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Kiss - Symphony: The DVD Actor: Kiss Number of Items: 2 Format: Color Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 180 minutes Studio: Bmg Distribution (VI Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2003-09-09 Buy from Amazon

From Amazon.com KISS bassist/chief provocateur/world-class swagmeister Gene Simmons once infamously claimed that his cartoon shock-rockers were more influential than Dylan, though the driving sentiment behind this double-disc DVD chronicle of the band's liaison with the Melbourne Symphony seems to paraphrase "Love Minus Zero": "There's no success like excess / and excess is the best success of all." The history of the fusion of rock bands and orchestras is a long and notoriously spotted one, though matters of decorum have seldom concerned--or deterred--KISS. Disc 1 outlines the genesis of the project, with an earnest and typically irony-free Simmons meeting with perpetually bemused conductor David Campbell to discuss mutual musical quandaries, like synchronizing explosions and whether the orchestra can get their KISS makeup on with due haste. Rehearsal and preparation footage display an unusually affable orchestra and band, a mood that carries over into its pyrotechnic-punctuated greatest hits set with the band (Tommy Thayer ably filling the platforms of the departed Ace Frehley). It all works surprisingly well, if at some pitched, Vegas-showroom-in-hell level of bombast. It's a technically impressive show and package, if one that feels distinctly padded as a double-disc (the performance of the "Symphony"'s Act III is repeated on both discs). Less is more? Not here. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 88 Average rating: 3.5 "One of their best performances EVER !!!!!!!" My father bought me this DVD when he went to Buenos Aires, Argentina along with "KISS: EXPOSED". This DVD rocks. It has some of their best songs they wrote, for example: "Deuce", "Strutter", "Detroit Rock City", "Love Gun", "I Was Made For Lovin' You", etc. This review will be exactly like the one I did about the C.D. because it's totally the same thing:Act 1.- KISS playing a couple of songs like everybody knows. 1.- "Deuce".- This song is one of KISS's best songs EVER and one of my favorite's. A great intro for a mind-blowing show.- 5/5. 2.- "Strutter".- Another song from KISS that was one of the best.- 5/5. 3.- "Let Me Go, Rock & Roll".- For me, this has got to be "the" complete version of this great rock 'n' roll song. This version is similar to the "Alive!" album. Majestic.- 5/5. 4.- "Lick it Up".- Another classic big hit from KISS, this time from the decade of the 80's. I love this one.- 5/5. 5.- "Calling Dr. Love".- HEY, what you know, even another classic hit from the 70's. God.- 5/5. 6.- "Psycho Circus".- This one is another KISS classic, at least for me, and a great way to end the first act.- 5/5. Act 2.- KISS playing an acoustic segment of the show with the "Melbourne Symphony Ensemble" under the direction of Mr. David Campbell. 1.- "Beth".- A terrific classic single from Peter Criss from the 70's.- 5/5. 2.- "Forever".- Yet another classic single from KISS from the decade of the late 80's. 3.- "Goin' Blind".- This song is played better with an acoustic than with an electric.- 5/5. 4.- "Sure Know Something".- This is another song that is played better acoustic than electric.- 4/5. 5.- "Shandi".- I hate to admit this, but I don't really like this KISS song that much....it is too "stella", but a great outro for the second act.- 3/5 Act 3.- Now this is the best and the coolest act: KISS playing a mind-blowing show with the "Melbourne Symphony Orchestra". Just a Dire-Hit show. 1.- "Detroit Rock City".- To start off, KISS and the "Melbourne Symphony Orchestra" play one of the best KISS songs EVER. I gotta say this is a great version of the song.- 5/5. 2.- "King of The Night Time World".- The best song that follows "Detroit Rock City" is played right after it. This is the best version of the song! .- 5/5. 3.- "Do You Love Me?".- This is yet another KISS classic from the 70's. It sounds better with the Orchestra.- 5/5. 4.- "Shout It Out Loud".- This is yet ANOTHER KISS classic from the 70's. One of my favorite's from KISS.- 5/5. 5.- "God of Thunder".- In this song, Gene starts with a bass solo while spiting blood, following a breat "fly" on stage. Then the "CATMAN" starts hitting his drums following the ORCHESTRA. This is the best Versiono of "God of Thunder".- 5/5. 6.- "Love Gun".- Another KISS classic from the 70's and with a great version of the song.- 5/5. 7.- "Black Diamond".- A great KISS song, powerfull and on its best version EVER. The performance on this track is unbelivable.- 5/5. 8.- "Great Expectations".- This is the first time the play "Great Expectation" on stage without realesing on any other live C.D. before. One of the best with the "Australian Children's Choir".- 5/5. 9.- "I Was Made For Lovin' You".- Yet another KISS classic from the 70's and one of my favorite songs from KISS.- 5/5. 10.- "Rock and Roll All Nite".- This one is another KISS classic from the 70's and probably one of their top 5 songs they wrote. I love this song and it is a great version and outro.- 5/5. See. There is no differences at all. Go buy this one and live full experience of the "KISS SYMPHONY" concert. KISS RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "GREAT SOUND BUT JAIL THE EDITOR" When it comes to your favorite bands when you are a teenager I guess KISS was after my time by about 5 year. But because of my younger brother I was always exposed to KISS to a certain extant. SO, when this DVD came on the shelves I had to get it and see the concert. WOW, what a show. I own a lot of concert DVDs. I have a large and very expensive home Theater and most of my concerts at in DTS. This concert has great sound and it is just a super show. The only reason I did not give it 5 Starts is because of the editing of the show. Put simply, the editor and/or the editing team should be shot. They never spend any longer that 3 seconds on a frame. I don't think that there is anymore than one or two nice shots of the entire stage with band. TOO bad, cause everything else is great. BUTTTTTT, the editing is sooooo bad that it is painful to try watching it. I only listen to the show. "unbeatable" This DVD introduced me to the band Kiss. i can honestly say that after seeing this DVD i was hooked on Kiss. Easily the best concert ever. All the songs are solid - with the orchestra the songs i was made for loving you, god of thunder, black diamond, shandi, sure know something, beth and forever stand out and are fab. The first section, without the orchestra is also very very good. Ignore any other bad reviews on this. Just because Ace frehley is not in the line up does not make this a bad DVD. Tommy thayer plays very well and repleces Ace as the guiterist. buy the DVD and see for yourself. It is excellent and displays kiss at there very best. "KISS Rocks with Style and Grace!" Gene, Paul, and Peter were great to see with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. But the newly-hired guitarist Tommy Thayer knows nothing to keep in the leads, As Ace did! Especially on the pick-up leads on the 2nd Disc of "Kings of the Night time World." Which made it disappointing to see. Although the audio is great, and definitely worth watching. "Think for yourself." This is a great DVD that I almost didn't buy. I almost listened to all of the negative editing slams by people. I have seen Kiss Live many times and this is a quality DVD of that experience. The camera does move around but unlike most bands Kiss is high energy and there is so much going on at a Kiss show I felt that I saw the creme de la creme of all of the various cameras. As far as people slamming Tommy Thayer he plays Ace's licks perfect. He also has played on Psycho Circus and what you may think is Ace playing on Psyco Circus could very well be Tommy or Paul.