Peter Criss (album)

Four of the tracks ("I'm Gonna Love You", "Don't You Let Me Down", "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" & "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll") were originally written in 1971 for Criss's pre-Kiss band, Lips.{{cite web|url=https://kiss-related-recordings.nl/petercriss_lips.html|title=Lips Demo|website=KISS-Related Recordings}} Criss also covers "Tossin' and Turnin'", which was a No. 1 hit for Bobby Lewis in the U.S. during the summer of 1961.{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-lewis-mn0000071409/awards |title=Bobby Lewis Awards |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827055842/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bobby-lewis-mn0000071409/awards |archivedate=August 27, 2012 }} The song was subsequently covered by Kiss on their 1979 tour.

{{Album reviews

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}

|rev2 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

|rev2Score = 1/10{{cite book | last = Popoff | first = Martin | author-link = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = October 2003 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | isbn = 978-1894959025 | page=163}}

|rev3 = Pitchfork

|rev3score = 0.0/10{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/k/kiss/peter-criss.shtml |title=Kiss - Peter Criss |last=Josephes |first=Jason |publisher=Pitchfork |date=June 26, 2003 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030626074755/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/k/kiss/peter-criss.shtml| archive-date=June 26, 2003}}

|rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

|rev4Score = {{Rating|1|5}}{{cite web| url = https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kiss/albumguide| title = Kiss: Album Guide| publisher = rollingstone.com| access-date = September 4, 2011| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627000037/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/kiss/albumguide|archive-date=June 27, 2011}}

|rev5 = Spin Alternative Record Guide

|rev5score = 1/10{{cite book|chapter=Kiss|first=Jason|last=Cohen|title=Spin Alternative Record Guide|title-link=Spin Alternative Record Guide|editor1-first=Eric|editor1-last=Weisbard|editor2-first=Craig|editor2-last=Marks|publisher=Vintage Books|year=1995|isbn=0-679-75574-8|page=212}}

| rev6 = Uncut

| rev6Score = {{Rating|1|5}}{{Cite magazine |last=Kulkarni |first=Neil |author-link=Neil Kulkarni |date=December 1997 |title=Made up for it |magazine=Uncut |page=100 |issue=7}}

}}

Reviews for Peter Criss were mostly negative. In a retrospective assessment AllMusic called it "the most undistinguished of the bunch, lacking hooks on either the pop-metal rockers or the power ballads, as well as personality throughout." The album was the lowest charting of all the Kiss solo albums of 1978, reaching No. 43 on the US Billboard album chart.{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/peter-criss/l |title=Peter Criss Chart History |publisher=Billboard }} Of the four solo albums, Peter Criss was the only album to have two singles released from it: "Don't You Let Me Down" and "You Matter to Me", neither of which charted. In an interview in Goldmine magazine, Stanley and Simmons dismissed the record as being completely opposite of the aims of what Kiss music was about.{{cn|date=March 2025}}

In rankings of Kiss' albums, Peter Criss was named the worst Kiss record by Eduardo Rivadavia of Loudwire, Paul Elliott of Classic Rock, and Matthew Wilkening of Ultimate Classic Rock. Rivadavia interpreted it as "a cry for help, after years trapped in the relentlessly charging Kiss machine, but it was nothing like the chorused cries of 'HELP!' issued by all the fans who bought this sub-yacht-rock debacle." He added that while the 1978 Kiss solo albums were meant as spaces for each member to "just be himself", Criss "clearly misread the memo and decided to 'just be Barry Manilow' instead."{{cite web |last1=Rivadavia |first1=Eduardo |title=Kiss Albums Ranked |url=https://loudwire.com/kiss-albums-ranked/ |website=Loudwire |access-date=July 22, 2024 |date=December 3, 2023}} Wilkening commented that Criss was "clearly running as far from the band's hard rock sound as possible", instead creating an album that "leans heavily on ballads and the R&B sound of his previous groups. Even considering that, he simply doesn't have the songwriting talent or charisma to front an entire album."{{cite web |last1=Wilkening |first1=Matthew |title=Kiss Albums Ranked Worst to Best |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/kiss-albums-ranked/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=July 22, 2024 |date=January 28, 2024}} Elliott wrote that Criss, a fan of pop and soul music, "turned MOR crooner on lightweight toe-tapping tunes" such as "Don't You Let Me Down" and "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes"; he deemed the ballad "I Can't Stop the Rain" the best song for how it suits Criss' raspy voice, but dismissively added that, overall, Peter Criss contained music that Kiss fans' parents would like.{{cite web |last1=Elliott |first1=Paul |title=Kiss albums ranked from worst to best |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/kiss-albums-ranked-from-worst-to-best |website=Classic Rock |access-date=July 22, 2024 |date=May 29, 2016}} Nonetheless, he wrote that the title of "worst solo album made by a drummer" belonged to Keith Moon's Two Sides of the Moon (1975).

