THIS MONTH IN 1987: ACE FREHLEY RELEASES HIS FIRST POST-KISS SOLO ALBUM - BY SCOTT CARR

April 27, 2017 Scott Carr

In September, 1978 the four original members of Kiss simultaneously released solo albums during the height of Kissteria. General consensus over the years has put Ace's record at the front of the pack with Paul's following close behind, while Peter and Gene's records aren't really a part of the conversation. If you are one who judges success by the charts, Ace comes out the winner there as well. Ace's record was the only one of the four to generate a bonafide hit single, with his cover of the Russ Ballard song "New York Groove." which was originally record by the 70's glam rock band Hello. (Click here for Colin story about why Paul's album is the best)

Fast-forward almost a decade and we find Ace releasing his first post-Kiss solo album, Frehley's Comet and once again Ace proved that he could still deliver the goods.

The general public got their first glimpse of Ace without his makeup in these magazine ads.

Ace not endorsed by Gibson.....what gives?

Ace officially left Kiss in late 1982 and it took him almost five years to get his first post-Kiss solo record released. Ace put together the first incarnation of Frehley's Comet in 1984 and the band made their live debut on November 30th, 1984 at S.I.R Studios in New York City, performing Kiss classics and new material that the band had been demoing. The band eventually signed with Megaforce Records and released Frehley's Comet on April 27th, 1987.

Alongside Ace on Frehley's Comet were drummer Anton Fig, who had performed on Ace's 1978 solo album as well as Dynasty and Unmasked from Kiss, bassist John Regan and Tod Howarth on guitar and lead vocals. Ace also brought in producer Eddie Kramer to co-produce the album. Kramer had worked with Ace in the past producing his 1978 solo album and some Kiss records. (Click here for 12 Best Kiss stories you will ever read)

Frehley's Comet is classic Ace from start to finish. Ace has always had a great sense of who he is and what his fans want from him. Even though he had dropped his iconic Kiss face paint, Ace was still the Spaceman. The album opens with the autobiographical "Rock Soldiers," which tells the story of a near-fatal car crash that Ace was involved in and his struggles with drugs and alcohol. "Rock Soldiers" was the second single/video from the album and was a minor hit for Frehley, but it instantly became a fan favorite and also received steady airplay on MTV. "Rock Soldiers" is followed by "Breakout" which is a reworking of a song Ace had written with Kiss drummer Eric Carr during the sessions for (Music From) The Elder. Tod Howarth takes lead vocals on "Breakout" as well as "Something Moved" and "Calling to You," the latter being a rewrite of a song originally called "Megaforce" from Tod's former band 707. The Russ Ballard penned "Into the Night" was released as the album's first single & video and was a moderate hit. Other highlights include "Love Me Right," "Stranger In A Strange Land" and the quirky "Dolls." Ace closes the album with the instrumental "Fractured Too," a sequel to "Fractured Mirror," which was the final track on his 1978 Kiss solo album. Ace has recorded two more instrumentals in the "Fractured" series: "Fractured III" on 1989's Trouble Walkin' album and "Fractured Quantum" on 2009's Anomaly.

Frehley's Comet has a lot of the same elements that made Ace's 1978 solo album such a success and although it did not sell as well, it brought Ace back in a big way and has stood the test of time better than any of his other post-Kiss releases and definitely better than any post-1978 solo releases from the other three original members of Kiss.

Ace is currently putting the finishing touches on a new album of cover songs that will be released later this year. He is also out on tour and will be making a stop in Ohio on September 19th at Hard Rock Live in Northfield, OH.

While I'm at it I thought I would rank all the post-1978 solo albums from the original members of Kiss best to worst.....

1. Frehley's Comet (1987) - Ace Frehley

2. Trouble Walkin' (1989) - Ace Frehley

Ace reunited with original Frehley's Comet partner guitarist Ritchie Scarlet for this 1989 album. It was a bit of a return to form for the Spaceman and featured a great cover of ELO's "Do Ya." Peter Criss sings background vocals on the record.

