1. KISS Alive! (1975)
I've pondered this list long and hard, dear reader. I've had various permutations of these albums and at points other albums have made this top five. For example, I listen to Paul Stanley's winsome falsetto as he warbles "I am just a boy," on Music From The Elder and I admire his balls, even though he's singing as if he doesn't own a pair. Childhood's End on 1997's Carnival Of Souls is an outstanding song on an outstanding album. Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album is a touching, and entertaining homage to The Beatles, whilst Ace's album as part of the same batch is a hard rock classic. But whichever way this top 5 ended up KISS Alive! was always going to be in the number 1 position. Everything that KISS is, was and will be as a band stems from the majesty of this, possibly the greatest live album of all time. There are those who will mumble that there is far too much re-recording and studio tweakery for this to be considered a true "Live" album. The only original concert recordings are Peter Criss' drums. Everything else you hear has been overdubbed: lead vocals; backing vocals; bass; rhythm guitars; lead guitars; even crowd noises were recreated in the studio. The truth is most "live albums" and "live DVDs" have been artificially constructed in this way. Eddie Kramer performed a phenomenal job in creating a dazzling artefact, the perfect souvenir of the KISS live experience. He was essential in making this one of the best rock records of all time. "Live" or not. KISS Alive! features the musical highlights of the band's first 3 albums (KISS (1974), Hotter Than Hell (1974) and Dressed To Kill (1975)) played "live". The versions of the songs on this album make their studio equivalents sound as if they were performed by a group of surly, disinterested teenagers reluctantly completing a task in detention. Every song on KISS Alive! bristles with excitement and makes you want to plug in your air guitar, contort your face as if wincing in pain and play along. It doesn't matter in the slightest that you can't see Peter's drumkit levitate or Gene spitting flames, this is a young, hungry band taking relish in ripping up the stage: their exuberance jags out of the speakers. Deuce, Strutter, Got To Choose, Hotter Than Hell, Firehouse, Parasite, She, Watchin' You, 100,000 Years, Rock And Roll All Nite... It's a litany of rock perfection. I wore out my first vinyl copy of this album by slowing it down to work out how to play Peter's jazz inflected drum fills. All four fellas are on fire on this record and, given the flashbomb fever climax at the end of Black Diamond, almost literally so. Ace Frehley cements his place amongst the greatest rock guitarists ever as he expertly teases vibrant flurries of euphoria from his guitar. This album has sold over 6,000,000 copies worldwide and has been entered into the US National Library Of Congress as one of the finest examples of recorded music. In short, it rules. No matter what type of music is you like, this album should be a part of your collection. You wanted the best, you got the best.
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