I don’t remember when I first heard Ace’s guitar. It definitely wasn’t one of his solo albums, but a KISS album. Although my memory plays strange tricks on me, I would say it was probably “Alive II” since that was the first KISS album I bought from the band’s make-up period. Obviously, it couldn’t have been “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” because when I heard it on the radio for the first time, I didn’t even know it was KISS. So, I imagine that sometime around 1988/89, Alive II fell into my hands. Look… when you’re 13/14 years old and you see that photo on the cover of Alive II with KISS playing on a burning stage and towering above it on raised platforms with their impressive make-up, it doesn’t take much to get hooked, right? That’s how my journey with KISS began, costing me millions of drachmas and thousands of euros for all these collectibles, but giving me priceless memories. The most important of these are the friendships I have made with members of the KISS Army in Greece (and beyond), since back in 1990, knowing people who listened to KISS was as rare as a ballad on a Slayer album!
A die-hard KISS fan doesn’t just stick to the band’s discography. Not even their unreleased songs. They move on to other avenues. That’s how it was with Ace. His solo albums and unreleased demos (which were numerous, especially between 1984 and 1987) weren’t enough for us. We wanted to get Crazy Joe’s album, for example, because it included the song “Eugene,” which Ace wrote with Joe Renda in 1980. The late John Regan, who later formed Frehley’s Comet with Ace, played bass on the same album. Speaking of tracks, we had to get Tod Howarth’s solo albums because he was a member of Frehley’s Comet. The same goes for Richie Scarlet’s albums, etc.
Ace was not only the favorite guitarist of ALL KISS fans, but also one of the most influential guitarists in music history. Personally, I think he was just as influential as Eddie Van Halen! He may not have had the technical training of Eddie, but his unparalleled cool style, stage presence, and of course his trademark playing influenced thousands of musicians to form their own bands and pursue their dreams of becoming rock stars like Ace. The fact that social media was flooded with touching messages from huge musicians declaring left and right how much Ace influenced them is indicative in itself, but also a vindication for all of us KISS fans. And I mean that. I repeat… especially in Greece 35 years ago, listening to KISS was not an easy thing to do. Let’s go back to Ace…
The solo albums with Frehley’s Comet and later under his own name were generally very good to impressive. Yes, he had good collaborators, but Ace’s ace in the hole was always his guitar! You could tell it was Ace from a single note, regardless of the style of song. Yes, he wasn’t the best singer in the world (not even close). But he had that distinctive voice that made you want to listen to him over and over again.
If I had to choose five very characteristic moments from his rich legacy, they would be: a) the solo in “Strange Ways,” b) the solo in “Dark Light,” c) the riff and overall aesthetic of “Parasite,” d) “Detroit Rock City” from the 1980 Sydney video, e) of course, “Shock Me” from the 1977 Largo video. I would also add Frehley’s Comet’s entire first album from 1987… and there are many more.
Talking to many KISS fans, I noticed that many have not realized that their favorite guitarist is gone. It’s no small feat to have survived car crashes, drugs, alcohol, and to pass away unexpectedly from a fall. But you know what… legends never die. He will always be with us every time we put on those classic albums. And for us KISS fans, Ace will always be there. Because Paul may have been the best songwriter in KISS, Gene may have been the face of KISS, Peter may have been the bad boy of KISS, but Ace was the sound of KISS!
Sakis Nikas
