Coming 15 years after he played his last show with
Kiss,
Origins, Vol. 1 is
Ace Frehley's first "all covers" album, but that's not entirely accurate, as some of these songs are rightfully his. Take the
Kiss song "Cold Gin," which was delivered by the noted abstainer
Gene Simmons although written by the then partyman but now sober
Ace. His version here is the proper combination of weathered and liquor store aware, while his spotlight
Kiss number "Parasite" is absolutely thunderous in this modern recording, winning the loudness war with ease. So does the closing "Rock and Rock Hell," which was supposed to be a
Kiss song but lacked that required
Kiss idealism ("Get me out of this rock and roll hell" goes the chorus).
Paul Stanley's spirited appearance on
Free's "Fire and Water" proves there are no sour grapes between the Spaceman and the Starman as
Ace responds with one of his greasiest guitar solos, and with
Slash, Mike McCready,
Lita Ford, and
John 5 all dropping by, the guest list smells of high-quality leather, well-worn denim, and a killer jam happening down at the roadhouse. Check how
Cream's "White Room" gets a bit of reverence before the walls come down and it sounds like a
Sabbath track, or jump to the herky-jerky "Magic Carpet Ride," which reimagines
Steppenwolf's classic as a late number on side two of
Destroyer. Great, fun, and effortless stuff plus one of the best
Kiss-related releases in years, even if it doesn't come from the mothership. ~ David Jeffries