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This, the 2nd of KISS's many live CDs features some great live versions of some of their best songs from their 4th, 5th and 6th studio albums, including Detroit Rock City, Calling Dr Love, and Love Gun. Especially All American Man, Larger Than Life, and of course the mighty Rocket Ride by Space Ace Frehley. Most of the songs are pretty much accurate to their studio versions except Track 8 Shock Me which features an extra Ace guitar solo at it's end, and Track 13 God of Thunder which has a drum solo by Peter Criss added to it. The 5 additional studio tracks at the end are icing on the cake. We all know now that Ace did not play lead guitar on 4 of the 5 studio tracks here, and lead guitar duty was performed by Bob Kulick, who I want to give major props to because I think he did an excellent job here, especially on the song Larger Than Life. Standout tracks are Rocket Ride, Larger Than Life, All American Man, Shock Me, and God of Thunder.
Only those of us utterly bereft and vulnerable in the world need such macho postures belched foolishly to 11. My girlfriend just left me tonight. Unhinged. Like heaven. A uniquely teenage sensation, lonely and insolent. What if Halloween was forever.
Yet I felt it coming on, too, so I was ready. Stabbed and abandoned. Suspicions validated. Righteous and wronged. What is UP with those SS's.I'm writing these words totally upset. Raw and OVER it. Such a vitality, this particular feeling alive.
Pure rock and roll. This is why we need cabaret clowns like Paul Stanley to wear circus earrings and smash hard a raw guitar into smithereens. Done with being hurt. Well, she denies that ~ words words words ~ but when I saw her and that other guy, illuminated under 4th of July sparklers and an October moon, I knew. My fellow losers, we have been given a gift.
Relieved, too. BECAUSE I'm hurt. Halloween is all about hiding the hurt. If you're downright down and out tonight, this way to the egress.But seriously, folks, it's essential 'cause the 5 studio tracks are all larger than life, especially Ace's lead guitar.
With Ace Frehley gone AWOL (he does play guitar and bass and sing on his composition, the killer rocker "Rocket Ride"), rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, bass player/singer Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss went and recorded four new tracks (with Bob Kulick doing lead guitar to mimic Ace's playing on the first of the three new tracks) which were Paul's rocker "All American Man" and two Gene rockers out of "Rockin in the USA" and "Larger Than Life". KISS' eighth album Alive II was released in November of 1977 in time for the Christmas sale that year. The songs that were live were pretty much most of the album (save "Hard Luck Woman" and "Tomorrow and Tonight" which were recorded in the studio with crowd noises and there were some edits on the live tracks and overdubs). album would have been useless (though I do like later live versions from the 1977 tour of "Firehouse", "Black Diamond" and "Rock and Roll All Night") so the band decided to record five new tracks at a theater with a mobile truck without an audience. Then, eventually got on CD then bought the digitally remastered edition which comes with the book and tattoos that were on the original album and the sound is superb 30 years on. They attempted those aforementioned songs live but didn't work during rehearsals.
When the album was released, it went Double Platinum and hit #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and was the second Top 10 album for KISS in 1977, the year they were kings of American rock. The album was recorded over three nights at the LA Forum in Los Angeles in August of 1977. There's also a cover of Dave Clark Five's "Any Way You Want It" recorded as a five piece. However, "Detroit Rock City", "King of the Night Time World" (the former are rumored from the KISS live shows in Japan from 1977), "Ladies Room", "Makin Love", "Love Gun", "Calling Dr Love", "Christine Sixteen", "Shock Me (with a slightly edited Ace Frehley guitar solo)", "I Stole Your Love", "Beth" (rumored to be from Japan 1977), "God of Thunder" (with edited Peter Criss drum solo), "I Want You" and "Shout it Out Loud" surpass their studio counterparts. KISS felt that repeating songs from 1975's Alive. I first got this cassette in June of 1988 when my older sister gave it to me.
Highly recommended.
KISS was the band back in the days. This cd is a reminder of my days in H.S., love it. Thank you.
always will be compared to KISS ALIVE, but ALIVE 2 stands on it's on as a great cd. like said in other reviews the single disk in the KISS ALIVE boxset sounds better
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