ACE FREHLEY On 'Anomaly': 'I Can't Wait For Everyone To Hear This'

KissFAQ recently conducted an interview with original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

KissFAQ: Many fans regard your 1978 solo album up as your finest work. How do you think "Anomaly" is similar to KISS Ace Frehley?

Ace: I used to listen to that '78 record in my car and really felt I had accomplished something special. I never thought I'd still be hearing "New York Groove" to this day being played at all the New York stadiums and arenas! "Anomaly" gives me that same feeling. So far my record company has done four listening parties around America and they all have had nothing but positive reaction from the fans. I can't wait for everyone to hear this.

KissFAQ: You oversaw the creative process for "Anomaly" and are releasing it on your own label, and you've partnered with Rocket Science to help promote it. How does it feel to have such creative freedom with this project?

Ace: This is how I'm going to do records from now on. Again, it must be the fact that I'm sober now and more aware of what is going on in terms of production than I have been in the past. This is my baby...I didn't want to turn it over to somebody!!

KissFAQ: Did you produce the album? And how important were Marti Frederiksen and Anthony Focx to this project?

Ace: I produced the whole record, except the track "Fox On The Run", which Marti produced. I've never seen anyone work with ProTools faster than Marti Frederiksen. The guy's amazing, we had the basic track for "Fox On The Run" finished in four and a half hours! Both he and Anthony really took "Anomaly" to another level.

KissFAQ: Where was "Anomaly" recorded and how many songs did you record compared to what ended up on the album?

Ace: Most of the basic tracks were recorded in my home studio up in Westchester, N.Y. I think I might've had four leftover songs that may see the light of day on a follow-up record, including one or two cover songs. But I don't want to give anything away yet.

KissFAQ: You've said that "Anomaly" was mostly recorded digitally and that you used ProTools. As someone who has used the analog medium primarily in the past, what was your digital "experience" like?

Ace: I gotta say my ProTools experience was great. Once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake. It's so much faster to edit now on ProTools than it was in the old days. The new digital technology definitely helped in the structure of the songs. "Genghis Khan" and "A Little Below The Angels" — who knows? I might still be working on those songs if I was using tape (laughs)!!

KissFAQ: When can we expect a tour to start and how long do you plan to be on the road? And what about a live Ace Frehley DVD?

Ace: My agents are booking shows as we speak. I personally want to hit as many cities and countries as possible. I'm sure we'll be filming a lot of those shows, so who knows about an official DVD?

KissFAQ: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had some interesting choices of words when talking about the reunion on "Kissology", with Gene even describing it as "torture." What do you think about these comments and, with it being 13 years in the rearview, how do you look at the reunion now?

Ace: I have no regrets about the reunion tour. It was the right time and place. I guess it's like when a marriage breaks up, there's always gonna be some trash-talking. But in the end, the four of us will always be linked as KISS.

Read the entire interview from KissFAQ.