BY JOSE MARTINEZ

Last Monday night the GRAMMY Museum held a special album release preview party for famed KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, whose first solo album in 20 years, Anomaly, just hit store shelves this week.

Moderated by museum Executive Director Robert Santelli, Frehley and cohorts, Anomaly Associate Producer Frank Munoz, and mixers Marti Frederiksen and Anthony Focx, discussed with a capacity crowd of 200 fans the inspiration and recording process for several of the guitarists latest tracks.

Listing bands such as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Jeff Beck ("of course") as influences, Frehley was in good spirits on the eve of the release of his new disc. It has been 31 years since the guitarist released his first solo album (in 1978 every member of the legendary rock band KISS released a solo record) and he's still extremely proud of one fact. "Mine was the most successful of the KISS solo records," the guitarist declared.

Responsible for penning KISS classics like "Cold Gin" and "Shock Me," Frehley confessed that he struggled with getting his songs on KISS releases (ala George Harrison and Ringo with The Beatles).

"I knew I was never going to be happy as just one of the guys in KISS," he pointed out.

Determined to make it as a musician since the age of 16, when the aspiring guitarist was at a "crossroads" in his life, he opted for life as a "rock star" (as he put it) over a career in graphic design.

Pre-KISS, some of Frehley's early bands included the Muff Divers, Exterminators, and The Magic People. Those band monikers got quite a laugh out of the audience as well as the guitarist himself.

"I always knew I was gong to be famous," Frehley noted. "It was something I was destined for."

When speaking of his new record Anomaly, Frehley points out, "I know I have something great."

Indeed, the dozen album tracks, including a cover of Sweet's "Fox On The Run" showcase the guitarist in fine form.

In between album cuts sneak peaks and discussion about the recording process many points of conversation of course centered on KISS, now celebrating 35 years as a band.

"It kind of got out of control," the guitar icon admitted about life in KISS. "It came down to what was more important, writing great songs or blowing stuff up? There was always commitment to excellence; I just didn't always show up."

Not a "schooled musician," Frehley has accomplished a lot for someone who can't even read music. Three years sober this week, "with the help of God," the question as to what took him so long to release a solo record came up right away.

"I don't know why it's taken so long. I had to put the record on the back burner when I reunited with KISS. But I knew it would be important, so I kept listening to my old records to try to capture what the fans like. This album has some heavy, heavy songs."

Another cool, exclusive event at the GRAMMY Museum, now approaching it's one year anniversary, fans were treated to an intimate evening with one of their favorite musicians. And of course afterwards all kinds of rare KISS paraphernalia were whipped out for signing which Frehley met with a smile.