The ACE FREHLEY appreciation thread [Archive] - The Diamond David Lee Roth Army

Mr Badguy

09-19-2006, 07:24 AM

My nephew came to me the other week to ask if I would give him guitar lessons. I never had any lessons myself so I told him that I wouldn`t make a very good teacher as I`ve tried teaching people before and got nowhere.

Last night I strung up an old black Les Paul copy I had in a cupboard and gave it to him with an instruction video and a copy of Kiss "Alive!".

Hearing that album blew me away and really made me want to play and I hope it will be the same for him.

The real star is the Spaceman himself, Ace Frehley.

How the guy gets constantly overlooked when it comes to guitar polls or greatest ever solo lists is mind boggling.

I know his style is simple but he can say more in one repeatedly bent note than any shredder can in a thousand.

It`s no wonder Kiss went off the rails when he left.

Let`s all pay homage to everyone`s favourite member of Kiss and the most criminally underrated guitarist of the `70`s, Space Ace.

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:41 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:42 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:44 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:44 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:44 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:45 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:47 AM

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 07:48 AM

Vinnie Velvet

09-19-2006, 12:09 PM

ACE IS THE MAN!!

When Ace wasn't lazy and on, he was awesome.

And he could write some killer tunes as well:

Cold Gin
Parasite
Getaway
Strange Ways
Shock Me
Rocket Ride
(his '78 solo album is a classic)

Some of his cuts from the 80s were cool too:

Into the Night
Words are Not Enough
Insane
Trouble Walkin'

The best song off of Psycho Circus, again, is Ace's "Into the Void".

The_KiD

09-19-2006, 12:27 PM

Great thread... Ace is the sole reason I ever picked up a guitar..

I read a pretty interesting book "Ace Frehley Into the Void" written about his one time assistant who basically fell in love with him and he eventually kicked her to the curb.. Some of the stories in there were pretty interesting. Worth a read if you have the time..

Cheers,

KiD

MAPRamone

09-19-2006, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
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Around 7:30 he starts tapping! I bet he felt pretty threatened by EVH at that point!

Vinnie Velvet

09-19-2006, 02:06 PM

Originally posted by MAPRamone
Around 7:30 he starts tapping! I bet he felt pretty threatened by EVH at that point!

That was the Houston '77 show.

And at that time, of course, VH were still playing clubs, though did do the demos with Gene and then we're picked up by WB and started recording the debut.

Its possible Ace heard what Eddie was doing on Gene's demo since, according to Gene, Ace did the solo to Christine Sixteen note-for-note to what was originally played by EVH when Gene demoed his song with Ed and Al playing.

Never heard a confirmation from either Ed or Al on that story.

indeedido

09-19-2006, 02:06 PM

Ace Frehley rocks! He doesn't get a lot of credit jsut because of the showman side with all the makeup. Those '70s recordings are amazing. Killer tone. Marshall + Les Paul. Live show awesome as well. His '78 solo album still gets major play in my cd player. Rocket Ride still stands up. Some of the '80s stuff was good too. I love the cover of ELO's Do Ya. I just wish he wasn't so lazy and put out that next solo album he's been mentioning for the last ten years.

indeedido

09-19-2006, 02:09 PM

Originally posted by Vinnie Velvet
That was the Houston '77 show.

And at that time, of course, VH were still playing clubs, though did do the demos with Gene and then we're picked up by WB and started recording the debut.

Its possible Ace heard what Eddie was doing on Gene's demo since, according to Gene, Ace did the solo to Christine Sixteen note-for-note to what was originally played by EVH when Gene demoed his song with Ed and Al playing.

Never heard a confirmation from either Ed or Al on that story.

Ace has mentioned before he was doing that long before he saw EVH. A lot of people were doing it. They all took note of the one handed pull offs Jimmy Page did. Most added a pick in the right hand to tap with instead of the index finger. EVH made it popular, but Ace by no means got it from him. He just did it for a little show live. Completely different than how EVH did it.

VanJay011379

09-19-2006, 02:11 PM

I just picked up his "Trouble Walkin" album. Pretty good stuff.

MAPRamone

09-19-2006, 02:17 PM

Originally posted by Vinnie Velvet
That was the Houston '77 show.

And at that time, of course, VH were still playing clubs, though did do the demos with Gene and then we're picked up by WB and started recording the debut.

Its possible Ace heard what Eddie was doing on Gene's demo since, according to Gene, Ace did the solo to Christine Sixteen note-for-note to what was originally played by EVH when Gene demoed his song with Ed and Al playing.

Never heard a confirmation from either Ed or Al on that story.

Well, according to DLR in Crazy From The Heat (and i believe him), Gene was trying to get EVH to join KISS, so i think the chances of Ace not having heard EVH at the time are pretty low.

indeedido

09-19-2006, 02:31 PM

I'm not saying Ace never heard EVH play like that, just that he did his version of tapping before. Ace did it in some early '70s boots I've seen. '75, '76.

