Kiss – ‘Animalize Live Uncensored’ (1985) – Video Review (The Kiss Review Series)

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic

The first concert video Kiss had ever released was ‘Animalize Live Uncensored’ and I had this on VHS and I remember it vividly although I did watch it again to make sure I didn’t miss anything. It came out on April 19, 1985 and I was so excited when this came out mainly because I saw this tour. My second Kiss show ever and now I was getting a video from that tour, how cool was that. Here is my ticket stub and you can view the Animalize Tour Book which I bought at the show by clicking the link.

The stage was a simple set up in Kiss terms. A couple ramps on each side of the drum set with an elevated platform behind them. The stage floor was covered in the same animal print as the Animalize album cover…makes sense. The show had a varied setlist with some old and some new. They kick off and end with some classic Kiss songs, but everything else in the middle was all 80’s from ‘Creatures of the Night’ (4 songs) to ‘Lick It Up’ (3 Songs) to ‘Animalize’ (3 Songs). For me, this is where I wanted them to spend their time as I was discovering Kiss on my own with these albums so I wanted these songs and I got my money worth with it.

The video opens with Kiss rising from the stage and then they explode in to “Detroit Rock City” and they are in Detroit! The song is so sped up and Eric’s drums are so heavy. I don’t think I’ve seen it played this fast before. After the song, Paul goes in to his his “Cold Gin” spill and they blast in to “Cold Gin” with Bruce Kulick laying down that nasty riff. Bruce was a full time member of the band at this point (which they announced before this very show) since Mark St. John was let go around the beginning of the tour due to his health issues. The show was also a radio broadcast and being filmed for an MTV concert (and this video).

Then we are all 80’s and Paul’s banter between songs is incredible (incredibly good or bad is up for interpretation). I really love the story about the woman coming up to him and looking for Gene and she says that she has Gene’s baby. Paul, the good friend he is, told her not only is that not his baby, but Gene has never seen you before in his life. He then tells the audience that the baby had the longest “f#@ing tongue he had ever seen in his life. He started cursing a lot during the 80’s too. He also does his usual “Love Gun” banter as well which is X rated for this blog.

After speeding through a handful of songs which are played at breakneck speeds thanks to Eric’s fast paced drumming, we get a Paul guitar solo if you want to call it that. Most of the time he was too busy dividing the crowd up in to halves to see who can scream the loudest. We then go in to “War Machine” driven by some heavy-ass beats by Eric and then Gene breathe fire and thankfully he still does that. No blood spitting though. Eric then bangs out a pretty impressive drum solo. The little man has some massive power. This is nothing that Peter could ever play as the double bass speed is insane. Then he has the energy left to still play the rest of the show and go sing his first song he has been allowed to sing “Young and Wasted”. The highlight of the video for me when I was a kid and still today. And even better he sings on “Black Diamond” as well to end the main show before the Encore.

Then we get Gene’s bass solo with him and his axe bass which would then go in to his second highlight song “I Love It Loud” by screaming out “Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Well Alright” which he still does today. Everyone gets a little moment to themselves except Bruce who is still too new to get his solo, hell, even his song solos got little air time, but that would definitely change on later tours as he became more and more involved.

Now I am not going to give you the set list as I think you can read it above on the picture of the back cover. There are 15 songs and 3 solos and you get an hour and half of solid Kiss Rock & Roll. It is a great representation of Kiss at the time and a few classic thrown in to keep the natives happy. My only real drawback to the video is not enough Bruce on camera or a guitar solo. Other than that, it is totally awesome!! Overall, I will give it a 4.0 out of 5.0 Stars. Why this wasn’t released as Kiss Alive III, I have no idea. Oh well.

Next Up: Kiss – Asylum (1985)

Check out the rest of the series if you have time!!

