09/07/2026
Mondays at Zapp City are typically spent in the lounge sending out invoices, locking down the calendar, really just tackling the administrative side of running a studio. While doing so, we crank the Marantz and drop the needle on something stellar. This week, it’s KISS Destroys Anaheim ‘76. Freshly mixed from the original master recordings by Eddie Kramer, this two record set begs the question: why wasn’t THIS released as Alive II?! I mean, we all loved Alive II as kids, but this? This is an artifact of a band in its prime; a group of 4 young musicians who were actually much better performers than credited. Un-F’d with, this performance, of course, has its moments of pitchy vocals, lyrical flubs, etc. but there’s nothing here that as the artist, would make me say, “ok, let’s keep the drums and re-record everything else.” Nope. I’d have said print it. Shrink wrap it and let’s go! This is a true account of an event. On the other hand, this is a welcome “new” old live KISS record to wear out on the turntable.
