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
Even beyond the record breaking chart position; the fire, passion, creativity, and even freshness on Space Invader is nothing short of remarkable for a guy in this age bracket and certainly when comparing it to his former bandmate’s most recent recordings. Ace delivers his classic sound, but does it in a way that makes it comfortable today and with the energy and spontaneous vibe that performers half his age rarely show these days.
Of course I would’ve liked to have seen Ace in HIS iconic makeup one last time at the HOF, but beyond that I’m so glad he’s a solo performer and not in his former band anymore. Ace has proven he has too much new music left in him to be reduced to a nostalgia act with the same old tired routine. It would be a shame to see Ace this fall out in Vegas following an Elvis impersonator. Hopefully we’ll see him soon performing this great new music of his and showing everyone he clearly still has it in 2014!
I listened to about half the album but I did skip to hear the joker..pretty good so far…but I think I like overall sound of his 78 solo album better…I heard hes doing a covers album next…is this true?
Ace outsold BuckCherry’s new record 3 to 1!
The more I listen to Space Invader as a body of work the more I like it. Some songs had to grow on me. Now I think it is his best since ’78.
I like his stuff with Todd Howath on Frehleys comet Todd is a better singer and adds to the band. I was a and am a fan of Second Sighting CD. I’ve Seen ace with and WITHOUT Todd and he is better with him by far. Ace’s vocals are spur attic in Studio and even more so Live. He stops singing at times and focuses on playing he’s got a little of the BB King thing going on at times.
I always felt Frehleys Comet was a great band, and Tod Howarth was great too. His singing reminded me a little of Kiss at times. It’s good to have two guys bouncing ideas off each other.
Anyone is lucky to sell any albums in the digital age.