ZZ TOP Live (October 7th 1990)

 

Crazy to think that as the years pass by so do some  fine musicians who as fans we have been able to have seen live in concert. Dusty Hill may have passed on but he’s certainly not forgotten!

Oct 7th 1990/ZZ TOP-COLIN JAMES- Winnipeg Arena

Me and my best friend TBone were pumped about seeing the two long beards and the moustache  guy from Texas.

I mean rewind seven years prior and Eliminator was all over print media as  the vids were all over tv and that continued right into ’85s Afterburner which too me was sides 3&4 to Eliminator!

So after a few yrs away here comes 1990 as well here comes ZZ Top along with  dEke And TBone to rock the show with the Texas Trio.

ZZ Top was plugging their latest opus “Recycler” except it wasn’t gonna be released  until after the tour started. Recycler hit the Record Shops on Oct. 16th ’90.

The “Recycler Word Tour” started October 2 ’90 in Vancouver and the show we were catching was the fifth show of the tour in the ‘Peg.   Gibbons, Hill and Beard were a serious concert draw as all seven shows of the Canadian Tour were sold out and in arenas. (10,000 plus at each show)

Colin James (the opener) is flying high on the Canuck charts on his current  “Sudden Stop” release. Colin puts on a good show plays the hits including Tbone’s favourite “Voodoo Thing” along with his current big hit “Just Came Back”.

Once Colin wrapped up his well received set from there it’s the waiting game until ZZ hits the stage.

I mean what kind of stage is behind that curtain that stretches across and around the stage? Props? Recycled Legs?? Or just a amps,drums and a light show?….well as it turns out..

The lights went out in the Winnipeg Arena and it’s  pitch black (cue Rock Move 101) and you see two headlights appear in front of the drums with the whole stage draped with a black curtain.

A chain link fence image appears on the curtain,the sound of a car revving and the revving gets louder and along with the motor getting louder you can hear the sounds of a woman getting louder(if u know what I mean) and then bam..curtain drops.

Below is the full show from T.O, four days after  we caught em in Winnipeg. The sound and picture is clear. If anything watch the first 5 minutes including  the conveyer belt! Better yet watch the whole dang thing!

There’s ZZ and they plow right into “Planet Of Women”. I tell ya man that  is one of the best intros I have seen any band take to a stage ever!

Beards drums were on the back of a flatbed and it was like they were playing In a recycled junkyard complete with TV screens and flashing women.

Such a cool setup especially not knowing beforehand what we were going to see.

Billy Gibbons live with that guitar tone was awesome. There are certain guitar players you need to hear in a live setting like of course EVH (if you had the chance), Alex Lifeson, Joe Perry, Slash,  David Gilmour, and of course Rev. Gibbons who has a sound n style all his own.

This was a great show. Glad I caught ’em when they were still doing the arenas.

Setlist: Planet of Women/ Sleeping Bag/ Tell It/ Waitin for the Bus/ Jesus Just Left Chicago/ Ten Foot Pole/ Gimme All Your Lovin /Concrete & Steel/ Manic Mechanic/ Heard It On The X /2000 Blues/ Blue Jean Blues /Just Got Paid /Lovething/ Got Me Under Pressure/ Techno-industrial instrumental/ Sharp Dressed Man/ Give It Up/ Legs/ Tube Snake Boogie/ Jailhouse Rock/ La Grange/ Tush

On a side note I was really surprised ZZ were not playing the stellar track “Double Back” which of course was in the Back To The Future movie. Such a killer chorus. As much as I wanted to hear it I was glad that they did put “Double Back” as the last track on Recycler album so I have to cut Dusty, Frank and Billy some slack on that.

Come to think of it I think I had “Double Back” on a cassette single!!

 

 

 

 

KISS: LIVE AT THE RITZ (1988)

Another fabulous Father’s Day Score from the Family from Aux33 Records in Montreal!

“Live At The Ritz” has to be one of the most bootlegged live shows of KISS or it has to be close as its a radio broadcast from the summer of 1988 just as KISS was about to embark on their European Tour.

