KISS Destroyer… "This sure ain't the scuzzy Kiss we all came to love." Creem Magazine July 1976

#kiss #kissarmy #threesidesofthecoin #teamkiss #genesimmons #paulstanley #petercriss #acefrehley #podcast #tommythayer #ericsinger #brucekulick #vinnievincent #markstjohn #creemmagazine #destroyer
Episode 587. We go back to July 1976 and read and react to the Creem Magazine review of Destroyer…
After three near-perfect studio albums and an excellent live summing-up LP that finally put them in the platinum, Kiss have pulled an abrupt change in direction that goes over about as well as a lead Buckinghams.
As the prime purveyors of desensitized stupidity in the twilight of the behavioral sink, Kiss could not be matched. Their 70s treatments of Chuck Berry succeeded where others of the same "mentality" fell short because they alone had a true insight into the realities of day-today teenage dumbness not unlike a latter-day Beach Boys. Songs like "Strutter," "Deuce," "Strange Ways," and the great "Rock 'N' Roll All Night" could only be created by drainage experts of the first degree, and several of their tunes have already become bar band classics.
So just when they're starting to truly make it big, on their own terms no less, what do they do but hire on Alice Cooper producer Bob Ezrin to mold them into the next Billion Dollar Babies. His influence, while not altogether dippy, is still unfortunate, having deprived them of much of their rusty coathanger appeal while filling the album with cute Cooperish touches like giggle children effects, female backup singers, and worst of all: strings!
While there are still several good cuts - "Detroit Rock City," "Shout It Out Loud," and Kim Fowley's "Do You Love Me" - the only way you can get to them is to skip around because Ezrin, in his guiding wisdom, has stuck a totally ludicrous ballad on either side along with other random atrocities like the tubular bells in "Do You Love Me" and the aforementioned kiddie voices which ruin an otherwise fine "God Of Thunder." Ezrin takes several writing credits as well, which may explain such Alice-like baby anthems as "Flaming Youth" and the token inclusion of the words "rock 'n' roll" in nearly every song.
This sure ain't the scuzzy Kiss we all came to love (and hate) so well and, while Destroyer is selling faster than reds do at one of their concerts, I still think they're making a big mistake in the long run.
Rick Johnson
Press requests please contact Michael Brandvold at www.michaelbrandvold.com
Since launching in 2012 Three Sides of the Coin has been viewed or listened to over 8,000,000 times. Three Sides of the Coin has been joined by special guests including Gene Simmons, Eric Singer, Ace Frehley, Bruce Kulick, Vinnie Vincent, Blackie Lawless, Rob Halford, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Dennis DeYoung, Buck Dharma, Lydia Criss, Eddie Trunk, WWE/AEW Superstar and lead singer of Fozzy Chris Jericho, Angel lead guitarist Punky Meadows, Five Finger Death Punch members Jason Hook and Jeremy Spencer, Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter lead singer Mark Slaughter, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider and Jay Jay French, comedian Craig Gass, KISS’ former business manager Chris Lendt, KISS art director Dennis Woloch, Head of KISS Security Big John Harte, the Black Veil Brides Andy Biersack, Ron Keel, Frank Munoz associate producer for Ace Frehley's Anomaly album, award-winning songwriter Adam Mitchell, Ed Kanon (Peter Criss' drum tech), Kevin Valentine (drummer on KISS' Psycho Circus album) and many, many more.
It's only our opinion... it's neither right nor wrong.
Three Sides Of The Coin is unofficial & unsanctioned and has no affiliation with the band KISS.

[@larrylemons9058]

My first KISS concert was 48 years ago today,I paid $7 for the ticket and walked up to the front of the stage.I still have the tour book and ticket stub, So 1976 will always be special to me !!

[@daviddoty-ni9le]

$7 a poster cost more than that now

[@stangotigerfists]

Used to keep my cassette recorder on pause while listening to the radio as a kid, and I would jump up and dive across the bed to unpause it when a song came on.

