Now And Then by Paul Stanley's Soul Station is an authentic labour of love

Paul Stanley's Soul Station's Now And Then showcases the soul side of the Star Child

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Paul Stanley's Soul Station: Now And Then
(Image: © UMC)

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If you're expecting anything resembling a Kiss album from Paul Stanley, then forget it. This is all about his love for Motown, Otis Redding and other soul icons.

The man himself has never hidden an adoration for this style of music, so everything is approached with a sense of authenticity, care. Versions of The Temptations' Just My Imagination and The Miracles' Tracks Of My Tears are breathtaking, Stanley's caressing voice striking the right mood as his backing band offer a beautiful instrumental balance.

There are nine covers and five originals, each delivered with feeling. The standout moments come on Could It Be I'm Falling In Love (originally by The Spinners) and Ooo Baby Baby (Smokey Robinson). Both are stunning tributes to the originals, as well as offering a modern varnish.

This is Stanley's best non Kiss album since his '78 self-titled solo release.

Malcolm Dome
Malcolm Dome

Malcolm Dome had an illustrious and celebrated career which stretched back to working for Record Mirror magazine in the late 70s and Metal Fury in the early 80s before joining Kerrang! at its launch in 1981. His first book, Encyclopedia Metallica, published in 1981, may have been the inspiration for the name of a certain band formed that same year. Dome is also credited with inventing the term "thrash metal" while writing about the Anthrax song Metal Thrashing Mad in 1984. With the launch of Classic Rock magazine in 1998 he became involved with that title, sister magazine Metal Hammer, and was a contributor to Prog magazine since its inception in 2009. He died in 2021.