KISS – KISSWORLD

You can tell a lot about a person by the KISS compilation album they grew up on. While some hail ‘Tears Are Falling’, others laud ‘Plaster Caster’, but everyone raises the roof for the best known classics. ‘KISSWORLD’ is a compilation that gives with one hand and takes with the other.

Opening proceedings with the iconic “woo” of ‘Crazy Crazy Nights’ is the only way to begin a journey through the depths of glam rock. Pouring smoothly into the timeless ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ and the sassy whip cracks of ‘I Was Made For Loving You’, ‘KISSWORLD’ begins with a promise to house as many anthems as physically possible. Would you be human if you didn’t slowly wave along with ‘God Gave Rock ’N’ Roll To You II’? Before long, you’re swinging back to 1976’s ‘Destroyer’ with the punishing ‘Detroit Rock City’ and its heartfelt B-side ‘Beth’ – understandably, ‘Destroyer’ features heavily with three tracks chosen for the final cut and could easily have included more. Even the cruelly understated ‘Lick It Up’ deserves its place in the rankings while ‘Heaven’s On Fire’ and ‘Tears Are Falling’ storm their way in to represent ‘Animalize’ and ‘Asylum’, it seems safe to assume all the infectious hits make their defiant appearances.

It’s baffling to think that the roof-raising ‘Unholy’ is so rarely recognised in compilations and ‘KISSWORLD’ valiantly fights its corner, but in this inclusion it also falters on some pivotal points. The shameful absence of ‘God of Thunder’ is by far the hardest blow, followed swiftly by classics ‘Cold Gin’, ‘Deuce’, ‘Shock Me’ and the self-explanatory ‘Strutter’ – in fact not a single track from their self-titled debut features here. In exchange, the largely forgettable ‘Psycho Circus’, eventless ‘Christine Sixteen’ and uncharacteristic ballad ‘Hard Luck Woman’ take crucial places in the queue. The criminal 16-track wait for fan favourite ‘Love Gun’ only adds to the misery.

Does the cure for the closing tracks lie with ‘Calling Dr Love’? Luckily so, as the surprise presence of ‘Unmasked’ love song ‘Shandi’ belts its heart out to make its place in the listings fully deserved. The catchy ‘Modern Day Delilah’ and defiant ‘Hell or Hallelujah’ take the final podium places to champion 21st century KISS and bring the compilation full circle – without doubt a rollercoaster in both positive and negative fashions.

As Gene Simmons attempts to trademark the devil horns, there appears to be no agenda or narrative driving the composition of ‘KISSWORLD’ other than contagious tracks spanning the glam giants’ career. Slap on your face paint, hitch up your leather pants and grab a like-minded friend – KISS are for sharing with the world around you.

Recommended tracks: Crazy Crazy Nights, God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll To You II

Track listing: 

1. Crazy Crazy Nights
2. Rock And Roll All Nite
3. I Was Made For Lovin’ You
4. God Gave Rock ’N’ Roll To You II
5. Detroit Rock City
6. Beth
7. Lick It Up
8. Heaven’s On Fire
9. Tears Are Falling
10. Unholy
11. Hard Luck Woman
12. Psycho Circus
13. Shout It Out Loud
14. Calling Dr. Love
15. Christine Sixteen
16. Love Gun
17. Shandi
18. I’m A Legend Tonight
19. Modern Day Delilah
20. Hell Or Hallelujah