sonic palette with theatrical sounds effects like explosions to herald “ King of the Night Time World ” and car crash effects during “ Detroit Rock City ” and its tale of doomed euphoria . Emotive ballad “ Beth ” was sweetened with the stately sounds of the New York Philharmonic orchestra in place of Spaceman guitarist Ace Frehley . Starchild Paul Stanley sings the explosive rocker “ King of the Night Time World .” He shares vocals with bassist Gene
Simmons for “ Shout It Out Loud ,” an arena-shaker in the vein of “ Rock and Roll All Nite .” Frehley plays bristling riffs and solos during kids-have-the-power anthem “ Flaming Youth .” Simmons steps forward with bravado to sing his bombastic signature song “ God of Thunder .” 48 of the set ’ s 73 tracks are previously unreleased . A block of Paul Stanley demos includes the formative versions of “ God of Thunder ” and “ Detroit Rock City ,” as well as lost songs “ It ’ s the Fire ” and “ Love is Alright .” Gene Simmons ’ demos include “ Mad Dog ,” with a riff that was eventually revved up to anchor the chorus of “ Flaming Youth .” Simmons ’ unearthed gems include the lusty rockers “ I Don ’ t Want No Romance ” and “ Howlin ’ for Your Love .” A concert disc includes primetime Kiss headlining L ’ Olympia in Paris on May 22 , 1976 . The main album has been newly remastered to its fullest sound , accompanied by a Blu-ray disc with highdefinition audio , Dolby Atmos mix , and Steven Wilson ’ s entertaining and immersive surround sound mix . The box set offers a trove of treasures for fans , including a replica of the 1976 Kiss Army kit complete with official membership certificate . Information on the band members reveals that Criss was rescued from a plane crash as an infant by a band of sabertoothed tigers . Frehley ’ s parents were interplanetary explorers stranded and forced to learn the customs of Earth . A 68- page hardback book includes new interviews with Simmons , Stanley , and Frehley . Also included are stage blueprints , posters to recreate your teenage bedroom wall , song-by-song newspaper , and a replica
tour program with photos of Simmons ’ fire-breathing and Frehley ’ s smoking guitar . There are stickers , glossy photos , an iron-on transfer , and oversized trading cards featuring each band member . The set will help any veteran fan return to the blissfully escapist fantasy of the band as comic book-styled superhero personas and the gleeful gang mentality that made the band beloved by so many .
Fast forward 25 years to hear the 2001 Kiss lineup play most of its greatest hits before an ecstatic Japanese crowd in Tokyo . Mainstays Stanley and Simmons are joined by founding member Frehley , whose guitar snarls through signature song “ Cold Gin ” and an electrifying “ Shock Me .” Destroyer favorites include storming opener “ Detroit Rock City ” as well as “ Shout It Out Loud ,” “ Do You Love Me ,” and “ God of Thunder .” With longtime Kiss veteran Eric Singer on the drum throne , there ’ s no “ Beth ,” but laterera standout singles are present . These include Stanley ’ s energetic “ Heaven ’ s on Fire ” and the grinding “ Lick it Up .” Simmons growls through “ Deuce ” and the propulsive “ Calling Dr . Love .” Stanley performs Creatures of the Night track “ I Still Love You ” solo . Kiss performs the title track from its then most recent album Psycho Circus . The main set closes with a raging “ Black Diamond ” from the band ’ s 1974 self-titled debut . The group encores with the disco stomper “ I Was Made for Loving You .” Stanley overcomes the language barrier and tells the crowd that they deserve to have a great time . “ Don ’ t forget us ,” he says . “ We will never forget you !” The band sends the Kiss Army ’ s Tokyo battalion into the streets following rowdy crowd participation and pyrotechnics during “ Rock and Roll All Nite .” The set includes the full concert of 21 tracks spread across three heavyweight vinyl platters , and introduces the first authorized Kiss live bootleg series . The sound is full-bodied and energetic . ( kissonline . com )
– Jeff Elbel
Destroyer Super Deluxe
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Off the Soundboard
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