Ace Frehley “Origins Vol. 2” (eOne)
He’s back, back in the classic rock cover groove!
Ace Frehley, the founding Kiss guitarist and amateur extraterrestrial, offers up another helping of classic rock hits he loved while growing up, complete with some high-profile assists.
It begins with a straightforward rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times,” and after a Mountain cover of “Never In My Life,” the album hits its high point with Deep Purple’s “Space Truckin,’” a natural choice for the spaceman, who changes the lyrics to make it “Space Ace Truckin’” and adds some of his catch phrases like “Curly!” and “Where’s Jendell?’ a reference to his supposed home planet.
The most fun track is a cover of the Beatles’ “I’m Down,” where Ace and guitarist John 5 go off on wild solo runs with all the energy and exuberance of a teenage garage band.
Lita Ford provides vocals on “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander does likewise on Humble Pie’s “30 Days in the Hole,” and one of Frehley’s Kiss successors on lead guitar, Bruce Kulick, puts his own unique spin on Hendrix’s “Manic Depression.” There’s also a cover of the Kiss staple “She.”
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