[@Starman2112ofKings]

Ditto

[@theskilz00]

While it's not my favorite KISS record, I'll always have a soft spot for Destroyer. It was the newest album when I became a fan in the late summer of '76. When Rock & Roll Over came out a few months later, the hook was set. Such a good time to be 13. 😊

[@MBKISSfan]

Being a KISS fan from age 10, born in 1965, with two older brothers who had classic rock album collections, I often scoured all the magazines for any KISS news. I ignored the writers, who like my brothers thought KISS wasn’t a real rock band, and just enjoyed the pictures and pinups for my wall. Any bad review I chalked up to them “just not getting it”. I loved Alive, but the emergence of Super KISS started with Destroyer, and was cemented for me when the Marvel comic came out - these guys really are rock superheroes! So, I just never paid attention to the nay-sayers.

[@kjnodwell]

I had no idea that Shout it Loud was such a huge single here in Canada. Granted, I got into KISS later on in '76 with the Paul Lynde Halloween special. I was six at the time and if it would have come on the radio, I know for sure my parents would have changed the station lol. Thanks for the fun fact Mark😀

[@rick063092]

I was born in Jackson Heights in July of 1970. First year I can recall hearing any current music is 1976, and Destroyer would subsequently serve as my intro to Kiss… this episode couldn’t be geared more perfectly..

[@saultrockcity]

Awesome show guys, as I watched the first 50 minutes of this on my exercise bike, as you make my ride easier and pleasant, so thank you for that. I'm the same age as Mark, born in 65, so I can relate with so much he says and I'm a hockey player and hockey fan just like he is. My older brother had a subscription to Creem, but I enjoyed Circus and Hit Parader more and for me, critics were haters just like older kids were at the time, so I ignored it all and just enjoyed the KISS photos in the magazines instead. Status Quo and the Angels were solid and having a vinyl collection of 3000, there wasn't much I didn't have and I thank my older brothers for listening to a wide variety of music, so my love for music is vast, but KISS is and always will be my obsession lol. I do agree with Tommy in that Destroyer started the super hero theme that was kind of beginning, especially when KISS went on the Paul Lynne Halloween special, as I was a huge comic book reader of Batman, Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, Justice League Of America and so on, so KISS became my musical super hero's with the make up and costumes, as they became larger than life to this little kid at the time. I remember having to listen to Destroyer a few times for the change in music to sink in, but once it did I loved it and I absolutely love Flaming Youth. Just to change the topic, I remembered seeing an episode with the late Eric Moore from The Godz and I just got their first 3 CD'S and they're ROCKING in my car now, as I have them on vinyl, but needed the CD's. The Creem review meant nothing to me then and it means nothing to me now lol, just like KISS haters in KZbin comments now, as I just find it hilarious that they take the time out of their life to hate on something when they could be spreading their love somewhere else lol. Anyways, great show as always guys, as you make KZbin a much better place, so don't retire or go on a farewell tour anytime soon lol.

[@Strommel1]

I can't remember ever having bought an album based on a review in a magazine,

[@muziktrkr]

What about an album you bought because the review was good?

[@paulgarza1386]

I couldn't understand how every Kiss song wasn't played more on the radio. I thought it was better music than what was being played.

[@theskilz00]

A lot of day one KISS fans checked out after Destroyer. Three years later, a lot of the second wave fans would check out after Dynasty.

[@Starman2112ofKings]

You are so right. My brother is two years older and when I was starting to get into them because of Alive/Destroyer. When he heard Destroyer he gave it to me and said I think I’m done with KISS except Alive! Like you said after Dynasty I felt the same way my brother did in 76. I put my KISS records away in a closet until 83. Lucky I still had them and haven’t looked back since 🤘🏻😝

[@garym6688]

