Artist: Ace Frehley Title: “Anomaly” (Deluxe Edition) Label: eOne Entertainment Release Date: 10/6/2017 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 4.5/5
Back in 2009, the world was excited as all heck about the return to recording by the legendary Ace Frehley, the forever Space Man of the band KISS where he used to sonically shred us on the lead guitar. The album was called “Anomaly” and at the time came care of Rocket Science Records. I reviewed that release on the website and you can see that care of THIS LINK. However, now that the Space Ace has been signed to the fine folks at eOne Entertainment AND re-issued this album as a spiffy Deluxe Edition, I am rehashing my original thoughts about the album (since they are the same as they were back then) and then closing out with words on the newly added Bonus Tracks. Take a look.
“Has it really been 20 years since the last Ace Frehley solo record was released? Yes my friends it has because in 1989, The Space Ace would release his final album with Frehley’s Comet “Trouble Walkin’” and eventually find his way back to KISS for reunion shows in full makeup. From this he would return to his solo career and that brings us to the present and to his stellar new release – “Anomaly”. I know what you are saying and that is probably something like “Twenty years? This better be good” and you have a right to be concerned because Guns ‘N Roses took sixteen to put out “Chinese Democracy” and that album was uhm well, let’s move along shall we. The great thing is that the Ace record does live up to expectations and delivers on all counts that one could have hoped it would have. We have been finding ourselves in the year of the throwback release and this means that a legacy artist is returning to a form that made them so special to us in the first place and as far as “Anomaly” is concerned, I would have to say that this is the natural successor to the groundwork first delivered on his 1978 solo release and then on his debut with Frehley’s Comet for their self titled album with just a touch of “Second Sighting” tossed in for good measure. I realize that I appear to be putting it on thick but in truth this is no exaggeration which the listeners will quickly understand as opening track “Foxy & Free” opens up with its crunching riff and rock solid drums. The first single Ace put forth for the release comes up next with “Outer Space” which is a good tune but not one I would have opted to make my first listen. A slight sarcastic wit comes out during “Pain In The Neck” where Ace shows us how not all relationships are peaches and cream. We get a tasty rendition of The Sweet’s “Fox On The Run” that while bearing none of the familiar synthesizers or high pitched vocals is still a nice cover.” Continue reading “Anomaly” (Deluxe Edition) by Ace Frehley→
Artist: Ace Frehley Title: “Greatest Hits Live” Label: Megaforce Records Release Date: 1/24/2006 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 3.75/5
As a lifelong KISS fan I obviously also have a strong sense of loyalty to the one and only “Space Ace”, Mr. Ace Frehley, and while this release came out a few years ago, I finally picked myself up a copy and wanted to offer the folks at home some thoughts about it. It’s entitled “Greatest Hits Live” and is a collection of the cream of the crop from Ace Frehley’s repertoire as delivered in the live sense. Ace’s two and a half releases were issued on Megaforce Records and since that was the case we find the album focusing on this tenure of his career. For the most part there is an equal split of the material offered up as half of them were tunes that he would deliver with KISS and the other half are songs from his fully solo years. Initially I had thought we would find the entire EP of “Live + 1” being presented but that album’s “Something Moved” would not be a part of this release. So if you have that album somewhere in your archives you can plan on keeping it for awhile. It’s important to note that none of the material here is completely new to the purchaser and as a matter of fact if you already own the two compilation pieces “Loaded Deck” and “12 Picks” then you probably don’t need this one at all. What “Greatest Hits Live” manages to accomplish is that it puts any of the live material found on those two releases and puts them onto one release for easier digestion. We also get two studio tracks that were nothing to write home about and probably would have been better left off or found an unused live track in its place. In 2006 the CD medium was now in full sway and hidden tracks and unreleased gems were everywhere to be found. Oh well, I guess this is why I am not on any committee putting albums together. My favorites on the release fall to the classic KISS stuff and the tunes that came off the solo album of 1978. I will admit that after the first Frehley’s Comet release I was not all that keen on the commercial direction the group seemed to be taking. Continue reading “Greatest Hits Live” by Ace Frehley→
Artist: Ace Frehley Title: “Anomaly” Label: Rocket Science Records Release Date: 9/15/2009 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 4.5/5
Has it really been 20 years since the last Ace Frehley solo record was released? Yes my friends it has because in 1989, The Space Ace would release his final album with Frehley’s Comet “Trouble Walkin’” and eventually find his way back to KISS for reunion shows in full makeup. From this he would return to his solo career and that brings us to the present and to his stellar new release – “Anomaly”. I know what you are saying and that is probably something like “Twenty years? This better be good” and you have a right to be concerned because Guns ‘N Roses took sixteen to put out “Chinese Democracy” and that album was uhm well, let’s move along shall we. The great thing is that the Ace record does live up to expectations and delivers on all counts that one could have hoped it would have. We have been finding ourselves in the year of the throwback release and this means that a legacy artist is returning to a form that made them so special to us in the first place and as far as “Anomaly” is concerned, I would have to say that this is the natural successor to the groundwork first delivered on his 1978 solo release and then on his debut with Frehley’s Comet for their self titled album with just a touch of “Second Sighting” tossed in for good measure. I realize that I appear to be putting it on thick but in truth this is no exaggeration which the listeners will quickly understand as opening track “Foxy & Free” opens up with its crunching riff and rock solid drums. The first single Ace put forth for the release comes up next with “Outer Space” which is a good tune but not one I would have opted to make my first listen. A slight sarcastic wit comes out during “Pain In The Neck” where Ace shows us how not all relationships are peaches and cream. We get a tasty rendition of The Sweet’s “Fox On The Run” that while bearing none of the familiar synthesizers or high pitched vocals is still a nice cover. Continue reading “Anomaly” by Ace Frehley→
The answer to the question about whether the PiercingMetal.com Editor leans to either the Yankees or the Mets might be solved by the very existence of this article as it finds me being on point for an affair at the brand new Yankee Stadium as the new Hard Rock Café opened its doors with the help of Ace Frehley, Scott Ian, Frank Bello, Anton Fig and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels today. That’s not a bad show of New York musical support and when you add former Yankee Bernie Williams to the mix you have a really rousing opening. I’ve been to the Hard Rock Café a number of times at its other locations and even reviewed a couple of shows that had gone on there, so when the chance arose to see Ace and the Anthrax guys open up the new one I could hardly resist. Here is how the opening day experience went down for those who have interest in learning more.
Artist: KISS: Ace Frehley Title: “Ace Frehley – Solo” (remaster) Label: Mercury/Universal Release Date: 9/16/1997 Genre: Hard Rock Rating: 9/10
In 1978 KISS did the unthinkable and released solo albums for each individual member of the group. It allowed the band to showcase what drove them musically on an individual level. As soon as the opening riffs on Ace’s solo album began it was clear that this would be among the best of the individual releases. The songs all around this recording leaned to the creative aspect of the KISS guitarist very well and by kicking off with “Rip It Out” you were made to feel as though you were in a concert setting immediately. “Speedin’ Back To My Baby” and “Wiped Out” are also solid rockers and play against Ace’s established style perfectly. There were no new tricks and surprises to spring on the fans with his solo and if they expected a rocking guitar record they most certainly got one with this release. Despite the number of catchy songs the most unexpected part of Frehley’s solo would be the knock down hit he had with “New York Groove”. Instead of bandleaders Stanley and Simmons delivering such a track or even Criss (who found his “Beth” becoming one of the bands most staple tracks) we get this simple and basic blockbuster from The Space Ace. Continue reading “Ace Frehley Solo” (remaster) by KISS→
