Year : 1966-1999 (Box Set Edition 2001)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : USA
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 932 mb
Bio:
Kiss was formed in New York in '72 by guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley (Stanley Eisen) and Gene Simmons (Gene Klein). The line-up was rounded out by drummer Peter Criss (Crisscoula), located through a Rolling Stone ad, and lead guitarist Ace Frehley (Paul Frehley), who answered an ad in the Village Voice. The band's cartoon image, kabuki makeup and 4th-of-July stageshow concept was in place from the start, and they began promoting their own hall shows in NYC. TV director Bill Aucoin saw them, became their manager, and secured a deal for them with Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records within two weeks. Three LPs were released in a year's time, but the live fourth LP, Alive! (1975) contained their first huge hit, "Rock And Roll All Nite." Until the early '80, Kiss was unstoppable, with two huge-selling Marvel Comics, a network TV movie and four simultaneously-released solo albums under their studded belts. In '80, Criss left for a solo career and since then, the drum and lead positions have been ever-changing. In '83, the band stripped away the makeup and celebrated renewed interest."You wanted the best, you got it! The hottest band in the land: KISS!" So went the rally cry at the beginning of a Kiss concert, an event of exploding pyrotechnics, vomited blood and louder-than-God hard rock. Their fan club--The Kiss Army--swelled to six-figures strong during the band's '70s heyday, and between 1974 and today they've sold in excess of 70 million albums.In '96, the original band reformed (made up?), and took their full costume-makeup-pyro 1976 show on the road--for a year-long stint--resulting in one of the most successful rock tours ever. Conjecture that the band wanted to quit on a high note has remained unproven; anything could happen in Kiss' future.
Album:
Here’s the stupendous and now collectible KISS “The Box Set [The Definitive KISS Collection 5xCD]“, including rare (and good) material from the popular band.“The Box Set” was released on November 20th, 2001 and consists of 5 CD’s spanning their entire career (up to that point) housed in a great box with a silver-plated KISS logo. A limited number of the set were released in a guitar case-shaped box.Each CD has its own full artwork, with each member motif (Ace, Paul, Gene, Peter, Eric). The CD’s span different eras of the band and there are 5 discs full of music.The Box Set includes 94 tracks, which consists of 30 previously unreleased band and solo tracks, demos, mixes as well as outtakes and live recordings. The other 64 tracks are songs selected from each of the band’s albums except for Gene’s solo. From that one you get a demo.And plenty of this stuff has not been released on other boxes and exclusively belongs to “The Box Set [The Definitive KISS Collection 5xCD]”.Sound quality is great, remastered in a Nineties style we like a lot. A must have Box Set.DISC One starts off with a whopping 12 rare tracks before you even delve into the first KISS album. The first two, Eddie Kramer demos of “Strutter” and “Deuce”, have been released before on singles and compilations, but many casual fans did not have them until now. These tracks just smoke, with “Strutter” being quite a bit longer. They are raw and have great playing from Ace.Three tracks from the Wicked Lester sessions are included. Wicked Lester was Gene and Paul’s original band, which transformed into KISS when they fired the other three guys. Many Wicked Lester tracks were later recorded by KISS. Yes, it would have been nice to have the whole album. Maybe it will be released officially one day, maybe we will have to live with the bootlegs.More demos abound including an early Gene song and an early Paul song. Both hint at some directions they would explore within KISS and their solo albums. A live take of the unreleased song “Acrobat” follows (essentially: “Love Theme From Kiss” melded with an unreleased song called “You’re Much Too Young”, which contains an early version of the “Detroit Rock City” riff whew).From here, there are nine tracks from the first three albums, ending with “Rock And Roll All Nite”. Not a terribly generous slice of music from those first albums, but it does prevent too much duplication with the songs already included as demos.On DISC Two live tracks from Alive! kick off this disc, which is mostly made up of songs from the 4th through 6th KISS studio albums. One really cool track is “Doncha Hesitate” which was completely unknown to me previously. It is especially cool because unlike later