Many consider Kiss Live not just the band's best album, but also one of the best live albums, ever. I never subscribed to that opinion: the energy is undeniably fantastic, and the band play well, but the songs aren't all too memorable. Fun, yes, but a bit too similar. Basically they mostly open with a simple boogie riff (the louder the better), and continue with catchy choruses, propulsive drums and bass, and rousing guitar solos more notable for their speed than for their originality. Well, in their defense, Kiss only had three albums' worth of material to choose from at the time, compared to twenty now. These albums had failed to impress, but Kiss' shows certainly made an impression. During those first two years, they kept touring the U.S., often in support of bigger bands which they blew off stage: according to legend, audiences would often walk out after seeing Kiss, believing that nothing could top what they had just seen, and causing headliners to drop them as a support act. All the traits we witnessed recently in Amsterdam were there from the beginning: the explosions, costumes, obligatory drum solo, even the same introduction "You wanted the best, you got the best". Kiss are not just musicians enjoying making music together, they are, above all, hard-working showmen giving it 100% every night, determined to pull all the stops in order to give their fans maximum entertainment. On this record, Paul Stanley keeps addressing the audience, trying them to join in with singing or shouting. His lines aren't that clever, e.g. "which of you people over there like to party?", "shout if you believe in rock and roll", "who here likes the taste of alcohol?" etc. But then again, neither are the band's lyrics: their subjects include rocking out, having sex, and... basically that's all. Anyway, seeing as the band were always on top of their game live, it made sense for the company to release a live album, and that became the instant success they were hoping for: firstly, because of the energetic performances, and secondly because of the way the songs flow together: you want to listen to the whole album instead of one song like they play on the radio. If you'd been there (and hundreds of thousands already had) you'd certainly want a souvenir to relive the experience. If you hadn't, you only had to listen to the music, look at the photos at the gatefold sleeve, and imagine yourself there - something easy to do thanks to the production of Eddie Kramer, then known primarily for his work for Jimi Hendrix. Even though the album was recorded in different venues, due to the sequencing and to keeping the between-song banter and sound of the special effects, it sounds like listening to one concert from start to finish. Some say he used too many overdubs, and that Alive! isn't that live a recording. I say Kramer used just the right amount of overdubs: he may have fixed mistakes or beefed up the sound in a few places, but still preserved the raw energy and excitement of a rock'n'roll concert. The album starts off with a bang, literally: after the introduction, we hear explosions and it's off with a couple of Kiss' most exciting early songs "Deuce" and ''Strutter". "Hotter Than Hell" from their second LP rivals them with its catchy riff and strong chorus, while "Firehouse" is where Simmons does his fire eating routine - we can't see it of course, but we can hear the sirens. Disc Two opens with heavy rocker "Watchin’ You" - it's not clear why they split the album in two CD's when it could easily fit in one. I guess they thought it'd be more faithful to the original, but I don't see it that way: Of course back then they had to split it to two LP's out of necessity, but this live album was supposed to recreate a Kiss concert, wouldn't it be better to just make it a single CD and let it play through to the end? 12-minute "100,000 Years" features that least beloved fixture of 70's live albums: an overlong drum solo. While Criss is demonstrating his drumming abilities, Stanley talks to the audience, trying to engage them in shouting along. It is followed by "Black Diamond", a song that uncharacteristically kicks off with an acoustic intro and eschews their glam-pop-metal formula for a fuller hard rock sound. The lyrics are also a bit darker, instead of the usual "making out and rocking out" stuff. "Rock Bottom" also sports an acoustic intro, but otherwise adheres to the formula, as does "Cold Gin". But the next song is where the Kiss formula is executed to perfection: "Rock and Roll All Nite" is loud, celebratory, and as fun as it gets; the perfect party anthem. Of course it was released as a single - their first to reach the Top 20. It's followed by "Let Me Go Rock ‘N’ Roll" which may have been a fitting end to the concert with the band delivering a big show, but sounds a bit anti-climactic on record. To tell the truth, I never considered Kiss to be equal to the great British rock bands of the 70's: Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Queen, and Black Sabbath were a cut above, both as songwriters and as musicians. Kiss' popularity in the U.S. used to surprise me, until I witnessed their show myself and I realized their fame was built on hard work, promoting their (admittedly catchy) singles, one terrific show after another. This album may not be a live best-of, as it only covers the band's early years, but it is a formidable display of their best attributes. Certainly not one of the all-time greatest live albums, as some claim, but a classic one nevertheless.
***** for Rock and Roll All Nite
**** for Deuce, Strutter, Hotter Than Hell, Nothin’ To Lose, Black Diamond, Rock Bottom, Cold Gin
*** for Got To Choose, Firehouse, C’mon And Love Me, Parasite, She, Watchin’ You, 100.000 Years, Let Me Go Rock ‘N’ Roll
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