KISS - Symphony - Alive IV

It was only a matter of time after the Koffin and the Kondoms (and who the hell would ever use a Peter Criss condom) before Kiss remembered that they were, in fact, a musical combo. But in proper fashion, it was time for something big. And following on from the lamentable 1970 Deep Purple coupling with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Metallica's 1999 disaster with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, what could make more sense than for Kiss to head off to Australia, hire the 60-piece Melbourne Symphony to accompany them on 10 tracks, and let it RAWK!

Now Kiss albums generally suck, bar 2 or 3 killer tracks, hence why compilations by the caped crusaders are always welcome round Castle Z. However, their live albums suck. All 3 of them. History says "Alive" and "Alive II" were fabulous. Well, they weren't. "Alive III" was OK, but apprently doesn' count amongst Kisstorians. However, this is an exception. Now you may want to hold off for the September DVD release to see the orchestra in make-up, but if, like me, you conveniently forget that double live albums were and are a bad thing, and instead wax lyrical about the good old days when bands rocked and rolled all night and partied every day, you'll want this. Especially, the limited edition (hey, it's Kiss) emboseed digipak thing. Which is nice.

Oh, and there's music as well. Split into three movements (insert bowel joke here), Act 1 is Kiss, Act 2 is Kiss with the Melbourne Symphony Ensemble, getting all chamber music on our ass, and Act 3 is the full orchestral overload.

Act 1 we don't need, but there are few better opening couplets in the history of rock and / or roll, than 'Deuce'/'Strutter'. Gets me every time. Act 2 has the full horror of an undubbed Peter Cris singing 'Beth', which at least shows it's a real live one.

Then the main attraction. 'Detroit Rock City', 'King Of The Night Time World', 'Do You Love Me', Shout It Out Loud', God Of Thunder', 'Love Gun', 'Black Diamond', an unbefugginleivable 'Great Expectations', ' I Was Made For Lovin' You', and the execrable 'Rock And Roll All Nite'. Barring the last one, it's an absolute wet dream of an album. Some tracks are naturally over the top and were born for this format, some are transformed. Anyway up this is an absolute delight of a guilty pleasure. Acts 1 and 2 are unessential, but 9 of the 10 symphonic tracks are a joy.

What's that? September 8th for the DVD. That'll be me pulling a sickie then.

HAYSEED DIXIE - A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss

To be fair, it's a one joke routine, and you either love it or hate it, but following on from the AC/DC and seventies guitar rock "Mountain Love" tribute, Hayseed Dixie have now turned their attentions to Kiss. Let the boys explain.

"While driving down some mountain road between Asheville, NC and Johnson City, TN, on the way to a show and digging on the radio, the boys heard something which completely blindsided them - something which touched the inner fabric of their very beings. Something which pinned them all like a bolt of recognition. The works of one Paul Stanley and one Gene Simmons: Two songs there on the radio that summed it all up - everything they had lived through during the previous two years. "Detroit Rock City" and "Let's Put the X in Sex." It was an epiphany, dare we say an altar call. The next day, the boys picked up several CDs by the group, Kiss, and verily verily it was revealed to them that they had found absolute kindred spirits. Barley was especially taken by the song "Cold Gin," and though he still personally prefers corn whiskey at room temperature, he found the sentiment overwhelming - to which the heartfelt vocal delivery of the song on the CD bears witness. The path was then absolutely clear. And the boys set out to record the songs from the Kiss catalog which they found most closely testified to their own personal experience. And record them they did. In two inspired days, start to finish."

So we get Calling Dr. Love / Detroit Rock City / Christine Sixteen / Cold Gin / Let's Put the X In Sex / Love Gun / Lick It Up / I Love It Loud / Rock and Roll All Nite / Heaven's On Fire

"Detroit Rock City" is turned into a mid-tempo that works well. Another highlight is "Christine Sixteen", a song designed for hillbilly lovin', and it rocks along at a good pace. The bar room brawlathon of "Let's Put the X in Sex,” is another treat, and a letter day Kiss number that stands up proud alongside more illustrious old timers. The strangest moment in a strange album, though, has to be "I Love It Loud", the most unlikely bluegrass song, ever. If you liked the previous ones, you'll like this, although the law of diminishing returns is kicking in. Me? Love it.

KISS - Animalize:Live Uncensored - DVD

Dangerous this. Bearing in mind the huge numbers of lawyers employed by the Kiss organisation, the Brazilians are taking their lives in their hands issuing this DVD. For I doubt its legitimacy. With the best will in the world, this bare bones release smacks of bootleg, right down to the mysterious "Genne Simmons" captioned on the front cover and the picture of Eric Singer on the rear.

However, the music rocks. Kiss were up against the ropes when this tour was filmed, "Animalize" scarcely having set the world on fire. But with Paul Stanley on top form and Bruce Kulick on peak form, the 18 tracks here are prime time American rock, regardless of Gene Simmons indifference and lack of make up. Things do flag in the middle with the ominous titles of track 8, "Guitar solo", track 11, "Drums solo" and track 13, "Bass guitar solo", but when you kick off with "Detroit Rock City", "Cold Gin" and "Creatures Of The Night" and then take things home with "Love Gun", "Lick It Up" and "Black Diamond", you're watching classic rock and roll done right.