KISS – “Kissworld (The Best Of Kiss)” [Album Review]

You wanted the best… You got… Another best of compilation! KISS have now been around since the early ’70s and as such, they’re bound to have accumulated a vast number of studio albums, live recordings, and yes, compilation albums. With such a vast back catalogue of songs, choosing what will go into each best of album would be a tricky task, but in this case, they have opted for a solid mix spanning their entire career. First things first, I will state I am not a fan of compilation albums as I see it as nothing more than a cash cow for record labels which typically only appeal to new fans and the die-hard collector, and in the case of KISS, there will be many.

So, with no new material to comment on, where do I begin? Well to start, KISS is one of the biggest rock bands in the world, a title they have earned through amazing songs and epic live shows so the truth here is, there are no bad songs on this record. It covers some of the best singles KISS have written, kicking off with “Crazy Crazy Nights”. Well-known, and simply a good old fashioned rock n’ roll extravaganza filled with singalong vocals and cheesy guitar riffs, put simply, what KISS are best known for.

The guys also have in their immense library of slower, more romantic ballads where you would raise a lighter in the air. “Beth” and “Hard Luck Woman” encapsulates this style perfectly. I am also happy to say this compilation includes my all-time favourite KISS track, “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II”, a power ballad of epic proportions!

Kissworld covers everything from “Detroit Rock City” all the way to fan favourite, “Love Gun”. Truth is, given it is a collection of amazing tunes that earned KISS the right to declare themselves the “hottest band in the world”, you could say this is a 10 out of 10 album, but my disdain for compilation albums means it really can’t be given top marks and must loose points as I’d rather create my own best of playlist from all they have to offer. If you are a fan of this band, just invest in their studio albums so you can experience the true majesty that is KISS.

Kissworld Track Listing:

01. Crazy Crazy Nights
02. Rock and Roll All Night
03. I Was Made For Lovin’ You
04. God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll to You II
05. Detroit Rock City
06. Beth
07. Lick it Up
08. Heaven’s on Fire
09. 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 Legend Tonight
19. Modern Day Delilah
20. Hell or Hallelujah

Run Time: 1:15:35
Release Date: June 2, 2017

Check out the lyric video for the song “Hell or Hallelujah”