Ace Frehley: No Regrets
Written by Ace Frehley with Joe Layden and John Ostrosky
Gallery Books/MTV Books
Release date: November 01, 2011
Hardcover | Kindle

Space Ace Frehley – legendary guitarist and alien spaceman from deep space, specifically the planet Jendell… or the Bronx, depending upon which legend you choose to believe. For his No Regrets autobiography, written with assistance from Joe Layden and John Ostrosky, Ace determines to focus on the Earthbound tales of his back history, examining his memories from childhood, to wild teenage years, to his days with KISS, and his time as a solo artist.

I read No Regrets with immense anticipation. Being a KISS fan is not just about enjoying their music, it is quite literally an obsession that becomes a lifestyle. [Geeks of Doom editors Eve and Dave will back me up here – go on, Eve, tell ’em about it right here: There is a shrine to Ace at the Geeks of Doom Headquarters, and in lieu of a framed wedding photo above the bed is a framed print of the cover of Ace’s 1976 KISS solo album, undisputedly the best by far of the four KISS sole albums.] And a chunk of that lifestyle is discovering more about the history of the band members (original and otherwise), as it makes up a much larger picture of the KISS family.

It is a move mirroring the historical sequence of events in the 1970’s: Hot off the heels on his work with Alice Cooper‘s Welcome 2 My Nightmare, long time rock producer Bob Ezrin is reportedly back in the studio remixing the classic KISS album Destroyer, which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year.

Gene Simmons announced that the album will be re-released as a Deluxe Edition during 2012 complete with unreleased tracks, and the original artwork designed by Ken Kelly. Destroyer, along with the band’s breakthrough live album KISS Alive!, is frequently pointed to as a significant album for the band — it was a solid stepping stone to the heights of success they would claim in the late Seventies, and serve as a major influence for many bands ranging from the lightest of popular rock through to the darkest of black metal.