Ace Frehley: Spaceman(2018)

 

Yeah man I’m totally eating crow on this one!

Reason being is a few weeks back when I blogged about Peter Criss I wrote that under the ‘Who Care’s’ files Ace Frehley on that same day that I posted about Criss, Ace  released a new album which I couldn’t care less about!

Ummm. About that last sentence ….

You see here in blogging nation I love reading actual music reviews written by my friends who actually buy their own music! They don’t get it free! In other words they take their hard-earned dough and put it towards purchasing it and in the end when you gamble on buying music  you hope you like it! If It’s a dud well that just plain old sucks!

John T Snow and Mikey Ladano both reviewed ‘Spaceman’ the new release from the loose cannon himself Ace Frehley. The final verdict was they both really liked it! 

Now what am I supposed to do with that scenario?

 I commented with some babble on their posts saying that those two Jokers(Ladano and Snow) were killing me saying that it was a decent rock record! Ladano gave it a 4.25 out of 5 score while John gave Spaceman an 8/9 score as there are 9 tracks on the album! Pretty decent percentage  if you ask me.

So I waited and waited well only a week and then I took the plunge and bought Spaceman and I can honestly tell you all that I really dig this release!

I’m not going to go track by track on this album as you can read Mikey’s and John’s reviews here by clicking the links below and while you’re at it follow their well written blogs. Hey Folk’s nothing beats BlogNation!

John T’s Review….https://2loud2oldmusic.com/2018/10/22/ace-frehley-spaceman-album-review/

Mikey’s Review….https://mikeladano.com/2018/10/20/review-ace-frehley-spaceman-2018/

Ace is smart! 9 song album(just like first solo release) with the last track being a musical only tune just like  how Ace delivered  it  on  his very first solo album when he was in KISS from 40 years ago! 1978 to be exact!

SpaceMan track listing…37 minutes of Ace N Roll!

“Without You I’m Nothing”
“Rockin’ With the Boys”
“Your Wish Is My Command”
“Bronx Boy”
“Pursuit of Rock and Roll”
“I Wanna Go Back”
“Mission to Mars”
“Off My Back”
“Quantum Flux”

Well golly golly if Ace’s old sparring partner the one and only Mean Demon Gene Simmons doesn’t show up and not only cowrote two real slick rock tracks in Your Wish Is My Command and opener Without You I’m Nothing but Genie Gene slaps a real cool Bass Line on Without You I’m Nothing as well!.  

Frigg Yeah! Simple hit you between the eyes Rawk N Roll! Listen to the track I posted below called ‘Pursuit of Rock N Roll’ which is one of my faves from this album and its track 5 so it goes to show you that Ace is back and he told you so!( Yeah that last  line  I just typed was pathetic! ha)

See that’s the thing with Ace. He knows what his parameters are in regards to his songwriting and his singing style! His voice has held up quite well and I have always loved his straight ahead rock vocal. Little bit of edge mixed with a blend of cool. I still love to this day his lead vocal on Hard Times  from the Dynasty album! 

I have watched a few You Tube interviews of Ace plugging this album and  he’s out there at times (in space yet) funny and whats more of a mindblower is that he pieced this whole record together and had a hand in writing all the tracks which is what you would classify under the ‘Amazing’ category!

As you would expect Ace’s guitar playing is excellent as its just Ace! He knows his deal as he doesn’t hot dog  the fretboard.  Ace just does what Ace does. Keeps it simple sounding and not turning his solo’s into wank a doodle fest’s!  I love the reckless abandon of his playing especially come solo time as it sounds like he’s going off the rails! The lyrics as well are not genius. Kinda simple basic but if Ace started getting all serious with the lyrics no one would buy into it whatsoever! 

Ace does a majority of the all the guitars on this album. The drums are handled by a few guys including Ace’s old buddy Anton Fig whom you all know drummed on Ace’s 78 solo album as well as Frehley’s Comet and a few KISS albums as well like Dynasty and Unmasked. Fig lays down a wicked drum groove on the ‘Pursuit of Rock N Roll’!

Ace does a cover version of Eddie Money’s tune ‘I Wanna Go Back’ which is pretty good tune as well and to be honest with you all I don’t think I ever hard the Money Man’s version of this song. Thats the cool thing with Ace as he can sing cover tunes and make em should like his own! Case in point The Rolling Stones cover of 2000 Man on the Dynasty album.

I’m not going to get into the whole Ace firing his live band recently as John has  already gone down that road BUT I will add that Ace’s new young hires are a great band and the clips I have seen they are excellent musicians   I’m thinking Ace needed a push of Youngblood in his band and he’s got Gene(again) to thank for that!

ANYHOO… 6 Things to Ponder about the Spaceman!

1- I will add that I think this album is some of Ace’s best solo work since 78! Yeah it’s that good! As much as I didn’t think this album would be that good Ace proves some doubters wrong(me) and puts out a solid blast of ROCK! 

2-As goofy and simple as the lyrics are to ‘Rockin With The Boys’ the song itself just sticks with you long after its ended…

3-It’s crazy to think but I don’t even think KISS themselves has a record in them that can be this good!

4-Nice to be surprised by the outcome of Spaceman but Ace should be thanking the true fans like John and Mikey who dug it and bought it right off the bat!

5-You know you cannot beat just simple Hard Rock N Roll with a added shot of the let’s keep it simple folk’s! Hey I’m not the only thinking this way as Spaceman debuted at #16 on the Canadian Charts!

6-Ace is indeed back and dEke’s told ya so! (with a bit of a push mind you!)