Customer Reviews

Unplugged

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I guess it was inevitable; KISS (like seemingly every other group who has ever recorded an album) HAD to do an Unplugged special on MTV. Most of the Unplugged shows are run-of-the-mill at best, but KISS really did something special. Not only did they bring back Ace Frehley and Peter Criss as a surprise to play on stage (which they hadn't done together since 1980), put KISS played some obscure songs from the "vaults", some of which they had never even played live. This is what made Nirvana's outing so good! To me, this is what should happen on these Unplugged specials; have a few surprises and play some of the rare stuff or rework the hits--don't just play the same song the same bloody way (did you hear that Mariah Carey)! KISS' musicianship really shines here. The intimate, acoustic setting allows the instrumentation and vocals to take center stage, rather than the theatrics. KISS is a tight band, especially the rhythm section of Eric and Gene. Bruce and Ace (and even Paul) tear up the acoustic guitars, especially on 2,000 Man, Rock Bottom, Domino and Plaster Caster. Paul still has the pipes as he shows us on I Still Love You. Gene's rasp has gotten worse over the last few years but it is giving his voice a distinctive sound; sure, he can't hit the high notes anymore but Domino has a real sleaziness to it due to Gene's voice. Yet at the same time, Gene can still make those quieter songs like A World Without Heroes and See You Tonight sound great. And this version of Goin' Blind damn near beats the original! I've always felt that Gene could succeed as a singer rather than the growling demon who rips out songs like Calling Dr. Love and the like. It was nice to see such rarities as Comin' Home, See You Tonight, and Rock Bottom come out here. To be honest, I'd never even really noticed Comin' Home from Hotter Than Hell but after returning to it, I was awakened to its possibilities. See You Tonight has always been one of my favorite Gene songs, and Roc! k Bottom has all the energy of the original. I really like these versions of Goin' Blind, I Still Love You, 2,000 Man, and Nothin' To Lose. In fact, Nothin' To Lose is probably my favorite cut on the album. Having the "old" KISS and the "new" KISS play together was a great idea and Peter's singing again adds something extra to the song. Every Time I Look At You, though good to begin with, is accentuated even more with the string section. I can't say too many bad things about KISS: MTV Unplugged. I really enjoyed it as it offers some fresh takes on old songs and some that are not available except on the original albums. It would have been nice to have Ace and Peter play throughout the set rather than just the last 4 songs, but I guess having them there at all was cool enough, despite all the crap that went down since they split. I have to wonder though if Bruce and Eric knew that their days were numbered at this point. It was a classy touch to keep them on stage when Ace and Peter came out but even they had to know what the fans wanted. What a feeling though playing with the original KISS! If you ever get the chance to see the home video version of KISS: MTV Unplugged, watch it because you can't believe how happy Peter Criss looks on stage; it's as if he had a smile tattooed on his face! I guess failing as a solo artist and virtually disappearing from the music scene for 15 years may have had something to do with it. The chemistry is there between Ace, Gene, Paul, and Peter for the first time in a long time and it really shows. After 15 years, the band finally gave the fans what they wanted: a KISS reunion show. But greater things were still to come...

Looking at this album today and comparing it to all the Kiss related releases since this one, one comes to the conclusion that this is the best record from the reunion so far (Even if the original band only plays in two tracks). Even as Kiss cover some very old and obscure tracks from their early days (Plaster Caster, Going Blind, etc.) they are done in a very refreshing way. Specially, the playing from all band members is outstanding as the unplugged setting makes you more aware of their playing capabilities, specially those of Eric Singer (Drums) and Bruce Kulick (Lead Guitar). As for the original band reunion what really makes this record worth buying is that you can hear the band HAVE FUN! . Which is something that was lacking on the original lineup last recordings. Also, one should check out the video version of this concert just to see the amazing attendance reaction to the music... If you want to get a taste of what Kiss live is on their best "You got Nothing to Loose" with this one.

In the early 1990's MTV did for television what the King Biscuit Flower Hour did for radio many years prior. The formula was simple-- feature an hour's performance by a popular band, unplugged and follow it up with a release of the same material a short while later. Like the Flower Hour before it, the unplugged series was a huge hit. In 1996, Kiss took the stage and blew everyone away. Armed with Ovation and Ibanez acoustic/electrics, they surpassed everyone's expectation and produced tones equivalent to their standard electric fare. This is a really good performance that should not be missed.

This is the CD to have! My all time favorite. I have every album KISS ever produced, and am now in the middle of replacing every one with CD's. This is a "have to have" for any fan of music period. KISS shows off their true musical talents, every member past and present. Gene and Paul are in their PRIME! Both physically and in the appearance :) Eric and Bruce simply rock with Paul and Gene. Eric Singer is very crisp with his drumming. So is Bruce with his Solo's. But when Peter and Ace take the stage, the fans go NUTS! This is a HUGE moment in KISStory! I am a KISS fan of 27 yrs and KISS unplugged is the best CD to date!

This cd was surprisingly good! Decent song selection and sounds like it was a good show. And this was right before they bombarded the market with BS product. I personally enjoy this cd and think most people would. Especially if your a die-hard KISS fan in need of a new twist on some old songs.. The whole thing has a good-strong vibe to it.

