No Regrets

After starting and burning through Peter's book, jumping right into Ace's book was amazing. The generic, and often conflicting accounts of the band's story - from all the various interviews and rumors, etc. can now be analyzed through the prism of each member. Paul's book is out on 4/8/14 and I cannot wait, but let me stick to Ace's "No Regrets," as that is what is being reviewed here.Just reading Ace's book, right after Peter's, gives the reader an awesome ability to cross-reference and fact check, as there are many repeated stories in both books, from their epic journey, but you can compare the stories, and come to your own conclusions. This is as close as you can get to the real truth, and cutting through a lot of the BS and hard feelings. I am putting Ace with Peter, as they had similar upbringings, both joining gangs, and learning street smarts that you can only get growing up in the inner city.Now - right off the bat, you either love, or hate the band. If you hate them, I don't think you would be here reading this review."No Regrets" is touching and inspirational, and like Peter's book, gives you an awesome mix of the pre-fame start of Kiss, after an introduction to the tales of pre-fame growing up, with running with gangs, to forming jam sessions with others that liked music. Then Ace mixes tales from the road, the rocket fueled ride to the top, going from a $75 weekly salary (each member), to superstardom, and making over $25 million each, in a short 18 month period! With a well meaning manager, and being the first band on the newly formed Casablanca record label, the guys ALL together decided that, if they weren't going to get airplay, and the label was teetering on insolvency, and couldn't really promote the band properly, they were going to just work their a$$'s off, and build a following. They started in small dumpy bars, but treated the people watching (there were no fans yet) like they were at a sold out arena - giving it all they had - and it worked, and payed off in spades!Now here is the part that may raise an eyebrow. I said it was inspirational. With the two party animals (Ace & Peter) combining with two workaholic, driven, but straight laced bandmates (Paul & Gene) - any fan knows the general rumors of Ace & Peter's excessive drinking and drugging pitting the 2 factions against each other. As Ace clearly states, after Peter was forced out, there was no more balance, no more democracy, and the new lopsided ability of Gene & Paul (control freaks - as per both Ace & Peter's books, and never denied by Gene & Paul) to vote Ace down constantly (as Ace tells it). Ace freely admits he had insecurities, and was drinking way too much, but the ganging up of two against one, turned the band into a living hell for Ace. He admits that the alcohol and drugs just made it all the worse, but the new politics led to the band truly imploding. To their credit, Gene & Paul, right or wrong (they both felt the excessive drinking and drugs would have destroyed the band anyway), fired Peter, and not too long after, Ace quit, but gene and Paul kept the band together with replacement musicians. This actually started before Ace really left, with session musicians taking Ace's place in the studio, while Ace was still the official lead guitarist. Ace admits he didn't show up to the studio when he was supposed to, but justifies it by how he was treated. The truth lies somewhere in between ALL the various accounts.Now none of this is news to any long time fan, and most of what is told is never really disputed by any of the members. It comes down to this, in broad strokes, as I don't want to ruin any of the books - was Peter Criss pushed out when he deserved a few more chances (as per BOTH Peter & Ace) and then did the power shift of two against one make life a living hell for Ace, to the point he quits the band, forfeiting millions of income.Undisputed is the fact that Ace was as much a star as anyone else, and was becoming one of the most admired lead guitarists in the world. For those out there saying no way, future guitar legends like Slash from Guns N' Roses were inspired to play lead guitar by Ace. Many other now legendary guitar players, and other musicians, many mentioned right in the book, picked up a guitar, or other instrument, after seeing Ace play.The inspiration comes from Ace's openness about his struggles with addiction, his long term battles and attempts at sobriety, his own insecurities being used against him (again, as he tells it) and while reading he book, you feel like you are sitting in his living room, just getting the truth, as ugly as it gets, as he recalls it. There is a sincerity that comes through, and the book (with the assistance of literary pro's) is extremely well written, and comes off as a pretty sincere account.Ace admits how is partying became a problem for the band, and for himself as well. Maybe he glosses over some of the uglier stories, but there is plenty of candor. If you want the story, from Ace's perspective, you get it all - from the groupies and sex, and the drug filled world of rock and celebrity. Honestly, if you are a fan, you cannot miss this one (nor Peter's). I am saving Gene's to read right after Paul's comes out, to get the whole picture, from all four angles. I have been a fan of the band since their start (I was 12 when I got "ALIVE," and "Rock and Roll Over") which were their breakthrough albums, and haven't looked back.This book is well worth the price of admission, and honestly, I couldn't put it down.