Being that this is a radio broadcast and its already 34 years old (yikes!) it sounds good as this show is out on many different formats as well as many different covers.

This version is no different as its a limited pressing of 500 copies in which I have number 387 and on orange vinyl to boot!

So for any KISS fan out there you know that this cover is all wrong! That is the cover of the KISS “Monster” album from 2012!

Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer are pictured on the front cover as well. We all know that Tommy back in 1988 was in “Black N Blue” and Eric Singer was drumming for Gary Moore and others as they were no where near being in KISS at the time. Mind you Simmons produced the “Nasty Nasty” album by Black N Blue around this time so there is a bit of a connection!

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley had ditched the makeup eight years earlier in 1980 and on board with KISS at this point time was Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr(RIP).

I’m thinking maybe they slapped the makeup cover on as a selling feature or maybe the people putting this together had no clue.

Then again the credits listed on the back cover featuring the two lineups are correct, so who knows. Imagine if they had gotten those wrong?

Either way it’s a great show to have on vinyl as for some this is “KISS ALIVE 3” and fair enough as I’m onboard with that theory.

I have reviewed this already a few years back when Mikey Ladano sent me the tracks so an actual breakdown of this album you can find elsewhere around here.

I will add its a nice looking set with it being a triple gatefold and all three records being orange as well.

Record Three- Side B is the selling feature as its a great audio recording of KISS being young and going for it before Alive broke them big in the year 1975 and changed them forever!

Pretty cool little 5 pack of KISS tracks featuring original KISS homeboys Peter Criss and Ace Frehley in the mix as well. How about that live version of “Let Me Know.”!?

That pic above is the inside layout with the correct version of the classic lineup of Simmons/Stanley/Carr/Kulick.

The pic below is the 70’s classic lineup of Frehley/Criss/Simmons/Stanley. 

I’m really glad to have this added to my collection and finally getting a live version of “Bang, Bang You” on vinyl! (insert laughter here)

All kidding aside this is the warts n all recording of KISS at the back end of the 80s and its a great representation of that era of the band.

SUMMERTIME SPIN: Ozzy Osbourne- THE ULTIMATE SIN (1986)

I purchased “The Ultimate Sin” on cassette tape back in the spring of ’86 right before summer hit and this one (along with some others) for the longest time, was a favourite of mine in my trusty old Walkman!

Ozzy was on a creative roll after the awesome debut of Jake E Lee on ’83’s “Bark At The Moon” in which Jake showed up with a bag of riffs and laid down some serious guitar chops and continued Ozzy’s success . The thanks Jake got for “Bark At The Moon” was squat in the songwriting credits but this would change for the “Ultimate Sin”.

Ron Nevison fresh from bringing the band “Heart” off of  life support a year earlier in which that self titled album sold millions. Ron was tasked at hand at dialling it in with Ozzy and the band.

“Ultimate Sin” in 2021 is kinda the forgotten album in the Osbourne solo catalog. Why? I have no idea but I’m sure its business related and personal as we all know Sharon’s deal right?

Anyhoo…

Ultimate Sin has a good batch of tunes. Is it as good as “Bark At The Moon”? In my opinion no but this record had some killer riffs and songs.

Actually listening to it now there’s really no bad tunes it’s just that Nevison tried making a heavy metal Heart album. Whereas Bark At The Moon had a production style to its own Ultimate Sin doesn’t.

The songs can’t be knocked as the title track opens the album and it just crushes and launches right into “Secret Loser”. Thats a good starter pack right there as Jake smokes that fret board.

I will say that each song has some good Ozz and Jake value. The crowning achievement on this record is the stellar “Killer of Giants” which slowly builds up until it lifts off. What a great track as Jake delivers the goods on this track.

“Shot In The Dark” (written by Ozzy and Bassist Phil Soussan) was the big video/song from this record and helped propel the album up the charts.

So for Ozzy having Jake along (Bob Daisley co wrote 8 of the tracks with Jake and Ozzy) in the drivers seat helped keep Ozzy playing the arenas whereas his old band Black Sabbath was changing lineups quicker than a McDonalds worker flipping patties!

