DVD Review: Kissology, Vol. 1, 1974-1977

DVD Reviews

By Jeff Swindoll Jan 10, 2007, 11:35 GMT

KISS fans rejoice! This DVD set provides over 6 hours of footage from your favorite band and they’re even around for a commentary track. “Rock and Roll All Nite!” Though some of the footage is rough and grainy, fans will be delighted to see these rare appearances by KISS.

Though some of the footage is rough and grainy, fans will be delighted to see these rare appearances by KISS.KISS is the rock band that is primarily known for their horror makeup and live stage shows. The band consisted of Gene Simmons (aka the Demon), Paul Stanley (aka Star Child), Paul “Ace” Frehley (aka the Space Ace), and Peter Criss (aka the Cat Man) in the 1970s (Criss and Frehley left the group in the 1980s, but were replaced.

Gene Simmons aka the Demon

Since this DVD covers 74-77, I won’t mention their replacements). This two disc set brings together unseen footage, full concerts, and clips of rare television appearances. The following is a list of what you get on the two discs (along with the songs used in each section):Disc one (3 hours, 23 minutes):
“Acrobat” – Long Beach Auditorium, February 17, 1974
ABC’s In Concert – March 29, 1974
“Nothin’ to Lose,” “Firehouse,” and “Black Diamond”
The Mike Douglas Show – April 29, 1974
“Firehouse”
Winterland, San Francisco, California – January 31, 1975
“Deuce,” “Stutter,” “Got to Choose,” “Hotter than Hell,” “Firehouse,” “Watchin’ You,” Nothin’ to Lose,” “Parasite,” “100,000 Years,” “Black Diamond,” “Cold Gin,” and “Let Me Go, Rock n’ Roll”
The Midnight Special – April 1, 1975
“She” and “Black Diamond”
KISS Alive Promo Clips – 1975
“C’mon and Love Me” and “Rock and Roll All Nite”
Documentary: Cadillac, Michigan – October 9-10, 1975
Cobo Hall, Detroit, Michigan – January 6, 1976
“Deuce,” “Strutter,” “C’mon and Love Me,” “Hotter than Hell,” “Firehouse,” “She,” “Parasite,” “Nothin’ to Lose,” “100,000 Years,” “Black Diamond,” “Cold Gin,” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” and “Let Me Go, Rock n’ Roll” Mike Douglas favorite band

Mike Douglas' favorite band

Disc two (2 hours, 56 minutes):
So It Goes – August 21, 1976
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special – October 29, 1976
“King of the Night Time World”
Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan – April 4, 1977
“Detroit Rock City,” “Take Me,” “Let Me Go, Rock n’ Roll,” “Ladies Room,” “Firehouse,” “Makin’ Love,” “I Want You,” “Cold Gin,” “Do You Love Me,” “Nothin’ to Lose,” “God of Thunder,” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Beth,” and “Black Diamond”
Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert – May 18, 1977
“Hard Luck Woman,” “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em,” and “I Want You”
The Summit, Houston, Texas – September 2, 1977
“I Stole Your Love,” “Take Me,” “Ladies Room,” “Firehouse,” “Love Gun,” “Hooligan,” “Makin’ Love,” “Christine Sixteen,” “Shock Me,” “I Want You,” “Calling Dr. Love,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “God of Thunder,” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Beth,” and “Black Diamond”These discs are a treasure trove for fans of the band. I don’t know if the rights would’ve been too expensive but it might’ve been nice to see the full television specials that KISS is only a small part of (Mike Douglas, Paul Lynde Halloween Special). I do suppose that KISS is the reason that people would be wanting to see, but I would’ve liked to have seen the whole thing. The footage is presented in fullscreen and is in varying degrees of quality. The concert footage looks the best. You can hear the footage in 5.1 Surround or 2.0 Stereo. Special features include a commentary by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley on discs one and two. A third disc is also included as a special feature. My understanding is that the third disc varies by vendor (Best Buy and Wal-mart had different concerts). The bonus disc that I got with my copy was the concert footage from Madison Square Garden, New York, New York – February 18, 1977 (7 songs, 27 minutes). There’s also a 20 page booklet with photos and comments by Gene, Ace, and Paul.

Some of the footage looks really bad, but it is good to see it

Though some of the footage is rough and grainy, fans will be delighted to see these rare appearances by KISS. The rarity of the footage will make this a must buy for rabid fans of the band and casual fans will also want to see these early appearances by them as well. Bring on volume two!Kissology, Vol. 1, 1974-1977 is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.

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