September 1983. Imagine the shock. KISS, the band that basically patented theatrical rock and roll, appeared on MTV without their iconic greasepaint. It was a massive gamble. Gene Simmons looked genuinely uncomfortable, like a man who’d just lost his security blanket, while Paul Stanley seemed almost too eager to show off his face. But the gimmick—or the lack of one—only worked because the music actually delivered. People forget that. They focus on the "Unmasking" special, but the Kiss Lick It Up album songs are what kept the band from sliding into total irrelevancy during the neon-soaked eighties.
Honestly, this record is a masterclass in survival. After the experimental disaster of Music from "The Elder" and the heavy-but-ignored Creatures of the Night, the band was bleeding money. They needed hits. They got them.
The Vinnie Vincent Factor: Why the Songs Sounded Different
You can’t talk about this album without talking about Vinnie Vincent. He was the "Ankh Warrior," the guy who replaced Ace Frehley, and man, was he a polarizing figure. Vinnie was a shredder. He brought a frantic, technical energy that Ace never had, and it changed the DNA of the songwriting. If you listen closely to the title track or "Exciter," you hear a certain frantic desperation.
Vinnie co-wrote eight of the ten tracks. That’s insane when you think about how protective Gene and Paul usually were of their "KISS sound." But Vinnie had this pop sensibility mixed with heavy metal aggression that just worked for 1983. It saved them. It also eventually annoyed the hell out of Gene and Paul because Vinnie didn't want to follow the rules. He wanted to play a thousand notes a second.
The tension is audible. You can feel the friction between Paul's desire for a radio-friendly anthem and Vinnie’s urge to turn every bridge into a guitar clinic. That friction gave the record its teeth. Without Vinnie, Lick It Up might have been a generic hair metal footnote. Instead, it’s a powerhouse.
Breaking Down the Big Hits and the Deep Cuts
Let’s get into the actual tracklist.
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"Exciter" kicks the door down. It’s fast. It’s loud. It’s arguably one of the "metal-est" things they ever did. Rick Derringer—yeah, the "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" guy—actually played the solo on this one because the band was having "issues" with Vinnie that day. It’s a relentless opener. It tells the listener immediately: "We don't have masks, but we still have volume."
Then you have the title track. "Lick It Up" is the quintessential KISS anthem. It’s simple. Some might call it repetitive, but that’s the point. It’s built for arenas. The riff is a classic three-chord stomp that anyone could learn in five minutes, yet it’s impossible to shake out of your head. Paul Stanley’s vocals are peak 80s here—lots of grit, lots of swagger.
The Gene Simmons Side of the Coin
Gene’s contributions to the Kiss Lick It Up album songs are often overshadowed by Paul’s pop-metal dominance, but they provide the necessary weight. "Not for the Innocent" is dark. It’s got that classic Simmons "God of Thunder" menace, even without the dragon boots. It feels like a leftover from the Creatures era, which is a compliment.
Then there’s "Young and Wasted." This is a weird one. On the album, Gene sings it. It’s raw. It’s about exactly what the title suggests. Later on, during the tour, Eric Carr would sometimes take over the vocals for this one, and honestly? Eric’s version was arguably better. But the studio version has a certain sleazy charm that only Gene can provide.
Why the Production Matters (Michael James Jackson)
The sound of this record is "dry." If you compare it to the reverb-drenched albums coming out of the mid-80s, Lick It Up sounds surprisingly punchy. Michael James Jackson produced this along with Paul and Gene. He managed to capture the drums—played by the legendary Eric Carr—in a way that felt like a physical punch to the gut.
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Eric Carr was the secret weapon. His double-kick work on tracks like "Gimme More" gave the band a modern edge that kept them competitive with younger, faster bands like Mötley Crüe or even Iron Maiden. He wasn't just a replacement; he was an upgrade in terms of technical ability and power.
The Songs You Probably Forgot
- "All Hell's Breakin' Loose": This is the closest KISS ever got to "rapping" in the early 80s. It’s got a weird, funky groove. The music video is a post-apocalyptic fever dream that looks like a low-budget Mad Max. It’s campy, sure, but the song is a certified earworm.