3. Live To Win (2006) - Paul Stanley

Paul's only solo effort since the 1978 Kiss solo albums and it's not nearly as good. "Live To Win" suffers from being overproduced and Paul trying to hard to get a hit. With that said there are a few bright moments, with tracks like "Where Eagles Dare," "It's All About You," "Bulletproof" and the title track. Maybe one day Paul will make a proper follow up to his 1978 classic.

4. Out of Control (1980) - Peter Criss

Peter Criss was the first of the original members to release a solo album outside the confines of the band and he delivered pretty much what you would expect from the Catman: ballads and watered-down rock songs. Out of Control is slightly better than Pete's 1978 Kiss solo record, but still pretty much a snoozefest. I give the number four spot on this ranking because this is actually Peter at his best solo-wise and I give him credit for making the kind of album that he wanted to make and giving it his all.

5. Anomaly (2009) - Ace Frehley

Anomaly was Ace's first solo album after a six year reunion with Kiss and is a strong return for the Spaceman. "Outer Space" was released as a single and has all the signature Ace licks in it. This album also includes a cover of Sweet's "Fox On The Run."

6. Asshole (2004) - Gene Simmons

The best thing about this album is its title. Like Gene's 1978 Kiss solo album, Asshole explores many different musical styles but unfortunately for the most part falls flat. Gene's 1978 Kiss solo record was a varied affair as well but managed to remain cohesive. Asshole is just kind of a mess. As with his 1978 album the mellower songs seem to come off a bit more sincere, including "Waiting For The Morning Light," which was co-written with Bob Dylan. (editor's note: "WHHHHAAAAT?!?")

7. Second Sighting (1988) - Frehley's Comet

Ace's second post-Kiss solo record, but the first to be credited solely to Frehley's Comet. This record does not hold up as well as Frehley's Comet, and for me the main reason is that there is not enough Ace on the disc. Guitarist/singer Tod Howarth took on a larger role on the album and sings half the songs, which makes it feel less like an Ace record. Tod's songs are great, I just wish Ace would have contributed more to this one. It would definitely get a higher ranking if it had a few more Ace songs.

8. Space Invader (2014) - Ace Frehley

Kind of in the same vein as Anomaly but the songs are not as memorable. Space Invader became the highest-charting solo album from any past or present Kiss member, debuting at No. 9 on the Billboard charts.

10. Let Me Rock You (1982) - Peter Criss

Let Me Rock You will NOT rock you at all. This album was an import-only release and did not receive an official U.S. release until 1998.

11. Ace Frehley - Origins Vol. 1

A made up of cover songs from the Space Ace. Pretty solid, just not a fan of cover records. The highlight would be Ace's reunion with Paul Stanley on the Free classic Fire and Water. Now if Paul had sang on the entire record, I'm sure it would be a lot higher in the rankings.

12. Live + 1 (1988) - Frehley's Comet

Pretty much what it sounds like: a live E.P. plus one studio track.

13. Cat #1 (1994) - Criss

Criss was Peter's failed attempt at making his way back into the world of rock music. The CD was independently released and went mostly unnoticed unless you were a die-hard Kiss fan.

14. One For All (2004) - Peter Criss

I really don't need to hear Peter Criss sing "Send In The Clowns." (editor's note: In the larger sense, does ANYONE on the planet need to hear Peter Criss sing "Send In The Clowns?")

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Album: Frehley's Comet Year: 1987 Label: Megaforce Records Vocals & Guitars: Ace Frehley Vocals, Guitars, & Keyboards: Tod Howarth Bass: John Regan Drums: Anton Fig Copyright 1987 Megaforce Records. I do not claim ownership to this video or song.

Album: Frehley's Comet Year: 1987 Label: Megaforce Records Vocals & Guitars: Ace Frehley Guitars, Keyboards, & Vocals: Tod Howarth Bass: John Regan Drums: Anton Fig Copyright 1987 Megaforce Records. I do not claim ownership to this video or song. Lyrics: Two A.M.

Ace Frehley & band perform "Breakout" at a studio

Ace Frehley Frehley's Comet Dolls 1986

Live @ S.I.R. Studios, New York City, NY 1984-11-30. Ace's first gig after leaving Kiss.