KISS demos, it includes all four members. Plus, it is actually a really great song! It just didn’t fit in with the direction of Destroyer; it is clearly in the mould of early KISS, which is why it never made the album.Paul’s “God Of Thunder” demo is here (Paul’s lead vocal and alternate lyrics about Aphrodite), as well as an early version of “Dr. Love” called “Bad Bad Lovin’”. The disc ends with another previously unheard song, a Gene demo called “Love Is Blind” which reveals his crooning Beatles roots.DISC Three chronicles KISS’ decline in popularity in the early 80’s. It starts out with a bang, “Detroit Rock City”, which is out of chronology. Some tracks from Alive II and the solo albums (with another Gene demo) take us into the disco years. The demo and live versions of the disco tracks reveal the harder edge intended when those songs were written.Not many rarities on this disc, although “Nowhere To Run” is included, one of my all time favourite songs from KISS Killers, an import-only hits compilation with bonus material.DISC Four covers Lick It Up (1983) through to Hot In The Shade (1989): The non-makeup part of the 80’s. “Ain’t That Peculiar” is one of the best rarities here, an Eric Carr demo of what would become “Little Caesar”.There is also a demo of Paul’s “Time Traveller”, a keyboard-based pop rock song. Unfortunately, due to squeezing so many albums onto this CD, Lick It Up is criminally underrepresented. It had many more great songs than just the two singles presented here. “Let’s Put The X In Sex” should have been dropped in favour of “Exciter”, “And On The 8th Day”, or “A Million To One”.Eric Carr’s final recording (and Eric Singer’s first with KISS) was “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll To You II”, which kicks off DISC Five. Carr was unable to play drums on the track. He did sing the background vocal, which is a highlight of the song. Eric Singer, who had played with Paul Stanley on his 1989 solo tour, was called to replace Carr for the sessions. Sadly, that replacement would have to become permanent when Carr died in November of 1991. This is not the ‘Bill & Ted’ soundtrack version, this is a different mix.As far as rarities go, a Gene demo of “Domino” is neat. “Got To Choose” from the Japanese version of MTV Unplugged is very welcome.“It’s My Life”, from the Psycho-Circus sessions, was an old KISS song written back in the 80s and first released by Wendy O. Williams on an album written and produced by Gene Simmons. KISS finally released their own version of it many years later on this box, and it purports to include the entire original band playing on it. I am skeptical of this, but it does definitely have a verse sung by Ace Frehley, while Gene sings the main part.“Nothing Can Keep Me From You” is on here, a terrible song from the Detroit Rock City movie, and actually more of a Paul solo song since no other members appear on it.The cool unreleased full-length version of “Childhood’s End” from Carnival of Souls (featuring a coda called “Outromental”) round out the non-album stuff.The box set ends with the “live” (not really though, actually dubbed) version of “Shout It Out Loud” from the Greatest KISS album, and a “preview track” from what was intended to be the forthcoming Alive IV: “Rock And Roll All Nite” (the only song to be repeated). This version of Alive IV ended up getting shelved in favour of a symphonic live album, which was then dubbed Alive IV: Kiss Symphony. The original version of Alive IV has since been issued in another KISS box set.
Line Up:
Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar
Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
Ace Frehley – lead guitar, vocals
Peter Criss – drums, vocals
Tracklist:
CD1: 1966–1975
01. "Strutter" (demo version) previously unreleased 4:59
02. "Deuce" (demo version) previously unreleased 3:26
03. "Keep Me Waiting" (performed by Wicked Lester) 1972 ~ Wicked Lester (Unreleased album) 3:26
04. "She" (performed by Wicked Lester) 1972 ~ Wicked Lester (unreleased album) 3:08
05. "Love Her All I Can" (performed by Wicked Lester) 1972 ~ Wicked Lester (unreleased album) 2:42
06. "Let Me Know" (demo version) previously unreleased 3:38
07. "100,000 Years" (demo version) previously unreleased 5:48
08. "Stop, Look to Listen" (Paul Stanley 1966 demo) previously unreleased 4:02
09. "Leeta" (Gene Simmons 1969 demo) previously unreleased 2:28
10. "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" (demo version) previously unreleased 4:06
11. "Acrobat" (live in 1973) previously unreleased 6:21
12. "Firehouse" (demo version) previously unreleased 4:37
13. "Nothin' to Lose" 1974 ~ Kiss 3:27
14. "Black Diamond" 1974 ~ Kiss 5:12