In what has to be one of my rock n roll blunders was when I had an opportunity to catch this tour In Minneapolis in early July of 86 in Minneapolis as I had to decline as I working full time that summer.

My thinking was no biggie I will catch Ozzy next time.

Well that was partially true. I caught Ozzy not o the next tour but on Ozzy’s “No More Tour Tours” back in July ’92!

That was no big deal but what I missed out on was that July ’86 show was Metallica opening for Ozzy when Cliff Burton was still alive.

Damn…

I have this on vinyl which my pal El Donko passed onto me. It’s a little worn but I have never seen this out there in the wilds so this beat up copy will do for now!

 

 

 

Robert Plant: LIVE AT KNEBWORTH (1990)

Another RSD 2021 score from Montreal is this little ass kicker of a 4 song EP from Robert Plant recorded during the Knebworth concert from the summer of 1990 in England. Also featured at that show were Genesis, Pink Floyd, Status Quo amongst others.

For myself personally I love this era of Plant’s career from “Now and Zen(1988”) through “Manic Nirvana (1990)” to “Fate of Nations(1993)”.

What a killer three pack of albums from Robert and his band at the time.

“Hurting Kind” and “Liars Dance” are two songs that were featured on the current Plant album at the time “Manic Nirvana” whereas “Tall Cool One” was from the previous album “Now And Zen”.

Speaking of “Tall Cool One” love how the band shifts gears at the end and does a snippet of “Custard Pie”.

“Liar’s Dance” is easily in my all time Top 5 Plant solo songs. This live version is so friggin good. Guitarist Doug Boyle lays it down brilliantly on acoustic guitar while Plant delivers the goods vocally.

Such a killer track which proves the theory that you can kick ass in different ways than always running an electric six string though a Marshall stack.

The other show stealer is of course Plants old homeboy Jimmy Page showing up and along with Plant’s band they rip through “Wearing And Tearing”!

That’s right “Wearing And Tearing” the last track from the never talked about (except around here) album “Coda”(1982)!

Talk about digging in and pulling out a deep track!

Even though it’s only a short listen, what a brilliant four pack of tracks!

R.I.P Phil Johnstone.

Summertime Spin- Motley Crue: Theatre of Pain (1985)

Hey Folk’s! Welcome back to another round of “Summertime Spin” where I transport you all back to those good old days of the 80’s, where certain albums had those kind of impact moments on me as a listener upon there release when I was young, much younger!

Summer of 85 and I was starting my second summer working for a living as I was going on 18 my job washing dishes was basically funnelling my addiction to all things hard rock. Magazines, the odd purchase on cassette and mostly on vinyl ruled my world when payday would roll around.

One such album that came out right when I was finishing up Grade 12 was the very eagerly awaited new album from Motley Crue!

Now Playing- Theatre of Pain.

Crue was huge in 85 for some of the wrong reasons as we all know about the car accident in which Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle was killed as Crue singer Vince Neil was charged with vehicular manslaughter. A few people in the other car that Neil plowed into also were hurt.

I’m not going to go down that whole road as there has been enough written about it but come that summer, how would the Crue respond.

Before I get to far into this you have to transport yourself back to that summer of 85 with me.

Sure over time “Theatre of Pain” has been trashed by many a fan and fair enough as if you bought this at the time I bet ya liked some if not all of it.

I’m calling you out!

My point being there wasn’t much Crue to compare it to as this record was the third major release by them. (“Too Fast For Love” and “Shout At The Devil” came out in 1981 and 1983 respectively)

See thats the thing with 20/20 hindsight. What is maybe considered meh in 2021 was awesome in 1985!

So anyways with Vince Neil freshly out of the clink and back with Motley out comes “Theatre of Pain” in which I was fully invested what the band was selling upon its release.

At the time I dug that look the Crue was going for. Back in 85 I was an imperishable teen who lapped up what Nikki Sixx was pouring my way.

Let’s go Glam says Sixx and the masses bought into it. Crue must have been the first act or close to it as come a year later in 86 Poison releases on the world their debut(” Look What The Cat Dragged In”) and that Poison front cover had many fooled. You know what I’m talking about.

