Kiss Symphony: Alive IV
| Symphony: Alive IV | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by Kiss | ||||
| Released |
July 22, 2003 (2-disc edition) October 7, 2003 (single-disc edition) | |||
| Recorded | February 28, 2003 | |||
| Length | 1:36:15 | |||
| Label |
Kiss Sanctuary | |||
| Kiss chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
| Sputnikmusic | [2] |
Symphony: Alive IV is a 2003 live album from the American rock band Kiss, performing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The arrangements were made by David Campbell, who also conducted the MSO. It is the group's fourth album in the Alive series and first release under Kiss Records and Sanctuary Records.
Album information
The album featured three of the original members of Kiss (Peter Criss, Paul Stanley, and Gene Simmons). Ace Frehley once again left the band and the concert featured for the first time new member Tommy Thayer, dressed as the "Spaceman". This would be the last Kiss album to feature Peter Criss (who would leave the band officially in 2004 to be replaced by Eric Singer).
In 2000, Kiss was to release the original Alive IV (featuring the original re-united lineup), but due to label politics and contracts, it did not happen. Even with the artwork being revealed[3] and "Rock and Roll All Nite" (from Alive IV) being added to the Kiss Box Set, the album was shelved. The band then moved labels from Universal/Island to Sanctuary Music and they released Alive IV - Kiss Symphony. However the original Alive IV was released when the band released the box set of all past Alive albums entitled Kiss Alive! 1975-2000 in 2006. The album is not called Alive IV, but ALIVE: The Millennium Concert.
The members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra who accompanied Kiss during this performance wore Kiss makeup. At the same time they also wore tuxedos. 10,000 limited numbered copies were released on vinyl in the US. Unlike past Alive releases, the songs on the album appear in the order they were performed, with the concert split into three acts. In Act One, the members of Kiss performed six songs by themselves. In Act Two, Kiss performed an acoustic set with the Melbourne Symphony Ensemble for the next five songs. In Act Three, the band played with the full 60 piece orchestra on all tracks.
The live versions of "Rock and Roll All Nite", "God of Thunder" and "Lick It Up" were featured on the soundtrack for the video game Tony Hawk's Underground.
Track listing
All tracks recorded at Etihad Stadium (known at the time as Telstra Dome) in Melbourne, Australia, on February 28, 2003.
2-disc edition
Disc 1
- Act One - Kiss
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deuce" | Gene Simmons | Simmons | 4:14 |
| 2. | "Strutter" | Paul Stanley, Simmons | Stanley | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll" | Stanley, Simmons | Simmons | 6:09 |
| 4. | "Lick It Up" | Vinnie Vincent, Stanley | Stanley | 4:13 |
| 5. | "Calling Dr. Love" | Simmons | Simmons | 3:30 |
| 6. | "Psycho Circus" | Stanley, Curtis Cuomo | Stanley | 5:13 |
- Act Two - Kiss with The Melbourne Symphony Ensemble
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Beth" | Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Bob Ezrin | Criss | 3:41 |
| 8. | "Forever" | Stanley, Michael Bolton | Stanley | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Goin' Blind" | Simmons, Stephen Coronel | Simmons | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Sure Know Something" | Stanley, Vini Poncia | Stanley | 4:20 |
| 11. | "Shandi" | Stanley, Poncia | Stanley | 3:39 |
Disc 2
- Act Three - Kiss with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Detroit Rock City" | Stanley, Ezrin | Stanley | 4:43 |
| 13. | "King of the Night Time World" | Stanley, Ezrin, Kim Fowley, Mark Anthony | Stanley | 3:30 |
| 14. | "Do You Love Me?" | Stanley, Ezrin, Fowley | Stanley | 4:10 |
| 15. | "Shout It Out Loud" | Simmons, Stanley | Simmons, Stanley | 4:10 |
| 16. | "God of Thunder" | Stanley | Simmons | 4:27 |
| 17. | "Love Gun" | Stanley | Stanley | 4:26 |
| 18. | "Black Diamond" | Stanley | Criss, intro by Stanley | 7:11 |
| 19. | "Great Expectations" (featuring the Australian Children's Choir) | Simmons, Ezrin | Simmons | 4:20 |
| 20. | "I Was Made for Lovin' You" | Stanley, Desmond Child, Poncia | Stanley | 5:00 |
| 21. | "Rock and Roll All Nite" | Simmons, Stanley | Simmons | 7:20 |
Single disc edition
- Act One - Kiss
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deuce" | Gene Simmons | Simmons | 4:14 |
| 2. | "Lick It Up" | Vinnie Vincent, Stanley | Stanley | 4:13 |
| 3. | "Calling Dr. Love" | Simmons | Simmons | 3:30 |
- Act Two - Kiss with The Melbourne Symphony Ensemble
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "Beth" | Peter Criss, Stan Penridge, Bob Ezrin | Criss | 3:41 |
| 5. | "Goin' Blind" | Simmons, Stephen Coronel | Simmons | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Shandi" | Stanley, Poncia | Stanley | 3:39 |
- Act Three - Kiss with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Detroit Rock City" | Stanley, Ezrin | Stanley | 4:43 |
| 8. | "King of the Night Time World" | Stanley, Ezrin, Kim Fowley, Mark Anthony | Stanley | 3:30 |
| 9. | "Do You Love Me?" | Stanley, Ezrin, Fowley | Stanley | 4:10 |
| 10. | "Shout It Out Loud" | Simmons, Stanley | Simmons, Stanley | 4:10 |
| 11. | "God of Thunder" | Stanley | Simmons | 4:27 |
| 12. | "Love Gun" | Stanley | Stanley | 4:26 |
| 13. | "Black Diamond" | Stanley | Criss, intro by Stanley | 7:11 |
| 14. | "Great Expectations" (featuring the Australian Children's Choir) | Simmons, Ezrin | Simmons | 4:20 |
| 15. | "Rock and Roll All Nite" | Simmons, Stanley | Simmons | 7:20 |
| 16. | "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" (Bonus track) | Joey Ramone | Simmons, Stanley | 3:35 |
Personnel
- Paul Stanley – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Gene Simmons – vocals, bass
- Tommy Thayer – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Peter Criss – drums, backing vocals
with:
- Mark Opitz – producer
- Tony Wall – engineer
- David Campbell – composer
Charts
Album - ARIA (Australia)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Australian ARIA Aalbum Chart | 14[4] |
Album - Billboard 200 (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Billboard 200 | 18[5] |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[6] | Gold | 50,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
References
- ↑ Kiss Symphony: Alive IV at AllMusic
- ↑ Sputnikmusic review
- ↑ "Alive4Japan". Kiss Asylum. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ↑ "ARIA chart history-Kiss albums database". Retrieved February 12, 2009.
- ↑ "The Billboard 200-Symphony: Alive IV". Archived from the original on July 1, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2009.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Kiss – Symphony: Alive IV". Music Canada.
