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)
Reckless
Ace Frehley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't know if I was up or down
Senseless, and confused
Sometimes they'd find me in the lost and found
So helpless, tell the truth
Sometimes I'd fall and end up on the ground
Lookin' for truth with passion
Knowin' what's right and crashin'
Reckless in every way
Reckless, every day
I wasn't sure if things were black or while
Rejected, had to choose
Sometimes I didn't have a lot to say
So selfish, and confused
I'd turn the corner, then I'd lose my way
Lookin' for truth with passion
Tryin' to be in fashion
Knowin' what's right and crashin'
Reckless in every way
I'm lookin' for love in passing
Wonderin' whose ass I'm trashin'
Tryin' to be cool, but not caring
Reckless in every way
So helpless
And Reckless
So helpless
And Reckless
So helpless
And Reckless
So helpless
And Reckless
Helpless, tell the truth
I couldn't focus on the time of day
So Reckless, and confused
I got arrested 'cause I lost my way
Lookin' for truth with passion
Tryin' to be in fashion
Knowin' what's right and crashin'
Reckless in every way
I'm lookin' for love in passing
Wonderin' whose ass I'm trashin'
Tryin' to be cool, but not caring
Reckless in every way
Lookin' for truth with passion
Tryin' to be in fashion
Knowin' what's right and crashin'
Reckless in every way
I'm lookin' for love in passing
Wonderin' whose ass I'm trashin'
Tryin' to be cool, but not caring
Reckless in every way
Lookin' for truth with passion
Tryin' to be in fashion
Knowin' what's right and crashin'
Reckless in every way
Ace Frehley's song "Reckless" is an introspective reflection on his youth, where he felt lost, confused, and rejected. He describes himself as reckless and senseless, often ending up in the lost and found or getting arrested. The lyrics suggest that he was trying to find his place in the world, but was often unsuccessful in his attempts.
Frehley uses the repetition of "helpless and reckless" to emphasize his feelings of vulnerability and irresponsibility. He admits that he was selfish and confused, unable to focus on anything for long, and that sometimes he didn't have a lot to say, which made him feel rejected. The chorus repeats the phrases "looking for truth with passion" and "reckless in every way" to show that even though he knew what was right and wrong, he couldn't always help choosing the latter.
The last verse reveals that Frehley was looking for love, but he didn't care about whose feelings he hurt in the process. He was trying to be cool and fit in with those around him, but his reckless behavior was taking its toll. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, emphasizing that despite the consequences of his actions, he continued to be reckless in every way.
Line by Line Meaning
Reckless, in my youth
I was careless and didn't think about the consequences when I was young
I didn't know if I was up or down
I was confused and didn't know what path to take
Senseless, and confused
I was lost and didn't have a clear direction in life
Sometimes they'd find me in the lost and found
I was so lost that people had to search for me to make sure I was okay
So helpless, tell the truth
I was in a vulnerable state and needed assistance from others to get by
Sometimes I'd fall and end up on the ground
I made mistakes that caused me to fail and suffer consequences
Lookin' for truth with passion
I was searching for answers with a strong desire and intensity
Tryin' to be in fashion
I tried to fit in with the popular trends and conform to certain standards
Knowin' what's right and crashin'
I thought I knew what was best for me but often made bad decisions
Reckless in every way
I acted carelessly and recklessly in all aspects of my life
Reckless, every day
I was constantly acting without thinking and taking risks
I wasn't sure if things were black or white
I struggled to differentiate between right and wrong
Rejected, had to choose
I faced rejection and had to make difficult decisions to move forward
Sometimes I didn't have a lot to say
I had trouble expressing myself and communicating effectively
So selfish, and confused
I acted in my own self-interest and was unsure of my motives
I'd turn the corner, then I'd lose my way
I would start to make progress but then get sidetracked and lose direction
I'm lookin' for love in passing
I was searching for love in casual encounters and not taking it seriously
Wonderin' whose ass I'm trashin'
I was hurting others without thinking about the impact of my actions
Tryin' to be cool, but not caring
I was more concerned with appearing cool than being a kind and caring person
Helpless, tell the truth
I was in a state of powerlessness and needed to confess
I couldn't focus on the time of day
I was distracted and couldn't concentrate on important things
I got arrested 'cause I lost my way
My reckless behavior caused me to get in trouble with the law
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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