Destroyer (Kiss album)

Last updated

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Beth"
"Beth" marked a musical departure for Kiss, with its heavy use of an orchestral section. The song became a No. 7 hit for the group.
"Shout It Out Loud"
This song, with its call-and-response verses and anthemic chorus, is typical of the hard rock songs on Destroyer.
Problems playing these files? See media help.

Rehearsals for Destroyer began in August 1975, while the group was embarked on their supporting tour for Alive! Bob Ezrin, who had previously worked with Alice Cooper, was brought in to produce the album. The band felt that Ezrin was the right person to help them take their sound to the next level and to maintain the commercial success they had achieved with Alive! [6] Before meeting with Ezrin, the band had written and recorded a 15-song demo in the Magna Graphics Studio in August 1975. The first demo recorded during the Destroyer sessions was "Ain't None of Your Business" [7] featuring Peter Criss on vocals. The plodding, heavy song, written by country songwriters Becky Hobbs and Lew Anderson, was rejected by the band and later appeared on the 1977 debut album by Michael Des Barres' band Detective. Although this song was rejected, other outside songs and suggestions were accepted by the band. In particular, Kim Fowley and Mark Anthony became important contributors during the songwriting process, [8] bringing in the title and basic structure of the song "King of the Night Time World" from their previous band Hollywood Stars' then-unreleased 1974 album Shine Like a Radio (which also featured the original version of the Alice Cooper song "Escape" from Welcome to My Nightmare ). [9]

Ezrin flat out rejected most of the material, as only heavily re-worked versions of "God of Thunder" and "Detroit Rock City" made it to the album, and one song "Mad Dog" was pilfered for lyrics to "Sweet Pain" and a riff for "Flaming Youth". Other songs from this demo were re-worked for the following album Rock and Roll Over and Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album while others remained unreleased until the 2021 release [10] of Destroyer as a 2CD set and Super Deluxe box set. [11]

The first recording sessions for the album took place on September 3–6, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, during a brief break between the Dressed to Kill and Alive! tours. The basic album tracks were recorded during this time. [12] The majority of the recording sessions for Destroyer took place in January 1976, after the conclusion of the Alive! tour. [13] Ezrin introduced to Kiss sound effects, strings, screaming children, reversed drums (on "God of Thunder") and a children's choir. The song "Great Expectations" uses the first phrase of the main theme from the second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (known as Sonata Pathétique), but the songwriting is credited to Simmons and Ezrin.

During the recording sessions, Ezrin resorted to numerous tactics designed to increase the quality of music Kiss recorded. Because none of the group were trained musicians, Ezrin halted the sessions at one point to provide lessons in basic music theory. [14] To instill a sense of discipline, he wore a whistle around his neck and exhorted the band with sayings such as, "Campers, we're going to work!" [15] When Simmons stopped playing during the recording of an outro, Ezrin yelled at him, saying, "Don't you ever stop a take unless I tell you!" [16]

Paul Stanley later compared the experience of working with Ezrin as "musical boot camp" but said that the group "came out a lot smarter for it." [17] Simmons echoed the sentiment by stating, "It was exactly what we needed at the time." [18]

Destroyer is the first Kiss album to prominently feature outside musicians, such as members of the New York Philharmonic. One musician not credited was Dick Wagner, from Alice Cooper's band, replacing Ace Frehley on the track "Sweet Pain". Wagner also played the acoustic guitar found on the song "Beth". [19] The success of Alive! and Destroyer enabled the band to embark on their first tour of Europe.

Artwork

The cover art for Destroyer was painted by fantasy artist Ken Kelly. Kelly was invited to a show and given a backstage pass. He said of the performance, "It blew me away." [20] Kelly was later commissioned by the band to draw the cover for 1977's Love Gun .

Kelly's original version of the album cover was rejected by the record company because they felt the scene was too violent looking with the rubble and flames. Also, the original version had the members of Kiss wearing the Alive! costumes. The front cover shows the group striding on top of a pile of rubble, and a desolate background spotted with destroyed buildings, some of which are engulfed in flames. The back cover shows a similar scene, but with more buildings on fire. The front of the inner sleeve featured a large Kiss logo and the lyrics to "Detroit Rock City". The other side displayed the lyric "Shout it out loud", as well as an advertisement for the Kiss Army fan club.

