Kiss - Alive 2 (remastered + Ltd Ed Booklet & Tatoos) - (Limited Edition, Remastered) - [CD]

This deluxe reissue has been remastered from the original master tapes and features enhanced packaging including full-color, 14-page photo booklet and limited edition Kiss tatoos! The double set showcases classic live versions of such fan favorites as "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun," "Beth," "Shout It Out Loud," "All American Man," "Any Way You Want It" and much more. Sounding less muffled than the original CD release, this version of Alive II is as complete a picture of Kiss in their heyday as one could hope for. "Love Gun", "Calling Dr Love" and so on, just loose enough to sound live, actually performed in full make-up surrounded by smoke bombs and American teenagers. That knowledge helps to smooth over the fact that Alive II is not one of those live albums that elevates favourite songs to a new level of spontaneity and excitement, or shows off the band operating as some telepathic improvisatory unit. There are a few extended codas--gross high-pitched guitar flip-outs impossible to listen to without picturing the spotlight, the platform boot on the monitor and the obscene fleshiness of the wiggling tongue, pink and organic amidst the lurid, sweaty greasepaint. But for the most part, it's just Kiss banging out hits like holy fools, kicking ass in front of people chewing bubblegum. Obviously, it rocks. --Taylor Parkes