SEPTEMBER, 1978 / THE KISS SOLO ALBUMS ARE RELEASED - BY SCOTT CARR

September 18, 2015 Scott Carr

On September 18, 1978, Kiss did something that no other band had ever done: they released four records on the same day, one record for each member. The records all had a unified look, but each member had complete creative control over their individual record with no input from the other members.

Kissteria was at its peak in 1978, Kiss was everywhere. I remember as a kid going grocery shopping with my mom and I would always hit the magazine stand as soon as we got into the store to check out all the latest magazines with Kiss on the cover and they were on every one. They had their own comic books, trading cards, action figures, pinball machines and were about to release their first TV movie. For my generation Kiss were like The Beatles.

It seemed at the time that Kiss could do no wrong, but cracks were beginning to form within the band and although initially the solo albums were pitched as an idea to help save the band, it only made things worse. Casablanca Records was not completely on board with the idea of solo albums, although an option for solo albums had been in the band's contracts with Casablanca since 1976. The band and their management forced the issue and basically said if these albums don't happen, the band is breaking up. Kiss was Casablanca's top-selling artist at the time so the label eventually agreed to the project and launched a massive promotional campaign, spending over 2.5 million dollars. The label announced that the records would be shipping platinum, with over a million copies of each record being flooded into the market to guarantee platinum status for each record. Of course "shipping platinum" and "selling platinum" are two completely different things. When all was said and done the four solo albums' combined sales equaled about the same amount as their last studio album, Love Gun. Instead of fans buying all four records, they seemed to just be buying the one from their favorite member. Only Ace Frehley's album made a legitimate dent in the sales chart, scoring a Top 20 hit single with his cover of "New York Groove." Gene Simmons' album made the highest chart entry at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, but without a hit single the album disappeared from the charts in quick fashion. The same fate was dealt to Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, no hit single meant a fast exit from the sales charts. The records shipped platinum but they hit the cut-out bins in record store faster than just about any other record in history.

I was one of the lucky kids who actually got all four Kiss solo records on the very day they were released and this was pretty mind-blowing. My whole life was Kiss at this point, I had already seen them in concert twice and I was barely 10 years old. I carried my Kiss lunch box to school every day and would rush home every afternoon to look at my Kiss trading cards and listen to all their records endlessly. When I first heard they were putting out four records in one day, I had no idea how I was going to be able to get them all. I had decided that I would get Peter's first because at that time he was my favorite member and I wanted to play drums. When I arrived home from school on that September afternoon my mom said she had picked up the new Kiss record for me while I was at school. I was sure she had bought the wrong one but to my surprise she had bought all four! Lying on my bed was a plastic bag with all four Kiss faces on it and inside were all four Kiss solo albums. I was so excited that I couldn't even listen to them because my brain couldn't comprehend that there were four brand-new Kiss records looking me in the face. Eventually I listened to them in order of who my favorite member was: so Peter was first, followed by Gene, then Ace and lastly Paul.

Peter's record was typical Catman fare, a few half-baked rock songs surrounded by sappy ballads but it's what Pete does best and I give him credit for staying true to who he is for his record, although I wish it had rocked more. Pete was still cool and I would still dress as him that Halloween.

Gene's record was a mixed bag of styles and special guests ranging from Helen Reddy to Rick Nielsen. The Demon was not very demonic on his record, other than the devilish intro to the lead track "Radioactive." It was pretty lightweight for such a menacing figure. Highlights on Gene's record are the unexpected Beatles-influenced tracks "See You Tonite," "Man of 1000 Face,s, "Always Near You/Nowhere To Hide" and "Mr. Make Believe." Gene should have done his entire record in this style, as it came off much more sincere than the generic rock tracks he included.

