Ace Frehley a solo success with ‘Space Invader’

For anyone who enjoys chilly rock reunions, the place to be was the bowels of the Barclays Center in New York when Kiss met the press after the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame six months ago.

Awkward doesn’t begin to describe the scene since Kiss, who refused to perform, was the only inductee to treat the news conference solely as a photo opportunity. Questions were verboten. It was obvious that it was incredibly uncomfortable for the four members of the seminal band to be in the same room.

Gene Simmons has been vocal about how he feels regarding former Kiss musicians Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, who were inducted with Paul Stanley, who is still in the band.

“When Ace is not high or drunk, he’s a sweetheart,” Simmons says. “His demons are his own. He leads a Jekyll-and-Hyde sort of existence. He has a new album coming out and I wish him well.”

“Space Invader” is the new release and it’s full of gritty, retro rock. Frehley plays guitar hero once again and impresses with hook-laden tunes that turn the clock back to 1978.

“I went back and listened to that solo album from 1978,” Frehley says in a phone interview from San Diego. “I took some of that sound and spirit from that album. We all know that was the best album of the four Kiss solo albums. I don’t think any of them would argue that. I enjoyed making that record.”

Frehley, who will perform Wednesday at the Keswick Theatre, has never had a problem going solo. Back when each of the members of Kiss released solo albums on the same day 36 years ago, only one of the projects was taken seriously.

As far as Kiss solo albums went, Simmons belted out a number of cringeworthy songs. Who can forget the lengthy tongued bassist belting out ‘I’m living in sin at the Holiday Inn?’ Stanley’s and Criss’ albums were completely forgettable. It was as if three-quarters of the cartoonish act were simply fulfilling a contract obligation. And then there was Frehley, who made a consistently strong album, comprising high octane, anthemic arena rock.

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who inducted Kiss into the Hall of Fame, gushed when asked about Frehley’s initial solo release. “It was and still is amazing,” Morello says. “I don’t think anyone in Kiss would dispute the fact that Ace’s album was the best. There was no pretension. He just rocked.”

That’s the core of Frehley. Space Ace is the antithesis of the business minded Simmons and the calculated Stanley. “I’m just a musician,” Frehley says. “I love what I do. Don’t ask me to do anything else.”

But Frehley was shortcircuited by his demons, which he doesn’t hide. “Some people have addictions and that’s what they’re born with,” Frehley says. “If you’re not born with it, the odds are that you’re not going to understand it.”

Frehley, who was kind enough to speak with journalists after Simmons and Stanley jumped in their limos after receiving their hardware, is a charmer. The Bronx native has no problem dropping self-deprecating jokes in his thick New York accent. He surprisingly takes the high road when Kiss and Simmons, who has poked at him for years, are mentioned.

“We’re still brothers when it comes to the music,” Frehley says. “The media likes to turn our relationship into something horrible but it isn’t. We’ve had our differences but what band doesn’t have differences? We don’t hate each other. It just comes time to turn the page. I’ve done that. I have the new album and I look back proudly at what I accomplished with Kiss. We made some great records and were the greatest theatrical rock group in history. That’s pretty cool.”

But why did Simmons and Stanley leave their own party, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction so abruptly? “That’s a great question,” Frehley says. “It was an amazing event. There was unbelievable talent in the room that night. There was Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, Nirvana and so many others. How can you cut out? I don’t know how to explain it. I stayed until Joan Jett came out [to join Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic for a version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”] I was going to do the finale with everyone but that got cut because of how long the show ran. I wanted to get out of there to beat traffic.”

Frehley could be bitter about the entire Kiss mess. The group goes on without him and calls him an addict and an anti-semite but Frehley always takes the high road.

“I’m not going to bash them like they bash me,” Frehley says. “It’s been years since I’ve had drugs or alcohol. That is no longer an issue in my life and I wish they would leave that alone. Regarding the anti-semite business. That’s so wrong. Do they realize that I have a Jewish girlfriend? It’s gotten so ridiculous and it’s unfortunate because we really had good times together and we still talk. I remember driving around Los Angeles a few months ago and I called Gene to talk about this album and we talked for about a half-hour with no problems. It was just like old times. But this is a different period and I’m fine with everything. I get to go make music and go on the road. I don’t think you can beat that.”

Frehley goes out of his way to interact with fans. “Without those people there’s no tour, no album, no nothing,” Frehley says. “My audience has been so good to me, sticking by me and I see a whole new crop of kids coming out. I got the biggest kick the other day from this mother and her son. She said, ‘My son plays guitar.’ He said, ‘I’m 12 and I can play ‘Shock Me,’ no problem.’ I couldn’t stop laughing.”

Expect Frehley to play his such Kiss classics as “Shock Me” and “Parasite.”

“Those songs never get tired,” Frehley says. “I still feel the same energy that I felt all those years ago when we were playing those songs live. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Ed Condran is a freelance writer.

Jodi Duckett, editor

jodi.duckett@mcall.com

610-820-6704

ACE FREHLEY

*When: 8 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 26

*Where: Keswick Theatre, Easton Road and Keswick Avenue, Glenside

*How much: $29.50-$95

*Info: 215-572-7650, http://www.keswicktheatre.com