IKONS [4 CD Set] [Box set]

Kiss | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Mercury
• ASIN: B001G5IJVK
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,817 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

FOUR IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE PERSONAS.FOUR SUPERMEN, WHO COMPRISE ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS AND FLAMBOYANT BANDS ON THE PLANET. KISS: IKONS IS A 4-CD, 56-TRACK COLLECTOR'S PACKAGE CELEBRATING 35 YEARS OF THE FOUR MOST IKONIC FIGURES IN ROCK 'N' ROLL.

Each disc highlights an "ikonic" character, spotlighting each founding member and their musical contributions to KISS by way of the songs they sang for this legendary band.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellant compilation!, November 7, 2008

By 

Mark Cruickshank "mark32570" (MI, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IKONS [4 CD Set] (Audio CD)

First, I want to say that I am beside myself at how many clueless people think that Gene and Paul have anything to do with any of these hits packages (like the people below who gave 1 and 2 star ratings). PAUL AND GENE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS SET. THIER OLD LABEL OWNS THE RIGHTS TO THIER MUSIC. THEY CAN RELEASE WHATEVER THEY WANT, EVEN WITHOUT PAUL AND GENE'S CONSENT.
Now then, with that out of the way, I will admit that there are to many hits sets out for kiss, but this, now is easily the best. You get a full 15 song disc to represent each member, and at a reasonable price for a 4 disc set. Paul and Gene's discs are very thorough, but you get extra songs not usually on a hits set, such as Almost Human, Larger Than Life, Plaster Caster, Charisma, Take Me, All American Man, and Mr. Speed (Pauls most underrated song).
But you also get 2 solid discs of Ace and Peter material. And no, they are not mostly from the solo albums. Only 5 or 15 are from Ace's solo album, so you get some great Kiss material like Rocket Ride, 2 Sides Of The Coin, Save Your Love, Hard Times and Dark Light. And only 4 of 15 are from Peter's. So you get some decent Peter led Kiss tunes such as Baby Driver, Hooligan, Mainline, Strange Ways (written by Ace) and Getaway.
All that, along with thier usual songs that do appear on other hits albums, such as Shock Me, Talk To Me, Beth, Hard Luck Woman, and so on.
For someone who is interested in Kiss, but doesn't want to buy the whole catalog, this is the perfect set. You can't beat it.
Pual was interviewed by WRIF radio in Detroit last week, and he mentioned that Him and Gene had nothing to do with this set, but that he thought it was cool. So there you have it.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Anothe attempt by the Record Co. to get our $$, October 21, 2008

By 

Ryan Fisher "KISS Fan" (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IKONS [4 CD Set] (Audio CD)

Kiss' Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have stated many times that we can all expect to see more and more of these "Greatest Hits" packages. It's the Record company's right to try and recoup as much $ from the deal they signed. Seeing as Kiss hasn't recorded any new material since 1998 and has no plans to anytime soon, or ever, this probably won't be the last.

This set falls right in line with all the recent packages that have surfaced over the last 3-5 years, but goes a little above and beyond the others that have preceeded it. Nothing new here for the diehards who already have the entire catalog (some of us multiple times in more then one format!!).

I will give this set 3 stars for it's unique tracklist and set up. 4 discs total, 1 for each band member. I'm sure there's some sort of booklet included too.

Ace's disc is as complete as you can get. Shock Me - Into the Void are all included. Only tracks left out were the remaining ones from his '78 solo LP. They even included "Dark Light". I have yet to see any compilation of theirs include a track from "The Elder".

Gene's disc is cool in that It has "Almost Human", "Charisma" and "Larger Than Life". Haven't seen those on a comp yet either.

Paul's disc contains "All American Man" as the never seen in a compilation before. Would have been cool to include "The Oath" or one of the 4 tracks from "Killers".

Peter's disc, like Aces is very complete with pretty much every song he contributed to the catalog, save the rest of the '78 solo LP. I've just never been a real fan of his song writing. One complete listen to that '78 solo LP compaired with the rest, and you'll know what I mean.

None of the above reasons will make me run out and buy this set, but as compilations go, this isn't too bad.

For the casual fan who'd like a better than adverage retrospect of Kiss' career, then this is the one to go for. Amazon's price is more then fair, plus the free shipping doesn't hurt.

