Customer Reviews

Live +1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album was very special for me espcially since I was a huge Kiss fan in the 70's (who wasn't if you were a kid or a teenager during that time). However, as the 70's drew to a close and the 80's loomed near, Kiss wasn't all that famous anymore; needless to say that my heros were no longer on top and "Larger than Life." Ace somehow managed to break free from the bubblegum image that Kiss (excuse me Gene Simmons) created and forge his own career as a guitarist, musician, songwriter, and entertainer. Live plus one proved that he could stand on his own.

This album is also very special to me because I was at that show. I still have the ticket stub to prove it. I don't know how I managed to keep it some 21 years in decent shape. Moreover, I still have some handbills from that concert. But the concert that took place on September 4, 1987 at the Aragon Ballroom was super special. Faster Pussycat opened the show, followed by Ace and then Y & T. As I watched Y & T's set I could see a silhoutte of Ace watching the show from the balcony. I have to hand it to Y & T as they were on fire that night, I pointed to Ace to get his attention and he saw me and gestured to me to watch the show, not him. Ace Frehley's Comet made an appearance earlier that day at the local record store in the suburbs of Chicago called Rolling Stone Records. I believe that they are still in business. My friend and I arrived too late to get in to get his autograph or a picture with him as he stopped signing autographs before the long line of fans even got inside to even get a glimpse of him. The limo pulled up to wisk the guys off for some rest before the show and as he came out all hell broke loose to try to get a chance to touch the guys or grab something off of them. I tell you it was like Elvis was leaving the building. My friend had his Polaroid instamatic camera and snapped a shot of his head and the limo. Needless to say that Ace was in great form for the show (of course, it was being recorded). He looked great, sober, and on his game. Very unlike his days in Kiss. Well, I hope that I left you with some "inside" information about the day of the concert. It is a personal show for me and to have it on disc and to tell others about it is just a joy.

I think that Live + 1 is a pretty good album from Ace Frehley. There is a total of five tracks--four of them are live, and the other one is a studio tune particularly recorded for this album. All of the material is in a straight-ahead hard rock musical direction. The live material was recorded in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom on Sept. 4, 1987. The four live tracks are taken from various releases. "Rip-It-Out" is from Ace Frehley's debut solo album, "Rocket Ride" is taken from Kiss' album Kiss Alive II, while "Breakout" and "Something Moved" come from Ace Frehley's second solo album. I find all of the songs on this release to be listenable and energetic. The musicianship and production are solid and satisfying. There is also a tight and impressive drum solo from Anton Fig. Ace Frehley sings on three tracks, while Tod Howarth sings on the other two. The studio song "Words Are Not Enough" is pretty enjoyable, too. I admit that it would have been cool if a few more songs had been included. Other than that, I still think that Live + 1 is pretty good. Worth a listen.

This CD is too short and the studio cut is not good.
BUT: Rip It Out rocks, and the sound quality is great, and that is worth the price of admission. Rocket Ride is good too.
I'm sorry but I wish Howarth was not singing any songs in the group, not even backup. Trouble Walkin was a step forward when it went back to Ace Frehley as solo artist.

This EP was an extra dose of Ace's 'Frehley's Comet' that showed his former bandmates who's boss!

However, if you're about to put the money down for some live Ace, look for '12 picks' which contains a big chunk of live songs from a concert in England. In fact, those recordings are from the Live+4 concert video (a great piece if you can find one) released at the same time as this EP. There's also live Ace on 'Loaded Deck.'

This EP starts off great with two strong tunes, then meanders off into a ridiculously long drum solo from Anton Fig...as if anyone who bought an Ace Frehley album really wanted to hear a drum solo, let alone one from the guy in David Letterman's TV show band! Where's the Ace solo? Still, the band is tight and Ace plays his ass off. A good listen, if you don't mind skipping through the drum solo! If it was Peter Criss or Eric Carr a drum solo would've been cool but the guy from the 'Late Show,' I don't think so!

ACE seems to be better LIVE than in studio, IMHO, and htis CD proves it. Great sounding CD with cool songs and lots of energy...just too g*ddamn short of a recording! I figure Ace and Co. were the opening act when this show was recorded (I could be wrong, though). And yes: that is Peter Frampton's bass player that we later hear on Frapton Comes Alive 2 and Frampton Live in Detroit.

After Ace Frehley's first solo album, "Frehley's Comet", of course he went on tour to promote the album. This CD of four live songs and one additional studio song "Words Are Not Enough" from Frehley's Comet proves to Ace's fans that he was back for good. Ace's energy in the songs and the loud guitar solos along with the huge drum beats make the album Number 1! The announcer screams in the beginning "Here They Are! FREHLEY'S COMET!"

