No Regrets

By Ace Frehley and Joe Layden

Born into a regular Bronx family, and inspired by the likes of Hendrix, Led Zepellin, and the Kinks, Ace Frehley first picked up his brother's guitar at the age of 12. He had already performed in a number of bands when, in January 1973, he auditioned for an ad that read: "Guitarist wanted with flash and balls." Within a week he was invited to join - the band was KISS.

Frehley explains how the band developed their style in the early days, making their own clothes, wearing make-up and platform shoes. Ace himself even designed the band's double lightning bolt logo. Before long his persona "the Spaceman" was born and the familiar KISS look established - almost overnight they left behind 1,500 seater theatres in the Midwest and were playing sold-out stadiums around the world.

Life in KISS was a whirlwind of accidents, overdoses and excess. Ace partied with the likes of John Belushi and Nic Nolte and enjoyed the seemingly endless supply of fringe benefits that came from being in one of the most successful bands in the history of rock 'n' roll. But soon problems with substance abuse would lead to his leaving the band in 1982, before returning for a second tenure in 1996.

Ace in the Hole is the story of KISS but much more than that - it's the story of a kid from the Bronx who found purpose and salvation through music and rose to the top. It's the story of a guy who lived life to the fullest and almost forfeited his life as a result. And ultimately it's a survival story - Ace is alive and kicking, still making music and influencing a new generation of guitarists.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Nov 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9780857204806

Ace Frehley

Ace Frehley is a founding member and former lead guitarist for the legendary rock band KISS, which has sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and is ranked among the top-selling rock bands of all time.

Reviews for No Regrets

[jarratt_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a life-long KISS fan, I wasn't expecting to learn a whole lot from Ace's book that I didn't already know. By and large, I was right, but most of the book was enjoyable nonetheless.Ace, as he readily admits, is a screw-up. Being very anti-drug myself, I tend to side with Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons on most things KISS related. If you can't rely on someone, you need to find alternative ways to achieve a goal. Clearly they put up with much of Ace's shenanigans and genuinely tried to keep him in the band in the early '80s. But I don't think KISS would have survived as long as they have with Ace (or Peter Criss for that matter) in the band over the long haul.Even still, after reading about all his crazy stories of drugs, alcohol, and debauchery, I was left with the impression that Ace seems to be a genuinely nice guy. And ultimately, stoned or not, he knew when KISS was heading in the wrong direction.If you're a KISS fan, you'll enjoy the book, as I did. However, I got a little bored with the repetitive drug stories, especially after he left KISS initially. It's clear that he has no real direction in his life and that had it not been for Paul, Gene, and Bill Aucoin, Ace wouldn't be what he is today.

[chris177 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible rock and roll story, as told by Ace Frehley. The story of Kiss is one for the ages but it is almost always told from one particular view point; that of the remaining members and not the “other” founding members. To understand the real story you need to see all sides and this book is a great starting point to know the whole story. Ace holds nothing back, telling us all, even the stories when he was not exactly acting appropriately. I found the book to sound honest and I was a little bit surprised by how controlled Ace is in the book. I was expecting Ace to go after Paul, and especially Gene more, but Ace never gives in to that temptation. If you are a Kiss fan, or a historian of Rock and Roll, here is a point of view we rarely ever see.