Ace Frehley (album)

Last updated

Ace Frehley
Ace frehley solo album cover.jpg
Cover art by Eraldo Carugati
Studio album by
Ace Frehley
ReleasedSeptember 18, 1978 (1978-09-18)
RecordedJune–July 1978
StudioThe Mansion, Sharon, Connecticut
Plaza Sound Studios, New York City
Genre Hard rock
Length36:44
Label Casablanca
Producer
Ace Frehley chronology
Ace Frehley
(1978)		 Frehley's Comet
(1987)
Singles from Ace Frehley
  1. "New York Groove"
    Released: 1978

Ace Frehley is the first solo album by American guitarist and former Kiss member Ace Frehley, released on September 18, 1978, by Casablanca Records. [1] It was one of four albums released by each separate Kiss member as a solo act, but yet still under the Kiss label, coming out alongside Peter Criss , Paul Stanley , and Gene Simmons .

Contents

Ace Frehley contains the cover hit single "New York Groove", which was originally written by Russ Ballard and recorded by Hello in 1975. The song would prove to be a major hit for Frehley and boosted sales for its parent album. The album would also prove to be the most successful of the four Kiss solo albums.

Background

The album was produced by Frehley and Eddie Kramer. It featured Anton Fig on drums. He later performed session work on the Kiss albums Dynasty and Unmasked , and later became a member of Ace Frehley's band Frehley's Comet. Fig and Will Lee, who played bass on three of the album's tracks, later gained prominence as members of the World's Most Dangerous Band and the CBS Orchestra along with Paul Shaffer on Late Night with David Letterman and Late Show with David Letterman . In an interview with Loudwire, Frehley stated that some of the songs from his solo album were originally slated for the fifth Kiss album, Rock and Roll Over . In an interview with Ultimate Guitar, Frehley also recalled being inspired by an incident at a band business meeting before work began on his solo album: "I remember Paul and Gene made a statement to me in front of everybody that was kind of a dig. They said, 'Oh Ace, by the way – if you need any help on your record, don't hesitate to call us.' In the back of my mind, I'm saying, 'I don't need their help.'" [2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 8/10 [4]
Pitchfork (8.5/10) [5]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 3/10 [7]

In a retrospective review Greg Prato of AllMusic wrote that "of the four Kiss solo albums, the best of the bunch is Ace Frehley's", who "did not stray far from the expected heavy Kiss sound". [3] Jason Josephes of Pitchfork concurred that it was the standout of the Kiss solo efforts, describing it as "a melange of riff rock, power pop, and just a little bit of soul". [5] Canadian journalist Martin Popoff defined Ace Frehley as "the least pretentious, heaviest and best-selling platter of the Kiss' solo album quartet", describing the music as "solid, well-rounded simplified '70s metal". [4]

Commercial performance

"New York Groove", which was first recorded in 1975 by the glam rock band Hello, rose to No. 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. [8] This was the highest chart placement for any of the singles released from the 1978 solo albums. The album reached No. 26 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It was certified platinum on October 2, 1978, and shipped over 1,000,000 copies. [9] It is the highest selling of the four Kiss solo albums in the Sound Scan era (1991 onwards). [10]

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original release. [11]

All tracks are written by Ace Frehley, except where noted

Side One
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rip It Out"Frehley, Larry Kelly, Sue Kelly3:40
2."Speedin' Back to My Baby"Frehley, Jeanette Frehley3:37
3."Snow Blind" 3:55
4."Ozone" 4:43
5."What's on Your Mind?" 3:28
Side Two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."New York Groove" (Hello cover) Russ Ballard 3:03
7."I'm in Need of Love" 4:39
8."Wiped-Out"Frehley, Anton Fig4:13
9."Fractured Mirror" (instrumental) 5:26
Total length:36:44

Personnel

Artist
Additional personnel
Production

Charts

Chart (1978–1979)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [12] 48
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [13] 34
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [14] 30
US Billboard 200 [15] 26

Certification

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [16] Gold50,000^
United States (RIAA) [17] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Trouble Walkin</i> 1989 studio album by Ace Frehley

Trouble Walkin' is the second full-length solo album released by Ace Frehley. The album features guest performances by former Kiss drummer Peter Criss, as well as Skid Row members Sebastian Bach, Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo.

