KISS’ Paul Stanley Croons Unadorned R&B Classics at Soul Station Debut

“These songs mean a lot to us,” said KISS singer of vintage favorites by Temptations, Al Green and others

By Steve Appleford

There were no fireworks or kabuki makeup, no lightning bolts or platform heels, but Paul Stanley of Kiss found some genuine emotional power in a set of classic Sixties and Seventies R&B Friday night at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. It was the first public performance of Paul Stanley’s Soul Station, and it was clearly a labor of love for the singer, way outside his usual rock comfort zone of bombast and shouting out loud. The Starchild had come to share his true love of Motown and Philly soul.

The songs were ancient hits by Smokey Robinson, the Temptations, Al Green and the Isley Brothers, and the performances painstakingly re-created the original arrangements, with only occasional nods to Stanley’s other gig. “We’re paying respect, with reverence, to some of the great songs,” Stanley said early in his 75-minute set, dressed in shades and a tuxedo jacket, swaying in cowboy boots of fire-engine red.

“There was a time not that long ago when you would turn on the radio and you’d hear songs written by real songwriters, songs sung by real singers, played by real musicians,” he explained to the whistling, cheering crowd at the 500-capacity club on the Sunset Strip. “These songs mean a lot to us. They’re beautiful songs. You could sway and touch the person next to you — you could also get punched in the face. I think you’re going to like this.”

He began with the Temptations’ “Get Ready,” singing in falsetto, as he would the entire set, reaching for high notes and subtlety that would be a challenge for almost anyone not named Smokey. His vocals could have been louder in the mix here, but Stanley found his own power and confidence as the set rolled on, blending elegantly with a trio of gifted backup singers: Nelson Beato, Ayana Layli and Crystal Starr.