While I do agree that for the bulk of Kiss' career, the so-called "high brow" critics absolutely skewered the band every single chance they got, (especially once they became mega-popular), it is interesting to note that many magazines, Creem chief among them, supported them early on and gave them positive reviews for the most part. Even the Rolling Stone review of the debut is, on the whole, favorable. So, while I'm not familiar with Rick Johnson specifically, Creem supported Kiss from very early on (albeit with some snark, but Creem did that with everyone), so given the drastic change in sound on "Destroyer," this review could have just been a reflection of the magazine's disappointment with them trying to change or even mature. Maturity is a dirty word in the world of hard rock/metal, and is generally frowned upon, so Rick's review could simply be just a very verbose way of saying "we here at Creem want Kiss to stay in 1975 mode forever!" So I'm willing to forgive this "Destroyer" review because I think it was coming from "genuine" disappointment from a writer (speaking on behalf of a group of writers) who really were fans up to that point. I'd liken it to a hardcore punk magazine reviewing "London Calling" or "Sandinista' and saying "This sucks! The Clash deserted us!" A short time later, most reviews lambasted Kiss without any context whatsoever, just because it was Kiss and they were supposed to hate Kiss. I don't view this Creem review of "Destroyer" in that manner whatsoever. Just my two cents - great show gents!

[@michaeltocker2817]

My friend and I as early teens both saw Kiss on late night TV ( MS or Kirshner’s) for the record and bought it plus the others in order. We were mostly happy when “our” band became popular after Alive. When Destroyer came out we weren’t overjoyed… at first. We got used to the added stuff and big production though, and were Alice Cooper fans too, and learned to love it! Keep rockin guys.

[@shawnfranklin9581]

Born in 72. Kiss fan in 76. My older brother heard Calling Dr. Love on the radio and got the 55. We loved it. We had no idea they wore make up. I loved 70’s/early 80’s dj’s. I hate the WWF in your face dj’s that came later. I love the Mary Turner, Jim Ladd, Alison Steel etc radio specials too.

[@Starman2112ofKings]

My area in St. Louis also played those radio specials. Loved them missed a lot of family events and such to listen to them. Good times for sure 🤘🏻

[@christophercunningham3257]

In having listened to previous Kiss albums up this point to Destroyer, I can see the perspective of the review for Cream Magazine. Kiss indeed is a hard rock band that was going in a different direction, it was almost as if the magazine wanted the group to stay stagnant. But Mark pointed out they were kind of branching off into a sort of superhero almost musical theater type style in trying new things. And oddly even today certain groups and styles of music are given the same criticism although maybe to a lesser degree.

[@rkid67]

I agree with Johnson, not to say Kiss didn't go on to do some good things, but the first three albums were the same four guys performing to their greatest extent. You can hear it on Rock n Roll Over, and a bit on Love Gun. The innocence was gone after Alive.

[@robertalonzo8655]

I agree with Tommy the Super hero vibe especially with the cover and the big production.

[@WillieSurvive1]

Destroyer is a special album released during a special time. At the same time, I find it a bit overrated. I also never thought that “Do You Love Me” worked live. Michael, ever done an episode about what songs do and don’t work well live? I think that would make a great episode.

[@SpaceCow.]

I still have that Creem mag! Woot!🐮

[@tamihewitt6562]

God I wish I still did! One of the things I miss most is going to the store at the beginning of the month and getting all the new mags with KISS in them

[@SpaceCow.]

@@tamihewitt6562 yeah! ALL of them....even the embarrassing teen beat and 16 mags, eh?? 😂😂 lief garrett and kiss!!! Omfg

[@muziktrkr]

Looking at the Creem review but that was pretty tame compared to Laura Nyro “sounds if a starving cat were trapped in her ribcage” 😄. Lester Bangs gave a gushing review to “Live Bullet” that comes close to taking up an entire page! Surprised Lester didn’t name drop KISS as the starting point to massive selling double live albums. I thought the KISS review wasn’t that bad, but “3 near perfect studio albums”???? Surprised he mentioned the tubular bells being his annoyance, and not the calliope sound on “Flaming Youth” which is brought up by listeners WAY more!! The kids that annoy him on”God of Thunder” were Bob Ezrin’s kids, who were also on an extremely heavily brutally depressing Lou Reed song “The Kids”, so extreme that Bob was getting accusations of child abuse (the folklore was that he told his kids their mom died in a car accident to get their reaction). The reality - he was actually recording his kids around the house trying to make them go to bed but they were being bratty and wouldn’t.

