Kiss – Symphony: Alive IV

Kiss
Artist: Kiss
Title: Symphony: Alive IV
Label: Sanctuary
Rating: 5/10

Company Line: KISS SYMPHONY: ALIVE IV, captures one of the world’s greatest performing rock bands with the prestigious 60-piece Melbourne Symphony Orchestra live before a sold-out crowd from Australia’s Telstra Dome while on the 2003 tour. The energy packed two-disc set promises to captivate and tantalize fans new and old alike with twenty-two newly recorded live tracks featuring ten classic KISS tracks backed by the 60-piece Melbourne Symphony, six never-performed-live acoustic versions of KISS classics and six raw classic KISS tracks sans orchestra. This spectacular concert event proved to be a memorable show highlighted by the Melbourne Symphony appearing in full KISS makeup.

The Good:
“Rock And Roll All Nite” – Kiss and the orchestra finally come together as one awesome unit.
“Detroit Rock City” – Could there be a better way to kick off the orchestra than with “Detroit Rock City”? Come everybody move your feet.
“Shout It Out Loud” – Oh yes… shout it out loud!
“Beth” – This song still gives me goose-bumps. It touched me as a kid and still hits me as an adult. That is proof positive that this is a classic.
“I Was Made For Lovin’ You” – The orchestra is barely noticeable over the guitars.

Inbetween:
“Do You Love Me” – Not surprisingly Kiss’ weapons overwhelm the orchestra and Paul’s vocals get lost in the mix.
“God Of Thunder” – The orchestra never drops the sonic boom you’d expect or works up the demonic spirit.
“Strutter” and “Deuce” – Paul Stanley’s voice sounds distant yet surprisingly good after thirty years. Kiss can’t seem to muster up that frantic and fantastic spirit on the first Alive record.
“Calling Dr. Love” – Has been done better in the past.
“Forever” – You can never expel the notion that it was co-written by Michael Bolton. This ‘80s power-ballad is misplaced.

The Ugly:
“Lick It Up” – Bad hair days I never want to revisit.
“Psycho Circus” – This was not a good release in the first place.

Frankly: Why give us this Act One or Act Two on the first cd? I can only suspect that it has to do with money and the fact that they could charge more for a double cd. We all came to hear Kiss rock with a symphony not get off a few oldies – no goodies. Frankly Ace Frehley is missing and it’s never the same.

With box sets, greatest hits, and live records released by Kiss in the last few years you have to question the thought behind it all. Was it to set up a tour? Or was it another chance for Kiss to find themselves interested again in these songs? Die hard fans will be split on this record as I am.

+ Rae Gun


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