Anomaly

I've read somewhere that this was Ace's first CD that he released after cleaning up and getting completely sober. I personally know longtime fans / concert goers [like myself] who say that they definitely like Frehley's work now better that ever. Tracks that had me sit up and take notice were the ass-kicking opener "Foxy & Free", "Pain In The Neck", his well-done Sweet cover "Fox On The Run", "Genghis Khan", the awesome "Too Many Faces", "Change The World" and "Space Bear". Also dug "A Little Below The Angel" and the rocking "Fractured Quantum". Duration - 54:40. Housed in a slipcase - as box unfolds into a pyramid. Also includes a mini-poster. CD's mix, mastering and production here are of top notch. You won't be disappointed. You'll see. Also available on 2-lp vinyl. Other Ace Frehley titles well worth checking out - '12 Picks', 'Milwaukee Live '87', 'Origins, Volume 1', 'Origins, Volume 2', 'Spacemen', 'Space Invaders' and the 'Triple Tour Pack' 3-CD. Essential.

Sorry, but I do think Ace created a new landscape (at least for him and his usual style) with this new album... yeah, maybe i'm prejudiced because he's been one of my biggest heroes since discovering Kiss in 1980. In fact, this album just blew me away, and I'm still just getting used to it after six spins. Indeed, I found some flaws here and there, mind you- the very cheesy (to my ears, please keep that in mind)'a little below the angels', which i believe is a special 'recovery' tune for him, but it still sounds quite lame with all those little kids shouting the chorus towards the end. then again, though i'm not colse-minded, thanks to frehley himself I fell in love with heavy riffing and the darker side of music almost three decades ago, so i've never given a hoot about 'power ballads' and glammy/catchy choruses, except for some of those 70's Kiss albums that sort of mean a lot to me even today. and this leads me to my next argument: in my opinion, this is his best album since his 'Kiss solo' LP, released in 1978. i don't really think the new one's better because it's not as trippy and weird (and proggy, in a good, heavy Captain Beyond/Sabbath-like sense), but it sure has its 'cosmic' moments. i kinda jumped ship in 1987, after hearing 'frehley's comet', which i liked even though i found it too disjointed and incredibly commercial. i mean, surely Ace was looking for that big hit-single/video that would put him on the charts. however, nowadays, since the 'music business' has gone down the toilet with the weakest, most plastic crap i've ever heard in my life (even 70's disco sounds great compared to this decade's pop music), this guitar god has nothing to lose, all puns intended. it's like he knows he's not gonna sell millions, so he's just doing what he does best: great hard and heavy and hitting rocknroll. Ok, I have to agree that some of the lyrics suck, and, yeah, I was not expecting Roger Waters/Nick Cave/Iron & Wine/Neil Young-type of poetry here, but some of this new-found optimism it's sorta sickening, mainly because i think it verges on bornagainsims. that's his trip, i know, but in the other ballad (sorry, i forgot the name),he's talking about doing something to change the world. fair enough, but i don't think that getting down on your knees and praying is gonna change a thing, Ace... Ace changed my life with his weirdo/martian voice, and with his simple-yet-effective guitar playing (who doesn't know those solos by heart?), and thats's way more revolutionary than thinking happy thoughts about heaven at 60. sorry, must be the anarchist in me. plus, Ace, c'mon, you're a god, so there's no need to give your trust away to some higher power- unless it's rocknroll, of course haha... then again, i've never been an alcoholic megarockstar with a penchant for hard driving and harder drugs, so what gives? i'm sure he went through hell; just listen to what he has to say on 'rock soldiers', but ok, it's not my problem, and he knows he's got his fans' support. but that's that- most of the new songs rock hard and ride free: 'foxy and free' sounds, of course, kinda like hendrix; 'outer space' is exactly what i wish his 1980 tune 'talk to me' would sound like live, with his own band, and not with those fake asses called Simmons & Stanley Inc backing him up (they did, on the 1980 Australian dates, and it sucked). plus, there's some 'mute' riffs and structures there that remind me of 'blind'-era COC or even Metallica. 'pain in the neck' is pure classic Kiss; 'gengis khan' is absolutely fantastic, a quasi-instrumental piece that would fit perfectly on a mid-70's Robin Trower or Frank Marino album, or maybe even on 'physical graffitti'. 'sisters' is nothing but a full-on metal onslaught, with a slight commercial touch. one of the best songs off the album, and yet, just imagine if he had kept the opening fast pace all the way through- Ace playing thrash? hehe, almost, almost, but not quite, so be quiet! there's more, of course, but i gotta listen to it again: i do remeber some excellent Sabbath/stoner riffing on a certain song, as well as his version of Sweet's 'fox on the run', which is great, though not as good as the original. the second to last song is kinda strange for Ace, and i'm sure it'll put some people off, because it's a bit funky in an 80's kinda way- my girlfriend thought it sounded like something off Joe Jackson's 'night and day' album. and if you think that's terrible, think again and please go listen to that brilliant record with an open mind.. there's also a tune about being unable to distinguish one's face on the mirror, and as far as I remember, it's a good yet somewhat typical Ace Frehley song (would've been good for radio 15 years ago, maybe). and you know this record wouldn't be complete without a new version of his classic 'fractured mirror' thang... yep, the album closes on a happy note with this new added chapter to the 'fractured' saga. this one's OK for my taste, but not orgasmic, since it somehow reminds me of a music school i used to attend when i lived in LA and that tone cell phones bark when someone's sent you a written message. don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful song, but i was expecting something a bit darker and moody, with some heavy, pete townshend-like chords thrown in for good measure...All in all, a great record, and one that is heavy, really heavy (for Ace) most of the time. it's grungy, full of effects and great guitar playing: some of the solos do sound like vintage Ace and i'm sure we're all already tatooing them on our hearts. Anton Fig is back on the drum stool, and his playing is still inventive and hard-hitting, so everything's in order. Ace's voice is the best, of course. he's not a singer, thankfully. if you want a singer in the Dio/Gillan/Robert Plant-vein, go look somewhere else. Ace is a weirdo, just like Lou (Reed), John (Lydon), Joey (Ramone), Bowie or Byrne, but that's just what I want, and he's sure influenced lots of 'alternative' rockers: i'm thinking bout J Mascis, the guy from Fu Manchu or Kylesa's Philip Cope. ButAce is more laid back, and that's what makes him so cool and broad in appeal.sorry i compared him and his music to so many people- it's something i enjoy doing, though some call it lazy journalism. it IS lazy journalism, but i don't care! just go and buy the damn thing, will you?

