Description

Capital Centre, Landover, MD, USA 20th December 1977 STEREO SBD (from Original Masters)

　A major bombshell has been dropped from the unique source that has sent shockwaves through KISS collectors worldwide! An upgraded master has been unearthed for the classic soundboard recording that has reigned as a symbol of the “ALIVE II Tour.” This “official-grade” sound will be released on a pressed CD to permanently preserve it!!

　This release captures the “Landover performance on December 20, 1977,” in a stereo soundboard recording. This live performance has become symbolic, above all, because of the extremely famous professional video footage that survived. This is the cultural heritage-level professional video that was officially released as “KISSOLOGY VOLUME ONE (bonus disc)” and which has also become a staple on our store’s pressed DVD “LARGO 1977.” While this release is a soundboard album of the same live performance, it is not a downgrade of the professional video’s audio. It is a new master of the soundboard that has been upgraded to “a completely different level.”

　Before we get to the shocking quality of the show, let’s first check its position in the schedule at the time.

●1977
“ROCK & ROLL OVER Tour”
– January 1st – March 7th: North America #1 (38 shows) ← *MSG FEBRUARY 1977
– March 24th – April 4th: Japan #1 (10 shows) ← *COMPLETE BUDOKAN 1977 and others
“LOVE GUN Tour”
– July 8th – September 5th: North America #2 (30 shows) ← *DEFINITIVE HOUSTON 1977 and others
“ALIVE II Tour”
– November 15th – December 31st: North America #3a (27 shows) ← ★HERE★
●1978
– January 3rd – February 3rd: North America #3b (19 shows)
– March 28th – April 2nd: Japan #2 (5 shows)

[A completely official-quality soundboard that will make your brain malfunction and wonder if it’s really the same live performance!?]
　This is KISS in 1977/1978. 1977 was a busy year for the band, with three tours taking place, but the Landover performance featured in this film was the final show of the “ALIVE II Tour,” specifically the 22nd performance of that tour.

　As mentioned earlier, this performance is familiar to many from our press DVD “LARGO 1977”. The footage in that DVD is breathtaking in terms of master quality and camerawork, and is one of the finest in KISS’s pro-shot collection. However, the audio was not the best. The vocals were over-peaked and distorted, and the instrumental separation was poor. Ace’s solo was recorded beautifully, but the sound of the other three members was muddled together and hidden in the shadow of the booming vocals. The video was so beautiful that this issue was never really addressed, but it wasn’t the kind of live album that you would enjoy just for the sound.

　In contrast, this work is perfectly at the level of a musical masterpiece. It’s such a completely different, upgraded master that you might doubt it’s really the same live performance! The beautifully separated stereo sound and ensemble balance are exquisite, and every single note of the rhythm section is crisp and clear. Ace’s guitar is outstanding, of course, but Paul’s rhythm guitar also stands out with excellent clarity, and you can feel every single wave of Gene’s bass in vivid detail. Peter’s drums are also positioned three-dimensionally, from the kick drum to the cymbals, and for the first time, the full scope of the ensemble that was lost in the video version is revealed.

　This is no longer just “officially-level unearthed material.” It’s “fully official-level,” capable of being officially released as a standalone album. This is truly the birth of an absolute live album that can be confidently declared “the greatest masterpiece of the ALIVE II Tour.

” [A full album that lets you experience the ALIVE II Tour at its peak]
　This fully official-level sound depicts a full show that condenses the entirety of the “ALIVE II Tour.” While some songs in the video version were partially edited in ‘KISSOLOGY,’ this is the complete version. Let’s summarize here.

●Hell’s Army (5 songs)
– King of the Night Time World (★) / Shout It Out Loud / God Of Thunder / Detroit Rock City (★) / Beth (★)
●Others (12 songs)
– Hell’s Rock Fire: Ladies Room / Makin’ Love / I Want You / Calling Dr. Love
– Love Gun: I Stole Your Love / Love Gun / Christine Sixteen / Shock Me (★)
– Others: Firehouse / Let Me Go, Rock And Roll (★) / Rock And Roll All Nite / Black Diamond
*Note: Songs marked with “★” were not included in the official ‘KISSOLOGY’ version.

…And so it is. A total of 17 songs, approximately 80 minutes of content. “King of the Night Time World,” “Detroit Rock City,” “Beth,” “Shock Me,” and “Let Me Go, Rock And Roll,” which were cut from the official ‘KISSOLOGY’ version during editing, are all included. This set is the culmination of the “ALIVE II Tour,” which followed the “ROCK & ROLL OVER Tour” and the “LOVE GUN Tour,” and you can enjoy it without missing a single detail.

　The live album “ALIVE II” and the tour that followed marked a turning point in their heyday. This release is a masterpiece soundboard recording that symbolizes that definitive tour. Thanks to a new master obtained through insider connections, this absolute full live album has been upgraded to “completely official quality.” It proudly appears here on a permanently preserved pressed CD!

★A stereo soundboard recording of the “Landover performance on December 20, 1977,” the same as the super-classic video “LARGO 1977.” With a new master unearthed through unique insider connections, the sound has been upgraded to a class of its own compared to the audio of the video version, making it “completely official quality.” This is the absolute live album of the “ALIVE II Tour,” containing all 17 songs and approximately 80 minutes, including masterpieces not found on the official “KISSOLOGY.”

(79:43)
1. Intro
2. I Stole Your Love
3. King Of The Night Time World
4. Ladies Room
5. Firehouse
6. Love Gun
7. Let Me Go, Rock ‘n’ Roll
8. Makin’ Love
9. Christine Sixteen
10. Shock Me
11. Guitar Solo
12. I Want You
13. Calling Dr. Love
14. Shout It Out Loud
15. Bass Solo
16. God Of Thunder
17. Drum Solo
18. God Of Thunder (reprise)
19. Rock And Roll All Nite
20. Detroit Rock City
21. Beth
22. Black Diamond