Paul Stanley [Original recording remastered]

 

 

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To me this is the best solo album. Ace had a good rock record.
Peter had A nice jazz rock feel. Gene had a Crap album. Paul had the best.
Tonight You Belong to Me:8/10 Great track to open the album with. The main riff would show up again On the song "Sure know something".
Move On:6/10 Fast rock song. The lyric's are dull but, Paul sing's it well.
Ain't Quite Right:9/10 Awesome track. This is a blues ballad with a rock feel.
Wouldn't You Like to Know Me?:7/10 Pop song that has Great vocals.
Take Me Away (Together as One):9/10 My favorite song from the album. Such a strong chorus.
It's Alright:7/10 Another decent rock pop song.
Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart):8/10 Nice love ballad. A great song.
Love in Chains:7/10 Good song with nice riff's.
Goodbye:7/10 Nice way to close the album. A good song all around.
This is hand's down the best solo album. You should pick this one up!

PAUL STANLEY is, and probably always will be, my favourite of the four Kiss solo albums. Some people prefer ACE FREHLEY, but for me, I have to give the nod to Paul's due to his incredible singing, the diversity of rock tunes, and overall vibe.

"Tonight You Belong To Me" starts off with some acoustic guitars (maybe a 6 and a 12 string? I can't tell) and Paul singing in his falsetto. It doesn't take long though for this to stop, and a killer angular riff kicks in. (The Hellacopters ripped off the riff for the intro of their song called "Paul Stanley", I kid you not.) The riff is pure Paul Stanley and is augmented by feedback. How much more rock can you get? None, none more rock. It's a great song, great chorus and verses, with trademark Paul lyrics. Bob Kulick rips and tears through the guitar solo. This is followed by fan favourite "Move On" which was played live on the 1979 Kiss tour. "Ain't Quite Right" is Paul's first ballad of the album, and the first song I'd consider skipping. However Paul comes roaring back with the best song on the album, "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me?" It's fast paced and it rocks hard, and I think if Green Day did it today it would be classified as pop-punk, a genre which didn't exist in 1978. This is followed by "Take Me Away (Together As One)" which might be called Zeppelinesque. It starts off slow and acoustic, turns dark and electric in the very catchy chorus, and goes back to acoustic. Dramatic is a good word.

Side 2 starts off with another rocker, "It's Alright", which is very Kiss circa Love Gun. The guitar riff and chorus melody are the main selling features of this song. "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think Of Me When We're Apart)" is a title that can only belong to a ballad. As sappy as it is, I like this song and I even liked it when I was 16. It's a piano and strings ballad that might have suited the Peter Criss solo album, if not for the melodic and memorable guitar solo courtesy of Paul himself. "Love In Chains" follows this, a guitar oriented rocker with great singable verses. The album ends appropriately with "Goodbye", a song which Paul used to close his 2006 solo shows. It is another stellar song, extremely catchy and well written.

Songwriting is the main selling point of Paul's solo album. It is Paul's song craft that makes this album special, that and Bob Kulick's great guitar tones and talents. Paul had a lot to be proud of on PAUL STANLEY, it is a gem of an album and one that no Kiss fan should be without.

It's only a shame that the 2006 followup, LIVE TO WIN, didn't even come close to reaching this level.

In 1978 rock group KISS then at the top of their popularity did something that surprised many. The band members each released their own studio album on the exact same day which has never been done since or before. Each member did their own musical thing as they wished. The record company, Cassablanca, released the albums each with the KISS logo on the top left corner and the albums were named quite simply after each individual member: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, each member with a different color (Red, purple, blue and green respectively). Paul Stanley's first solo album sounds a lot like KISS but that's only because he IS KISS. Not to take away from Gene or any other member but with this album Paul proved was that he was the one who was the main creative and driving force behind the phenomenon that is KISS. Yet even the album bares a lot of resemblance with KISS it's also different , here Paul was given the opportunity to do what he pleased and sing about subjects or stuff he wanted to sing about. Stanley's album does not disappoint and the man showed a lot of passion with songs like 'Tonight You Belong To Me' and there are some really good moments here. Interestingly enough Paul co-produced and this would not be the last time he did so and produced later KISS albums.

'Tonight You Belong To Me' is the first and possibly best song off the album. The soft opening that leads to a monster of a song does a nice job of preparing the listener for the terrific song that this is. 'Move On' features excellent lyrics and is one of the best song here, simple cool riff and catchy chorus.'Ain't Quite Right' and 'Wouldn't You Like To Me' are two overall softer song but they're not ballads, both end up being good and catchy. 'Love In Chains' is in the vein of KISS, it's a fantastic rocker that's catchy and ends up being one of the highlights of the album. Paul shows his softer, romantic and more sensitive side with songs like 'Wouldn't You Like To Know Me' and 'Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Appart)'. This may not appeal to every KISS fan but the Starchild also delivers some more rocking material that makes this a worthwhile solo album.

Out of the four solo albums this is the one that sounds the most like KISS. I often read reviews where people say that their favorite or the best solo album is Ace's but generally there is only praise and respect for Paul's work regardless of who actually had the best solo album. I'll admit that I enjoyed Frehley's a lot but Paul's is a great effort and if it's not as good then it's very close. The Starchild proves that he is at the core of the KISS sound, his album sounds like KISS yet it's also different. Either ways Paul's solo debut is a great album. It's a great solo effort and one that KISS fans should hear, 4/5 stars.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Sensuality (..) meets Hard Rock! Classic!
This solo Paul Stanley release stands the test of time, even for this 43 year old that grew up listening to KISS in the 70's. Read more

Published on May 3 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars The driving force in KISS delivers the goods....
Yes, Gene Simmons is the focal point in KISS when it comes to pushing the band and the merchandising thing etc. Read more

Published on Feb 15 2004 by Jeff Swaggerty

4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Album
Paul Stanley's solo album is a nice album, in my opinion, the second best of the KISS solo albums following Ace Frehley's. Read more

Published on Feb 13 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars - an excellent solo effort
Paul Stanley (1978.) A solo album by the KISS member.

On September 18, 1978, KISS did something no other rock band has ever done to this day - all four members released a solo... Read more

Published on Dec 5 2003 by Taylor X

3.0 out of 5 stars A Second Place Finish For Paul......
I actually would give this 3 1/2 stars if the rating existed, but it doesn't. Paul cranks out some great tunes and rocks harder than any other of the solo releases except for... Read more

Published on Nov 27 2003 by "The Woj"

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Album
So far I've only heard two of the solo albums, the other being Ace Frehley's, and I would have to say despite what critics say this one is far superior. Read more

Published on Sep 18 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars He could have gone solo....
The four KISS solo albums from '78 were VERY different from each other. Gene Simmons made a bad LP of Disney tunes. Read more

Published on July 4 2003 by Undertaker

3.0 out of 5 stars The best of the four solo albums
Of the four members in Kiss, there's no doubt that Paul Stanley has the best ear for melody and hooks. Read more

Published on May 21 2003 by L. B. Ivarsson

5.0 out of 5 stars This ones a keeper
This is the first rock album I got and it's amazing how some of the songs still stand out over twenty years. Raw and sexy, that's the best way to put it. Read more

Published on Dec 23 2002 by Tyler Tanner

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the better solo albums out of the four
I love this album.
I think this one and the Ace frehley solo albums
are the best 2 out of the four.You got to own this
one. Read more

Published on Dec 6 2002 by Dianne Papineau

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