Holy schnikes! As a mature adult, one tries to stay away from using such childish expressions. But if there was ever a time to channel Chris Farley, it’s with the news of Ace Frehley’s upcoming covers album, Origins Vol.1, out April 15th.
Take a look at that track list. There’s a lot to get excited about. The Wah-Wah pedal wonderland of Cream’s “White Room,” and its lyrics featuring “tired starlings,” “silver horses,” and “moonbeams,” is about as Ace as it gets. He and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready reclaim “Cold Gin,” a Kiss song Ace wrote that Gene Simmons originally sang. Like most of us Generation X music fanatics, McCready grew up worshiping Ace. Way back in ’91, at the end of “Alive,” he even paid homage to Ace’s solo on “She,” which was in itself a tribute to Robby Krieger’s solo on “Five to One” by The Doors. Now, on the edge of 50, he gets to fulfill a childhood dream.
Ace and Paul Stanley reunite for Free’s “Fire and Water.” After years of mutual ball-busting, it’s good to see that one of the main influences on Kiss has brought these old friends back together. For now.
Best of all is Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” with Slash. There’s the Ben Hur of guitar duels at the end, so it’s a perfect showcase for these two legends. And there’s a lot of Brian Robertson in Slash’s playing anyway.
Holy schnikes, indeed.
Origins Vol.1 Track List
“White Room” (Cream)
“Street Fighting Man” (Rolling Stones)
“Spanish Castle Magic,” featuring John 5 (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
“Fire and Water,” featuring Paul Stanley (Free)
“Emerald,” featuring Slash (Thin Lizzy)
“Bring It On Home” (Led Zeppelin)
“Wild Thing,” featuring Lita Ford (The Troggs)
“Parasite,” featuring John 5 (Kiss)
“Magic Carpet Ride” (Steppenwolf)
“Cold Gin,” featuring Mike McCready (Kiss)
“Till the End of the Day” (The Kinks)
“Rock and Roll Hell” (Kiss)
Matt Leinwohl