Tag: KISS

Kiss – ‘Watching Us’ – Album Review (The Kiss Bootleg Series)

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I have been doing a Kiss Bootleg Series for years. You get a review every time I add a new one to the collection. Well, after buying 38 Bootleg CDs from John Humphrey’s personal collection, I figured let’s jump right back in and do a whole lot of reviews on the Bootlegs. Oh, if you don’t know who John Humphrey is, you need to know he is a massive Kiss collector. And he is the drummer of the band Seether. John decided to sell off his entire collection…sort of…he kept all the vinyl (like 4,000 of them). He did it through an auction at Backstage Auctions and I had to have a piece of it…and I did wind up with some things.

This time around we have a cool bootleg that consists of a collection of performances Kiss did on various TV shows over the years. It is called ‘Watching Us’ and I am not sure what year this was released as it is not listed on the back cover nor does Discogs have it listed. It is 16 tracks covering appearances from 1974 up to 1986. The cover photo and a couple others were taken from a photoshoot on October 19, 1976. This was where they did a photoshoot for Creem magazine and they used polyurethane “fake” snow which is actually so toxic that it is no longer used. I am assuming the guys didn’t suffer any long-term effects from being exposed to it.

The disc starts off with ABC’s in Concert which aired on March 219, 1974. It kicks off with “Nothin’ to Lose and Peter on vocals. The quality is decent enough, a little hollow sounding like it was from a copy of a copy. The crowd sounds good and loud while the band is on fire as they are young and hungry. After that opening track, they go into the classic, “Firehouse”. Paul confidently and effortlessly delivers a stellar vocal. I like the long drawn out ending and the siren ringing loudly. After that, they go into one of my favorites, “Black Diamond”. This one sounds so good despite the quality of the recording. The band simply kills it. Peter’s vocals are spot on. He is so into it and gives it his all. Another great, long, drawn out, explosive ending. This was back when they were all the best they could be.

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The Collection – Ep. 89: January 2026 Wrap-Up

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2026 is upon us and we are already closing out the first month. It is time for our January 2026 Wrap Up so lets see what 2 Loud 2 Old Music added to the collection this month. Despite all the snow we picked up here in Charlotte, we also picked up a bunch of a whole of CDs and even a few vinyl. This month I didn’t actually get to hit a record store, but I did order from Discogs, Facebook and Amazon and most of this was from Christmas Gift Cards or ad money from the site. Gotta love that!! So much to go through including a handful of new Rock Candy CDs in the collection, one Kiss item and a few Box Sets plus a selection of items that are new releases. Lots of great new and old stuff to go through and show for this month so I hope you enjoy the show!!

So go check it out as it is live right now on YouTube. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

And the whole set for those that won’t watch videos…

Kiss – “Uh! All Night” – 12″ Promotional Single (1985) – Single Review (The Kiss Review Series)

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The band’s 13th studio album called ‘Asylum’ came out on September 16, 1985. It only had one official retail issued single and that was the ballad “Tears Are Falling”. The also released two other promotional singles which were “Who Wants To Be Lonely” and the one we are here to talk about “Uh! All Night”. They actually made videos for all three songs which we filmed in London. The album was certified Gold by November 1985 which means Kiss still had a solid following at this time. The videos on MTV helped even if they were cheesy and drenched in the bold colors and ridiculous outfits that were the rage at the time. Kiss were chasing trends at this point, not setting them anymore.

What we are going to discuss is this Promotional only radio single which I now have in my collection thanks to my Brother, Gary, finding it in the wild at some shop in Georgia. It is housed in a generic Emerald Green Polygram jacket with a jagged looking hole which I think looks pretty cool. Sides A and B are the same song in stereo and the label has the “Promotional Copy: Not For Sale” on the label. One cool thing about it the Vinyl is that if you hold it up to a light source, it has a green translucent color to it (the picture doesn’t quite capture it, but trust me it has a green tint). My copy was well loved by the radio station and still has some stickers on it that I am assuming they put on themselves. The vinyl is clean, no popping and sounds great.

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Kiss – ‘Choppers ‘N Chicks’ (2016) – Album Review (The Kiss Bootleg Series)

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Kiss is one of those bands that there are hundreds upon hundreds of bootlegs. Each time I go to Repo Records for Record Store Day, I always seem to find bootlegs. It has been Kiss and Van Halen almost every time. This time it was more Kiss. I discovered three bootlegs at Repo Records and since I didn’t have two of them, I bought both. First up was ‘The Rock ‘N Roots of Kiss’ which we covered last week. This time around it is ‘Choppers ‘N Chicks’ from 2016 which is a Rock And Roll Tour Rehearsal from Camp Curtis Guild Armory in Reading, Massachusetts on November 15, 1976. A very famous bootleg that has been going around for years.

An interesting note of fact, that during the rehearsal, the band was filmed lip-syncing three songs that would be used on the Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Those songs were “Hard Luck Woman”, “I Want You” and “Love ‘Em and Leave ‘Em”. I believe this is an audience style recording from a tape deck and not a soundboard recording. There were several songs they rehearsed that I don’t believe were played very often on this tour, so it is cool to still have those. “Hard Luck Woman” is one of those songs.

The package we get here is pretty basic. The album jacket is almost rubbery in texture and sadly, I didn’t notice there is a blowout at the top. I can’t take it back and exchange for another one as there isn’t one. The record sleeve is nice and solid with better quality than the jacket. The picture on the front is Gene on his Chopper and on the back is a full band picture with a Chick. The sleeve has another Gene on his chopper picture and then the reverse has the track listing with individual photos of the band, each on their own bike. The vinyl is a splatter that is a rather dull reddish, brownish, orangish color. Not that pretty. The label is white and blank. But how does the music sound?

SIDE 1:

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What to Expect in New Music in 2026!!!

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2026 is upon us and it is always fun anticipating what new albums will come out in the year. Since today would normally be a Friday New Release post, let’s look at the new releases coming our way in 2026. There are quite a few we already know about, but some haven’t been officially announced or even a date set yet.

Last year, there were a few artist I was hoping would release an album that might have or might not have released one.  It is always fun to hope for new music from these bands, but sometimes there are disappointments.  Here are the ones I was hoping to get new albums from last year and what actually happened…

  • Def Leppard – It is time for The Collection Vol. 4!! Come on boys, give it to us!! Or a new album…whichever you want. Well – we didn’t get a new album, but we got a new live album with ‘Diamond Star Heroes’, but honestly their live albums bore me.
  • Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!!  Time to start up more Soundboard LPs or another box set…give us something! We got a brand new Soundboard LP as well as 2 Box sets with Dressed to Kill and Alive!!  Yes!! That is more like it boys!!
  • Guns ‘N Roses – Rumors, Rumors, Rumors!!  Will we ever get a new album! – Still nothing, but we did get new songs…sort of…they aren’t really new as they are leftover tracks from Chinese Democracy with the current line-up…come on boys…do better!!
  • Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set for over 3 years and still nothing much, but will he get around to releasing the full Life & Times of Eddie Gage? I hope so. – Nothing at all from him in 2025 but he did mention a new album in 2026!! We will see.
  • Billy Idol – There are rumors of a new album and even Steve Stevens showed a test pressing..could it be??!!  We got one!! Yeah!!  ‘Dream Into It’ came out in 2026…I didn’t care for it too much so that is disappointing.

Okay, are there albums I want to see this year from some of my favorite bands that haven’t been announced or in some cases even rumored?  Of course there are.  These are the bands I want new albums from this year…but it might not happen.

  • Def Leppard – It is time for The Collection Vol. 4!! Come on boys, give it to us!! Or a new album…whichever you want. The new album has been hinted at so fingers crossed
  • Kiss – I will keep this on the list until I die!!  Will we get another soundboard or any more box sets??? I hope so!
  • Aldo Nova – He keeps talking about a 2CD set for over 4 years and still nothing much, but will he get around to releasing the full Life & Times of Eddie Gage? I hope so. He has now mentioned something coming in 2026…I will believe it when I see it.
  • Creed – Will there be new music in 2026? Oh, please say it will be so! There have been rumblings and rumors…I think they will at least work on a new album in 2026.
  • Poison – We need a new album, but I don’t expect one. What I do hope we get is a 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of their debut, “Look What the Cat Dragged In”. That would be cool.
  • Guns N Roses – Will we get a full album. You know what, I don’t think I really care. The older I get, the more overrated this band really is!! Only one great album in their minuscule catalog.
  • Jeff Scott Soto – Now, Soto puts out a ton of albums every year. I would love a new solo album as it has been years. At the very least, a SOTO band album. But please, NO MORE ART OF ANARCHY! That was awful.

From what I have gathered around the internet, here are the bands that should have new albums out in 2025 or are rumored, but no dates announced yet. The ones I would give a try will be highlighted in Blue. The ones with Dates Announced are at the bottom of this post. The list is building up nicely!!