Reception

Destroyer
Kiss-Destroyer.jpg
Cover art by Ken Kelly
Studio album by
Kiss
ReleasedMarch 15, 1976 (1976-03-15)
RecordedSeptember 3–6, 1975; January–February 1976
Studio Electric Lady and Record Plant, New York City
Genre
Length34:28
Label Casablanca
Producer Bob Ezrin
Kiss chronology
Alive!
(1975)		Destroyer
(1976)		 Rock and Roll Over
(1976)
Singles from Destroyer
  1. "Shout It Out Loud"
    Released: March 1, 1976
  2. "Flaming Youth"
    Released: April 30, 1976
  3. "Detroit Rock City"
    Released: July 28, 1976
  4. "Beth"
    Released: August 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [21]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [22]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 8/10 [23]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Pitchfork 9.0/10 [25]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 7/10 [27]
The Village Voice C+ [28]

Destroyer sold well upon its release on March 15, 1976, and was certified gold on April 22. Although exact sales figures are not known, Stanley stated that the album initially sold 850,000 copies in the US, well over any of Kiss's first three studio albums. [29] After peaking at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album chart on May 15, Destroyer quickly fell and by August was at No. 192. [30] The first three singles—"Shout It Out Loud", "Flaming Youth" and "Detroit Rock City"—failed to ignite sales any further, though "Shout It Out Loud" did give the band their first No. 1 record, in Canada. The band and Ezrin cited fan backlash as the reason Destroyer did not meet sales expectations. Ezrin also stated that the "grassroots rock press" was particularly critical of the album. [29] Rolling Stone referred to "bloated ballads", "pedestrian drumming" and "lackluster performances" in its review. [31] Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice , felt that it was Kiss's "least interesting record" and criticized producer Ezrin for adding "only bombast and melodrama". [28] It was not until radio stations started playing the B-side of the "Detroit Rock City" single "Beth", that the album started to sell as expected. The ballad, which according to Simmons was deliberately put on the B-side to force stations to play "Detroit Rock City", started receiving numerous listener requests and became an unexpected hit. "Beth" (co-written and sung by Peter Criss) was re-released as the fourth single in late August, and it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on September 25. It was the group's first Top 10 song in the US and reignited sales of the album.

On November 11, 1976 Destroyer became the first Kiss album to be certified platinum. [32] The album was re-certified at the double platinum level on September 9, 2011 and is the band's best selling in the post-1991 Soundscan era, selling 726,000 copies in the United States from 1991 to March 4, 2012. [33]

The album has received recognition in later years. In 1989, Kerrang! magazine listed the album at No. 36 among the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time". [34] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Rob Sheffield referred to Destroyer as "the inevitable arty concept album, from the drink-smoke-drive-die saga 'Detroit Rock City' to the touching 'Do You Love Me?'". [26] The album was also featured in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [35] In 2006, it was placed at No. 60 on Guitar World magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. [36] Greg Prato of AllMusic described Destroyer as "one of Kiss' most experimental studio albums, but also one of their strongest and most interesting." [21] Pitchfork's Jason Josephes said that it is "easily one of the best albums in the Kiss canon" and credited Ezrin for ushering along "even more of an art/hard rock album than Kiss's previous efforts." [25] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff, described Destroyer as a "no party album, looming darkly, ponderous, almost haunting at times, basically uncommunicative and puzzling due to its stylistic over-extension" and judged it a "success of early no-chops metal". [23] In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 489 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, calling it "a ridiculously over-the-top party-rock album that just gets better with age". [37]

Destroyer: Resurrected

In anticipation of the 35th anniversary of the release of Destroyer, producer Bob Ezrin approached Simmons and Stanley about doing a remix and re-release of the original album. With their approval, Ezrin acquired digital copies of the original 16-track analog master tapes. In addition to re-equalizing elements of each song, Ezrin also added in some parts of tracks that had been omitted from the original mix. These include some additional vocals on "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth", and the substitution of a guitar solo by Frehley on "Sweet Pain" for the one from the original that had been performed by Wagner (a version of "Sweet Pain" with Frehley's solo was included as track 6, while the original version with Wagner's solo is appended as a "bonus" track at the end of the new CD). [38] Ezrin also used digital manipulation to fix an incorrect lyric (changing "down 95" to "doin' 95") on "Detroit Rock City". The resulting album, titled Destroyer: Resurrected, was released on August 21, 2012. [39] It featured Ken Kelly's original cover artwork before alteration by Casablanca for the 1976 release.

