The best (album, singer, guitarist, composer, etc.) of all time, according to Ace Frehley

In a career that spanned decades and influenced artists of the most diverse styles — such as Mike McCreadyfrom Pearl Jamfor example -, Ace Frehley he also had his own references and was deeply impacted by other musicians.

Although he is known worldwide as a guitarist for Kiss, Frehley spent the last years of his life on a solo career. In 2023, he answered some questions from Classic Rock (via Louder) about who he considered to be the best of all time — including albums, songs, anthems, bands, artists, shows and even his own work (the worst and the best).

For him, the best studio album was precisely Are You Experiencedpremiere of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. “I used to take this album to school and just stare at the cover photos,” he recalled at the time. Still, he recognized that the one who really changed his life was the Led Zeppelina band that performed the best show you’ve ever seen live:

I was lucky enough to see the first performance of Led Zeppelin in New York, in Fillmore East. They were opening for the Iron Butterfly. THE Zeppelin it was incredible. After they finished the show, half of the audience left — which was very embarrassing for the main attraction.

When talking about vocalists, Frehley highlighted Paul Rodgers and Robert Plantbut put Mick Jagger at the top of the podium, considering that no one sounds like the frontman of Rolling Stones: “He has his own style.”

For the guitarist, the greatest composer of all time was none other than Paul McCartney — a name that made history not only as a member of the Beatles, but also with an equally remarkable solo career. The greatest rock anthem, according to him, was “We Will Rock You”, from queen.

Another highlight of the interview was the response from Frehley about what he considered his best album:

I’m torn between my first solo album, from 1978, and Spaceman (2018). The first one is still going strong even after forty years, and so many guitarists cite this album and the Kiss Alive! like what made them want to play guitar. And I was really happy with the result Spaceman. The entire album is pure rock.

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