Ace Frehley - Back in the New York Groove classic or dud?

http://southsidecallbox.com/images/hellonewyorkgroove.jpghttp://southsidecallbox.com/images/moonlighting.jpg

File with Les Dudek, Steve Hunter, Leslie West's "The Great Fatsby," Hookfoot, Black Sheep, Blackjack, the Good Rats sans the stupid puns and songs about sleeping with hundreds of boys, Trigger (also on Casablanca and, indeed, even superior to Ace solo)...

I really don't remember anything from Ace's record or any of the other solo records, except "Back in the New York Groove" and it's as classic as anything Kiss ever did. I like Russ Ballard songs.

Yes indeed! And it's on the ... Tasty album. [Rim shot.]

I really don't remember anything from Ace's record or any of the other solo records

See, famous journeyman 70's guitarist -- even with big name.

I like Russ Ballard songs.

Russ is cooler than Ace, proving what I've said on ILX previously -- Ace sort of has a little taste or can take good advice from colleagues and management. "Since You've Been Gone," however,
earned Ballard a lot more money and mileage than "Groove." And
I'll take Argent's catchy tunes over many allegedly catchy tunes
by Kiss -- solo or otherwise. Hmmm, Kiss even covered Argent,
one good song on an otherwise rotten album.

And, it's true, I'm Peter Criss incognito. They'd sacked me by then
and I'm still bitter.

Never in a million centuries.

Your lightnin’s all I need
My satisfaction grows
You make me feel at ease
You even make me glow
Don’t cut the power on me
I’m feelin’ low, so get me high

Shock me, make me feel better
Shock me, put on your black leather
Shock me, we can come together

And baby, if you do what you’ve been told
My insulation’s gone, girl you make me overload

Don’t pull the plug on me, no, no
Keep it in and keep me high

Shock me, make me feel better
Shock me, put on your black leather
Shock me, we can come together
Come on

Shock me, baby, shock me, oh yeah
Shock me, baby, shock me, oh yeah

Shock me, make me feel better, oh yeah
Come on and shock me, put on your black leather
Baby, I’m down to the bare wire
Shock me, we can come together
Oh yeah, I wanna feel your power
Shock me, make me feel better
Baby, I’m down to the bare wire
Shock me, put on your black leather
Baby, come on, come on, shock me

I hate when somebody post an entire song, but Gawd How Great Is This?

By far, without a doubt, an awesome song. I downloaded it mislabeled as being by the New York Dolls and I searched endlessly to find out who really did it and it was driving me nuts and it is easily the best thing any member of KISS has ever associated themselves with.

they are playing this on 6 music right now

this fucking song is invincible

finally heard the original version of new york groove, by Hello

kinda digging it more cuzza the funky harmonica!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7XBDaodo1g

Ace just doing what he has to do:

https://cortlandstandard.net/2019/10/02/area-man-directs-lost-kiss-guitarist-to-gig/

amazing

I'm sure that Ace has gotten lost a few times going to gigs, sometimes while going to the stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_mGGFSckk0

Rumor mill flying right now that he might have died.

TMZ says it's pretty near.

Confirmed:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kiss-guitarist-ace-frehley-dead-1235448770/

I am devastated.

https://images-bucket.bonanzastatic.com/afu/images/58fe/13c6/3faf_10248590943/KISS_-_Ace_Frehley_ALIVE_II.jpg

rest well, starchild

RIP Ace. You were the fucking best

xpost HE WASNT STARCHILD! THAT WAS PAUL. ACE WAS SPACEMAN

sorry.

That Cortland Standard article linked upthread is such a perfect example of a "most important local news story the world must know about".

Rocket Ride into infinity Ace, safe passages.

I guarantee many would have never believed he would have made it to 74, that dude lived pretty hard.

I thought Ace got the best lines in KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park.

gahhh oh man I am the worst!!! Not enough facepalms. Sorry veggel and kiss nation :-(

Veggrl

dude was a nut <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHDrEJoAFZw

space for your face

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK9W5_6l2K4

yesss

Kiss is found objectionable by most informed listeners, including the majority of ILMniks… but I always thought Ace was the kiss dude that most non fans would like, in terms of his character —unlike the self-important Paul and relentlessly mercenary Gene, he was unpretentious and very very fuuny— and his tunes are charming, dunderheaded but often really really good riff rock…

Yeah Ace’s appeal was definitely his relative normality - self-taught guitar player, affable, silly, kind of a screwup, doesnt take the whole Being In Kiss thing too seriously (or at all seriously, depending on who you talk to)

He could have just as easily landed in the New York Dolls or Ramones and been right at home

Kinda funny you mention the Ramones as I did bring them up here...

https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-weekly-166-141455124

I linked Rob Cavestany's IG post in that piece but it's worth a read:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DP5VoodDhBo/

As is this from his local metal compatriot Alex Skolnick, who I think puts the whole 'but he wasn't TECHNICALLY as good a player as' thing firmly to rest:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DP42UzgiAKH/

yeah I like Skolnik’s point about playing for the song.
I’m not a guitar player, but I feel like Ace’s enthusiasm for the songs themselves added an energy to his solos that makes up for whatever technical prowess might be missing.

