What?: Solo album by Ace, guitarist for British Skunk Anansie.
Why?: I'm a big fan of Skunk Anansie, particularly the guitar work and was interested in hearing what direction Ace would go without being held back.
Tell me more!: On my initial purchase and listens I didn't think much of it and forgot all about it. But I've attempted this "listen to everything" malarkey many times before, and as "Ace" is up early, I've made myself listen to this album many a time since.
Regardless of the number of listens, almost none of the songs stick in my head. Some are familiar from relistens, but in a few days those melodies will fade. Catachiness matters because these are meant to be pop songs. There is nothing here that isn't aiming for single-dom.
I like that the styles of the songs vary so much, from straight out poprock to hip hop to ballad, and a varied number of singers, about half and half male/female, keeps it interesting.
A track by track is worth doing if only because they're all so varied.
01) "Jet From California" (featuring Jason Perry of A)
This vocalist who I've not heard of, remind's me a lot of Jane's Addition's Perry Farrell, and the music has that 90s "alternative" pop-rock feel to it... but I don't like it. This song starting up the album always puts me in the wrong mood for enjoying. I really should skip it.
02) "Back Up" (featuring Benji Webbe of Dub War/Skindred)
I knew Dub War's Enemy Maker when I bought this album, and on first listen I didn't think a lot of this song compared to that. With fresh ears this song is pretty good, with a much heavier feeling than I remember Dub War having, which Benji ended up moving to with Skindred. It feels a bit like opportunity lost as the production doesn't have anywhere near the punch I think they were going for.
03) "One Way Love" (featuring Lemmy) Lemmy, of Motorhead, who I didn't know when I bought this album. I do now, and this could be a Motorhead song, slowed down. Really it could even be a Skunk Anansie song with different emphasis, but not a very good one.
04) "There's No Pleasin' Some People" (featuring Saffron) Saffron was in Republica, and you might have heard her in The Prodigy's "Fuel My Fire" from Fat Of The Land. This is a pretty funky song, and reminds me of a few bands from the late 90s, none of which I can name now. It ends with a great lyric which feels almost like a veiled dig at the song itself, "screaming endings are better than endless screaming."
05) "No Fear of Falling" (featuring Shingai Shoniwa)
The first of two songs with Shingai, bass and vocals of Noisettes. Both of her songs are mellow acoustic ballads and are the two songs that sound the most like Skunk Anansie. This is the best of the two, probably the best of the whole album. Shingai even sounds a little like Skin, but phrases things a little differently and lets her voice break up occasionally for effect, and the chorus is more melodic and interesting than I'd expect from a Skunk Anansie song.
06) "Skiers of Texas" (featuring JJ Burnel)
JJ, bass and vocals of The Stranglers. JJ does some great lower range singing at the beginning of this song, but ultimately it sounds much like the Lemmy song but with a more pop chorus. This, like most of the song, suffer greatly from too-much-going-on with little noises in the background, drum loop and filter tricks, all hiding the fact the main riff really isn't all that interesting.
07) "Glass Ceiling" (featuring Ben Edwards) Ben Edwards of Miocene. They're some British "experimental metal" band apparently. You'd never know it from this song because the verse sounds like a failed attempt at Trent Reznor, and the chorus is about as clichéd as they get for metal, but perhaps 10 years ago it wasn't? I hate this song.
08) "Your Face Hurts" (featuring Brian "Yap" Barry of One Minute Silence)
09) "45 Grave" (featuring Cliff Jones, of Gay Dad)
I lump these two together because they're both equally ignorable. This is the sound I describe as late 90s/early 00s. I have trouble even describing it. I never liked it.
10) "Prisoner" (featuring Skye)
On relisten to this Morcheeba popped into my head, and it is no surprise to discover Skye is their vocalist. More late 90s feel, again with the overworked drum filters and noisy gutiars as background filler.
11) "This Is the Last Time" (featuring Smokey Bandits)
This is more like it, more hip hop, and of a kind I like with electronic blips, guitars and fast British accents. They say "Lahst" not "Laast". Love it, although possibly the rapping is a little rushed. I'm reminded of album version of Adam Freeland's "Heel N Toe", if it had more guitars.
12) "Mind's Taken Over" (featuring Kim Nail)
I love the verse of this, they're disjointed somehow, like Kim is singing to a different song, but the choruses just don't work. It's a pity... half a good song. I struggled to find anything about Kim on the webs. She has a lovely voice. This song has a weird outro, much like many Skunk Anansie songs.
13) "Phoenix" (featuring Shingai Shoniwa)
The second of Shingai's songs, another acoustic ballad. Almost seems as though it might build up to a huge chorus but it doesn't. The lesser of two of the better tracks.
14) "We Be" (featuring Smokey Bandits)
Another Smokey Bandits song, and it feels a little out of place here, sounding like an attempt at a D12 parody. It almost works, but they're can't compete with Dr. Dre production.
5/10: Every time I've listened to this album over the past ten years I've come out of it disappointed. "No Fear of Falling" is a lovely song and I'd recommend you go listen to that on iTunes. Benji or Lemmy fans might like their collaboration tracks, but I can't say they're really that good. Some of the other tracks are listenable but not memorable.