DrMaddVibe

09-19-2006, 02:33 PM

Gene's book says quite the opposite, with EVH wanting in KISS. Gene politely told him, "uh, patch your differenceds with Dave". Kind of a "Thanks but no thanks" kinda thing.

Somewhere in the middle is the truth.

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 02:54 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 02:56 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 02:58 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:01 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:02 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:04 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:09 PM

ACE BASHING GENE!!! DON'T MISS THIS ONE!!!

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DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:13 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:20 PM

supergroup...

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DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:24 PM

DavidLeeNatra

09-19-2006, 03:29 PM

gene looking like a fat blob...

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jacksmar

09-19-2006, 04:09 PM

Ace made me want to play the guitar, Eddie made me want to play the guitar well.

ace diamond

09-19-2006, 04:36 PM

SPACE WITH ACE!!!!!

the solo at the end of "Black Diamond" when Ace is on his knees
bending those notes way the fuck up on "Alive!"...still send fucking chills up my spine and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand
up on end.

It still totally fucking floors me.
:killer:

Tiki-Tom

09-19-2006, 04:38 PM

Originally posted by DavidLeeNatra
gene looking like a fat blob...

Yep,Gene looking like Gene.

The_KiD

09-19-2006, 06:37 PM

Originally posted by Tiki-Tom
Yep,Gene looking like Gene.

Gene is truly one of the ugliest men around..

KiD

Mr. Vengeance

09-19-2006, 07:08 PM

Look slike Ace was having a good night for New York Groove....Which kind of dispells Gene's notion that Ace was always drunk and unable to perform in the late 70s.....

Ace rules!

The_KiD

09-19-2006, 07:12 PM

Yea, in this book I read (Into the Void with Ace Frehley) Ace's assistant talked about Gene putting restrictions on Ace Drinking and Partying in his free time which is bullshit. They would be out and see Gene and Ace would have to hide his drinking.. Gene would always pull the " I made you a Milliionare several times over routine" with him..

Sucks if you ask me..

KiD

Matt White

09-19-2006, 11:31 PM

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
Gene's book says quite the opposite, with EVH wanting in KISS. Gene politely told him, "uh, patch your differenceds with Dave". Kind of a "Thanks but no thanks" kinda thing.

Somewhere in the middle is the truth.

I'm sure GENE wouldn't have minded switching drunk guitarist...

But I can't see PAUL wanting EVH in KISS....too much spotlight on him.........

ACE is the man....

the solo to LET ME GO ROCK 'N'ROLL off ALIVE still gives me goosebumps....DR. LOVE solo is another fav.........

ACE was the star of the show at the 1996 TIGER STADIUM show....FUCKING BRILLIANT

Panamark

09-20-2006, 01:17 AM

HE'S FUCKING ACE !!!!!

MAPRamone

09-20-2006, 11:47 AM

Originally posted by DrMaddVibe
Gene's book says quite the opposite, with EVH wanting in KISS. Gene politely told him, "uh, patch your differenceds with Dave". Kind of a "Thanks but no thanks" kinda thing.

Somewhere in the middle is the truth.

I've read CFTH but i've never read Gene's book, but it was my understanding that EVH was trying to join KISS after Roth had left VH, whereas Gene was trying to get EVH to join KISS when Van Halen was still doing clubs. As i said, i've never read Gene's book so i could be completely wrong.

Nitro Express

09-20-2006, 12:24 PM

Ace Frehley. How many people did that guy inspire to play guitar? Me included.

I've outgrown a lot of music I grew up on or it just plain sounds dated. I never tire of Ace's tastey licks. Like Angus Young, Ace is tottaly underateed.

Many people can burn a millions notes, few know how to use them in a tasteful way. It's called songwritting and Ace wrote a lot of good shit.

Nitro Express

09-20-2006, 12:29 PM

Sonically you could tottaly remove Gene Simmons from KISS and you would lose nothing. Ace was half the sound of that band. Paul's vocals were another 25% and then Peter Criss' drums. You don't hear Gene unless he's singing and thank God Paul does most of that.

Gene made up for his lack in musical skills with blowing fire and spitting blood. Without a guitar player with flash and balls KISS was nothing. ACE was the best of all of them.

Shit, throw Gene out there without the rest of them and see how many tickets they sell. You would have a demon thunking a bass and wiggling his toungue.

DrMaddVibe

09-20-2006, 01:14 PM

http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38981&perpage=30&highlight=gene%20on%20stern&pagenumber=2

Check out what he wrote on PG 186.

ace diamond

09-20-2006, 02:04 PM

does anyone have video of the tiger stadium 1996 reunion show?
i know there has been a boot floating around that is part pro-shot, and part audience-shot, kinda like the halloween 98 psycho circus show from dodger stadium. if anyone has it,drop me a line so we can arrange a trade.i have a lot of kiss vid boots. i have video from every tour 1974-2001.

Vinnie Velvet

09-20-2006, 02:24 PM

Originally posted by Nitro Express
Sonically you could tottaly remove Gene Simmons from KISS and you would lose nothing. Ace was half the sound of that band. Paul's vocals were another 25% and then Peter Criss' drums. You don't hear Gene unless he's singing and thank God Paul does most of that.

