Ace Frehley, 1951-2025

 

"Say what you will about the merits and myriad shenanigans of Kiss, this will hit some of us very hard."

- My Friend Alexinnewyorkcity

1977, at least a dozen of us are sitting at the concrete checker tables that surrounded the park on Spring and Thompson Streets in Soho. Eight of us had tickets to see Kiss at Madison Square Garden. A few did not. But Crazy Larry had an extra pair. I just sat there watching the whole thing unfold. Roger screaming at Greg. Anthony yelling at Larry. After a good 15 minutes of mindless, unfounded accusations and idiotic math problems about the number of times Joey did whatever for Frankie times the two favors Denise did for Tommy, Larry handed Frankie the two tickets and Frankie took me.

1979, Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, everyone had tickets, but Marco's Malibu only sat five. That didn't sit right with anyone. Marco made it work. I don't recall if it was three in the front and six in the back, or four in the front and five in the back. We were all stoned so none of it mattered. If memory serves, it was nine of us in a Chevy Malibu and we laughed so hard on the ride into Manhattan, I can still feel an occasional twinge in my side when I get up from the couch. How was Kiss that night at Madison Square Garden? Who cares?

1988, the Brooklyn gang is scattered. The 80's were dark years for me and a few friends, as well. Kiss is playing at The Ritz, a far cry from the arena heyday. The makeup is off. The band has new members. The records stink. But me and Phil are there. The Ritz held what? Maybe 900 people, give or take a few hundred? It wasn't packed. We left after about 10 songs and got drunk at Alcatraz on St. Mark's Place. The bar had an amazing jukebox and sound system. We listened to Kiss. I found my way home around 3AM. Phil called me around 6:AM. He was still out.  

1996, Manhattan, and Kiss are on their first full makeup, all original member reunion tour. Me and my buddy Ty score amazing tickets for Night Two. As we head to our seats, we bump into my friend John.

SAL:
Hey man, this is great! Were you here last night?

JOHN:
Oh, last night was fucking amazing! It was really some..oh wait. You saw them back in the day, right?

SAL:
Of course, 1977.

JOHN:
Oh ok. Then yeah, last night sucked.

 

 

We get it. We are not delusional. The Kiss Army? Maybe delusional. I am not a member. I won't go there. I know what I like and I understand what people don't like. I won't defend Kiss once the makeup came off. That's 40 years of me not caring about this band. 

Paul and Gene, Don and Glenn, Liam & Noel, blah blah blah. Assholes, yes. But I will fight to the death that the first six Kiss albums are perfect slabs of rock and roll. If you can't hear the hooks, you are just not trying. If you can love The Ramones and the New York Dolls, you can, if nothing else, accept Kiss. It's all boneheaded rock and roll. 

Fucking Ace! 

R.I.P. 

 

 

 

Tin Machine: Raw Power

 

I can't help but think if Tin Machine was a band of four unknowns, their debut record would be considered a classic instead of a lemon. The record is flawed, no question. Lyrically, it can be cringemaking at times. But it also has moments of raw power and unmitigated audacity. Tin Machine's 1989 debut is manic and unruly for all the right reasons. It's loud and it's grimy. It's four guys throwing shit against a wall and hoping some of it sticks. And what sticks and what doesn't, depends on where you are standing.

I love this record and I think more people could feel like I do if they dropped the baggage. Even if you hate David Bowie, this resembles nothing in Bowie's catalogue. And if you love Soupy Sales, this doesn't sound like him either. (Too late now, but a Tin Machine cover of "Pachalafaka" might have done the trick.)

 

 

 

 

 

The Following Has Been Edited For Content

 

I have a friend who skips "Imagine" when listening to John Lennon's "Imagine" album. As far as he is concerned that album begins with the second track, "Crippled Inside."

Back when I was a Facebook member, I had a contentious discussion with a somewhat famous musician and singer, a real arrogant jerk we'll call Mike, about the Rolling Stones' "Their Satanic Majesties Request," which he thought was a hot mess, but which I thought and still think, is a fine record that just needed some tweaking. Imagine how much better it would be if we removed "Sing This All Together," "In Another Land" and "Gomper" and replaced them with "Dandelion," "Child Of The Moon" and "We Love You."

I make edits all the time. It makes for a better listening experience. I recently made a personal edit of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours." This is an album I thought I'd never need to hear again. I love it, but enough is enough. But then, I got rid of "Don't Stop," "Oh Daddy" and "Gold Dust Woman" and added the brilliant b-side "Silver Springs." "Rumours" sounded fresh again.

Do you know how much more manageable Springsteen's "The River" is without ""You Can Look," "Cadillac Ranch," I'm A Rocker" and "Ramrod," which are essentially the same song anyway? 