The Kiss Review Series:

  1. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)
  2. Kiss – Kiss (1974)
  3. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell (1974)
  4. Kiss – Dressed to Kill (1975)
  5. Kiss – Alive! (1975)
  6. Kiss – Destroyer (1976)
  7. Kiss – “Flaming Youth” 45 Promo Single – Bonus Edition (1976)
  8. Kiss – Special Kiss Album For Their Summer Tour (1976)
  9. Kiss – The Originals (1976)
  10. Kiss – Rock & Roll Over (1976)
  11. Kiss – Love Gun (1977)
  12. Kiss – Alive II (1977)
  13. Kiss – Double Platinum (1978)
  14. Kiss – Paul Stanley (1978)
  15. Kiss – Gene Simmons (1978)
  16. Kiss – Peter Criss (1978)
  17. Kiss – Ace Frehley (1978)
  18. Kiss – Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Movie (1978)
  19. Kiss – Dynasty (1979)
  20. Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” (1979) – 12″ & 7″ Singles (Bonus Edition)
  21. Kiss – Unmasked (1980)
  22. Peter Criss – Out of Control (1980)
  23. Kiss – Music From The Elder (1981)
  24. Kiss – Killers (1982)
  25. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1982)
  26. Kiss – Lick It Up (1983)
  27. Kiss – Animalize (1984)
  28. Wendy O. Williams – WOW (1984) (Bonus Edition)
  29. Kiss – Animalize Live Uncensored (1985)
  30. Kiss – Asylum (1985)
  31. Kiss – “Tears Are Falling” 7″ Single (Bonus Edition) (1985)
  32. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1985 Re-Issue)
  33. Vinnie Vincent Invasion – Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986)
  34. Black N’ Blue – Nasty Nasty (1986)
  35. Ace Frehley – Frehley’s Comet (1987)
  36. Kiss – Exposed VHS (1987)
  37. Kiss – Crazy Nights (1987)

The Bootleg Series:

  1. Kiss – ‘Accept No Imitations’ (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ASYLUM TOUR)
  2. Kiss – Look Wot You Dun to Me (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (CRAZY NIGHTS TOUR)
  3. Kiss – The Summer of Satan: The Devils Ride Out! (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DESTROYER TOUR)
  4. Kiss – Return to Capital Center (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DYNASTY TOUR)
  5. Kiss – With Fire & Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (HOTTER THAN HELL TOUR)
  6. Kiss – Northhampton PA March 19th, 1975 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (DRESSED TO KILL TOUR)
  7. Kiss – The Hottest Show On Earth (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE HOTTEST SHOW ON EARTH TOUR 2010)
  8. Kiss – All the Way to the Ball Room (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (Australian Tour 1995)
  9. Kiss – Kiss of Thunder (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (The Rising Sun Tour 2006)
  10. Kiss – Agora Ballroom 1974: The Cleveland Broadcast plus Bonus Cuts (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (THE KISS TOUR)
  11. Kiss – Hotter Than Hell: Radio Broadcast 1976 (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ROCK & ROLL OVER TOUR)
  12. Kiss – The Tickler (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (LICK IT UP TOUR 1983)
  13. Kiss – Barbarize (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – North American Tour)
  14. Kiss – They Only Come Out At Night (Bootleg Series) – Album Review (ANIMALIZE WORLD TOUR 1984 – EUROPEAN TOUR)
  15. Wicked Lester and the Progeny Demo Sessions (Bootleg)

Kiss – The Box Set:

Gene Simmons – The Vault:

114 thoughts on “Kiss – ‘Animalize Live Uncensored’ (1985) – Video Review (The Kiss Review Series)”

                1. That is easy. Bruce wouldn’t wear the make-up. He didn’t want to play that part. I don’t blame him either because he had his own era of Kiss and he was proud of that, plus he is friends with Ace and didn’t want to disrespect him by doing that. Kudos to Bruce!!

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                  1. Awww that’s sweet he didn’t want to disrespect Ace or steal his place. I don’t blame Bruce for not wanting to wear the makeup because like I said before, that takes dedication since it takes so long to put it on and all the sweat coming down your face, even with the makeup on.

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  3. I still remember when this came out on VHS. We rented it and it was a cools how. It helped of course that the Lick It Up and Animalize were pretty decent albums as well. I agree that this needs to be released again in some other format.
    Maybe that’s the announcement tomorrow! (ha…yeah right)
    I saw Krokus 3 months before when they opened for Hagar on his VOA Tour. Krokus was a good opener..
    Cool writeup and flashback Sir!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks. I hadn’t seen this show in years, so it was cool watching it again as all the memories came flooding back.

      Tomorrow’s announcement needs to be a) Kissology IV, b) the documentary, c) End of the Road Tour show on CD/vinyl or d) all of the above. It won’t be a new album. What would really be cool is a Kiss Vault like Gene’s,

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