In a recent interview with Guitar World, guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert praised former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s performance on their live ‘Alive II’ album. He stated that live albums hold the most magic and likened Ace to Bach, the German classical music composer. He said:
“[On Alive II album] Ace Frehley has infallible feedback magic! Ace’s solos on the first two KISS live albums [Alive! and Alive II] are so perfectly composed. They remind me of what Bach would do if he had a Les Paul, a Marshall, and a space alien costume.”
Gilbert later gave more specific compliments about the songs on the album.
“The intro feedback note of ‘King of the Nighttime World’ quickly transforms into its high harmonic, and Ace sustains it at full force with soulful, dramatic, and perfectly controlled vibrato. Then Ace’s unaccompanied solo at the end of ‘Shock Me’ has more of this beautiful guitar feedback and vibrato. I love it!”
Ace Frehley’s Influential Guitar Playing
His playing on the band KISS’ landmark ‘Alive!’ records inspired a generation of guitarists. Apart from Paul Gilbert, It’s safe to say that many guitarist in the rock scene have been influenced by Frehley’s style in one way or another.
He talked about the subject in an interview with Marc Allan in 1994. It turns out that even in 1994 the list of guitarists influenced by Frehley was quite long. When asked about the guitarists who were influenced by him, Frehley replied:
“You name every top rock and roll group, and the lead guitar player would probably say I was one of their major influences, from Pearl Jam to Skid Row, to you name it. I took my daughter to see Pearl Jam and the lead guitar player asked me for my autograph. You know, these things happen.”
In another interview he gave to Fuzz Magazine in 1997, when asked if there was anyone he was influenced by among the new and modern guitarists, he replied:
“No. They’ve been influenced by me! I don’t mean to be egotistic, but that’s what they tell me!”
Ace Frehley seems to be aware of how much of an influence he’s had on the rock world.