The Aceman Cometh

Before I get too deeply into this, I have to confess two things: First, I love KISS, Ace Frehley and everything related. I am biased as hell. Secondly, the title of this piece is total ass. I know this and have accepted it. The fact that it came so easily is also suspect. After an exhaustive Google search, though, I was not able to find another Frehley-related story with the same title. So, either I’m the most astute person on earth, or Google is not doing the job I’ve come to expect of it.
My introduction to KISS was in the ‘70s via my babysitter’s record collection. Initially, it was just the image that attracted me, but soon they became my favorite musical group and would continue to be throughout my childhood. A few years later my mother started buying me my very own records, with “Unmasked” and Ace’s ‘78 solo record being the first in my collection. And it didn’t stop with the albums; soon buttons, dolls and other KISS collectibles became a way of life. And just like most KISS freaks, it’s a collection that I still own and add to every chance I get.

The history of KISS, and Ace’s involvement, is hard to sum up in a few paragraphs, but here’s a condensed version: In 1972, Ace answered an ad in the Village Voice for a guitar player. When he showed up for the audition, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were waiting and while slightly put off by his appearance, his guitar playing knocked them out. After getting the gig, and designing the lighting bolt logo, Ace, along with the other band members, adopted unique stage characters (along with the legendary makeup) with Ace’s being “Space Ace.” After ten years with the band, and writing some of the bands most beloved songs like “Shock Me,” “Parasite,” and “Cold Gin,” Ace left KISS to pursue a solo career.

After leaving KISS, Ace formed Frehley’s Comet. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1987. Next, was 1988’s, “Second Sighting, followed by his last solo release, “Trouble Walkin’.” One of the main reasons Ace left KISS was that they were lightening up their sound and recording albums that bordered on disco. While the three solo discs were not as heavy as his ‘78 solo record, they were a much-needed shot in the arm for KISS fans. Other members have released solo albums, but Ace’s are definitely the best and most beloved.

After more than six years of inactivity, Ace is back out on the road with his new band. Anthony Esposito is on bass; Derrick Hawkins, guitar; and Scot Coogan, drums. Maybe more exciting than the tour, though, is the upcoming release of Ace’s first solo album since 1989. I had a chance to catch up with the Spaceman before the start of his tour in Baltimore.

HPR: Do you have a release date and title for the new album?

Ace: We’re shooting for the spring, maybe April or May. I don’t have a working title; I’m just waiting to finish mixing and see what lends itself to being a title track. If that doesn’t work then we’ll come up with something silly like “Space Poppies from Hell.” I was going into the studio right before I was offered the reunion tour and I put that off and I got on that roller coaster ride with KISS and I was out of control. It took a couple of years to recover from the KISS tours and get my head screwed on straight. Then it was digging up old demos and writing new songs and getting clean and sober.

HPR: How much of your set list will be made up of new tracks?

Ace: You know, if it was 20 years ago we’d try out a couple of the new songs live, but with advent of the internet and Youtube, I play a show and the next day I’m on Youtube and there it is. People have been waiting so long for the CD to come out that I don’t want to spoil it for them. I’m glad there’s excitement out there and I don’t think it’s a negative thing it’s just the way it is. I think the setlist is pretty much what we did last time, but we added a new medley that we rehearsed the last couple days. It starts with Torpedo Girl into Speedin’ Back to My Baby into Five Card Stud into Trouble Walkin’.

HPR: Have you heard Peter Criss’ tribute to you, “Space Ace,” on his new album?

Ace: I was doing an interview for VH1 and I spoke to Peter there and he was telling me about it. He was supposed to send me a CD, but I never got it, so I haven’t even heard the record. I guess I’ll have to go out and buy it. What’s the name of the song?

HPR: Space Ace.

Ace: Have you heard it? Is it an affectionate song?

HPR: Definitely.

Ace: Yeah, man, Peter’s a good guy. I just spoke to him a couple of months ago. I spoke to Paul a couple of months ago, too. I called Paul because Gene contacted me to do his television show, but I’ve been swamped and he called me right around the time I was gearing up to do that Halloween show and at the time I had to do my first show in five years. I was also in the studio recording, so I actually had no free time and had to pass.

HPR: What about an Ace Frehley reality show?

Ace: I’ve been offered a few but turned them down. It’s become passé, hasn’t it? One of the things I think is a negative for reality shows is most people that have done them at the end of the show there’s no mystique anymore. The whole romance behind the KISS phenomenon was that the fact that no one knew what we looked like without the makeup. People used to think Gene was evil incarnate. I have watched the show a couple of times and I thought it was funny as hell and can understand the success of it.

HPR: There’ve been a lot of UFO sightings lately, are people finally starting to believe?

Ace: With the amount of information that we’ve accumulated over the last ten or fifteen years about space and our universe, anybody that would believe that we’re the only intelligent life in the universe is kidding themselves. I have a newsflash for you, we’re not alone. Where I live now, I’ll see something going like really, really fast and it will stop and make a 90 degree turn and go straight up, I kid you not.

If You Go

WHAT: Ace Frehley
WHERE: The Fargo Theatre
WHEN: March 11, 7:30pm.
HOW MUCH: $35 & $32
WHO: All ages
INFO: (701) 239-8385