Frehley's Comet was an American rock band formed and led by ex-Kiss lead guitarist Ace Frehley. The group released two studio albums and one live EP before Frehley left the band to release his 1989 solo album, Trouble Walkin'.

<i>Hotter than Hell</i> (album) 1974 studio album by Kiss

Hotter than Hell is the second studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on October 22, 1974, by Casablanca Records. It was certified gold on June 23, 1977, having shipped 500,000 copies. The album was re-released in 1997 in a remastered version. It peaked on the Billboard 200 charts at No. 100, without the benefit of a hit single. Many of the album's songs were live staples for the band, including "Parasite", "Hotter than Hell", "Let Me Go, Rock 'n' Roll", and "Watchin' You".

<i>Killers</i> (Kiss album) 1982 greatest hits album by Kiss

Killers is the second compilation album by American hard rock group Kiss. It was released only outside the US, but quickly became available as an import. Of the album's twelve songs, four were new compositions recorded specifically for it: "I'm a Legend Tonight," "Down on Your Knees," "Nowhere to Run" and "Partners in Crime." These new songs were recorded at the behest of Phonogram, in response to the commercial failure of 1981's Music from "The Elder".

<i>Unmasked</i> (Kiss album) 1980 studio album by Kiss

Unmasked is the eighth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on May 20, 1980, by Casablanca Records. It was their first not to feature original drummer and founding member Peter Criss. Despite having no involvement in its production, Criss features in the album's artwork and the video for "Shandi", and also receives credit.

<i>Dressed to Kill</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Kiss

Dressed to Kill is the third studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on March 19, 1975. It was produced by Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart and the band itself as the label's financial situation at the time did not permit the hiring of a professional producer.

<i>Second Sighting</i> 1988 studio album by Frehleys Comet

Second Sighting is the third solo album by Ace Frehley and the second and final to use the Frehley's Comet moniker. Due to Frehley's illness and substance abuse during the recording, Tod Howarth took a bigger role in singing and songwriting than on the previous album.

<i>Kiss</i> (Kiss album) 1974 studio album by Kiss

Kiss is the debut studio album by American rock band Kiss, released on February 8, 1974. Much of the material on the album was written by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, as members of their pre-Kiss band Wicked Lester. Simmons estimated that the entire process of recording and mixing took three weeks, while co-producer Richie Wise has stated it took just 13 days.

<i>Rock and Roll Over</i> 1976 studio album by Kiss

Rock and Roll Over is the fifth studio album by American rock band Kiss, released in 1976. It was recorded at the Star Theatre in Nanuet, New York.

<i>Love Gun</i> 1977 studio album by Kiss

Love Gun is the sixth studio album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on June 30, 1977. Casablanca Records and FilmWorks shipped one million copies of the album on this date. It was certified platinum and became the band's first top 5 album on the Billboard 200. The album was remastered in 1997 and again in 2014.

<i>Alive II</i> 1977 live album by Kiss

Alive II is the second live album by American hard rock band Kiss, released on October 14, 1977, by Casablanca Records. The band had released three albums since the previous live outing, the 1975 release Alive!, so they drew upon the variety of new tracks, with Eddie Kramer producing. The album is one of the best selling in the Kiss discography, being the band's first to be certified double platinum in February 1996, the same month the Kiss reunion tour was announced. It has continued to sell in the US in the Soundscan era, selling over 300,000 copies from 1991 and to March 2012.

<i>Double Platinum</i> (Kiss album) 1978 greatest hits album by Kiss

Double Platinum is the first greatest hits album by the American hard rock band Kiss, released in 1978. Many of the songs on Double Platinum were remixed and differed from their original versions: in the case of "Strutter," it was re-recorded with a slight disco beat and dubbed "Strutter '78." Other songs had sections completely removed, while the beginning of "Black Diamond" was repeated at the end, fading out at the start of the first verse and giving the song a "wrap around" feel.

