Born Paul Frehley on April 27, 1951, in the Bronx, New York, Frehley began playing guitar when he received an electric six-string for his 14th birthday in 1965. Already a big fan of the Rolling Stones, he was blown away when he caught a multi-band live show in N.Y.C. in early 1967, featuring both the Who and Cream, among others, which solidified his desire to pursue rock guitar more seriously (and put a promising art career on the back burner). Frehley began playing in local bands soon after, adding both Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to his influences -- and around this time, adopted the nickname "Ace." Although none of the bands he played with had taken off, he answered an ad in a local paper for a new hard rock, theatrically based group in early 1973.
A few weeks after his initial tryout, Frehley was hired as the lead guitarist for the new quartet, joining bassist/singer Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist/singer Paul Stanley, and drummer Peter Criss to form the band Kiss. By year's end, the greasepaint- and costume-wearing band was signed to Casablanca Records, and by 1978, had become one of the world's top hard rock bands. A string of platinum albums and sold-out tours lasted from 1975 until 1979, until the trappings of fame threatened to break up the band. Frehley's best friend in the band, Criss, left Kiss in 1980, as the group unsuccessfully experimented with non-metal styles. Ace Frehley's use of alcohol and drugs increased due to his ever-increasing unhappiness in the band, and, by 1982, he'd exited Kiss.
Within a year or two after his split from Kiss, Ace began putting his own solo band together, Frehley's Comet. The band played local N.Y.C. clubs, but failed to issue a record until 1987's self-titled debut for Megaforce Records. Instead of following the heavy metal direction of his exceptional 1978 solo album, Frehley's Comet tried to keep pace with the current pop-metal movement (Mötley Crüe, etc.), issuing two other albums (and a live EP) by 1989. Around this time, Frehley put his old art talents to use once again through computer graphics, with a few of his images even being featured in an art exhibit. Despite mudslinging in the press between Simmons/Stanley and Frehley in the early '90s, all four original Kiss members made up in time to reunite for a 1995 taping of MTV Unplugged. The taping was such a success that it led to a full-blown reunion of the original lineup, resulting in the massively successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide Tour.
Frehley continued as a member of Kiss until the end of their Farewell Tour (lasting longer than fellow original member Peter Criss, who dropped out in 2001). Live appearances, including gigs at the massive Rocklahoma festival, kept Ace busy until 2009, when he released the album Anomaly on his own label, Bronx Born Records. In 2011 he published No Regrets, a detailed and frank memoir that recounted, among other things, his aforementioned struggles with alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2013 he celebrated seven years of sobriety and spent much of that year appearing at horror, sci-fi, and pop culture conventions.
The following April, after a long wait, Kiss was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, before August brought the release of Space Invader, a solo album that took a heavier approach than Anomaly. Released in 2016, Origins, Vol. 1 was an all-covers album featuring songs from Ace's favorite bands, up to and including Kiss, with new versions of "Parasite" and "Cold Gin" sitting next to songs from Thin Lizzy and Cream. The following year, Frehley joined Kiss bassist/vocalist Simmons on-stage at a Hurricane Harvey benefit for the Children Matter organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the former bandmates had performed together in over 16 years. In 2018 Frehley issued his eighth solo long payer, Spaceman, which featured a power pop cover of Eddie Money's "I Wanna Go Back" and the rowdy single "Rockin' with the Boys," the latter of which was written during Kiss' '70s heyday.
In the fall of 2018, Frehley revealed that he was changing his entire solo backing band from guitarist Richie Scarlet, bassist Chris Wyse and drummer Scot Coogan to Gene Simmons‘ solo band members consisting of Philip Shouse on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, and Christopher Williams on drums.
He then released a second covers album, Origins, Vol. 2, in September 2020.
Biography by Greg Prato
Website: http://www.acefrehley.com
Ace Frehley (1978)
Frehley's Comet (1987)
Second Sighting (1988)
Trouble Walkin' (1989)
Anomaly (2009)
Space Invader (2014)
Origins Vol. 1 (2016)
Spaceman (2018)
Origins Vol. 2 (2020)
10,000 Volts (2024)
Insane
Ace Frehley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a waitin' for a place to occur
But I still got enough that'll last her
Till the blood gets ready to burn
My meter's running, still got a lot of livin' to do
I live five days to your one
And you know it's true, yeah!
