Kiss / Creatures of the Night: Complete Sessions

A stunning studio album has arrived, comprehensively collecting demos and outtakes from the masterpiece *Creatures of the Night*! This definitive release—featuring official-grade audio quality and tracks not found on the official version—is now available!! Preserved here are 17 demo tracks from the *Creatures of the Night* era. Ranging from alternate takes and mixes of album tracks to discarded, unreleased songs, this collection presents what could be called “another version of *Creatures of the Night*,” all boasting top-tier, official-quality sound. While the official 40th-anniversary box set for *Creatures of the Night* is still fresh in our memories, this release is a different beast entirely. According to information from the importer, these recordings appear to have originated from the official production process; every take rivals the official release in quality (though we cannot definitively confirm the exact source ourselves). However, it is not identical. The biggest difference lies in the tracklist: the official box set included material from the *Music from “The Elder”* sessions and later remixes, none of which appear here. Conversely, this release includes “Killer (Drum Session)”—a track missing from the official box—resulting in a highly polished, comprehensive collection that focuses strictly on the *Creatures of the Night* sessions. It is merely a hypothesis, but these may have been the source tapes used to select candidates for the official box set. In any case, the best way to appreciate a collection of rare tracks is to look at each one individually. Let’s examine the 17 included takes. Alternate takes and mixes of album tracks (7 songs, 11 takes): “Creatures of the Night” (Opening Track)—This is an alternate take and mix of the album’s opening number, featuring a rawer, harder-edged sound than the finished version. “Saint And Sinner” (2 takes): “Take 1” is an early take featuring scat-style vocal improvisation, with lyrics that were only partially complete. “Take 2” represents a stage where the lyrics had been further developed. These two takes offer a valuable opportunity to vividly experience the production process as the song neared completion. “Rock And Roll Hell” (3 takes): A major highlight of this release. “Take 1” is an early version featuring a stripped-down arrangement and a striking hard-cut ending, even though the lyrics were already finished. “Take 2” is an alternate take showcasing a different arrangement. “Take 3” is a distinct take and mix closest to the final version, allowing you to trace the step-by-step refinement of this classic song. “I Love It Loud”: An alternate version of the signature lead single; this is a raw, heavy, and hard-hitting full-length mix. It has an even more ferocious sound than the final version. Originally written between late 1980 and early 1981 under the title “I Wanna Be the President,” it was slated for an album planned to follow *Unmasked*. However, as the band shifted direction and recorded *Music from “The Elder”* instead, the song evolved into “I Love It Loud” about a year later. “I Still Love You” (2 takes): Paul’s moving ballad is included in two forms: an instrumental take and a vocal take. In the vocal “Take 1,” Paul mentions before recording begins that the song is dedicated to his ex-girlfriend Donna Dixon, making this a valuable record for understanding the background of this classic track. “War Machine” (Full-length version): Another highlight of this release. It is a completely different version—longer and rawer than the final release. “Killer”: This track is hailed by collectors as one of the greatest hidden gems in this collection. These are the drum sessions recorded by the beloved late Eric Carr for the *Killers* project. For some reason, this material was omitted from the official 40th-anniversary box set and had long been considered lost among collectors. Originating from a cassette tape that surfaced via a US KISS fanzine in the early 1980s, this release finally presents the recordings in their best possible quality. It is a true treasure that allows you to fully appreciate Eric’s powerful yet nuanced drumming—laid bare and unobstructed by other instruments. Regarding the songs that didn’t make the final album cut (six tracks): “Partners In Crime”—originally recorded for the *Killers* compilation; since *Killers* was not released in the US, its inclusion on *Creatures of the Night* was also considered. The version included here differs from the *Killers* release. “It’s My Life”—a masterpiece outtake dropped from the album at the last minute. It was later given to Wendy O. Williams and became the lead single for her album *WOW*; here, you can hear the original *Creatures of the Night* version recorded prior to that. “Legends Never Die”—a song left off the final tracklist despite being fully completed. It resurfaced during the sessions for *Hot in the Shade* and *Psycho Circus* but was ultimately rejected on both occasions—an unfortunate fate for such a great song. “Betrayed”—a standout track written by Paul specifically for the album. This is entirely different from the song of the same name that appeared on 1989’s *Hot in the Shade*; it was rejected because producer Michael James Jackson felt the album was already strong enough without it. “Not For The Innocent”—a collaboration between Paul and Gene; this version differs from the one that appeared on the following year’s *Lick It Up*. Given how rare collaborations between the two were, this early iteration is a valuable find. “It’s Gonna Be Alright”—the first song Gene recorded during the *Creatures of the Night* sessions. Despite this, it is a “phantom” track—literally the first one considered, yet the first to be dropped—that never even made it onto the shortlist. This collection comprises 17 takes in total. It is a demo album for *Creatures of the Night* that boasts top-tier sound quality rivaling the official 40th-anniversary box set, yet offers a level of perfection that arguably surpasses the official release. Alternate takes of album tracks vividly convey the creative process, while outtakes excluded from the official box set and previously unreleased songs reveal the shape of an “alternative *Creatures of the Night*.” This is a treasure-trove studio album, with every track captured in official-grade sound. It serves as the definitive demo and outtake companion to the masterpiece *Creatures of the Night*. Sourced from master recordings leaked during the production of the 40th-anniversary box set, it covers everything—including Eric Carr’s drum sessions—with audio quality that rivals the official release, even though these tracks were left out of the box set itself. The result is an “alternative *Creatures of the Night*” that surpasses the official version in its level of perfection. This is the definitive edition! A level of perfection that goes beyond the official release! 1 Creatures Of The Night 2 Saint And Sinner (Take 1) 3 Saint And Sinner (Take 2) 4 Rock And Roll Hell (Take 1) 5 Rock And Roll Hell (Take 2) 6 Rock And Roll Hell (Take 3) 7 I Love It Loud 8 I Still Love You (Instrumental Take) 9 I Still Love You (Take 1) 10 Killer (Drum Session) 11 War Machine (Full Length Version) 12 Partners in Crime 13 It’s My Life 14 Legends Never Die 15 Betrayed 16 Not For The Innocent 17 It’s Gonna Be Alright