35. Ace Frehley / Ace Frehley. 1978. 2/5

It was all a little before my time. Back in 1978, the four members of KISS each released a solo album on the same day. No doubt this was meant as an avenue for each individual to showcase their own style away from the band element that they all performed in. And yes the styles were very different. And the response to each album was also very different. Through the turmoil, this is Ace Frehley's moment.

Of all of the four albums, this is probably the one that is more universally loved. It's easy to see why. Ace is the Spaceman, the lead guitarist, the man that everyone looks up to to provide the spark in the songs. It also helps that he doesn't stray too far form the formula that the band has used successfully to this point of their career. What we have here are nine straight up rock songs that lean on the 'hard' side, with simple back beats and catchy riffs, and lyrics that tend to focus on the life of a rock star. Of course, if you are expecting anything that is brilliant and groundbreaking, then you are coming to the wrong place. Sure Ace had co-written some of the classic KISS songs before this - such as "Cold Gin" or "Parasite", but everything here is pretty straight forward. While some of the riffs are pure, there are no jump-out-at-you solos that you may associate with a lead guitarist who is writing his own material. Perhaps unusually, Ace's vocals are actually half decent here, and more than anything else help to set these songs apart from the usual KISS makeup (no pun intended).
"Rip It Out" and "Speedin' Back to My Baby" are both solid tunes to kick start the album off. For me "Snow Blind" and "Ozone" are bit to repetitive and... well... average... for my taste. "What's On Your Mind" picks things up a little. The only single lifted from the album was the Russ Ballard-penned "New York Groove", with a style that immediately comes across as completely different from the rest of the album. I think it was a strange choice, but I guess given Ballard's tendency to known as a bit of a hit writer, perhaps the powers that be felt they were on a sure thing. "I'm in Need of Love" only breaks out during the solo, before settling back into a mid-tempo mash of stuttering guitar/drum mix with vocals. "Wiped-Out" returns to a more rock oriented theme, before the wacky experimentalist like "Fractured Mirror" concludes the album.

There's no doubt that this is not a classic, but the same can also be said of the other three of the solo releases. What we do have here is a bit of individualist writing and recording from Ace, quite diverse from what he was used to performing in the band environment, and while not all of it may be fantastic, there is still enough here to enjoy in the right frame of mind.

Rating:  Rip it out, take my heart, you wanted it from the start.  2.5/5