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Another greatest hits package...why????

Eric James Cooper | Highlands Ranch, CO USA | 11/20/2001

(2 out of 5 stars)

"If you do not own a single KISS album - this is a great starter kit for you. You get a fair sampling of the entire history of this great band. All of the different stages are represented here. So, if you have been thinking about giving KISS a try - go for it!For the die-hard KISS fans, this is a true dissapointment. Why do this to the fans? Simply put - if you are that big of a fan you already have all of these songs!! Is it really worth (money) to hear some demos? The live stuff isn't new either. There are simply a few scattered songs that may peak your interest but to drop a lot of money on this would be a waste if you have the albums already. KISS always brags that they have miles of archived material (live shows - demos from Ace and Peter). Well, why aren't they here? Why wasn't Alive 4 part of this set? You have to give the fans a real hook to entice them to buy a box set. So, a new book in here with new photos? Pics are great - but wasn't that what people were buying Kisstory 1 and 2 for? You could easily burn these tracks yourself from the albums you already own to make your own box set. We want new/unreleased material!Where is the video footage that should be accompanying this set? KISS is a live band and they are meant to be seen as well as heard. This is sorely missing from the box set."

Ever wonder why KISS never release anything new?

Hahmels | Hong Kong | 11/09/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Well, the answer is simple: Because they get along pretty well selling their back catalogue over and over again. In my oppinion this Box may be interesting for only two groups of people. The die-hard fans that after 30 years still buy anything that bears the name KISS on it and the presumably rather small group of fans that still don't own anything of KISS.



Although for the second group it'd still be better to invest in some of the original albums or maybe the "KISS Gold" Box which features two CDs spanning the 70s era and a DVD re-release of the 1987 "Exposed" Video. This way they'd at least be paying less.



After all it's rather sad to see how this band that still claims to be the "hottest band in the world" has become so lame that in the last FIFTEEN YEARS they have released only two and a half albums with entirely new material: "Revenge", "Psycho Circus" and the unfinished semi-official "Carnival of Souls".



That being said one can only hope that Simmons and Stanley decide to enter a studio with their current employees Thayer and Singer to finally record a fresh studio album instead of releasing one puffed-up Greatest Hits hype after the other. (How many "different" Greatest Hits Compilations are available actually? Seven? Eight? Nine? Think for yourself!)



The classic songs still rock, that's for sure - but there's no need to buy them ONCE MORE. The additional stuff, demos, the booklet etc surely aren't worth the money. It's sometimes helpful to keep in mind that in most of the cases there's a reason why something remained unreleased in the first place..



Therefore - For all the boredom: One star."

The 5 stars are for the mind blowing first two discs!

Marc Lahn | Southern New Jersey, USA | 11/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here we go KISS fans (and I'm referring to the ONLY Kiss, 1973-1979)... I want to tell you to buy this box immediately! Discs 1 & 2 will blow you away! A friend of mine was allowed to purchase an advance copy and we listened to it this past Sunday.I've been a KISS fan since March of 1975(age 9) and I've got to tell you that the excitement level from the material on discs one and two, had me feeling like I was 9 again; that sweet, life changing moment, when I first saw the "Dressed To Kill" album cover; filled with thrilling adrenalin, I was (and to have this kind of *feeling* in the age of "the KISS Kasket" ...well, ain't easy!) As we listened to the BELL SOUND STUDIO demos(thank you endlessly, KEN SHARP), this excitement and adrenalin couldn't have been at a higher level! The "FIREHOUSE" and "100,000 YEARS" demos were especially JAW DROPPING for us KISS originals. They are much different than the studio versions that we're used to. They have expended sections: some similar to the "ALIVE!" versions, some totally NEW! Also, the playing is outstanding for demos(Kiss sounds like a cohesive machine here.) Alot of times, you get superfluous demos on box sets...not the case here!Look out for "DONCHA HESITATE" (a previously unreleased, Dressed To Kill era "fun rocker" that'll getcha dancin'.)"MAD DOG", which features the slowed down riff of "FLAMING YOUTH"(one of the band's most underrated songs), is totally engaging and unique, as it's an ACE & GENE collaboration(with ONLY ACE & GENE performing the song!)The WICKED LESTER tracks are excellently remastered, as is the OVERALL remastering of the entire box (top-notch!)The GOD OF THUNDER demo almost makes you giggle a bit with it's up tempo, HI HAT driven, dance feel ( a KISS crew member, who obviously had more than a few KC & The Sunshine Band records in his collection, sat in for the absent Peter Criss on this demo.) Also, as most fans know, Paul Stanley (who wrote the song), handles the vocals(as opposed to Gene Simmons), making this "THUNDER" demo an exciting inclusion on the box.You also get one track, "ACROBAT"(which is actually an expanded 'Love Theme From Kiss') from the legendary DAISY show, August 25, 1973. The sound is a bit thin here but the "documaent" of it is priceless! I only wish there was more of the show included.And on that note, let me say that there IS MUCH MORE where all of this came from. This box was supposed to be the "MOTHER of all boxed sets"(as stated by the ever boastful Gene Simmons), so should've included many more delicious demos and unreleased tracks (i.e. "Stanley The Parrot", "Ain't None Of Your Business", etc.) BUT...because of the truly awesome material on discs 1 & 2, it's still very much worth the price.Disc 4 is just a load of dung (the pathetic 80's era, 84-90, that is only worthy here as a document of how THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE LAND disintegrated into a useless, commercially glossed hair band in the mid eighties. BUT, if you're an actual "KISS" fan (1973-1979), you must buy this box for the fantastic, unearthed material on the first two discs. BTW, disc 3 is good as well.Believe me, if you WERE THERE in the 70's, you'll be floored by this material (especially the BELL SOUND STUDIO DEMOS from 1973.)One last thing: The packaging of the "regular" box is excellent. There's nothing different about the "guitar case" version (except for the "guitar case" box, the SAME book but "hard cover" and a "letter" from KISS.) If YOU want to spend another ...for that, more power to ya, but in my book the REGULAR box is all you need.M.L.p.s. More "unreleased" PICTURES should've been used for the book. It's a great book but most of the pictures are already available in KISSTORY or elsewhere. There ARE a couple of pictoral beauties though, and the song-by-song
commentary from the band is priceless."