ACE FREHLEY's 'Space Invader' Cracks U.S. Top 10

"Space Invader", the first new solo album from original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley in five years, sold around 19,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 9 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on August 19 via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music).

Ace's previous CD, "Anomaly", opened with around 17,000 units back in September 2009 to debut at No. 27.

"Space Invader", which was made available in Europe on August 18 (three days earlier in Germany and Scandinavia) through SPV/Steamhammer, includes 11 brand new original songs as well as a cover of Steve Miller's "The Joker".

"Space Invader" European track listings:

Limited digipack CD including 2 bonus tracks and poster

01. Space Invader
02. Gimme A Feelin' (radio edit)
03. I Wanna Hold You
04. Change
05. Toys
06. Immortal Pleasures
07. Inside The Vortex
08. What Every Girl Wants
09. Past The Milky Way
10. Reckless
11. The Joker
12. Starship

Bonus tracks:

13. The Joker (extended version)
14. Reckless (different remix version)

Standard Version

01. Space Invader
02. Gimme A Feelin' (radio edit)
03. I Wanna Hold You
04. Change
05. Toys
06. Immortal Pleasures
07. Inside The Vortex
08. What Every Girl Wants
09. Past The Milky Way
10. Reckless
11. The Joker
12. Starship

2 LP gatefold version including 4 bonus tracks, coloured vinyl, printed innersleeves

Side 1

01. Space Invader
02. Gimme A Feelin' (radio edit)
03. I Wanna Hold You
04. Change

Side 2

01. Toys
02. Immortal Pleasures
03. Inside The Vortex
04. What Every Girl Wants

Side 3

01. Past The Milky Way
02. Reckless
03. The Joker
04. Starship

Side 4 (bonus tracks)

01. The Joker (extended version)
02. Reckless (different remix version)
03. Space Invader (radio edit)
04. Gimme A Feelin' (explicit version)

Asked what the songwriting process was like for "Space Invader", Frehley told Guitar World magazine: "You know, all my life I've never had a formula for writing songs. Sometimes it starts with a guitar riff, sometimes it's a lyrical idea or just a melody. Sometimes I wake up with an idea. There's no rhyme or reason. Sometimes I write on an acoustic, sometimes on a bass. There's a song on the new album called 'Into The Vortex'. It's a riff song, but I wrote it on a bass guitar. Why? Because I write differently with a bass guitar in my hand than an acoustic guitar or an electric guitar. When I feel creative, I just sit down and start playing."

Regarding whether he was writing differently in the early days of KISS, Ace said: "Yes, I wasn't as structured as I am now. Even though I am not really structured — I'm at least cognizant of what's going on. [laughs] Back then it was more hit or miss — and when I hit, I hit big. You know, I go back and listen to my 1978 solo record, and it still holds up. My whole body of work that I've created over the years has withstood the test of time. I know that I still have the goods. And when this record gets released, everybody's gonna say, 'Well, Ace did it again.'"

Ace also spoke about the recording process for "Space Invader", telling Guitar World: "I did most of the recording at my friend's studio in Turlock, California, called the Creation Lab. Turlock is in the middle of nowhere — it's like a farming community — and that's why I loved it. I have Attention Deficit Disorder, and there are absolutely no distractions when working at this place. You record for eight or 10 or 12 hours, then you go back to the hotel and go to sleep. You wake up and go back to the studio. There's nothing else to do there, which means it's the perfect place for me to record. Plus, I like working with the least amount of people, and this studio is great because it's quiet and there aren't all kinds of people walking through. I did most of this record with just me and a drummer, Matt Starr. For a couple of songs I brought in Chris Wyse from THE CULT to play bass."

On the topic of whether there were things about 2009's "Anomaly" that he wanted to change with "Space Invader", Ace said: "I know that everyone is hoping that this album is heavier than the last one, and it is. I'm also doing an instrumental this time, called 'Starship', that isn't slow. It's a departure from the 'Fractured Mirror' style. It's more fast paced and has a lot of transitions in it."

Frehley also explained his decision to cover Steve Miller's "The Joker", saying: "It was the record company's idea, to be honest. And I was a little resistant when it first came up. But then I thought back to my 1978 solo record, when [producer] Eddie Kramer's assistant said to me, 'Why don't you try this song?' And it was 'New York Groove'. At first I said, 'I don't want to do that,' and it turned out to be my biggest hit. So maybe history can repeat itself."

The "Space Invader" cover artwork was created by Frehley's longtime friend, artist Ken Kelly, who designed the iconic cover art for two of KISS' best-selling LPs "Destroyer" (1976) and "Love Gun" (1977).