Kiss: MTV unplugged -- why it's a great performance

Ok, after watching Kissology 3 I really, really love the unplugged set.

I remember when it originally aired, recording it on my VCR and watching it about a million times. Here's what makes it a great performance...

Remember how, with "The Elder," they were trying to prove to everyone that they had some credibility as musicians? It tanked. I mean, WE love it, but it still tanked.

But on the unplugged show, they effortlessly showed that they DO have credibility as musicians -- without trying to make the point.

I'm not sure if I'm explaining myself very well...

It's definitely a great show. Who would have thought that a hard rock tune like "Domino" would come off so well unplugged? Another cool thing is that a couple of the songs ("Comin' Home," "Goin' Blind") actually sound a lot better than the original recordings. A lot of the first two studio records don't sound that great, but we have the Alive! versions that sound better... but the two tracks I just mentioned seemed to have been forgotten (although I've always loved them).

The best performance on the disc? "I Still Love You." Paul's such an incredible performer, even when sitting down with an acoustic guitar, that the song just breaks your heart (ok, that wasn't a very metal thing to say, but I mean it).

It's just too bad that the whole performance was overshadowed by the "reunion" aspect of the show...

Who else loves this performance?

I just saw it again on VH1 Classic a few weeks ago (for the first time in quite a while) and it really is a fantastic gig. I remember hearing about the taping and thinking "Man, I would give my left nut to be at that thing!" ... and that was before I even heard about Ace and Peter showing up...

Definitely one of my favorite KISS moments.

Quote :

I remember hearing about the taping and thinking "Man, I would give my left nut to be at that thing!" ... and that was before I even heard about Ace and Peter showing up...

Isn't it funny how back then, before we all had the internet, there was so little info on stuff like this? We were watching it the other day, and my wife asked me if I had known that Ace and Peter were going to be on it. I remember that I did in fact know that, although how I had found out, I don't know. It might be that my guitar teacher had told me (He's the guitarist in the alt-rock band Sponge and knows a lot of people in the industry).

That was a cool time for me. I was 15 when Unplugged was recorded, and just figured I'd never get to see the original lineup live. I was 16 when they reunited, and was fortunate enough (thanks to awesome parents -- my dad actually worked on stage with Kiss at one show in '75) to be at the Tiger Stadium show that's on K3.

I remember watching the original broadcast and had no idea until Ace and Peter came out - I remember think Reunion tour! Reunion Tour! and got my wish.

October 31, 1995 I set my VCR for the premiere, because I had to go trick or treating. I was 12 and I was only a fan for a little while up to that point. The show was awesome, it was cool to see Peter and Ace come back. I watched the crap out of it and immediately bought the CD when it came out. The TV broadcast set was fantastic, but it was awesome seeing the entire set on Kissology 3. Good times.

True story -- I met Eric Singer at the NY/NJ Kiss Expo in 1997, during his Q&A session someone asked him what his reaction was before the "Unplugged" taping when the idea of inviting Ace & Peter came up. He sez he thought to himself "Uh-oh." He must've known he was gonna be out of a job soon right then and there.

I was/am a casual fan of KISS, but after seeing that performance for the 1st time, it did change my opinion of the band. For me, it gave them a little more credibility as musicians, although I always thought Ace was cool.

The Unplugged show is a great thing. Like you said they prove that they were credible as musicians. They should have done many more songs.

777Stryken777 wrote:

The best performance on the disc? "I Still Love You." Paul's such an incredible performer, even when sitting down with an acoustic guitar, that the song just breaks your heart (ok, that wasn't a very metal thing to say, but I mean it).

It's just too bad that the whole performance was overshadowed by the "reunion" aspect of the show...

Who else loves this performance?

I do! I love it. Watched it early yesterday morning as I was doing cardio and before anyone in my house was awake. I then listened to it again as we were all up and getting ready for the day. Great performance, and I agree, Paul sounded FANTASTIC on "I Still Love You."

I even enjoy the goof ups and the overall looseness of some of the songs they were doing during the set-up/breakdown of the stage. The country version of God of Thunder is funny.

