Welcome to ERV's 10th annual All Hallows Even party. A reminder to our newer readers: our prior ghostly (ghastly) clips can be found using the All Hallows Even tag on the right.
Leading off this year's festivities is "I Love It Loud" by Kiss. As most readers know, Kiss has a long and somewhat controversial history. The group started in New York City in 1973, and was led by Paul Stanley (guitar and vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass and vocals). Ace Frehley (guitars) and Peter Criss (drums) rounded out the original lineup. Right from the start, Kiss was known for their makeup, costumes, and theatrical stage shows as much as for their music.
The group really broke out following their 1975 Alive! double album and had a period of superstardom, which was on the wane by the early 1980s. Changes to their sound likely didn't help - 1979's Dynasty was dance-influenced, while the 1981 "Music from 'The Elder'" concept album included orchestral parts.
With this backdrop, "I Love It Loud" from the 1982 Creatures of the Night LP was a return to form. Although the album didn't become a huge commercial success, the anthemic hard rock and focus on music videos laid the groundwork for Kiss' success in the 1980s. Stanley and Simmons capitalized on this by having the band remove their makeup (on MTV no less) and effectively repositioned Kiss as a pop metal act, which paid huge dividends for the rest of the decade.
From a Halloween perspective, "I Love It Loud" is spot on. The makeup, costumes, and tank/drum kit are nicely complimented by the sonic assault (and glowing eyes). The result works, in our opinion, and makes for a fun Halloweeny video.
Long live rock
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