Kiss - Off The Soundboard Live At Donington (Monsters Of Rock) August 17, 1996 (3LP)

Description

American rock band Kiss has released twenty studio albums and sixty singles. The group, formed in New York City in 1973, first consisted of bassist Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, lead guitarist Ace Frehley, and drummer Peter Criss. It is the most recognizable and successful line-up, which lasted until Criss' departure in 1980. The band is known for its make-up and on-stage antics, which influenced many artists who later used similar effects in their concerts.

The band's eponymous debut album was released in 1974. The album did not have a hit single and rose only as high as 87 on Billboard, despite significant touring and promotion. The follow-up album, Hotter Than Hell (1974), was a bigger disappointment, peaking at 100 and quickly dropping off the charts. Dressed To Kill, released in 1975, was a much bigger success, breaking into Top-40, but the band's record label, Casablanca Records, was close to bankruptcy and needed a commercial breakthrough. This would later be achieved with both Kiss' and Casablanca's first Top-10 album, the double-live album Alive!, which featured the number 12 hit "Rock and Roll All Nite". The next three albums, Destroyer, Rock and Roll Over, and Love Gun were successful, achieving Platinum status and spawning Top-20 singles (including the number 7 ballad "Beth", the band's highest-charting single in the US).

Their seventh studio release, Dynasty, while being a musical departure, was a global success, thanks largely to the worldwide hit, "I Was Made for Lovin' You". The next three albums, Unmasked, Music From "The Elder" and Creatures of the Night, were domestic commercial failures, even as the band maintained popularity in many other parts of the world. Lick It Up was the first album featuring the band without make-up and was certified gold. Their next studio releases (Animalize; Asylum; Crazy Nights; Smashes, Thrashes & Hits) were more successful and Kiss recaptured some of their earlier glory (though not to the level of their 1970s heyday). Hot in the Shade was the lowest charting album of the unmasked era in the US, despite the success of the top 10 power ballad "Forever".

With their 16th studio release, Revenge, Kiss attempted to modernize their sound for the 1990s with heavier songs. The album initially charted at #6 on the Billboard 200, and quickly reached Gold status in the US. 1997's Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions was released after the reunion tour and did not receive much promotion. It has yet to be certified Gold in the US despite the album's lone single "Jungle" reaching number 8 on the US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Followed by a highly successful reunion, in 1998 Psycho Circus was released and was a moderate success. Their first album in 11 years, Sonic Boom, was released in 2009. The band released their 20th studio album, Monster, on October 9, 2012. To date, Kiss has had 25 million copies certified by the RIAA in the United States. The band has 30 gold albums as of July 2015. Kiss has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, making them one of the top-selling bands of all time.

Release info

Label: UMe B0034905-1
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: USA & Europe
Released: 2022
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock

Tracklist

A1 Deuce
A2 King Of The Night Time World
A3 Do You Love Me
A4 Calling Dr. Love
B1 Cold Gin
B2 Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll
B3 Shout It Out Loud
C1 Watchin´ You
C2 Firehouse
C3 Shock Me
D1 Strutter
D2 God Of Thunder
E1 Love Gun
E2 100,000 Years
E3 Black Diamond
F1 Detroit Rock City
F2 Rock And Roll All Nite