In a new Interview with Eddie Trunk, Jake E. Lee talked about Joe Perry, Jimmy Page & Ace Frehley.
Here’s the statement:
“I love sloppy rock ‘n’ roll guitar players: Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Ace Frehley – they’re a little sloppy, but that’s a part of their charm, that speaks to me, it moves me.
And then you have your technical players. They’re cool too. And then occasionally, you have that rare guy that has the fire of Johnny Winter and the technical proficiency all in one, my ultimate example being Uli Roth. He’s amazing. And I put Yngwie in that category.
I’m not backtracking here. I never said he sucked as a guitar player. I don’t think his rhythm playing is all that great [chuckles], but his soloing is – there’s no question there, he’s a phenomenal guitar player. But he’s an a*shole. [Chuckles]
On behalf of all the people that he played with, that I’ve spoken to and all the technicians and crew that I personally know and have heard all these stories about him – that’s where I’m coming from. My wife Amy – she works as a bartender. A couple of days after that interview [in which I called Yngwie an a*shole] came out, I went to her bar.
And there’s a lot of people in Vegas that work as technicians – lightning, sound… I didn’t have to buy a drink all night. They were buying me drinks because they loved what I said about him. It’s about his person, not about his abilities.”
13 comments
I don’t think I could name one Yngwie song, but I could easily name 10 songs that Ace has written off of the top of my head.
That says more about me than it does Yngwie…or Ace, for that matter. I’m just another @sshole with another opinion.
Ace did not even do a lot of the playing on KISS albums, and some of the most memorable solos were written by Ezrin or someone else. Ace had to be taught how to play songs for the reunion tour….Ace is good, and he is authentic but no one is accusing him of being great.
Bob Ezrin didn’t play guitar. Sorry. You’re referring to some tracking done as Ace was exiting Kiss. For instance, he played almost nothing on Creatures of the Night, and even very little on Psycho Circus (post reunion). That only discounts the 16 Kiss albums he did play on, and account for all but one of two of their more popular songs.
You’re so misinformed. Ace only had ghost players on a handful of songs, not “a lot of songs” as you incorrectly claim. Ezrin only wrote the one solo for Detroit Rock City. And Ace wasn’t taught how to play for the reunion. He hadn’t played most of those songs in 15 years, and the ones he did play life he changed them. But they wanted the songs like they were done in the 70’s so Tommy, who was in a cover band, which by definition, means playing note for note the way the album is done, was brought in to REMIND Ace to play, not teach him to play, as if he’s a child!
I think it says more about YOUR idea of good musicianship. Comparing a dolt like Frehley with these actual axe-masters is laughable. Wash the pancake makeup form your face and listen to some old Scorpions or some Lee era Ozzy.
and who exactly is Jake E. Lee? lol
horrible take, he is an A leaguer.
try C level
Jake is 100% on the money here, well maybe he’s over praising Roth and Malmsteen but his thesis is sound.
Uli Roth is a Phenomenal player
Jake E Lee is an A leaguer, Darth Hideous and Ozzy screwed him over, but he wrote two fantastic albums for Ozzy. He is right about sloppy players. I heard Tommy Aldridge once say: most songwriters lack facility of their instrument, they can write and play stuff in the studio, but have trouble replicating it live. Rhoads and van Halen two obvious exceptions.
As a player of proven ability I can understand him
Expressing his opinions.
He is on a level that we as fans are not and hears things that we don’t.
Richie Blackmore has often been critical of others, and he knows what is what.
If I were ever to meet Jake (Who I really rate) I would ask his opinion of Rory Gallagher who happens to be my favourite player.
Hey! What about Brian May? Awesome technical performance, great song writer, Rifs you remember!