I never liked this performance. I thought it was a bit contrived and lifeless. Ace shouldn't be allowed to touch acoustic guitars. The distortion covers sloppiness.

spectrefate wrote:

I never liked this performance. I thought it was a bit contrived and lifeless. Ace shouldn't be allowed to touch acoustic guitars. The distortion covers sloppiness.

Ace only played on a handful of songs. Bruce Kulick did a great job playing lead on the acoustic.

What do you mean by contrived and lifeless? Man, that is the total opposite of what I thought even when I had only heard the CD. Seeing the performance adds even more life to the performance IMO.

Contrived? Everyone was doing the Unplugged thing. As much as a cop out as it may seem, Gene and Paul probably saw another chance for money and did it mainly for that reason. They had nothing else to prove at the time.

As for lifeless, KISS (of whom I am a fan, mind you) are a electric live rock n roll band. It is their bread and butter and to hear them on an Unplugged session, just seemed like the antithesis of what KISS was and is. I thought on the Unplugged show that for the first time, KISS was able to suck all the energy from the classic songs. But it was nice to see Eric Singer behind the drums, showing Criss how it should be done.

I also recently viewed the KISS Symphony and didn't quite understand that move either. Gene has said in the past that it isn't the "show" that has made them last, but the songs. I tend to disagree. I think it is a culmination of the 2, and the Unplugged and Symphony ventures illustrate that to me. Without the over the top stage excitement, alot of the songs fall flat.

spectrefate wrote:

Contrived? Everyone was doing the Unplugged thing. As much as a cop out as it may seem, Gene and Paul probably saw another chance for money and did it mainly for that reason. They had nothing else to prove at the time.

As for lifeless, KISS (of whom I am a fan, mind you) are a electric live rock n roll band. It is their bread and butter and to hear them on an Unplugged session, just seemed like the antithesis of what KISS was and is. I thought on the Unplugged show that for the first time, KISS was able to suck all the energy from the classic songs. But it was nice to see Eric Singer behind the drums, showing Criss how it should be done.

I also recently viewed the KISS Symphony and didn't quite understand that move either. Gene has said in the past that it isn't the "show" that has made them last, but the songs. I tend to disagree. I think it is a culmination of the 2, and the Unplugged and Symphony ventures illustrate that to me. Without the over the top stage excitement, alot of the songs fall flat.

OK, well, I guess that is your opinion and I can respect that.

I feel the exact opposite. I like he symphony songs. It's not like Kiss hadn't used orchestration before. They used it as early as "Destroyer". Personally I would have rather have had the promised Alive VI from the Farewell Tour, but rather enjoyed the orchestrated takes on the songs. It was as one-time thing that came off well and was worth releasing for the hordes of KISS fans.

Shoot, for that matter, the band used orchestration on "Revenge" and during the Unplugged set for "Every Time I Look At You".

The acoustic set was just something different. Who cares what everyone else was doing at the time. Kiss were doing all the acoustic sets for the Kiss Konventions they were putting on the year before and the idea to do it for MTV, while nothing new, was still very fun to watch. It was the producers idea to have Peter and Ace come back in and do the "reunion" thing. It helped spark the whole reunion, so for that alone, I think it was cool.

I don't know how any KISS fan can listen to the acoustic version of "I Still Love You" and not think it's awesome! Paul gives the vocal performance of his life on that song. "Rock Bottom", even with acoustic guitars, still rocked hard. It was also cool to hear some of those songs you may not have heard in the normal KISS setting such as "World Without Heroes", "Sure Know Something", "See You Tonight" and "Going Blind".

I guess I can respect your opinion, bro, we're all welcome to them... but I disagree... I don't think it was contrived at all. They started doing the Unplugged performances during the Kiss Expo's, and totally unrelated to the MTV Unplugged series. They did it that way because it was more of a Q&A for the fans, and a chance to interact with the band, than a concert.

