Lick It Up

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Lore & Background

Recorded over two months immediately following the conclusion of the Creatures of the Night Tour in June, "Lick It Up" solidified Vinnie Vincent's status as the official lead guitarist. Although he had contributed as a session player on six tracks for "Creatures of the Night," this release saw him credited with all lead guitar work and appearing on the cover art for the first time, replacing Ace Frehley who was absent from both recording and the album's visual presentation. The opening track, co-written by Vincent, notably features a guest guitar solo from Vinnie Vincent. Two singles, "Lick It Up" and "All Hell's Breakin' Loose," were released with tongue-in-cheek videos set in desolate, post-apocalyptic locations featuring scantily clad women.

In Their Own Story

Behind the scenes, Vinnie Vincent was never legally a member of the band, having refused to sign an employment contract due to disputes over his role and pay; reports indicated he demanded a percentage of the band's gross profits but was denied. These tensions escalated during the Lick It Up tour when Vincent's guitar solos, intended to be 5–8 minutes long, frequently extended beyond cues, leaving Paul Stanley waiting impatiently on stage. The conflict culminated in January 1984 at the Long Beach Arena, where a prolonged solo led to a near-altercation in the dressing room between Stanley and Vincent, separated only by Eric Carr, Gene Simmons, and roadies. A second incident occurred on March 12 in Quebec City when Vincent launched into an impromptu solo during the set closure. He departed shortly after his final show in Evansville on March 17, 1984. Although he briefly demoed songs with drummer Hirsh Gardner and negotiated a return with Simmons and Stanley, Vincent ultimately turned down an offer to continue in June 1984.

Reader's Guide

Listeners should note that "Lick It Up" achieved gold certification on December 22, 1983, becoming the first Kiss album certified since 1980's "Unmasked," and reached platinum status by selling over a million units in the US by December 1990. The title track has become a live staple, performed over 1,500 times as of December 2022, ranking among the group's top ten most played songs. While Paul Stanley later admitted in "KISSology 2" that the album sold better than its predecessor solely because of the unmasked reveal—stating people were "listening with their eyes rather than their ears"—the music itself was recognized critically. Kerrang! ranked it No. 3 on its year-end list for best hard rock albums of 1983, and Guitar World's readers voted it the No. 10 guitar album of that same year in a 2011 poll.

Did You Know?

• Vinnie Vincent appeared on the cover art for Lick It Up despite not being a legally signed member of the band.
• The video for "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards.
• "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" is one of several songs in Kiss history where all four current members share songwriting credits, though it is not as rare as once thought.
• Paul Stanley stated that the album sold more than "Creatures of the Night" solely because the band appeared without make-up.