I think my "Quadrophenia" edit makes a better record.

The Real Me
Cut My Hair
The Punk & the Godfather
I'm One
The Dirty Jobs
Helpless Dancer
Is It In My Head
5:15
Sea & Sand
Drowned
Bell Boy
Love Reign O'er Me 

"Blood On The Tracks" is my favorite Dylan record, but I never want to hear "Lily, Rosemary & The Jack Of Hearts." We are all going to die soon. I need that 8:50. 

I listened to Elvis Costello's "Trust" yesterday and was having a blast until it was time for "Shot With His Own Gun" and "Big Sister's Clothes." I don't mind "Fish 'N' Chip Paper," but I sacrifice it not to hear the other two. My "Trust" edit closes out Side Two with "Clean Money" and "Hoover Factory."

Our friend Michael Giltz offered up replacing "Fixing A Hole" and "Good Morning, Good Morning" with "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." Yes, the latter two songs are better than the former. But I love "Fixing A Hole" and "Good Morning, Good Morning," so that wouldn't work for me. Maybe I'd remove "Within You, Without You" and "Lovely Rita" instead.

How about "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" on "Revolver" instead of "Yellow Submarine" and "Got To Get You Into My Life?" 

Is it blasphemy?

I may have done a similar post years ago, but I couldn't find it after a solid 14 second search.

So...what are your edits, if you have any?  

 

Songs Of The Week, 2025: 10/4-10/10

 

King's Call- Philip Lynott
Crippled Inside- John Lennon
A Whole New Thing- Big Star
Great Big Kiss- Johnny Thunders
Hot Biscuits & Sweet Marie- NRBQ
Consolation Prizes- Iggy Pop & James Williamson
Rollaroll- John Cale

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King's Call- Philip Lynott
(I love Phil's solo debut album more than a few Thin Lizzy albums and only recently discovered it received a stellar vinyl reissue on the Music On Vinyl label. That pressing is highly recommended. Here's the second single from it, featuring Mark Knopfler.)

Crippled Inside- John Lennon
(I have a friend who always plays the "Imagine" album by skipping "Imagine" and starting with this, track two. I think he is on to something. It's a better opener, I think.)

A Whole New Thing- Big Star
(This one's from the not bad reunion album with a few Posies in the band. I love the chorus and those harmonies. It's so silly, it's genius.)

Great Big Kiss- Johnny Thunders
("Gonna wawk right up tuh huh. Give huh a great big kiss. Wow!" Johnny Thunders, ladies and germs. And if you've never heard "So Alone," get on it. One of the 10 best punk records of all time;)

Hot Biscuits & Sweet Marie- NRBQ
(Try not to smile too hard.)

Consolation Prizes- Iggy Pop & James Williamson
(If "Kill City" was a six track E.P, people would be talking about it a lot more. Maybe not in the same conversation as "Fun House" and "Raw Power," but more than a blip in Ig's career.)

Rollaroll- John Cale 
("Paris 1919" is such a rich listen, every single time I play it, I forget just how great "Slow Dazzle" is. Actually, though Cale is not mainstream enough to be included in that "five great records in a row" game, an argument could be made for "The Academy In Peril," "Paris 1919," "Fear," "Slow Dazzle" and "Helen Of Troy.")

 

BW's Saturday #66

 

New from Neal Francis

 

The first time I heard Neal Francis was a one-off 2021 single called "Don't Call Me No More," a slick and funky groove that owed plenty to both Allen Toussaint and The Meters. But his 2019 debut failed to leave a mark, and I didn't bother to pay any more attention. I don't think I would have bothered with his new one either if our friend Kevin M hadn't mentioned that my new faves Say She She appeared on it.

"Return To Zero" caught me by surprise the same way Say She She's "Cut & Rewind" caught me by surprise. This is another organic record utitlizing many tricks of the past. This time the disco and funk is a bit more rock oriented- think your favorite rock band dabbling in disco on a single or two, for the sake of staying current in 1979.

The record is trippy and moves briskly, with a number of songs feeling like they could have existed somewhere between Bowie's "Young Americans" and "Low." 

If you haven't already done so, I suggest a nice double feature of Say She She's "Cut & Rewind" and Neal Francis' "Return To Zero." I am really digging both. 

 

Two From Joisey On Thoiseday

 

 

From their excellent 2019 covers collection, here are Plainfield, New Jersey's Doughboys and their take on "Everybody Knows My Name."

Who did this originally, you might ask?

Well, I hadn't a clue when I first heard it, but a quick search took me to some other Jersey Boys. Deep into Side Two of their 1966 album "Working My Way Back To You," the very last track actually, you will find Frankie Valli and the other three Seasons doing their best Bob Dylan on Bob Gaudio's original.

Nice pull, Doughboys.