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Kiss – ‘The Rock ‘N Roots of Kiss’ (2025) – Album Review (The Kiss Bootleg Series)

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Kiss is one of those bands that there are hundreds upon hundreds of bootlegs. Each year brings us a new batch and 2025 is no different. I was out shopping for Record Store Day Black Friday and discovered three bootlegs at Repo Records. I didn’t have two of them, so I bought the two I didn’t already own. First up is ‘The Rock ‘N Roots of Kiss’. It is obviously, unofficial, and was released by a company called Rockin’ Bear Records. There are only 9 songs on here and they are simply a collection of songs from Radio Broadcasts in 1974 and 1975. Side A is all 1975 and Side B is from 1975.

Some bootlegs come with a lot of extra inserts, stickers and really cool pieces. This is not one of those releases. This is as bare bones as you can get. It does have a nice thick cover, but the vinyl is in a small clear plastic sleeve, no liner notes or anything to tell us what show these songs are from, but I think I figure it out some of it as we go through the album. It shouldn’t be hard as there weren’t a ton of radio broadcasts released, that I am aware. The only cool thing in here is the vinyl is a clear translucent color which is very nice. The artwork gives me AI vibes as someone got lazy and had the computer draw the cover. Still looks kinda cool though.

SIDE A:

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The Collection: Ep. 87 – The Best Finds in Music for 2025

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This week on The Collection, we are going to go through the favorites things I found during 2025. We will discuss my Top 10 Favorite New Albums, my Favorite Box Sets, my Favorite CD Finds and my Favorite Vinyl finds. We will also talk about two of my things that happened to me, music related that is. My favorite thing that happened my daughter getting engaged. Join me as we walk through some really cool finds…at least I think they are cool. Let’s get to it!

So go check it out as it is live right now on YouTube. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

The Collection: Ep. 84 – November 2025 Wrap-Up (including RSD Black Friday)

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November is done and we are now inching towards Christmas. First, it is time for the monthly wrap-up so lets see what 2 Loud 2 Old Music added to the collection this month. This is the November 2025 Wrap-Up and we have a bunch of vinyl and a whole lot of CDs to get through. This month I hit Noble Records & Repo Records as well as ordered from Discogs and Amazon. So much to go through including a handful of new Rock Candy CDs in the collection, Kiss and a Box Set rolled into one plus a selection of items from Black Friday Record Store Day. Lots of great new and old stuff to go through and show for this month so I hope you enjoy the show!!

So go check it out as it is live right now on YouTube. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

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The Collection: Ep. 83 – Kiss ‘Alive!’ (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition)

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This week on The Collection, we go through the brand new Kiss ‘Alive!’ 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition CD Box Set. Can’t believe it has been 50 years to one of the greatest Live albums of all time (cough, cough). I just received the box set from Fed Ex and figured I would show it to you at the exact time I went through it so we are both surprised or disappointed with what is or is not included. I had so much fun doing the Dressed to Kill box set, I figured let’s do the same thing here with ‘Alive!’. We talk about the book, the Blu-Ray and the live shows that are included and it is all great. I hope you enjoy!!

So go check it out as it is live right now on YouTube. Thanks for stopping by and please click “Like” and hit “Subscribe” as it helps out the site when you do.

Friday New Releases – November 21, 2025

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A whole lot of stuff coming your way as we draw closer to the Holidays. We have about 40 releases for you and by the look of it, you probably can’t guess what year we are in as we have items from Def Leppard, Kiss, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Stryper, Eric Clapton, Jethro Tull and Prince to name a few. I have a lot on pre-order today with Def Leppard, Kiss, Stryper and The Beatles. I’m skipping Aerosmith as I haven’t brought myself to listen to it yet with Yungblud. If I do give it a spin and like it, I’ll order it. What do you want to hear this week or what did we miss. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a great weekend.

  • Def Leppard – Diamond Star Heroes: Live From Sheffield – (Mercury Studios)
  • Kiss – Alive! 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition – (UMG Recordings)
  • Aerosmith & Yungblud – One More Time E.P. – (Capitol Records / Queen of Denial)
  • Stryper – The Greatest Gift Of All – (Frontiers Records)
  • The Beatles – Anthology Collection – (Calderstone Productions / Universal Music / Apple Corps Ltd)
  • The Beatles – Anthology 4 – (Calderstone Productions / Universal Music / Apple Corps Ltd)
  • Creed – The Best of Creed – (Craft Recordings): On Vinyl & CD
  • Eric Clapton – Journeyman: Deluxe Edition – (EPC Enterprises, LLP / Surfdog Records)
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