At last it's arrived, the "Mother Of All Boxsets", well not quite what we all hoped for track-list wise but even still it's well worth the money. I'm not even going to attempt a full review of every track (there's a cool review over at the KISS FAQ site for those interested) as at the time of writing I still haven't listened to the full 6 hours worth.

So what do you get for your 60 odd quid? Well for starters it comes in a nice black box, KISSTORY style, complete with a silver KISS logo. Open it up and there's a 120 page soft-back book, 5 cd's and the obligatory merchandise advert.

The book is a full colour affair with a 10 page KISS 'essay' and track-by-track commentary from Paul, Gene, Ace and Peter. Every single page has a photo with every era of the band well represented. Without a doubt this book really makes the boxset complete, it's and excellent addition and complements KISSTORY I very well.

The 94 tracks are split over 5 cd's, number 1 covers 1966-1975, 2 covers 1975-1977, 3 1976-1982, 4 1983-1989 and finally the 5th cd covers1992-1999. Rather than being a boxset full of rarities (which is what most die-hards were after) this is being marketed at all KISS fans, hence it is probably best described as a huge greatest hits package with some rare tracks thrown in. Every era of KISS is represented, including original studio recordings, demos, live tracks and a few sound-checks. While there are 30 unreleased tracks it inevitable that most people with have a fair few of those, although from my point of view none of the copies I already had compare in quality to those on the boxset, the quality of all tracks is excellent. For example the 3 Wicked Lester tracks are the clearest versions I've ever heard. Some of the 'unreleased' songs have in fact been released previously as b-sides (eg Deuce & Strutter) and on Killers (Nowhere To Run) etc. Each CD is nicely packaged with several pictures of the band from that particular era on the fold out sleeve. The back of each CD has a picture of either Paul, Gene, Ace, Peter or Eric Carr, as does the area under the cd.

Out of the unreleased tracks one that really stands out for me is It's My Life, if you already have the demo that Gene recorded in the early 80's then you will be pleased to hear that this is a brand new version. It was recorded by Paul, Gene, Ace & Peter for Psycho Circus but never made it to the album (god knows why), vocally it sounds different to the old demo, Ace even sings the last verse which is very cool! I still can't believe this has never been released as a single..

As expected, this wouldn't be complete without being rounded off with KISS' anthem, Rock And Roll All Nite, this version being from the forthcoming Alive IV (which according to the book will be released next year). If this is a sign of what Alive IV will be like then I am very much looking forward to getting my hands on it, some people may feel like it's over-produced but I like it a lot.

Without a doubt this is worth the money, at around £12 per cd with an excellent book thrown in you can't complain. All the tracks are of excellent quality and there is a very good selection of songs from all eras. The lack of rare tracks that could have been on it makes me wonder whether Gene has plans to make this "Boxset Part 1". Just 2 more cd's to listen to......

Full Track List