All credits adapted from the original release.{{cite AV media notes |title=Peter Criss |author=Kiss |year=1978 |type=LP Sleeve |publisher=Casablanca Records |location = Los Angeles, California |id= NBLP 7122}}

All songs were written by Peter Criss and Stan Penridge, except where noted.

{{track listing

|headline = Side one

|title1 = I'm Gonna Love You

|length1 = 3:18

|title2 = You Matter to Me

|writer2 = Vini Poncia, John Vastano, Michael Morgan

|length2 = 3:15

|title3 = Tossin' and Turnin{{'-}}

|writer3 = Ritchie Adams, Malou Rene

|length3 = 3:58

|title4 = Don't You Let Me Down

|length4 = 3:38

|title5 = That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes

|length5 = 2:59

}}

{{track listing

|headline = Side two

|title6 = Easy Thing

|length6 = 3:53

|title7 = Rock Me, Baby

|writer7 = Sean Delaney

|length7 = 2:50

|title8 = Kiss the Girl Goodbye

|length8 = 2:46

|title9 = Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll

|length9 = 3:37

|title10 = I Can't Stop the Rain

|writer10 = Delaney

|length10 = 4:25

|total_length = 34:39

}}

• Harvey Milk covered "Easy Thing" for their compilation album The Singles.{{cite web| url = http://www.kiss-related-recordings.nl/coverversions_1978_peter.html| title = Kiss Related Recordings| access-date = November 4, 2009}}
• Awaken covered "I'm Gonna Love You" on their double album Party in Lyceum's Toilets.{{cite web| url = http://www.kiss-related-recordings.nl/coverversions_1978_peter.html| title = Kiss Related Recordings| access-date = September 15, 2012}}
• The Slam covered "Hooked on Rock 'n Roll" on their album Hit It!.

• Peter Criss – lead vocals, drums on all songs except tracks 6–7, and 10, percussion on track 8, backing vocals

;Additional personnel

• Allan Schwartzberg – drums on tracks 6-7 and 10
• Bill Bodine – bass guitar on tracks 1-5 and 9
• Neil Jason – bass guitar on tracks 6-7 and 10
• Art Munson – guitars on tracks 1-5 and 9
• Stan Penridge – guitars on 1-5 and 8–9, backing vocals
• Elliot Randall – guitars on "Easy Thing" and "I Can't Stop the Rain"
• John Tropea – guitars on tracks 6-7 and 10
• Brendan Harkin – guitars on "Easy Thing"
• Steve Lukather – guitar solo on "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" and "Hooked on Rock and Roll"
• Bill Cuomo – keyboards 1-5 and 9
• Richard Gerstein – keyboards on tracks 6–7, and 10
• Davey Faragher, Tommy Faragher, Danny Faragher, Jimmy Faragher, Maxine Dixon, Maxine Willard, Julia Tillman, Vini Poncia, Annie Sutton, Gordon Grody – backing vocals
• Tom Saviano – Horns arranged
• Michael Carnahan – saxophone solo on "Tossin' and Turnin'", baritone sax on "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll"
• Lenny Castro – percussion on "Tossin' and Turnin'" and "Don't You Let Me Down"

;Production

• Mike D. Stone – engineer at the Record Plant, New York City
• Eraldo Carugati – album artwork

{{certification Table Top}}

{{certification Table Entry| artist = Peter Kriss| title = Kiss| type = album| region = Canada| award = Gold| relyear = 1978}}

{{certification Table Entry| artist = Peter Criss| title = Kiss – Peter Criss| type = album| region = United States| award = Platinum}}

{{certification Table Bottom| nosales = yes}}

• Casablanca NBLP-7122 (September 18, 1978): 1st LP issue (with poster)
• Casablanca NBPIX-7122 (September 18, 1978): US picture disc
• Casablanca 826 917-2 (1988): US 1st CD release.
• Mercury 314 532 386-2 (September 16, 1997): Remastered CD (with poster)
• Universal Music B0020537-01 (2014): Remastered LP (with poster)

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs master| type = album|113708| name = Peter Criss}}
• [https://archive.today/20130104082332/http://www.kissfaq.com/discography/peter.html Kiss FAQ – Peter Criss], Accessed on July 13, 2005.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080728081328/http://www.kissonline.com/music/index.php?mode=view&album_id=19&type=lp KISSONLINE.COM Discography- Peter Criss], Accessed on July 28, 2008.
• [http://www.kissfaq.com/charts/plat.html The KISSFAQ- RIAA Certifications], Accessed on July 28, 2008

{{Peter Criss}}

{{Kiss}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1978 debut albums

Category:Albums produced by Vini Poncia

Category:Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios

Category:Albums recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders

Category:Casablanca Records albums

Category:Peter Criss albums

Category:Rhythm and blues albums by American artists