Customer Reviews

Usual Suspects

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Good
The last time I heard Joe Lynn Turner was on Brazen Abbott's last release, although he sounded okay, I thought that it wasn't the JLT I remembered. I was surprised when I gave The Usual Suspects a spin; this is the JLT I know and love! "Power of Love" is a mix of chugga-chugga riffing and sustained power chords. Joe's vocals are still melodic with just enough ruggedness to remain edgy. The persistent chorus really draws you in.

A wicked riff charges up "Devil's Door". This track focuses on JLT's powerful vocal prowess, pushing the instrumentation to the background. The periodic keyboard tones help underscore the song. The driving guitar and keyboard rhythms on "Jack Knife" recall the days of Rainbow. Al Pitrelli lays down an off-the-wall solo. "Really Loved" is a slow tempo, soulful track with keyboard heavy verses. Arena rock riffage blended with clean arpeggios command "Rest of My Life". The lyrics that make up the chorus are instantly memorable as Turner lays down some great layered vocals.

"Ball and Chain" has a funky muted riff and piercing lick to it. The guitar combo helps drive home the message of not being able to escape a troubled lover. Pitrelli delivers again during his solo. "Live and Love Again" is a bluesy power ballad about moving on (love that power bridge). JLT ends on a high note with "Unfinished Business". It has fast paced, hard driving rhythms that mingle well with Joe's forceful lyrics. Shades of 70s Deep Purple organ tones can be heard here.

The Bad
Nothing

The Verdict
Another classic Joe Lynn Turner album! You don't have to be a longtime fan to enjoy JLT's brand of feel-good rock music.

I might have overlooked this album because I am more into thrash and pure metal than into hard rock. Ok, I've always admired Joe Lynn Turner for his works with Yngwie Malmsteen and Rainbow, but it had been a long time since I had a thought about him. But there's also this guy, Al Pitrelli, who used to work for Savatage and for Megadeth, and his guitar playing and tone are second to none, and you know, for some reason I went to check his discography and this album popped up. So I said "JLT and Pitrelli together? Let's check that out!", and well, what I lucky guy I feel I am!

First of all, this music is purely melodic Rainbow-like AOR, as good as it can get from monsters of this height. Also guaranteed to keep your girlfriend happy, and you'll still be able to listen to rock when you're together on the road. :-D In any case, I encourage you to consume this sugar-fuelled set of amazing songs, which is more than good in spite of its commercial taste -- it does taste good, don't worry.

From the soaring opener "Power Of Love" you know you are into something really cool with this album. JLT sings his lungs out, and then Pitrelli puts the axe to sing too. Very enjoyable! I also enjoy to infinite proportions the energetic hardrocker "Jacknife" and the mid-paced "Devil's Door" -- ah! Pitrelli and his shining solos again! But I don't skip a single track when listening to this album. JLT knows how to sing with his beautiful, well-tempered and wide-ranged voice, and he plays the Midas King role all the time: whatever he touches instantly becomes pure gold. Take for example the ballad "Live And Love Again". It might have sounded banal sung by anyone else, but JLT's pipes make it sound so classy! There's no doubt that he is one of the best singers in the business.

By the way, the European version of this album has a bonus track that is worth a listening too -- "Unfinished Business". It is a pretty old-school hardrocker, in the normal vein of JLT, as enjoyable and fun as always.

To conclude the review, this is high-quality ear-friendly rock that will treat you with every played note. Nothing revolutionary, but perfectly crafted and amazingly sung, so it deserves five stars -- dues paid to Rainbow, of course. :-)

Years ago I first heard JLT singing on the much maligned Deep Purple Slaves and Masters album. I guess I was one of the few who enjoyed the raw edginess of JLT's voice and thought he bought a new era to DP. But it only lasted one album. JLT moved on to other projects including Rainbow and Hughes Turner Project etc, but I think he has really found his niche with his solo albums over the last few years. Recently (through Amazon, you just can't get these CD's in Australia) I have purchased Holy Man, the Usual Suspects, Sunstorm and Second Hand Life and they are just brilliant. On each album JLT has produced a good mix of rock and ballads which really showcase his excellent voice.

I have to admit that I love Joe Lynn Turner's vocals but not around hard rock more the slightly mellower stuff. This CD has a bit of both but probably just a touch too much of the harder edged style to gain an extra star from me. Hate when others do this but probably three and half stars is close. "Power Of Love" is a fantastic start if not eighties derived somewhat but the vocal pipes are fabulous. "Devil's Door" is a wash with swirling keyboards and is the owner of the best chorus on the whole outing and as such rears its head as best on show in the early stages. "Jacknife" has the whole hammond keyboard Purple period feel and isn't really that great (but again owns a chorus that wont leave your head) perhaps a grower but seems a little too heavy handed to cut through. Then we have musical bliss with "Really Loved" with its bourbon soaked vocals and simplicity. This is the kind of stuff I would like a couple more of perhaps. "Rest of My Life" is also a smokey bar number and it too is sublime. Lovers of the James Christian and Bryan Adams school of smooth stylish rock will find paradise here. The later songs are all solid enough but drop off the high side of some of the early highlights, "All Alone" is the noticable exception if not a little too repeatative. All in all not a monsterous classic but a nice solid CD that will provide much pleasure to those who search for diamonds amongst the rough.

2005's The Usual Suspects is the ninth solo album from journeyman vocalist Joe Lynn Turner. The former Deep Purple and Rainbow (and current Over the Rainbow) singer has a very solid track record when it comes to his solo albums, and The Usual Suspects is another fine melodic rock effort.

There are no real surprises here. Turner and company (most notably guitarist Al Pitrelli and multi-instrumentalist Akira Kajiyama) serve up an impressive collection of melodic rock songs that put a modern spin on the classic Rescue You sound. The album obviously showcases Turner's powerful, soulful vocals, but it's also a surprisingly guitar-driven effort with lots of crunch and a fair amount of heaviness (balanced by lush melodies of course).

It's not an essential album the way Rescue You or Sunstorm are, but The Usual Suspects is still a very solid, very enjoyable melodic rock album from one of the best vocalists in the business. If you're a Joe Lynn Turner fan, you won't want to miss this one, and if you're a fan of high quality melodic rock in general, The Usual Suspects is well worth hearing.

While the album has a bit more screaming vocals than I normally care for, the guitarists Karl Cochran and Al Pitrelli along with bassist David Z and drummer John O'Reilly rock it up so I don't mind it at all. This album is more what I remember early Dokken style as than the later Sunstorm albums JLT did but still a little melodic with a pretty good ballad "Live and Love Again." I love this kind of guitar work...deep and rocking rather than shrill and screaming. This is the kind of music you want to play when you are a bit down and want a pick me up or feel like kicking some butt and still want to understand the lyrics (which is the problem with the new screamo crap that is being put out).
I am very happy I bought this CD which is currently out of stock at Amazon and had wished Amazon had it on MP3 download. Considering how many rock records that still rock out there, it would be nice if they were more real bands than karaoke and tribute bands on the MP3 listings.