Rating: 
Summary: Great KISS Show - Minor Things Wrong With DVD
Review: First let me say that I'm a long time KISS fan from the 1970's originally from Long Island, NY. I've seen KISS on several occasions and I still get excited about seeing ANY of their live performances. Here's the good and the bad on the KISS-Symphony DVD...THE GOOD: KISS still looks great. They're in good shape - considering they'll be able to collect social security in 10 years or less (not that they need it). The song selection is good, tho I somehow wish they'd choose a few classics that they never seem to play live anymore - like "Got To Choose", "Parasite"... or the forgotten "Mr. Speed". Ultimately, KISS goes with the songs that work well for them live. Here, with the Melbourne Symphony, the band had to pick songs that worked with a 60 piece orchestra. The classics like "Black Diamond", "Do You Love Me", "Goin' Blind", "Beth", Detroit Rock City" all work fantastic... most of the others do to - but these I thought really stood out. Sound production is crisp. Guitars and drums and orchestra are all in synch and no one seems to drown anyone else out. I thought the "Rove Live" interview was great and very candid, and the song "Sure Know Something" sounded great with the band members sitting on stage and a select number of orchestra members behind them. Tommy Thayer (Ace replacement) totally rocked on all stages - he had Ace's guitar licks down. THE BAD: There is absolutely NO reason we need 2 discs here. Approximately 3.5 hours of material... and that includes Act-3 twice. I've seen movies just as long on one disc. If you sit down with disc 1 (as most viewers probably do), you'll watch an informative preview leading up to the show - the orchestra and band rehearsing, voices from the fans, the production crew, and an Australian "Rove" live interview (similar to a Jay Leno and Letterman show). In fact, I wish there was more of this. After this preview, you jump right into 3rd and final Act (why?). Disc 2 starts off from the beginning of the show (containing all 3 Acts). Why are we shown Act-3 twice? Why not have one disc in chronological order of the entire event? I get the feeling that the buying public will spend more money on a 2-disc set - thanks Gene & Paul for soaking another few bucks out of the fans). The ego of both Gene & Paul are still huge. I found it offensive after the 15th time of Gene pumping his groin into the camera. Watching Paul's backside almost as much as his front was annoying - watching Paul shake his as* at the camera quickly grew tiresome. Having played drums myself, I was always a fan of drummer Peter Criss. Yet actually watching Peter play made me remember just how average a drummer he is. His drumming seemed labored and there was nothing flashy about his playing. I have to remind myself this is KISS, and their music is for the most part simple. My point is - if you want to see a great drummer, look elsewhere (i.e. Rush's Neil Peart, or Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy). The editing on this KISS DVD is way to fast (borderline headache fast). While watching the 4 band members on stage, you only get a second or two at a time. The camera angle was always changing. While this kept it somewhat fresh... it was just overwhelming at times. Anyone notice the track listing on the back of the DVD case is wrong? All they had to do was take it from the previously released 2-CD set. "Great Expectations" and "Black Diamond" are misplaced in the Act-3 track listing. 4 stars for a great performance, but a somewhat flawed DVD set.
Rating: 
Summary: Live and on DVD blows the roof off
Review: As the old phrase goes "you can't capture the moment of a live concert". Well I was at the concert last year and I have the DVD. This DVD not only captures the moment but interactively invites you up onstage...... Seeing the Melbourne Symphony Orchastra in Full Kiss Make up is spine tingling. These people who are not normally accustomed to rock music and are more accustomed to playing Motzart and Bach. Seeing Middle aged people who make there livivng playing classical music, rocking out to Rock and Roll all night really gets your blood pumping. I am proud to be a Victorian and to have had the privilage to see it live and in DVD.... The Kiss Symphony DVD is the greatest Kiss DVD on this planet it has two DVD's the first one shows you how the concert was prepared. The behind the scenes footage is just so informative it lets you into what normally you would never see with any concert. It also plays the entire 3rd Act which is the Symphony part of the show, It just blows the roof off. The Second DVD is the entire show all three Acts and to see them again and to know that you have witnessed history or Kisstory is just mind blowing. Plus the bonus TV interview and performance just tops it off. Rove live is just like the tonight show with Jay Leno to anyone who was wondering...... My oppinion of this DVD set is Awsome absolutley Awsome!!!!!! This DVD really catches the moment!!!!!!!! Especially if it is played loud.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Music DVD Package of 2003!
Review: Opinions are like @$$holes, everyone's got one.Seeing as I've been a KISS fan for over 26 years,I know when something they do is good or bad.This dvd is the epitome of rock n roll spectacle with a killer symphony to back it up.Sure,other bands have done the symphony thing before this,but no one has done the full stage show and not compromised what they have always been to do a show like this.Metallica did a small theater with no show.Scorpions as well.KISS has always done what they want and how they want without the critics approval.