And the other part of this is that those Kiss songs don’t NEED some mini-symphonist like Blackmore overseasoning the stew with a billion notes & runs & whatever.
The songs themselves are simple (sure often times actually dumb), but Ace made them feel at least a little bit cooler than they would have been without him imo

And you cannot underrate the power of inspiring a million kids to play … that’s some real Elvis shit

Even for non-guitarists this is a good video that gives you a sense of Ace's personality. This is from a few years ago as we loved the 'dinosaur bends' part of the lesson from him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3XfErfgrZU

I like his casual adeptness here. You can tell Gene and Paul are like, "OK, well, this reunion thing might work..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC9xjboGmsk

Really enjoyed that "Guitar Moves" video. Great down-to-earth vibe.

I don’t know how to explain it but he really wielded his guitar like few did/do, he photographed so so well

He fit the theatricality. I mean, Peter, he's just a goofy little guy on drums there at the back. Ace had the space to pose and the costume to show it off further.

and Peter sucked as a drummer -- though requiring another drummer would've been ridiculous

Ace was really an underrated guitarist. I loved his phrasing and the way he dug his pick so deep in the strings - kind of a bubblegum Jimmy Page. And I mean that in the best way. Growing up in the 70's he was my favorite KISS guy and he added a shit ton of color to an otherwise fairly miserable childhood. His passing feels extra strange for some reason. It's like finding out Bugs Bunny died or something.

Ace had smoke!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3TV76IXc74

Darin otm - it really is a weird feeling that he’s not around anymore.

I’ve seen some nice remembrances from Mike Portnoy, Scott Ian etc and they talk about his melodic solo riffs, how you could sing so many of them. It’s really true. I was immediately humming the Black Diamond riff after i saw the news.

It’s also cool reading old Kiss concert memories, and especially seeing great old photos of childhood Ace costumes - I’ve seen ones of Maynard, Tom Morello, Dimebag Darrell, even Sebastian Bach lol

my older brother, a card carrying member of the Kiss Army, was going to be Ace for halloween one year.

costume never materialized but he did make the gibson guitar prob he cut out of a plank of plywood.

that was my de facto guitar until i actually got one years later. the time i spent copying the poses from kiss alive and any other pics i found in circus mag or whatever, man I loved that dude, true rock god in my heart

<3 that’s the real shit

Oh my childhood friend and I made quite a few cardboard Gibsons with yardstick necks. They were good for breaking after miming along to Alive!

\m/

Alive is the shit, for real. Full timewarp. Parasite into She at the end of side 2 still GOES….fucking love Ace’s She outro solo

I'm at a very specific age where for some reason the Frehley's Comet cassette was a big deal to me, oddly bigger than Kiss

I think this is a perfect slice of AOR pop metal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ylQKzaLB-E

yes! Into The Night is great, i love Frehley’s Comet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS0PflD7CpQ

the mets victory song

The version of “She” on Alive is indeed unbelievably hot, probably my OPO to play for Kiss skeptics who doubt their explosive potential

I’ll have to check out the Frehley’s Comet album, the cover art always stuck out to me kinda looking like it’s from 1977 rather than 1987

TIL Frehley's Comet is supposed to rhyme with the common mispronunciation of Halley's Comet. Missed this because I thought Frehley was pronounced Free-ly.

wow, TIL i was pronouncing Ace’s name incorrectly my entire life

True, it is not pronounced 'aks.'

OK this is up there with the Laura Nyro pronounciation bombshell, makes me wonder who else I'm mispronouncing?

did not know this either! mind currently blown

also wait what is the Nyro pronunciation

Nee-ro is correct

I'm a child of the '70s and I can swear that not one of my peers, whether in the Kiss Army or not, pronounced Ace's name Fray-ly as is proper.

same!

i wonder if Ace was secretly mad at everyonr saying his name wrong

Gene probably did it on purpose

I.P. Frehley

AKA The Whizz Kid

lol

rip ace

idk it's kind of blowing my mind that there are actually some good KISS songs?

In honor of Ace's passing, I rewatched this old gem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8R6Axq4yXA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7qqQsIMmlI

fired up the solo album tonight for the first time in many rooms - it still goes <3

Ace had pretty good taste, and he was never shy about influences, and that’s what makes it so fun .. it is an album that feels like a kid jamming out in their bedroom cutting Bowie poses and doing Townsend guitar windmills and just fucking being himself.

That above everything was Ace’s true superpower and the thing that Gene & Paul could never allow themselves to do.

many rooms? lol
MANY MOONS.

I had a good friend who loved Kiss and worshipped Ace. We used to argue a lot - I thought Kiss were so lame. Couldn't believe someone liked them so much. He ended up winning me over a little bit. I especially liked his eponymous album. Fractured Mirror is great. Might have a drink and a listen this weekend. Will probably think about my old friend and hope things turned out alright for him more than I will Ace. RIP.