Customer Reviews

Very Best of Kiss (Eco)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

This is the best KISS compilation. A perfect introduction for those who are curious and a good mix tape for the die-hards. It's better than Smashes, Thrashes and Hits and Greatest Kiss because it goes longer. All The way up to 1992. The versions on this CD are the original ones. Which means "Rock and Roll All Nite" is the live version from Alive. All but one of their Top 40 hits are here (1978's "Rocket Ride" from AliveII is missing). Also "New York Groove" is indeed the Ace Frehley hit from 1978. KISS fans may find something missing. A track from the 80's like "Heaven's On Fire" could be here, as could a 70's one like "Black Diamond". One caveat: their are NO liner notes here. Just Album info for each song. It would be nice if Mercury would put liner notes on one of these KISS collections. At over an hour, though, this is a great introduction to the KISS legend.

With 18 studio, three live, and four solo albums to choose from, coming up with the definitive "Very Best of KISS" is a sizeable chore . . . if it's to be done right. This 21-track collection almost pulls the trick. You've got the six definitive KISS classics (songs that have been included on three previous greatest-hits packages): "Deuce," "Strutter," "Detroit Rock City," "Beth," "Calling Dr. Love," and the dynamic live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite." The finest song from the four solo albums of 1978  Ace Frehley's "New York Groove"  is an appropriate addition, as is one of the best power ballads of the late-Eighties, "Forever."
Where the album falls short is in the absence of the very best (!) song released in the post-makeup era of the band: "Heaven's on Fire." An omission the band should be ashamed of. Also, instead of including some rather average tracks, like "I Want You" and "I Stole Your Love" from the band's glory years in the late Seventies, the album would be better served with another one or two tracks from the more recent KISS catalog. Why not "Domino" from 1992 or "Psycho Circus" from 1998?
This is a fun album, particularly for newcomers to the KISS Army. Its only limitation is in not providing a full audio spectrum of a rock band whose impact has now grown for more than a quarter century.

I'm sorry KISS fans, I can't take no more. Yes I am a KISS soldier in the KISS Army. In fact I have probably been promoted to Lieutenant General by now. But enough is enough already!

Can you believe the promotional sticker on this album says 'Featuring Rock n Roll all Nite as heard on That 70's Show'? Run that by me again? Is there no end to this? Hey I love that song as much as the next KISS fan, but how many times do you have to purchase that song? Let's see.....

1. Dressed to Kill
2. Alive!
3. Double Platinum
4. Killers
5. Smashes, Thrashes, and Hits
6. The Kiss Box Set
7. 20th Century Remasters
8. ALIVE III
9. ALIVE IV
10. The Very Best of KISS
11. KISS Greatest Hits

I'm sure I missed one or two, but I've made my point. If you're a KISS fan, why bother buying this? No doubt in your CD collection you probably have every one of these songs at least three times over.

How can ANY KISS collection omit "Cold Gin", their best song? Any collection that would leave that essential KISS song off is not nearly as comprehensive as it should be.

Also, I'd like to continue in my proud tradition of mocking John Q Public. Of course, it's obvious by how poorly written his reviews are that he's nearly illiterate. Add to that a penchance for reviewing things that he clearly has no experience with and, therefore, no business reviewing.

I'm not a big KISS fan but to say that their lyrics are illegible is as ludicrous as his 75 pages of reviews elsewhere.
The words to the average KISS song are very easy to make out. It's just one more 50 year old irrelevant cliche about rock music in general. Hmmm.... 50 year old irrelevant cliche. I'd be willing to bet that may apply to the reviewer himself as well.

Please, in the future only review items you're qualified for, namely comic books and Star Trek.

Kiss have more compliation albums than I have had hot dinners. This is just a rehash of other compliation albums. Nothing new here. Double Platinum is far better

Here's Kiss (aka Gene Simmons) following in Aerosmith's footsteps and running a close second in the "Greatest", "Ultimate", "Best Of", "Essential", "Classic Hits" sweepstakes. Didn't Kiss come out with a box set and an album called "Greatest Kiss" recently.
Not to mention "Double Platinum", "Smashes, Thrashes, & Hits" & "You Wanted The Best...".
You can not fault the music. The songs are imbedded in the hearts and souls of every kid who grew up with this band in the 70's. "Ace Frehley, lead guitar!" But the recycling of the music over and over is wearing thin. NO unreleased studio or live tracks, NO new music at all. "If it wasn't for the fans we would be nothing", Simmons always boasts. Well I am a Kiss fan, a Stones fan, an Aerosmith fan, a Skynyrd fan, a Tull fan, a Blue Oyster Cult fan, a Who fan etc...etc....and I ain't biting anymore. Excuse me while I go spin my vinyl copy of Alive I bought 30 years ago for under 5 bucks.