15. "Hotter Than Hell" 1974 ~ Hotter Than Hell 3:31
16. "Strange Ways" 1974 ~ Hotter Than Hell 3:20
17. "Parasite" 1974 ~ Hotter Than Hell 3:03
18. "Goin' Blind" 1974 ~ Hotter Than Hell 3:37
19. "Anything for My Baby" 1975 ~ Dressed to Kill 2:34
20. "Ladies in Waiting" 1975 ~ Dressed to Kill 2:32
21. "Rock and Roll All Nite" 1975 ~ Dressed to Kill 2:46
CD2: 1975–1977
01. "C'mon and Love Me" (live in 1975) 1975 ~ Alive! 3:09
02. "Rock Bottom" (live in 1975) 1975 ~ Alive! 3:21
03. "Cold Gin" (live in 1975) 1975 ~ Alive! 6:40
04. "Watchin' You" (live in 1975) 1975 ~ Alive! 3:56
05. "Doncha Hesitate" (unreleased demo) previously unreleased 2:40
06. "Mad Dog" (unreleased demo) previously unreleased 2:33
07. "God of Thunder" (demo version) previously unreleased 2:54
08. "Great Expectations" 1976 ~ Destroyer 4:21
09. "Beth" 1976 ~ Destroyer 2:46
10. "Do You Love Me" 1976 ~ Destroyer 3:33
11. "Bad, Bad Lovin'" (Calling Dr. Love demo) previously unreleased 3:35
12. "Calling Dr. Love" 1976 ~ Rock and Roll Over 3:43
13. "Mr. Speed" (demo version) previously unreleased 3:34
14. "Christine Sixteen" 1977 ~ Love Gun 3:14
15. "Hard Luck Woman" 1976 ~ Rock and Roll Over 3:35
16. "Shock Me" 1977 ~ Love Gun 3:48
17. "I Stole Your Love" 1977 ~ Love Gun 3:06
18. "I Want You" (1977 soundcheck) previously unreleased 3:31
19. "Love Gun" (demo version) previously unreleased 3:23
20. "Love Is Blind" (unreleased demo) previously unreleased 2:46
CD3: 1976–1982
01. "Detroit Rock City" (without intro) 1976 ~ Destroyer 3:55
02. "King of the Night Time World" (live in 1977) 1977 ~ Alive II 3:04
03. "Larger Than Life" 1977 ~ Alive II 4:00
04. "Rocket Ride" 1977 ~ Alive II 4:07
05. "Tonight You Belong to Me" 1978 ~ Paul Stanley 4:40
06. "New York Groove" (Hello cover) 1978 ~ Ace Frehley 3:00
07. "Radioactive" (demo version) previously unreleased 3:10
08. "Don't You Let Me Down" 1978 ~ Peter Criss 3:41
09. "I Was Made for Lovin' You" 1979 ~ Dynasty 4:30
10. "Sure Know Something" 1979 ~ Dynasty 4:00
11. "Shandi" 1980 ~ Unmasked 3:36
12. "You're All That I Want, You're All That I Need" (demo version) (recorded in 1977) previously unreleased 4:17
13. "Talk to Me" (live in 1980) previously unreleased 3:41
14. "A World Without Heroes" 1981 ~ Music From "The Elder" 2:41
15. "The Oath" 1981 ~ Music From "The Elder" 4:34
16. "Nowhere to Run" 1982 ~ Killers 4:26
17. "Creatures of the Night" (1985 remix) 1982 ~ Creatures of the Night 4:03
18. "War Machine" 1982 ~ Creatures of the Night 4:15
19. "I Love It Loud" 1982 ~ Creatures of the Night 4:16
CD4: 1983–1989
01. "Lick It Up" 1983 ~ Lick It Up 3:56
02. "All Hell's Breakin' Loose" 1983 ~ Lick It Up 4:34
03. "Heaven's on Fire" 1984 ~ Animalize 3:21
04. "Get All You Can Take" 1984 ~ Animalize 3:44
05. "Thrills in the Night" 1984 ~ Animalize 4:22
06. "Tears Are Falling" 1985 ~ Asylum 3:55
07. "Uh! All Night" 1985 ~ Asylum 4:04
08. "Time Traveler" (unreleased demo) previously unreleased 4:58
09. "Hell or High Water" 1987 ~ Crazy Nights 3:26
10. "Crazy Crazy Nights" 1987 ~ Crazy Nights 3:47
11. "Reason to Live" 1987 ~ Crazy Nights 4:01
12. "Let's Put the X in Sex" 1988 ~ Smashes, Thrashes & Hits 3:50
13. "Hide Your Heart" 1989 ~ Hot in the Shade 4:25
14. "Ain't That Peculiar" ("Little Caesar" demo) previously unreleased 3:11
15. "Silver Spoon" 1989 ~ Hot in the Shade 4:41
16. "Forever" (single remix) 1989 ~ Hot in the Shade 3:51
CD5: 1991–1999
01. "God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II" 1992 ~ Revenge 5:20
02. "Unholy" (without intro) 1992 ~ Revenge 3:25
03. "Domino" (demo version) previously unreleased 4:03
04. "Every Time I Look at You" 1992 ~ Revenge 4:40
05. "Comin' Home" (live unplugged in 1995) 1996 ~ Kiss Unplugged 2:51
06. "Got to Choose" (live unplugged in 1995 edit) 1996 ~ Kiss Unplugged (Japanese release) 3:32
07. "I Still Love You" (live unplugged in 1995) 1996 ~ Kiss Unplugged 6:09
08. "Nothin’ to Lose" (live unplugged in 1995) 1996 ~ Kiss Unplugged 3:49
09. "Childhood's End" (Coda ending version) 1997 ~ Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 5:27
10. "I Will Be There" 1997 ~ Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions 3:49
11. "Psycho Circus" (without intro) 1998 ~ Psycho Circus 4:51
12. "Into the Void" 1998 ~ Psycho Circus 4:23
13. "Within" (without intro) 1998 ~ Psycho Circus 4:29
14. "I Pledge Allegiance to the State of Rock & Roll" 1998 ~ Psycho Circus 3:34
15. "Nothing Can Keep Me From You" (soundtrack album) 1999 ~ Detroit Rock City 4:04
16. "It's My Life" previously unreleased 3:46
17. "Shout It Out Loud" (live in 1996) 1997 ~ Greatest Kiss 3:38
18. "Rock and Roll All Nite" (live in 1999) previously unreleased 6:07
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