KISS - Sonic Boom

[noelani72]

Whelp, picked mine up today.
Still wondering what Gene's "catch" is...for a $12 deal, we got a 3-disc set (one being a dvd featuring concert footage) and booklet with lyrics.

I've only got to listen to it once, and was interupted while doing so.

My five minute first impression is it's pretty good.
My gut had me saying it was a hybrid of Rock-n-Roll Over, Hot in the Shade, and Crazy Nights...maybe a little from Paul's 1978 solo lp. Plus, might just be me, but one of the tunes really really reminded me of a song by Poison; similar riffs and flow.

Tommy sings a tune in classic Ace style.
Eric sings a tune in the raspy Catman voice.

Tommy's guitar licks made me feel like Ace was on top of his game.

One tune sorta made me feel like Gene was looking for a replacement to God of Thunder...but I'll have to listen to it again.

With Paul producing, I was expecting it to sound like his solo stuff off Live to Win, but never made the connection.

Time to stick in into iTunes and enjoy the headphones.

[Hotfoot]

I got mine as well as the small KISS figures. Enjoyed it but will have to listen several times before I pick a favorite. Nothing strikes me as becoming a classic hit. Also got the Trading card set of 33 and one poster.

[haggis]

Picked it up today also. Listened to the new album and some of the rerecorded 'classic' tracks. I like the new disc, even after one listen. There are a couple of dodgy bits but that's not uncommon for a KISS record. KISS in classic form and Thayer and Singer acquit themselves well on their vocal tracks. I'm glad the bonus CD was 'thrown in' here because I would have been disappointed if I had paid for it on its own. I don't feel that the production on some of the more recent 'classics'(like Heaven's on Fire, Lick it Up, etc) is, in any way, superior to the original. Just my two pesos.
Overall, a great deal from a band that seems to have come full circle.

[mego73]

I'll be picking it up tomorrow. KISS was on Letterman tonight. Gene tried to stick his tongue in Letterman's ear.



YouTube - KISS on Letterman 10/6/2009

[Cosmicman]

I have heard it and I love it.
Our local Exclusive Company is ordering me a special copy on Vinyl. There are some bands that I pick up the vinyl release like KISS or the Beatles. Some bands like that make me feel like a kid and I love getting the vinyl release along with the CD. Call me stupid but I am a fan boy of KISS.

I'll take a picture when I get it.


UPDATE:
No versions of this album appear to be on vinyl. The goosehead kid at the Exclusive company was talking out of his ***. I went back today and nobody can find any release on vinyl. Bummer.

[spaceace35]

any chance of getting additional vinyl? i havent seen it offered on vinyl anywhere

[noelani72]

oooooh I would want a vinyl lp myself....any chance for me too?

[Cosmicman]

any chance of getting additional vinyl? i havent seen it offered on vinyl anywhere

Just got back from Exclusive. It turns out the kid that was in the store the other night didn't really know what he was talking about.
So far they can only find CD releases. They have my number and the manager is going to call me later.
It appears that Kerry's post appears to be the same in Wisconsin also.

What a ****ing bummer. :(

No vinyl.

[LadyZod]

My husband hit Walmart yesterday only to be disappointed in our local "KISSmart". Only picked up the album, a Gene and Paul mask, and a Gene wig. Nothing else...

No shirts, no toys, cards, nada!

I do believe, since it's his day off and I just woke up and he's gone that he must be driving around within a 100 mile radius looking for more KISSmarts.

Vinyl would be awesome, but being that it is a Walmart exclusive, I highly doubt it. Best Buy I could see carrying a vinyl set, but Walmart? They barely carry CDs where I live.

Anna

[Cosmicman]

My husband hit Walmart yesterday only to be disappointed in our local "KISSmart". Only picked up the album, a Gene and Paul mask, and a Gene wig. Nothing else...

No shirts, no toys, cards, nada!

I do believe, since it's his day off and I just woke up and he's gone that he must be driving around within a 100 mile radius looking for more KISSmarts.

Vinyl would be awesome, but being that it is a Walmart exclusive, I highly doubt it. Best Buy I could see carrying a vinyl set, but Walmart? They barely carry CDs where I live.

Anna

Scroll up and read my posts. Bad news for that.

[MIB41]

The Walmart I went to only had the CD's mixed in with their new release display and had some Kiss Potato-heads off to the side. So far, no big KISS display as others have found. I have listened to both CDs and watched the six song concert, which is excellent. Overall the value of getting a three disc set for $12.00 is beyond criticism. That's a great buy. Now the new material - After listening to the new songs several times over, I like a few of them (Never Enough, Stand, and Nobody's Perfect). But after hearing this record for a little longer than most......Nothing is truly sticking, which is rare for myself and new KISS material. Usually you get a song like Crazy Nights, Lick it up, or a ballad like Reason to Live, or Forever. None of that is present here. There are attempts at anthem-style tunes, but they never really get there.
The greatest hits re-records are for royalty reasons ONLY...trust me on that. Ace and Peter get nothing off this. Had they stuck to songs Ace and Peter played on or had a contract with (like Double Platinum), that would have entitled them to a percentage of the take. Gene and Paul are not going there. Songs like Lick it up and Heavens on Fire sounded considerably slowed down from the original versions (the AARP version?). But other songs like Hotter than Hell and surprisingly Black Diamond were done with respect to the original translation. Overall on a scale of 1-10, I would give this a 7. Lots of material and the overall value of getting a very cool looking concert pumps that number higher than I would otherwise have given it.

[haggis]

I get the idea that they re-recorded the songs so they wouldn't have to pay Ace and Peter...but surely they will be even less pleased paying songwriting royalties to Vinnie Vincent. lol

[supes]

I got mine as well as the small KISS figures. Enjoyed it but will have to listen several times before I pick a favorite. Nothing strikes me as becoming a classic hit. Also got the Trading card set of 33 and one poster.

What small Kiss figures? Any pics? My local Walmart is kind of dinky and only had a small cardboard display that held probably only 50 cd's in it.

[spaceace35]

[supes]

Thanks for the pics, man those are sweet! I am going to have to venture out to the big Walmart to look for those.