Written by Tio Esqueleto
KISSOLOGY: Vol. 2 is the latest installment of KISS’s vast video history. From promo spots and newsreels, to television appearances and live shows, KISS documented nearly everything they ever did. Dedicated fans have bought, sold, and traded this material in various bootlegged formats at conventions and online for years now. Here, finally, are the official releases, straight from the vault, all cleaned up and, for the most part, exactly as you remember them.
I must say I was not prepared to enjoy this offering nearly as much as I did. I am a die-hard KISS fan. More so, I am a dedicated Ace Frehley and Peter Criss fan. Those other two guys? Yeah, I like them, but only when book-ended by Peter and Ace. It’s all about the original lineup for me. If it doesn’t have them, it simply does not do it for me. So, you can imagine my surprise when I found myself really digging the material at hand. More on that in a second, but first a brief history of KISS ’78 – ’91.
1978 was a strange year for KISS. They were at the pinnacle of their fame. They had just come off of their biggest tour to date with Love Gun and were in the midst of filming their first (and only) movie. It also marked the release of their four solo albums, in which each member assembled his own band in an effort to better demonstrate their individual tastes and talents. The idea was that each member would do his own thing, dedicating the albums to each other; all in an effort to still do everything under the KISS umbrella. This was to ultimately keep the band together, rather than taking some time off, or outright splitting them up. It worked…for about a year. Inevitably, it signaled the beginning of the end for the original four.
1979 saw the release of Dynasty and ushered in their short-lived disco era. This both gained and lost some fair-weather fans, as well as utterly confusing the die-hard fans who were now affectionately and officially known as The KISS Army. By this time Peter and Ace had fallen so far into drugs and alcoholism, that it was really taking its toll on the band. Couple that with Peter’s head strong desire to make it on his own, and you’ve got the end of the original four. Was Peter fired? Did he quit on his own accord, citing personal and creative differences? The answer differs depending on whom you ask. Either way, now it was Gene, Paul, and Ace at the start of a new decade with one ridiculously large drum riser to fill.
Article comments
1 - Chris
The Largo show is good because of the era it represents, but objectively speaking it's a terrible, sloppy concert.
Oh, and one technical note - their biggest tour was actually the one for Alive II, not Love Gun.
2 - Paul Roy
Excellent review. I actually bought this thing a couple of weeks ago, and then returned it unopened after realizing I didn't want to spend 30 more bucks on Kiss. I got two other DVD's instead. I know I'll eventually get it one day, when other good releases slow down a bit. I still need to watch Volume I again - that's a lot of material to soak in. I was never much of a fan of the post-70's Kiss, although Creatures Of The Night was the first Kiss tour I saw. I do remember being pretty damn excited about Kiss Meets The Phantom, and then thinking, "what the hell was that". I was a big fan of Fridays too, and Kiss performing songs from The Elder was just too surreal.