I always get a little nervous you know when a new Ace Frehley album comes up on the horizon, and these days they do so with decent regularity. The reason dates back to my childhood when like a lot of people I was a huge Kiss fan. And like I suspect a lot of you, Ace was the member of the band that resonated most with me. After all he was the spaceman! Way, way back in the day it was also Ace’s solo album that made most impact and after he split with Kiss it was Ace’s albums I bought (I still think ‘Words are not Enough’ from ‘Live +1’ is one of my favourite songs of that era). There was always an appealing imperfection about Ace that gave you a feeling that you could do it too and that was a huge part of his charm.
‘Without You I’m Nothing’ with its signature chugging guitar line and Ace’s distinctive voice and derivative lyrics you have all you need to know about this album – it’s pure Ace Frehley! Unadorned, basic, carefree rock and roll that brings back that feeling of being a kid again. It’ cathartic, it’s comfort food and it’s just what the doctor ordered and then that first guitar solo kicks in you just smile. ‘Rockin’ With the Boys’ that follows is a song that had Ace released it back in his Kiss days would have sat proudly in the set-list along with staples like ‘Rocket Ride’ and ‘Shock Me’. It’s simple, it’s direct and is a song that has that real primordial rock and roll connection. Like a lot of Frehley’s songs it’s timeless, distinctive and irresistible.
Just so there’s no confusion ‘Your Wish is My Command’ (one of two songs co-written with Gene Simmons) starts with the title of the song sung twice and opens up to display slightly smoother fare. It’s simple, it’s straight forward but after all these years there’s just something about it that still connects, and that surely is a big point about what rock and roll is all about. Neighbor ‘Bronx Boy’ just might be the hardest riff Ace has dished out to date and this tale from Ace’s early days is like the dark side to ‘New York City Groove’ (Yes I know that was a cover). It’s a tale of Bronx gangs and hard times given a distinctive Frehley sheen and when the guitar cranks in he really puts the knuckles in. You’ll love it.
‘Pursuit of Rock and Roll’ is typical Ace and uses ‘life, liberty and the Pursuit of Rock and Roll’ as it’s hook and its that sort of child-like simplicity that has always been one of Ace’s most compelling features. It sports a great riff and almost anticipatory lyrics – another thing that I always loved about Ace was that oftentimes you could almost predict what he was going to sing next! Great riff too! It’s followed swiftly by ‘I Wanna Go Back’ which is the first song that holds back, a gentler, softer, more nostalgic look over the shoulder that is nice enough and you suspect in more mainstream hands might even nudge the charts (It was after I wrote that that I discovered it was a cover of an Eddie Money song so I guess I’ll stick with that).
‘Mission to Mars’ builds up slowly, layering in spacey guitars before Ace’s firm, insistent vocal hooks in and drives the song forward. It’s another song that just sounds right in his hands as it swirls and drives forward. And then after a thoroughly enjoyable ride, all too soon we’re at the pointy end of the album. ‘Off My Back’ the penultimate track is another that just feels right but doesn’t stand up against some of the earlier material here. And that leaves us with one…
‘Quantum Flux’ which closes might just give away the fact it’s an instrumental from its title (after all what would Ace rhyme with ‘flux’?) It’s a song that takes you on a wonderful ride and is more ‘progressive’ than anything I’ve heard from Ace over the years, it’s also rather lush and sports twin leads that drive it along before it closes to a slow grinding musical halt.
Sober now for 12 years Ace is sounding better than ever and some might even mumble that this might just be one of the best things he’s ever bestowed upon us? Remember it’s only Rock and Roll and we all love it…
