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
Remember their is no one greater !! SPACE INVADER
Ziggy Stardust was an extraterrestrial too you know…
I like it even better than anomaly!!!! “change” is amazing!
Space Invader is much better than Anomaly…..
I liked Sister a lot. I also like Genghis Khan. It was not as focused an effort as Space Invader. The songs on Anomaly are okay, but Space Invader is a classic Ace album. Even the weakest of the songs are good songs on SI.
Ace’s vocals on Past the Milky Way are awesome. I mean, we all know Ace is not known for his vocal range but if you listen to it, you know his singing is great! Maybe because its about his fiance, he just reaches a new range in is singing. Excellent song.
Yes! Change is one of my favorite on the album. Change, Inside the Vortex, and Past the Milky Way. Ace is on a role! The whole album is pretty great. There are maybe two or three songs that haven’t stuck, but they seem like good songs. But those three are killer! The title track is really good too.
Monster was forced and its evident .
It’s a great album. Maybe you can preview it on iTunes. I can honestly say every song on the album is great. Maybe you just don’t know the difference between a good or bad album. Why do you hate kiss so much? Did Gene Simmons embarrass you in public?
No, it’s an “ok” album, but it sounded forced and weak. At least when I listen to early kiss, I can get that 70’s gritty vibe. Everything since they took off the makeup sounds like regurgitated rock tripe, cliched lyrics, pop choruses, and 80’s posing, Monster is no different. It smacks of corporate rock.
“Maybe you just don’t know the difference between a good or bad album.”
Ah yes, and you’re the arbiter of rock taste? I like the new Ace album. It’s good, has some classic Ace guitar playing, and feels like it has at least a little of the soul of the original Kiss.
“Why do you hate kiss so much? Did Gene Simmons embarrass you in public?”
People are allowed to not like bands. “Fans” hated Metallica when they cut their hair and slowed their songs down, never mind the fact they sold a bazillion records. They still circle-jerk about it, but none of the members routinely s–t all over their original band members.
Mike,
Everything you’ve said stinks of a preconceived opinion. That is, you sound like someone who hasn’t listened to anything from Kiss since the 70’s. If you want to correct someone for their bad behavior on this site, I am probably the least of your concerns. I don’t think I went overboard on ziggy stardust. If you make ridiculous statements like his/hers (or yours), you should expect an argument in return–don’t you think?
However, the analogy about Metallica was interesting and a good argument. That I can relate to, but Load and Re-Load are STILL good albums. They are just not classic Metallica. Sometimes, bands evolve. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. If you say it sucks, you are just asking for trouble. Believe it or not, when you attack the music, you are attacking a part of someone’s soul with such statements, including the fans. You don’t expect a heated debate? Really?? If you don’t believe me, look at the story here on Rob Halford’s choices for life changing albums. Music does not deserve to be trashed. When I posted here the first time, I thought everyone would debate the way Eddie, Jim, and Don do on TMS. They have different tastes and opinions but the thing they seem to have in common is respect for the music.
I was thinking your comeback should be, “Monster” is a great album because…x, y, z….and then Ziggy could counter with, no because e, f, g…etc…That is what art is about, people should be willing to have their opinions challenged. “Monster,” it is a good album, one great song, some pretty good ones, a few average ones, but it does kick like a mule, that’s one thing that the whole thing has going for it. I don’t want to get into which is better, Ace’s or Kiss, but it’s not a slight against one, more a compliment to the other.
Why do you always conclude that not liking Monster is equivalent to hating Kiss?? You just read what you want to read and what fits to your own biased perspective on things, you keep repeating your lines here, so you are no better than the ones you bash, that’s all.
You have attacked the current lineup from every possible angle schocomon. The only thing you haven’t attacked is their–never mind, you would probably attack that too.
One last thing–I AM NOT bashing anyone. I am arguing against their points. I think you’ve probably heard worse than any of my comments.
Remember that what you think is argument is free talk in the free and forgiving and virtual world of the digital age. No one has to take the consequences of what he is posting, no one has to “face” somebody else, so how can we assume that what is posted is real opinion? The moment you press the keys on your keyboard to post something (that you think is discussion) you are not the one you are in the physical world, you take on a role, even though sometimes it might just look like the one in the physical world, still it is not you, understand?!? – And please, tell me what I shall attack next, I cannot live without not knowing what you meant …. (See, I am making fun of you, is that really me?? Or is it just for the sake of having fun on this forum? Think about it.) – So yes I disklike the current lineup, not musically ( I own M and SB and Anom. and they’reall good) but for the discrepancy between Gene and Paul talking all kinds of BS and trying to make themselves look good, trying to diminsh others to feel better, trying to simply deny the contributions of others to stand out as heroes. It looks like old people to me who have come to a point where they realise that what they have accomplished might still lack someting that they feel they can never ever accomplish now, know what I mean? So only thing left to do is bash or diminish or simply deny others to distract from this fact. I can think of a lot of reasons why human beings behave that way, but it still is just lame. So while I cannot deny that musically (apart from Paul’s deteriorating voice) they are good, from the point of view that fans also want to sort of “look up” to their heroes and want to enjoy being a fan this whole Kiss drama has become a dreadful pain in the ***.
