CoronaVinyl Day 349 (K): Rock and Roll Over by KISS

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "K," and while I have recently acquired some albums by additional "K" artists other than KISS, I still have a bunch of KISS records left, so I'm going with their fifth studio album, 1976's Rock and Roll Over.

Rock and Roll Over is a fantastic album, in my opinion, and maybe it gets a little lost in the KISS pantheon, since it was released between Destroyer and Love Gun.  The album was a success, reaching #11 on the Billboard album chart, and both sides have a Top 20 hit:  "Calling Dr. Love" on Side 1 (#16) and "Hard Luck Woman" on Side 2 (#15).  But it's the non-hits that make this album for me.

Side 1 has "I Want You" and "Ladies Room," both of which would featured a year later in live format on Alive II.  Side 2 might be my favorite KISS album side.  In addition to the Peter Criss-sung hit "Hard Luck Woman" -- which Paul Stanley wrote originally the intention of offering to Rod Stewart -- it has four hidden gems, with Gene's "Love 'Em and Leave 'Em" and "See You In Your Dreams," Paul's catchy "Mr. Speed" and "Makin' Love," the latter of which also ended up on Alive II.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Ladies Room"
"Ladies Room" is a song that is pure Gene.  It's all about meeting some chick at a bar/club, and then being all "hey, let's go to the ladies' room and bang."  Peter has some great drumming and fills on this song.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "Mr. Speed"
This song is just catchy as hell.  Just as "Ladies Room" is pure Gene, this one is pure Paul.  It rocks, but it has hooks.  I dare you to listen to this song and then not be signing it in your head afterward.  Do it.  Try.  Just fucking try already.  See.