Alive II
Alive II is the second live album by the American hard rock band Kiss, released on October 14, 1977, by Casablanca Records.[1] This double album combines live recordings captured during Kiss's 1977 world tour—primarily at venues like The Forum in Inglewood, California, and other U.S. locations—with four new studio tracks, and was co-produced by Eddie Kramer and the band.[2][3] The live portions feature high-energy renditions of staples from prior albums such as Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977), including "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun," and "Beth," while the studio additions introduced songs like "All American Man," "Rockin' in the U.S.A.," "Larger than Life," and "Rocket Ride."[4] Alive II peaked at number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart, spending 33 weeks on the list, and earned double platinum certification from the RIAA for over two million units sold in the United States, underscoring Kiss's commercial dominance during their peak era.[5][6] Critics praised the album's raw intensity and faithful reproduction of the band's explosive stage presence, though some observed that the tracks were performed at accelerated tempos compared to studio versions; it remains a cornerstone of Kiss's discography, highlighting their transition from studio output to live spectacle.[7]Background
Development and Conception
Following the monumental success of Alive! in 1975, which propelled Kiss from cult status to arena headliners and was certified gold by the RIAA (500,000 units), with estimated sales exceeding two million copies worldwide, the band faced mounting demand for a sequel to capture their escalating live prowess amid a grueling tour schedule.[8][9] This pressure was amplified by Casablanca Records, the band's label, which relied heavily on Kiss as its flagship act and expected frequent releases to sustain momentum after the commercial triumphs of Destroyer (1976) and Rock and Roll Over (1976).[10] The conception of Alive II originated in early 1977, proposed by manager Bill Aucoin as a strategic double LP to bridge the gap to the forthcoming studio album Love Gun (1977), allowing the band time to compose and record fresh material without halting their exhaustive 1976–1977 world tour spanning support for Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and Love Gun.[11] Aucoin's plan addressed contractual obligations to Casablanca by delivering product quickly, leveraging existing live tapes from recent shows while incorporating new studio recordings on the album's fourth side, overdubbed with audience noise to simulate a live atmosphere and maintain the illusion of a pure concert document.[12] This hybrid approach stemmed from the need to extend the Alive! formula, which had revitalized Kiss's raw, theatrical stage energy, now honed through over 200 performances since the prior live release.[13] Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, as Kiss's creative core and co-founders, championed the project to preserve the band's explosive live dynamic at the peak of their fame, insisting on a format that highlighted their command of massive crowds and pyrotechnic spectacles.[14] Their vision aligned with Aucoin's logistics, ensuring Alive II not only met commercial imperatives but also immortalized the era's high-octane tours across North America, Europe, and Japan.[11]Recording Locations and Process
The live portions of Alive II were captured from shows during the band's late 1976–1977 tours, including the Rock and Roll Over Tour and the subsequent Love Gun Tour, with recordings taken from select performances to showcase the band's international reach and onstage evolution as a sequel to their 1975 live release Alive!. The key sessions occurred on April 2, 1977, at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan (Rock and Roll Over Tour), and from August 26 to 28, 1977, at The Forum in Inglewood, California (Love Gun Tour). These dates were chosen for their high-energy crowds and representation of Kiss's global appeal, with the Budokan show marking one of the band's early triumphs in Asia.