You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!!
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! is a live compilation album released by American hard rock band Kiss. The album was issued to coincide with the group's 1996–97 Alive/Worldwide Tour. All of the songs on the album are live versions, with most taken from Alive! (1975) or Alive II (1977). Four recordings had been previously unreleased, with the liner notes stating that the tracks are outtakes from Alive! and Alive II-era recordings, although there is some speculation as to whether this is actually the case. The final track is an interview with the reunited group, conducted by Jay Leno.
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | June 25, 1996 | |||
Recorded | 1975, 1977 & 1996 | |||
Genre | Hard rock | |||
Length | 59:16 | |||
Label | Mercury | |||
Producer | Various | |||
Kiss chronology | ||||
|
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Critical
The album received generally negative reviews. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album one star out of five and said, "It's a rip-off album, pure and simple... There is simply no reason for this to exist... you may have wanted the best, but you didn't get it – you just got exploited."[1] Rolling Stone's 1996 review was also negative, calling it a "shameless reunion-promotion biscuit".[3] The 2004 album guide by the same magazine gave the album three stars out of five.[2]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Origin | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Room Service" | Paul Stanley | previously unreleased, recorded in Davenport, Iowa in 1975; overdubs in early-mid 1996 | 3:38 |
2. | "Two Timer" | Gene Simmons | previously unreleased, recorded at Cobo Arena Detroit, Michigan on May 16, 1975; overdubs in early-mid 1996 | 3:15 |
3. | "Let Me Know" | Stanley | previously unreleased, recorded at Cobo Arena Detroit, Michigan on May 16, 1975; overdubs in early-mid 1996 | 3:38 |
4. | "Rock Bottom" | Ace Frehley, Stanley | Alive!, 1975 | 3:33 |
5. | "Parasite" | Frehley | Alive! | 3:37 |
6. | "Firehouse" | Stanley | Alive! | 4:00 |
7. | "I Stole Your Love" | Stanley | Alive II, 1977 | 3:32 |
8. | "Calling Dr. Love" | Simmons | Alive II | 3:35 |
9. | "Take Me" | Sean Delaney, Stanley | previously unreleased, recorded in Los Angeles, California in 1977; overdubs in early-mid 1996 | 3:06 |
10. | "Shout It Out Loud" | Bob Ezrin, Simmons, Stanley | Alive II | 3:14 |
11. | "Beth" | Peter Criss, Ezrin, Stan Penridge | Alive II | 2:33 |
12. | "Rock and Roll All Nite" | Simmons, Stanley | Alive! | 4:01 |
13. | "Kiss Tells All" | Kiss, Jay Leno | 17:34 |
The Japanese CD/ US vinyl release had another live track ("New York Groove"), featuring Eric Carr on drums rather than Peter Criss, which was also released as a promotional single at Blockbuster. The track is also available on the Apple Music version of the album.[5]
Personnel
- Kiss
- Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Gene Simmons – bass guitar, vocals
- Ace Frehley – lead guitar, vocals on "New York Groove"
- Peter Criss – drums, vocals on "Beth"
- Eric Carr – drums on "New York Groove"
Charts
Album
Nation | Chart (1996) | Position |
---|---|---|
Australia | ARIA Album Chart | 26[6] |
Japan | Oricon | 70[7] |
United States | Billboard 200 | 17[8] |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[4] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! at AllMusic
- "Kiss: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- "You Wanted The Best, You Got The Best | Album Reviews | Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. December 18, 1996. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
- "American album certifications – Kiss – You Want It – The Best". Recording Industry Association of America.
- "You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best!! (Live) by Kiss". June 25, 1996.
- "ARIA album chart history-Kiss". Retrieved February 13, 2009.
- Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970-2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- "Billboard album chart history-Kiss". Retrieved February 13, 2009.