This time, it's personal...
The main theme of this is these are live versions of great songs, and the live recordings are mostly inferior to the studio version. They are still enjoyable because they are good songs, but most just don't measure up to the original. There are some exceptions, such as
Ladies Room, but then there are songs that go in the opposite direction - like a super fast crappy version of
God of Thunder, complete with extended drum solo. Thankfully, this drum solo was edited to a listenable length, but it doesn't make the song much better.
That said, this album has grown on me over the years; I wasn't a fan my first few listens and then I just kind of left the discs in their case for many years. Not to mention I remembered the ending of
I Want You to be much longer and far more annoying. However, giving the whole thing a better listen with Kissathon II has given me a new appreciation for the live tracks and the energy they have.
But that's not all! The album also has a handful of new studio tracks to entice Kiss fans into purchasing. They are all fairly standard, straight-forward Kiss songs. Except for
Rocket Ride; Ace Frehley shows how awesome he is by closing out the album with one of his best songs ever.
Highlights:
Shock Me [Live], I Stole Your Love [Live], Rocket Ride
Lowlights:
God of Thunder [Live]
Verdict = 4 Smoking Les Paul Guitars
