Maps of Music

Animalize (1984)

Where the lyrics of Animalize take you, and where it was really made.

Animalize is the only Kiss album to feature Mark St. John, who was officially fired by December 1984, only months after the record came out.

Key places

Right Track studio, New York (1984)

Recording site MSR Studios — Paul Stanley recorded his parts at Right Track in New York, and most of the album work was directed there under his supervision. The point sits at the studio's New York City location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Animalize is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Kiss
• Released 13 September 1984 by Mercury Records
• The only album to feature lead guitarist Mark St. John, who replaced Vinnie Vincent in April 1984
• Paul Stanley took over songwriting, production and direction
• Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, New York

Background

• By this point Kiss had lost founding members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley
• Unmasked (1980) and Music from The Elder (1981) largely alienated the fanbase
• Creatures of the Night (1982) was a return to form that still failed to gain public attention
• Lick It Up (1983) achieved Platinum status and yielded a successful tour
• After Vincent left, the band hired a complete unknown, Mark St. John
• Gene Simmons was pursuing an acting career and was largely absent from Kiss
• Stanley later said he felt abandoned when it came time to make Animalize

Recording

• St. John clashed often with his new bandmates in the studio
• A bass part Simmons asked St. John to record caused a disagreement that left Simmons and Carr furious
• Stanley and Simmons later took St. John aside to warn him about his attitude
• Bruce Kulick was brought in to play a guitar solo on Lonely Is the Hunter
• Stanley gave the band its biggest hit in years with Heaven's on Fire, written with Desmond Child

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Kiss was formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
• The band traces its roots to Wicked Lester, a New York rock band led by Simmons and Stanley.
• Their first performance took place on January 30, 1973, at the Popcorn Club (later Coventry) in Queens.
• Casablanca Records signed the band on November 1, 1973, as the label's first act.

Members

• The four original members were Stanley (Starchild), Simmons (Demon), Frehley (Spaceman) and Criss (Catman).
• Eric Carr replaced Criss in 1980; Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick later held lead guitar.
• Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer formed the final lineup.

Career

• Kiss became one of America's most successful rock bands in the late 1970s, with a 1977 Gallup poll naming them the most popular band in America.
• The band unmasked in 1983 and reunited the original lineup for the 1996 reunion tour.
• The band announced its retirement after its final show at Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2023.
• Kiss was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Matthew Wilkening of Ultimate Classic Rock described Animalize as Kiss's most aggressive album ever, with some tracks bordering on metal territory
• Greg Prato of AllMusic observed that Kiss seemed to be copying other successful pop-metal bands, both musically and visually
• Prato concluded the album, despite a few good songs, was not as strong as its two predecessors
• Prato singled out most of Simmons' contributions as forgettable
• Guitar World placed the album on its list New Sensations: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1984

Reappraisal

• Both Wilkening and Prato reviewed the album in retrospect
• The retrospective reviews focused on the band's pop-metal turn and on Simmons' contributions

Records

• Certified Platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 1984
• Biggest-selling Kiss album since 1979's Dynasty
• Peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200
• Heaven's on Fire became the biggest hit from the album and received heavy MTV rotation

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Mark St. John was forced to leave Kiss temporarily before the tour after being diagnosed with reactive arthritis
• He was officially fired by December 1984, making him the third lead guitarist to exit the group in only two years
• Heaven's on Fire is the only music video featuring Mark St. John
• Stanley claims to have personally handled everything from naming the album to marketing and cajoling MTV
• Gene Simmons co-starred in the 1984 movie Runaway while the album was being made

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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