KISS ASYLUM: Alternative Album Focus

Alternate Album Focus - "DRESSED TO KILL" (1975)
Alternate Album Focus © 2000 Rich Hund / KISS ASYLUM

You Wanted The Rest, You Got The Rest. The Hottest Parody Of The Group, KISS!

The HTH tour took a lot out of the band. Gene and Paul were still fighting for control of the band, but Paul faced a bigger problem going into the DTK sessions. Peter was acting distant and Paul wasn't sure why (see the "Strange Ways" discussion from the "HTH" article and the "Getaway" discussion in this article for more insight into Peter's mindframe going into DTK.). This sudden coldness came at the same time Gene was tring to pull Ace over to his side (again, see the "HTH" article), so Ace became the rope in Paul and Gene's tug-of-war at this point, with Gene wanting Ace as a partner to combat Paul and Peter, and Paul wanting Ace as a friend just to get Peter jealous. For instance, Paul had been telling Peter for years that they should write a song together. Instead, Paul took Ace as a writing partner on DTK (although technically they never wrote together, since Paul just wanted Ace to write an intro to the already complete "Rock Bottom." Peter didn't know this, however, and the ploy to undermine Peter's resolve eventually worked.). Ace, always willing to go where the wind took him, was happy to write with anybody and for anybody; he didn't seem particularly drawn to either Paul or Gene. In an effort to woo Ace, Gene even considered rewriting "She," changing every "she" or "her" to "Ace." He apparently realized quickly the awful images the lyrics created.

With the constant touring and recording expected from the band, DTK was almost postponed for lack of time. Instead, the band, particularly Gene, suggested reissuing the first two albums in a box set called "The Originals." The set would have included bios on the band members, the official KISS discography at that point, a photocopy of an autographed band picture, and special liner notes from Savoy Brown, Manfred Mann, and others. This repackaging idea was quickly voted down (in a brief note to Gene -- rescued from the trash by a former Casablanca secretary -- Paul wrote: "Repackaging idea (is) bad. Band has to stand on new music... not reissues like Beatles. Let's crank 2 LPs a year for a while. Maybe live lp by 1980? -P").

Packaging:
1. Gene planted enough "secret messages" in the artwork that no doubt remains that he considered himself the leader of KISS. Paul was distracted with Peter, and Gene definitely began to manipulate Ace and Peter. Consider the following clues:

Gene's gray suit is nothing more than a blatant attempt to distinguish himself as different from the rest of the group. Most fans know about this clue.

The border containing the repeated KISS logo contains a logo with a missing "S" -- obviously cutting out the 4th unnecessary letter (read: Paul)

Under Gene's feet are two pieces of paper. Just before the photo shoot, Gene planted the pieces of paper as a signal to Peter. One said "Peter Criss," and the other said "Destroy Him." This is obviously in reference to Paul. Upon seeing the final art proofs for the cover, Paul noticed the cryptic notes, reluctantly accepted Gene's denial that he knew anything about the notes ("They're just pieces of trash, you idiot!" Gene was heard yelling to Paul), and literally applied Wite-Out to the cover before it was printed. Minutes before the cover art was packaged for delivery, Gene apparently snuck the art away and scrawled "P.C." and "D.H." on the notes.

2. Peter also had his hand in twisting the packaging to his own use. Peter had read Kenny Kerner's interview from Groovy Producers magazine and took special note of Ace's logo design and the cryptic messages placed in the logo on the first album (see the "KISS" article). Peter soon had his own "vision" (after three joints one night at a club) of his future with the band: he predicted that after the release of DTK he would only appear 28 more times as a lead singer on a KISS record. After studying a bank clock close to the club -- the same one that appears on the cover -- he realized the number 55 was made up of 28 dots (14 + 14 = 28). This matched Ace's coding method on the first album! Chillingly, Peter's premonition seems destined to come true. Consider the evidence: 1. Nothin to Lose (Alive) 2. Black Diamond (Alive) 3. Beth (Destroyer) 4. Baby Driver (RNRO) 5. Hard Luck Woman (RNRO) 6. Hooligan (LG) 7. Hard Luck Woman (Alive II) 8. Beth (Alive II) 9. Hard Luck Woman (DP) 10. Beth (DP) 11. Black Diamond (DP) 12-21. The 10 songs from his solo album 22. Dirty Livin' (Dynasty) 23. Beth (Unplugged) 24. Nothin to Lose (Unplugged) 25. RNRAN (Unplugged) 26. Beth (YWTB, YGTB) 27. I Finally Found My Way (PC)

As of this writing (January 2000), Peter apparently will sing one last time on a KISS record. His certain appearance on Alive IV may indeed be his last for KISS!

