KISS: Rock the Nation (DVD)
Posted by Michael Popke, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-03-17 19:17:17
My Score: 
There's nothing quite like a KISS show — even if half of the original lineup is missing and Paul Stanley's voice is shot to hell. The excitement that the band's current incarnation still generates is captured on KISS Rock the Nation, a two-DVD set that that chronicles shows filmed in July 2004 in Washington, D.C., and Virginia Beach, Va. – and that could easily have fit on one disc. The cameras focus on crowd shots (fans in makeup, young kids and hot women) almost as much as they show band members, making much of this two-hour-and-15-minute set blink-and-you-miss-it viewing.
The presence of Tommy Thayer on guitar and Eric Singer on drums isn't as distracting as it initially was when they replaced Ace Frehley and Peter Criss wearing their signature makeup, and they actually boost the band's musicality to a new level. Thayer's playing is much cleaner than Frehley's, and he brings an aggressive attitude to KISS' lead guitar sound that's been missing for years. Meanwhile, Singer sings his brains out, adding oomph to the background vocals on most songs. Stanley's performance, while certainly energetic, is erratic. At times, he seems distracted by the crowd, and when he begins an anti-terrorist rant during the encore, his credibility drops faster than a stoned Ace. Gene Simmons, on the other hand, has ditched the "God of Thunder" shtick and now performs his bass solo and flying routine to the equally disturbing "Unholy."
The set list features several songs the band hasn't performed live in years, including "Makin' Love," "She," "I Want You" and "Parasite." Other surprise performances: a shockingly off-key run-through of "Tears Are Falling" and a potent rendition of "Got to Choose." A tiered and sleek high-tech stage, plus enough pyro and video for the members of KISS to prove that, yes, they are on the cutting edge, enhances the spectacle. Short between-song mini-documentaries that take viewers inside the dressing room, the meet-and-greets and the sound checks are well done but gratuitous and not particularly revealing. And forget about the over-hyped "KISS Powervision," an interactive feature that allows viewers to access separate channels to watch their favorite band member. It's distracting and takes away from the concert's larger-than-life effect.
|
KISS returns to the small screen following their "Rock The Nation" tour with a concert film that is sure to satisfy a large amount of their fans. The KISS of today is a little different than legacy fans might remember as Ace Frehley and Peter Criss have been gone from the group for a couple of years. In their place and their signature makeup is Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer on guitar and drums respectively. When this first became practice the original KISS fan in me was annoyed at this aspect but it was clear after some time that Ace and Peter simply were not going to be able to cut it or follow the directives lined out by Simmons and Stanley to keep this group running. I would have preferred these fine musicians join in and KISS carry on without the greasepaint, but in truth KISS in makeup is what fills the seats and allows them the larger than life personas that so many recognize. Having seen them in the live setting I can say that they do the original members justice and perform with an enthusiasm that Peter and Ace no longer seemed to have during their final appearances of their tenure. This DVD takes us to the front row of one of their performances on the "Rock The Nation" tour and it is a great follow-up to their last release of "Alive IV: KISS Symphony". That particular DVD still had Peter but Thayer was already made up as the Spaceman. "Rock The Nation" was a show that if you were able to get by the other cast members now in famous makeup you were able to enjoy the concert as it featured a large amount of songs that had not been played in years. Songs like "Parasite", "Love Her All I Can" and "Makin' Love" had not been part of the live set for a long time and it was indeed a treat to hear them performed again. KISS also had begun the practice of adding non-makeup era songs to their set and this was a welcome change since so many good songs came out after their makeup removal in 1983. As a result we find "Lick It Up", "Tears Are Falling" and "Unholy" on the film and these were MTV Staples at the time of their release. During this tour there were all sorts of added tunes and I felt KISS could have found a place for them on this double DVD. Sadly they did not and while the concert itself is done and shot well they did not add more of the tracks for the ardent KISS fan to enjoy.
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
