Search - Kiss :: New Recordings: Jigoku Retsuden

Re-recorded Kiss Classics

James Choma | 11/09/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Over the last 20 or so years Kiss (Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley, for all intents and purposes) have been content to relegate themselves as imitators rather than the innovators they started out as. Taking note of Journey's success with Generations, they attempted to do the same here on KISSology with 15 of their popular tracks. Journey did it with some success because their new singer, Arnel Pineda, gave many of the "standard" songs new life. He could also hit the high notes. I'll always be biased with Steve Perry's versions, but the re-recorded versions with Pineda (arguably) worked. To me, it was interesting hearing how some of these versions were updated over the years and interpreted by a new vocalist.



With KISSology, we still have the Gene and Paul, but we find more often than not that they're not able to hit the high notes as they once did. And boy do their voices sound strained. Paul's inability to hit the notes like he once did are most apparent on "Forever," "I Was made for Lovin' You," and "Lick it Up." It was cringe-worthy for me to listen to these, as I love the originals.



Gene actually sounds better than Paul. "Deuce is pretty good, as is "I Love it Loud," but hearing "Christine Sixteen" sung by a 60-year old sounds more creepy than cool thirty years after the fact.



Eric Singer, who did do a stint with Kiss through the 90's, does a fairly good job with "Black Diamond." He's an excellent drummer, and he's done a great job filling in for Peter Criss during his stint with Kiss in the 2000's, but he's really not contributing here; rather, he's just... filling in.



The same goes for Tommy Thayer. Tommy's a great guitarist, and he plays Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John, and Bruce Kulick's parts note-for-note, but that's it. In his previous band, Black n' Blue, he was a major contributor; in this version of Kiss, he's just a sideman going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. There are no lead vocal contributions from Tommy on KISSology. I have heard him sing Ace's "Shock Me" in concert, but it's inclusion here would have been a really, really bad idea.



I agree with the many of the other reviewers: Why? I suspect one of the comments I saw might have hit the nail on the head. By re-recording these old chestnuts, Stanley and Simmons no longer have to share the residuals to these songs with Frehley, Criss, and Vincent in the event the songs are used for commercial purposes. Ozzy did this when he re-recorded the bass and drum parts for "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman" to spite Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake and cut them out of residual profits. And that went over with fans like a led balloon.



So in summary, what you get with KISSology is a collection of re-recorded, almost note-for-note, Kiss songs with Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and the stand in members: Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, playing the parts of Peter and Ace. If this is what you're after, than KISSology is for you. If you're looking for a comprehensive greatest hits collection from Kiss, this is probably not what you want."

Save Your Money

30 Year Fan | Middle America | 08/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Save your money. This CD is scheduled to be released as part of the new Kiss Album "SONIC BOOM" on October 6th, 2009 at Wal mart and Sam's Club. In addition to this re-recorded Greatest Hits CD and new Sonic Boom CD -- the package will also include a DVD containing several songs from the band's recent 2009 performance in Argentina. Price - $12 for the two CDs, single DVD and multi-page booklet!"

KISS it goodbye

J. L. Mastrogiovanni | 10/21/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"There seems to be two KISS's in the world. The original four, Frehley, Criss, Simmons and Stanley. Then no make-up KISS, Kulick, Singer, Simmons and Stanley. No disrespect to Thayer or Singer, most of the fans know that Simmons and Stanley are the ones in charge, but this is just bad... Having Thayer and Singer record songs that were originally recorded with Frehley and Criss, is a bad attempt and trying to get fans to think Thayer and Singer are the more than just cover artists... In short, this KISS and ths record, is nothing more than a cover band, or tribute band. Not to mention Thayer, is playing Frehley leads and hasn't played an original lead yet... Also, check out Thayer live perfromances out on You Tube, Thayer seriously cannot play those leads anywhere close to as accurately as Frehley (before he was sober)... P.S. Saw Ace back in March 08 on his Rocket Ride Tour and since he has been sober and has his own band, every KISS song he played was better than this cover band ever did or has done... No joke! I would ask that any real KISS fan use their guts and KISS this goodbye... I would also ask that true fans stay away from any KISS Simmons and Stanley cover band concert with Thayer and Singer... (If not you should be ashamed of yourself!) It is interesting that Criss has been sober since he first left the band over 20 years ago... And Frehley has been sober since he left the band seveal years ago... Maybe with all this crazy, Simmons and Stanley,"We need to be in control," stuff would make us loose our sobriety... One this is for sure to by this album, you cannot be sober..."