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Kissology, Vol. 1: 1974-1977 
Reviews DVD Reviews
Written by Dave Anderson   
Friday, 24 November 2006


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Kissology, Vol. 1: 1974-1977

Grade

Content Grade: B+
Sound Grade: B
Extras Grade: B+
Picture Grade: B-

Specs

VH1 Classic Records 1.33:1 Fullscreen English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround 379 min., color/B&W, 1974-1977 Not Rated - contains some violent imagery

Review

A few undisputedly great songs notwithstanding ("Detroit Rock City" is arguably one of rock's all-time best drive-time metal anthems), Kiss was always more fun to watch than listen to. I think, in their heart-of-hearts, even die-hard fans would probably have to admit the same. Which makes this 2-disc set of archival concert, TV & promotional footage (ominously subtitled 'Volume 1' of a planned three volumes) pretty indispensable to anyone who ever worshiped these gods of thunder at some point in their lives.
Clocking in at over six hours, this set contains four nearly full-length concert videos culled from various tours between 1975 & 1977 (when the band was at its commercial peak). Casual fans may grow a bit bored watching some of the same songs played over & over again (for example, "Rock & Roll All Nite" is included three times), but die-hards will be in hog heaven. Of keener interest may be the various promotional clips & TV appearances the band did during this time (culminating in truly goofy appearances on "The Mike Douglas Show" & "The Paul Lynde Halloween Special"). But despite the repetitive nature of this set, it does do a great job reminding the viewer how big Kiss really was in the 70s.

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Picture and Sound

The picture quality ranges from pretty good to downright awful. Some of the TV spots and concert footage is decent, but still shows its age. Other times, the image is dark & muddy. The audio fares better, presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround, but those looking for sonic thrills might be better off sticking with Kiss' albums.

Extras

Several segments (most notably the TV spots and some opening concert footage) includes optional audio commentary by Gene Simmons & Paul Stanley, which is pretty interesting to listen to (though most of what they have to say is also included in the liner notes of the supplementary booklet). There's also a third bonus disc of even more concert footage (7 songs taken from a show at Madison Square Garden).

Summary

It goes without saying long-time Kiss fans will savor this collection, since it features ample footage never before available on DVD (and some probably never seen since the 70s). Casual fans or the curious may be a bit overwhelmed (and eventually bored) by pretty-much the same show (with some slight variations in the playlist) and stage banter repeated four times. "Kissology" doesn't offer much in the way of outstanding picture & sound, but it serves well as a visual historical document, and Kiss was nothing if not visual. Recommended.

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