During the late '80s, few metal bands were as controversial as
Kingdom Come. With a
Led Zeppelin resurgence in full bloom around this time but
Page-
Plant-
Jones refusing to reunite for a tour, a void was created, and groups like
Kingdom Come were more than happy to fill it. With a sound that was a carbon copy of the mighty
Zep,
Kingdom Come scored a hit with their 1988 self-titled debut, before sinking into obscurity shortly thereafter. But throughout the '90s and early 21st century, singer
Lenny Wolf kept the group afloat -- touring and issuing all-new studio albums (with a rotating cast of supporting players). And to show how extensive the "unplugged craze" of the '90s was,
Kingdom Come even got in the act, issuing
Live & Unplugged in 1996. All these years later,
Wolf's
Robert Plant-esque vocals are as strong as ever, as heard on the electrified versions of "What Love Can Be" ("Since I've Been Loving You," anyone?) and "Do You Like It," while their biggest hit, "Get It On," is mysteriously absent. But it's the second disc that longtime fans will probably be buying the set for, as
Wolf croons his way through a surprise cover of
the Beatles' "And I Love Her" and such originals as "You're Not the Only." But one complaint -- it just doesn't make sense why this set couldn't have been issued as a single-disc set, as it is comprised of only 15 tracks (with "You're Not the Only" repeated twice). And since it's a German import,
Live & Unplugged isn't exactly cheap, either.