Classic 1976 album coming as 4 CD/Blu-ray Audio box set
KISS is celebrating the 45th anniversary of Destroyer with a Super Deluxe box set on November 19th. Destroyer was originally released in 1976 and is considered to be one of the quintessential KISS albums. It is the band’s first album to sell one million copies in its first year and holds the title of being their all-time best selling studio album. Packed with concert staples and KISS Army favorites including “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “God Of Thunder” and “Beth,” Destroyer 45th comes as a Super Deluxe 4 CD + Blu-ray Audio box set as well as on standard double black vinyl and limited edition yellow and red double colored vinyl, 2 CD set, and digital.
CD one includes the original album newly remastered at Abbey Road Mastering, while CD two features 15 demos from Paul Stanley’s and Gene Simmons’s personal archives – nine of which are unreleased. CD three is packed with studio outtakes, alternate versions/mixes and single edits – most notably a new stripped-down mix for “Beth (Acoustic Mix),” and CD four contains an electrifying performance from the band’s visit to Paris France at the L’Olympia on May 22, 1976. For the Blu-ray Audio disc, Steven Wilson was brought in to create a first-ever Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mix of the original studio album plus two bonus tracks “Beth (Acoustic Mix)” and “Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)” the latter featuring Ace Frehley’s original recorded guitar solo that was not released on the studio album (this track is available on the 2012 Destroyer: Resurrected project.)
Additionally, the Super Deluxe box features an extravagant array of collectable KISS memorabilia and ephemera, including a complete recreation of the original KISS Army Kit with the original folder and KISS Army newsletter Volume 1 – No 2 announcing the original album; two 8×10 Destroyer press photos; discography sheet; band bio sheet; KISS Army member certificate and membership card; KISS logo iron-on; sticker; “Detroit Rock City” bumper sticker; Destroyer cover sticker; 11×17 KISS on Westminster Bridge UK poster; and much more.
Also included is a Gotham Rock City News Volume 1 Newspaper that is a track-by-track interview with all 4 band members, Bob Ezrin and crew; 68-page hardcover book with extensive liner notes by Paul Elliott & Ken Sharp featuring interviews from Gene, Paul, Ace, Peter, then-manager Bill Aucoin, album producer Bob Ezrin, and many more about the album’s writing and production process, US and European tours, photo shoots, promotional stories, band member memories from their TV appearance on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and an intoxicating amount of unreleased photos and imagery.
The entire contents are housed in a lift top-style box and features artist Ken Kelly’s original Destroyer cover art, arguably one of the most iconic album covers in rock, making this the ultimate KISS Destroyer souvenir.
For the recording of Destroyer, Bob Ezrin was brought in as KISS’s new producer, helping the band reach new levels, both sonically and creatively. The album also showed the band’s growth as musicians and songwriters, experimenting with new sounds which came in the form of the softer side of songs like “Do You Love Me?,” and songs heavy with orchestral arrangements including “Great Expectations” and their Billboard No. 7 hit single “Beth.” Following the breakthrough success of 1975’s No. 9 Billboard charting Alive!, Destroyer was the KISS album that brought them to the forefront of the mainstream and transformed them into global rock icons. For its anniversary, UMe celebrates this seminal album’s legacy with a staggering amount of bonus material.
Super Deluxe 4 CD + Blu-ray Audio | 2 LP | 2 CD set
CD 1: Original Album Remastered
1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of The Night Time World
3. God of Thunder
4. Great Expectations
5. Flaming Youth
6. Sweet Pain
7. Shout It Out Loud
8. Beth
9. Do You Love Me?
CD 2: Demos
PAUL STANLEY DEMOS
1. Doncha Hesitate
2. God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll
3. It’s The Fire [Previously Unreleased]
4. Detroit Rock City [Previously Unreleased]
5. Love Is Alright [Previously Unreleased]
GENE SIMMONS DEMOS
6. Bad, Bad Lovin’
7. Man Of A Thousand Faces
8. I Don’t Want No Romance [Previously Unreleased]
9. Burnin’ Up With Fever [Previously Unreleased]
10. Rock N’ Rolls Royce [Previously Unreleased]
11. Mad Dog
12. Night Boy [Previously Unreleased]
13. Star [Previously Unreleased]
14. Howlin’ For Your Love [Previously Unreleased]
15. True Confessions
CD 3: Outtakes, Alternate Versions / Mixes, Single Edits
1. Beth (Acoustic Mix) [Previously Unreleased]
2. Shout It Out Loud (Single Edit)
3. Flaming Youth (Single Edit)
4. Detroit Rock City (Single Edit)
5. Shout It Out Loud (Mono Single Edit)
6. Flaming Youth (Mono Single Edit)
7. Detroit Rock City (Mono Single Edit)
8. Beth (Mono)
9. King Of The Night Time World (Live Rehearsal Instrumental) [Previously Unreleased]
10. Do You Love Me? (Mono Instrumental) [Previously Unreleased]
11. God Of Thunder (Early Instrumental Mix) [Previously Unreleased]
12. Ain’t None Of Your Business (Instrumental) [Previously Unreleased]
13. Detroit Rock City (Instrumental) [Previously Unreleased]
14. King Of The Night Time World (Alternate Mix) [Previously Unreleased]
15. Great Expectations (Early Version) [Previously Unreleased]
16. Flaming Youth (Early Version) [Previously Unreleased]
17. Do You Love Me? (Early Version) [Previously Unreleased]
18. Shout It Out Loud (Alternate Mix) [Previously Unreleased]
19. Ain’t None Of Your Business (Outtake) [Previously Unreleased]
20. Beth (Take 6 – Instrumental) [Previously Unreleased]
21. Beth (Instrumental) [Previously Unreleased]
22. Do You Love Me? (Alternate Mix) [Previously Unreleased]
CD 4: Live in Paris – L’Olympia – 22 May, 1976*
1. Deuce
2. Strutter
3. Flaming Youth
4. Hotter Than Hell
5. Firehouse
6. She / Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
7. Nothin’ To Lose
8. Shout It Out Loud / Gene Simmons Bass Solo
9. 100,000 Years / Peter Criss Drum Solo
10. Black Diamond
11. Detroit Rock City
12. Rock and Roll All Nite
Blu-ray Audio:
Dolby Atmos 48kHz 24-bit
Dolby True HD 5.1 96kHz 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 96kHz 24-bit
PCM Stereo 96kHz 24-bit
1. Detroit Rock City
2. King Of The Night Time World
3. God Of Thunder
4. Great Expectations
5. Flaming Youth
6. Sweet Pain
7. Shout It Out Loud
8. Beth
9. Do You Love Me?
10. Beth (Acoustic) [Bonus Track]
11. Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo) [Bonus Track]