[@dynjarren8355]

I always enjoyed Creem magazine because they didn’t take Rock n Roll too seriously. They made fun of Rock bands! 😮😅

[@fidoflint]

I was still months away from my 3rd birthday when Gene scared the living shit out of me on Mike Douglas, but I was already reading rock mags, newspapers and anything else my mail-carrier grandparents would subscribe me to, or bring home from the dead letter office. VERY few writers seemed to like this crazy band, which only made me love them more. And that trend lasted years. By the time I bought Destroyer in October '76, even the older cousins who got me into KIϟϟ with Alive! were already jumping ship because all the cool kids hated Beth. So, before The Elder, before Dynasty, there was Destroyer--THE album that first polarized the ranks of a KIϟϟ Army that had only just formed.

[@ScottDavis-ch8ri]

You guys are great. I ended up listening to John Denver.

[@jody8526937]

I purchased that issue of Creem. I didn’t quite understand the criticism nor most critical reviews, too erudite for my 14-15 year old brain. KISS never got good reviews back in the day so it was not too shocking, another bad review. I loved Detroit Rock City but found my enthusiasm flagging a bit for many of the tracks. I didn’t want to believe my favorite band made a bad album after Alive, but the article critique was absolutely spot on.

[@acorn-yy1gi]

Boy oh boy, the days of skipping lunch at school and pocketing the money to buy Creem, Circus and/or Hot Parader! Creem whizzed on most bands and most albums. It was just their style. Creem writers had more creative freedom to stir the pot, to antagonize bands' fanbases. Circus was less antagonistic, but still did not pander to any set of fans. Hit Parader was basically reprinted press releases from bands' publicists. All those magazines were of value, for different reasons. I didn't read Rick Johnson's review of Destroyer, though it would not have mattered. The people who "like" the music they're told to like were already into disco and pop.

[@wmcruz8502]

Fab as always G U Y S During the topic intro U should show close up pics of each shirt Prob get ya more sales stay KISSin’ 😎

[@KISStorianBrothers]

after watching KISS Meets The Phantom with my in '78, my Dad turned to me and said "I can't believe you like THE KISS!! (LOL), they appeal to the lowest common denominator of mankind". Amen.

[@Starman2112ofKings]

Did you ever get a chance to tell him how big they got and how long they were very successful and lasted for 50 years? 😁

[@KISStorianBrothers]

@@Starman2112ofKings I didn't need to lol!! he took me and friends to see them on the LIU tour @ UIC, happy days!!

[@Starman2112ofKings]

@@KISStorianBrothers nice

[@seaneerock57]

I can't believe Michael came in at Rock and roll over, because of his love for studio albums post Rock and roll over. I came in at Alive II and I can't stand anything after that except Monster.

[@MichaelBrandvold]

Not sure it really matters what you believe. RARO and Crazy Nights are two of their best albums. I know what I believe and that is all that matters.

[@RodrigoAlves-bc8qq]

Being from Brazil and born in 1973, I never read Creem, Circus... But being a geeky music fan, I do know how important Lester Bangs was (Mike is wearing a Stillwater t-shirt from the same Almost Famous that mentions Lester Bangs). So, was Lester Bangs a fan of Kiss? Did he write about Kiss? About the review, I guess it all depends on how your feelings on Destroyer. Though not as problematic as pictured, the review points out some factual stuff. RnR Over was a perfect answer to that review.

[@muziktrkr]

Lester bounced around from Rolling Stone to Creem to Circus, so tracking down his KISS reviews is kind of scattered. I think he did like KISS for the most part.