The overall show is fantastic.You've always got your people who have to pick apart something and with this it show it seems to either be the editing or the fact that Ace Frehley is not present.The editing is a plus because it gives you the overall feel of what the crowd was feeling as well as the band.You almost feel to a degree that you are there as it happened.As far as Tommy Thayer replacing Ace, it was a resounding plus.All the guitar parts were played without mistake and you didn't see a drunken idiot stumbling around on stage.Ace was asked to do this show,but turned it down for his lucrative solo career (ha ha ha).The band is in high energy and the symphony makes this dvd special as it makes the already timeless classics fresh and new.The documentary on disc one is awesome as it gives you insight as to how this was all put together.The special features are cool as well.
KISS has never been a critically acclaimed band and probably never will be,but they have always been about what matters and that is the true fans!The very end of the show shows the band getting into their limo's.Gene looks into the camera and says,"We are the American Gold record Champions,Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Kiss My @$$,The People Have Spoken!" With 2 million of these dvd's already sold, indeed they have.This is a review by a true fan, not a paid critic.If you are looking for the essance of a rock and roll show,look no further.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy the CD instead.
Review: The visual editing is a catastrophy. The editor need to calm down. The music is great! Buy the CD instead.
Rating:
Summary: As good as it gets!!!
Review: Kiss has really outdone themselves with this Symphony live DVD! If you have loved Kiss at any point in your life, you will love the Symphony DVD. As far as the camera angles, and multiple shots, I am glad they where edited in. It captures the essense of what was happening on the night of Feb. 28, 2003 in Melbourne. What was happening was something special! The only regret I have about this DVD, is the fact that I could not be there live that night. I would have loved to feel it and see it in person. The Dolby 5.1 cranked up in my home is great, don't get me wrong, but being there would have been that much more special. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone including non-Kiss fans. You will witness the hottest band in the land at their best!
Rating:
Summary: Don't give Gene any more money!
Review: Ki$$ should have pulled the plug after the '95 reunion tour. Spend your hard earned dollars on something Gene can't collect on, like a bootleg of a 70's concert.
Rating: 
Summary: Attention Defecit KISSorder
Review: The visual editing direction destroyed an otherwise outstanding live show that could have easily become one of the best live shows available for Rock N Roll. The camera angles change so rapidly and frequently that the viewer cannot make out any one scene long enough to take in any real part of the show. It's actually quite annoying to watch. I found I enjoyed it better when, after about 10 minutes and 2000 imposed camera angles, I surfed the internet and just LISTENED to the DVD. So for that matter, I don't recommend buying this DVD. Instead, buy the Audio CD which is worth it.
It was also clear that Ace was missing, You could hear it. See it however,....only if you had a really quick eye. Though Tommy Thayer is probably a better guitarist than Ace in a technical sense, KISS cannot sound like KISS without the component of Ace's personality in the playing. Tommy failed to capture that. I also saw this show live in Houston w/o symphony. Tommy's guitar sound was really thin and sucked.
GET THE CD ONLY!
Rating:
Summary: Tommy Thayer is WAY underrated!
Review: I didn't know who he was, so I looked up his website. Did you know that he was Ace's "teacher" for re-learning all his own stuff for the 1996 tour? He's co-written songs and contributed much more over 15 years than apparently anybody knows. Not only that but he really plays rings around these KISS songs. That great Les Paul sound is a definitive timbre throughout the performance. After I saw how involved he's been with the band over the years and duly impressed by his solid playing here, I say they keep him and pay him whatever. This guy doesn't need to be apologetic in the least. I can't think of how somebody could do any more to deserve that spot on the stage than Tommy Thayer (not "Paul" Thayer, Amazon 'Editor'!) Ace who???
The fact is that every musician on this project had to take a huge step up in terms of their own musicianship, especially in just listening - the hardest and most important part of playing. That they were able to pull this off with such great sound, play so well together and not lose one ounch of edge off the metal is just incredible. For those who have any idea how monumental of a challenge this was for everyone involved, the first disk is informative as well. Those who've never played a note in time with another musician will never fully comprehend it, but here's a great place to start if you want to take a shot. Those who have will still be overwhelmed.
Rating:
Summary: Thanks Kiss Fans (and Amazon)!!
Review: I went to the Amazon web site to see if the new Kiss DVD was in yet. Boy am I glad Amazon posts reviews (good AND bad). You must realize that posting bad reviews influences people's buying decisions on products Amazon is trying to sell. So, I have to give a big pat on the back to Amazon for being "up front" with it's customers. Now for the Kiss DVD. I'm very disappointed and angry to read what I did about the editing. It is exactly that reason why I'm not going to buy the DVD and why I will not recommend it to any of my friends. Please, DVD's are meant to be WATCHED. It's a plus that it sounds great, but if some idiot editor ruined the visual part of the DVD, then it's all ruined. How on earth did Kiss allow poor editing. I too am hoping that they come out with a different edited version of Symphony. I will then buy it immediately at Amazon.Com. Kiss, if you're listening, re-do the DVD SOON!!!
Rating:
Summary: Thank you to the many reviewers
Review: A big thank you Amazon for allowing customers to write reviews of products. I was going to buy this DVD, but due to over 90% of the reviews detailing the poor editing, I will be steering clear of this DVD! I am going to wait for it to be hopefully re-released in the future with correct editing ie. more KISS footage, more symphony footage and less audience footage! And most of all, longer shots!
Thanks again to the readers who've saved me money!
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