This book serves as an enlightening clinical view into the narcissistic mind of an alcoholic and drug addict. The title, "No Regrets," says much. While Frehley does lend some insight into the politics of KISS, he is far too lenient on himself when it comes to his bad behavior. Frehley sees himself as the link that made KISS successful, a notion, I believe, that originates with his being the last one to join the band, coupled by the success of his first solo album and the success of "NY Groove," a song he did not write. To this day, he deludes himself into thinking that he is a stellar musician, when we all know that KISS (with or without him) was a middle-of-the-road pop band that would never have gotten noticed if not for Gene's insistence that KISS be KISS. That said, I think Frehley makes some interesting observations on Gene (although he fails to connect the dots and reach any meaningful conclusions). Most notably, he points out that, as a kid, Gene had never been popular with women. Once famous, he overcompensated, sleeping with anything that moved. Ace deems his behavior as "sex addiction." This is likely accurate (and one sees this exhibited on "Family Jewels" with Gene's incurable wandering eye). I would go much further. I believe that Simmons's idea to paint their faces and disappear into characters was his way of coping with his profound self-loathing. They changed their appearance, hid behind pseudonyms, and wrote songs that were hardly concerned with human understanding so much as the things we do to avoid feeling and knowing ourselves. So much of their song catalog (especially the early songs) are fixated with themes of prostitution, infidelity, groupies and all things sex. ("Strutter," "Ladies in Waiting," "Nothin' to Lose," "Black Diamond," "Hotter Than Hell," "Room Service," "She." Nearly all of the songs touch specifically upon hookers, brothels, street walkers, and continue through the band's second phase in songs like "Charisma," "Christine Sixteen," "I Stole Your Love," "Plaster Caster," "Ladies Room.") Frehley also makes mention that Gene would never shower with the other guys after a concert and disappear and go off by himself, a glaring symptom of someone who harbors great sexual shame. Simmons needed (and continues to need) masks to prevent himself from being "found out," a typical symptom of people with esteem issues, always feeling that their success is somehow fraudulent. On his own KISS solo album, Gene features songs like "Man of 1,000 Faces" and "Mr. Make Believe," and perhaps more revealing, "Living in Sin." This is not charging Gene with anything more than being human, but it does help one understand his motivation and need for commercial success (which is a yearning for money and societal approbation) above artistic success (which yearns for the expression of self). Recognizing that, in spite of the myriad conflicts, both personal and professional, Ace has with Gene, one would think that, in spite of it all, Ace would recognize that it was Gene's idiosyncrasies, particularly his need for order, that contributed to his success and longevity, and perhaps saving his life.The more I sit with this book the more agitated I become with Frehley. Notwithstanding his antics from the early years, as recently as five years ago he was speeding around Westchester and Connecticut in possession of cocaine and illegal weapons, and using his celebrity to wriggle his way out of trouble. He seems to think that by merely confessing his sins that he is magically redeemed, yet the tone of his writing belies any suggestion of contrition. To this day, Frehley thinks these antics - driving drunk, speeding, drug use, reckless use of firearms, etc -- is charming and still good for a laugh. He expresses very little understanding that other people share the planet and they would prefer not to be murdered on their drive home from work by a speeding, coked-up, out-of-control, self-involved has-been celebrity.It's also worth noting that while he accuses Gene of deferring to money over art, Frehley himself has a clear obsession with status and wealth, always making sure to point out that he was in a limousine, or sprinkling a story about a near traffic accident with little nods to the fact that the cars were a BMW and a Mercedes. He goes on for what seems like pages about his acreage in Connecticut and the luxurious studio he built and rents out to other musicians. He can't help himself but talk about the long circular driveway and the number of luxury cars competing for space. He even provides photos, albeit very bad ones.When all is said and done, Paul Frehley reveals very little about himself other than that, after years of substance abuse, he is just as unaware of what caused his plummet into the void. He offers no insights into his childhood, nothing substantial about his relationship with his parents or siblings and how that may have contributed to his addictions. I was actually struck (not in a good way) by how quickly he glossed over the deaths of his parents. On the one hand, he claims that when his father died, he felt a breeze in his room, an apparent claim that he is imbued with some supernatural sensitivity. Elsewhere, he notes that his father was nearly fifty when he was born and they had something of a chilly relationship. (Perhaps that explains the breeze.) Elsewhere, he relates that his parents were in attendance at KISS's first headlining performance at NY's Beacon Theater where, he says, he could tell his father was proud of him. On the other hand, his mother seemed to be consistently supportive, driving him to his KISS audition on 23rd Street in Manhattan. He claims that when she was in her final hours he gave her permission to die, which she did only hours after he left her side. Talk about delusions of grandeur.Prior to reading "No Regrets" I actually harbored sympathy, maybe even admiration, for Ace Frehley, which explains my buying the book. Having read it, I think far less of him. He strikes me as a self-interested one-trick-pony who, as he approaches his sixties, may be less intoxicated but may be more deluded than ever. This notion that has long been propagated (if only by Frehley himself) that he is one of rock music's greats is a crock. This guy can't hold a candle to the true greats like Clapton, Beck, Page, Rory Gallagher, Gilmour, Hendrix, Brian May. Let's get a grip. Frehleys's guitar stylings were seriously appropriated from a generous herd of musicians from Chuck Berry and Hendrix to Dave Davies and Wayne Kramer.I'm giving this book three stars with a strong recommendation for stalwart KISS fans. But my personal feeling about the book and Frehley are mixed, at best. I'm glad the guy survived his life. But for heaven's sake, show some humility.