There are a lot of rock bands out there and eager to prove how good their crafts are when it comes to musical acrobatics with the aid of technology-aided gadgets. During the heavy metal hair band days, a not-so-great musician can make their music a work of art if you watch them play on their music videos. Fast hands and hell-raising voices and exhibitions. But their musical skills were not tested until they play music using raw instruments and come up with very crisp and raw sounds. Thanks to MTV's creative concept - MTV Unplugged which gave real musicians prove to their fans how good they are. Kiss' Unplugged album have just proven their great skills. Only few people out there have the guts to go hard-rockin' using acoustic instruments. And to name a few, Billy Idol, Bryan Adams, Tesla, Eric Clapton & Sting. Am looking forward for Van Halen, Aerosmith, Poison, Warrant, Deep Purple, Journey & Pink Floyd to go UNPLUGGED!!! I dare you guys 'coz there are millions of fans out there to get your acoustic album if you will think of having one. TO KISS, YOU GUYS ARE A FAB!!!

During the 1990's, it seemed every band was releasing an MTV Unplugged album. So Kiss, savvy businessmen that they were, decided to release their version with a unique twist. Kiss Unplugged included the reunion of the original lineup of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss. This album would lead to the cash cow that became the return of the original Kiss in full makeup that were worldwide superstars from 1974-1979.

However, what this album should be best known is for the recorded proof of Simmons and Stanley's underrated songwriting abilities and the strong musicianship of the 1995 or "new" version of Kiss that included guitarist Bruce Kulick and drummer Eric Singer. Like Eric Clapton and Neil Young's albums from the MTV Unplugged series, Kiss' version is largely comprised of lesser known album tracks or "deep cuts", several of which the band hadn't performed in many years. The excellent tracks "Comin' Home" and "Goin' Blind" are salvaged from the great but muddy sounding Hotter Than Hell album and show how innovative Simmons' playing was in the early years. "See You Tonight" from Simmons' solo album is a true surprise and blows the original away. Stanley's voice is in fine form throughout, especially on the ballads "I Still Love You" and "Every Time I Look At You." Eric Singer's drumming is very strong here, throwing in quick fills on many of the tracks but never overplaying. Bruce Kulick's playing on the album is also great, particularly on the hard rocker "Domino", the somber "A World Without Heroes", and the aforementioned "Goin' Blind." Other great tracks include "Sure Know Something", which features Simmons' coolest bass line ever, and the seldom heard but great tracks "Rock Bottom", complete with Stanley's acoustic intro, and "Plaster Caster." Also worth noting is that the bravado that Simmons and Stanley regularly exhibit performing live is surprisingly absent here. As Stanley states early on; "Tonight, we're going to let the music do most of the talking."

But when Frehley and Criss come out, to an excellent ovation I might add, the album loses steam. Ace Frehley does a passable vocal on his cover of the Rolling Stones' "2000 Man" but the acoustic version of "Beth" just doesn't work in this setting. Then we get the whole band out for "Nothin' To Lose" and of the course, the obligatory and overplayed "Rock And Roll All Nite." You get the sense that if this were just the "new" Kiss, this would have been great from beginning to end and there would be even more deep cuts here. Of course, Frehley and Criss would be back in the fold after this and once again wear out their welcome. Still, this is a very good album and could win over skeptical music fans who think that Kiss are just performers.

After all the years, who'd have thought that KISS would become a nostalgia act? On "MTV Unplugged," KISS not only tugs the heart strings, but proves they had the chops as a band all along. They have two of the expected songs here ("Beth" and "RnR All Night") but for the most part they re-tool some of the more obscure numbers. I have always considered "A World Without Heroes" to be Gene's best song, and on "Unplugged," it's a stand out.

There's also genuine joy in the air. "Coming Home" opens things here, making this "Hotter Than Hell" track take on a whole new definition. Stanley is very at home in this setting, and his voice is a much better instrument than many people have given him credit for. Listen to his emoting on "I Still Want You," which becomes a ballad with power instead of a mere power ballad!

Even by the end of the show, when they bring out the "members of the family," the level of excitement is as high as a bunch of grown men revisiting their glory days can get. Ace is obviously thrilled to get another stab at "2000 Man," and Peter just wails on "Nothing To Lose." It's enough to make you forgive them the way too obvious closing of "Rock And Roll All Night." But as far as KISS' live albums go, this is the one I'd choose to listen to after the first "Alive!" It's really that good.

Songwriting is not something people frequently mention when talking about KISS. Image first, then the tongue and, maybe, if you're lucky, they'll mention a tune or two. But, really, KISS is a pretty solid rock and roll band and a show like 'Unplugged' does them a great service by letting them show that they CAN in fact strip down to just four musicians and their songs still hold up.

This is a great concert. From the opener 'Coming Home' to the eventual reunion of the original four, KISS rolls through their musical library, playing a lot of better but less known tracks. 'Sure Know Something' is a great song, one of the band's best and it works just as well here as it ever did (although watching the video it's easy to note Paul was reading the circular lyrics off a sheet.) KISS smartly avoided songs like 'Lick It Up' that wouldn't work in this environment and instead emphasized a handful of solid, entertaining tunes that rely on melody instead of arena bombast.

And, oh yeah, this is still the show where Ace and Peter joined Gene and Paul onstage together for the first time in forever and set the stage for the reunion of a lifetime. That this CD was able to capture THAT moment almost makes it worth the price right there.

A live record that truly shows off what the band is capable of as a band as much as a larger than life experience, 'Unplugged' is as important an album as 'Alive.'

kulick and singer played great that night but only ace and peter made it history , more correctly kisstroy nothing else could be expected from kiss live , reallllly exellent solos by bruce ace and paul (a world without heroes) , peter is still the crazy drummer that he was then = something you got to have