Kiss’ Tommy Thayer was recently interviewed by Guitar World where he shared his opinion about former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley playing.
He said:
“Ace obviously was a big, big influence on me and my desire to play guitar. When I started, I discovered Kiss and was immediately drawn to their look, their sound, and most importantly, the guitar playing.
“Ace played in a Clapton/Page style but made it his own. His guitar solos on the first three albums, plus Kiss’s ‘Alive!’, were signature, melodic, and memorable. That’s what makes him and his playing so special.”
It’s not only Ace that first comes to mind to some of Thommy’s Kiss bandmates when they hear him play. According to the guitarist, the band’s drummer Eric Singer thinks that Tommy’s style lands much closer to Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople and Bad Company:
“Kiss’s drummer, Eric Singer, often says I sound a lot like Mick Ralphs and have his ‘left hand’. Mick’s melodic, flowing lead playing and super-wide vibrato always appealed to me, affecting my playing in a big way.
“In recent years, I was introduced to him, and he was so great to me. It’s nice when someone you’ve looked up to your entire life turns out to be such a wonderful person.”