Kiss - Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection Vol. 1 1974-1977

Kiss fans will no doubt see this lavish 3- DVD box set as something of a holy grail. Most of the contents – live performances and TV spots from the band’s earliest years, up to 1977’s Love Gun LP – having previously been available on various goodquality bootlegs, but denied an official release due to the band’s reluctance to allow less than perfect material onto the market. They needn’t have worried. Yes, some of the footage is a little muddy in the visual department, while some of the performances aren’t quite note perfect, but they show the band at their hungriest, most dynamic and, arguably, playing their most vital material. In addition to presenting several legendary concerts in their entirety – most famously the ’76 Cobo Arena, Detroit show – Kissology includes priceless TV appearances both musical (was the band ever better than on their 1975 Midnight Special appearance?) and non-musical, such as the coverage of Kiss’ cusp-ofworldwide fame appearance at a high school in Cadillac, Michigan, and Gene’s cringeworthy 1974 interview on The Mike Douglas Show. Audio commentaries by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley make this a must-have, despite the abundant ragged edges.