Kiss "Peter Criss"

Peter Criss is the 1978 debut solo album by Peter Criss, the drummer of American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978. The album was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to produce the Kiss albums Dynasty (1979) and Unmasked (1980). Criss covered "Tossin' and Turnin'", which was a #1 hit for Bobby Lewis in the U.S. during the summer of 1961. The song was subsequently covered by Kiss on their 1979 tour.

Much of the material on the album was originally written in 1971 for Criss's pre-Kiss band Lips. These include "I'm Gonna Love You", "Don't You Let Me Down", "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes", and "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll". The album also includes a cover of the song "Tossin' and Turnin" by Bobby Lewis.

Reviews for Peter Criss were mostly negative. AllMusic called it "the most undistinguished of the bunch, lacking hooks on either the pop-metal rockers or the power ballads, as well as personality throughout." The album was the lowest charting of all the Kiss solo albums of 1978, reaching #43 on the US Billboard album chart. Of the four solo albums, Peter Criss was the only album to have two singles released from it: "Don't You Let Me Down" and "You Matter to Me", neither of which charted.

Track listing

All songs written by Peter Criss and Stan Penridge, except where noted.

Side one

1. "I'm Gonna Love You" 3:18
2. "You Matter to Me" (Vini Poncia, John Vastano, Michael Morgan) 3:15
3. "Tossin' and Turnin'" (Ritchie Adams, Malou Rene) 3:58
4. "Don't You Let Me Down" 3:38
5. "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" 2:59

Side two

1. "Easy Thing" 3:53
2. "Rock Me, Baby" (Sean Delaney) 2:50
3. "Kiss the Girl Goodbye" 2:46
4. "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll" 3:37
5. "I Can't Stop the Rain" (Delaney) 4:25

Total length: 34:39