KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley did a phone interview several days ago with Doug Podell of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM. Listen to the audio of the eight-and-a-half-minute conversation in Windows Media format at this location. A couple of excerpts follow:

On how POISON was selected to open the summer tour: "We wanted a fun band for the summer. And honestly there's not that many bands around who are entertaining and can deliver something other than getting up on stage and singing about how unhappy they are. I just have no patience for guys who are making millions of bucks by making albums where they sing about how miserable they are. If you're so damn miserable, give me your number, I'll give you a call, give me your money."

On his upcoming solo album: "My album's about half done and it should be out around January. I'll work it around KISS and when the time is right, it'll be out. It's pretty awesome.

"The difference [between doing a solo album and writing a KISS record] is… I mean, it's very easy for me to do a one-man KISS album, 'cause in the past, there's been a lot of times where I've come in with finished demos and we would just wind up copying them. But in doing a solo album, instead of writing songs with a band in mind, you put together a band with your songs in mind — you do it backwards. So it's a lot more fun, because you just take people in the studio that you want for a particular song as opposed to writing a song because you have certain people."