Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has made history with his new album, Space Invader, which debuted at number nine on the Top 200 Chart this week. The LP scores the highest charting position of ANY KISS solo album ever, and marks Frehley’s first return to the Top 10 since KISS’s 1998 Pyscho Circus reunion album. The album has also sold better in its first week than KISS’ recently released Kiss 40 album. Internationally, Space Invader has debuted number one on the Independent Chart and number sixteen on the Top 200 Chart in Canada, Top 40 in Switzerland and Sweden, and hit a historic benchmark for the first time ever as a solo artist in Germany.
Space Invader, Frehley’s first studio album in five years, has also received praise from critics. Rolling Stone wrote, “Gene Simmons has claimed Ace Frehley doesn’t deserve to wear KISS’ Kabuki clown paint, but the former Spaceman’s first solo LP in five years says otherwise,” while the Associated Press hailed, “…the original KISS lead guitarist has recorded his best solo album since his groundbreaking self-titled album in 1978.” Paste also confirmed, “Space Invader is a good rock album, and it’s an even better guitar record.”
Frehley stopped by The Tonight Show prior to his album release to sit in with legendary house band The Roots to perform his classic hit New York Groove. Watch it below.
Space Invader features nine brand new original songs, including the first single, Gimme a Feelin’, as well as a cover of Steve Miller’s classic rock staple The Joker. Frehley also tapped long time friend and artist Ken Kelly to create the album art for Space Invader. Kelly created the iconic cover art for two of KISS’s best selling LPS, Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977).
Widely known as the original “Space Ace” and founding guitarist for 16 cumulative years (over two tenures) of the multi platinum selling rock band KISS, Frehley is demonstrably the most popular original member. In addition to having the best selling solo album career (vintage or current) among the original foursome, Frehley’s self titled Ace Frehley (1978), went on to sell over one million copies, producing the only Top 40 single, New York Groove, from any of the legendary KISS solo albums. The massive hit was most recently featured in an episode of cult show Entourage and was also KISS’ second best selling download in 2012, besting such KISS Army anthems as “I Was Made For Lovin’ You, Beth and Calling Dr. Love even after 36 years.
Since departing from KISS, Frehley went on to release four more solo albums and one live EP including his most recent effort, Anomaly in 2009, which debuted at #27 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Ace also released an autobiography titled No Regrets, which debuted at #10 on the NY Times Hardcover Non-Fiction best seller list in November 2011.
163 Responses
Mike B since you called me out directly, I am a he, and gene never embarssed me in public he is doing a great job of embarrassing himself in public and you are right there are some good songs on monster not all of them the album just sounds forced to me it just don’t flow to me ,and who am I? I’m a nobody That’s My Opinion. and to me the best kiss was 70s kiss
I don’t hate kiss I just don’t like how they shunned Ace and Peter without those two there would be no kiss . Space invader is a rock and roll master piece
Rock and Roll master piece? Lol right up there with Led Zeppelin IV guess, huh. Oh silly misguided one.
Hi Ziggy!
Okay, no offense about the he/she thing, I was merely not sure because the Ziggy Stardust character was, I believe, ambiguous in regard to being a he or she. Make sense?
I agree Gene is making a mess of things with some of his statements but you have to remember how hard it is to control the media. Gene’s messages have been very specific and often taken out of context. Staten Island Clown aka Shannon knows this and makes a good argument of the fact that Gene’s comments were, though thoughtless and the choice of words stupid, also taken out of context.
Monster did not sound forced to me at all. I think this idea that it was forced is based on Paul Stanley’s statements that “democracy is overrated” during the recording process and he was kidding. To me, its just a killer record like Creatures or Revenge.
You are not a nobody–obviously you are somebody with an opinion. I agree the best time for Kiss was the 70’s, but since you cant go back to the 70’s, you can accept the current lineup or reject them–I am not trying to take away your right to dislike something as Professor schocomon implied, but this is about Kiss right? Can we have a heated debate here? Is that okay? Its better than everyone just agreeing with each other, right?
Paul and Gene may be jaded by their experiences with Ace and Peter, but I don’t think they are needlessly lobbing insults at them. Do your homework. I have read each of the biographies and I think I have a good grasp of (at least what’s available) facts pertaining to Kiss, Ace, and Peter. I am a fan of Ace’s, Peter’s, and the current Kiss lineup. I have had ALL of their albums–even Let Me Rock You! Even Out of Control. I love the Space Invader album and am not interested in comparing it to Monster. Both albums are great and that’s my opinion. You can call Space Invader a masterpiece, but if its a masterpiece, Monster is one of the best Rock albums of all time.
My intention was not to call you out directly as if to challenge you as a person, but to challenge what I consider a thoughtless stab at Kiss’s album. Lots of people on this site have commented on Monster and said it sucks. Have you ever heard Animalize??? Holy COW!! When I first heard that, I was super disappointed–almost disillusioned. Over the years it has grown on me. THAT album, to me at least, sounds forced. I know the difference. Monster is a great album. But to each his own.
Space Invader is now charted at #1 on Billboard’s Hard Rock chart and has moved up to number three on the Top 200 chart. It is so much more rocking than Sonic Boom or Monster, and Ace has finally done away with subjecting us to repetitive and boring pentatonic scales on the guitar. Wish it were the same for Tommy Thayer, but Paul won’t let him expand his playing.
Ha ha! Made me look. Not true though. I was HOPING it was at number three on the Billboard 200. I happen to love the album. But why did you say that? Where did you get your information?
That’s funny, I love how people quote made up facts. Moved up to number 3 ? That’s priceless. Ace had a good week by today’s standards, look for a 90 percent drop off for week 2/ HDD projections.
Ace Frehley Space Invader….i,ve had a few listens and its a fantastic effort from Ace…..i think he can be proud of his efforts… The Joker i dont like…but i never did like that song……probably the Haters worst nightmare is that the Album is so good
Ace was the straw that stirred the Kiss drink, right Reggie? Ace in Scranton….all 213 people be prepared for the N.Y. Groove ’14 train wreck. No Trappah, sales will collapse, it does for everybody week 2 cept Kaie & the Lady. Thayer rips it up, ask Paul.
Space Invader is outta this world!!!!
Has anybody seen GEORGE JETSON? Hhaa hhaa hhaa!!!! ACE is Back