[@pappy4075]

Always felt if Shout it out Loud was longer by a minute could have been huge. Another call to arms song if u will

[@markwendt3838]

Most enjoyable episode I've listened to in a while the review of Kiss Destroyer reminds me a lot of the review of Van Halen's Diver Down except for Kiss they were wrong and Van Halen they were spot on .

[@peterrigali5449]

Crazy Nights: What a keyboard latten hunk of $#!+. There is no saving this record. Every song (except No, No, No) sound like Bon Jovi wanna be's. How this could be someone's favorite album is beyond me. Give me 10 more Music of the Elder's before another record like this. LOL Anyways that Cream review is so spot on its crazy. While I do like Destroyer, it certainly isn't in my top 5 Kiss records (and neither is Crazy Nights!). There isn't a song I dislike on Destroyer. But there is definitely a glossiness to it that is somewhat off putting to me. Even though Hotter Than Hell sounds like crap, it's still a great record. And Dressed To Kill is way too short, but there is a lot of energy in that record. Rock 'n' Roll over returned to that energy, but in a better produced way. And I think that writer really hit a lot of valid points in his review.

[@jody8526937]

WWWW (W4)) didn’t play KISS.. I loved CKLW. Great show guys.

[@HappyMachorino-bd8no]

12:40 What disturbs Rick Johnson in the "otherwise fine" "God of Thunder" for me is brilliant. The kiddy👶voices represent the "Good" that struggles⚔️against the "evil". Bob Ezrin's children, the innocent, the "virgin souls"👼 are the mythological opposite of the DEMON. Without them the song wouldn't be that timeless fascinating. And Johnson's description "fine" is not a compliment. Fine, if he thinks so. I don't.

[@rkid67]

Sid and Marty Krofft for adults. Literally at times.

[@careful...Icarus]

I suppose thats Ace and Peter's biggest contribution. Scuzziness. It certainly wasnt reliability.

[@pappy4075]

Review to me preaching to the choir to all those who hated kiss. Ubiquitous phrasing makes seem more intelligent than reality

[@vegasraiderspetef9883]

I like the show but sometimes Mike is disrespectful.imo but I overlook it because I love kiss

[@MichaelBrandvold]

What did I disrespect?

[@Starman2112ofKings]

They like to rib and poke fun with each other. It’s all in good fun

[@vegasraiderspetef9883]

​@@Starman2112ofKingsI meant towards fans but you might be right

[@MichaelBrandvold]

I am towards fans who show no respect to other fans or only show up to leave comments hating us.

[@vegasraiderspetef9883]

@@MichaelBrandvold ok fair enough .. I have to learn your sarcasm better my bad dude

[@willnygren1443]

Pretty sure Buckinghams were (are?) a brand of cigarettes.

[@muziktrkr]

Maybe and you’re probably right, but they were also a car that rivaled the Rolls Royce back in the 20s.

[@prettyboyfloydms]

Who's Rick Johnson?????

[@acorn-yy1gi]

He is Rick Johnson's other brother.

[@steveandersen469]

Thumbs 👍 up from me. AEROSMITH ALERT ⚠️ in the 28th minute!! 'In the 28th minute, people'!! 'Would you look at the time ⏲️'!?! Aerosmith Army, this is your moment!! No Gene, no Paul, no Eric, no Tommy = No problem!! Forget the KISS 💋 Army, you won 🏆!! Blue Kool-Aid Drinker. Peace ✌️ out from the Southern Tip of Vancouver Island 🏝, B.C. Canada 🇨🇦.

[@HappyMachorino-bd8no]

1:05:11 Okay, no review of the album! I'm not a "Beth" fan anyway. But I'm not a fan either of Rick Johnson with his "desentisized stupidity". People don't only listen with the ears. They listen with their hearts. And the "ludicrous" ballad got the "People's Award". And enough people liked the "fine" album. But when he preferred the early raw KISS, why does he then call it "desentisized stupidity"? Too contradictory. Too destructive. It would have been a mistake in the long run to stay "stupid". Not to grow up and change and try out something new.