Description
Double album on red vinyl with gatefold cover, poster, black and white cards and a booklet. Limited 125 copies
This recording from Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead, New York on the 23rd of August is a very good near excellent slightly distant recording that captures the band really hitting their stride after more than a year of almost constant touring. All instruments and vocals are perfectly balanced and is a recording that demands to be played loud. The band had recorded several shows the previous month that would be issued as Kiss Alive! so this recording is very similar in performance with that record. The Alive ! record was reportedly heavily altered in the studio, listening to this one has to wonder how much. The band plays incredibly tight, they plough through the opening of Deuce and Strutter with ease. Got To Choose has always been a favourite of mine and, as with many of their songs, is better live. ” This is off Dressed to Kill, its something a little slower its something a lot heavier its called She”….is Paul’s intro and an obvious understatement. The song has a great groove, Ace is in top form and his first solo he seems to wring it out some fast and furious notes but is just getting ready for his main solo spot. The distance between the recorder and band really comes into play hear and you can appreciate not only his playing but the effects he utilizes. After the songs conclusion there is a audience member who shouts out for Rock Bottom and the first thing that came to mind was UFO but the band go into a great Nothing To Lose, Peter sings the hell out of it, simple but very effective. Paul tells the audience that there is plenty of room down front and the band play arguably one of their better songs, Cmon And Love Me, the song has a great lyric and Ace nails the solos. There are two songs that never fail to get me going, the first is She and the second is 100,000 Years, tonight the latter is played at an almost Marshall tempo and begins with the Gene bass solo and blood spitting. The tempo is fast and furious and leads into a greater Peter Criss solo who keep a non stop pace, he even throws cowbell in for good measure before Paul goes into a long “Believe in Rock and Roll rap”. He hits all the bases and has the crowd on their feet and clapping loudly, keep in mind Peter is drumming through out before the band slowly enters and destroys the audience. No time is wasted as the solemn opening chords of Black Diamond are begun and Paul’s opening line of “Out on the streets for a living” are greeted with a giant round of applause. The harmonizing vocals really shine during this version as does Ace’s solo playing, he is in top form and is just smoking the whole show. The band ends the show with three encores. The most amazing about this release is the material that comes as bonus. There are 5 black and white photos in an envelope and a poster that comes from a photo session in Los Angeles in May of 1975 and a 8 page booklet with information about each member and more rare black and white photos. Unbelievable and a must have item
Track list:
1. Intro
2. Deuce
3. Strutter
4. Got To Choose
5. Hotter Than Hell
6. Firehouse
7. She
8. Guitar Solo-Ace Frehley
9. Nothing To Lose
10. CMon And Love Me
11. Bass Solo-Gene Simmons
12. 100.000 Years
13. Drum Solo-Peter Criss/100.000 Years
14. Black Diamond
15. Cold Gin
16. Rock N Roll All Nite
17. Let Me Go, Rock N Roll