My opinion on him is that he is an incredible guitarist. That guy has some serious skills. I just think he's incredible. He is incredibly innovative in the guitar world. He invented the smoking guitar trick, and rocket guitar trick.
Needs to get his act together though. Last I heard he was still an alcoholic.
What's your opinion?

BTW, Ace Frehley was the original lead guitarist of KISS, Frehley's Comet and The Ace Frehley Band.

_________________
"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

I also believe that Ace has finally stayed sober for a couple years now. His alcoholism is a key reason for his original departure from the band, and than again after the reunion tour.

Even putting the gimmicks aside, he was very influential and made a lot of recognizable solos using the pentatonic scale, his primary tool. As with the band in general he is not held in high regard by "serious" musicians. But his contributions were key to the original KISS sound. And I believe that his distinctive style with bends and hammer ons resulted from being mostly self taught.

Hey, I'd be thrilled to be able to play like him whether others like him or not.

I think Ace was/is equally blessed (financially) and cursed (artistically) by being a member of KISS.

The makeup, costumes and smoking guitar gimmicks made him famous...but those same things keep many from listening to his artistic ability. If he had never been a member of that band, he would probably be held in higher regard...but we might never have heard of him, either.

To me, he's a dang good straight-ahead rock and roll guitarist. When he left KISS, they lost a big part of their "vibe" as a rock & roll band. Yes, Kulick and the other guys who came after him were good guitarists (maybe even better than Ace himself) but he was the soul of the group.

I'm glad he got sober and I wish him well in that regard.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Well I didn't know he had gotten sober
I'm a huge fan of Ace. Like Armadillo said, KISS lost a lot of soul without Ace but I also respect Paul and Gene for asking him and Peter to leave because of their addictive problems. The new lineup for KISS is just stellar. In my opinion Tommy Thayer brings back a lot of Ace's vibe and style to KISS.
Also, why do a lot of serious musicians really dislike KISS?

_________________
"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

You guys both made good points

Screamin Armadillo- your statement about being both blessed and cursed by being a member of KISS is spot on. Because of KISS the members aren't taken very seriously but with the group they may have wallowed in obscurity forever, regardless of their talent. I mean their current drummer Eric Singer wasn't a "known" musician as the drummer for Lita Ford or Alice Cooper.

Flamestrat-Many musicians dis them because of the gimmicks and the merchandising. And maybe the merchandising is the biggest b*tch that people have. For some reason they aren't happy that people want a KISS belt buckle or lunchbox and the band is happy enough to put it out there to buy. Whatever floats your boat I say, I have more $$ in my KISS collection than probably my vehicle, and the 21 concerts I've been to were always a gas. No one complained that the Beatles had dolls and pencils etc...

Admittedly KISS songs are not complex, they are straight ahead, heavy on the sing along hook, rock songs. The band is a package of "over the topness." I've certainly been dissed enough over time for being a KISS fan so the disdain that people throw out on here from time to time is no biggie. If you don't like 'em that's okay, you won't be in front of me at the next show!!

I understand now
Seriously like your point about the Beatles though. You can get anything with The Beatles face on it and it is the same case with KISS.
This piece of art sums it up for me.
http://www.bestkisses.com/kiss-the-beatles-pop-art.html

_________________
"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

That is just way cool

I thought this was cool too for a Beatles /KISS crossover.

I think the reason the Beatles aren't lambasted in the same way KISS is partially because the Beatles progressed musically past "Stage 1"...they became better songwriters, they became experimental with new instruments and recording techniques, and they changed the way music is consumed.

If the Beatles had broken up or had stagnated musically and had never progressed to making "Revolver" and "Rubber Soul" (which is, to me, their "Stage 2"), we would probably look at them the way we look at Gerry and the Pacemakers or Herman's Hermits--fluffy flash-in-the-pan pop stars.

But the Beatles progressed even past that--"Stage 3" (psychedelic) and "Stage 4" (post-psychedelic, Abbey Road and Let It Be).

The point is, the Beatles progressed past the early "moon/June/spoon" pop stuff and changed the world.

Kiss, on the other hand, musically kept doing the same thing over and over. The closest thing they came to a "Stage 2" was "The Elder", and for whatever reason that didn't quite work the way they planned (yes, I know the record company changed the track order--whatever, it didn't work).

Their music isn't bad, but it's still just three-and-a-half chords with a smoke bomb in a guitar...that's part of the reason why KISS is criticized for doing what the Beatles did in the early days...actually, the Beatles didn't even do that themselves--most of the early lunchbox/wig stuff was done without the band's approval...at least Paul & Gene are smart enough to get paid for prostituting their band.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

licks

That's a pretty fair assessment, most of KISS music is pretty straightforward, no deviation from the track they were on, and most of that may be because Paul /Gene are the primary songwriters, as they say, "you play what you know." And the "style over substance" argument against their music will always be there, but KISS concerts sure are fun!

And in the Beatles case I believe that "stage 2" musical direction was heavily influenced by hallucinogens and other drugs. I'm not someone with alot of "medical" background but from what I've seen in others who have, it heavily influences how a person thinks. That is probably a huge reason behind some of the ideas they came up with. Splicing tapes in a mismatched order and playing bits backwards, stuff like that. And Gene/Paul for all their faults as arrogant/whatever have always been anti drugs and they'll preach it whenever they get a chance.

It's just my theory, I like both bands alot, lots of good music by both.

the smoking les paul is just freakin' cool. i don't care who you are.

While that is very true, the rocket guitar could top that....

_________________
"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

I have that VHS
Should go listen to that version...

And yes, be afraid of Gene Simmons. I've met him and yes, he is very scary indeed.

_________________
"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

Have to get in on this thread...
I grew up on Ace and Kiss. Ace's stuff was - and still is - fantastic. He has a way of combining flash with melody that, as they say, many have imitated but none have duplicated. He also has come up with some pretty unique riffs in his songs - chord structures and melodic ideas that are just slightly different from what most people would come up with. Unfortunately, the latter part of his career has been spotty, at best. I truly hope he has pulled it together.
As far as why Kiss remains popular...you can speculate, but there is one thing I will say...go see them live, and those songs, the ones that are often blasted as being too simple, sound absolutely awesome thundering through a venue. Combine the quality of the songs with the concept of the four iconic images, and you've got something that never ceases to be fun and exciting.
Just my opinion.
SB