WELL, FIRST OFF: I AM 45, AND FIRST SAW KISS IN A SHOW BAR IN EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN BACK IN 73. I WAS IN COBO FOR ALIVE (2-3 NITES)..AND HAVE 17 CONCERTS WHICH SPAN 1973-1978 (LOVE GUN TOUR).

THEN THE MUSIC DIED....

THEN I CAUGHT BOTH SHOWS IN ATLANTA THIS PAST WORLD-WIDE TOUR. IN THE YEARS IN BETWEEN...CAULK UP SEEING ACE AND PETER'S SOLO BANDS, AND HAVING BOTH THEIR' CATALOGS IN FULL. MY KISS COLLECTION OF LP'S, 8 TRACK, CASSETTES, REEL TO REEL AND THEN CD SPAN ALIVE TO LICK IT UP. THEN I PICK BACK UP WITH THE NON-UNPLUGGED, GREATEST, YOU WANTED... AND SO FORTH.

I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ABOUT COS, AND THE CATALOG PORTION I SKIPPED:

I BOUGHT THE MERCURY RECORDS VERSION AT STORE HERE 3 DAYS AGO. MY MISSION WAS FOR ANOTHER CD, BUT I ALWAYS GO THROUGH ALL SECTIONS THAT ACE/PETER/COMET/CRISS CATS/KISS MAY LURK. AFTER TRYING TO GET A FEEL AND PATHWAY INTO WHERE THE COS WAS GOING, SAD TO SAY WITHOUT MORE THAN MAYBE 2 EXCEPTIONS....THIS SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE SHELF BACK AT GENE AND PAUL'S. NON-RIFF PLAYING...NO ROCK AND ROLL SWING-ATTITUDE MIXED IN, THIS CAME ACROSS AS A CLASSIC BLACK SABBATH-CLONE PRODUCT. RATHER THAN BE MAD...MY HONEST FEELINGS ARE MORE SAD. CLEARLY THE COS SIGNALS THAT THE REUNION TIMING WAS A MAJOR RIGHT CALL FOR TAKING BACK ANY PLACE IN ROCK HISTORY, WHICH WITH THE BREAKOUT OF COS, TAKES THE FINE/PROUD/ROCKING BAND WE LOVE......AND LOWERS IT TO THE METAL HASH LEVEL FOR BANDS WITHOUT A MISSION OR MUSICAL FOCUS.

I WAS STUNNED THAT ANY POLL TAKEN BY ANY SERIOUS/LEARNED/COMMITTED FAN OF THE BAND...WOULD IN ANY SERIOUSNESS MEASURE...PLACE THIS PRODUCT EVEN WITHIN MILES OF ALIVE/DESTROYER/R'N'ROLLOVER....COS IS NOT A PROUD FINAL STAMP FOR BRUCE AND ERIC AT ALL, THEY DESERVE MUCH BETTER.

I AM A FAN OF KISS. WHAT THEY DID, FOR HOW LONG, AND ALWAYS PUTTING FANS FIRST.... MAKES THE RELEASE OF COS A REAL PUZZLEMENT TO ME.

DID GENE AND PAUL DECIDE TO LEAK A FEW BOOTLEGGED TRACKS....SIT BACK AND WATCH THE NET TRAFFIC AS TO OPINIONS ? AND THEN DECIDING MAYBE THE COS COULD BE DUSTED OFF AND PUT OUT NOW THAT KISS IS A MARKETABLE COMMODITY AGAIN...TO SELL WHATEVER SELLS OF COS ? I HATE TO THINK SO BUT.... ....THIS SO CLEARLY IS AS POOR A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, AS ASYLUM, AND UNMASKED, AND THE ELDER....THAT I SUSPECT THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE ACCUSES ME OF BEING WAY OFF THE MARK...I THINK THAT COS WILL WIND UP WITH ATLEAST 2 NOT-SO-SIGNIFICANT TRADEMARK FIRSTS FOR KISS:

1 LEAST AMOUNT OF INTEREST FROM RADIO OR MEDIA PLAYLISTINGS 2 QUICKEST TURN AROUND FROM 14.99 CD SELLING PRICES.....TO THE SECOND HAND/DISC-GO-ROUND BINS AT 5.00.

YOU WANT KISS-TYPE MUSIC ? CRISS CATS 1#, TROUBLE WALKING, 12 PICKS, WILL STILL BE ROCKING ON SOME ARMY MEMEBER'S SOUND SYSTEM LONG AFTER COS HAS THANKFULLY DISAPPEARED OFF THE FACE OF ROCK AND ROLL.

I AM SO SORRY, BUT COS WAS A BITTER PILL, AND JUST REMAINS ANOTHER CD THAT BLOWS BIG TIME.