Ace Frehley's Departure Sealed Kiss's Demise: A Cautionary Tale of Talent, Rancour, and Rock 'n' Roll.
When Ace Frehley left Kiss in 1982, the band began its slow decline. But it's a testament to his enduring contribution that even in retirement, his songs remained a staple of their setlists – Cold Gin still being performed nearly five decades after his departure. It's also a poignant reminder of how much of an enigma Frehley remains: you'd hear Stanley and Simmons's New York accents, but never heard them speaking; the Spaceman, with all its mystery.
As Frehley would later reveal in his 2011 memoir, No Regrets, his departure from Kiss was largely due to internal tensions. The band had always been a fragile entity – divisions emerging even before their final show in 2000. Stanley and Simmons were the self-proclaimed 'businessmen', while Frehley and Peter Criss formed an opposing faction of party animals. It's no surprise, then, that when Kiss announced their final tour, Frehley didn't show up.
Frehley's struggles with addiction have been well-documented – drinking began almost immediately after the band's formation in 1973, while cocaine took hold a few years later. His friends and bandmates couldn't help but worry about his safety, with Simmons literally rescuing him from drowning twice during tours. Such incidents might seem like the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend, but they also underscored Frehley's all-consuming lifestyle.
When he finally got sober in 2006, however, the music began to flow once more. His output slowed significantly after leaving Kiss – producing just three solo albums over a period of three years – before falling silent altogether. Yet, his final decade saw six studio releases and an uptick in quality, most notably with 2018's Spaceman.
As a member of Kiss, Frehley was instrumental to the band's 'monster plod' sound, which captured an unforgettable rhythm. His departure can be seen as a pivotal moment in their history: a turning point from which they could never recover. It was only when all four members released solo material simultaneously in 1978 that we truly saw the full scope of individual talents at play – and it's clear that Frehley stood out as the one who delivered a rock 'n' roll record, not just an instrumental workout.
Frehley may have been part of something extraordinary, but his own life took a dark turn. The price he paid for success was too steep to ignore: substance abuse nearly claimed him more than once.
When Ace Frehley left Kiss in 1982, the band began its slow decline. But it's a testament to his enduring contribution that even in retirement, his songs remained a staple of their setlists – Cold Gin still being performed nearly five decades after his departure. It's also a poignant reminder of how much of an enigma Frehley remains: you'd hear Stanley and Simmons's New York accents, but never heard them speaking; the Spaceman, with all its mystery.
As Frehley would later reveal in his 2011 memoir, No Regrets, his departure from Kiss was largely due to internal tensions. The band had always been a fragile entity – divisions emerging even before their final show in 2000. Stanley and Simmons were the self-proclaimed 'businessmen', while Frehley and Peter Criss formed an opposing faction of party animals. It's no surprise, then, that when Kiss announced their final tour, Frehley didn't show up.
Frehley's struggles with addiction have been well-documented – drinking began almost immediately after the band's formation in 1973, while cocaine took hold a few years later. His friends and bandmates couldn't help but worry about his safety, with Simmons literally rescuing him from drowning twice during tours. Such incidents might seem like the stuff of rock 'n' roll legend, but they also underscored Frehley's all-consuming lifestyle.
When he finally got sober in 2006, however, the music began to flow once more. His output slowed significantly after leaving Kiss – producing just three solo albums over a period of three years – before falling silent altogether. Yet, his final decade saw six studio releases and an uptick in quality, most notably with 2018's Spaceman.
As a member of Kiss, Frehley was instrumental to the band's 'monster plod' sound, which captured an unforgettable rhythm. His departure can be seen as a pivotal moment in their history: a turning point from which they could never recover. It was only when all four members released solo material simultaneously in 1978 that we truly saw the full scope of individual talents at play – and it's clear that Frehley stood out as the one who delivered a rock 'n' roll record, not just an instrumental workout.
Frehley may have been part of something extraordinary, but his own life took a dark turn. The price he paid for success was too steep to ignore: substance abuse nearly claimed him more than once.
it's like the whole band just fizzled out after that 
and his solo stuff got kinda meh for a hot sec but he came back strong in the end 
and his songs like cold gin still get played to this day that's crazy 
what i love about frehley is how mysterious he remains 
you can't even tell what stanley and simmons sound like when they talk lol it's like ace was always the cool kid in school 
but at the same time, his struggles with addiction are just heartbreaking 
it's like rock 'n' roll is all about excess but sometimes that just gets out of hand 
anyway, kisss final tour without frehley was a huge mistake imo 
. it just goes to show that talent alone ain't enough, u gotta take care of urself too 
. The problem with Kiss was they were trying to balance their creative vision with being friends, which is a tough combo.
. I mean, look at Ace Frehley, he was a huge part of Kiss's sound and legacy, but he found his way again after hitting rock bottom. That's the real lesson here: that we can always find our way back to what truly matters – our passion, our music, our art 
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. But it's also a warning sign for anyone chasing rockstar stardom - talent alone isn't enough; you need to take care of yourself too 
and i'm still reeling from trying that new Korean BBQ truck. their spicy pork tacos were OUT OF THIS WORLD 
anyway, back to ace frehley... i feel bad for the guy, his struggles with addiction are super relatable but also really sad. it's crazy how one minute you're on top of the world and playing sold-out shows, and the next minute you're drowning in your own demons 
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I mean, they still had great music and iconic performances even after he left, but at the same time, it was probably a major blow to the band's sound and energy. Plus, didn't they get back together again in the 90s and had some pretty solid albums? So maybe his departure wasn't the end of all things for them... 
... it's a reminder that even in the world of rock 'n' roll, where excess and partying are often glorified, substance abuse can be a very real and deadly reality 
... I think we can all learn from Ace Frehley's later years when he found sobriety and made some amazing music again 
... anyway, it's crazy how Ace Frehley's departure from Kiss marked the beginning of their decline. I mean, his music still holds up today and his mystery as the "Spaceman" is still captivating. I've always wondered what would've happened if he'd stayed with the band – would they've continued to rock out for another decade or so? 
. his departure from kiss in 82 marked the beginning of the end for that iconic band, and it's crazy to think his songs still get played all these years later 
. And those solo albums he released towards the end of his life were actually really good! 
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I mean, think about it... Ace Frehley's departure from Kiss in 1982 might seem like the end of an era, but it actually led to a ton of great solo work from him and even made his songs staples for the band. And can we talk about how mysterious he was? Like, never heard Stanley or Simmons speak? 
That's some intriguing stuff. The fact that he struggled with addiction is heartbreaking, but at least it made him realize to get sober in 2006 and create some amazing music afterwards. 
It just goes to show how talented he was, but also how fragile his life was. 
I mean, it's no surprise that tensions ran high when they finally announced their final tour. But you know what? It's kind of sad to think about how his struggles with addiction almost took him away from us... but at the same time, it's amazing to see how he bounced back and still managed to put out some great music in his final decade 
. His comeback in the late 2000s was amazing though, who knew he still had it? The Spaceman album is still one of my faves 
but at the same time u gotta respect how he turned his life around in 2006 and even got back to making music