Artist: KISS
Title: “Gold: 1974-1982” Sound and Vision
Label: Mercury/Universal Music
Release Date: 10/5/2004
Genre: Hard Rock
Rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the fine folks over at Universal Music there is no short supply of “Greatest Hits” packages from those masked masters of Rock & Roll KISS. The first “official” hits compilation was the pristine “Double Platinum” and this was released during the band’s original heyday so it remains a cherished favorite of mine. It was followed by “Killers” which was pretty much a Japan only release that some of the fans managed to get their mitts on and how could they not when it was learned how four unreleased songs were a part of its presentation. From there it got a little out of hand and the compilation packages began to be very repetitive and sometimes didn’t even offer up any new photos for us to enjoy. To avoid repetition I am once again presenting my views on the “Gold” (remaster) – It’s easier to do it like this since I obviously feel the same way about this part of the content.

“When you look it up online there really seem to be a lot of KISS “Greatest Hits” albums to choose from. They start at “Double Platinum” and run until “Gold” and when tallied up there are nine such releases to choose from plus the career-encompassing boxed set. Included among this number are Mercury/Universal’s two different “Masters” collections and honestly those are more for the beginner or best served as gifts to those that are for some reason still clueless to the bands impact. With “Gold” however one is able to get a “cream of the crop” collection of the best material from self-titled “KISS” until their album “Killers” which is an import best-of that featured 4 new songs that many KISS fans have not had exposure to. Essentially more of an Anthology package the 40 songs presented here really do give both the KISS fan and the casual listener a great amount of music to enjoy. There are some differences between this and other hits releases by this one making sure that it not only features a handful of live recordings but also a track from each of the member’s solo releases. Overall this is a very well-rounded package and while it omits any music past the “Killers” album there really is a lot of music to sate ones appetite. “Gold” essentially becomes a worthy collection of music from the beginning in 1973 until 1982. Perhaps “More Gold” or “Gold 2” will see the light of day and give focus and attention to the fifteen albums that will come from the band. Paying careful attention to the group’s visual nature there is a nice collection of band photos that I think will go over very well. There are a couple of the most famous shots in the bands history represented such as the Empire State Building shot and the Love Gun era photo that is often used. Historical information is also presented in the booklet that runs a total of 20 pages. There is also a detailed list of the musicians who performed on many of these songs which is interesting information for any musical historian to have. Overall it is an impressive packaging for a hits package. I have to admit that I am a KISS purist and while I followed the band continually during their career I lean to the years that the original line up recorded and toured. Like many fans my very favorite songs come from this era and growing up during the years of their original release makes me say that this is a must have for any KISS fan. It’s even good for the KISS Collector who wants no gaps in their catalog and more important someone who only likes a defined number of hits rather than individual records. Given the growing popularity of buying music online I can see this item doing well via that medium as well.”
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