Sonic Boom

Sonic Boom is a great record. And it has surpased my expectations which were very low. Not because I consider KISS a bad band at all, but although we have no Love Gun II, material is solid enough and made me go th the shop (yes) and buy it the 2CD + DVD, of course.
Songs like Say Yeah, When lightning strikes (in which i see great vocals from Tommy), all for the glory, with again great vocals but this time from Eric. Modern day Delilah is a strange song to me, but catchy anyway...

So it is a nice third coming back

9/10 great to have

Asylum

To be honest this is not a great record, but it has at least some great songs: Who wants to be lonely, Uh! all night and the power ballad Tears are falling. And I do not feel the same for the rest of the songs... so it is a weak record in my humble opinion...

I read your mind like an open book
You lost the fire in your eyes
You turn to me with a different look
And then it's raining, looks like it's raining

Oh no, tears are falling(x3)

Something is wrong as I hold you near
Somebody else holds your heart, yeah
You look at me with your eyes in tears
And then it's raining, feels like it's raining

They could have done it better... they are KISS!!

6/10 for die hard kiss fans

konfidential & x-treme close-up

2 compilations from kiss in 1 dvd.
First one, Konfidential, IS Alive III ... Do this record really interested somebody? Not me. I am not a very die hard fan, but I do consider seeing Kiss alive (in 96) was a dream come true. I have at least 10 kiss records. Alive II in both lp and cd. So I am not a bad fan :-) -Alive II and Strangers in the night are my favourites live records- ... but Alive III is not my cup of tea really. (Not to say it'd missed songs like a million to one, who wants to be lonely, from the elder, from unmasked songs...)
At least it is added 4 vintage clips.
6/10 for die hard fans

Second one is awesome. X-treme close-up
I had it already in vhs as well, so when it went to dvd it was obvious choice. It is very easy to understand. And the clips are fantastic. There are clips from all their story until '92. Simply awesome. Kiss story told by them to their fans. Little details and funny stories.
10/10 awesome (again :-) )

Definitive package would be Kissology. I own I and II. However i am not pleased they were in region I and not in region 0... somebody to please explain me so i can understand... not enough fans in europe/japan? and it could have been the greatest package on earth...

10/10 fantastic compilation. X-treme deserves it by its own. It is a 3h package.

Double Platinum

If you buy this one is because:
-you are a die hard ... then it is ok
-you know nothing about Kiss ... go buying alive records instead.

This is how a compilation must not be done.
Nothing special.

The music is great, the package is poor.

7/10 I wish I had not bought it

Ace Frehley

After Paul Stanley solo record, this was the one that got my attention. Ace's voice is not bad. Sometimes better than Gene, sometimes not. The songs here are not bad, but for me, Paul's are without a doubt the best. Rip it out, snow blind, ozone, what's on your mind are amongst the best ones. The instrumental fractured mirror is guite good also. and of course the song that got the fame, back in the New York groove.

Maybe I expected more, but overall, is not bad. But his songs like rocket ride, cold gin, shock me, two sides of the coin, talk to me, save your love are stronger in my opinion ... He had a great potential, but never wanted to reach his top ... :-S

7/10 nice to have

love gun

this was the first record my girlfriend bought me as a gift.
the cover art is impressive. i prefer destroyer's, but with all the ladies in make up, which may be a bit prepotent, well ... ;-D
what about the songs. some enter into legend: love gun and i stole your love are the best songs. this songs are awesome.
tomorrow and tonight, shock me are also great.
i like the then she kissed me cover too.
but i can not stand for christine 16, or plaster caster, or almost human or got love for sale ... :-( ... and i won't mention peter's song either.
so, this record had really good songs, but the rest say really nothing much for me. also the intensity of the songs in the alive II record is better than the studio.

what i do not like, since this is not a remastered edition is the poor package, no lyrics, no comments, no nice drawn cd ...

8/10 nice to have

Alive!

The record that broke all standards. A double live record. who was fool enough to do such a thing? Led Zeppelin did it with Physical graffiti, but was it the same? It was not a live record...
Well this thing, just exploded... the record went platinum, 2x, 3x, 4x ... and KISS reached stardom. The material in there is the one from the first 3 records, which by the way were great... I sincerely prefer the songs that make the Alive II, but Alive! is great too.
Deuce, strutter, hotter than hell, c'mon and love me, she, watchin' you, black diamond, cold gin and the great anthem rock and roll all nite.

You show us everything you've got
You keep on dancin' and the room gets hot
You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy

You say you wanna go for a spin
The party's just begun, we'll let you in
You drive us wild, we'll drive you crazy
You keep on shoutin', you keep on shoutin'

I wanna rock and roll all nite... and party every day

What more can be said about this record. Just listen to it :-D

10/10 classic status

The Elder

Although it is acclaimed as the worst Kiss record, I wouldn't say so. It is clear that it is not a RNR record, but it is not a ballad neither. It is a conceptual, and it is not the best of the conceptuals I've ever seen (The Last Temptation would be the greatest), and it has its shinning moments.
The most memorable tune is a world without heroes. It is a fantastic song which arrives deep within. Under the rose, dark light and just a boy are great songs too. And only you, which has been covered by Doro shines with bright light also. And the opener, the oath is great too.
I do not like mr blackwell, and odyssey and escape from the island are just average, but then the record finishes with I, which is a duet Paul/Gene and it is great too. So, why the worst? Because it is not heavier? Well ...

