KISS

Most of Kiss' greatest hits collections focus on the first time they slipped into skin-tight black leather and painted their faces, but this disc captures the band in transition, sans makeup as they try to slog their way back to the top of the metal heap. Not as bold or as daring as their earlier canon, the songs are more reflective and psychological, giving an insider's glimpse behind the backstage door. The odd thing is it completely ignores the 1996 Reunion tour, which brought Ace Frehley and Peter Criss back into the fold.