"THE BEST GUITAR SOLO IS A SONG WITHIN A SONG"

Ace Frehley: the guitar hero of KISS, and an influence for Tom Morello, Dimebag and many more

As the lead guitarist in the original line-up of KISS, Ace Frehley is a hugely influential figure in American rock 'n' roll - an inspiration to countless guitar players that emerged in the '80s and '90s, including Dimebag Darrell, Tom Morello, Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, and Stone Gossard and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.

Ace's guitar wizardry is most powerfully illustrated in the songs he wrote and recorded with KISS in the '70s - Cold Gin, Shock Me, Rocket Ride and more. In 1978, when solo albums from the four members of KISS were released on the same day, it was Ace's record that rocked the hardest- and sold the most. And between his two tenures with KISS - the first from 1973 to 1982, the second from 1996 to 2002 - Ace has made some fine albums with his band Frehley's Comet and recently as a solo artist.

His new album, 10,000 Volts, treads no new ground. But then again, an album by Ace Frehley-a dyed-in-the-wool '70s rocker - isn't meant for anyone expecting anything beyond his brand of guitar authenticity. The music on 10,000 Volts is raucous; a throwback to his glory days with KISS, when his pyrotechnic on-stage solo showcase featured a rocket-firing guitar.

"Everyone who's heard the whole album seems to love it," Ace tells TG. "It's good to hear that people like what I'm doing. I'm getting positive feedback from almost everybody, so we'll see what happens.' As a player, his tone is unique, his technique unorthodox. As he says with a laugh: "I could never teach someone to play like me!" But there is still much we can learn from the man who has influenced so many famous players...

There's a great energy to this new album-you've still got it, Ace!

Well, thank you. I can't believe it; 10,000 Volts was only out for two days, and it had 250,000 views on YouTube. I'm thrilled.

Your fans online are raving about Back Into My Arms Again, a song that dates to the '80s.