KISSology [BOX SET] [IMPORT]

Kiss

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 23, 2008)
• Original Release Date: August 22, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Box set, Import
• 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: Sony Bmg Europe
• ASIN: B001C18K2Q
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,970 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Japanese only pressing of this 2008 collection of rerecorded classics by the Rock icons. Since debuting in '74, Kiss have been mesmerizing rock kids all round the world with their ultra-entertaining Rock 'N' Roll shows. On this collection, hear them breathe new life into old cuts like 'Detroit Rock City', 'Rock And Roll All Nite', 'I Was Made For Lovin' You' and many more. 15 tracks. Sony. 2008.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Re-recorded Kiss Classics, November 8, 2008

By	James Choma - See all my reviews

Over the last 20 or so years Kiss (Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley, for all intents and purposes) have been content to relegate themselves as imitators rather than the innovators they started out as. Taking note of Journey's success with Generations, they attempted to do the same here on KISSology with 15 of their popular tracks. Journey did it with some success because their new singer, Arnel Pineda, gave many of the "standard" songs new life. He could also hit the high notes. I'll always be biased with Steve Perry's versions, but the re-recorded versions with Pineda (arguably) worked. To me, it was interesting hearing how some of these versions were updated over the years and interpreted by a new vocalist.

With KISSology, we still have the Gene and Paul, but we find more often than not that they're not able to hit the high notes as they once did. And boy do their voices sound strained. Paul's inability to hit the notes like he once did are most apparent on "Forever," "I Was made for Lovin' You," and "Lick it Up." It was cringe-worthy for me to listen to these, as I love the originals.

Gene actually sounds better than Paul. "Deuce is pretty good, as is "I Love it Loud," but hearing "Christine Sixteen" sung by a 60-year old sounds more creepy than cool thirty years after the fact.

Eric Singer, who did do a stint with Kiss through the 90's, does a fairly good job with "Black Diamond." He's an excellent drummer, and he's done a great job filling in for Peter Criss during his stint with Kiss in the 2000's, but he's really not contributing here; rather, he's just... filling in.

The same goes for Tommy Thayer. Tommy's a great guitarist, and he plays Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, and Bruce Kulick's parts note-for-note, but that's it. In his previous band, Black n' Blue, he was a major contributor; in this version of Kiss, he's just a sideman going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. There are no lead vocal contributions from Tommy on KISSology. I have heard him sing Ace's "Shock Me" in concert, but it's inclusion here would have been a really, really bad idea.

I agree with the many of the other reviewers: Why? I suspect one of the comments I saw might have hit the nail on the head. By re-recording these old chestnuts, Stanley and Simmons no longer have to share the residuals to these songs with Frehley, Criss, and Vincent in the event the songs are used for commercial purposes. Ozzy did this when he re-recorded the bass and drum parts for "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman" to spite Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake and cut them out of residual profits. And that went over with fans like a led balloon.

So in summary, what you get with KISSology is a collection of re-recorded, almost note-for-note, Kiss songs with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and the stand in members: Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, playing the parts of Peter and Ace. If this is what you're after, than KISSology is for you. If you're looking for a comprehensive greatest hits collection from Kiss, this is probably not what you want.

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars "Why ?", October 3, 2008

By	C. Bagarozza "Acefreakley" (Hicksville, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What is the purpose in re-recording KISS Klassics for? That is like me giving someone a $20 bill in exchange for a $1 bill. If it isn't broke, then do not fix it. The fans that have been there since the beginning should stand together and boycott everything KISS except the original 4 and Eric Carr. Gene and Paul, take the make up off and do another "Revenge" album. Be true to yourself and the fans. You are misleading the newer KISS fans in having them believe they are seeing the real KISS on stage. C'mon boys, there was nothing wrong with non-make up KISS music. It was respectable.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Give us new music - even if it's bad!, December 24, 2008

By	J. Wagner "Kissologist" (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There's so very little wrong with the original versions of these songs. The re-recordings are nice and clean, but is that good? I'll take the dirty, rough recording of "Hotter Than Hell" any day. Some songs are plodding, even workmanlike. They don't have the energy of the originals. And with all the compilations that have flooded the market, wouldn't re-recordings of lesser-known songs been much more interesting? ("All American Man"..."Danger"...Sweet Pain"...why not?)

At least it's a step toward getting the Paul/Gene/Eric/Tommy lineup into the studio. But unless it's new music, what's the point of Kiss even continuing? Paul's still a great songwriter, Tommy certainly has contributions to make...too bad Gene seems as distant from the real essence of Kiss as he was in the mid '80s. Bottom line demand from a Loooooongtime Fan: Give us new music, or shut it down before the legacy suffers even further. Please.