And lifeless? I respectfully disagree. Without the greasepaint, without the lights and amplification, these songs seem more intimate, more passionate, and more full of life, because it's just the four guys up there pouring their hearts into the songs.

ultmetal wrote:

777Stryken777 wrote:

The best performance on the disc? "I Still Love You." Paul's such an incredible performer, even when sitting down with an acoustic guitar, that the song just breaks your heart (ok, that wasn't a very metal thing to say, but I mean it).

It's just too bad that the whole performance was overshadowed by the "reunion" aspect of the show...

Who else loves this performance?

Great performance, and I agree, Paul sounded FANTASTIC on "I Still Love You."

Yeah ''I Still Love You was just amazing. Paul voice was really great!

ultmetal wrote:

spectrefate wrote:

I never liked this performance. I thought it was a bit contrived and lifeless. Ace shouldn't be allowed to touch acoustic guitars. The distortion covers sloppiness.

Ace only played on a handful of songs. Bruce Kulick did a great job playing lead on the acoustic.

What do you mean by contrived and lifeless? Man, that is the total opposite of what I thought even when I had only heard the CD. Seeing the performance adds even more life to the performance IMO.

You never had watched this back in the day?

Are you asking me SUC? If so, no, I hadn't ever seen the MTV Unplugged video until Kissology III was released. I'd seen bits a pieces of it. There is portions of it on "The Second Coming" DVD, but I never seen the entire show. I was pretty content with the CD version as I thought it was spectacular.

Does the DVD version differ from the cd version? Extra songs or anything?

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Does the DVD version differ from the cd version? Extra songs or anything?

Yes. The entire show is on the DVD, including the songs they were just goofing around with during the set change. Also the funny mistake at the beginning of "Domino" is included on the DVD.

Here is the DVD track listing for the MTV Unplugged show:
18. MTV "Unplugged: Behind The Scenes" (8/95)
19. Comin' Home
20. Plaster Caster
21. Goin' Blind
22. Do You Love Me?
23. Domino
24. Got To Choose
25. Sure Know Something
26. A World Without Heroes
27. Hard Luck Woman
28. Rock Bottom
29. See You Tonight
30. I Still Love You
31. Every Time I Look At You
32. Heaven's On Fire
33. Spit
34. C'mon And Love Me
35. God Of Thunder
36. 2,000 Man
37. Beth
38. Nothin' To Lose
39. Rock And Roll All Nite

Here is the CD track listing:
1. "Comin' Home" (2:21)
2. "Plaster Caster" (3:17 )
3. "Goin' Blind" (3:37)
4. "Do You Love Me?" (3:13)
5. "Domino" (3:46)
6. "Sure Know Something" (4:14)
7. "World Without Heroes" (2:57 )
8. "Rock Bottom" (3:20 )
9. "See You Tonight" (2:26)
10. "I Still Love You" (6:09)
11. "Every Time I Look at You" (4:43)
12. "2000 Man" (5:12 )
13. "Beth" (2:50)
14. "Nothin' to Lose" (3:42)
15. "Rock and Roll All Night" (4:20)

The vinyl release had the same track listing with the additional bonus track "Got to Choose".

That's pretty cool. I feel gypped that I only have the cd version.

The MTV Unplugeed gig was fantastic. But you also need to track down a varioety of all the cool bootleg videos from the Konvention Tour they did. The one where Peter originally came down to attend, and ended up on stage is fantastic. They also played so many cool songs and changed the set on a daily basis back then. Very cool stuff. I think I owned at least 20 different Expo bootleg videos back when I collected CHS. I also owned the complete MTV Unplugged concert, as well as the official VHS version.

ultmetal wrote:

Are you asking me SUC? If so, no, I hadn't ever seen the MTV Unplugged video until Kissology III was released. I'd seen bits a pieces of it. There is portions of it on "The Second Coming" DVD, but I never seen the entire show. I was pretty content with the CD version as I thought it was spectacular.

I think the MTV one was shorter. Yeah, I was asking you. Kinda' shocked me you had never seen that. I had it on tape somewhere.