Alive III [LP]

Kiss: Paul Stanley (vocals, guitar); Gene Simmons (vocals, bass);
Eric Singer (vocals, drums); Bruce Kulick (guitar).
Additional personnel: Derek Sherinian (keyboards).
Recorded live in Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana during Kiss' 1992 "Revenge Tour."
Judged against Kiss' previous Alive! albums, Alive III doesn't hold up particularly well. Instead of relying on raw energy and ridiculous but dynamic showmanship, the band plays like the professionals they are, performing a competent set that never catches fire. However, if Alive III is judged against Kiss' late-'80s and early-'90s records, it holds up very well. By cutting away the filler that plagued their studio records, the band is left with a consistently entertaining batch of songs served up with style. It might not be as exciting as the first two Alive albums, but Alive III provides more thrills than most of the group's records of the previous decade. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine