September 18, 1978. It was a Tuesday. If you were a kid back then, you remember the marketing blitz—four faces, four colors, and a mountain of hype that basically told us the world was about to end if we didn't buy all four records at once. Casablanca Records shipped five million copies out of the gate. Total insanity. But while Gene Simmons was busy hiring every celebrity he could find for his record, and Peter Criss was off chasing R&B ghosts, Paul Stanley did something a lot of people overlook.
He just made a really, really good KISS album.
Honestly, the Paul Stanley KISS solo album is the only one of the four that feels like a natural extension of the band's peak era. It doesn't try to be a disco record. It doesn't have a cover of "When You Wish Upon a Star" (thank god). It’s just pure, unadulterated Starchild. If you took the best tracks from this and mashed them with the highlights from Ace Frehley’s solo debut, you’d have what most fans consider the "lost" classic KISS album that should have followed Love Gun.
The Love Triangle That Fueled the Fire
People usually think of Paul as the guy who writes the big, anthem-heavy party songs. "Detroit Rock City," "Love Gun," you know the drill. But this 1978 record is surprisingly dark in places. It’s basically a diary.
Paul has since admitted that a lot of the lyrical tension came from a real-life love triangle. He was seeing a woman who worked in Bill Aucoin’s publicity department—Aucoin was their manager at the time—but she was still tangled up with another guy. You can hear that desperation in "Tonight You Belong to Me." That opening acoustic strumming that explodes into a wall of sound? That's not just rock theater; it’s a guy venting.
It’s kind of ironic. Paul was at the absolute peak of his fame, selling out arenas and wearing more spandex than a gymnastics team, yet he was still chasing approval. He later wrote in his book Face the Music that when he finally "won" the girl, he had a panic attack. He was better at the chase than the catch. That tension is all over this disc.
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Why It Sounds More Like KISS Than KISS Did
There’s a specific reason this album hits harder than a lot of the late-70s KISS output. Paul brought in Bob Kulick on lead guitar.
Bob is a bit of a legend in the KISS inner circle. He actually auditioned for the band back in the day and nearly got the job before Ace Frehley walked in and stole the show. Paul knew Bob was a beast, though. While Ace was the "spaceman" with the sloppy, cool vibe, Bob was a precision player. His work on "Wouldn't You Like to Know Me" and "Goodbye" is absolutely lethal.
The Secret Weapon: Carmine Appice
If the drums sound like they’re trying to kick your door down, that’s because Carmine Appice (of Vanilla Fudge and Rod Stewart fame) played on "Take Me Away (Together as One)."
- Production: Co-produced by Paul and Jeff Glixman (who worked with Kansas).
- Vibe: Polished, loud, and way more "studio-perfect" than Peter Criss's effort.
- The "KISS" Factor: It’s the only solo album of the four with zero cover songs. Paul wrote everything.
Gene Simmons famously said he "turned off" when Paul got too romantic, but honestly? Gene was wrong. The ballads here, like "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart)," were exactly what kept the band on the charts. That single actually did better than almost anything else from the solo projects except for Ace's "New York Groove." It's schmaltzy, sure. It’s pure 70s AM radio gold. But Paul’s vocal performance is top-tier.
The Tracks You Need to Revisit
If you haven't spun the Paul Stanley KISS solo album in a while, do yourself a favor and skip past the hits for a second.
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"Take Me Away (Together as One)" is arguably one of the best things Paul has ever written. It’s got this epic, almost progressive rock build-up that most people didn't think KISS was capable of. It’s five and a half minutes of drama that would have been a massive stadium anthem if the band had ever played it live.
Then you’ve got "It's Alright." It’s a straight-up power pop gem. It’s got that "bright" guitar sound that Paul would later lean into during the Unmasked era, but here it has more teeth. It feels like a precursor to the 80s hair metal explosion. You can hear the DNA of bands like Poison or Bon Jovi in these hooks.
And "Goodbye"? What a closer. It’s got this descending guitar riff and a chorus that just sticks. It’s the sound of a guy who knows he’s the anchor of the biggest band in the world and isn't afraid to flex.
The Reality of the "Solo Experiment"
Let's be real: the solo albums were a band therapy session that cost $2.5 million.
Ace and Peter were miserable. They wanted out. The solo albums were a way to let everyone blow off steam without the band actually breaking up. While Ace used the opportunity to prove he was a legitimate frontman, and Gene used it to meet his idols, Paul used it to solidify his position as the primary songwriter.
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The Paul Stanley KISS solo album reached #40 on the Billboard 200. Not a world-beater, but it went Platinum eventually. Fans often debate which one is "best." Ace’s is the coolest. Gene’s is the weirdest. Peter’s is... well, it exists. But Paul’s is the most consistent.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Collector
If you're looking to dive into this era of KISS history, don't just stream it. There’s a specific way to experience these 1978 records.
- Find the Original Vinyl: The "purple" Paul Stanley cover (painted by Ken Kelly) is iconic. Look for copies that still have the interlocking poster—it's a nightmare to find them intact, but it's the holy grail for collectors.
- A/B Test with "Dynasty": Listen to this solo album back-to-back with the 1979 KISS album Dynasty. You’ll notice that Paul basically took the production lessons he learned here and applied them to "I Was Made for Lovin' You."
- Check out Bob Kulick’s Other Work: If you dig the guitar work here, go listen to the "studio side" of Alive II. Bob played most of those leads too, even though Ace was on the cover.
At the end of the day, Paul Stanley didn't need to reinvent the wheel. He knew what he was good at: writing soaring choruses and loud guitar riffs about girls and heartbreak. This album is a time capsule of a rock star at his most confident, even if his personal life was a bit of a mess. It’s not just a "KISS curiosity"—it’s a foundational rock record that deserves a lot more respect than the "solo gimmick" label usually gives it.
Start with "Tonight You Belong to Me" and crank the volume. You'll hear exactly why Paul has been the heartbeat of that band for over fifty years.