Kiss
Alive I&II

Klein Weitz, (known as Gene Simmons), leader and bassist/singer of the legendary and revolutionary band "Kiss", was born in Haifa, Israel, where he spent his entire childhood until his adolescence; and then emigrated with the rest of his family permanently to America, where he was eventually able to gather one of the most well-known groups in the world, "Kiss". (I must state that I am absolutely not a fan of the "Glamour" genre, but what "Kiss" offers is one of the two examples I can accept; as it is unique in its kind, the other being "David Bowie & his legendary band "Spider From Mars"; in my view, the true promoter of the genre in question).

It is worth noting that the entire success of the American band is attributed to their "Line-Up", truly transgressive, captivating, and especially new, indeed it was something no one had ever thought of before. Even the simple fact of remaining unknown, behind the characters portrayed by their stage masks (for approximately seven years, from their debut in 1973 until the famous album "UNMASKED" released in 1980), remains to this day, a unique and innovative fact, which no other band will ever replicate. The typical "Kiss" style makeup, with a white background and black drawings on top, will be imitated and emulated (miserably) up to our days by various semi/unknown bands in the "Black/Death metal" field. A band, which in all likelihood, preempts by at least five years the famous phrase "Great Swindle of Rock N'Roll" attributed to the English Punk band "Sex Pistols". Simply because the legendary American band, in fact, never offers elements of "very high" technique nor good ones; in the works they propose in the future, the members of the group will not be remembered as particularly skilled musicians in playing their instruments (although it is worth noting the good jazz foundation that drummer Peter Criscuola, known as "Peter Criss," had brought with him as cultural baggage, well before the formation of the group).

But undeniably, regardless of that, their strength will not lie at all in distinguishing themselves for some virtuosity or not, their strong point was in how they presented themselves to the audience, this was their "ace up the sleeve" in a nutshell. They will lead their listeners and the most die-hard fans into a true mass frenzy, in line with the old motto: "Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll". A true phenomenon, therefore, highlighting the excellent "business" acumen of leader "Gene Simmons" and their producers, aware of breaking into people's hearts, more because of their flamboyance than the technique and quality of their music; it is also noteworthy how in many of their concerts, there are true theatrical performances, with a somewhat circus-like taste (they have been widely defined as true "Stage Animals" by critics) all to captivate the cheering crowd and always (why not?) in search of something new and innovative to propose to the public in general, not just their supporters. Acumen that "Gene Simmons" will also mature in the film industry, having appeared in various film works himself, as a supporting actor and in some cases being one of the producers of some films (one of the most famous being "Death at 33 RPM" with an iconic soundtrack performed by the group "Fastway").

Throughout their career, the "Kiss" will tackle musical genres ranging from their typical carefree and rebellious '70s rock to engaging in works with an explicitly Disco/music flavor of the late seventies (the tracklist "I Was Made For Lovin' You" contained in the 1979 album "Dynasty" is unforgettable). In the 1980s, the band would move towards more Hard/Heavy tones, following the commercial trend of other "GLAM" bands composing the American music scene; even in these albums, however, the "Kiss" will deliver excellent tracks, some true stadium anthems, like the highly recommendable tracklist "I Love It Loud" during the concert in "Rio de Janeiro" back in 1982.

Essentially, the double concert "Alive I&II" is and remains certainly the best work ever achieved by the band, a good raw and transgressive rock (the video is excellent too), where all the most famous tracks of the debut years are found: Deuce, Black Diamond, Strutter... and many more!! An essential album for enthusiasts and equally unmissable for those who simply want to have an excellent and comprehensive musical encyclopedia in general. The double album "Alive" is also distinguished by very good sound quality, which especially in live performances was a very rare and sought-after quality at the time.