Kiss--Instant Live, Tweeter Center, Tinley Park, IL 7/9/04
The new technology...instant live albums. Is it worth it?
Packaging--
The good:
We have a double disc digipak here that's perfectly acceptable. The date of the show is printed on a sticker put on the front. The back has band and recording info, but no setlist. There is a blank space, and a web address, where you can print a setlist onto a sticker and attach it. Nice idea.
The bad:
The packaging is cardboard...you have to pick up these CDs at a van outside the venue (at least for summer venues)...so if it's raining, you're risking ruining the packaging. And of course, the standard "what if the teeth of the case break?" complaint I always have.
The music:
The good:
Instant Live is a new technology that deliver high quality, mixed soundboard recordings right after the show ends. You buy it before the show, get a voucher, then stand in line after the show and pick up the CD. At the time of this writing, the Kiss CDs are only available at the show...some bands have opted to let the shows be sold online as well.
This is a great way of preventing bootlegs, by giving fans a nice product at a reasonable price ($25 for a double disc). While it "prevents" bootlegs, it also creates a ton of bootlegs...by only making the CDs available at the show, people who missed the "Instant Live" booth or who didn't bring money with them now are paying up to $75 for the original or even $20 for a burn. From a business-minded viewpoint, they should make the discs available online. And since it's Kiss, I assume they will.
The quality of the sound is phenomenal. This sounds like a live album. I have many soundboard bootlegs, but there's definitely a difference between a tape of the board, and a tape of someone doing a bit of mixing. When pyro goes off, the sound of the explosion doesn't overpower everything as it does on many soundboard boots. All of the instruments are clear, there's no sound drops, this could be an official, mass produced live album.
That's not to say there aren't goof ups or sloppy playing...I'm rating the sound quality only. If you are at a show and you enjoy keepsakes, I'd highly recommend buying these discs.
The performance of this show, well...I was there, I thought the show was amazing, so I can't really say too mucn. I thought the performance and song selection were excellent. It's not as good as being there, but it's a great quality capture of the show and for that I couldn't be happier.
The bad--
If you are a fan of live recordings, this is as good as it gets. What's really bad is that "collector" minded people will probably go broke trying to get every show. Luckily, I'm not like that......yet.
Recap�
If you're at a show, and you are a fan of the band you're seeing, do yourself a favor and make the investment. You'll enjoy it. If you couldn't make it to a show, it's worth looking into.
Want more info?
Instant Live
Review by Chris