[Author's note: There is hope, Peter fans. "Beth" will likely appear on Alive IV, which would be song no. 28, right? If Peter's prediction doesn't include his partial lead on RNRAN from Unplugged, that leaves a spot open, which would most likely be filled by "Black Diamond" on Alive IV. But wait! If Peter's prediction doesn't include "Nothin' to Lose" from Unplugged (since the song also showcased his nemesis, Eric Singer), we MAY see just one more song beyond Alive IV. Is a new studio album inevitable to fulfill the prophecy? Updates are imminent!]

3. The band on the cover is obviously in the midst of turmoil. Paul stands between Gene and the rest of the group, feigning a cockiness he obviously doesn't feel. His hand rests on Ace, not Peter, and Peter's self-doubt beams from his askance look. Ace again stands alone, waiting.

Songs:
1. Neil Bogart felt that the group needed an anthem of some kind, something for the public to pick up on what KISS really represented. This song had to be something people could sing along to instantly as well as something that would look good visually on stage. Gene immediately seized upon the opportunity and came in the next day with "Ladies in Waiting" (even proposing throwing sides of meat from the stage). Bogart didn't feel this was quite what he had in mind, so Paul came up with "Love Her All I Can," saying this was "the (song) that will break open all the doors." Bogart again declined. Gene came in the very next day with "Two-Timer," convinced that "stadiums are gonna rock with this one, Neil!" Bogart said that he was looking for more of a "party" song. Paul came up with "Anything for My Baby," saying this was "the (song) that will get us back on the Mike Douglas show." A fed-up Bogart demanded that Gene and Paul write a song together instead of competing with each other.

2. "Rock and Roll All Nite" took nearly a week to write. Since Paul and Gene had never literally sat down together to write a song from scratch, Paul suggested they start off trading words, beginning with Paul's "I." Gene said "love" and Paul said "it loud," then "rock and roll." Gene thought of "so put another dime in the 'something' baby" before realizing the song was going nowhere. Three days later they nailed the entire chorus, which Bogart loved. The verses were harder to write, so Gene suggested the entire song consist of the chorus sung over and over again. The idea for the verses came after Ace, working in the studio on a solo for "Anything for My Baby," exploded at Gene for bugging him for what the verses should be about (Gene had been showing Ace sample lyrics for 2 days by this point.). "You've shown me everything you've got, and it's quite a lot of stupid shit!" Ace yelled at Gene, strewing the pages of nonsensical lyrics across the studio. "You're driving me fucking nuts, man!" Gene took the rest of the song from there.

3. Peter considered allowing the group to pick a Lips song to cover (a la Wicked Lester's "She") but decided against it based on the bad feelings with Paul at this point. He was, however, able to entice Ace into writing a second song about Paul (to follow "Strange Ways") just after the HTH tour. "Getaway" strikes at the heart of how Peter felt about Paul: part of him obviously enjoyed having Paul around while another part just wanted to run as far away as possible.

Awards:
Worst rhyme: Actually, DTK is so good at rhyming that I don't have any awards to give it!

Biggest "Huh?" moment: Why couldn't the chorus to RARAN been repeated a few more times?

Song you could almost picture Muppets singing: "Rock and Roll All Nite"

"I could've written that" award: "One thing I know/I know/One thing is that I know I have to go"

Most poetic line: "You were distant, now you're nearer/I can feel your face inside the mirror"

Best, Worst, or Funniest Sexual Reference: "I'm in need of room service."

Classic KISS moment: "Rock and Roll All Nite"/end of "C'mon and Love Me."

Best Riff: "Rock Bottom."

Coolest/best lead guitar part: "Room Service."

Coolest/best bass part: "Room Service."

Coolest/best drum part: "She."

Coolest/best Paul moment: "Rock Bottom."

Eyebrow-raising vocal: Gene's high notes on "C'mon and Love Me."

Lyrics I misunderstood when I was younger: "Room service, baby I could use a l'il room service"; "And she tells me she likes flesh 'cause"; "Touched her hips and told me that she fled me"; "I'd wheel and deal, anything for my baby/brought on kneel (?), anything for my baby."

You Wanted The Rest, You Got The Rest. The Hottest Parody Of The Group, KISS!

KISS ASYLUM NOTE: For those who might not be entirely clear about the purpose of the "Alternate Album Focus" even after reading Rich's intro to the series, THIS IS A PARODY! Rich is NOT suggesting the events about which he writes actually occurred, but is merely taking a very clever and light hearted look at KISStory with the tongue in cheek kind of humor only a true fan of the band could do.

KISS ASYLUM --

Photos