By the 1976 Cobo Hall concert, KISS was already on the way to becoming the biggest rock band on the planet thanks to the success of Alive!, their first album to break the top ten, and the first of many to achieve multi-platinum status. The band was still hungry and had something to prove on this tour, so their performance was on fire. Literally. After another dazzling fire breathing display to close out "Firehouse", Gene's hairspray-doused mane catches fire, and you get to see a few seconds of him and his roadie scramble to smother it out. Damn if he didn't even skip a beat though, as the next song kicked right off without a hitch. Unfortunately the audio quality for this show sounded horrible, and the video was marred with significant problems.
KISS finished up their Rock And Roll Over tour with three nights at Toyko's Budokan Hall, in April of 1977. This night they played two shows, one at 3 PM and another at 7 PM. The first show was recorded for Japanese TV, and is what you see here. The Japanese gave the band a Beatles-like welcome when they arrived at the airport, and their frantic KISS worship is highly evident at this show. Ah, the universal language of rock & roll. The performance was incredible, and this provided the best sounding audio out of the three color shows. As with the Cobo Hall concert, the video was very dark and the colors were washed out.
Only a few months after returning from Japan and the Rock And Roll Over tour, KISS managed to record and release the new Love Gun album in July of 1977, and immediately hit the road once again. The September 1977, Houston Summit show captures a killer performance from that tour. Although the stage show was very similar to what they were using on the Japanese leg of the Rock And Roll Over tour, the Love Gun tour added flashing lights on the stair cases, as well as two lifts that lower Gene, Paul, and Ace during the show opener, "I Stole Your Love". This saved them from having to walk down those large staircases in their 7 inch heels, while simultaneously playing their guitars. This, I'm sure, saved a few tumbles down those stairs, which Paul had actually succumbed to. The video quality was a slight improvement over the Budokan recording, but the audio quality took a step backwards again, sounding very anemic, and just not well mixed.
Article comments
1 - tink
Just when I thought I had all the KISS in my collection that I needed, partially due in fact to their constant 'final' tours and repackaging, this review made me change my mind. Even if it's just to see them on that Paul Lynde special!!!
I like the idea that the production values weren't tweaked via the technology available today. Makes it seem like what it would have been like to actually see these performances in the time/space that they originally came from.
I remember the Phantom of the Park vividly. They used the Magic Mountain theme park in Valencia, Ca for filming the live sequences and I was there as part of the audience. It was the first time that I saw them live...but certainly not the last.
Nice work!!!
2 - Vern Halen
I took them seriously until Destroyer - it sounded like a disco pop album to me - what happened to all that great rock and roll from the first three studio albums plus Alive!? Replaced with screaming babies, glockenspiels, youth anthems, and - gasp! a ballad!! good thing I stumbled onto the MC5, the Dolls, Television etc etc etc to restore my faith in r'n'r.
I'd be alright, though, with Kiss doing one more butt kicking rock album before calling it a day. Sometimes the old foxes still have a few more tricks to play.
3 - Timmy
When I was young, I was as ate up with Kiss as you still appear to be. I even got a thank you in the Dynasty tour book for all the fan mail I sent them over the years. It wasn't until about a couple of years after their first reunion tour that I realized they aren't that great. In fact, as a band they are mediocre. It was a profit deal all along. The music was just a tool, and a secondary one at that. That's not to say it's all bad. I still enjoy Dynasty and Unmasked, Peter Criss (solo), Kiss (self-titled), and some songs not on those albums, including "Comin' Home," "Rock Bottom," "Mr. Speed," and "Larger Than Life."
4 - Paul Roy
Don't forget the car crash in "Detroit Rock City". I'm with you Vern. Kiss lost me after Destroyer, and REALLY lost me with "The Elder". I wonder if they will put their "Friday's" TV appearance on Vol. 2? And Timmy, I am certainly not "ate up with Kiss". You sound like a scorned lover. This DVD was just a great nostalgic trip for me.
5 - Vern Halen
I posted this months ago, but I still think it's funny - back when I was a lad, when Kiss first came out, a friend said to me, "Kiss? How's any band gonna make it with a name like that???"
6 - Devin
I got this DVD boxset for christmas and i was really amazed on how much rare footage they bunched up into these dvd's. The 4 concerts in the 2 dvd's were incredible also, but i'd have to say the Tokyo one was my favourite.
7 - Curly
I don't know if you still read this review's comments, or if you've been clued in to this yet but, there are 2 fantastic "easter eggs" - as I believe they're called - on these discs. On each of the 2 main discs, in the main menu screen, if you highlight and 'PLAY' on the KISS logo, you will be treated to: (Disc 1) a 4-5 minute video clip w/sound of the earliest known live footage of the band, playing "Deuce" at their 2nd to last show as a club band 12/21/73 at Coventry in NYC. (Disc 2) a 6-7 minute home movie w/sound of the guys' impromptu performance at Ace's wedding in May '76, complete in tuxedos and with the hired bands' instruments.
8 - Paul Roy
Thanks for bringing that up Curly, since I didn't mention it in my review. That's some pretty cool stuff to watch if you are a big Kiss fan.