[2][12] The recording process utilized mobile recording units to capture multi-track audio directly from the stage, allowing for detailed separation of instruments, vocals, and audience noise during the concerts. Producer Eddie Kramer, who had worked on Alive!, oversaw the sessions, focusing on performances of tracks from Destroyer (1976), Rock and Roll Over (1976), and Love Gun (1977) to avoid overlap with the prior live album. From the three consecutive Forum shows—each selling out to over 18,000 fans—Kramer and the band compiled the best takes by editing segments together for cohesion, such as splicing seamless transitions between songs. Soundchecks at the August 26 and 27 Forum dates were also taped and incorporated where needed, with added crowd effects to enhance the live atmosphere. While over two dozen shows from the 1976–1977 tours were evaluated for potential inclusion, only material from these specific dates made the final cut to maintain audio quality and narrative flow.[13][12][15] Challenges arose particularly during the Budokan recording, where technical difficulties with the mobile unit and venue acoustics rendered much of the multi-track footage unusable, necessitating heavier reliance on the Forum tapes. Logistical hurdles included coordinating the bulky recording equipment across international travel and ensuring synchronization amid the pyrotechnics-heavy production, but these were mitigated by the band's tightened performance style honed over 100 tour dates since Alive!. The selection process emphasized raw energy over perfection, capturing Kiss's bombastic stage presence while editing for a unified double-album experience.[12][2]Production Techniques
Live Recordings
The live recordings for Alive II were primarily captured during Kiss's performances at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on August 26, 27, and 28, 1977, as part of their 1977 Love Gun tour schedule, with additional material from Budokan Hall in Tokyo on April 2, 1977, and the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey, in September 1977.[12] Although the album's liner notes primarily credit the Forum sessions, the live material incorporates tracks from these other venues.[16] Fifteen live tracks were selected and compiled from these various shows to fill the first three sides of the double LP, aiming to replicate the intensity of Kiss's elaborate stage production, including pyrotechnics, costume changes, and direct audience engagement.[12][15] Key setlist staples from earlier albums like Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977) were prioritized, such as the opener "Detroit Rock City," which opens the album with its driving rhythm and explosive energy drawn directly from the Forum performances.[15] Similarly, high-energy closers like "God of Thunder" showcase the band's thunderous drum solo and Gene Simmons's fire-breathing theatrics, capturing the raw power of their arena rock spectacle.[15] Producer Eddie Kramer edited the multitrack recordings to craft a seamless, continuous concert narrative across the sides, blending transitions between songs while preserving authentic crowd reactions from the sold-out Forum crowds to heighten the immersive feel of a live Kiss experience.[16] This curation emphasized the band's peak-era showmanship during the 1977 tour, where nightly routines featured synchronized lighting, rising platforms, and explosive effects that amplified audience interaction.[12]Studio Overdubs
Following the capture of the live performances, Kiss undertook extensive overdubbing sessions at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey, during September 1977 to address technical errors and elevate the overall sound quality.[17] Band members re-recorded elements such as vocals and guitar solos, while producer Eddie Kramer added audience noise to enhance the immersive atmosphere and mask imperfections from the high-energy stage shows.[18] These enhancements, though less intensive than those on the band's prior live release, were essential given the chaotic nature of their live setup, which often prioritized spectacle over precision. Additionally, tracks such as "Christine Sixteen" and "I Stole Your Love," though presented as live, were recorded in the studio during these sessions and enhanced with artificial audience effects. The album's fourth side features five new studio tracks: All American Man, Rockin' in the U.S.A., Larger than Life, Rocket Ride, and Any Way You Want It, which were recorded without a live audience but augmented with artificial crowd effects to mimic a concert environment. Due to Ace Frehley's unavailability during these sessions, session guitarist Bob Kulick provided uncredited lead guitar contributions on several of these tracks, such as Rocket Ride, helping to complete the recordings under tight deadlines while preserving the band's image as a unified unit.[19] This approach to post-production fueled ongoing controversies, with critics and fans questioning the album's authenticity as a true live document, particularly the "fakeness" introduced by the studio-crafted tracks and overdubs, which some argued diluted the raw energy expected from a live Kiss experience.[18] Despite these debates, the techniques aligned with common practices in rock live albums of the era, prioritizing polished presentation over unedited realism.[20]Release
