Kiss

Whether it was how easily it could be done or how close to quitting time it was, the Universal label put little effort into Kiss' entry in the Playlist Plus series. This three-CD set does nothing but repurpose volumes one, two, and three of Kiss' 20th Century Masters -- The Millennium Collection series, change the CD labels so they look like the inside of the legendary The Originals set, and decorate it all with photos all from the great makeup era, even when almost two-thirds of the set comes from the non-makeup years. Disc one covers the classic make-up years (1974-1979), disc two features the years where they could have been just about any hair metal band (1982-1990), and disc three covers the last bit of the non-makeup years plus the reunion of the original group (1992-1999). If you want a set that takes equal shares from all eras, this will do, but if you want something as awesome as Gene's fire-breathing or Ace's smoking guitar, go with the two-disc Gold. More ambitious buyers can splurge and get the five-disc Box Set, which favors the band's early years and contains a lot less filler than this smaller set. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide