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)
breakOUT
Ace Frehley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paying for a crime when I didn't do anything wrong
Lyin' here rottin' for someone else's mistake
I've come to my senses, it's time to make a break
[Chorus]
Breakout, I'm coming after you
Breakout, I'd say our love is overdue
Breakout, gonna bust of this joint
I'm sick and tired of punching out license plates
For a criminal justice system that I hate
The food here suck, I'm not about to wait
Well I've come to my senses It's time to make a break
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Ace Frehley's "Breakout" depict a man who has been falsely accused and imprisoned for seven years. He is angry and frustrated, feeling trapped and helpless. He can no longer bear the injustice of the situation and has decided that enough is enough. In his desperation, he recognizes that the only way to escape is to break out. The chorus serves as an anthem of rebellion and determination, declaring that he is coming after what he wants and won't let anything hold him back.
This song is a powerful reflection of the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity. It speaks to the courage and determination of individuals who refuse to be held down by the circumstances of their lives. The themes of anger, frustration, and hopelessness are contrasted with the desire for freedom and the possibility of a better future. In a way, Ace Frehley's "Breakout" is about the universal yearning to break free from the chains that hold us down and keep us from achieving our true potential.
Interestingly, "Breakout" was released as a single in 1987, five years after Frehley left the iconic rock band KISS. The song was part of his third solo album, appropriately titled "Frehley's Comet." Despite the fact that the album was not as successful as his previous works, "Breakout" has remained a fan favorite, earning widespread popularity and acclaim.
Line by Line Meaning
Been in this cell block seven years too long
I've been locked up in this prison for an unjustly long time.
Paying for a crime when I didn't do anything wrong
I was wrongly accused of a crime and forced to serve time for it.
Lyin' here rottin' for someone else's mistake
I'm suffering for someone else's wrongdoing and negligence.
I've come to my senses, it's time to make a break
I've finally realized that I need to take action to regain my freedom and clear my name.
[Chorus] Breakout, I'm coming after you
I'm determined to escape from this prison and pursue my freedom.
Breakout, I'd say our love is overdue
I've been separated from my loved ones for too long and it's time to reunite.
Breakout, I'm at the breakin' point
I'm at my breaking point and can no longer tolerate being in prison.
Breakout, gonna bust of this joint
I'm going to escape from this prison by any means necessary.
I'm sick and tired of punching out license plates
I'm exhausted and frustrated with being forced to work for the prison system.
For a criminal justice system that I hate
I despise the legal system that has wrongfully imprisoned me.
The food here suck, I'm not about to wait
The quality of food in prison is terrible and I'm not willing to endure it any longer.
Well I've come to my senses It's time to make a break
I've finally realized that I need to take action to regain my freedom and clear my name.
[Chorus]
I'm determined to escape from this prison and reunite with my loved ones.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@barrakouta
Anton Fig is a beast of a drummer. Massively underappreciated.
@foamrob6577
I appreciate him
@shawndouglass2939
As do I :)😀
@booshting3520
Hes a very well known player
@sethmaven6924
He's the most dangerous drummer in the world
@stephenallsman8913
He’s badass.
@buttkid3548
Ace is a natural born rock star.
@kylej.4158
Anton kills it and Ace wrote a great tune!!
Ace shreds up Kiss with that one!!
@davidpitkat6031
Actually Eric Carr wrote music, Richie Scarlet wrote the words.
@luvittodeath7031
@@davidpitkat6031 and Ace wrote the food here sucks