Destroyer: Resurrected met with mixed critical reception. William Clark of Guitar International wrote: "Each track sounds crisper, clearer and louder, which are always welcome qualities when you're listening to a classic album of the likes of Destroyer". [40] However, Circus magazine in a joint review with Aerosmith's contemporary release of Rocks praised Rocks while stating that Destroyer "stinks." The album returned to the Billboard charts, debuting at No. 11 the week after its re-release. In 2019, the record was released in orange translucent vinyl, retailed exclusively by Walmart in the U.S.

Track listing

Original release

All credits adapted from the original releases. [41] [42] [43]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Detroit Rock City" Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley5:17
2."King of the Night Time World"Paul Stanley, Kim Fowley,
Mark Anthony, Bob Ezrin		Paul Stanley3:19
3."God of Thunder"Paul StanleyGene Simmons4:13
4."Great Expectations" Gene Simmons, Bob EzrinGene Simmons4:24
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
5."Flaming Youth" Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley,
Gene Simmons, Bob Ezrin		Paul Stanley2:59
6."Sweet Pain"Gene SimmonsGene Simmons3:20
7."Shout It Out Loud"Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bob EzrinPaul Stanley, Gene Simmons2:49
8."Beth" Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Bob EzrinPeter Criss2:45
9."Do You Love Me"Paul Stanley, Kim Fowley, Bob EzrinPaul Stanley3:33
10."Rock and Roll Party"Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrininstrumental1:25
Total length:34:11

Destroyer: Resurrected (2012 remix)

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Detroit Rock City" Paul Stanley, Bob Ezrin Paul Stanley5:15
2."King of the Night Time World"Paul Stanley, Kim Fowley,
Mark Anthony, Bob Ezrin		Paul Stanley3:21
3."God of Thunder"Paul StanleyGene Simmons4:17
4."Great Expectations" Gene Simmons, Bob EzrinGene Simmons4:24
5."Flaming Youth" Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley,
Gene Simmons, Bob Ezrin		Paul Stanley2:59
6."Sweet Pain"Gene SimmonsGene Simmons3:21
7."Shout It Out Loud"Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bob EzrinPaul Stanley, Gene Simmons2:51
8."Beth" Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Bob EzrinPeter Criss2:46
9."Do You Love Me"Paul Stanley, Kim Fowley, Bob EzrinPaul Stanley3:40
10."Rock and Roll Party"Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Bob EzrinInstrumental1:26
11."Sweet Pain"Gene SimmonsGene Simmons3:18

Personnel

Kiss
Additional musicians
Production

Charts

Chart (1976)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [45] 6
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [46] 6
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [47] 17
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [48] 16
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [49] 25
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [50] 4
UK Albums (OCC) [51] 22
US Billboard 200 [52] 11
Chart (2021)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [53] 108
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [54] 119
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [55] 68
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [56] 16
Scottish Albums (OCC) [57] 36
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [58] 55
US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard) [59] 4
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [60] 3

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [61]
45th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition 		Gold100,000‡
United States (RIAA) [62] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
Rolling Stone U.S.The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time [63] 2003496
Blender U.S.The 100 Greatest American Albums of All Time [64] 200250
Guitar World U.S.The 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. [36] 200660

Release history

CountryDateLabelFormatCatalogue number
United StatesMarch 15, 1976 Casablanca Records LP NBLP-7025
Canada1976Casablanca RecordsLPNBLP-7025V
United StatesJuly 1987Casablanca/PolyGram CD 824 149-2
United StatesAugust 12, 1997 Mercury Records Remastered CD532 378-2
WorldwideAugust 21, 2012 Universal Music Group Re-release —
Worldwide2014 Universal Music Group Remastered LPB0019818-01

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss (band)</span> American hard rock band

Kiss was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Known for their face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s with shock rock-style live performances which featured fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars, shooting rockets, levitating drum kits and pyrotechnics. The band went through several lineup changes, with Stanley and Simmons remaining the only consistent members. The final lineup consisted of them, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wicked Lester</span> American rock band

Wicked Lester was a rock band based in New York City. Two notable members were bassist Chaim Witz and rhythm guitarist Stanley Eisen. Originally formed in 1970 as Rainbow, the band changed its name to Wicked Lester in 1971 to avoid confusion with another local band named "Rainbow". Although it secured a record deal with Epic Records and recorded an album, the deal fell through and the band fell apart during 1972. Witz and Eisen, feeling that the band's failure was a result of its lack of vision and direction, decided to found a new band from its remnants. They changed their stage names to Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, respectively, auditioned a new drummer and lead guitarist, and formed the band Kiss by the end of January 1973.

<i>Revenge</i> (Kiss album) 1992 studio album by Kiss

Revenge is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on May 19, 1992. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Eric Singer, following the death of former drummer Eric Carr in November 1991 and is the group's last album to feature musical contributions from the latter. Marking a stylistic departure from the pop-influenced glam metal which characterized much of the band's 1980s output for a heavier sound, the album reached the Top 20 in several countries, though it failed to reestablish the group back in the mainstream and its sales were equal-to or less than its predecessors, ultimately only being certified gold by the RIAA on July 20, 1992.

<i>Killers</i> (Kiss album) 1982 greatest hits album by Kiss

Killers is the second compilation album by American hard rock group Kiss. It was released only outside the US, but quickly became available as an import. Of the album's twelve songs, four were new compositions recorded specifically for it: "I'm a Legend Tonight," "Down on Your Knees," "Nowhere to Run" and "Partners in Crime." These new songs were recorded at the behest of Phonogram, in response to the commercial failure of 1981's Music from "The Elder".

<i>Unmasked</i> (Kiss album) 1980 studio album by Kiss

Unmasked is the eighth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on May 20, 1980, by Casablanca Records. It was their first not to feature original drummer and founding member Peter Criss. Despite having no involvement in its production, Criss features in the album's artwork and the video for "Shandi", and also receives credit.

<i>Kiss</i> (Kiss album) 1974 studio album by Kiss

Kiss is the debut studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on February 18, 1974, by Casablanca Records. Much of the material on the album was written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, as members of their pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester. Simmons estimated that the entire process of recording and mixing took three weeks, while co-producer Richie Wise has stated it took just 13 days.

<i>Rock and Roll Over</i> 1976 studio album by Kiss

Rock and Roll Over is the fifth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on November 11, 1976, by Casablanca Records. It was recorded at the Star Theatre in Nanuet, New York. The album contains the songs "Hard Luck Woman" and "Calling Dr. Love", which became hit singles in the United States.

<i>Love Gun</i> 1977 studio album by Kiss

Love Gun is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on June 30, 1977. Casablanca Records and FilmWorks shipped one million copies of the album on this date. It was certified platinum and became the band's first top 5 album on the Billboard 200. The album was remastered in 1997 and again in 2014.

<i>Alive II</i> 1977 live album by Kiss

Alive II is the second live album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on October 14, 1977, by Casablanca Records. The band had released three albums since the previous live outing, the 1975 release Alive!, so they drew upon the variety of new tracks, with Eddie Kramer producing. The album is one of the best selling in the Kiss discography, being the band's first to be certified double platinum in February 1996, the same month the Kiss reunion tour was announced. It has continued to sell in the US in the Soundscan era, selling over 300,000 copies from 1991 and to March 2012.

<i>Music from "The Elder"</i> 1981 studio album by Kiss

Music from "The Elder" is the ninth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on the Casablanca Records label in 1981. The album marked a substantial departure from their previous output with the concept and orchestral elements. Music from "The Elder" was the first album with the drummer Eric Carr and the last album to feature guitarist Ace Frehley until their 1996 reunion.

