45th Anniversary of KISS ALIVE II fuels controversy among collectors.
See this image? Do not underestimate the importance of this photo. It is one of the most iconic images in the history of rock n’ roll. When the curiosity of youth collides with comic book lore come-to-life, the impressions can last a lifetime. Love’em or Leave’em, that super hero reputation is responsible for many on both sides of the Kiss legacy, but even the haters cannot deny KISS’s role in corrupting multiple generations into the world of live concerts. This was the image for me. It was everything. This blood and sweat soaked photo introduced me to the idea that rock music was an all-out assault of the senses. The God of Thunder was a warrior who wielded his bass into battle and the accompanying photos on this album cover joined together to embody the rock n’roll version of the Fantastic Four. So for these reasons, 45 years later, fans were on high alert, anticipating how KISS might mark the occasion with new releases.
Today KISS announced new limited vinyl releases to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of this double album. The picture disc, limited to 500 copies, sold out just over 30 minutes after being posted. This will always be an issue of contention among fans. Fans who are lucky enough to score one of these limited edition pressings love the low numbers and take pride in adding such an exclusive item to their collection. Fans who miss out are left fuming. Even noted KISS fan, Sebastian Bach, shared his disappointment in missing out on this release shortly after it sold out. Certainly there are more than 500 fans who deserve a shot at this release.
One step the KISS camp could consider is limiting the number of copies per customer. Currently, KISS limits these picture discs to 4 per customer. Bringing that number down to two per customer would at least give a few more fans a fighting chance at acquiring a copy without having to pay secondary market prices. Many collectors buy two copies. One to open and one to keep sealed. Others exercise a little KISS Kapitalism, buying one to keep and one to flip, using the second copy to finance their first. Given these buying habits, fans can certainly justify doubling the numbers to 1000 copies per release and a limit of 2 per customer. Thoughts?? Leave a comment below to share your opinions on these limited releases.
Click here for a complete view of the entire 45th Anniversary collection.