I've been waiting for
Joe Lynn Turner to do an album like this for...well... ages now. He teased us with the spectacular slab of
AOR goodness back in the mid 80s in the form of "Rescue You", which was a rarity til a recent re-release and never really followed up on it. I mean, sure there were lots of great songs and projects since, his appearances on Nikolo Kotzev's releases, Mother's Army, a plethora of tribute albums, and hooking up with
Glenn Hughes for the aptly named Hughes/Turner Project (HTP). These are all fabulous, but the solo albums weren't quite living up to their potential despite them all having some well respected musicians on board to boot. "Nothing's Changed" and "Hurry Up and Wait" were nice hard rock outings, but "Holy Man" was too steeped in the
Deep Purple 70s blues rock schtick and "Slam" was a bit lacking in the hooks department. The previous solo bit, "JLT" was more in touch with what I personally wanted to hear Turner crooning, but it wasn't quite there yet.
"Usual Suspects" however, fits the profile of what's expected from one of the greatest and most experienced voices in rock right now, even if it doesn't take us to
AOR heaven, it does what it sets out to do with style and replayability. The disc is simply a joy to partake in, with its varied approaches and inspired writing. JLT is as emotive as ever, his voice still just as strong as can be and brimming with power and passion. He can croon with the best of them and belt out rockers like there's no tomorrow. A bluesy twist required? No problem, he can slide into that mode at a moment's notice. His voice has a friendly and honest quality that is undoubtedly a charming comfort. Hearing him at work once again in an atmosphere that he obviously enjoys makes his performance shine even brighter.
Al Petrelli makes a welcome return, being one of the "usual suspects" the album's title hints at. He's been on most of JLT's solo outings and returns here with his usual mix of hard rockin' fire and slow burning string bending. Also of note is the production, which is rich and tight, slick but not overly done, it seems nearly perfect to show off this type of music, by making your sub kick on but keeping the mids nice and smooth as well.
None of the tinny, hollowed out sound here that can make an audio enthusiast cringe at first listen. Nope, none of that here, thankfully.
"Power of Love" opens the disc with an anthemic twist that is fitting and an absolute delight to hear. The chorus is fat and assertive and Turner seems comfortable and ready to burst with enthusiasm on each line.
"Devil's Door" is heavier and darker, especially in the verses that see a bit of chugging guitar laying down a daunting textured rhythm but the song also flaunts a cool bridge and snappy chorus on the flip side. The guitar is wild and uninhibited, crisp and crunchy.
"Jacknife" reminds me of some of
Rainbow's bar brawler songs such as "Drinking With the Devil". Not a favorite example of JLT's work, but it is a decent enough track for what it is and fans of that niche will surely drink this one up as well. The lure for my revisitation on this one however would be something a bit trite and simple, seemingly unimportant in the scheme of things... a single piercing screech that is executed so adorably, I can't help but fawn over it. It's sharp and almost expected, but it's inclusion seems to make the song just a pinch better.
If
"Jacknife" wasn't your thing, then how about this laid-back, low key ballad,
"Really Loved". The pacing is so relaxed and gorgeous, it reminds me of "Fortuneteller" from
Deep Purple's "Slaves and Masters", simply in the overall feel of the piece. Again, I must state how fantastic Turner sounds, his voice just resonates with the flush of warmth, a ray of gentle sunlight on spring dawning day. The mood is an understated one, with a light smoothness.
A full blown ballad,
"Rest of My Life" has the ability to break hearts and is written with such skilled penmanship and care. There's a blues rock twist here and there, but it's pretty much a straightforward balladic piece that keeps calling back for replays. The chorus explodes and the bridge builds, and all is well with the world.
"Into the Fire" bites with slithering guitar that strikes out repeatedly in the midst of the no-holds barred hard rock minded vocal assault. The darker touch in the acoustic ringing back and the subtle electric seamlessly clamped so tightly over it that the acoustic becomes more like a faint echo lost in the slabs of the plugged-in axe.
"Blood Money" has the sweat and grit of a grinding hard rock song that is firmly entrenched in the soul of the blues. A howling "all" and a swaggering "yeah" are just the embellishments on the cake. The rhythm is a bit pedestrian, but since all parts of the musical puzzle seem to fall in place so expertly, the lack of ingenuity can be excused. After all, breaking the barriers of the traditional doesn't always add up to a song that's listenable, nevermind enjoyable.
Oh my gawd, nothing has quite brushed brilliance yet, but if
"All Alone" doesn't win you over with its lush
Rainbow-ish feel and
AOR excellence, then nothing will. This is hands down one of the best songs Joe Lynn has crooned on in a decade. There's so much here to adore, from his loving delivery to the picture perfect guitars.
"Ball and Chain" goes for the jugular but seems a bit of an afterthought since it rubs elbows with "Jacknife" and "Blood Money", the kind of howling, growling rock song that has already been done on the album. Good, but not original enough on its own to distinguish it from the rest of the pack. JLT is gruff and aggressive here though, a cool departure from his norm.
"Live and Love Again" is a classic styled power ballad as only Joe Lynn can sing it. All the bombast and usual trappings of such are on display here, and of course it adds up to be a fine song that sounds great and is quite emotionally filling.
"Unfinished Bizness" breaks out the rusty
Deep Purple-ish organ and pounds and screams in the vien of "Fire in the Basement" from the already mentioned JLT with Purp one-off, "Slaves..." album. Only the Europeans get this one, and it is a cool way to bring the house down on a well-rounded hard rocking musical adventure.
So the "Usual Suspects" is not quite "Rescue You" nor as keyboard laden or
AOR drippingly good as that disc was but this is still a great diversion for those looking for a well rounded hard rock disc that has its tender moments as well. I was hoping for more in the way of
Rainbow revisited, but the resulting album is still a great one, with enough tunes trapped in the chest of
AOR to treasure.
Joe Lynn Turner delivers a quality performance that makes the CD, as it should, since he's the star attraction. I've rarely been let down by a JLT album and this is no exception to that rule. If
Rainbow,
Deep Purple and such are your thing, this is right up your alley.
Written by
Alanna Thursday, March 10, 2005
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