KISSOLOGY; THE ULTIMATE KISS COLLECTION Vol 1, 1974-77 (Shock DVD)

 |   |  1 min read

KISSOLOGY; THE ULTIMATE KISS COLLECTION Vol 1, 1974-77 (Shock DVD)

It goes without saying that if Kiss hadn't existed then a 14-year old Japanese boy with a manga fixation would have invented them. He might have writen better songs for them as this rather too wide DVD live collection (three discs, over seven hours in total, seven versions of Black Diamond!) reminds you.

Take away the make-up, platform boots and fire-breathing, and Kiss were a rather plodding riffing band in their early days which this collection covers in far too much detail.

I'd always had a soft spot for them, right up until I saw them live in the late Eighties and thought after the first five minutes that was all I might have needed. They just became increasingly dull and no amount of camp posing by Paul Stanley or tongue-wagging and blood dripping by Gene Simmons could change that.

Which makes this collection (which starts when the make-up and costuming was very primitive and Simmons was a tall, skinny guy) a real test of endurance -- which I have to say I failed with flying colours. I can't tell you what is on the second disc let alone the third "bonus" disc.

The best moment on the first one comes when Simmons in full make-up and with bat wings is a guest on the Mike Douglas Show in '74. Despite his best efforts at outrage (just being there, comments of vampiric nature, unconvincingly saying he is "evil incarnate") one of the other guests -- a middle-aged comedienne, Totie Fields I am told -- isn't impressed and gets his number immediately. "He's probably just a nice Jewish boy from Queens", she says.

There is other non-concert footage scattered about, but I leave you to discover it for yourself if you are so inclined.

I believe this set originally came out in 2006 but someone has seen fit to release it now. Maybe they are touring again?

If so you can count me out. I'm starting to prefer the merchandising and marketing much more than the music and make-up. 

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Film at Elsewhere articles index

A-HA, THE MOVIE, a doco by THOMAS ROBSAHM

A-HA, THE MOVIE, a doco by THOMAS ROBSAHM

When the Norwegian band A-ha topped the charts in the mid 80s they arrived on the wings of their soaring synth-pop single Take on Me, its animated sketch-pad video and the Bowie-like cheekbones of... > Read more

NO DIRECTION HOME a film about Bob Dylan by MARTIN SCORSESE (2005)

NO DIRECTION HOME a film about Bob Dylan by MARTIN SCORSESE (2005)

Against expectation, 2005 was a rare year for 64-year old Bob Dylan, especially since he hadn’t had an album of new material out in four years. Yet Dylan seemed to be everywhere in... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

FIVE FOR FEWER THAN FIFTY: Picking up homeless albums from the rescue shelter

FIVE FOR FEWER THAN FIFTY: Picking up homeless albums from the rescue shelter

There are websites and online pages dedicated to the serious art of collecting vinyl records from secondhand shops, junk bins and so on. Most people are looking for rarities and items of value,... > Read more

RINGO STARR REFLECTING (2015): He ain't going nowhere, man

RINGO STARR REFLECTING (2015): He ain't going nowhere, man

Ringo Starr's few -- actually only two -- contributions to the Beatles' vast catalogue of original songs hardly set the world alight or gave any indication of great promise, unlike late bloomer... > Read more