KISS fans have been largely divided into two camps. On one side you've got the purists who are fans of the original line up (Paul, Gene, Ace, and Peter), and may or may not tolerate any of the other line-ups (and if they do tolerate any of the other line-ups, they always preface any conversation with, "Of course, the original line-up is the only REAL KISS"). On the other side you've got the fans who want the best available players to play alongside Paul and Gene. They weren't really happy when the Reunion happened back in '96 as the Revenge line-up was incredibly strong and vibrant musically.
When Peter and Ace returned to the old habits that led them to leave (be asked to leave) KISS the first time around, we saw the return of Eric Singer to the band, and the introduction of Tommy Thayer as the new lead guitar player. That would have been enough to upset some of the "purists" who would rather see the originals regardless of musical abilities, but when you add insult to injury - having Eric and Tommy wear the "Catman" and "Spaceman" make-up & outfits, well, that was tantamount to KISS blasphemy to them.
Which brings us to the 2004 Rock the Nation tour. It featured one of the most high-tech, and visually impressive KISS shows ever, and with Eric and Tommy in the band KISS was able to play songs that they hadn't played in years. "Unholy," "War Machine," "Love Her All I Can," "Tears Are Falling," and "Makin' Love," all reappeared in the set list. All were played very well, and many became crowd favorites.
The purists still weren't happy, however, because of the "controversy" surrounding Eric & Tommy and the make-up. The tour did good, but not great business anyway, and KISS put on some fantastic shows.
This tour was filmed for this home video release, and it is clear to see that the band is having a great time for the first time since 1996. The concert footage is very well shot, and a little better edited than the last concert release, KISS Symphony. The sound on the DVD is fantastic, and is worthy of a live CD release.
One thing that is evident is that Paul Stanley wasn't quite himself. Shortly after the tour was completed Paul had hip replacement surgery, and it is clear that he wasn't able to move on stage quite as much as he had in the past. Casual fans wouldn't notice it, but Paul is a little more reserved physically than on most other KISS tours. He's not running and jumping around in the fashion that KISS fans have become accustomed to. He's not just standing around, but his energy level on stage is not where it was in 1996, or 1992, or 1985. He has since had a second hip replacement, and it remains to be seen if he will ever fully recover. Even if he doesn't, he is still one of the best frontmen in Rock and Roll, and this DVD is just further proof.
At the end of the day, what really makes this a great home video release are the great musical performances of Eric and Tommy, the fantastic visuals, the great song selection, and the cool KISS PowerVision feature on seven songs that lets the viewer decide which band member to watch.
KISS: Rock the Nation Live may not be a perfect release, but it is pretty darned close.