In Your Face (Godfather Records GR507)
O2 Academy Islington, London, U.K. March 2, 2010
Tracks 1-12 Wildwood Convention Centre, Wildwood, New Jersey July 23, 1975 Track 13 Cobo Hall, Detroit, Michigan May 16, 1975 Track 14 Orpheum Theatre Davenport, Iowa July 20, 1975 Track 15 Modern Day Delilah, Cold Gin, Let Me Go, Rock And Roll, Say Yeah!, Calling Dr. Love, Got To Choose, I Love It Loud, 100,000 Years, Love Gun, Black Diamond, Rock And Roll All Nite, Detroit Rock City, Duece (7/23/75) Parasite (5/16/75) 100,000 (7/20/75)
Kiss launched their Sonic Boom Over Europe with a small club gig in London at a venue that hold about 800 people. This excellent quality audience recording captures the complete gig, the person recording the gig was in a very good spot as there is very little crowd interference directly around the recorder and all instruments and vocals are well balanced. The band sticks to the hits plus a couple new tracks, there is no time for individual solos or even excessive between song banter just music to a crowd of grateful fans.
They open with a new track and first single from the Sonic Boom cd, Modern Day Delilah, one of the better songs it is a perfect choice for opener and is well received. A couple classics, Cold Gin and Let Me Go, Rock And Roll follow, the crown are totally into it and sing along to Cold Gin, Paul’s introductory speech is about how tight it is onstage, they are playing with no stage props, just amplifiers, equipment and the light up KISS logo. From the pictures of the event on the cover it is a very In Your Face event. Paul wants crowd interaction for the next song, Say Yeah!, another new track that is well received and gets the crowd singing the chorus.
The set list is a nice mix of old and new and a couple favorites like Got To Choose and 100,000 years are great versions, love them or hate them this new version of KISS is built for delivering the goods live, Tommy Thayer plays the solos pretty much the way Ace used to and Eric Singer even sings on Black Diamond. The crowd chants Gene! Gene! Gene! and the band finishes the set with Detroit Rock City and as the recording fades the crowd continues to chant KISS! The filler is a nice three song selection of soundboard recordings from the KISS vault. It may be a wrong choice to have these tracks on this disc because there is just no substitute for the original band, especially from the early years.
They are simply a power house as these songs show. Peter Criss is a standout on all the songs, his drumming is definitely under appreciated. I love the selection too, great versions of Deuce, complete with hottest band in the world introduction, a smoking tight version of Parasite and a heavy as hell version of one of my favorites, 100,000 Years. Paul’s line of “Musta Been A Bitch While I’m Gone”has the B word edited out, a case of early censorship, got to protect kids from the so called Knights In Satan’s Service.
The packaging is typical GR, Tri gatefold sleeve adorned with pictures of the current incarnation of KISS with many being from the gig itself and the new Sonic Boom graphics. A nice release but I must ask myself, where’s the rest show from the 1975 recordings, is they are of that quality it would be great for collectors to have great vintage KISS in that quality. Required listening for all members of the KISS Army.
9 Comments
After hearing the quality and performance of this release I wish I had seen one of the shows. Maybe I will get the chance in the future. As usual Godfather presents this in quality packaging. Count me in on the upcoming September debut regardless of label.
Yes, they are actually from Cleveland, those tracks on Live In Hell! To shake things up a bit. September will see the release of an amazing unreleased professionally recorded KISS 1975 show with as a bonus some unreleased KISS outtakes from 1975 not used for Hotter Than Hell and/or Dressed To Kill!
I have KISS Live In Hell (Oh Boy 1-9073), it is credited to Cleveland 1975 does anyine know if that is the true date. I have heard that recordings from Cleveland were used on the Alive! record
Unfortunately these are the only leaked tracks besides the leaked encores that were released in the early 90’s on CD as KISS LIVE IN HELL! So no complete show out on CD shortly I am afraid! But since they are busy working on KISSOLOGY4 the vaults are open and material gets leaked more often. Hold Tight!!
These are actually the only leaked tracks together with the in the early 90’s released encores which were released on CD as KISS Live in Hell.
So no complete set or show out soon!
It would be great if the original recordings for KISS Alive could b released. That would be a great buy!
To clarify things, the tracks from 1975 are actual recordings made for the famous KISS ALIVE! double LP set! That album was recorded in a few cities in the spring and summer of 1975 and the initial recordings were dubbed. These are the original recordings and sound totally different especially the totally insane version of 100.000 years and the remarkable introduction before Deuce which is NOT the famous You Wanted The Best. Got to be heard to be believed, won’t spoil it! But these 3 songs only add up to the value of this package!
Peter Criss appears on the last three tracks, all of which are from 1975
I didn’t know Peter Criss was back in the band. Nice review.