Bobby Caughron 
Eight CD collection of KIX’s seven albums.
- Plus a CD of early demos.
- This collection is completed with liner notes from esteemed rock and metal journalist, Xavier Russell, based on a new interview with KIX’s Brian ‘Damage’ Forsythe.
Forming in Maryland in 1976, like many of their hard rock contemporaries, KIX started out as a bar band, playing hard rock covers of the day. By the time they signed to Atlantic Records for their 1981 self-titled debut, ‘KIX’ (CD1), the band had settled on the line-up of Steve Whiteman on vocals, Ronnie Younkins and Brian Forsythe on guitar, Donnie Purnell on bass and Jimmy Chalfant on drums. Produced by Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Black Sabbath), KIX’s debut featured many stage favourites, including the singles ‘The Itch’, ‘Heartache’ and ‘Atomic Bombs’.
KIX shifted away from their earlier, heavier sound, to a more commercial approach, tailor made for MTV with 1983’s ‘Cool Kids’ (CD2). Produced by Pete Solley (Whitesnake, Ted Nugent), Brad Divens replaced Ronnie Younkins on guitar. Perfectly placed to take advantage of the burgeoning hair metal scene, Ronnie Younkins was back for 1985’s ‘Midnite Dynamite’ (CD3). The album saw KIX collaborating with outside songwriters, most notably Bob Halligan Jr., famed for his work with Judas Priest, and Winger’s Kip Winger.
KIX reached something of a commercial peak with 1988’s platinum ‘Blow My Fuse’ (CD4). Featuring the hit power ballad ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’, the album also featured the singles ‘Blow My Fuse’ and the self-explanatory ‘Get It While It’s Hot’. The band moved from Atlantic to East West for 1991’s ‘Hot Wire’ (CD5), notable for its Hugh Syme (Rush) designed sleeve. 1993 saw the release of the inevitable and much demanded ‘Live’ (CD6) album, featuring the KIX classics, ‘Hot Wire’, ‘Same Jane’ and ‘Rock & Roll Overdose’. ‘Demos’ (CD7) features ‘Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT’, ‘Get It While It’s Hot’ and ‘No Ring Around Rosie’. KIX called it a day after 1995, but thankfully reunited in 2003, eventually releasing 2014’s ‘Rock Your Face Off’ which charted at 49 in the Billboard chart and remained there for three weeks, it was KIX’s’ highest charting album since ‘Blow Your Fuse’ (1988). KIX’s final show took place on September 17th, 2023, at the ‘Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD. The band’s impressive career lives on in this eight CD box set.
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
KIX (1981)
1 Atomic Bombs
2 Love At First Sight
3 Heartache
4 Poison
5 The Itch
6 Kix Are For Kids
7 Contrary Mary
8 The Kid
9 Yeah, Yeah, Yeah BONUS TRACK
10 The Itch (Edit)
DISC TWO
COOL KIDS (1983)
1 Burning Love
2 Cool Kids
3 Love Pollution
4 Body Talk
5 Loco-Emotion
6 Mighty Mouth
7 Nice On Ice
8 Get Your Monkeys Out
9 For Shame
10 Restless Blood
DISC THREE
MIDNITE DYNAMITE (1985)
1 Midnite Dynamite
2 Red Hot (Black & Blue)
3 Bang Bang (Balls Of Fire)
4 Layin’ Rubber
5 Walkin’ Away
6 Scarlet Fever
7 Cry Baby
8 Cold Shower
9 Lie Like A Rug
10 Sex
BONUS TRACKS
11 Scarlet Fever (Edit)
12 Cold Shower (Edit)
DISC FOUR
BLOW MY FUSE (1988)
1 Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT
2 Get It While It’s Hot
3 No Ring Around Rosie
4 Don’t Close Your Eyes
5 She Dropped The Bomb
6 Cold Blood
7 Piece Of The Pie
8 Boomerang
9 Blow My Fuse
10 Dirty Boys
BONUS TRACKS
11 Cold Blood (Edit)
12 Blow My Fuse (Live In Japan)
13 Cold Blood (Live In Japan)
DISC FIVE
HOT WIRE (1991)
1 Hot Wire
2 Girl Money
3 Luv-A-Holic
4 Tear Down The Walls
5 Bump The La La
6 Rock & Roll Overdose
7 Cold Chills
8 Same Jane
9 Pants On Fire (Liar, Liar)
10 Hee Bee Jee Bee Crush
BONUS TRACKS
11 Tear Down The Walls (Radio Remix Fade)
12 Tear Down The Walls (LP Version Fade)
13 Tear Down The Walls (Radio Remix)
14 Same Jane (Edit)
15 Girl Money (AOR/Video Mix)
16 Girl Money (Top 40 Edit)
DISC SIX
LIVE (1993)
1 Hot Wire
2 Same Jane
3 Rock & Roll Overdose
4 Sex
5 The Itch
6 For Shame
7 Tear Down The Walls
8 Blow My Fuse
9 Girl Money
10 Cold Blood
11 Don’t Close Your Eyes
12 Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
DISC SEVEN
DEMOS
1 Red Lite, Green Lite, TNT
2 Get It While It’s Hot
3 No Ring Around Rosie
4 Don’t Close Your Eyes
5 She Dropped Me The Bomb
6 Cold Blood
7 Piece Of The Pie
8 Boomerang
9 Blow My Fuse
10 Dirty Boys
DISC EIGHT
ROCK YOUR FACE OFF (2014)
1 Wheels In Motion
2 You’re Gone
3 Can’t Stop The Show
4 Rollin’ In Honey
5 Rock Your Face Off
6 All The Right Things
7 Dirty Girls
8 Inside Outside Inn
9 Mean Miss Adventure
10 Love Me With Your Top Down
11 Tail On The Wag
12 Rock & Roll Showdown
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