Ace Frehley delivered a very strong record and didn't try to stretch the boundaries too much. Ace gave the fans a record that was Ace all the way. Up to this point Ace had only sung lead vocals on two Kiss tracks: "Shock Me" and "Rocket Ride," so it was cool to hear Ace take lead vocals on every song, with the exception of the album-closing instrumental "Fractured Mirror." Ace used Kiss producer Eddie Kramer on his record along with Anton Fig on drums & Will Lee on bass guitar. Standout tracks include "Rip It Out," "Ozone," "Speeding Back To My Bab,y, "Snow Blind" and "New York Groove," which peaked on the Billboard singles chart at No. 13. I loved Ace's record from the first time I dropped the needle on the vinyl and I began to reassess my ambitions of wanting to be a drummer.

Paul Stanley's record was the most Kiss-sounding record of the four solo albums and would eventually become my favorite of them all. Paul's record is almost perfect, the only wrong turn he made was including the syrupy ballad "Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart)." This track can almost be forgiven on the strength of the other 8 songs on the album, including "Love In Chains," "Move On," the epic album opener "Tonight You Belong To Me" and possibly one of the best power pop songs ever written, "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me." Another highlight on Paul's record is the track "Take Me Away (Together As One)," featuring a great vocal from Paul and the thunderous drumming of Carmine Appice. Just like Ace, Paul was at the peak of his powers in 1978 and it shines through brilliantly on his solo record.

Paul Stanley promoting his record at Cactus Records

That is the order that I originally listened to the Kiss solo albums but that is not how I would rank them. My favorite is Paul Stanley followed closely by Ace Frehley, third place goes to Gene Simmons and my least favorite is Peter Criss. With that said, I love them all and still spin them all in the initial order that I heard them every year when September 18th rolls around.

I've often wondered if the band and Casablanca would have been better off if they had just released a proper Kiss album in 1978 instead of the huge production that was the Kiss solo albums. Here is what my hypothetical 1978 Kiss album would have looked like. I basically used the criteria that it would have been a single record and featured eleven tracks, four tracks from Paul, three from Gene, three from Ace and one from Peter. (Sorry, Pete.)

I would have called the album either Kiss '78 or Radioactive.

Side one

1. Tonight You Belong To Me

2 Speedin' Back To My Baby

3 Man Of 1000 Faces

4 Wouldn't You Like To Know Me

5 Hooked On Rock N' Roll

Side Two

1 Move On

2 Radioactive

3 New York Groove

4 See You Tonight

5 Rip It Out

6 Goodbye

Three singles would have been released from the album with non-LP b-sides.....

1. "Wouldn't You Like To Know Me" b/w "It's Alright"

2. "New York Groove" b/w "Snow Blind"

3. "Radioactive" b/w "Always Near You/Nowhere To Hide"

As a Kiss fan I wouldn't change anything about the Kiss solo albums, but from a career standpoint the band took a big gamble with the project and it backfired. Casablanca was on the verge of bankruptcy and the band members were still at odds over career decisions. In October 1978 the Kiss television movie Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park debuted on NBC and while it received high ratings, most Kiss fans thought that their rock 'n roll heroes had lost their minds. Kiss returned in 1979 with their next studio album, Dynasty, and the tour to support the album saw the band performing one song from each of the solo albums at the beginning of the tour: eventually only "New York Groove" and "Move On" would remain in the set list. "New York Groove" was also kept in the set for the Unmasked tour in 1980 and would appear again when the original band did their reunion tour in 1996.

Although it was a flawed venture it is one that had never been done before and has not been done since, so Kiss should be given credit for being ballsy enough to even attempt such a project.

A advertisement about the KISS solo albums from 1978. Casablanca Records announced it was shipping five million total copies of the albums (guaranteeing instant platinum status), and they spent $2.5 million marketing them.

KISS 1978

TV News Report and Interview with Paul during his solo album promo tour.

Paul on PM Magazine while he was doing his solo promo tour for his 1978 self entitled solo album, you can see that by 1978 they started to appeal towards a much younger crowd.

November 18, 1978: This never-before-seen footage is being released to promote the vintage KISS memorabilia auctions of eBay seller EliteWorks. You can view the auctions here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZeliteworks This clip: Gene Simmons makes a rare in-store appearance to promote his 1978 KISS solo album at Tape City, outside of New Orleans, Louisiana.