How ironic. Today I heard the news that Anomoly debuted at #27 in the Billboard Top 200 and I go to Kissonline and what do I read??? Congratulations Ace??? No...these words from Paul Stanley in reference to the reunion period..."I think we had people who were delusional about their songwriting abilities and musical abilities".Now, I have a huge amount of respect for Paul, his talent and his character, but surely he's well off the mark with this comment. Paul's Live to Win album was an absolutely lame, paint-by-numbers, try to be cool effort that was the worst work he ever released. It was souless and drab. No song over 3 minutes, it was song-crafting without any artistry. No balls, no creativity - just very disapointing.How utterly different and vastly superior this album is. Over the years, you sometimes forget what a talent Ace is. Since Trouble Walkin' I've almost pigeon-holed Ace as a great raucous guitar player who writes simple rock'n'roll songs. Sure he's good at that, but there is suprisingly so, so much more.Now this album was never going to be as good as his 1978 classic, but having said that, it far, far surpasses my expectations. I was staggered at how good this is, how talented Ace is and how wonderful it is to have him back.I admit to tears of joy welling on both Little Below The Angels and Fractured Quantum.And, given that this is 31 years since his first solo album, it is remarkable how similar they are in places. This is certainly more like that album than any album released since then. I would also say that this is the most artistic KISS related album since 1978.1. Foxy & Free. This is a standard rock opener, raucous, heavy and dripping with sleaze. What separates this from any other rock opener is the performance. Great production, great rock'n'roll sound, great dirty solo. Raw and heavy rock....not as good as Rip It Out, but probably better than "Shot Full of Rock".2. Outer Space. Again great beefy rock sound. Intentionally catchy chorus, but I find this song slightly too simple without any real hook. Good but not great.3. Pain In The Neck. Stoopid title, but somehow Ace pulls it off with ease. This is a stupendous heavy rocker, power, swagger, weird timing on the chorus, but somehow very commerical at the same time. Really like his vocal delivery....uniquely Ace Frehley. The solo is my favourite on the album a real barnstormer. Best rocker on the album. This song alone demolishes the entire Live To Win album in one fell swoop!4. Fox On The Run. Not really fond of this song so hard to judge Ace's cover. Verses are really cool, chorus turns me off.5. Genghis Khan. You have never heard Ace play anything like the introduction to this song before. I didn't know he had it in him! Very, very cool Indian flavoured acoustic blues! Zeplinny instrumental with nice long solo at the end. Classy.6. Too Many Faces. Probably my least favourite song on the album, but kind of harks back to the '78 album somewhere in the vibe - which is good!7. Change The World. Not typical Ace, but a nice positive artistic song that demonstrates his creativity on the album.8. Space Bear. Need more time to appreciate this instrumental. It's good, but need more time before passing judgement.9. A Little Below The Angels. Brilliant! I loved this song on first listen. His vocal style is wonderul. At first you think it's just a simple acoustic guitar strumming number, until it moves into a bridge and in come the drums and organ and then it moves into an instrumental section which is like Fractured Mirror, and then it goes into a take-it-down section complete with cheesy "Daddy, have you ever seen an angel" voice over by his daughter Monique. Totally cringeworthy, but I like it. When the kids come in singing slightly flat, it put a smile on my face, and when Anton comes pounding back in, that's when the tears of joy started to well. Cheesy, cornball, good time, madcap genius. Fabulous, catchy, artistic song.10. Sister. Good old heavy rocker again. Has to be turned up really loud. I've known this for years from a bootleg DVD, and always wished it had been released. Now it has. Good stuff.11. It's A Great Life. This is a good song. Not sure if this is like another song I know, but it sure sounds familiar. Simple good time rock'n'roll with a happy, positive vibe.12. Fractured Quantum. Amazingly, this is almost certainly the best in the Fractured Series. Hard to beat the original, but this is stunningly beautiful music, vastly superior to parts Too and III (sic). This is something that needs to be played on quality speakers, really loud. The way the music builds subtly is really gorgeous. The melody line that repeats on the verses is melancholy, uplifting and reflective all in one. The "chorus", if it's fair to call it that, is excellent...very fun punchy little chord sequence that makes you wanna smile and shake your bootie. Love this song....love the album.Ace, if you're out there on Jendell and can hear us earthings. Thank you sir. Waiting 20 years....absolutely delighted and proud to be your fan.Hope you send a copy to Mr. Stanley!!