Gene made up for his lack in musical skills with blowing fire and spitting blood. Without a guitar player with flash and balls KISS was nothing. ACE was the best of all of them.

Shit, throw Gene out there without the rest of them and see how many tickets they sell. You would have a demon thunking a bass and wiggling his toungue.

No doubt.

In many ways, ACE IS KISS.

Without him, well, they're just another lame rock band.

And no Ace poser can change that (that means YOU, Tommy!:mad: )

Terry

09-20-2006, 08:19 PM

Fuck, I still get chills listening to 100,000 years off of Alive, and half of Ace's solo before the drum spot is just one note with variations on how it was bent.

Ace, Angus and Keef Riffhard are hardly GIT material, but they all came up with so much great stuff that still resonates with me today, whereas most of those wanking shredders of the 1980s just plain sound boring now.

Mr. Vengeance

09-20-2006, 08:49 PM

Originally posted by Nitro Express
Sonically you could tottaly remove Gene Simmons from KISS and you would lose nothing. Ace was half the sound of that band. Paul's vocals were another 25% and then Peter Criss' drums. You don't hear Gene unless he's singing and thank God Paul does most of that.

Gene made up for his lack in musical skills with blowing fire and spitting blood. Without a guitar player with flash and balls KISS was nothing. ACE was the best of all of them.

Shit, throw Gene out there without the rest of them and see how many tickets they sell. You would have a demon thunking a bass and wiggling his toungue.

Actually Gene had some memorable basslines, even if they weren't always on the best tunes. Sure Know Something is great. Charisma is another. Easy as It Seems is another. Killer basslineon I Was Made For Loving You. I believe he played all those. He also wrote a lot of the killer material, along with Paul.

Nitro Express

09-21-2006, 03:11 AM

Originally posted by Mr. Vengeance
Actually Gene had some memorable basslines, even if they weren't always on the best tunes. Sure Know Something is great. Charisma is another. Easy as It Seems is another. Killer basslineon I Was Made For Loving You. I believe he played all those. He also wrote a lot of the killer material, along with Paul.

Like Van Halen, KISS was the sum of all the parts. Everyone added something. No way are you going to replace Gene with some other dude in his makeup. We would notice the difference. But if you play a game of sonic elimination, Gene is the first to get yanked. If you are playing showmanship elimination, they you yank Peter Criss.

DavidLeeNatra

09-21-2006, 06:41 AM

Originally posted by Terry
Fuck, I still get chills listening to 100,000 years off of Alive, and half of Ace's solo before the drum spot is just one note with variations on how it was bent.

Ace, Angus and Keef Riffhard are hardly GIT material, but they all came up with so much great stuff that still resonates with me today, whereas most of those wanking shredders of the 1980s just plain sound boring now.

will you ever remember a steve vai riff or a malmsteen lick in a 100 years?

but if you hear that dadadant...dadadant...of highway to hell or dada...dadada...of satisfaction...you will always know what kind of shit is going on...

I'll rank those guitar players above those shredders anytime...

Mr Badguy

09-21-2006, 08:08 AM

ULTRAMAN VH

09-21-2006, 10:11 AM

Ace really represented why it was cool to play guitar. Alot of guitarists looked like dorks onstage, but Ace had a larger than life stage presence. Okay it was a shame in the later years of his tenure with KISS that he put more effort into substance abuse than playing guitar, but in his prime he really had some killer riffs. Working with two control freaks like Simmons and Stanley probably didn't help matters either. He seemed to butt heads with them musically quite often.

Vinnie Velvet

09-21-2006, 10:32 AM

Originally posted by Mr. Vengeance
Actually Gene had some memorable basslines, even if they weren't always on the best tunes. Sure Know Something is great. Charisma is another. Easy as It Seems is another. Killer basslineon I Was Made For Loving You. I believe he played all those. He also wrote a lot of the killer material, along with Paul.

On Dynasty, Gene hardly played on that album.

I would question on whether he even plays on Sure Know Something or even I Was Made For Lovin' You. He most likely played on his own tracks (Charisma and X-Ray Eyes). But I do think he played on Dirty Livin'.

Remember, this was '79. Gene was busy banging Cher.

Terry

09-21-2006, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by Vinnie Velvet
On Dynasty, Gene hardly played on that album.

I would question on whether he even plays on Sure Know Something or even I Was Made For Lovin' You. He most likely played on his own tracks (Charisma and X-Ray Eyes). But I do think he played on Dirty Livin'.

Remember, this was '79. Gene was busy banging Cher.

Frehley, Criss, Simmons and Stanley all freely admit there wasn't any primadonna behaviour regarding who played what on the albums; wouldn't astonish me to find out Simmons didn't play bass on more KISS tunes than I thought...

Simmons did say he was influenced by McCartney a lot far as bass playing went, and it does show - Gene ain't Jaco, but his bass lines on Detroit Rock City, Rock and Roll All Nite, etc. .....they provide a cool counterpoint to what the rhythm guitars were doing...