Casual fans who know Paul Stanley primarily as the star-eyed co-frontman of fire-breathing rock stars who fly KISS wire may be surprised to hear his 15-star cast, Soul Station, whose debut album Now and then features covers of nine R&B classics, as well as five retro-soul originals. Although such material may not appear to be in the comfort zone of hard rock, he clarifies to Yahoo Entertainment: “It is very A lot of my comfort zone. Stanley really grew up listening to Motown and Philly R&B (some of the first concerts he attended were Otis Redding and Solomon Burke) and, decades later, he still finds comfort in this song – especially in Now and thenThe first single, “OOH Child” by Five Stairsteps, a sonic balm during difficult times.
“When I first heard the song, it simply had this faith: to sing to someone that one day we are going to fix it, and we are going to do it the way it should be, and we are going to come in the rays of a beautiful sun. … And I found that when I played it for other people, they said, ‘Wow, that song really does apply now.’ And I have to agree, ”explains Stanley.
Many songs from the 60s and 70s still resonate with Stanley, and he occasionally brings that spirit of protest to his social networks, especially when the famous masked man from KISS defends the importance of wearing real masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And he is occasionally criticized by trolls for their candor.
“It is a pity that some people are vehemently against [wearing masks], mainly because it is politicized. There are so many strange adverse reactions, ”laments Stanley. “And when someone says, ‘Well, the experts first said no wear a mask, and then they said to wear a mask ‘… This is a work in progress. We are learning about this virus. Will the information change? Of course it will change. But, unequivocally, what has been shown, as far as I can see, is that masks are a major impediment. And depending on the masks you wear, you are protecting the people around you or you are protecting yourself. (…) I would like to think that I am doing my part to disseminate the information I have. And if some people get angry about it, that’s something to think about, because it’s nothing to be angry about. “
Stanley’s former Kiss bandmate Gene Simmons has also been vocal when it comes to his own pro-mask stance – he recently told Yahoo Entertainment that he is “so stupid” that masking has become “a political issue” among the “lemmings” of this nation, and blaming “The lack of leadership, starting at the top” for the pandemic. (“I don’t care about you. I care about me. I’m not worried if you’re going to get anything. All masks protect me. And also because you get much better than having nothing. So, even if you don’t believe it, at least put it as a courtesy to everyone around you, “he joked in his typical Simmons way.) As for detractors who think musicians like KISS should just” shut up and sing ” and not to share those opinions, Stanley has some sincere words.
“Times have changed, because there was a time when I thought artists should just entertain, ”admits Stanley. “But the fact is, to be honest, I see myself as a citizen. And I think my voice is at least as important as anyone else’s. And not being able to express my opinion really seems un-American! It’s no surprise to me at this point that the people who say ‘shut up’ are the people who don’t agree, you know? If I were on your side, you would go, ‘Yea, keep talking!’ It is no surprise that the people who would like people like me not to express an opinion are the people on the other side of the fence. And this is very bad. This is sad, because, again, I don’t want to politicize anything. I’m trying to help. I’m trying to warn people that we might be able to end this pandemic a little earlier and with less fatality. It is not a question of who you vote for, or conspiracies, or anything like that. I just want to help.”
As for other Soul Station tracks that Stanley recorded because of their relevance in 2021, he says: “I tended to go for songs that were not openly flexing the muscles of masculinity. I like the idea of someone singing softly, be it Smokey [Robinson], or Russel Thompkins in Stylistics, or Eddie Kendricks. I think there is a place for a manhood that doesn’t explicitly depend on testosterone. So, I tended to songs like ‘Just My Imagination’ or ‘Ooh, Baby, Baby’ or ‘You Are Everything’. I didn’t want an album of screamers, quite honestly. What I wanted to capture on the album was that the band is a steamroller, but we are wrapped in velvet ”.
The same listeners who were unaware of Stanley’s obsession with classical soul music may also be surprised by his willingness to show his softer side. After all, the KISS are legendary hyper-male, with their comic superhero image, pyrotechnic explosions, dragon-faced platform boots and, of course, the blood spatter and the demonic tongue of Simmons. “Well, I think yin and yang have always been Gene and me and our look on stage. I think the word sometimes comes up [to describe me] it’s ‘extravagant’, ”laughs Stanley. “I am very comfortable with who I am, my sexual orientation and everything that comes with it, so I don’t think that contradicts it. … Just being up there flexing my muscles, it doesn’t make you sexist anymore. It kind of, at some point, gets a little old. So, I think I’ve always demonstrated true comfort on stage with just one freedom.
“Our audience is very diverse,” continues Stanley, in line with the sentiment that permeates his Soul Station project. “We are proud of everyone who comes to see us. And the most important thing that I think transfers and translates into life is to be comfortable with who you are and to be proud of who you are. So, whether gay pride or black pride, whatever it is, you have every right to be proud of who you are. And we are welcoming everyone. We are not here to judge. There is nothing to judge. “
Check out Paul Stanley’s extended interview on Yahoo Entertainment below for a conversation about Soul Station, the early 70s proto-KISS band Wicked Lester, and how Stanley came up with his famous stage play:
Read more on Yahoo Entertainment:
· Gene Simmons remembers producing Van Halen’s first demos – and why he tore up the contract: ‘They owe me nothing’
· KISS revisits ‘The Phantom of the Park’, 40 years later – ‘Wow, how strange’
· #NoMakeupSunday: When KISS showed their faces on MTV
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