Post by rtbuck on Sept 18, 2009 10:37:21 GMT -5
Ace Frehley ‘Anomaly’
Label: Bronx Born Records
Review by Bucky for Rock n Roll Universe
It was in the fall of ’89 there was a reason I remember it well… Ace Frehley no longer a member of Kiss & no longer under the moniker ‘Frehley’s Comet’ released ‘Trouble Walkin’’ which was his third album since leaving his space make-up behind.(There was also a 5 song E.P.)
Almost 20 years later to the date (Trouble Walkin’ was released 10/13/1989) Ace is back with his long awaited fourth album since leaving Kiss, ‘Anomaly’ on Bronx Born Records. There are a few options when purchasing the album: Best Buy’s version has a shiny metallic looking CD case, Wal-Mart (& other outlets) come with a tattoo & mini poster, & the digital download from Itunes has a bonus track called “The Return of the Space Bear” which is an instrumental track (It is actually the 8th track on the album called “Space Bear”) with sound clips of Ace from his classic appearance with Kiss on Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow Show from 1979 spliced in.
The album kicks off with a heavy rocker called “Foxy & Free” which is a great song to start the album as it’s filled with a hard & heavy rhythm that revisits his 1978 solo album. Ace seems to tip his hat to Jimi Hendrix on this tune especially when he says “Look at…You’re a voodoo chile” just before he rips into a solo. The 2nd tune is his first single released from the album & it’s called “Outer Space”. “Outer Space “is another heavy hitter from the album with a pounding rhythm supplied by original Comet drummer Anton Fig & the driving bass line running through the song is driven by Ace. This is one of those songs that is
meant to be cranked out of your car on the thruway with the windows wide open.
Former Lynch Mob bassist Anthony Esposito starts off “Pain in the Neck” with a bass run that is met by a crunching rhythm. The song gets a bit strange half way through with some mellow guitars & yodeling by Scott Coogan but that is interrupted by a ripping solo by Ace. On Ace’s ‘Trouble Walkin’’ album he did an amazing cover of ELO’s “Do Ya” which musically & vocally sounded great. This time out Ace does a phenomenal cover of Sweet’s 1975 hit “Fox on the Run”. “Genghis Khan” features Ace & Anton Fig playing all the instruments & probably would have been better if it was just an instrumental as musically it’s my favorite track off the album but lyrically & vocally the song is brought down a notch or two. “Too Many Faces” is a good track that would’ve fit in great on ‘Psycho Circus’. “Change the World” is an easy going tune both lyrically & musically which has Ace reaching out to the world for a much needed change. The “Triple A’s” (Ace, Anthony, & Anton) shine on the Heavy instrumental track “Space Bear” which is a killer track. The autobiographical acoustic “A Little Below the Angels” is a great tune that sounds like something the late Johnny Thunders (ex-NY Dolls & Heartbreakers guitarist) would have wrote. This leads us to my favorite track on the album “Sister” which Ace has had kicking around for a long time (I remember hearing him play this in the clubs back in the early/mid 90’s & thinking it kicked ass back then).The song reminds me of a combination of “Breakout” (From the ‘Frehley’s Comet’ album) & “Shot Full of Rock” (from the ‘Trouble Walkin’ album). “It’s a Great Life” is a decent tune with a cool rhythm & solo which leads us to the album’s final track “Fractured Quantum”. Ace’s first solo album from 1978 ended with an instrumental called “Fractured Mirror” & he has also closed albums with “Fractured Too” & “Fractured III” instrumentals so “Fractured Quantum” is no surprise.
Anomaly means a departure from the normal & that is what Ace has always been about. If you're looking for normal stay clear of Ace because that's one thing he is not. I really enjoy the new album & I enjoy it more & more with each listen.
Bucky