Again, why bring Monster into it ? It sold 3 times as much as SI and has nothing to do with it.
It is natural for people to compare music, sales, etc from former members bands. Every review I read of Ace’s album compares it to Kiss. Especially when his former band throws barbs at him and talks about how much he doesn’t matter and how easily he’s replaced. Especially when his former band has someone impersonating him and being forced to play and act like him. How can you not see that every review will make that comparison?
I said this awhile ago….my friend is a local DJ & he said people (especially ppl in the music buisness such as Eddie) will ALWAYS compare a Ace CD to a KISS CD…..you can’t change that. Ace Frehley was the most unique character/musician in KISS. This version of KISS, (especially with the talents of a Eric & Tommy) is very good, but it just fails miserably with the original line-up and that is expected. KISS’ greatest albums are back in the 70’s and Paul Stanley was correct by saying, “that band was long ago” and so were their hits. The 70’s KISS line-up was the elite. But this version isn’t so bad either. Carr, Kulick era was (IMO) amazing and follows up to Ace & Peter!!
What I’ve done with all of the stuff they’ve put out since they split up is make my own Kiss albums, taking the best songs (what’s with all this “In My Opinion” ? Of course it’s my opinion) from each of the original 4…you wanna talk about some smokin’ Kiss records. I made one with the best from Revenge and Trouble Walkin’, with one from Cat #!, I made one with the best from Sonic Boom, Anomaly, and One Tribe (I put Space Ace on it)…I haven’t done it with Monster and Space Invaders yet, I may not…Space Invaders…can’t say I hear any filler on it.
O.K here’s some I’ve made:
1. Is That You?
2. Naked City
3. My Life (this is from Peter’s Out of Control, I’m tellin’ ya, there’s a good 4 songs on here that are better than 4 songs you could have easily pulled off of Unmasked)
4. Easy As It Seems
5. Two Sides of the Coin
6/ Out of Control
7. Torpedo Girl
8. You’re All That I Want (a love song from Gene, and it’s one of his best songs, check out the bass playing, and his singing)
9. In Trouble Again
And that’s it, 9 songs and we’re outta here…that’s another problem: albums are too long now, they should never be more than 10, maybe 11 if you they’re short)
Here’s one I call “Let Kiss Rock You.”
1. I’ll Fight Hell to Hold You
2. Hide Your Heart
3. Rock Soldiers
4. While the City Sleeps (one of his best songs)
5. Tears
6. Destiny (That’s right: two Peter Criss songs in a row!)
7, Thief In the Night (another complete gem of a Gene song)
8. Reason to Live
9. Fractured Too
“Rock and Roll Revenge”
1. Unholy
2. Five Card Stud
3. Heart of Chrome
4. Some Kinda Hurricane
5. Tough Love
6. Shot Full of Rock
7. Thou Shalt Not
8. Jealous Guy
9. Fractured III
Albums should only have 9 songs…
These are the albums I wish Kiss would have made. These really capture what Kiss is about to me.
As an 11 year old… I mean can you imagine if they had just put this out:
1. Tonight You Belong to Me
2. It’s Alright
3. Radioactive
4. New York Groove
5. Take Me Away (Together As One)
6. Rip It Out
7. Tunnel Of Love
8. Easy Thing
9. Love In Chains
I would’ve, well, no more cussing so….. you know this would’ve hit the spot, instead of this mass confusion with the solo records. What the hell? I thought it was all 4 One.
You always have to get those jabs in, don’t you.
All I can say is I am very glad for ace. Its well deserved and long over due. He is still the greatest. I am thankful he got his act together and put out couple good albums in five yrs and I got to finally meet him recently so that was an all time wish. I just wanna say good luck on the success of space invader and I hope it can put you in a position to put a tour behind it. Ace frehley give it up for space invader. ……
Top 10 album – great job, Ace. I prefer Space Invader to Anomaly, though – the only album I didn’t personally like by Frehley is Second Sighting, though “It’s Over Now” and “Insane” I liked.
I’d like to see the original members of Kiss stop the mud-slinging, writing books and what-not. They don’t get along anymore – we get it, guys, no more tours of “The Fantastic Four,” as Mr. Simmons put it not too long ago.
Again, very happy for Ace on his success and his sobriety.