KISS
Ace Frehley

Being a part of Kiss might not be the easiest thing in the world, especially when you're at the peak of fame. Few bands – perhaps none – have managed to achieve so much success in such a short time. In retrospect, the golden phase of the band is limited to the period 1974-1977, with the (very fake) live double LP “Alive II” closing the circle. After that, there would be ups and downs, countless lineup changes, and lots of revivals.

In 1978, with the four at their pinnacle and practically at each other's throats, Casablanca Records set the release of a solo album for each of them. The LPs would all be released on the same day, the covers would be designed by the same artist, and the inserts would be similar, to emphasize how everything falls under one big operation. The Kiss brand, of course, would be prominently featured, even though they would be solo albums in every respect: decide for yourself if it was a mega publicity stunt or pure genius.

Officially, it was all intended to allow each of the four masked individuals to express themselves as best as possible, away from the usual pressures (yeah, right...), but the usual insiders say everything had already been organized for a long time. Moral of the story: it's about working the golden goose without making it collapse from exhaustion.

The operation went through in September 1978, with the four LPs finally in stores: needless to say, the success was phenomenal. The album that would sell the best was that of the “Spaceman” Ace Frehley. If at the time, Our Hero was already a highly respected guitarist, his opportunities to showcase his vocal abilities, also due to a certain reluctance, had been few, so much so that it took until the year before to hear him behind the mic (“Shock Me”). For the occasion, he goes all out, practically playing all the instruments himself, being accompanied only by Anton Fig, a future collaborator of Kiss, on drums and a couple of other session musicians.

Needle on the LP and it kicks off with a bang: “Rip It Out” showcases “square” rhythms, great drive, beautiful melodies, and, naturally, guitar solos aplenty. “Speedin' Back To My Baby” confirms the successful formula of the previous track, with the addition of female backing vocals. Space Ace's vocal performance is convincing, despite his lack of experience. While “Snow Blind” highlights the skills of Anton Fig, much more than a mere studio session player, “Ozone” is yet another demonstration of Frehley's talent, both in his charismatic and recognizable vocals and, of course, on the six-string, with a solo that hints at Thin Lizzy.

As you continue to listen, you realize not only how Frehley's guitar was an integral part of Kiss's sound but also how his opportunities to express himself had been significantly limited until then. Needless to say, after his departure, the group's music would change irreversibly.

Among the best moments of the LP is undoubtedly “What's On Your Mind,” which gathers all the elements that make this solo debut a great work, with catchy melodies and choruses to sing out loud. “New York Groove,” written by Russ Ballard and already made famous some time before by Hello, shows the more melodic side of Space Ace, thanks to a track that, filled with female backing vocals, recalls certain atmospheres of Meat Loaf of the era. It doesn't add much to what was previously done, unlike the following “I'm In Need of Love,” which still contains a very good solo, one of those that, to be clear, were often cut without much ceremony from Kiss's LPs. Approaching the grand finale with “Wiped-out,” which reconfirms how good the listening has been. The conclusion is entrusted to the instrumental “Fractured Mirror”, slow and atmospheric, proving how Frehley knows how to express himself in multiple registers.

The album would be a success, a perfectly accomplished experiment by a musician without brakes and free from any impediments. As much as the LP amazed with the great skills of its protagonist, it also hinted at how that bandwagon of fireworks and masks had begun to feel too small for him. The first to leave Kiss would be Peter Criss, in 1980, followed closely by Frehley himself a couple of years later. With the departure of the Catman, but especially Space Ace, the band's most sincere and markedly rock soul would also leave, which from then on would continue centered on the Simmons-Stanley duo alone, never replicating the glories of the golden years. Forming Frehley's Comet in the Eighties, Space Ace's spacecraft would then return to base with the sensational Kiss reunion in the following decade, before returning to focusing once again on solo albums in more recent times.

Ready to take off into space?

1. Rip It Out
2. Speedin' Back To My Baby
3. Snow Blind
4. Ozone
5. What's On Your Mind?
6. New York Groove
7. I'm In Need of Love
8. Wiped-out
9. Fractured Mirror