davenport, Iowa, on July 20th, 1975. This show’s running order is more in line with the tracklist of KISS Alive! However, it’s far from an exciting show. Paul Stanley had a rough night, and it shows in his weaker vocals and bland stage raps; it didn’t help that his guitar amplifier blew out midway through “Hotter Than Hell.” How the guitars came in late on “100,000 Years” and the bullhorn plaguing most of the recording probably made this recording unusable when assembling KISS Alive! The audience makes up the deficit for clapping along devoutly to the songs and responding rapturously to Paul’s raps.

Listening to remixed KISS shows from 1975 is the ultimate experience for KISS fans who have been clamoring for these concerts to be released for decades. All things considered, I’d argue that not a lick of these recordings appeared on the final album we know and love as KISS Alive! These recordings proved to Eddie Kramer that capturing KISS in an environment where they thrived the most was going to be a challenge due to the chaotic nature of their stage show. Jumping around in eight-inch heels is bound to make way for bum notes, missed vocal cues, and flubbed lyrics. Across all these recordings, Peter Criss is the MVP. His twist on adding a jazzy swagger to a rocking backbeat sways infectiously. Listen to “Parasite” from the Cobo Arena; it’s the Catman at his absolute peak.

For this review, I listened to the Blu-ray on a friend’s home theatre system. It utilizes a 5.1.2 speaker configuration.

The Blu-ray consists of David Frangioni’s Dolby Atmos mix of Dressed to Kill. It’s a forward-heavy mix, locking the drums, bass, and lead vocals towards the front, spreading the harmonized/double-tracked guitars and vocals to the rears. The original 1975 album has a dry-sounding stereo mix. Frangioni’s choice of applying artificial reverb in the rears and overheads provides some air to the Atmos mix. Having listened to the album countless times over the years, hearing little surprises that didn’t appear in the original mix, like extra guitar licks during the closing outro of “Two Timer” and underlying acoustics during the heavy section of “Rock Bottom,” will seem like a minor revelation. Instead of a black screen or a main menu, a fun slideshow of band photos and tape box scans plays along with the album. Included as a bonus are promo films of “C’mon and Love Me” and “Rock and Roll All Nite,” newly restored from 16mm film. The clarity of the restoration looks stunning, but the lack of color correction results in a dull, brownish print.

It’s an interesting choice to do a box set for an album that came together so quickly and can only have as much supplementary material. In turn, it goes without saying that Dressed to Kill is an integral part of the early KISS blueprint, where they couldn’t do any wrong during their 1970s heyday.