No Regrets

It’s truly a miracle that Ace Frehley is still above ground, a case study in the resilience of the human body if there ever was one. The former KISS guitarist is also the product of a bygone era—when rock stars existed and the ones who typically fit the bill were 20-year-old kids with nothing but money and lots of time for bad decisions. No Regrets chronicles Frehley’s years growing up in the Bronx, playing in bands and running with a street gang called the Duckies, to becoming a founding member of KISS and eventually pulling a solo career together in the ’80s. All the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll are here as Frehley struggled with his addiction to alcohol, pills and cocaine (or “Betty White,” as he called it), wrecked numerous cars and palled around with the likes of John Belushi. Only occasionally does he give into macho chest-beating for his exploits. For the most part the Spaceman (now five years sober) offers a rather down-to-earth take on his time in the biggest band of the ’70s, from his insecurities as a songwriter and vocalist to the mismatched dynamic between the four original members, in particular Gene Simmons, who, despite being the sober one, has tarnished the KISS name more than Frehley ever has.