Andrew Jacobs here,
I've always prided myself on being able to appreciate the entire KISS discography equally. To me, most of KISS's '80s albums are just as good as (if not better than) their '70s klassics.
Having said that though, if I had to pick just one favorite KISS album, Alive II would absolutely be it. And today marks 35 years since it's original release on November 28, 1977.
Just like 1975's Alive!, Alive II is a live showcase of the 3 studio albums released before it. And because both Rock And Roll Over and Love Gun are tied for first place as far as my favorite KISS '70s studio albums go, the songs from those two albums that are performed on Alive II are given a whole new life and energy that the studio albums, as great as they are, simply could not match. Throw in the super spectacular Alive II opening double whammy of Destroyer's "Detroit Rock City" and "King Of The Night Time World" (as I've previously mentioned, my absolute favorite song pairing in the history of music) and the unbelievably evil & awesome sounding "God Of Thunder" (featuring a kick ass Peter drum solo) and you've got yourself one hell of a great live document of what I personally consider to be the original KISS lineup at their absolute best.
But wait, there's more.
"Larger Than Life", one of Gene's studio tracks from side 4 of Alive II, is arguably The Demon at his most demonic (for lack of a better word). It's also in my top 5 of favorite Gene songs. Ace's "Rocket Ride" is an outstanding Spaceman tune that, although KISS never played it, became a staple (and rightfully so) of Ace's solo shows throughout the '80s and the '90s.
Happy 35, Alive II. And many, many more.
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