After exiting
Kiss and pursuing a solo career in the late '80s, guitarist
Ace Frehley launched numerous tours in support of his subsequent solo releases. Fans have received various tastes of solo
Frehley live sets (1988's
Live + 1 EP and
Live + 4 home video), but never a true, full-length live album. In 2006, longtime
Frehley fans finally got their wish, as his former label,
Megaforce, assembled
Greatest Hits Live. Consisting of ten live tracks and two previously unreleased studio tracks, quite a few
Kiss-era tracks are featured, including fine readings of
"Rip It Out," "Cold Gin," "Rocket Ride," "Deuce," and
"New York Groove," as well as a taster of his '80s solo work, including the autobiographical anthem
"Rock Soldiers." And closing out the album are the two studio tracks,
"One Plus One" and
"Give It to Me Anyway" -- comparable to the melodic
metal sound/approach of
Frehley's 1987 solo release,
Frehley's Comet. But in all honesty, the studio tracks should have remained on the cutting room floor and been replaced with additional live performances. ~ Greg Prato
