AMG Review of Favorites

James Christopher Monger
All Music Guide

The Favorites installment in Universal's budget-priced, digital-only "recommendation series" focuses on the legendary arena rock outfit's most beloved cuts. Leading off (appropriately) with the first track off of their 1974 debut, "Strutter" is followed by 14 of the band's best-loved tunes, including "Beth," "Detroit Rock City," "Rock and Roll All Nite," and "Cold Gin." Curious listeners looking for a good Kiss sampler will find Favorites a highly enjoyable gateway drug, while longtime fans will be better off sticking with the countless box sets, reissues, and collector's editions that pop out of the ether from year to year, as there's nothing here that they don't already own.