Original Release Details
Alive II was released on October 14, 1977, by Casablanca Records as a double LP with catalog number NBLP 7076-2.[4] The album came in a gatefold sleeve format to house the two-disc set, which included live recordings across three sides and four new studio tracks on the fourth side, marking it as a hybrid live and studio release.[4] This followed closely on the heels of the band's sixth studio album, Love Gun, which had been issued just three and a half months earlier on June 30, 1977.[21] The album cover, illustrated by longtime Kiss artist Ken Kelly, depicted the band members in their signature demon makeup posed as towering, god-like figures on a pedestal amid adoring fans, set against a dramatic city skyline to capture the grandeur of their live performances.[22] Released during the height of Kiss's popularity in 1977, the double album was distributed widely through Casablanca's network, capitalizing on the band's explosive arena rock presence, though specific initial pricing details are not extensively documented in contemporary records.[4] The packaging also incorporated promotional elements, such as a booklet tracing "The Evolution of Kiss" and temporary tattoos, tying into the band's merchandise-driven marketing approach.[16]Promotion and Merchandise
The promotion for Alive II was closely tied to Kiss's Alive II Tour, which began shortly after the album's October 1977 release and featured in-store appearances at record retailers to boost fan engagement and immediate sales. Radio stations received heavy promotion for the album's new singles, including "I Stole Your Love" and "Rocket Ride," which were played extensively to capitalize on the band's growing popularity and the live energy captured on the record.[2] To enhance fan appeal, the album was bundled with exclusive merchandise, including a full-color booklet titled "The Evolution of Kiss", which traced the band's history from their 1973 formation through 1977 with photos and timelines; a sheet of temporary transfer tattoos depicting the band members in cartoon style; and a mail-order form for additional Kiss Army merchandise such as posters and apparel.[23] Kiss's media strategy for Alive II heavily leveraged the band's burgeoning merchandising empire, particularly the September 1977 Marvel Comics Kiss comic book issue, which had a print run of approximately 900,000 copies and featured the band members' actual blood mixed into the red ink as a sensational gimmick.[24] This cross-promotion positioned Alive II as an essential live document of the band's theatrical stage show, with advertisements billing it as "the ultimate Kiss experience" to draw in comic buyers and solidify the group's image as rock's premier spectacle. Over 1 million copies were shipped initially based on strong pre-orders, reflecting Casablanca Records' confidence in the band's fanbase and leading to RIAA platinum certification (for shipments exceeding 1 million units) by late November 1977.[2]Musical Content
Track Listing
Alive II features 20 tracks across four sides of its original double LP format, with sides A through C containing live recordings that capture the band's high-energy performances from their 1977 tour, and side D offering five new studio tracks intended to simulate an encore following the concert set. The live selections draw primarily from the albums Destroyer (1976), Rock and Roll Over (1976), and Love Gun (1977), blending chart-topping hits like "Beth" and "Love Gun" with album deep cuts such as "Makin' Love" and "Tomorrow and Tonight" to reflect a typical show structure. Certain live tracks, including "Hard Luck Woman" and "Tomorrow and Tonight," incorporate studio overdubs for enhanced clarity. The album's total runtime is 71 minutes and 26 seconds.[25][4] The following table details the track listing, including songwriters, durations, and original album sources for the live tracks (all live recordings unless noted as studio).| Side | No. | Title | Songwriter(s) | Duration | Notes/Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | Detroit Rock City | Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin | 3:58 | Live; from Destroyer |
