Dressed to Kill is the third studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on March 19, 1975. It was produced by Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart and the band itself as the label's financial situation at the time did not permit the hiring of a professional producer.
Clocking in at 30 minutes and 7 seconds, Dressed to Kill has the shortest runtime of any Kiss studio album.
Album information
Possibly due to the short length of the album, original vinyl versions had long pauses between each track to make the sides longer than they would be based on the material they had. Each side ran just 15 minutes, and some of the song times were listed incorrectly on the vinyl versions. For example, "Two Timer" was listed at 2:59 and "Ladies in Waiting" was listed at 2:47.
The album cover was photographed on October 26, 1974 by Bob Gruen. While the cover depicts Kiss in business suits, the only member of the band who owned one was Peter Criss. The suits worn on the cover by the rest of the band were owned by manager Bill Aucoin.
Recording
was recorded in 10 days at Electric Lady in Studio B during February of 1975 with the working title "Kiss at Midnight". According to Peter Criss, Neil Bogart's first decision as a producer was to bring in a pound of weed. Paul Stanley stated that Neil didn't do much except say “that's a good take.” "He wasn't trying to keep it fresh, but save money. I remember doing a sloppy take and his saying “Well that should do it.” And I said, no....”. Ace Frehley recorded his guitar parts using a speaker with a cardboard box for the shell.
| rev2 = Blender
| rev2score =
| rev3 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal
| rev3Score = 7/10
| rev4 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music
| rev4Score =
| rev5 = Pitchfork
| rev5score = 9.5/10
| rev6 = Rolling Stone
| rev6score =
| rev7 = Spin Alternative Record Guide
| rev7Score = 5/10
| rev8 = Uncut
| rev8Score =
| rev9 = The Village Voice
| rev9score = B
| noprose = yes
Dressed to Kill peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the US and was certified gold by the RIAA on February 28, 1977. "C'mon and Love Me" and "Rock and Roll All Nite" were released as singles, but failed to rise up the charts. A live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" from Alive!, issued as a single later that year, reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Richard Riegel in the July issue of Creem Magazine in 1975 also said
"Rock and Roll All Nite" is one of Kiss' most well-known songs – and has remained a staple in the band's concerts since 1975 – along with "Rock Bottom", "C'mon and Love Me", and "She".
Track listing
All credits adapted from the original release.
Personnel
Kiss
- Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar; intro guitar solo on "C'mon and Love Me"
- Gene Simmons – vocals, bass; rhythm guitar on "Ladies in Waiting"
- Peter Criss – drums, vocals
- Ace Frehley – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals; all guitars and bass on "Getaway" and "Rock Bottom"
Production
- Neil Bogart – producer
- Dave Wittman – engineer
- George Lopez – assistant engineer
- Allen Zentz – mastering
- Bob Gruen – photography
- Joseph M. Palmaccio – remastering
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1975)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|}
Certifications
Release history
- Casablanca NBLP-7016 (March 19, 1975): First LP issue
- Mercury 824 148-2 M-1 (July 1987): First CD issue
- Mercury 314 532 3762 (July 15, 1997): Remastered CD
- Mercury B0020146-01 (April 1, 2014): 180-gram vinyl LP, reissue