News Clips: Ace, Rainbow II, Guitar Gods

Some news clips of the week:

Ace’s Album/Space News

From Blabbermouth.net and HardRadio.com: Ace Frehley’s new solo album, tentatively due out this spring, will be called “Anomaly.” In an early 2008 interview with Billboard, Ace said about the forthcoming CD: “Basically I’m trying to get back into the mindset I was in when I did my first solo record [while still in KISS]. That record seemed to have all the elements everybody liked — a real cool instrumental, a hit single, some real heavy rockers, a nice variety of different genres of music.”

Ace is shooting for 12 tracks on his next album, his first in 18 years. Among his favorite new tracks are “A Little Below the Angels”, hard-rocking “Pain in the Neck” and an instrumental called “Fractured Quantum”, which is a follow-up to his previous instrumentals “Fractured Mirror” and “Fractured Too.” Another favorite is “groove song” titled “Genghis Khan”, which he likens in tone to Zep’s “Kashmir.”

His recent road band included guitarist Derek Hawkins, drummer Scot Coogan (ex-Brids of Destruction) and bassist Anthony Esposito (ex-Lynch Mob).

Don’t know what this is worth, but…

…it’s true that Ace has always said he wanted to take a ride (yes, a Rocket Ride) into space, and recently the Ace To Space Team (whatever the F that is) announced that after 10 months of R&D, “we have been given the green light to pursue our mission to put [Ace] into outer space where he will become the first musician to go into, perform in, record in, and broadcast a live performance from outer space.

“Exploratory discussions with a group of key players in both the private and pubic sectors provided enough indicators of probability that the team began to actively, and officially, attempt to put Ace Frehley into space.

Rainbow II – With a Different Blackmore

Former Rainbowers Joe Lynn Turner (vox 1980-1984), Tony Carey (keys 1975-1978), Bobby Rondinelli (drums 1980-1983), Greg Smith (bass 1994-1997) have formed a touring band with Ritchie Blackmore’s son Jurgen (“J.R.”) Blackmore on guitar. So far only Russian dates have been announced.

Who is Jurgen Blackmore and what has he done musically? Check it out here, on his website, on which he writes (paraphrased to clean up his English – he is German):

“I did get a couple of phone calls where Joe and Bobby asked me if I would like to do this project. I said, ‘Please give me some time. I will think about it.’ Actually, I never wanted to do something like this!

“I went to my dad. We both talked about this project and he said, ‘Go on. Do it.’ That was the first step in this direction.

“After that I was reading on the web, and talking to many different people about this and all of them said, ‘Please do it!’ I also met people who never had the chance to see Rainbow live and they all told me what a big wish they have to see this band live.

“I thought, okay, that’s it, and met Joe in Germany. We both talked about everything and Joe is such a nice guy, I said in the end: ‘Yes, okay!’

“In this project I don’t want to present me or put on my father’s shoes or even lay on his back. It is only for the millions of rock fans who always had this dream to see this band live. I am not my father and I can never replace him, but I will try to give these fans the chance to see this happen – because my dad will never do Rainbow again. But I will try my best and hope you will enjoy it.”

Guitar Gods?

On Jan. 17, in conjunction with the winter NAMM show, the House Of Blues in Anaheim, Calif. will have a show entitled Guitar Gods NAMM featuring Michael Schenker, Wayne Findlay (MSG), Robin Macauley (ex-MSG), Brian Tichy (listed as ex-Ozzy (?), Foreigner, Velvet Revolver, Billy Idol), Robbie Crane (RATT), Warren DeMartini (RATT) and Frank Hannon (Tesla).

Not gods, but Warren – would be sweet to see him play.

Category: Ace Frehley, Michael Schenker, Ritchie Blackmore, Warren DeMartini