The opener "Rip It Out" starts out with a bang of raw energy with great guitar solos by the spaceman himself. The heavy metal track "Breakout" from the Frehley's Comet album includes a four minute drum solo from Anton Fig. Tod Howarth also sings lead vocals on "Something Moved". The biggest song live is Ace Frehley's greatest hit, "Rocket Ride". If you heard the original studio version on KISS's album, ALIVE II, then you'll love it live. The closer "Words Are Not Enough" is a generally good song. This album explains the lyrics to "Rock Soldier" when Ace said, "ACE IS BACK AND HE TOLD YOU SO!" HE'S BACK!

This is a sick live album, I like Ace but not this, they did more than that on stage and you know it too. This would have 5 stars if it was the whole thing like the KISS alives, OR any other band's live album. This is too boring of an album to even buy, it's got good sound and all, but the new song is the only reason worth listening. The rest is just a piece of a tour. Frehley could have done a LOT better! L.Graven

This live EP was released rather prematurely as far as I am concerned. With Ace releasing only 1 album after his departure from KISS, there is hardly enough material to warrant a live album. Hence the inclusion of 2 of the 5 tracks being from Ace's 1978 KISS solo album, 2 tracks from Frehley's Comet and one new track. Recorded live at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Illinois on September 4th, 1987, the live material is terrific. The album opens with a teaser of Fractured Too then segues into the gravelly intro of the band. Frehley's Comet opens with the blistering chords of Rip It Out from 1978's Ace Frehley. This version is nearly as good as the original with Ace's guitar work being the obvious standout. Then comes a version of Breakout that in my opinion surpasses the original. Anton Fig's extended drum solo at the end makes this song! Tod Howarth's great vocals and Ace's scorcher of a solo also add to the feel of this version of Breakout. Something Moved is an unnecessary inclusion that is dwarfed by the original. Rocket Ride is an OK version but some of the energy is lost. The lone studio track, Words Are Not Enough, is a decent song but is by no means an Ace classic. One question: Where is Shock Me? Live + 1 is pretty patchy as far as credibilty goes. One must wonder who made the decision to release a live album based on one studio album of material. The poor sales that ensued from its release may have left fans asking the same question.

I remember being really excited when this album came out in 1988 because I was a huge Frehley's Comet fan. They advertised it on television and I kept bugging the local record store about its release date. At the time, it was very cool because it offered a new studio track but, now that I look back on it, I'm not sure what the point was unless, as a previous reviewer noted, Ace had contractual obligations to release a live album. Also, their debut album was under the artist name "Ace Frehley," so, perhaps, they were bringing home the idea that they were now a band called Frehley's comet before their second album came out. Two of the five tracks are not even Frehley's Comet songs and they only had one studio album out at the time, so it seemed premature to release a live album. It doesn't even offer the singles from their debut release "Into the Night" and "Rock Soldiers," the latter of which was very popular.

The live tracks were performed at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom September 4, 1987. The first track is "Rip-It-Out" which is off of Ace's 1978 solo album while he was still in KISS. The two Frehely's Comet tracks are sung by Tod Howarth who has a remarkable voice. I usually liked his tracks better than Ace's, especially the slower numbers. His songs on their sophomore release Second Sighting are amazing. "Breakout" is not one of my favorites of his. It rocks but there is nothing special about it. Here, it is extended to over 7:00 due to an Anton Fig drum solo. Now how many people really enjoy listening to a drum solo on a record? Unless it is something really different and innovative, I find drum solos to be boring. The only thing it does is fill up the cassette side which only has two tracks so there is no blank space.

"Something Moved" is the other Tod-sung track (he also wrote the song) which is excellent. One of their best. "Rocket Ride" is an Ace favorite which is on the studio side of KISS Alive II. Before the track, Ace comments that it is about "entering a black hole" [and we all know of which 'black hole' he speaks]. "Words Are Not Enough" was the new studio track which, luckily, was not included on Second Sighting so us fans did not feel ripped off. It's a catchy little 3:25 song with some keyboards.

"Word Are Not Enough" is now offered on the Ace greatest hits CD 12 Picks. This CD also has live versions of "Rip-It-Out," "Rocket Ride," and "Breakout" so if you have that CD or are planning on getting it, Live + 1 will be almost unnecessary save for the Ace completest. There is nothing on this EP worth your money or a space in your music library. Some albums just do not age well and this hasn't. It is obsolete even for Ace fans since the release of 12 Picks.

Well, what can you say about a live "album" that consists of not many songs? Not much. Other than Words are not Enough, this CD is sorry... had it contained more material, this CD *could* have had alot of potential. Pass this one up unless you are a die-hard Ace fan or just gotta have the studio track.