Actually looking back some good stuff oozed itself off this album like the Aerosmith driven “City Blues Boy”. I thought this style of sleaze rock was good.

I was burnt out at the time and still am ironically enough in regards to cover tunes as “Smokin’ In The Boys Room” I found somewhat boring on the album but I thought the video was funny enough and I could handle watching it in 1985 times so to speak.

Speaking of video. “Home Sweet Home” is a good one as this song I believe saved the album from going to the cheapie bins rather quickly. Once again I liked the video over the album version. As I loved that live and backstage footage of the band.

Sixx was smart or someone at the management was as they knew how to sell the show to a yahoo like me at the time and this video went bonkers and I bet ya sold a million copies of this record alone on that track.

The rest of the record was good not great with “Keep Your Eye On The Money” being perhaps my favourite off this album back in 85 and even now in 2021.

Sixx hit one out of the park on that one…

“Comedy and tragedy
Entertainment or death
Like Sister Morphine
Hooked on her game
Time to place your bets“

Considering the Crue was kinda in a mess at this time personally its amazing that they could pull it together and put out a record at all.

I guess back in 1985 that was saying something as Sixx, Lee, Mick and Vince were partying and pulling all nighters, a young deKe’s was getting up at 5 am to go to my summertime job at the hospital to fuel my addiction to rock and in doing so in buying albums like “Theatre of Pain”.

Your Welcome Sixx!

KISS: OFF THE SOUNDBOARD:TOKYO 2001

I have to say that as a fan, Mean Gene and Starchild can frustrate me at times with all the silliness that they try and sell us diehards.

KISS though has done the right thing and have issued what hopefully will become a series of shows recorded directly off the soundboard that are now available to us domestically instead of buying bootlegs at inflated prices.

KISS Tokyo 2001 is just that. A killer live show. 21 songs the full meal deal and if you’re wondering, Paul Stanley’s voice is spot on throughout the show.

Now you could say do we need another KISS live album? Yup I say as if its going to be done in a bootleg style and features the full show than I’m onboard.

The real charm for me is four things..

1- This album features the short lived lineup of Stanley-Simmons- Frehley and Singer.

2- No “Beth”

3- Some rarely played songs like Ace’s “Talk To Me” and the Stanley’s solo version of “I Still Love You” are a couple of tracks you wouldn’t expect to hear.

4- Ace playing guitar on songs like “Heaven’s On Fire”, “I Love It Loud” and “Lick It Up” that the Spaceman was not originally on!

I could go on and talk about all the other tracks but thats why you have guys like Ladano and Snowman around. I let those boy’s do the heavy lifting and I take the easy way out!

Sure you get all the hits as well as you can see below by the track listing but it’s those little things that I mentioned above that make this soundboard recording one excellent spin.

I really hope at some point that KISS release other soundboard shows as I think Eric Carr should get his due with an official KISS live release.

STILL COMPETITION: The Listener’s Guide to Cheap Trick: by Robert Lawson

This Friday night on the Lebrain Train at 7pm we will be talking to book author Robert Lawson who has written the ultimate recording history of Cheap Trick titled “Still Competition”.

Needless to say we will be doing a deep dive into the Cheap Trick albums as well as focusing on Roberts other two books, Razama-Snaz which details the recorded output of Nazareth and Robert’s recently released book “Wheatfield Empire”: Listeners Guide to The Guess Who.

Over the course of the book’s 261 pages, Robert digs deep going way back to 1967 when the band with various Trick members started as the “Grim Reapers”.

22 Trick albums are fully written about as well as Robin Zander’s two solo albums that came and went without notice as well as compilations that former drummer Bun E Carlos has put together over the years are examined thoroughly.

Each album is broken down into four sections. Background, Videos, Release And Reception, Reissues- Remasters and Re-Recordings.

Such a great breakdown of each album. No stone is left unturned as I even discovered things that Robert put in this book that I had no idea about and I’ve been listening to Cheap Trick since 1979!

