Sauduso, the original member of Kiss, praised one of his mentors on the instrument in 2020 and explained why this musician impressed him so much
A few years before he died, the recently deceased Ace Frehley revealed his deep admiration for an underrated guitarist. The musician in question inspired him to delve deeper into the instrument in the early 1970s.
In a 2020 interview given to the website SongFacts (via Far Out Magazine), Spaceman praised Leslie Westfrom mountainpointing out him as one of his favorite guitar heroes.
According to the former guitarist of Kissthey even became close after meeting in person. Ace’s admiration for Leslie turned into friendship, and the musician recalled this contact with the “master”:
“I was always a big Mountain fan. I later became friends with Leslie West because we met on the road and he invited me to his house for dinner.”
Ace added, explaining Leslie West’s virtues on guitar:
“He was always a guitarist who impressed me because he never played super fast solos. He always played melodic, bluesy guitar solos, but he knew where to place the notes. He was a master at that.”
The Leslie West solo that Ace Frehley loved
Asked about some of his favorite guitar solos of all time, Ace Frehley cited, for example, that of “Never In My Life”a song featured on the debut album by mountain, Climbing! (1970).
Contact Mountain
Spaceman reported that he also met Felix Pappalardibassist and vocalist in mountain and producer of bands like Cream. However, his greatest admiration was for Leslie West, with whom he shared his passion for riffs and guitar solos.
He recalls:
“I saw the mountain perform a few times. I also became friends with their bassist, Felix Pappalardi – he went to some of their shows. Kiss and behind the scenes with his wife. But Leslie has always impressed me as one of my favorite blues guitarists. I love that guitar riff. It was an obvious choice for me.”
Leslie West and Ace Frehley
In addition to working with the band mountainLeslie West is also known for the great solo album mountain (1969). The guitarist was cited as an influence by giants such as Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and Michael Schenkeramong others. He died in 2020, aged 75, following a cardiac arrest.
Ace Frehley, in turn, passed away last Thursday, 16, at the age of 74. He suffered a fall at his home in United States at the end of September and succumbed to a brain hemorrhage.
10 essential songs by Ace Frehley, from Kiss, according to Rolling Stone
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Ace Frehley
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Leslie West
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Source: Rollingstone
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
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