A 1974 KISS Debut Album Review… Part of the New Wave of Ultra-Commercial, Almost Pop, Hard Rock

Author: Michael Brandvold, Tommy Sommers, Mark Cicchini and Lisa Martini
Published: Mon 23 Jun 2025
Episode Link: http://threesidesofthecoin.com/a-1974-kiss-debut-album-review-part-of-the-new-wave-of-ultra-commercial-almost-pop-hard-rock/

Episode 625. Groundbreaking episode… this week Mark Cicchini gets up, walks to another room, finds a collectible, brings it back, sits down and OPENS IT! And Tommy ( who is this Tommy guy? ) isn’t here to see it happen! Mark reads two 1974 reviews of the debut KISS album and both are actually quite good. Though how they describe KISS is interesting. One of them even mentions how KISS used to be Wicked Lester… remember this is a review from 1974. When did you first learn that KISS used to be Wicked Lester?

Press requests please contact Michael Brandvold at www.michaelbrandvold.com

Since launching in 2012 Three Sides of the Coin has been viewed or listened to over 6,000,000 times. Three Sides of the Coin has been joined by special guests including former KISS lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, Eddie Trunk, AEW Superstar and lead singer of Fozzy Chris Jericho, Angel lead guitarist Punky Meadows, Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Jason Hook, Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Slaughter lead singer Mark Slaughter, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, comedian Craig Gass, KISS’ former business manager Chris Lendt, the Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack, Frank Munoz associate producer for Ace Frehley’s Anomaly album, award winning songwriter Adam Mitchell, Ed Kanon (Peter Criss’ drum tech), Kevin Valentine (drummer on KISS’ Psycho Circus album). Three Sides of the Coin was picked (October 2013) as a ‘What’s Hot’ podcast by Apple’s iTunes.

In the early ’90s, Michael Brandvold launched the fifth ever website on the Internet devoted to KISS, KISS Otaku. He built, launched and maintained Kissonline.com (KISS’ official web presence). He now owns Michael Brandvold Marketing, providing marketing services and digital strategy to musicians. Tommy Sommers spent 15 years on the record show circuit collecting, trading and selling memorabilia / Kiss merchandise. He is now a successful residential Real Estate agent in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area. Tommy has also produced a KISS song For The Oddfathers and is the owner of Rock Steady Digital Photography. Mark Cicchini, is a world renown KISS collector. KISS have used parts of Mark’s vast KISS collection for audio, video & print materials including their book NOTHIN TO LOSE, CD re release of the LOVE GUN album & the VH1 Ultimate Album KISS ALIVE! special as well as many other KISS projects. His wife also makes a mean meatloaf!!!

It’s only our opinion… it’s neither right nor wrong.

Three Sides Of The Coin is unofficial & unsanctioned and has no affiliation with the band KISS.

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A 1974 KISS Debut Album Review… Part of the New Wave of Ultra-Commercial, Almost Pop, Hard Rock