<i>Creatures of the Night</i> 1982 studio album by Kiss

Creatures of the Night is the tenth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1982. It was the band's last for Casablanca Records, the only label for which Kiss had recorded up to that point. The album was dedicated to the memory of Casablanca founder and early Kiss supporter Neil Bogart, who had died of cancer during the recording sessions. It is also the band's last album recorded with Ace Frehley credited as an official member and their first album with Vinnie Vincent, as the initially uncredited lead guitarist. Vincent would later be credited but not featured on the cover of the 1985 reissue of the album. It was also Kiss' last album to feature the band with their trademark makeup until the release of Psycho Circus in 1998.

<i>Smashes, Thrashes & Hits</i> 1988 greatest hits album by Kiss

Smashes, Thrashes & Hits is a compilation album by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was the fourth hits album overall but the second hits album released by the band in the United States. Of the 15 songs on the album, two were new compositions, and three were released after the band's unmasking in 1983. The remaining 10 were all released during the band's years in make-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth (song)</span> 1976 single by Kiss

"Beth" is a song by American rock band Kiss, originally released on their fourth studio album Destroyer (1976). Composed by drummer Peter Criss, his friend Stan Penridge and producer Bob Ezrin, the song was published as a single by Casablanca Records in August 1976, after releasing it as the B-side of "Detroit Rock City". "Beth" is Kiss's biggest commercial hit in the United States, reaching #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, receiving a Gold Record certification from the RIAA, and winning the 1977 People's Choice Award for "Favorite Song".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll All Nite</span> 1975 single by Kiss

"Rock and Roll All Nite" is a song by American rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill. It was released as the A-side of their fifth single, with the album track "Getaway". The studio version of the song peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard singles chart, besting the band's previous charting single, "Kissin' Time" (#89). A subsequent live version, released as a single in October 1975, eventually reached No. 12 in early 1976, the first of six Top 20 songs for Kiss in the 1970s. "Rock and Roll All Nite" became Kiss's signature song and has served as the group's closing concert number in almost every concert since 1976. In 2008, it was named the 16th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.

<i>Alive!</i> (Kiss album) 1975 live album by Kiss

Alive! is the fourth album overall, and the first live album, by American hard rock band Kiss, released on September 10, 1975. It is considered to be their breakthrough, and a landmark for live albums. The double-album contains live versions of selected tracks from their first three studio albums, Kiss, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill. It was recorded at concerts in Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Wildwood, New Jersey; and Davenport, Iowa on May 16, June 21, July 20 and 23, 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Detroit Rock City</span> 1976 single by Kiss

"Detroit Rock City" is a song by the American hard rock group Kiss, released on their 1976 album Destroyer. The song was written by Paul Stanley and producer Bob Ezrin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Luck Woman</span> 1976 single by Kiss

"Hard Luck Woman" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss and the lead single from their 1976 album, Rock and Roll Over. It was originally written by Paul Stanley as a possible track for Rod Stewart, but after the success of the soft rock ballad "Beth", Kiss decided to keep it for themselves as a follow-up. Stanley has stated his admiration and love of Stewart's music numerous times, and that "Hard Luck Woman" was inspired by Rod Stewart, in particular the songs "Maggie May" and "You Wear It Well". While Stewart's music served as a partial inspiration for the song, the nautical themed song "Brandy" by American pop-rock band Looking Glass served as Stanley's main inspiration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flaming Youth (song)</span> 1976 single by Kiss

"Flaming Youth" is a song by the American rock band Kiss. The song is featured on their 1976 album Destroyer, and was the first Kiss single to feature a picture sleeve. The single reached number 74 in the U.S. and 73 in Canada. Although the full album version only ran 2:55, the song was still edited to 2:39 with an earlier fade.

<i>Greatest Kiss</i> 1997 greatest hits album by Kiss

Greatest Kiss is a greatest hits album by American hard rock band Kiss. It was released in 1997 on Mercury Records.

<i>Spaceman</i> (Ace Frehley album) 2018 studio album by Ace Frehley

Spaceman is the sixth studio album by American guitarist Ace Frehley, released on October 19, 2018. The album features a guest appearance from Frehley's former Kiss bandmate Gene Simmons who also co-wrote two tracks.