They're still my favorite band. Just wish we could get a big box of unreleased gems from their Vault. Maybe one day.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KISS SOLOS 2K: 30 Years Later, October 27, 2008

By 

Christopher Breckman "kissfox" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: IKONS [4 CD Set] (Audio CD)

As you can tell by the title of my review, this <kompilation!!> is equivalent to the KISS Solo albums, Greatest Hits-styled, for each of the original KISS members. I, too, abhor all the dozens of versions of "Greatest Hits...", but really couldn't resist buying this one. It is the ONLY "hits" package I have bought since "YOU WANTED THE BEST..." during the band's reunion formation, not counting the NEW RECORDING BEST from Japan. (That is an incredible disc, by the way!)

I really have no major complaints about the track listing since I have all of the original vinyls and CDs, and can burn an "extended" version of these discs as I choose. My only change to this would have been to ixnay "Christine Sixteen." I HATE THAT SONG, and THEY INSIST ON CRAMMING IT DOWN OUR THROATS. (In this day and age, it reeks of illegal relations between adult and minor.....gross and immoral, but that's another story). Not only do they choose to keep this song around, they keep mis-crediting it to ROCK AND ROLL OVER (Paul credits it to ROCK AND ROLL OVER in just about every live recording I've heard), and Gene notoriously starts the song half-way through...and THAT'S when he even gets the lyrics RIGHT! Gene? Mr. KISS-Perfectionist/Ace and Peter were losers who couldn't keep up? Christine needs to be comitted to an asylum and forgotten about. (Now she'll probably get credited to ASYLUM on that note.)

As for adding songs, I AGREE WHOLE-HEARTEDLY with the many reviews about "Torpedo Girl" needing to be on here. I'm one of those fans who has a sentimental bond to the UNMASKED album simply because that was a fun album to swim to in 1980. That album was released in June 1980, and we finally got to break in a new swimming pool; how cool it was to "go out and take a swim today."

Another song I would have added: SHANDI. Why do they treat her like some whore at a family reunion and ignore her? I wish "Shandi" would tie "Christine" up and lock her in a closet.

This collection of songs, in my opinion, goes to show how much talent Ace had with the band (as he still does) and I find his disc the one that I have already listened to about 4 times all the way through. Ace and Paul maintained the KISS sound and attitude. These discs can't help but scream that out. To that end, only Ace had songs from UNMASKED represented here. I guess we will have to salivate over the Australian pressing in order to get "Shandi." No wait! We can burn our home-made versions for FREE with it.

I like Peter's disc a lot and am glad to see "I Can't Stop The Rain" on here. I was in New York last week and all I could say was "this is New York! Yo~!" and flying back home to Texas at night, there was lightning in the sky as I played this track over and over. It truly cemented a great trip with a great conclusion: complete with real lightning across the sky. The piano in "I Can't..." is very haunting. I think I finally realized that when listening to it this time around. We can thank Sean Delany for that great gem of a song. (I personally could do without the g-d word in it; I don't like that word let alone in a great song).

Gene's disc starts off ironically enough with "God Of Thunder," and for an opening to a disc...with the kids screaming, it's pretty cool.

It does come with a 24 page booklet with some rarely if never before seen photos, and is done up first class, as in all things KISS.

In conclusion, I just hope to show that this box set is really a "KISS SOLOS 2K: 30 Years Later." When you view the discs as "Greatest Hits" by the "IKONS", then it becomes much more enjoyable and understood. If you take the solo albums and swap the names of the members with "SPACEMAN," "CATMAN," "DEMON," and "STARCHILD," then you can much more easily see my analogy. While on topic of the solos, it wouldn't be quite the KISS product without the infamous solo album covers being represented: when you open the gatefold, each disc is placed in a pocket that has the corresponding members' solo cover. (I love the solo covers, but they are way over-used now.)

All in all, to those that wish to buy this collection, remember this: it is a second chance to buy KISS SOLO albums, 30 years later (1978-2008), and when you load the discs and let them go, it really does take you back in time to a good place: rock and roll-slash-fantasy-slash-fun.

This is a great collection to have. If you get ANNNNNNNNY of the G.H. packages, burn your money on this. It is a COLLECTORS' package, not a romper room novelty.

I've been a KISS fan non-stop for 31 years. This collection should have been released a long time ago, in this format.

Enjoy! Randy <kissfox>