Psycho ii

There is no shortage of Kiss collections out there, but, as they used to say before Paul, Gene, Ace, and Peter took the stage, "You wanted the best and you got the best!". Spanning four discs, Alive! 1975-2000 makes a great time capsule for Kiss Army completists, packed with a quarter-century of pictures and band reminiscences. And then there's the music. Remastered and packaged together for the first time, the immortal hard-rock one-two punch of Alive! and Alive II together with 1993's makeup-free Alive III showcase the legendary band in their element: driving audiences wild with their thunderous riffs, bombastic ballads, and shameless showmanship. Previously unreleased, Alive: The Millennium Concert captures the reunited and remasked original lineup at the New Year's Eve 1999 stop on what appears to be a never-ending farewell tour. Kiss was never a band likely to be accused of understatement, and Alive! 1975-2000 is an appropriately exalted celebration of their excess and excellence.

Rooted in the campy theatrics of Alice Cooper and the sleazy hard rock of glam rockers the New York Dolls, Kiss became a favorite of American teenagers in the '70s. Most kids were infatuated with the look of Kiss, not their music. Decked out in outrageously flamboyant costumes and makeup, the band fashioned a captivating stage show featuring dry ice, smoke bombs, elaborate lighting, blood spitting, and fire breathing that captured the imaginations of thousands of kids.

Edsel continue their superb curation of Bananarama‘s back catalogue with what is probably the dream set for fans – a 33CD Singles box with a disc devoted to each 45 that includes “absolutely every B-side and remix originally issued around the world” along with many previously unavailable instrumentals and other rarities…