[Chorus]
(Listen!) I got money, got fame
Got everything ot play this game
No sorrow, no shame
'cause nothin' matters when you're insane!
It's never easy being the crazy
Just a job someone's got to do
Take a number and stand in the line
For the good life you never knew
My meter's running, still got a lot of livin' to do
I live five days to your one
And you know it's true, yeah!
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Ace Frehley's song "Insane" suggest that the singer is someone who has been labeled a "walkin' disaster" and is looked down upon by society. However, the singer is defiant and boasts about their possessions and attitude towards life, claiming to have "got everything to play this game" and no feelings of "sorrow, no shame." The singer declares that nothing matters when you are "insane," suggesting that their unconventional behavior and perspective on life is what gives them an edge.
In the second verse, the singer acknowledges the difficulties of being considered crazy, but compares it to a necessary job that someone has to do. The singer implies that the so-called "good life" that others strive for is not as fulfilling as embracing one's own madness and living life to the fullest. The repetition of the line "my meter's running, still got a lot of livin' to do" emphasizes the idea that the singer refuses to be held down by societal expectations and plans to continue living life on their own terms.
Overall, the lyrics to "Insane" celebrate individuality, self-expression, and a rejection of conformist attitudes. The song encourages listeners to embrace their eccentricities and embrace the fullness of life, rather than striving for an ideal that may not bring true fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people call me a walkin' disaster
Some individuals label me as a calamitous mess.
Just a waitin' for a place to occur
Simply waiting for an opportunity to arise.
But I still got enough that'll last her
However, I still have enough to provide for myself and others.
Till the blood gets ready to burn
Until the time comes to take extreme action.
My meter's running, still got a lot of livin' to do
I am aware that my time is limited and I have many things to experience.
I live five days to your one
I live my life to the fullest, making the most of every moment, while others take it slow.
And you know it's true, yeah!
This is a fact that cannot be denied.
(Listen!) I got money, got fame
Listen to me, I have wealth and status.
Got everything ot play this game
I have all I need to play this game called life.
No sorrow, no shame
I have no regrets or guilt.
'cause nothin' matters when you're insane!
Because when you're crazy, nothing else matters.
It's never easy being the crazy
It is never easy to be perceived as insane.
Just a job someone's got to do
It is simply a role that someone has to fulfill.
Take a number and stand in the line
Join the queue of people waiting for a better life.
For the good life you never knew
In pursuit of a better life that was never attainable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ACE FREHLEY, GENE MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vladvampirelord8910
Some people call me a walkin' disaster
Just a waitin' for a place to occur
But I still got enough that'll last her
Till the blood gets ready to burn
My meter's running, still got a lot of livin' to do
I live five days to your one
And you know it's true, yeah!
[Chorus]
(Listen!) I got money, got fame
Got everything ot play this game
No sorrow, no shame
'cause nothin' matters when you're insane!
It's never easy being the crazy
Just a job someone's got to do
Take a number and stand in the line
For the good life you never knew
My meter's running, still got a lot of livin' to do
I live five days to your one
And you know it's true, yeah!
[Chorus]
@vscollector
One of the most underrated songs in heavy metal history.
@metallooney
R.I.P. to bass player John Regan!!
@pekkaseppanen7707
King of Rock N Roll!🎸 Ace the Spaceman Frehley!
@diegoarivera35
this solo and this riff, one of the best rock song in history!!
@crisscat2006
RIP Jamie Oldaker and John Regan
@rcknrol7258
One of those songs that's still stuck in my head...after all these years. I bought this when it came out.
@diegoarivera35
How in heaven this jewel is not more famous???
@spookypatchouli
Ace does look really hot in this video.
@robpennell1341
Always liked this song. It's super catchy.
@newenglandpatriotsfan8466
Ace Frehley Rocks