News Archive October 2009

Ace Frehley: Back In The New York Groove
From: Jetaany.org
by Justin Tedaldi (photo by Kevin Britton)
Posted: October 27, 2009

This fall welcomed the first album in 11 years from American rock legends KISS, and it also saw original member and former lead guitarist Ace Frehley release his first solo album in 20 years, Anomaly, which notched a top 30 debut on the Billboard charts in September. Prior to its launch, the Bronx-born Space Ace talked to JQ.

First question — and I think everyone has been asking this one — why did it take you 20 years to do another solo album?

I've been asking myself that question for a very long time. [laughs] Originally it was supposed to come out before the KISS reunion tour [in 1996]. I was scheduled to record in Europe, but then I was offered the reunion tour and had to cancel those plans to go to Los Angeles to rehearse for the tour. Since then, I've been struggling with trying to make this happen. And — it's done. [laughs]

Congratulations on finally getting it done. As the Japanese say, you must be very tired, right?

Actually, no, I have quite a bit of energy and I'm real excited about the way the record turned out. Now I'm mainly focused on packaging and planning out a tour.

Did you consider having Eddie Kramer produce this new album since you two had great success with your 1978 solo album?

I was thinking about it, but I had trouble tracking him down. But I don't think it would've worked in this scenario, because I didn't have all the songs ready when I first went into the studio, as I was constantly writing and changing songs around.

Is there any place that you haven't played yet that you would like to hit on this tour?

I would love to play Japan, since I haven't played Japan with this lineup yet. I know it would be a treat for me and a treat for the Japanese fans.

Have you ever toured Japan outside of KISS?

The last time I was there — and I'm kinda bad on the dates [laughs] — other than KISS, I was there with [Ace's solo band] Frehley's Comet [in 1993].

You first toured Japan with KISS in 1977. When you returned for the reunion tour twenty years later, what changed about Japan to you?

From the early times, it became a little more westernized. Whenever I go to Japan, I love to go to the electronics stores, because they have so many products that never make it to the United States.

What kind of Japanese products or technology have you been a fan of?

Sony, for one. I remember buying three Nikon cameras at one point. I remember there being a big toy store in Tokyo where I bought radio-controlled gadgets.

How about culture shocks? How did you cope with them in the beginning?

The language barrier was tricky, as was the food. I know Japanese food in America is pretty popular. Also, when we perform in Japan, the fans are a lot more reserved than American fans, who normally like to jump up and down. As time went on, though, you would notice the Japanese fans becoming more loose and uninhibited.

What can you tell me about your relationship with Japan? Was it ever your dream to play there or see some of the sites that you've only read about?

I've been to Japan a half-dozen times and I've seen a lot of the sights. However, I've yet to climb Mount Fuji. [laughs] The bullet trains are a trip. Have you ever been on a bullet train?

Yeah. I used to live in Kobe City, but I would take bullet trains to visit friends in various places.

At first, I loved the food. I eat sushi all the time. I notice in Japan you don't see too many fat people, as opposed to America.

In the KISS DVD The Second Coming, you talked about a lot of the great gifts you would receive from Japanese fans. Are there any in your mind that stand out that you can tell us about?

The first thing that comes to mind when you talk about the Japanese fans was that a lot of the female fans would bring us dolls. I still have a collection of Ace dolls that they've given me since the 1970s.

I'm curious if you've heard about the band X Japan?

Yeah, I think so.

I just thought of this now, but I remember [their late guitarist] Hide did a song called "Rocket Dive," which is his personal homage to [Ace's 1978 song with KISS] "Rocket Ride." If you can, try to find a copy of it; I think you'll get a kick out of it.

Awesome. Is it hard and heavy?

I would consider it a cross between KISS, Metallica and Mötley Crüe.

Okay, cool.

Going back to Anomaly, were there any recording techniques that you haven't previously used that you tried out on this record?

The biggest difference was that a lot of the tracks were recorded into Pro Tools.

Did you find that easier?

As far as the editing process was, absolutely. I remember back in the early days that the editing process was so time-consuming. Once you get into digital recording, it moves things along so much easier.

I have a question about "Genghis Khan." You've listed it as your favorite track from Anomaly. What's the origin of the song, and why do you like it so much?

It was a song that was written on acoustic guitar, but it took a while to get together due to all the different parts in the song, using different instruments in various spots. Thanks to Pro Tools, we were able to add a lot of parts to the song, and editing it together was easier. Marti Frederiksen and Anthony Fox did a brilliant job with the mix, and I'm very pleased with the end results./p

Is that a song you wanted to go into making it ambitious or did it just evolve that way?

I knew it was a special song when I wrote it. The vibe was there right away. And I thought that Anton Fig did an amazing drum track to it. He has a way of carrying just behind the beat with his playing, which I always liked.

Besides "Genghis Khan," do you have any personal favorite solo tracks?

One of the special songs on Anomaly that ties my solo work together is "Fractured Quantum," the continuation of the "Fractured" series. I'm real happy with the way it came out. I like the [end] of "Fractured Quantum"; it reminds me of the way that "Fractured Mirror" [from the 1978 album] begins.

I remember the last show you did in Japan with KISS, in 2001 with Eric Singer on drums, being a great night. The people I was standing with during the show were actually crying because they were caught up in the emotion. For you personally, do you have any special memories of that show?

I remember the vibe in the air; a lot of electricity. I remember it being a really good show.

They must've thought so, too, because I remember going into a record store the following week and I saw a whole stack of bootlegs from that tour on the shelves.

Yeah, you can never get away from those bootleggers.

For the years that you weren't in KISS, did you listen to the albums that they put out? Did you follow what they were doing?

Honestly, not really. [laughs] I really didn't pay too much attention to them after I left. Not really in a bad way, but I just didn't have much of an interest.

Do you have any plans to hear the new KISS album?

I'm sure I'll check it out. Maybe they'll be nice enough to send an advance copy. [laughs]

I have a few questions about [the 1978 made-for-TV movie] KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park. When you first heard the idea for the film, what was your initial reaction to it?

I thought it was a fun idea. I'm kind of a silly person and I thought our fans would get a kick out of it. I actually watched it not that long ago and got a kick out of it.

When did you last see it?

About a month ago. A friend and I were watching it in our hotel room during the mixing of Anomaly. Prior to that, the last time I watched it was about five years ago. I think it's a period piece; it is what it is, ya know? I didn't realize that it was playing in the movie theaters in Canada when we traveled there after the movie's release. That was a trip. I think fans definitely enjoy it.

Do you have a favorite KISS costume?

I would have to say the Destroyer-era costumes were my favorite. Not just mine, but my bandmates, as well. And my least favorite were from The Elder. I thought those looked the silliest.

Since your KISS character is a popular Halloween costume, what does Ace Frehley dress up as for Halloween?

Nothing really comes to mind, although I did go out as Frankenstein one year.

Did you ever go out on Halloween as your KISS character?

Before our first album came out, we went and saw the New York Dolls on Halloween. I wore my makeup out for that.

Going back to your first tour of Japan, I noticed the band's photo shoots were at parks and shrines. Whose idea was it for you to go to those places?

We never decided; we had press people do that for us.

I remember a photo from [KISS bassist] Gene Simmons's memoirs that had you guys posing with kids.

The Japanese people were passionate, but softspoken. Very rarely do you see a Japanese person lose their temper. I always felt very comfortable while visiting Japan.

Do you have a favorite spot in Japan?

Tokyo is the most fun for me — I love going to the shops and the different restaurants. I get crazy over there. [laughs] I have boxes of stuff from the last time I went over there. It's like no place in the world.

A buddy of mine was curious to know what your honest reaction was to play with a KISS tribute band while KISS themselves were being inducted at the VH1 Rock Honors special in 2006. Did it bother you to be guesting with an all-star tribute band while the actual band was being honored?

That was so much fun. It was a great time working with those gentlemen. [New York-based radio and TV personality] Eddie Trunk called me up and said that I should be represented while KISS was being inducted, and he came up with the idea for that supergroup. From the outset, everyone was very excited about it and thought it was a cool idea. It was fun rehearsing in Los Angeles, then flying to Las Vegas.

It's also great to see your relationship with Eddie Trunk still going strong after all these years, as he's been one of our and KISS's biggest supporters for decades.

Eddie is a great guy and I always love helping him out whenever I can, whether it's birthday parties or the [9/11-related] New York Steel benefit.

Any last words for the JQ readers and your fans in general?

I'm very happy that the album is done and am extremely pleased with the final product. I know my fans will truly enjoy it and I look forward to performing in Japan with my current lineup.

Keep checking my Web site and MySpace and Facebook and... [laughs]

You have all your bases covered, it seems.

Absolutely. Well, you know how much I love computers. You can always teach an old dog new tricks.