Kiss
Set aside the makeup, pyrotechnics, and coffin sales, and all that's left of "the hottest band in the world" is the music. Fortunately, in the case of Kiss, the music is their strongest suit. This five-CD box set blends previously released recordings, demos, and unreleased live material. Rarities come in large part from the band's halcyon makeup period and include unheard songs from an assortment of demos. Among the curios are the Wicked Lester versions of "She" and "Love Her All I Can," replete with horn kicks and hand percussion. No less intriguing is the previously unreleasedDestroyer-era,Slade-inspired stomper "Doncha Hesitate" and Paul Stanley's disco-influenced "God of Thunder." Other demos give insight into the band's proclivity for cannibalizing early material for portions of soon-to-be hits. Though most fans recognize the 1970s as Kiss's heyday, the 1980s material such asCreatures of the Night's "War Machine" andAsylum's "Tears Are Falling" holds up surprisingly well. The fifth CD, which consists of 1990s output, falls flat, though some sparks are rekindled with the rewrite ofArgent's "God Gave Rock & Roll to You." The box includes a thick, full-color booklet with rare photos and insightful song-by-song commentary from the band.--Kelly Minnis