Kiss
Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection
Vol. 1, 1974-1977 (VH1 Classic)
Commentary on more than five hours of mostly live Kiss footage from the New York metal quartet’s beginnings well into its peak comes courtesy of the franchise’s controlling partners, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, the two founders and band members that didn’t drink or do drugs. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, meanwhile – the raw talents – crashed and burned on the cusp of Lick It Up frenching a new generation of Kiss Army brats on MTV. A decade earlier, Long Beach 1974, San Francisco’s Winterland ’75, and “Detroit Rock City” 1976, Brooklyn’s former George Peter Criscoula drums “his heart out,” according to Simmons, yowling early set staples “Nothin’ to Lose” and future Replacements’ battle-axe “Black Diamond.” Frehley, meanwhile, Spaceman Ace, still winner of the Kiss solo-album sweepstakes, smokes out his Les Paul – literally – as the band’s most musically adept member. Anthrax fatality “Parasite,” his. “Cold Gin,” too. Simmons’ winged bat pig sings, barfs blood, and catches fire on “Firehouse,” up front in 6-inch heels with Stanley’s Frank N. Furter. Factory Records’ Tony Wilson, Paul Lynde with Margaret Hamilton, and Totie Fields outting Simmons (“Wouldn’t it be funny if under [the make-up] was a nice Jewish boy?”) break up the song overlap of four mostly complete sets on two discs and a Madison Square Garden excerpt on a bonus DVD. By the time Criss croons “Beth” at Budokan in ’77, and Barnum & Bailey arrives at Houston’s Summit the same year on the Love Gun Tour, his Keith Moon jumper betrays the fact that these NY dolls had already quenched their ambition.
This article appears in December 22 • 2006.