| A | 2 | King of the Night Time World | Kim Fowley, Mark Anthony, Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin | 3:06 | Live; from Dressed to Kill |
| A | 3 | Ladies Room | Gene Simmons | 3:11 | Live; from Rock and Roll Over |
| A | 4 | Makin' Love | Paul Stanley, Sean Delaney | 3:13 | Live; from Dressed to Kill |
| A | 5 | Love Gun | Paul Stanley | 3:34 | Live; from Love Gun |
| B | 6 | Calling Dr. Love | Gene Simmons | 3:32 | Live; from Rock and Roll Over |
| B | 7 | Christine Sixteen | Gene Simmons | 2:46 | Live; from Love Gun |
| B | 8 | Shock Me | Ace Frehley | 5:51 | Live; from Love Gun |
| B | 9 | Hard Luck Woman | Paul Stanley | 3:06 | Live (with overdubs); from Rock and Roll Over |
| B | 10 | Tomorrow and Tonight | Paul Stanley | 3:24 | Live (with overdubs); from Rock and Roll Over |
| C | 11 | I Stole Your Love | Paul Stanley | 3:37 | Live; from Rock and Roll Over |
| C | 12 | Beth | Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Bob Ezrin | 2:24 | Live; from Destroyer |
| C | 13 | God of Thunder | Paul Stanley | 5:16 | Live; from Destroyer |
| C | 14 | I Want You | Paul Stanley | 4:14 | Live; from Destroyer |
| C | 15 | Shout It Out Loud | Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin | 3:39 | Live; from Destroyer |
| D | 16 | All American Man | Paul Stanley, Sean Delaney | 3:12 | Studio (new) |
| D | 17 | Rockin' in the USA | Gene Simmons | 2:35 | Studio (new) |
| D | 18 | Larger Than Life | Gene Simmons | 3:54 | Studio (new) |
| D | 19 | Rocket Ride | Ace Frehley, Sean Delaney | 4:07 | Studio (new); Frehley's second songwriting and lead vocal credit with the band |
| D | 20 | Any Way You Want It | Dave Clark (original by The Dave Clark Five; arranged by Kiss) | 2:33 | Studio cover (new to album) |
Personnel and Contributions
The lineup for Alive II featured the classic formation of Kiss: Paul Stanley on lead and backing vocals and rhythm guitar, Gene Simmons on lead and backing vocals and bass guitar, Ace Frehley on lead guitar, backing vocals, and occasional bass, and Peter Criss on drums, backing vocals, and lead vocals on select tracks.[27] This configuration captured the band's high-energy live performances, with Criss delivering prominent drum solos, such as during "God of Thunder," showcasing his dynamic style central to Kiss's theatrical shows. Frehley's contributions emphasized his space-themed persona through fiery lead guitar work and vocals on tracks like "Shock Me" and "Rocket Ride," adding a distinctive edge to the album's sound.[4] The production team was led by Eddie Kramer as producer and engineer, with the band Kiss co-producing; Corky Stasiak served as co-engineer specifically for the studio tracks on side four.[28] George Marino handled mastering at Sterling Sound in New York City.[29] All four band members participated in overdub sessions for the live recordings, re-recording vocals, guitars, and other elements at Electric Lady Studios to polish the raw concert tapes from venues like the L.A. Forum and Budokan Hall.[30] Session guitarist Bob Kulick provided lead guitar parts on the original studio compositions "All American Man," "Larger Than Life," and "Rockin' in the U.S.A.," filling in for Frehley due to scheduling conflicts during the September 1977 sessions at Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey.[17] Frehley contributed lead guitar solely to "Rocket Ride," the sole studio track he fully performed on.[31]Commercial Performance
Chart Positions
Alive II entered the US Billboard 200 chart shortly after its October 14, 1977 release, debuting at number 19 for the week ending November 26, 1977.[32] The album climbed to a peak position of number 7 on January 7, 1978, and spent a total of 33 weeks on the chart across 1977 and 1978, with its performance notably boosted by strong sales during the holiday season.[5] It also ranked number 46 on the Billboard 200 year-end chart for 1978.[6] Internationally, the album reached number 5 on Canada's RPM Top Albums chart.[2] In the United Kingdom, Alive II peaked at number 60 on the Official Albums Chart, entering on December 17, 1977.[33] It also peaked at number 17 in Australia (Kent Music Report) and number 13 in New Zealand (RMNZ).| Chart (1977–1978) | Peak position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 17 | Wikipedia |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 5 | kissconcerthistory.com |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 13 | Wikipedia |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 60 | officialcharts.com |
| US Billboard 200 | 7 | kissfaq.com |