There is a certain almost indescribable magic that is Kiss. Maybe it is the comic-
book - hero persona assumed by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley
and Peter Criss as they step in front of the footlights. Maybe it is the larger than
life images that these legendary costumed crusaders have created both off stage and on. Maybe it is the 25 years of great rock and roll that Kiss has delivered with unerring accuracy to their ever loyal army of followers. Maybe it is all that
...and more ! With the arrival of Psycho Circus, the first album the "original"
Kiss has recorded together in 18 years, these once-and-future kings of the hard
rock world have proven that time can indeed stand still. The albums's exciting
multi-media 3-D presentation, 90s mentality and "klassic" tough-as-nails sound
has firmly proven that Kiss is more than some "retro" act trying to cash in on the
hallowed memories of millions. Rather, this unique rock and roll machine have
once again proven that they are a group for the ages, a band capable of
continually astounding their fans and confounding their critics with equal aplomb
Recently we caught up with "Star Child" Paul Stanley to get the inside word on the latest happenings in the world of Kiss.

Hit Parader:Kiss is bigger in 98 than you've been in years.Does that fact surprise you ?PS:  I was a little surprised by the level of success we attained on the last
tour. I knew it was going to be big when we got back with Ace and Peter
,but I was totally blown away by the response we received from fans all over the world. I have thought about what happend to us over the last few years, and one thing that keps running through my mind is that rock and roll fans weren't satisfied by what they were hearing. There was a huge thirst that needed to be quenched, and we were there to take care of that need. What was amazing was that 70 to 80 percent of the fans who saw us on the last tour had never seen us in makeup before. We were motivated to satisfy them, to bring them something they had never seen before. HP: Was there a moment when you suddenly realized that the reunion was going to work ? PS: Actually, that happend many times. I found myself saying, "Hey, this is working." But I always realized that there was the next day. It had to be an on-going process. When we first put the makeup back on...when we began rehearsing...when we saw the new stage...the first day tickets went on sale, each time I said, "this is working". HP: What makes Psycho Circus a special album for you ? PS: On the heels of the last tour we had to determine the direction the band was headed. It was very important for us to pick up where that tour left off. We knew that the album had to be something really special, the kind of album where you knew exactly who was making the music the instant you heard it. With Psycho Circus we have clearly upped the ante. We created an incredible degree of excitement on the last tour, and we had to top that on this album. It was a difficult thing to do. The writing process itself wasn't hard-it was making sure that the quality matched or surpassed everything we had done before. Whether the legacy that Kiss had created is fact or fiction, we knew we had a lot to live up to. HP: you mentioned the Kiss legacy. Was that an intimidating factor when you began work on this album ? PS: One thing you've got to remember is that the competition is me ! The legend is our own. We created the legacy, so why should we be intimidated by it ? From the moment we started writing songs and rehearsing, we knew exactly what the goal was-the question became how best to achieve that goal. I only wrote five songs for this album, four of which made it on-the one that didn't we simply didn't have room for. That's the way I work. Gene works differently, as do Ace and Peter. The fact that we all approach what do in different ways has always been one of the fundamental strenghts og Kiss. HP: The album has only ten songs. Is there a reason for that ? PS: It felt right. The album really holds together well. We wrote and recorded a lot more songs than that, but these 10 just felt right to us. There's a cohensiveness that you can just feel-the songs all work well within the Psycho Circus framework. We really prepared for the making of this album. It wasn't like we said, "Hey, let's go into the studio and jam out an album". That doesn't cut it. We did our homework. HP: Do you have a favorite song on the album ? PS: Probably the first track-Psycho Circus. It was written expressly to be the album opener. I thought it was important to have a song that welcomed everyone to the album and to the show. You can really sense the vibe of the band off of that song. It's five-and-a-half minutes long, which is like In A Gadda Da Vida for us. It's definitely my favorite song on the album. HP: Do you ever think about the way a new album will translate on stage while you're reading it ? PS: we've never worked that way. Our stage show has always been there to enhance our music-not the other way around. That's a quality that separates us from some other bands. We're a rock and roll band first and foremost, so the music always comes first. Then when we can put on an absolute rock and roll show to enhance it, as we're doing with Psycho Circus, it just makes everything that much better. Some other shows I've seen seem like they're geared for Vegas, kind of like Sigfried and Roy.Those bands run the risk of becoming incidental. That will never happen with Kiss. HP: So much has happend in the Rock world since Kiss began. Have newer influences had any impact on the band ? PS: I am not here to give my blessing to any new band or musical trend. But the fact is that my opinion doesn't matter. The only opinion that matters is that of the people who go to the record stores. I think there is some really good music around these days, but the question I always have is, will it last ? great music should have an impact for more than a few months or years. Music has become very trendy in the 90s, I think even more than before. I hate it when I read an interview with someone and they seem to go out of their way to mention the most cutting edge bands. I wonder if they really like that music or if they're just trying to sound cool. HP: Everyone wants to know how you, Gene, Peter and Ace are getting along these days. There were rumors that there were some problems. PS: Rumors are part of being famous. Sometimes when the rumors fly it's good, it shows that people care enough to talk about you. We've learned to live with it. The fact is that Kiss has an undeniable bond that holds us together. We are four volatile personalities, but that volatility helps make Kiss special. We've conquered the world not once...but twice ! Gene and I have been together since the creation of water. We've certainly had our share of disagreements, but that's healthy. Differences make for great relationships. That's the way you gain respect.