References

  1. ↑ "American album certifications – Kiss – Destroyer". Recording Industry Association of America.
  2. ↑ Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask, pp. 67–68.
  3. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, p. 178.
  4. ↑ Lendt, Kiss and Sell, pp. 40–41.
  5. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, p. 181.
  6. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, pp. 183–184.
  7. ↑ "Sound file" (MP3). Kissfaq.com. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  8. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, pp. 185–189.
  9. ↑ "Shine Like A Radio: The Great Lost 1974 Album | Light In The Attic Records". Lightintheattic.net. October 29, 2013. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Review: KISS Destroyer 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition". November 16, 2021.
  11. ↑ Linnaeus, Carl (2014). Kiss - den osminkade sanningen. Bokfabriken. ISBN   978-9-187-30189-6.
  12. ↑ Gooch and Suhs, Kiss Alive Forever, p. 64.
  13. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, p. 185.
  14. ↑ Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask, pp. 253–254.
  15. ↑ Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask, p. 255.
  16. ↑ Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask, p. 256.
  17. ↑ Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask, p. 252.
  18. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, p. 188.
  19. ↑ Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask
  20. ↑ "Ken Kelly & Kiss". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  21. 1 2 Prato, Greg. "Kiss - Destroyer review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  22. ↑ [ dead link ]
  23. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 162. ISBN   978-1894959025.
  24. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). Encyclopedia of Popular Music . Vol. 4 (4 ed.). Muze. p. 875. ISBN   0195313739.
  25. 1 2 "Kiss: Destroyer: Pitchfork Review". pitchforkmedia.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2003. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  26. 1 2 Sheffield, Rob; et al. (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  460–1. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  27. ↑ Cohen, Jason (1995). "Kiss". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 212. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  28. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (June 14, 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . New York. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  29. 1 2 Leaf and Sharp, Behind the Mask, p. 258.
  30. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, p. 202.
  31. ↑ Milward, John (June 3, 1976). "Destroyer album review". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on May 27, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  32. ↑ Gill, Kiss Album Focus, pp. 203–204.
  33. ↑ "KISS Concert History Online - Interviews - Paul Grein". www.kissconcerthistory.com. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  34. ↑ Barton, Geoff (January 21, 1989). "Kiss 'Destroyer'". Kerrang! . Vol. 222. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd.
  35. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (February 7, 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN   0-7893-1371-5.
  36. 1 2 "Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Albums Of All Time". Rate Your Music. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
  37. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  38. ↑ "Discography – "Destroyer: Resurrected" (2012)". The KissFAQ. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  39. ↑ "KISS' 'Destroyer' Deluxe Edition Set for August 21 Release". Ultimate Classic Rock. 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Destroyer: Resurrected Breathing New Fire". Guitarinternational.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
  41. ↑ Kiss (1976). Destroyer (LP Sleeve). Los Angeles, California: Casablanca Records. NBLP 7025.
  42. ↑ Kiss (2012). Destroyer (Resurrected) (LP Sleeve). Los Angeles, California: Casablanca Records. B0017201-01.
  43. ↑ Kiss (2021). Destroyer- 45t Anniversary Edition (CD Booklet). Santa Monica, California: Universal Music Enterprises. 060243818414.
  44. ↑ "Destroyer track details". Kissfaq.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  45. ↑ "The Complete KISS Album Chart Action, 1974–". The KISSFAQ. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  46. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4140a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  47. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  48. ↑ "Charts.nz – Kiss – Destroyer". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  49. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Kiss – Destroyer". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  50. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Kiss – Destroyer". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  51. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  52. ↑ "Kiss Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  53. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kiss – Destroyer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  54. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Kiss – Destroyer" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  55. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Kiss – Destroyer" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kiss – Destroyer" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  57. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  58. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Kiss – Destroyer". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Kiss Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  60. ↑ "Kiss Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  61. ↑ "Brazilian album certifications – Kiss – Destroyer" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  62. ↑ "Recording Industry Association of America – June 12, 2014". RIAA. Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
  63. ↑ "The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2003. Archived from the original on January 6, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
  64. ↑ "100 GREATEST AMERICAN ALBUMS – KISS #50". Kiss Online. 2003. Archived from the original on October 31, 2007. Retrieved August 6, 2007.
Bibliography
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.