Tracks
Disk #1
Also by KISS
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Most people remember Kiss as a novelty act from the mid-to-late '70s. They remember the tacky merchandise, the Kabuki-meets-New York Dolls makeup, the over-the-top stage show replete with the fire-breathing and blood-spitting antics of bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons. What gets lost in the shuffle, unfortunately, is Kiss's music. In their early years, Kiss's album sales were poor compared to tickets for their live shows, as the band was one of the biggest concert draws of the '70s. On top of this dilemma, Casablanca Records was going bankrupt. Banking on Kiss's first live album as a last-ditch effort for a hit, 'Alive!' payed off in a big way and is frequently ranked as one of the best live albums of all time. Becoming the band's first top ten album, it quickly went gold and platinum soon after that, officially making Kiss superstars.
Listening to 'Alive!', it becomes clear why it became such a sales-juggernaut: the band sounds infinitely more powerful in the live setting than in the studio. Compare the live versions of "Hotter Than Hell", "C'mon and Love Me", "Parasite", "Black Diamond", or really any song here to their studio counterparts, and they all benefit greatly from their more muscular on-stage sound. The band's first top 20 hit, the live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" became the band's signature tune, augmented with an excellent guitar solo from Ace Frehley not present on the studio version. The only flaws on the album are Peter Criss's extended drum solo during "100,000 Years" and Paul Stanley's at-times cheesy banter.
There's been a lot of speculation about the "live" merits of 'Alive!' over the years. There have been conflicting stories concerning studio over-dubbing (even between the band memebers) with some going as far to say that some entire instrument tracks were re-recorded! Whether or not this is true, if you've ever seen Kiss live, you can honestly say that this album is an accurate representation of what the band is like in concert.
Many will contest that Kiss is all about the image without any real musical substance. One listen to 'Alive!', however, will silence most any naysayer. If you're one such non-believer, give the album a chance. Either way, if you're a fan of '70s hard rock and heavy metal, 'Alive!' is an essential purchase. Live albums don't get any better than this.
Listening to 'Alive!', it becomes clear why it became such a sales-juggernaut: the band sounds infinitely more powerful in the live setting than in the studio. Compare the live versions of "Hotter Than Hell", "C'mon and Love Me", "Parasite", "Black Diamond", or really any song here to their studio counterparts, and they all benefit greatly from their more muscular on-stage sound. The band's first top 20 hit, the live version of "Rock and Roll All Nite" became the band's signature tune, augmented with an excellent guitar solo from Ace Frehley not present on the studio version. The only flaws on the album are Peter Criss's extended drum solo during "100,000 Years" and Paul Stanley's at-times cheesy banter.
There's been a lot of speculation about the "live" merits of 'Alive!' over the years. There have been conflicting stories concerning studio over-dubbing (even between the band memebers) with some going as far to say that some entire instrument tracks were re-recorded! Whether or not this is true, if you've ever seen Kiss live, you can honestly say that this album is an accurate representation of what the band is like in concert.
Many will contest that Kiss is all about the image without any real musical substance. One listen to 'Alive!', however, will silence most any naysayer. If you're one such non-believer, give the album a chance. Either way, if you're a fan of '70s hard rock and heavy metal, 'Alive!' is an essential purchase. Live albums don't get any better than this.