Robert did his homework here folks, and one of the best things I can say about “Still Competition” is when Cheap Trick had an album that was iffy at best Robert says so.

No sugercoating!

From a personal standpoint I look forward to yacking with the guys about “The Doctor” release from 86!

It’s going to be a great chat Friday night with Robert and you can pick up his books at Amazon for a very good price!

Judas Priest: British Steel (1980)

 

Crazy to think that “British Steel” by Judas Priest is 40 years young this year.

Crazier to think that it took me 40 years to finally own a physical copy of this album!

WHUT??

Ok, so the story goes that when I discovered Priest in 1979  the fantastic live opus “Unleashed In The East” hit the streets. I loved that album but being 12 years young in 1979 and 13 years young in 1980 and hitting 14 years old in 1981 my allowance would only take me so far at the time. 

The brilliant “Point of Entry” album by Priest in 1981 I bought as I needed some cassette tapes as the family was headed to a campground outside of Thunder Bay for 2 weeks. I needed Metal and the recently released “Point of Entry” satisfied my desire for the sonics that JP delivered on Point of Entry. I still also remember taking out to camp with me the Creem issue(August 1981) that had singer Rob Halford on the cover.  (See the picture below.)

s

Over the years when Priest released new music as in Screaming For Vengeance(1982)” Defenders of the Faith (1984) Turbo (1986) Priest Live (1987) I was pretty in synch at getting the albums basically on or close to release day.

“British Steel” I had dubbed on cassette throughout the early 80s. By the end of the decade though when CD’s became the rage I never bit and purchased them. Who knows why? 

In 2010 British Steel had its 30th Birthday and Judas Priest reissued it with bonus tracks and a live show from 2010 where Priest played the album front to back.

I bought it but from iTunes so I’m sure you physical product lovers out there (I know who you are) would disqualify me on said purchase. lol

Not until September 2020 when RSD was going on and I ordered the Ace Frehley album “Trouble Walking” from Montreal to make it worthwhile since I was paying $15 for postage why not include a second album at a cheaper price to make the postage a little easier to accept!

British Steel is just that a classic! Nine songs make up this fabulous platter served up by Rob Halford and the boys!

Side One lifts off with Breaking The Law. As Preist do they do indeed go about breaking the law on this album as the next eight tracks that follow are classics!

Lot’s of great metal on here as the vocals of Rob Halford are top-notch from the get-go as his two co songwriters on the album Guitarists KK Downing and Glenn Tipton lay down their own law on the six strings! Dave Holland (drums) and Ian Hill(bass) are a very simple yet effective rhythm section that gets the job done in servicing these tunes.

Ok, deKe enough about the word Law!

Seriously though there are all kinds of metal on here. Fast ripping tunes like Rapid Fire and album closer Steeler.  Tunes that have such a cool breakdown in them and build up like Grinder, songs that have always gone over well in concert those being Living After Midnight and of course Breaking The What?? Breaking The What?? Breaking The Law!

Ok, I promise now! I won’t say the word Law again! 

If you were to ask me what my favorite track from this album would be I would have to go to Side 2 and that would be track seven You Don’t Have To Be Old To Be Wise.

Love this tune as Halford delivers the perfect vocal especially when he sings the line of…

“I grow sick and tired of the same old lies”

Give it a listen and hear Halford soar at the 1:26 minute of the tune. It’s those little octave changes that always grab me as a listener!

What a stellar track that along with the rest of the album is indeed British Steel!

 

 

 

Cheap Trick:Cheap Trick(1977)

 

Blasting out of the gate in Feburary 77 was Rockford Illinois very own “Cheap Trick” which released a pretty widely at the time ignored debut album which is a shame as it only got only to #207 on the Billboard charts.

Epic Records signed Cheap Trick sent them to the Record Plant in  NYC and better yet hired Jack Douglas (Aerosmith) to man the ship at the production desk.

For some, this debut is the best Cheap Trick period.

A valid case is made for this album as it’s ten songs of Hard Rock Power Pop!

