So what’s next from the grease paint faced rockers in their quest to separate fans from their money? Remember it’s KISS, so their means of getting every last cent off of diehard fans has been done many times before by the group. Yes, you guessed it, they are releasing yet another greatest hits CD. The band is trying to play off that this greatest hits package is different from the other half dozen that litter record store shelves because this one contains songs from their ENTIRE career, not just their glory days. They are hoping fans forget all about the Box Set and 1988’s Smashes, Thrashes and Hits.  The new album titled “The Very Best of Kiss” will hit stores on August 27th. 

Paul Stanley recently told fans on the groups official website that they are not retiring after all and he readily admits that money did play a part in the decision to continue. "People change their minds, and in this case that goes along with being a living, thinking person," Stanley wrote. "What one says one day with total commitment may at another time turn out not to be so. Am I doing this for the money or the fans? Both, and let's not forget I'm doing this for me. That is the reason I originally started playing: because I wanted to, and only I can decide ultimately when to stop. As you know (assuming that you have a job), it is great to have both the appreciation of those around you and to be compensated financially."

Ok so we have another KISS greatest hits CD coming, what are they going to do after that? There is talk of a 2003 Tour and word has it that KISS is talking with various labels about releasing a new studio album. 

But don’t expect KISS to continue on with the original line-up. Ace Frehley has stated that he may return if the price is right and that Paul Stanley and Gene $immons are urging him to join them on next year’s tour. Will Gene and Paul come up with the right amount? We’ll have to wait and see but we do know that they refused to pay original Drummer Peter Criss his asking price for the last leg of the “Farwell Tour” and the KISS machine brought in their former unmasked era drummer Eric Singer to don the Catman makeup and replace Criss. 

More information on KISS’s Greatest Hits Efforts Past and Present. 

KISS – Greatest Hits Discography 

• 1976 - The Originals – a collectors set of the group’s first three studio albums.
• 1978 – The Originals II - a collectors set of  “Destroyer”,”Rock n Roll Over” and “Love Gun”
• 1978 – Double Platinum – A Two Disc Greatest Hits Collection
• 1981 - The Best of the Solo Albums - (not released in the US) 
• 1982 - Kiss Killers – (not released in the US) contained past hits and four new studio tracks.
• 1985 – The Singles – Australian Release 
• 1988 - Smashes, Thrashes & Hits 
• 1989 – Chimara – Japanese Only Greatest Hits and Remix album. 
• 1996 - You Wanted the Best You Got the Best -  
• 1996 -  Greatest Hits – UK Release
• 1997 – Greatest KISS 
• 1998 -  The Originals 1974-1979 – (Japan only)11 vinyl record box set containing all of Kiss' studio and live albums from 1974-79
• 2000 - Maximum Kiss (Europe)
• 2001 - Kiss-The Box Set
• 2002 – The Very Best of KISS

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