For me the best Paul tunes are the mid-to-up-tempo simple rockers. No list like this could ever be complete or right but these are the kind of Stanley steamers I find myself popping on to shut up any friends in doubt of Paul’s sheer rock prowess or his singular knack for crafting groovy rockers with hooks that endure. Bottom line, Paul’s material has its own cocksure feel illuminated by great arrangements, sharp guitar lines and well-honed, commanding vocals. Re-acquaint yourself with his style.
IT’S ALRIGHT – One of his very best, this blues-based rock’n’rolla is arguably the most KISS-like cut on Pauls ’78 solo debutPaul Stanley and yet at the same time shows Paul tipping a decidedly Stonsey honky-tonk hat. It also recalls Rod Stewart classics like “Hot Legs and “Every Picture Tells A Story”. Pauly had already proven an ability to cop a Rod vibe on “Hard Luck Woman” and “It’s Alright” is the rocking flip side to my ears however, unlike Maggie Mays’ lover, Paul will give you “breakfast in bed” and not “kick you in the head”. This ain’t metal and this ain’t no disco. This is fooling around at the very least and definitive Paul Stanley; ever cavalier and never desperate. ”If you want me to stay for the night, it’s alright”.
DOWN ON YOUR KNEES – One of four new Paul-penned KISS songs on the Killers compilation, “Down On Your Knees” is still one of my favorites all time, hits included. It’s a well-timed DON’T FREAK OUT PEOPLE! to core fans dismayed by the poppy Unmaskedand decidedly left-of-centerThe Elderalbums. Killers made it clear KISS had no plans to slow down or, as some feared, pack it in altogether. Backdrop aside, the track has a tight, almost ACDC-like guitar hook that showcases Paul at his raw vocal best with a post-solo section bridge that has him sounding every bit the ‘All American Man’. Plus this is Paul at perhaps his most sexist (yes, ‘ist’) since ‘Makin’ Love” offRock & Roll Over. ((( I couldn’t help but PARTNERS IN CRIME to this list – A kinky bed-mate off Killers, this tune has also always had my ear and gets better with time. Sure, it’s slightly 80′s land-locked with the repeating wang-bar dives in the chorus but everything about it just works so well, like it could not be improved even if Gene had showed up. Built around a bluesy Deep Purple-esque riff, it’s a welcome divergence to me and happens to have one of his cooler 80′s lyrics: “You’re coveting abuses, tripping with excuses, I know you got a lover at home”))))
BULLETPROOF – Off Paul’s long-awaited 2nd solo outing Live To Win, “Bulletproof” is a sturdy well-crafted near hit, the kind that keep KISS fans like me believing everyone else is crazy. Ultra-slick mix aside, it’s got it all and even if the held-back verses may cause a slight cringe among the faithful, the pay-off of the eventual guitar n’ drum break as it launches into the “Bullet Proof” chorus riff proves ample evidence Stanley can deliver a current sounding hit in an era. If only there were still classic rock stations playing new rock instead of the constant retread that dominates the format and has for 20 years (thanks Clear Channel).
GIMME MORE – An uptempo rocker the band toyed with live only on theLick It Up tour, “Gimme More” may be my favorite 80′s Paul rocker. Sure, he would attempt the land speed record several times in the 80′s but even the frantic”Under The Gun”can’t hold a flash pot to the clever fusion of metal, classic rock, and punk that is “Gimme More”. It showcases Paul’s old-school Robert Plant vibe and an expanding vocal range. New members of the band also shine on the recording with Eric Carr executing bitchin’ rapid-fire Bonham-like double bass fills in the whistle-stop breaks and, when given the nod, co-writer Vinnie Vincent ripping balls off with urgent screaming lead fills. “Gimme More” is only one of the reason’s the Lick It Up album is way underrated by KISSTory. I am of the steady opinion that the record is a close 2nd only to Creatures Of The Night as their 80′s best and vastly superior to any of the other non-makeup releases.