Well 20 years later...Ace has a new CD !!!First the bad news...the packaging is awful. Luckily the music isn't. It is a definite grower though, on first listen I liked it but the more i play it the better it gets. Full of Ace-isms, tackiness, amazing solos & cheese ("A Little Below The Angels" has to be heard to be believed, so bad its nearly good). Highlights ? "Outer Space", "Pain In The Neck", "Ghengis Khan", "Sister" & "It's A Great Life".If your an Ace fan you'll love it...if not you'll wonder what all the fuss is about.I'm looking forward to 2029 & the follow up.

Killer album

Good Album !

great

I wanted to love this album, I REALLY wanted to, but the fact is, I don't. I do like it a lot though. It would not be the first time that the strongest song on an Ace album would be a cover, and that sums up the album in a nutshell - this is not really a follow up to 1989's Trouble Walkin' but is more of a follow-up to his 1978 Kiss solo album. The Frehley's Comet blend of consistent radio-friendly commercial rock is replaced by an esoteric and quirky mix of styles, like his first album. If he had moved from that to a solo career immediately this would have been a fair album in 1979. It doesn't work so well thirty years later. Anton Fig's drumming is excellent throughout, as expected, and Ace plays well enough, but the songs are, with a few exceptions, just not up to the standard Ace delivered in the Comet years, let alone his time with Kiss. It is not a bad album (apart from the truly awful Change The World and the cringe-inducing A Little Below The Angels) but is not one that was worth a twenty year wait. Ace is not the world's best singer. Hell, he is not even the world's best guitarist and certainly not the best songwriter but, and it is a very important but, he is the best at being Ace. There is nobody who sounds quite like him (not even TT)and he deserves credit for trying out so many styles, but perhaps the album could have done with a strong producer who told him straight with some of the songs "no, not that one, it's not good enough" as he is capable of much more than this album delivered.