KISS fans are jubilant about many KISS related releases as of late. So far in these last two years (2006 and 2007), KISS are hitting their archives hard and dishing out some "new" old stuff. The three KISSology DVD box sets were instant favorites of the KISS fans. There's a lot to digest with all of these releases, but this is the way it should be. Here, with the inclusion of the Farewell Tour from 2000, (the original Alive IV promised), this reasonably priced box set is must have for many of us KISS fans.

KISS fans are aware of the live albums from KISS, starting with 1975's Alive!, 1977's Alive II, the 1993 release of Alive III and the long-promised Alive IV which was the Psycho Circus tour with the original line-up from 2000, yet all we had for seven years was the taster Rock and Roll All Nite from this tour (and that's only if you bought their mammoth box set from 2001). Instead, when the idea of touring with Ace and Peter fell apart finally, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley released the Australian tour, and entitled this Alive IV. This tour has Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer filling in the roles of the original members, who were replaced once again. As a surprise, KISS lay this hefty box set on us, and did not disappoint the fans when they included the original Alive IV.


Alive IV

KISS Alive IV is just a joy, the band sound terrific, fresh and energized - despite the feuding going on backstage between the four guys. It opens up with Psycho Circus, the title track off their reunion studio album. Psycho Circus is the best show opener written by the band since Detroit Rock City. High energy hard rock delivered from the original KISS, what more can you ask for? KISS follow up with some classic songs from their 1970s heyday, including Shout It Out Loud, Deuce and Firehouse. They include Do You Love Me?, a song rarely played in concert, which was a nice treat and also some material from the 1980s. Of course for the 1980s decade, KISS had a revolving door of personnel come in and out of the band. Peter and Ace have not been a part of the KISS fold since 1979 (Peter) and 1981 (Ace), so to hear the original line-up play on songs like I Love It Loud from 1982, a real heavy metal stomper and the Hair Metal anthems Lick It Up and Heaven's On Fire is like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Ace and Peter pull it off without a hitch and the show rocked. I would have liked to hear something like I Was Made For Lovin' You or something in that vein, but you won't hear any complaints from me.
the songs:
1. Psycho Circus
2. Shout It Out Loud
3. Deuce
4. Heaven's On Fire
5. Into the Void
6. Firehouse
7. Do You Love Me?
8. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
9. I Love It Loud
10. Lick It Up
11. 100,000 Years
12. Love Gun
13. Black Diamond
14. Beth
15. Rock and Roll All Nite
THE BAND: Ace Frehley (lead guitar), Peter Criss (drums), Paul Stanley (rhythm Guitar), Gene Simmons (bass).


Alive!

The band regard their first live album, Alive! as their most classic. To illustrate their high regard here, this is the only album here that they did not feature a bonus track the way they did with Alive II and Alive III. Don't mess with the classic man! I personally would have enjoyed a bonus track of maybe Ladies In Waiting, which originally was in the set list for this tour. The greatest aspect of Alive! is the translation of their early studio albums into the live setting. Alive! is the band's fourth release after only three studio albums that sold less than mediocre. The sound production on their studio albums (except for Hotter Than Hell) sounds thin and flat. Only when KISS performs live do these early cuts sound powerful and heavy. Songs like Deuce and Strutter sound explosive in comparison to the studio album. And then you have a song like Black Diamond which receives a whole new arrangement that illustrates what early 70s hard rock should sound like. Having said that, I can do without a 12 minute version of 100,000 Years including drum solo from Peter that just goes on too long. Even when Paul Stanley starts his rock and roll chat with the audience where he tells them that they're not loud enough, and that they have the power to raise the roof, it just borderlines embarrassing. The tracks that define Alive! include Watchin' You, which even outdoes the original Hotter Than Hell version, C'Mon and Love Me, which was one of KISS's more recent singles at the time and the live version of Rock and Roll All Nite, which just gives the classic rock anthem a more raucous version than before.
the songs
1. Deuce
2. Strutter
3. Got To Choose
4. Hotter Than Hell
5. Firehouse
6. Nothin' to Lose
7. C'Mon and Love Me
8. Parasite
9. She
10. Watchin' You
11. 100,000 Years
12. Black Diamond
13. Rock Bottom
14. Cold Gin
15. Rock and Roll All Nite
16. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
THE BAND: Ace Frehley (lead guitar), Peter Criss (drums), Paul Stanley (rhythm guitar) and Gene Simmons (bass).


Alive II

Their 1977 live album, Alive II is my favorite concert album from KISS. Since their first live album was released only two years before in 1975, KISS didn't want to include any songs that were on the first live album. This meant that they would be focusing on their next three studio albums, Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over and Love Gun. These are my favorite KISS albums, and to have a live album with nothing but these songs is a real treat. They released Alive II as a double album, but they didn't have enough live material that they needed to fill up four full sides of vinyl. So along with an amazing set of live material, we get five new studio cuts from KISS.
The first studio cut is Paul's All American Man. It sounds exactly like it was pulled from his solo album released a year later mostly because Ace Frehley is not on the track. Bob Kulick is heard on this song (as well as Paul's solo album) and on two of Gene's songs Larger Than Life and Rockin' in the USA. For Ace's studio cut he gives us Rocket Ride, one of his all-time best contributions for KISS. On the track, Ace plays all the guitars including bass and his friend and studio musician Anton Fig plays drums (Anton will appear on Ace's solo album the following year). Gene and Paul appear only to lend the voices for the chorus as they back up Ace's lead vocal.
The live stuff is what makes this album great. Even when the songs weren't really played live (in the case of Hard Luck Woman and Tomorrow and Tonight) where they're really just touched up sound check performances. The album opens up with the all-time greatest opener
"You wanted the best, you got the best - the hottest band in the world - KISS!" and then the band breaks into Destroyer's Detroit Rock City at full decibels. The material KISS needed to choose from this time around was the best they ever had. From the machine gun drums of Love Gun to the pre-recorded string orchestra of Beth, the whole concert makes the statement that KISS is the best live act ever. My favorites from this album include Ace's Shock Me including his brilliantly edited guitar solo (thanks to producer Eddie Kramer), God of Thunder where Gene gives us his most demonic vocal and I Want You where Paul Stanley trades vocally with the audience in the style of Freddie Mercury. Plus the fact that they've included an amazing version of Rock and Roll All Nite as a bonus cut justifies the purchase of an album that is already in my collection. KISS Alive II will always be one of my very favorite live albums ever.
1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of the Nighttime World
3. Ladies Room
4. Makin' Love
5. Love Gun
6. Calling Dr. Love
7. Christine Sixteen
8. Shock Me
9. Hard Luck Woman
10. Tomorrow and Tonight
11. I stole Your Love
12. Beth
13. God of Thunder
14. I Want You
15. Shout It Out Loud
16. All American Man
17. Rockin' In the USA
18. Larger Than Life
19. Rocket Ride
20. Any Way You Want It
21. Rock And Roll All Nite Single Version (Bonus Track)
THE BAND: Ace Frehley (guitar, bass), Peter Criss (drums), Paul Stanley (guitar), Gene Simmons (bass), Bob Kulick (guitar), Anton Fig (drums).


Alive III

This album was released in 1993 with an obvious new line-up with Bruce Kulick on lead guitar and Eric Singer on drums making this really KISS Mark V. The album opens up with no intro telling us that this is the hottest band in the land, instead it's almost a sneak attack of a gradual drum roll which explodes into Creatures of the Night. With the addition of Eric Singer on drums, the music sounds tighter and more staccato than what you're used to hearing on a KISS album. The older songs like Deuce, Watchin' You and Rock and Roll All Nite lose the old groove and soul from the original live renditions of the original line-up, but it's still possible to appreciate the musicianship of the new drummer and flashy licks from Bruce Kulick. Some of the newer stuff really shines, like Unholy, Domino and God Gave Rock and Roll To You II sound amazing. My favorites here areGod Gave Rock and Roll to You and the Michael Bolton/Paul Stanley lovelorn ballad Forever. It's best not to compare Alive III to the other live albums, but by itself - it is quite enjoyable.
1. Creatures of the Night
2. Deuce
3. I Just Wanna
4. Unholy
5. Heaven's On Fire
6. Wacthin' You
7. Domino
8. I Was Made For Lovin' You
9. I Still Love You
10. Rock and Roll All Nite
11. Lick It Up
12. Forever
13. Take It Off (Bonus Track)
14. I Love It Loud
15. Detroit Rock City
16. God Gave Rock and Roll to You II
17. Star Spangled Banner
THE BAND: Bruce Kulick (guitar), Eric Singer (drums), Paul Stanley (guitar), Gene Simmons (bass).


I think it's important to note the superb packaging of this box set. This comes in the digipak format casing with a clear sleeve. Inside there is a fabulous 70 page full color booklet that is filled with the original artwork and booklets found in the original releases. There are also some additional pictures of KISS playing live with some quotes from Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter from today. The CDs themselves are all silver picture discs of the album covers that they represent. If you are wondering about how many discs there are, there are four. Alive! and Alive II fit onto one disc each instead of the double CD packages that are available by themselves. I love the fact that each album fits on one disc. KISS has definitely given the fans their money's worth, and a valid excuse to purchase a box set with CDs they may already own.


KISS
Alive! 1975 - 2000 Box Set
Length: 312 minutes
Released:11/21/2006


This is a part of my list The Best Damn Live Albums Ever


Recommended: Yes