Now check out these two pics below. Here’s a little quiz for you fine folks out there. There is a pic of the songs on the record but something is different. Can you spot the difference?

The answer lies at the end of this review.

Before I go any further I have to thank a good pal of mine JohnB who seen my post on Facecrack a few weeks back about the recently released live album. (come back this Friday). Here is the actual conversation in which how I never owned this on vinyl until well, read on…

JohnB-I picked up this one on vinyl back in the ’80s at Records On Wheels along with “In Color” and “Heaven Tonight.” Still have this vinyl, but nothing to play them on anymore … but I do have them in digital form!

deKE-JohnB that’s awesome. I need to get a copy of the debut. My CT collection is coming along fine on viny. Have “In Color” Heaven Tonight “Dream Police” “Budokan” Wouldn’t mind a few others but not the syrupy stuff.. ie ‘The Flame” kinda was a miss for me but I was glad to see them get back in the spotlight. Their 70s output is some of the best Power Hard Pop Rock created.

JohnB-I lost interest after “The Flame”. I also have Dream Police on vinyl and Budokan on 8-track. I know you are into vinyl and CT, so hold tight. I don’t have a turntable anymore, so you can have my CT debut. I can’t remember the condition of the vinyl, but the jacket is in near-mint shape. Once I find a way to get it to you, it’s yours – Merry Christmas! Maybe PM me your address and I’ll drop it off at the door or in your mailbox next time I’m in town.

Hell’s Yes! Two days later waiting for me on my kitchen table when I got home from work was this record!

Thank You, Mr. B!

Now back to business…

Rick Nielsen (guitar) wrote eight of the records ten tracks and in describing the sound Cheap Trick was after you could say back in 1977 they liked it a little noisy.

“Hot Love” begins the Trick festivities which is my case is a hard-driving opener that should have been the first single from this album. “Oh Candy” was the single that was released and ironically enough  “Oh Candy” is the last song on the album.

Nielsen had the knack of writing Beatlesque like songs over the years like “Taxman, Mr. Thief” which is a Fab Four like tune cranked through a Marshall!

I will add my two cents worth and say that two tracks on this album are two of the best Cheap Trick tunes in the catalog.

“Ello Kiddies” has Drummer Bun E Stomping a straight beat while mucking about on his Ludwig drums as Bass fella Tom Petersson was already making a statement about playing those 8 and 12 string Hamer Basses which sounded huge and we’re talking 77.

Robin Zander the man with the golden throat delivers a stellar vocal basically telling kiddies to quit school as school is for fools and get into crime as it pays off! What a killer track. period!

He’s a whore
(I’d do anything for money)
He’s a whore
(Look at the things that I write)
He’s a whore
(Ooh, the stories I can tell)
He’s a whore
(And my body really smells)

 

Rick had the skill of writing great hooky-like tunes with at times quirky lyrics but underneath it all when you peel back the layer there’s the message of the tune.

1977 get into crime kids as Ricky and Robin told ya to do!

The second one which when I listen to it in 2020 is musically a tune Poison could have ripped off ten years later on their debut album. That tune is.

“He’s A Whore”. What a great tune as it gets right out of the gate with catchy chord changes and a great chorus.

He’s a whore
(I’d do anything for money)
He’s a whore
(Look at the things that I write)
He’s a whore
(Ooh, the stories I can tell)
He’s a whore
(And my body really smells)

You know that’s the thing I love about these guys to this day (been a fan since early 1979) is this band wrote their first four albums (Cheap Trick, In Colour, Heaven Tonight, and Dream Police) that I can honestly say can stand toe to toe with any other recording acts first four albums.

If you look closely there is a Side A and a Side 1. Interesting no Side B and that was the Trick Guy’s said there was no B Side like material on this album. How many of you figured that out? If you did, fantastic your a star if not your still a star also as that’s the best I could do for a prize!

 

 

 

Ace Frehley: Trouble Walkin'(1989)

 

Record Store Day I have never participated in, as here in my hometown our one record store (which is part of a chain which shall go nameless) SUCKS  at doing anything remotely cool with it.

