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 All news should be considered an unconfirmed report unless verified, and all information published at KISS Asylum is attributed to the source from which it was received so that readers may judge the validity of the statements for themselves. All information is confirmed where possible, and all publication is governed by common sense.
ACE FREHLEY Reminds Us Of His Solo Guitar ChopsFrom: The Sun Times Posted: April 2, 008 Midway through a generous set at Chicago's House of Blues for his own private faction of the "KISS Army," ACE FREHLEY lashed into "Rock Soldiers" from 1987’s "Frehley’s Comet" LP. After departing KISS in 1982, the song was the guitarist’s comeback statement. "Ace is back, and he told ya so," he sang, and the anthem served the same purpose on Tuesday. The erstwhile Spaceman’s troops celebrated as if their general had just announced they were getting double rations. Though many KISS fans consider the cartoonish, theatrical shocks of the band’s early career to be the pinnacle of the rock experience, others idolize Frehley as an old school guitar hero with rare command of a snarling Gibson Les Paul. The lack of starry-eyed makeup and silver moon boots either onstage or off demonstrated that this show was for the latter batch. These diehards cheered both hard-rocking KISS chestnuts like "Deuce" and solo tracks like the jagged "Snow Blind," as Frehley uncorked solos full of melodic bite. Working toward a second year of sobriety and surrounded by a band of young firebrands, Frehley at age 56 appeared fitter both physically and musically than when this reviewer last saw him (in full costume) during a 1998 reunion show supporting KISS’ "Psycho Circus" album. Frehley’s stage banter exuded humor and ease, and his reinvigorated playing during crowd pleasers like "Love Gun" and the Rolling Stones’ "2000 Man" brimmed with personality and confidence. "Parasite" from 1974’s "Hotter Than Hell" album allowed Frehley to salute two of his principal influences, echoing both The Who’s guttural "Boris the Spider" and Led Zeppelin’s pummeling "Immigrant Song." During the song, even the band's roadie could be seen banging his head behind the towering wall of speaker cabinets. Although Frehley’s makeup kit was left behind, he did feature his trademarked trick guitars twice. The attempted showmanship backfired after charging through "Shock Me," however, when Frehley’s smoking guitar failed to ignite. Frehley laughed it off as an April Fool’s joke on himself, but promised to make up for it with something special. The band then played "Fractured Mirror," a rarely performed instrumental piece. The only time Frehley’s band itself didn’t spark was unfortunately during his biggest solo hit. "New York Groove" faltered as the group struggled to lock into the song’s "Hand Jive" rhythm and Frehley’s strobe-light guitar experienced tuning problems. Frehley regained momentum by coaxing the crowd with a Chicago-centric version of the song’s chorus. By the time the band ripped through the saucy "Rocket Ride," the room was back in their pockets. |
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