I was a big KISS fan back when I was in my teens in the late 70sAnd Ace Frehley was my hero.When you get older these things from your past either get consigned to the rubbish bin of your memory or they stubbornly stick with you and raise their heads again many years later.Now I'm older and have a(slightly) more varied approach in my musical tastes, I've found myself getting ever more retro in my listening and I've been irresistibly going backwards to my youth and revisiting what I used to listen to back then.I'm really enjoying hearing the early KISS albums again and now realise that they were actually much better than my memory allowed me to think they were (as I matured I became a bit of a musical snob in my tastes and put my liking for KISS down as a passing phase strictly from the past!)It was great to hear from Ace in his own words and read about what he has to say about his many adventures.Throughout the book I felt a real feeling of sadness that these four lads from New York put everything into making KISS a huge worldwide phenomena only to fall out with each other in such a big way. Paul and Gene should be forever thankfully that they had someone with the skill of Ace and the dedication of both him and Peter Criss in the first place to put them where they are now (ie extremely wealthy!)Good on ya Ace for getting over your addictions and for keeping your dignity (hard to do when you're an addict) in the face of all the sniping and bad feeling all around you.And you're still a guitar-slinging hero of mine!

I am a fan of Ace Frehley and was really looking forward to receiving and reading this book. It is a typical tale of rock and roll excess; young musician makes it big and then falls into a life of drugs, sex and booze. Ace's book is a warts and all biography; at times it made for uncomfortable reading especially some of his exploits when his addictions were at their worse. He details the tensions in the band particularly with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. However, after reading some of his tales, I can understand how they could be frustrated with him due to his addictions.Ace comes across as a likeable guy. I did enjoy reading this but not as much as I anticipated. For me personally, the stories of his exploits when addicted to drugs and alcohol, at times were too much. However, he states how he is now sober and all credit to him.This was an enjoyable read, well written with a sense of humour.

Loved the book. Very honest, warts and all tale of everyday Rock and Roll superstars. Curiously, my copy was printed without the photographs listed in the book.So, that's 5 Stars for the text and zero stars for the printing.

Ace was always the coolest one in KISS and unfortunately he plays it cool here. KISS had an explosive rise to the top in the 70's and this book documents that part of his career well. As all KISS fans know, his relationship with Paul and Gene is equally explosive but Those expecting the gory details of his fallouts with them will be very disappointed. Considering what they have said about him in the past, he is very restrained in his comments, and even notes a grudging respect for them despite all their faults. He saves most of his 'wrath' for Gene but even there he seems to be holding back.Don't get me wrong its an entertaing read, I just wanted more fire...

As other reviewers have already said there is nothing new here. All the stories are well told. But Ace comes across as a really warm, friendly guy and takes responsibility for all aspects of his life. It isn't all 'this happened when I was wasted', and in fact those tales serve only as illustrations of how off the rails he became, but they aren't gratuitous.The relationships between the members of KISS are clearly very complicated and you really need the viewpoints of all four; handy now that they've all written autobiographies.An enjoyable read, which left me liking Ace a whole lot.