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69 of 87 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You Wanted the Best...You Got the Best, December 16, 2005
Great performances. Great sound. Great picture. Excellent song choices. Cool extras. Thoroughly entertaining all the way through.
In the 70s Kiss was it. It was cool to be into Kiss. In the 80s, it was the exact opposite. By the late 80s and early 90s the makeup was off and Kiss was a (no pun intended) washed up "bunch of posers."
This DVD dispells the myth that Kiss were ever posers. They indeed were always great musicians and they were the inspiration for many metal bands rocking your world today (did you know while backsatge at a 70s Kiss show that Eddie Van Halen's signature guitar tapping was inspired while seeing Ace Frehley do it?). And they so happen to put on one of the most theatrical shows in rock and roll history.
And that history is captured on this 2-disk DVD. Each disk has some great bonus material...some mixed into the play lists on both disks and some available right on the disk 2 main menu. But the real treat is the front row seat to a great performance from Washington, DC in 2004.
I am sure that most are aware of the "doctoring" that the Kiss Alive album is now infamous for. With this DVD, it's clear that the guys also wanted to dispell the myth that their live performances needed doctoring. You are clearly getting undoctored versions of all the songs, no lip syncing, actual performances. And before the boys hit the stage they must have all agreed to be true to the studio versions of the songs, because they all sound great! You get:
Disc one:
"Love Gun"
"Deuce"
"Makin' Love"
"Lick It Up"
"Christine Sixteen"
"She"
"Tears Are Falling"
"Got To Choose"
"I Love It Loud"
"Love Her All I Can"
"I Want You"
"Parasite"
Disc two:
"War Machine"
"100,000 Years"
"Unholy"
"Shout It Out Loud"
"I Was Made For Lovin' You"
"Detroit Rock City"
"God Gave Rock & Roll to You II"
"Rock and Roll All Nite"
On about 7 of the tracks you have the option of watching your favorite performer throughout the song. And for the preservationists that might suggest that it's not really Kiss without Ace and Peter Criss...please...think again. Tommy Thayer (guitar) and Eric Singer (drums) are...I hate to say it...even better musicians than their original counterparts. And with the makeup you forget that your not watching the originals about 6 seconds into the first clip on the DVD.
Bottom line: Are you or were you ever a Kiss fan? Don't pass on this. Hit the Add to Cart button. Don't think twice.
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25 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "new Kiss" skeptic converted, December 28, 2005
I have just seen the "Kiss: Rock the Nation" DVD, and all I can say is, "Wow." Great performance; good 5.1 sound mix, great-looking filming and HD transfer, and good bonus features (although why they couldn't fit what is essentially a two-hour show onto one DVD is beyond me). But still, overall impressive. I must admit I was skeptical of the "Rock the Nation" tour for a number of reasons. Mainly, one: I had seen Kiss on the previous "Psycho-Circus" tour and was disappointed (especially after seeing the great reunion tour just a few years earlier), and two: I thought, "If Ace and Peter can't sound any better than that, what makes anyone think that a couple of scrubs could do any better?" So, I sat that tour out, saved my money, and stayed at home. When I heard reports of an "incredible" show, I thought to myself, "What a bunch of deluded fanboys. These must be those same people who go to all of those conventions and defend 'The Elder' as high art. These people are worse than deadheads."
But then, Aerosmith came to town with Kiss opening, and the opportunity to see my two favorite rock bands from the '70's touring together was too good to pass up. I have to say, I was impressed. Peter Criss was back behind the drum kit, but what surprised me the most was that I didn't miss Ace. I mean, when I saw close-ups of Tommy Thayer on the monitor screens, I could obviously tell it wasn't Ace, but that didn't bug me. It was a really good show. Still for the time between the show and the release of this DVD, I doubted my memories of the concert. Was it really that good, or was I just so pumped-up over the experience of seeing Kiss and Aerosmith together that I was overrating it? Now that I have this DVD, I know I was right. Not only that, but now I don't miss Peter, either. I have been a Kiss fan for 30 years, but I agree with the reviewer who compared a Kiss live show to a theater production, a la London or Broadway. The cast may change, but that just keeps the show fresh, if anything.
One additional comment, though; and this really bugs me: Stop treating Amazon.com as a forum / blog thread. This is a product review site. If you haven't seen the product, don't post. If you want to rant about the "new, fake Kiss," go to a genuine metal news / blog site like blabbermouth.com. Those guys would love you. They have turned Kiss-bashing into an art-form / pastime. But when you post a one-star review of a DVD you haven't seen because you disagree with it on general principal, it brings the overall rating of the DVD down artificially, which could turn-off potential Amazon customers / Kiss fans like myself, who might genuinely like the DVD on its own merits. (And I think it's interesting to note that the reviews posted by the people who have actually seen the DVD are overwhelmingly positive). As for me, this is going up on my shelf, right next to my "import" copy of Kiss - Love Gun: Houston, 1977.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
finally... the one we've waited for!, December 16, 2005
Just watched the DVD last night. What a great production!!! The set list was awesome, though everybody will "wish they played...". Kiss could play for 5 hours and not cover everything we all want, but to hear 'Love Her All I Can' one of my faves, 'Parasite', 'Got To Choose', and an incredible remake of 'She' from Alive. Tommy Thayer made a lot of lifetime fans after that one! It was sad to see the lame front row crowd sitting down during the tunes that don't appear on every greatest hits record. If you're going to sit in the front few rows, you'd better know all the songs. Those seats should be reserved for true fans, not the 10th caller to the radio station. Kiss powervision allows the viewer to watch any of the 4 band members during 7 of the songs, this is cool if you want to just check out one or all at any point of the selected tune. This DVD has been in the works for 6 years. I can honestly say it was worth every day of that wait. Check out the sound check segment, you'll hear 'All the Way', 'The Oath', 'Two Timer', and 'Comin Home'.
The only flaw in this DVD is the 6 interruptions between songs. They stuck in some awesome behind the scenes stuff, but during the show? Those little 3 minute pieces were great, but they belonged after the concert in a bonus section. Oh, and Gene... please listen to 'I Love It Loud' on the plane to get the verses right! We love you man, I'd hate to see an OZZY teleprompter in front of you!!!
All in all, this is the DVD true KISS fans have waited for. Fabulous sound, production, and video quality. No orchestra in the background. Just sraight ahead rock, as only KISS knows how to !. Buy it...buy it...buy it...buy it.
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