As was previously mentioned, Ace Frehley is remarkably forthright when he acknowledges that, when it comes to composition, he lacks the same work ethic as his old Kiss bandmates, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
Nevertheless, the original Spaceman might have taken advantage of that, choosing “quality” over “quantity,” and as a result, he released what many Kiss fans believe to be the band’s best solo album in 1978.
In an interview with Goldmine, Frehley went on to say that Simmons and Stanley had far greater motivation to write songs than he had. The guitarist, nevertheless, might have offered much-needed balance during the band’s heyday in the 1970s.
Well, the writing was clearly on the wall for me following the success of my solo album,” acknowledges Frehley. “I came to the realization that I was more creative when I was away from those guys because they are control freaks and have preferences for certain things. I dislike the way they record because occasionally, after 20 to 25 takes, I would say, ‘We’re just hammering home a point on this song.'”
The guitarist goes on, “That was while Bob Ezrin was working on the ‘Destroyer’ album.” “If I’m working with a drummer on a track, it’s just the two of us.
If it’s not done in three, four, or five takes at the most, I’ll just say, ‘Let’s try something new,’ because, in reality, after five, six, or seven takes, you start to lose your spontaneity and get bored. Performing a song in 25 takes is really ridiculous.”
Regarding his assertion that he had a falling out with his former bandmates while they were recording their 1976 album “Destroyer,” Frehley also went a little farther. And how his method of recording could have saved a certain song.
It was on “Destroyer,” though I can’t recall which song it was. “Listen, why don’t we just put this to sleep right now and try something else?” I asked to Paul and Gene. Tomorrow, we can visit the studio and give it another go. And sure enough, the next day we entered the studio and completed the song in two or three takes as we were familiar with the song, knew where to avoid certain problems, and were able to perform it with spontaneity and skill.
“Destroyer” is regarded as one of the greatest Kiss studio albums, if not the best. Classics like “Detroit Rock City,” “God of Thunder,” and “Shout It Out Loud” were born out of it, along with their first-ever top-10 US smash single, the ballad “Beth,” sung by Peter Criss.