Scott Mervis | The Blade

This was the year that Kiss’ long-awaited entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame became a case of “be careful what you wish for.”

The honor that the band and its Kiss Army lobbied for years to achieve turned into a mess when the Rock Hall limited the induction to the original members and also insisted that any performance would have to involve Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.

In the end, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley refused to play, a spotlight was fixed on Kiss’ dysfunctions, and everyone came away a little bitter.

Stanley said in an NPR interview recently that a performance by the original four would have been a “disservice” to the band: “That lineup has not been together for 14 years and, physically, perhaps, wouldn’t have looked that great, and musically, undoubtedly, probably, would have sounded a bit suspect.”

Later in a phone interview, Frehley scoffed at that notion.

“That’s ridiculous,” he said. “I had just jammed with Peter a few months earlier at [Eddie] Trunk’s 30th Anniversary Party at the Hard Rock in New York. Peter played great. I’m playing better than ever. I don’t think they wanted to open up the whole can of worms that surrounds the fact that they got two other guys dressed up like us. I mean, the last time they performed with us, at ‘Unplugged,’ they had to scrap their album and do a reunion tour. Since they had a tour planned with the current lineup this year, I think they wanted to leave well enough alone and not confuse the fans.”

It wasn’t the only disappointment at the ceremony. Frehley was supposed to be part of a final all-star jam session, but it was scrapped due to the E Street Band speeches going on so long.

There were also some comments thrown around that he didn’t like.

“It’s a shame they have to take shots at me and Peter. I’ve been sober over eight years and they still make references to the fact that I was drunk and a drug addict and all this other crap. It’s unfortunate that they can’t be adult about everything. They gotta make it sound like something’s wrong with me. But with the success of this record, it makes them sound foolish.”

The record is Space Invader, his first solo album in five years and the reason he is touring at the moment. Released in August, it became the first solo album by a Kiss member to debut in the Top 10 (at No. 9), and it’s drawn positive reviews for its ferocious guitar work and the way it captures his ’70s hard rock sound and harks back to his self-titled solo album in 1978 when he scored a hit with “New York Groove.”

Hall of Fame Inductees Kiss original band members Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, and Gene Simmons appear in the press room at the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
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“One of the things fans said about the last record [in 2009] is that ‘You could have been heavier, you could have played more guitar,’ ” he says.

“A lot of my fans agree that the favorite Ace record is the ’78 solo album I did while I was in Kiss. During the course of making this record, I listened to that three or four times to try to get back into that mindset and incorporate some of those elements, and I think I achieved it on a few songs.”

That required tapping into some older equipment.

“I strived for a vintage sound by using analog gear: tube amps, tube pre-amps, tube microphones, old guitars. We kind of got the best of the both worlds. We’re locked in the digital world, obviously, but you can get around it by using plug-ins and vintage gear.”

The Spaceman is on tour with his band, doing three or four songs from the album and doing what he didn’t often do in Kiss, which was step to the mic for a vocal.

“In the beginning I was very insecure about my vocal ability, because Paul, Gene, and Peter were such strong singers. In retrospect, I was a little intimidated by them. It took me a while to put together a lead vocal live, but after I did ‘Shock Me,’ I wanted more. With the success of the ’78 solo record, the sky was the limit. Some of the people are saying the vocals I did on this record are the best I’ve done.”

He attributes the vitality of his current project to his clean and sober status.

“To be honest with you, when you’re on alcohol and mood-altering substances, your brain is telling you you’re more creative on that junk. But the truth, you’re much more creative without any of that stuff. That’s the whole problem with addiction. Luckily I was able to overcome and make it on top.”
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Music-Theater-Dance/2014/11/23/Ace-Frehley-clean-sober-and-back-on-the-road.html#c2fmZzXGTie7gG64.99