Style: hard rock
Label: Megaforce
Year: 1988
Home: n/a
Members: Ace Frehley ~ guitars/lead vocals
Tod Howarth ~ guitars/keyboards/lead vocals
John Regan ~ bass/b. vocals
Jamie Oldaker ~ drums/b. vocals
Additional: Gordon G.G. Gebert ~ sequencing
Frehley's Comet self-titled debut album had the great single "Rock Soldiers", but everything that followed was less than memorable, as I wrote in an earlier review. I found it bland & imitative, & lacking the quirkiness I love from Ace, who flips straight ahead rock'n'roll on its head. I've read the history behind its creation via Ace's autobio, but that didn't make it a more enjoyable. While some may argue Frehley's Comet was better than I gave it credit for, I doubt anyone will say its better than his 1978 self-titled solo album. That's the best Kiss album Kiss never did. Yet, Frehley's Comet second outing, Second Sighting, has been universally panned as Ace's worst solo album. Its commercial & critical failure would essentially end the band, though it was always a band in name only more than an actual outing. This time I'm not going to take an opposing side. What made Ace's 1978's solo album so good? Its got personality through the roof, kicks ass, & sounds like neither Kiss nor other things on the charts. Frehley's Comet, I wrote, sounded too much like what was on the charts. Second Sighting takes things to an even blander & forgettable place. There's no standout like "Rock Soldiers", or even "New York Groove". Its bland when compared to the earlier album, but even worse, its bland when compared to what was on the charts by just about anyone. Its a play by the numbers bluesy rock album with some '80's attributes like the tinkling keyboards & top heavy with AOR power ballads. "Insane", "Loser In A Fight", "Dancin' With Danger" have some great though immemorable guitar grooves, but they don't lift up the album's failures. Had I been the producer I would have had him sing more, not have Tod Howarth sing lead every other track, plus dump the keyboards & synthesizers, & twist up the arrangements, & dump Howarth's songs. Howarth is a good musician, but his style is a horrible fit for Space Ace. Perhaps Ace wanted to promote this as a legit band over a solo album, but nobody is coming here except for him. While, nobody is coming to Ace for loopy power ballads with whimpy guitar playing. I've heard far worse albums, many I've deliberately forgotten. This one I'll probably just naturally forget. It makes me sad to say that as I'm a fan of Ace & Kiss..
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