KISS – Lick It Up
KISS – Lick It Up [Remastered] (1997, Mercury Records)
Original Release: 1983, Mercury Records
1. “Exciter” … 4:11
2. “Not For The Innocent” … 4:23
3. “Lick It Up” … 3:56
4. “Young And Wasted” … 4:06
5. “Gimme More” … 3:44
6. “All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose” … 4:34
7. “Million To One” … 4:10
8. “Fits Like A Glove” … 4:04
9. “Dance All Over Your Face” … 4:16
10. “And On The 8th Day” … 4:03
Band:
Paul Stanley – Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Gene Simmons – Lead Vocals, Bass, Backing Vocals
Vinnie Vincent – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Eric Carr – Drums, Backing Vocals
Produced by: Michael James Jackson, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons
One of my absolute favorite KISS albums and it had a lot to do with Vinnie Vincent co-writing most of the album. Despite the struggle for power between Vincent and Simmons/Stanley, they made for a great musical force.
KISS in the 80s is extremely underrated, even by Gene & Paul themselves, but Lick It Up was the second punch in a great two-hit hard rock combo (1982’s Creatures of the Night is a definite Top 5 KISS album). Every song is full of bravado and great 80s metal. Despite starting the 80s with a solid, but very non-KISS album (Music From ‘The Elder’), the band was roaring by this point, full of the sex and sleaze they were known for in the 70s, but now with a more polished, faster and heavier sound. “Lick It Up” is the only non-make up song to have survived through the 80s and the reunion to still be played today.
It’s also a remarkable album in that it’s the very first without Ace Frehley (well, the first where he wasn’t credited as being a band member) and the first non-make up release. A must have for KISS fans and should convert those who like to bash anything done without the make up.
Highlights: “Exciter”, “Not For The Innocent”, “Lick It Up”, “Young and Wasted”, “Gimme More”, “All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose”, “Million to One”, “Fits Like A Glove”
April 3, 2009 at 10:16 pm
It’s a great album!
I’m sure you know that the current line-up of KISS is recording a new studio album.
(I mentioned it on my blog, here: http://tokyo5.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/news-2/ )
April 4, 2009 at 10:59 am
LICK IT UP is a great album and I’m not just saying that because I’m a KISS diehard, it truly is a kick ass album that fit in great with the Metal resurgence that was happening all over the globe. Vinnie Vincent was a huge part of the equation having co-wrote on just about every tune on the record and his playing gave KISS that heavyweight sound again.
The ’80s started out rough with UNMASKED (1980) and THE ELDER (1981) but CREATURES OF THE NIGHT (1982) was the first to involve Vinnie, among others, and it’s KISS’ defining Metal moment. I remember when LICK IT UP was released and there were huge displays at the local department stores and there was a line at the local record shop the day it came out. You had two things going for it: ‘Lick It Up’ was a solid single/video and the guys were finally unmasked! people were buying the album based on the novelty of seeing what the band actually looked like but then they figured out it was a great record.
I would put the follow-up ANIMALIZE (1984) in with CREATURES and LICK IT UP as the best KISS had to offer in the ’80s. They re-established themselves with great music…..as the decade moved on, the band started to care more about image, hits, and $$$$.
Steve
Heavy Metal Addiction
April 4, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Awesome album! At the risk of dating myself, this album came out the year I graduated from High School, and being the fanboy I am, it was an exciting time for me in the life of the band. I was a little disappointed with the follow up. Animalize was good and I listened to it a lot, but IMO the songs weren’t as good. Also I think Vinnie was a better fit for the band than Mark St. John. I thought Asylum was amazing when it was released. I wore that album (cassette) out. Plus I saw KISS for the first time on the Asylum tour. KISS had been my favorite band since ‘76, so I was really excited to see them. W.A.S.P. opened up for them and KISS played a cover of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by the Who.
April 4, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Was it a good show?
I still haven’t seen’em yet… Hopefully, this year I’ll make it happen.
April 5, 2009 at 3:29 am
Oh yeah, it was incrdible. I’ve had the good fortune to see them four more times since then. The reunion tour being the highlight for me. That was definitely a good day.
April 5, 2009 at 5:04 am
I would’ve like to see a KISS / W.A.S.P. concert!
My first KISS show was Crazy Nights. I agree with “Jamie” that the Reunion tour was the best (I saw it at the Tokyo Dome and again at the Yokohama Arena).
Their “Japan only” tour for the 30th Anniversary of KISS’s first show in Japan was great too. They wore their Hotter Than Hell outfits and did an “old school” KISS show!
April 5, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Tokyo 5, I saw both the Reunion show and the Farewell tour at the Tokyo Dome. Then I saw a third show at the Budokan.
The “Japan only” tour with the Hotter than Hell outfits would have been really cool.
April 5, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Jamie,
You were in Tokyo before? For how long?
I also saw the Farewell Tour at the Tokyo Dome.
The “Japan only” show was at the Nippon-Budokan…because their first show in Japan was there.
April 6, 2009 at 2:08 am
Actually, I’ve lived in Japan for the last 14 years. I live in Yokosuka, but only for two more months. In June I’m moving back to the U.S. When I saw KISS at the Nippon-Budokan they were in the Alive! era costumes. It was my sons first concert, we had a great time.
October 8, 2009 at 9:29 pm
[...] Over from 1976. I won’t take it to that extreme, but I could probably go back to 1983’s Lick It Up before I finding any album of theirs that would rival this one (Revenge is a contender, but [...]
November 9, 2009 at 11:36 pm
[...] previously known for and between the Killers (sometimes referred to as KISS Killers) sessions and Lick It Up, KISS was really on a roll delivering some of their best music to [...]