Strange cover, since it is the first the make up is not in there ...

8/10 nice to have

Dynasty

1978. Kiss was about to break, so the master play to keep them together was to release all 4 Kiss solo albums. After those ones, it came an interesting surprising record.

Is this pop? Is it disco? May it seem a bit danceable?

This record did not please to the die hard heavy metal fans. But it pleased to most of Kiss die hards, since this is why they call themselves Kiss die hards.
I was made for lovin' you had nothing to do with love gun or detroit rock city, but it is so classic that it takes part of the live set.
2000 man, the RS cover is really good, and Ace's voice is great. Sure know something is really good, but it is soft and mellow. I love the video.
Dirty living has nothing to do with great Peter songs as hard luck woman or Beth... :-(
charisma. Well, what can have always Gene in mind? Guessed! Absolutely brilliant. The lyrics just fit in. Magic touch, another incredible tune, why so underrated?
Hard times and x-ray eyes are above average and save your love is another time for Ace to shine.
Great record.

10/10 brilliant

Unmasked

This record is interesting. Dynasty showed Kiss through not pop music but near to disco. A thing Kiss was never meant to be. Sacrilege! So what?
As always, heavy metal fans have always thought that 'their' bands never must be sold. They need to be loyal to their fans & style ever... well, a band has its right to evolve. Take it or leave it. Only they decide.
This record is not bad at all. It does not have much in common with Destroyer, but the hooks and melodies are there.
Is that you? funny lyrics, I think that was part of the live set when kiss did the 80s tour in Sydney?

Your reputation's in the bathroom,
it's on the wall and down the hall
I hear you're cheatin' with my teacher after school,
tell me what you do
When you know, you always get the boys you like
Play nice, then stick them with your knife,
take off your insecure disguise

Shandi, a classic love song. Even a video was shot.
Talk to me. Ace continues to sing and he can do it well. Love the video, a tv appaerance.
Naked city. Gene, a mellower song but with great melody.

Street vampires in the night,
young lovers and love at first sight
This is my flesh and my fantasy
Older women with younger men,
I've got a feelin' I'm in trouble again
But I've got to live my destiny

Classic Gene style ;-) great!
What makes the world go round, tomorrow , classic Paul's. You've got to love them.
Two sides of the coin, is ace again, and quite good.
She's so european and easy at it seems are great songs too. I can forget about the rest.

So, 9 songs out of 11 that are really good. Yes, no love gun, Detroit rock city or hard luck woman. True, but great ones. The worst Kiss record? No! Indispensable? No, but worth a listening, if you are not looking for aggresive style as unholy, deuce, god of thunder or psycho circus

8/10 nice to have

Paul Stanley

Once i loved Kiss, i wanted to buy this one. The solo albums, dedicated to each other were a really brilliant idea. So the first one i got was Paul's. and i wasn't wrong. It was exactly what i could expect from Kiss main frontman

Tonight you belong to me, take me away became instant favorites after the first listening.
Hold me touch me was the sentimental ballad touch, that i loved too. I like ballads. And love the good ones. I mean it may be easy to make a slow song, but to really touch your feelings, that is another thing and very different. This one is a precious one, leaded with orchestration. Really nice.

The rest of the songs, and not a filler! are rock songs (maybe with the exception of mid-tempo ain't quite right): move on, funny lyrics again, wouldnt you like to know me, it's alright, love in chains, goodbye.

For me it is a great record, with the always complain of not having the lyrics.

10/10 brilliant

Alive II

1977.
KISS.
Alive II.

The biggest record live? Well for me, it has to still happen UFO's Strangers in the night in 79, which is the greatest, but Alive II is really great, great enough, and the feelin' of the songs live is terrific ...

Detroit rock city, love gun, god of thunder, beth, i stole your love, shock me, shout it out loud, makin' love, hard luck woman... not only they had a really high record to top -alive-, but they managed to do 3 more records and make another unstoppable right in the face LIVE record.
Bad tongues said it was not really live ... Well, it looks like it is live... They corrected errors, well ;-) Even better, which is the problem??
From 5 studio songs they made i really love Ace's rocket ride, the others are not bad songs, but not as special as that one.
I own the remastered version from 1997 with the 14 pages booklet. i own also the original 2LP format.
People often prefer Alive to Alive II. Well i love Alive too, but my favorite is alive two.

For kiss fans i would recomemd to take a look at Gene Simmons Family Jewels ;-)

10/10 classic status