Artist: Turner, Joe Lynn
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2005
Rating: 3.5/5
Unlike its predecessor “JLT” (2003), which is basically also packed with everything the name Joe Lynn Turner has to offer, “The Usual Suspects” sounds like something you could call “more retro eighties”! Quite a few cues carry over from Turner’s debut. Of course, Joe didn’t forget a few obvious “Rainbow-style tricks” either. Those tricks are duels between “Hammond” sounding keys and guitar, through “gypsy” slide playing (Power Of Love or Blood Money), which was enthroned in Rainbow by the deity known as Ritchie Blackmore, and often the keys and guitar attack together through a riff (Unfinished Business), which instantly reminds Jack Kniffe of Death Alley Driver (Rainbow). The production is a touch more sophisticated than on “JLT”, so the sound comes out a bit AOR-ish in places. In general, Turner’s vocal color is basically ideal for AOR, so the “feel” of a given motif often jumps over to that genre, especially where female backing vocal harmonies join Turner (the mid-tempo Rest Of My Life and the All Alone chorus in general).
Turner sings like a jet again! Full-throttle in every tonality and always fully immersed! In other words, he launches himself entirely onto the recording. The guy screams at full power, raspy and “leathery” or perfectly clean. He can unleash a killer “scream” with which he masterfully decorates many a motif with a great sense of improvisation, while in the same breath he can “ease off” with his voice anytime! Like in the heartfelt half-ballad Really Loved, where he especially delights with his approach, since his subtlety shines across the board here. Guitars were played by Karl Cochran and Al Pitrelli (ex-Alice Cooper, ex-Megadeth, ex-Asia, Savatage, Trans Siberian Orchestra). The latter in particular is the kind of guitar wizard who has earned a reputation as one of the most sought-after studio “session” guitarists. Once again he plays practically flawlessly every role he takes on. He contributed a few excellent “experiments” that convincingly revive the golden “Rainbow-style” feel.
However you look at it, the seasoned old fox has delivered an excellent record within the boundaries he so artfully masters. The high points of the mood are captured in polished, melodically refined choruses, and the expressive guitar riffs crawl straight into your ears. The solos and guitar embellishments nicely air out the classically structured songs, so that they don’t come off as monotonous and the predictability doesn’t “pound” too much in the foreground, which would raise the boredom level of a record that this type of creation is generally very prone to. The lyrics, of course, once again tell of happy and unhappy games with women and the search for one’s calling, in short, proper “bitter or sweet reality” musings, or rather the daydreams of every rocker. This is a record for Rainbow fans who miss the good old Blackmore, who in the eyes of true hard rock lovers literally makes a fool of himself these days in Blackmore’s Night. But it’ll hit the spot most for all the diehard followers of Joe Lynn Turner. That last remark holds for planet Earth in general, because in Slovenia you can barely count them on the fingers of one hand. “The Usual Suspects” is thus the real Joe Lynn Turner “through and through”, or in other words “a true school of rock singing”. Turner, firmly in the saddle of it, keeps riding with confidence, in the way he masters best, and so this time too he didn’t shoot blanks.
Line-up
Joe Lynn Turner – vocals
Guest musicians:
Karl Cochran – guitar
Al Pitrelli – guitar
David Z – bass guitar
John O’Reilly – drums
Paul Morris – keyboards
Andy Burton – keyboards
Nancy Bender – backing vocals
Production
Bod Held & Joe Lynn Turner
Track list
1. Power Of Love
2. Devil’s Door
3. Jacknife
4. Really Loved
5. Rest Of My Life
6. Into The Fire
7. Blood Money
8. All Alone
9. Ball & Chain
10. Live & Love Again
11. Unfinished Bizness (Bonus)
Album length: 48:40
