The dynamic duo of Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner is back, and stronger than ever. Picking up where their debut left off, and getting tighter all the time (sorry, couldn't resist) Hughes and Turner kick the proceedings up a notch by injecting a contemporary slant to the music. The pair sounds like a modern extension of Deep Purple or Rainbow, but the harder edge and itchy-scab guitar work of songs like Revelation and Alone I Breathe give the songs a fresh, sharp edge. Couple that with the nimble-fingered riffery of Hold On and the Zep-ish Losing My Head (featuring Steve Vai and Chili Pepper, Chad Smith) and it becomes evident that Hughes and Turner plan to set 'em up and knock 'em down. That they do. HTP II may be the most vital record either Hughes or Turner has made to date. Special mention must also go to guitarist JJ Marsh, a real talent find for Hughes, and a crucial part of the songwriting behind this great album.
Hughes / Turner Project - HTP (2002)
Exhibiting chops that won't quit, and a level of excitement missing on the last few Deep Purple albums, golden-throated vocalists Glenn Hughes and Joe Lynn Turner - both refugees of Purple's past - formed a tag team and recorded an album together. And what an album it is! Combining members of their respective bands and utilizing the talents of guests guitarists Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X) and John Sykes (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy), Hughes and Turner revisit the classic Purple sound on songs like opener Devil's Road and Missed Your Name, making no bones about their intent. This album should shut up any critics of Joe Lynn Turner that are still harboring grudges from his tenure with Deep Purple. Mystery Of The Heart revisits a bit of that classic "Stone Cold/Street Of Dreams" sound Joe made popular in Rainbow, and Glenn brings a bit of the funk to the proceedings with Better Man and Sister Midnight, which would not have sounded out of place on his 'Building The Machine' solo album. But for the most part, swirling Hammond and chugging guitar make songs like Ride The Storm and Run Run Run a fun, fun, fun blast back in time to the days when rock dinosaurs ruled the earth.