<i>Gene Simmons</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Gene Simmons

Gene Simmons is the first solo album by Gene Simmons, the bassist and co-lead vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. It is one of four solo albums released by each member of Kiss, but yet still under the Kiss label, coming out alongside Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Paul Stanley. It was released on September 18, 1978. Reaching number 22 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart, it was the highest-placing of all the four Kiss solo albums. Mainly a hard rock style album, it also features choirs and string arrangements on some songs, as well as incorporating various musical genres including Beatles-inspired pop, 1970s funk, and rock and roll.

<i>Peter Criss</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Peter Criss

Peter Criss is the first solo album by Peter Criss, the drummer of American hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978, but yet under the Kiss label, coming out alongside Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Gene Simmons. The album was produced by Vini Poncia, who went on to produce the Kiss albums Dynasty (1979) and Unmasked (1980). Criss covered "Tossin' and Turnin'", which was a No. 1 hit for Bobby Lewis in the U.S. during the summer of 1961. The song was subsequently covered by Kiss on their 1979 tour.

<i>Paul Stanley</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Paul Stanley

Paul Stanley is the first solo album from American musician Paul Stanley, the singer-songwriter best known for serving as the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of hard rock band Kiss. It was one of four solo albums released by the members of Kiss on September 18, 1978, yet still under the Kiss label, and coming out alongside Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Gene Simmons. It is the only release out of the four Kiss solo albums to feature all original songs, as Simmons, Criss and Frehley each recorded one cover song on their albums.

<i>Dynasty</i> (Kiss album) 1979 studio album by Kiss

Dynasty is the seventh studio album by American rock band Kiss, produced by Vini Poncia and released on May 23, 1979, by Casablanca Records.

<i>Frehleys Comet</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Frehleys Comet

Frehley's Comet is the second solo album by Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist of Kiss. It was also the first album that Frehley released after leaving Kiss in 1982.

<i>Alive!</i> (Kiss album) 1975 live album by Kiss

Alive! is the fourth album overall, and the first live album, by American hard rock band Kiss, released on September 10, 1975. It is considered to be their breakthrough, and a landmark for live albums. The double-album contains live versions of selected tracks from their first three studio albums, Kiss, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill. It was recorded at concerts in Detroit, Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; Wildwood, New Jersey; and Davenport, Iowa on May 16, June 21, July 20 and 23, 1975.

<i>Live+1</i> 1988 EP by Frehleys Comet

Live+1 is a 1988 EP by the hard rock band Frehley's Comet. It was meant to serve as a stopgap until the release of the group's second studio album, Second Sighting. The first four songs were recorded live at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois, on September 4, 1987. The last song, "Words Are Not Enough," is a shorter version of a demo recording the group made in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York Groove</span> 1978 single by Ace Frehley

"New York Groove" is a song written by English musician and producer Russ Ballard. The song was originally recorded by glam rock band Hello in 1975 and was later covered by Ace Frehley (Kiss) for his 1978 solo album. Frehley's version is also well known, especially in the USA.

References

  1. ↑ Ace Frehley, Kiss – Ace Frehley Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic , retrieved March 24, 2023
  2. ↑ "Ace Frehley Recalls a 'Dig' from Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley That Inspired his '78 Solo Album".
  3. 1 2 Prato, Greg. "Ace Frehley / Kiss – Ace Frehley review". AllMusic . Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  4. 1 2 Popoff, Martin (October 2003). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 1: The Seventies. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 163–164. ISBN   978-1-894959-02-5.
  5. 1 2 Josephes, Jason. "Review Ace Frehley". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on June 26, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Kiss: Album Guide | Rolling Stone Music". Rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on June 27, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
  7. ↑ Cohen, Jason (1995). "Kiss". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. p. 212. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  8. ↑ "Ace Frehley Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  9. ↑ "RIAA Gold & Palatinum Database: Ace Frehley". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  10. ↑ Barnes, Ken (February 9, 2007). "The Kiss sales report". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  11. ↑ Kiss (1978). Ace Frehley (LP Sleeve). Los Angeles, California: Casablanca Records. NBLP 7121.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 19. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0097a". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  15. ↑ "Ace Frehley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Ace Frehley – Kiss". Music Canada.
  17. ↑ "American album certifications – Ace Frehley – Kiss – Ace Frehley". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.