Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley is often rated the most cohesive of KISS’s 1978 solo quartet. Ace Frehley’s signature guitar-driven rock and roll runs throughout, carrying a spacey, easygoing air while thick riffs and singable melodies link up pleasingly one after another. Rather than showing off technique, the record prioritizes letting the songs run and feel good, and that is its charm. Each phrase has its own timing and humor, conveying the relaxed, true face of a player who was the quiet one within KISS. It is easy to see why many say that, of the four, this is the one you can naturally listen to front to back as a rock album. Stepping away from flashy staging to present a guitarist’s personality and taste directly, it is an essential record for understanding the essence of Ace Frehley as a player.