Welcome to another thrilling episode of The Adventures of Ace Frehley! When we last saw our intergalactic guitar hero, he was savoring the fruits of labor earned from a decade of hard touring and recording. Yes, with two original albums, a covers album, and countless shows under his belt, it’s safe to say Ace would be just as relevant as his old bandmates in 2020. That is if the Demon and Starchild hadn’t resorted to the oldest trick in the book, the “farewell tour”. Never one to rest on his laurels, the Spaceman counterattacks with a second volume of covers and the crowd goes wild!
Now I know what you’re thinking. It’s one thing when an act does a covers album for fun. Everyone from Metallica and Slayer to Rush and Ozzy has tried their hand at it. It’s another thing when an act does multiple covers albums because that’s when we get into Six Feet Under territory. Before you know it, you’re listening to a dollar store death metal version of “You Shook Me All Night Long” and asking yourself what on God’s green earth did you do to deserve this? But fear not mortal. Lucky for you, this isn’t Six Feet Under. It’s Ace Frehley. He’s back and he tells us so with 12 deliciously dynamite covers of the 60s’ and 70s’ finest.
For the most part, Origins Vol. 2 succeeds in its mission of “Ace-ifying” these classics. They’re transformed into gutsy hard rockers à la “Shock Me” and the ’78 solo album. Ace was never much the singer, so he lets his guitar do the talking and boy does it have a lot to say. On an album full of rip roaring guitar solos, it’s his rendition of the proto-stoner classic, “Politician” by Cream, that takes the cake. Once upon a time, Eric Clapton wasn’t a staple of adult contemporary radio. The Spaceman reminds us and then some on this one.
Ace couldn’t make this record without a little help from his friends. Well, I’m sure he was capable of doing so alone, but what fun is that? On Origins Vol. 2, we see the return of a couple names from the first Origins, as well as some new surprises. John 5 returns to duel the Spaceman on The Beatles’ “I’m Down” (one of the few covers that falls short due to overproduction) and Lita Ford sings up a storm on The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. Fellow KISS axe slinger (and recent Defenders interviewee) Bruce Kulick helps pay tribute to James Marshall Hendrix on “Manic Depression”.
My choice cut is the sleazy soul of Humble Pie’s “30 Days in the Hole”. The Spaceman meets the Man of 1,000 Voices (Robin Zander of Cheap Trick) for a collaboration that’s out of this world. Steve Marriott is an extremely hard singer to tackle. There’s a reason he was wanted by everyone from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin. Zander sings his heart out and you can hear it, pulsating veins and all. Somewhere in the great beyond, Marriott is indulging in “Good Booze and Bad Women” in celebration of this tribute to his legacy.
Also like the first Origins, Vol. 2 closes with a cover of a KISS song, “She”. Some would say this redux was unnecessary considering the original is perfect the way it is. Maybe, but I got a good kick out of hearing the second half of “Let Me Know” added to the end, just like KISS used to do in the Alive! days. And what better way to end a covers album than with where it started?
Origins Vol. 2 isn’t the brightest star in the covers album galaxy, but it’s no dwarf planet either. “Rock Soldiers” the universe over will rejoice hearing the original KISS axeman put his signature Les Paul to good use. If your speakers aren’t smoking like Ace’s pickups, it isn’t loud enough!
6 out of 10
Label: eOne
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: KISS, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick