Do You Remember Your First…Album

What was your first album? Making that choice is a big life decision even though we don't realize it at the time. Over the years people will ask you, "what was your first album?" Did you make a cool choice all those years ago? I know I did by picking "Destroyer" by KISS, which was released 45 years ago this week. (March 15, 1976)

What immediately grabbed my attention was the album cover. Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley and Gene Simmons were listed as the band but the cover made them look like super heroes to this 9 year old. The makeup and those costumes! They must be a great band right?!

Where I grew up we bought everything, including records, at a store called Caldor. It was our version of WalMart in the 70's and that is where I found my first album. I remember bringing it to school the next day like a toy for "show and tell". My friends all wanted to be one of the KISS guys. For some reason I chose to be Peter Criss.

We weren't messing around. Once I chose Peter the rest of the guys fought over Gene Simmons and no one wanted to be Paul Stanley. Ironically as time went on, no one wanted to be Peter Criss. Even Family Guy mentioned that.

The album was dark, loud and easy for a 9 year old to play air guitar to. I loved each song from Side One to Side Two. We didn't have access to music videos like we do today so KISS was even more of a mystery to me. I think that's a big reason we would put KISS posters on our walls to imagine what it was like to see them live.

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Side One:

1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of the Night Time World
3. God of Thunder
4. Great Expectations

Side Two:

1. Flaming Youth
2. Sweet Pain
3. Shout It Out Loud
4. Beth
5. Do You Love Me

On Facebook I asked you what your first album was and KISS was a common theme. I guess New Yorkers like their home state band! There are a lot of New York ties to "Destroyer". Not only is the band from New York, the album was recorded at Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan and the New York Philharmonic played on the song "Beth".

Here are some of the albums mentioned by Q1057 listeners as their first:

• KISS "Alive" - Jeff
• Guns N Roses "Appetite for Destruction" - Lynn
• KISS "Alive II" - Mike
• Quiet Riot "Metal Health" - Jeff
• KISS "Alive II" - Tommy
• KISS "Animalize" - Ron
• Twisted Sister "Stay Hungry" - Jeff
• ZZ Top "Eliminator" - Chad
• KISS "Rock and Roll Over" - Christina