KISS is marking the fiftieth anniversary of Rock and Roll Over with expanded editions scheduled for November 6. The September announcement details a six-LP set and a four-CD set, each accompanied by a Blu-ray Audio disc.
Eddie Kramer, who produced and engineered the original album, has made a new stereo mix from the multitrack tapes. The sets also preserve the original stereo version in a Bernie Grundman remaster and add demos, alternate material and recordings from the band’s first Japanese concerts at the Nippon Budokan in April 1977.
The publisher lists 130 tracks across the expanded program, including 100 previously unreleased tracks or mixes. An alternate mix is a different presentation of a recording, not necessarily an entirely different song.
Comparing the album and the stage
The original sessions were recorded in a theater without a concert audience. Pairing them with the Budokan material offers a way to compare a studio construction with the same band’s concert setting. The archival photograph accompanying this story comes from the announcement and does not document a new performance.
The sets also contain extensive printed material and collectibles. Readers comparing configurations can check which audio versions their equipment supports, particularly the Blu-ray’s surround and immersive programs. The original release and the new mixes serve different listening purposes, even when they share a track title.
Source: Official release announcement.
