Four of the tracks ("I'm Gonna Love You", "Don't You Let Me Down", "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes" & "Hooked on Rock 'n' Roll") were originally written in 1971 for Criss's pre-Kiss band, Lips.

In a retrospective assessment 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.

In an interview in Goldmine magazine, Stanley and Simmons dismissed the record as being completely opposite of the aims of what Kiss music was about.

He added that while the 1978 Kiss solo albums were meant as spaces for each member to "just be himself", Criss "clearly misread the memo and decided to 'just be Barry Manilow' instead.

"[12] Elliott wrote that Criss, a fan of pop and soul music, "turned MOR crooner on lightweight toe-tapping tunes" such as "Don't You Let Me Down" and "That's the Kind of Sugar Papa Likes"; he deemed the ballad "I Can't Stop the Rain" the best song for how it suits Criss' raspy voice, but dismissively added that, overall, Peter Criss contained music that Kiss fans' parents would like.