News Archive August 2009
From: EddieTrunk.com
by Eddie Trunk
Posted: September 3, 2009
The air is crisp here in NJ and football season is near! Love this time of year. Love the Fall, love the weather, and love the Giants and the NFL. Outside of Christmas Labor Day weekend is my favorite for those reasons. Its also a great time for new music. Been listening to new Ace Frehley, Dream Theater, Heaven & Hell, UFO and more. Great new stuff out or coming out, so support new music from classic bands. They need it also.
Speaking of new music I have the final product with artwork of the entire new Ace Frehley album now. Ace showed me the cover art a couple months ago in my studio. Its cool to see it in the final product. The packaging is really cool. Its a cardboard sleeve that assembles into a pyramid. It also has a small Ace poster in it, credits and a cardboard oversleeve. In an total class move Ace dedicates the CD to the late Eric Carr and Dimebag Darrell. Dime was obviously a huge Ace fan and had his image tattooed on his chest. No doubt Dime would be floored by this to say the least!
As for Eric, it is just awesome that Ace kept him in his thoughts like this and kept his memory alive by listing his name right on the back of the CD. So many times people say they will keep someones memory alive after they pass and forget to do so. Ace did not forget and if you had the pleasure of knowing Eric you would know why. He was a special guy and I still think of him all the time. Even though Ace and Eric were only in Kiss together for a short time they really did bond. So much so that when I started working with Ace in the late 80's Eric would often come to rehersals and jam. He actually wanted to tour with Ace at one point just before he got sick but that would not fly with the Kiss camp. Eric was the best and its so cool of Ace to have done this.
The back jacket is kind of layed out like his '78 album. At the top it is also dedicated to Ace's family, friends and fans. Inside the package folds out with more credits and the poster. Ace writes the "thank yous" in a personal way, noting it's been 20 years since a solo album. As I've said many times the light went on big time for Ace a few years ago when he got sober. He is a changed man for the better and understands his past mistakes. To that end he also thanks "Paul, Gene & Peter, for putting up with my insanity through all the years". He also thanks Peter for doing a song about him on his solo CD, and thanks yours truly as well as many more. Just a great very personal package and reconnect to his fan base and another reason why you should buy CDs not downloads.
As for the music itself I have already played two tracks from the album and will premiere more this weekend and next. My favorite tracks include "Sister" (by the way, the killer drum track on this song is Scott Coogan, not Anton Fig), opener "Foxy & Free", "Too Many Faces", "Change The World", "A Little Below The Angels" and "Its a Great Life". This album is very dynamic in direction. Its all rock and all Ace, but it also has two instrumentals and a song called Genghis Kahn which is almost an instrumental. Great guitar solos on this one. There's all out crushers and then more Beatles type of things, but still with the Ace edge and sound. Ace also references in some songs his past mistakes and how he is a changed guy.
Most of the songs are written by Ace only, with a few co-writers and of course the Sweet cover. Throughout his voice sounds better than ever and his playing is solid, all due to the fact he is sober without a doubt. Having worked on every Ace solo album (besides the '78 album) this is the first he has done totally sober and it shows. If you are an Ace fan you will love this album when it comes out 9/15. I just spoke to him and he will be on my shows soon. He is basing in LA right now and is doing a warm up show at The Viper Room on 9/12 (sold out). A tour is in the works. I am proud of the album my good friend has made for us fans, and even more proud of how he has turned his life around. Welcome back Space Ace!