It's downright sad to see Stanley & Simmons keepin on milking the cash cow like this. Instead of offering the fans something exciting, the umpteenth compilation of studio material sees release. Since "greatest KISS" and the "box set" came out in recent years, all containing remastered studio material, there's simply no point in buying this. If you're a fan you already have all of these songs like, 10 times, if you're new to the band check out Alive I, II and III. This provides you with a much wider and more varied selection of the band's music throughout the years to begin with, and the live versions of the songs are nearly always the better and more energetic ones. If you prefer studio material, consider the box set, or the 1978 "Double Platinum" compilation combined with a few later albums like, depending on your taste in music, the heavier albums Creatures Of The Night ('82), Animalize ('84), Revenge ('92). If you like a more poppy sound, check out "Dynasty" ('79), "Unmasked" ('80) and "Crazy Nights" ('87) as well. Lastly, I also wholeheartedly recommend Ace Frehley's 1978 solo album. It's a trip. If you don't know KISS's music, go listen to some of this stuff, but just don't buy this "Very Best Of" -compilation.

First off, the cover of this album is awesome! It would make a great poster! Now for the music...

For those who have KISS's studio albums, this compilation is obviously not worth the money. It has only the standard tracks with nothing new or rare (how many live versions of "Rock N Roll All Night" does one need?).

For those who do not own a KISS album and want an introduction, this is a good CD; however, keep in mind that (1) it does not cover KISS's entire career and (2) it does not contain several KISS classics that are on almost every other compilation album.

Like most "Best of KISS" compilations, this record's track listing is taken mostly from KISS's pre-solo album years (it does have Ace Frehley's "New York Groove"). This CD, however, does seem to spread itself out more by taking tracks from all those albums instead of concentrating of KISS's debut album which sports a huge portion of KISS's live shows even through the final tour. This may be the reason that this CD includes tracks like "Got To Choose," "Hotter Than Hell," "I Want You," etc. yet does not include longtime KISS standards like "Firehouse," "Cold Gin," "Black Diamond" (all of which are from the first KISS album), and "God of Thunder" (off Destroyer from which three other songs are on this CD).

Understandably, this compilation completely skips over less familiar KISS works like Unmasked, Music From The Elder, and most of the non-makeup releases. I agree with another reviewer on this site that "Heaven's On Fire" (the most famous post-makeup--or, actually, inter-makeup track) is a glaring omission. Based on the cover artwork with the original members, these non-makeup omissions may have been intentional, but then including the last three tracks does not seem to make sense. Having said that, "Psycho Circus" is sorely missing from this CD.

There are certainly a bunch of greatest hits albums by KISS floating around out there, but this one is the BEST of the bunch.

Greatest hits albums aren't made with the die-hard fan in mind, so for those who don't have much or any KISS in their collection, this is a perfect starter CD.

For those of us who are long-time fans, we always feel like every greatest hits CD is missing something we think belongs on there. But when you look over this 21-song set, it's hard to think that there's anything on here that doesn't belong. On top of that, the album flows really well due to the chronological song ordering.

While The Very Best of KISS contains the essential hits like "Detroit Rock City", "Beth", "Shout It Out Loud", "Rock and Roll All Nite" and "I Was Made For Lovin' You", it also manages to cover a the entire career of the band better than other existing compilations. Songs like "I Love It Loud", "New York Groove", "I Stole Your Love" and "God Gave Rock and Roll" are true KISS staples that are often lacking on their other hits CDs.

If a KISS newbie is willing to spend up to $40, you could truly get the very best of KISS by picking up 3 CDs: "KISS Gold", "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss, Vol. 2", and "Revenge". These 3 CDs contain every essential KISS song from 1974 thru 1992 -- including everything found on here.

But for this low price and great song selection, it's really hard to go wrong with The Very Best of KISS.

That's right, a minimum of stars until the band or the record company (whichever one is truly responsible) stops releasing completely redundant compilations.

Yes, the track listing is representitive of the band's career. Yes, there are younger fans who don't know what to buy.
Yes, Gene's house needs an additional wing for all the memorabilia.

No, most of us were not born yesterday.

Check out "Double Platinum", "Smashes, Thrashes And Hits", "Greatest KISS", "The Originals"... need I say more?