10,000 Volts from a Jersey Team has Ace Frehley Walking on the Moon!
Written by Staff on February 27, 2024
10,000 Volts from a Jersey Team has Ace Frehley walking on the moon! – by Michael Bruce.
Who is Ace Frehley? To some people, that would be a really foolish question, and to some others, a totally legitimate one. So let me take the guess work out of it if you’re not sure who ‘Space Ace’ is. Paul ‘Ace’ Frehley was raised in the Bronx borough of New York City. His love for playing guitar, and music led him away from a possible disastrous gang life. He hooked up with who the world knows as Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, and Peter Criss to inject the rock band KISS into the world. KISS rose to world super stardom in the 1970s and became one of the most successful bands of all time. The band was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. Ace was known as ‘Space Ace’ because of his character in the band. His facial makeup, and costumes represented a look of someone from outer space. As his character, Ace always said he was from the planet ‘Jendell’.
Years have gone by, and it is safe to say that Ace is one of the most influential guitar players of all time. Thousands of kids picked up a guitar because of him. To go along with his space persona, Ace is also known for his smoking guitar solos. As he’s playing, smoke actually comes out of his guitars! He’s always had this quirky, signature style of playing guitar, but has written a boat load of memorable guitar song riffs, and solos within the songs.
All of the original members of KISS released a solo album while still in the band. Ace’s solo album from 1978 while still in KISS, became the best seller of the four. The album to this day is acclaimed by KISS fans everywhere. Singing and writing songs for this successful 1978 solo album gave Ace the confidence to go out on his own. In 1982, many factors led Ace to leave KISS to pursue a solo career.
Since 1982, with the exception of a KISS reunion that lasted from 1996 till 2002, Ace has been a solo artist. He did a have a band in the mid-80s’ called ‘Frehley’s Comet’, but he was clearly the focal point in the band. Ace has nationally released 12 albums since leaving KISS in 1982. Six of them are studio albums featuring mostly original songs. Two are live albums, two are compilation ‘hits’ albums, and the other two albums consist of hit songs by other artists that Ace wanted to rerecord his own fun way.
So that brings us to 2024, and lucky number 13? ’10,000 Volts’ is the title for the 13th album released by Mr. Frehley. It features 10 new original songs, and one cover of the song, ‘Life Of A Stranger’. This song was originally recorded by the artist Nadia for a movie titled ‘The Transporter’. Ace explained in a recent video that he’s always wanted to cover that song in his own rock n’ roll kind of way. As for the other 10 original songs Ace co-wrote…well, let’s circle back to…The Jersey Team.
Team member number one would be his current longtime girlfriend, Lara Cove. Team member number two would be Steve Brown. Brown is a founding member of acclaimed 1990 band Trixter. He has also worked with Def Leppard, The Wizards of Winter, and a bunch of other professional musical projects. Lara has known Brown for years, and told Ace he should call the talented songsmith to see if he’d be interested in collaborating. Being a long time KISS fan, Brown was more than willing. Living only 40 minutes from each other, they quickly collaborated, and came out with their first co-write called, ‘Walking On The Moon’. Ace also recognized Brown has lots of experience producing and engineering in the studio. Ace was thrilled to save some pennies working with someone who could write, produce, and engineer. I personally think ‘Walking On The Moon’ is a great track with a very cool riff, and shuffle beat vibe. Obviously, they did too, because it started them on their journey to create album lucky number 13, ’10,000 Volts’.
The title track, ’10,000 Volts’, starts the album off with a bang. Great chord riff, with a chorus you can’t forget. There’s lots of energy in this track, and Ace’s old pal Anton Fig slammed the drums for this one, among others on the album. ‘Cosmic Heart’ comes in with a nice heavy KISS like riff, and really punches you in the teeth. ‘Cherry Medicine’, ‘Back In My Arms Again’, and ‘Constantly Cute’, all have a little hard rock grit in them, but then open up into these super catchy pop/rock choruses that make the hair stand up on your arms. They are absolute ear candy. These are certainly a product of Brown’s style of writing however, ‘Back In My Arms Again’, was a co-write between Ace, and Arthur Stead. Word has it that this song had been lying around for a while, and Ace decided to bring it into the light. As for ‘Blinded’, and ‘Fighting For Life’, these two straight forward driving up tempo rockers make you want to air-guitar, pump your fist, and drive fast in your car. ‘Up In The Sky’ has an almost modern southern rock/country rock kind of riff that makes it a fun tune, but overall does not match the quality of the rest of the album. Last, but not least, It wouldn’t be an Ace Frehley record without closing with a super cool, pretty, and very melodic instrumental guitar track. This is a theme for Ace that dates all the way back to his first 1978 solo album. He’s quite good at this, and this new instrumental, ‘Stratosphere’, is no exception.
So who’s the third member of Team Jersey? Glad you asked! Team member three would be Bruno Ravel. Ravel, like Brown, has done so many things in the music business that he’d be a whole separate article. We first knew of him sprouting to fame with 80s glam rock band Danger Danger. These days he is a masterful song writer, studio producer, engineer, mix and mastering guru. Just listen to The Defiants. This is his latest band’s albums. Brown is well aware of Ravel’s Studio wizardry, and basically told Ace he has a guy who will put this album over the top. Ravel’s imprint is all over ‘10,000 Volts’. He took all the pieces handed to him, glued them perfectly together and made them shine.
As a whole, Ace Frehley has delivered a strong effort to the fans. Like his walk, Ace’s vocals are a bit wobbly, but he’s always sung like that. In his early 70s now, this is impressive. Ace is no dummy, and he knows when he can’t do it all by himself. He brought on Brown, Brown brought on Ravel. Ace also obviously agreed to Brown, and others drafted by brown to play certain tracks on the album. Including old friends like PJ Farley, and Joey Cassata. There is a spring in Ace’s step on this album that we have not heard in a while. This is a ‘feel good’ album. Ace and Team Jersey have really given the fans some exciting; fresh new tunes that gave Ace’s typical songs and sounds a fresh face lift. Like a manager, Steve Brown has also influenced Ace in the social media world. Unlike the past, Ace has been all over social media using it as a tool to not only promote, but connect with fans as he lives his day to day life. I mean, who wouldn’t want to grocery shop with Ace Frehley? Also, his record label, MNRK Music Group, has released a bunch of beautiful vinyl options and CDs to purchase. Sam Santos designed an excellent album cover as well.
I don’t believe it will be his last studio album, but if it was, Ace Frehley would be going out with a totally bona fied asteroid bang. Oh, which reminds me. This all started with Team Jersey member number one…Lara. 😊
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