The one time I did go down to that store (2018 I think it was) to check it they had like a lame 4 shelves tucked off to the side for RSD Titles. Not much to look at here folks just keep passing through.

Thanks for coming out!! Not!

The day was not a total waste as I did score 4 used albums at a second-hand shop and got to hang out with my daughter Lexie as well!

So that was a plus!

Fast forward to RSD Septemeber 2020. I didn’t even bother to go down to the mall but a few days before I noticed on Facecrack one of the record stores I follow from Montreal (Aux 33 Tours) that they were doing RSD but the catch was online only. They said if you show up to the store looking for RSD records not happening, all online.

Well, now I thought this was interesting. So at 1pm, all the RSD titles appeared on their website. I figured I came this far to login to the Aux 33 Tours site so what the hell…

Let’s Do This!

Click and …

My pic was Ace Frehley, with his 1989 release “Trouble Walkin” that in 2020 is the first time it would be issued on vinyl in 31 years!

I had heard good things from the blogging folk about” Trouble Walkin’.” I have never owned this album in any format so I guess it was about time right?

 

At the time though (89) there was so much music coming out some stuff fell by the wayside. Sure I saw this album in adds and in the stores but I still didn’t bite. My younger brother bought it and I borrowed his tape and listened to once I think.

Maybe I didn’t bite as I liked the Frehley’s Comet name and now it was just under the boss man Ace’s name.  They canned Tod Howarth which I also thought was a goofy move but someone had to take the fall from the poorly received “Second Sighting” from 88.

Who knows what really went down with “Second Sighting” but upon spinning this album Ace and his bandmates at the time John Reagan(Bass), Anton Fig (Drums), and Richie Scarlet(Rhythm Guitar and Vocals) tried to get back to that rockier side of the debut “Comet” from 1987.

While Ace himself did not factor as much as he should have on “Second Sighting” he makes up for it here by contributing seven songs all in co-writes with other people.

When Ace decides to kick back and crank it up he can produce some quality rock like the opener “Shot Full of Rock”. “Five Card Stud” is a good ripping tune. The title track “Trouble Walkin'” has a pretty decent pre-chorus leading into the chorus. 

 Ace’s guitar work is awesome as well which has never been questioned on any KISS or solo album as Frehley has always delivered the goods!

Look who showed up and sang backup on four tracks as well? The one and only Peter Criss!  

Skid Row was a big band at the time and they show up singing backgrounds on “Back To School” well Bach does as you can hear him plain as day.

How about another KISS connection and that was that both Ace and KISS had both “Hide Your Heart” on each of there albums from the same year!

Ok better yet how about two bands and two solo acts that released “Hide Your Heart” as a single in 1989!

Molly Hatchet was first out of the gate with the song  followed by Ace who released his version four days before KISS released the album that featured “Hide Your Heart”(Hot In The Shade) followed later in the year by Robin Beck who released it as well.

I guess the story goes that “Hide Your Heart” written by Paul Stanley/Holly Knight and Desmond Child was rejected for the KISS Crazy Nights in 87.

Better yet Bonnie Tyler released it in 1988 as a single.  So if you count that into the equation under a two-year span two bands and three solo artists released this song as a single! 

None of the 5 versions set the charts on fire butI’m sure Starchild raked in a bit of cash on “Hide Your Heart”.

Ace always had a knack of taking cover tunes and making them sound like his own (2,000 Man, New York Groove), and as well on this album Ace covers the Jeff Lynne song “Do Ya” which is a great version of the song. 

No Ace album could end without an instrumental and Trouble Walkin’ is no different as “Fractured III” tidy’s things up.

Considering up to RSD 2020 I really had no idea about ever getting around to getting this Ace album but I’m glad I did. Sure it was pricey but that’s what RSD is..Pricey! First RSD purchase ever so what the hell!

I like the layout and the spray-painted look of the vinyl and the music is pretty good as Ace was going for the rebound but as the album didn’t even crack the Billboard Top 100 in 89 I guess there was more Trouble Walkin’ for Ace ahead in the early ’90s as well until KISS came calling in 1995!