To celebrate the release of Ace Frehley’s new album, Origins, Vol. 2, Ace and his team decided to release a Record Store Day “First” for the Black Friday 2020 release day. This time around we got a limited edition 12″ Picture Disc for the song “Space Truckin'”. How exclusive, well there were only 2,100 released worldwide and I got one. Now, if you notice I said “Record Store Day First” which means all we got was an early copy of what will be released at a later time. So the 2,100 limited run is the one with the RSD Sticker I imagine.

There are two things that are really awesome about this release. First is the pictures on the disc. They are incredible Cartoon renderings of Ace and the band. Really great and cool artwork. Second, all the songs on the B-Side are “Space” related. I like how they kept to a theme.
SIDE A:

On Side A is strictly the song “Space Truckin'”. The song is a cover of the Deep Purple classic and Ace does what he doest best and makes the song his own. It has his signature guitar sound and he turns it up a notch and makes the song a fun, rocking track. He has an old friend from Brooklyn do the organ work to try and replicate the great John Lord. His name is Rob Sabino and he does a fantastic job. Matt Starr is on the drums and does a banging job and then Ace lays down a really cool solo. Is it as good as Purple’s version, oh no, but it doesn’t have to be. It just needs to sound like Ace and that is all you need and with his addition to the lyrics of “Hey Curly” it is fantastic. This version is the full album version.
SIDE B:

Side B has not 1 song, but four. All our space themed and you get the songs “Space Invader” (Radio Edit) from the ‘Space Invader’ Deluxe Edition album. Next is “Mission to Mars” from the album ‘Space Invader’ and then you get “Space Truckin'” again but this time it is the Radio Edit and it is about 1/2 the time of his album version. Nice to now have this version on vinyl. And lastly, you get the hilariously bizarre “The Return of Space Bear” from the album ‘Anomaly’ Deluxe Edition. You even get the Space Bear in the artwork above. This song is really an instrumental with Ace being…well Ace. Crazy, Silly, Demented Ace! He talks throughout the song and sounds so insane and wasted, it is quite comical. Worth a listen for that song alone.
I really love this disc and it is a great add to the collection. Getting the Radio edit of “Space Truckin'” was really what I wanted here and the picture disc itself looks quite stunning. A brilliant collector’s piece that will be loved and enjoyed forever.
It’s a cool cover. I like it. Not my favourite Space Truckin cover but pretty close.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not the best cover, but it is a good Ace cover. He at least threw his own personality in to the song.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, that is one of my favourite things about Ace covers. He does it for “Do Ya” too
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice score. Cool he went the artwork way on the whole picture disc.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, it is a nice piece to have and I do love the artwork. Good on him for doing it a little differently then a straight up picture of himself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those cartoons are great! Wild (to me) how a sticker can make it collectible, versus when it comes out again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is the power of the sticker!! No one knows how or where it got its power, they just no the sticker has the power.
LikeLike
And its arch-nemesis is the Parental Advisory sticker, an eternal battle for supremacy and sticker glory!
Um, I seem to be on a theme today…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ha!! Yeah, that sticker gives him a run for his money.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This song is perfect for Ace to cover. And his street drawl delivery just makes any cover song sound like an original.
Great artwork as you say.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He does that for the most part. He has done a few I don’t like, but when you do as many as he does, there are bound to be some clunkers. But this wasn’t one of those.
LikeLiked by 1 person
All I keep thinking about is how different Ace looks with a beard and mustache haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with destroyer, Ace does this song proper justice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes he does.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I passed on this at the time, with the pandemic and all. Now I see these edit versions and would like to have them, but I can wait. Edit versions are not the be-all and end-all. But that artwork really is swell! At least Ace puts effort into these singles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No they aren’t, I prefer unreleased tracks to entice me, but the artwork was so cool, I had to have it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Casual question: Will you end up playing this again, or just looking at it? Just curious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Probably just look at it. It was mostly a collector’s piece since I am trying to get all the Ace stuff along with the Kiss stuff…but no Peter stuff…sorry Peter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL poor Peter! I’ll collect Peter just to make up for it. I do have all his CDs and one vinyl.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not really saying I never will, just not a remote priority right now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Probably better off musically collecting Bruce Kulick.
LikeLike
I dig covers. deKE turned me onto this one.
(On another note. Ive been living with the Phil and Bastards new release. Thank you for that. It is really hitting me. Had it on for about 3 days straight)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad your liking that Phil one. It is great.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is hitting the spot. The vocals help. That sometimes is a hurdle for me. I’m not kidding when i say how much I like them. Are they popular in their world?
LikeLiked by 1 person
What world is their world?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I dont like using labels. I would call this hard rock but coming from Motorhead is Phil and the gang hitting it with that fan base?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohhh. I follow you now. I hope so, but don’t know. He is killing it in my world though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Anything similar come to mind? HMO gave me some good stuff a while back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not similar to Phil. I am new to his stuff. You know of the Dead Daisies I assume. Maybe they are similar.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No Im not but will check out thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person