- "A Million to One": This is one of Paul’s best vocal performances. Period. It’s a heartbreak song disguised as a rocker. The emotion in his voice during the chorus is real. It shows a vulnerability that the band often hid behind their personas.
- "And on the 8th Day": The closing track. It’s a bit over the top with its "creation myth" lyrics, but the riff is heavy as lead. It’s a solid way to end a record that was basically a rebirth for the band.
The Cultural Impact: More Than Just a Makeup-Free Face
People think Lick It Up was just a marketing stunt. It wasn't. Well, it was, but the music had to back it up. If the songs sucked, the unmasking would have been the end of the band. Instead, it was the beginning of their most profitable decade since the 70s.
They proved they weren't just characters. They were musicians.
The Kiss Lick It Up album songs bridged the gap between the classic 70s rock sound and the burgeoning "glam metal" scene. They didn't just follow the trend; they asserted their right to lead it. You can hear the influence of this album in almost every Sunset Strip band that followed. The blend of heavy riffs and pop choruses became the blueprint.
The Reality of the "New" KISS
It wasn't all sunshine. The band was fractured. Gene was starting to look toward Hollywood. Vinnie Vincent was becoming a nightmare to manage. Yet, somehow, they caught lightning in a bottle. Maybe it was the desperation. There’s a certain "do or die" energy on this album that you don't hear on Animalize or Asylum.
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Lick It Up feels like a band with their backs against the wall.
Putting the Tracks in Perspective
When you sit down and listen to the record from start to finish, the flow is surprisingly good. It doesn't have the "filler" feel that plagued some of their later 80s releases. Even the lesser-known tracks like "Fits Like a Glove" (where Gene hits some terrifyingly high notes) serve a purpose. They maintain the momentum.
Key Takeaways from the Songwriting
- Simplicity wins. The biggest hits on the record are the ones with the most straightforward hooks.
- Collaborate or die. Letting Vinnie Vincent in on the writing process, despite the personal friction, resulted in a fresher sound.
- Drumming is the backbone. Eric Carr's influence cannot be overstated; he dragged KISS into the modern era of heavy drumming.
If you’re looking to dive back into this era, don't just stick to the title track. Go find the live versions of "Young and Wasted" from 1984. Look for the bootlegs where they’re still trying to figure out how to move on stage without 20 pounds of costume gear. It’s fascinating. It’s raw. It’s KISS at their most "human," even if that humanity was still wrapped in tight spandex and leopard print.
To truly appreciate what happened here, you need to listen to Lick It Up immediately followed by Creatures of the Night. You'll hear the evolution. You’ll hear a band that finally figured out how to be heavy and popular again. They stopped trying to be a prog-rock act (like they did on The Elder) and went back to what they did best: loud, slightly dangerous, hook-filled rock.
How to Revisit the Lick It Up Era Today
- Listen to the 1997 Remasters: The sound quality is significantly better, bringing Eric Carr’s drums even further to the front.
- Watch the MTV Unmasking: It’s on YouTube. Watch the body language. It tells you more about the band's state of mind than any interview ever could.
- Compare the Solos: Listen to Vinnie's work here versus what Ace Frehley was doing on Creatures (or what he'd do later in Frehley's Comet). The stylistic shift is jarring but essential for the time.
- Focus on the Bass: Gene’s bass lines on this album are actually quite melodic, specifically on "A Million to One."
The album remains a testament to the idea that you can reinvent yourself, even when the whole world thinks you're a relic. It wasn't about the makeup. It was always about the songs. And in 1983, KISS had the songs to prove it.
For anyone looking to understand the history of hard rock, this isn't just a KISS album. It's a pivot point. It's the moment the 70s died and the 80s truly began for the old guard. Grab a pair of decent headphones, skip the greatest hits versions, and play the full album. It holds up surprisingly well, even the weird parts. Especially the weird parts.