Paul Stanley-Paul Stanley(1978)

 

 

 

In all things KISS. Paul Stanley’s solo release from 1978 was out of the four the last of the solo albums I had heard which if my memory serves me correct it probably wasn’t well into 1979 I had listened to what Starchild had done on his album!

Stanley has always been the most sensitive one of KISS, and this album reflects that.  Make no mistake about it as Paul recorded a rock record. More of a grown-up collection of tunes at the time I suppose which considering some of the bubble gum stuff that KISS recorded Starchild wanted to be taken seriously as a songwriter!

Give Stanley credit for that!

Does Paul succeed? For the most part, he does!

Side One

Opener Tonight You Belong To Me with its acoustic opener that launches into the electric guitars along with the drums kicking down the door that Stanley comes in through vocally! Straight ahead rock track very single like! Pretty decent opener actually. Different than KISS but still rock!

Move On I always remember KISS playing this when I saw them in October 1979. Which looking back was kinda cool. Move On has Paul digging deep and pulling one out of the hat! I like the pace of this track and then the song’s chill’s right out up than ramps up again!

Ain’t Quite Right is sleazy back alley like the track that features a brilliant guitar solo which to me has some hooky elements of Bad Company during the chorus. Ok, maybe not 1970’s Bad Company but perhaps the late 80’s version of Bad Company when they were Commercial Company!

Ah. Now Starchild goes all in with Wouldn’t You Like To Know Me which is a great uptempo rocker with some more brilliant guitar chops that the solo sounds very Frehley like! Considering Bob Kulick played the solos on this album it makes sense as Bob played Ace like solos on some KISS songs when Ace didn’t show up!

Take Me Away (Together as One) which has Paul flexing some serious rock chops on this song as he goes outside his comfort zone yet still keeping the tune Rock! Amazing that this ends Side 1 and there isn’t a dud really among the first five tracks!

I’m Shocked!

Side 2

Flip the vinyl over and It’s All right lifts off with a brilliant hard rock riff along with the kick pedal of the drums and were off and running and the thing that I dig about this song is that it sounds live. Very little in backing vocals and Stanley gives his all in the vocal department! Great chorus and a real ass cracking tune that doesn’t even need the complementary guitar solo! Well done!

Hold Me Touch(Think of Me When We’re Apart) Yeah the jury is out on this tune. This kind of AM 70’s Radio Fodder is not really my deal. It’s ok for what it is but is little too much of a wanting a single! This may be your cuppa tea but it’s not strong enough for me. Now having said that. My pal Mikey Ladano posted a story and he wrote about this tune. Here’s what Mikey had to say about it.

“Jesus fuck!  I went full ballad.  This was probably my favorite ballad of all time back then.  Stanley’s guitar solo is flawlessly written and executed.”

Maybe I’m missing something here? Haha!

Paul must have heard me as he ramps the amps back to 10 and delivers Love In Chains! A straight ahead forward rocker. No rocket science here folks but kudos to Paul for kicking the dust off the previous AM tune and whoah another brilliant solo by either Bob or Paul which is wickedly good!

Stan the Mans album ends with Goodbye. A decent send off that features some more brilliant ax work during the verses. Nice hard rock melodic track.  Adios Amigos Mr. Stanley!  Thanks for coming out!

To be honest this was the first time that I actually dug into this album sonically. Yeah I know it was there along. I even have it on CD but there was so much KISS that I always focused on there studio/live material.

Stanley 78 releases a rock record which to my ears you can hear Paul taking his songwriting approach into a more melodic approach that was heard on Dynasty and even more so on Unmasked! This album could have been easily Side’s 3 and 4 of Dynasty or Unmasked(take your pick). That’s where his head was at the time so you gotta hand it to him!

Good on Paul as he stuck doing what he knew best at the time. Rock Songs! Also of the 4 solo albums, Paul did not do a cover tune!

deKe’s 1979 score- 5

deKe’s 2019 score-8