Band:	KISS
Album:	Dressed To Kill
Style:	Hard rock
Release date:	1975
A review by:	omne metallum

01. Room Service
02. Two Timer
03. Ladies In Waiting
04. Getaway
05. Rock Bottom
06. C'mon And Love Me
07. Anything For My Baby
08. She
09. Love Her All I Can
10. Rock And Roll All Nite

Omne, I hear you ask, how do I dislodge my toe from my ear after seeing if I could lasso a KFC bargain bucket?  

Well, let me explain by mentioning that three albums in two years is a lot to ask of any band, though not an unusual occurrence for a young band in the '70s. Powered by youthful abandon and punching upwards, then-rookies KISS were slowly establishing their name, though struggling in the studio. Dressed To Kill is a good example of some of the uneven growth the band were undergoing at this early stage in their career: glimpses of promise underneath a host of shortcomings. 

The band's sonic core had taken shape at this point, with Frehley's guitar work punctuating some solid straight forward rock 'n' roll, ably supported by the rest of the band who, while not as flashy (instrumentally anyway), served as a solid supporting cast. The same cannot be said of the album's production, however, which is perhaps the biggest shortcoming to be found on Dressed To Kill. 

Produced by label president Neil Bogart, owing to financial restrictions, Dressed To Kill shoots itself in the foot before it even gets out of the gate. Stripped-down and lacking any kind of power, tracks like "C'mon And Love Me" don't hit the way they could, owing to their shortcomings behind the production desk. While the guitars have a good tone and the mix is well-balanced, they are scant compensation for the powerless and flat sound that defines this album more than the songs do. 

When the music is able to do the talking, however, KISS send mixed messages quality-wise, with some glorified classics sat next to songs that should be buried inside the Kiss Kasket. On the plus side is perhaps the KISS anthem: "Rock And Roll All Nite", a bona fide classic even with the rough sonic edges here. Beyond that song, "Room Service" is cheesy fun, while "C'mon And Love Me" is a forgotten gem. Each track highlights the band's strength: guitar riff-driven rock 'n' roll with big personalities that seep through the music.

Although Dressed To Kill has a more than serviceable hit rate, it does have its share of misfires; "Two Timer" is an example of how this already short album could be even better with being that bit shorter, while "Rock Bottom" is better in theory than in practice, with an extended intro section that overstays its welcome at the track's expense. 

While the band have ironed and put on their Sunday best, one can't help but find a few loose, frayed ends that catch the eye. Dressed To Kill could certainly have done with reworking and being smartened up, rather than relying on live versions of a few of the tracks found here, as the results here scream of missed opportunity.