MR. SPEED – An oft forgotten southern-fried golden oldie off Rock & Roll Over I am happy KISS had the moxie to attempt and Paul the inclination to write. A lot of folks complain that their chief problem after the 70′s was that KISS followed trends instead of making them but “Mr. Speed” is more proof that Paul has always had an ear to the radio. Sure, they never intended a hit with it, but the Lynyrd Skynyrd inspired intro riff strikes me as a prime example of how Paul’s tunes generally have more cohesion with what else is happening musically with other acts at a given time. Certainly more so than with any of Gene’s tunes every tried to but, again, Paul has always been the more rooted one of the two and, as a result, makes a perfect complement to Ace Frehley’s Jimmy Page-like lead work. “Mr. Speed” also has a wonderful turn-around complete with KISStastic descending harmonies and another great Peter Criss pocket for the Starchilds’ reply to the Demons’ “Calling Dr. Love” epiphany. It is my assertion that anyone who has not heard “Mr. Speed” could never really understand the band or what Paul Stanley is all about: a riff, a groove and a chorus ….timely classic rock & roll.
DANGER US – This is easily the most fun song on the Sonic Boom album but manages to maintain a ballsy attitude and the Stanley strut without taking itself too seriously (even if it is “Danger You, Danger Me, Danger Us” for the most part). It’s an enormous 70′s riff with an 80′s fused call-and-answer chorus that borrows from everyone, Kiss included, but is somehow able to evade the monster plod of found on most of the albums offerings Again, a tune where everything just works and no moment of regret like I feel with Paul’s cuts on say Revenge. “Double down tough” …amen.
GET ALL YOU CAN TAKE – Off the first Stanley solo-produced KISS album Animalize, “Get All You Can Take” reveals a primal revitaIized Stanley working hard with (then) guitarist Mar St. John and drummer Eric Carr to deliver a modern, Zep-inspired rocker that finds the Starchild brimming over with pearls of rock wisdom and impressive vocal gymnastics. It’s a serious ass kicker in which Paul’s penchant for Plant-like singing really shines through as seemingly the only voice in rock able to pull it off so lovingly.
RADAR FOR LOVE – When re-sampling 1985′s Asylum this is the cut I usually drop the needle on first. It’s a high-adrenaline re-working of Zep’s “Black Dog” that comes as close as anyone might imagine possible to the vocal breaks without being taken to court. However, by the time the solo kicks, the tune has become pure KISS making a jump into a Stanley octane mode that gets launched into further over drive by a spirited Bruce guitar solo. Occasionally topical when backed into a corner, “Radar For Love” finds Paul shunning the advent ofViagra when he sings dismissively “Don’t need no doctor, giving me pills… I got enough to give you chills”
LAST CHANCE – Off the band’s 2013 rebound Monster (also produced by Stanley) ”Last Chance” is a hard rocker with a driving beat that is my favorite Paul vocal on the album and perhaps the rowdiest song of his career? The song kicks from the very start and, with a shorter than usual 2-bar full-band intro (yeah, after the bass riff), it goes right into the table-setter verse with Paul teasing “Open the door and let the night come crawling’ in ….take a bite of the original sin”. It’s relentless and only lets up briefly in the build after the solo with what feels like jungle drums by Eric Singer ….but it works! It’s worth noting that as much as the recent albums have pandered to 70′s fans, this song doesn’t sound like anything the band has ever done and is fittingly complete with the realization that “Nobody here is getting out alive”
KEEP ME COMIN’ – Off the seminal KISSCreatures Of The Night opus, “Keep Me Comin’” is another straight ahead Stanley rocker only he could attempt. A great guitar line, stagger-beat pre-chorus, and an amped up “Keep Me Comin’” refrain is all Paul needs to roll out the seductive tale that keeps KISS in the sex business on the surprisingly serious Creatures. Unlike his band-mate Mr. Klein,Paul is more apt to change grooves and feels mid-tune while holding that classic strut groove. Even if the tour fell short that year critics and fans alike have come to the consensus thatCreatures is the bands heaviest foray of all time and “Keep Me Comin” fits the album menu like an afternoon delight for dessert. ~ KISSTORIAN.com