Record Buyer & Music Collector Magazine (UK) - March, 2002

Reviewer: Roy Davies

HUGHES TURNER PROJECT (HTP)

The eagerly awaited co-operation between former Deep Purple and Trapeze singer, Glenn Hughes, and Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Malmsteen) finally his the shops - initially in Japan at least. Bringing together two vocalists of such repute and background could be a license for ego-driven disaster, happily though HTP proves a revelation. The juxtaposition of two such identifiable voices works surprisingly well, and once the novelty of a twin-vocal attack wears off, the listener has some eminently strong material to appreciate.

Stylistically the music steers clear of the soul and funk-rock leanings of Hughes (who wrote much of the music) and instead reprises the best aspects of seventies' blues-based hard rock, whilst the melodic sensibilities of Turner gives the enterprise a sound not unlike Slam, his last retro-flavoured solo outing. Lead vocal duties are split evenly (with a solo ballad each) with former Whitesnake/Thin Lizzy guitarist John Sykes playing guitar on the Hughes ballad, Heaven's Missing An Angel.

Also guesting are Paul Gilbert (Mr.Big, Racer X) and JLT band guitarist Akira Kajiyama - who turns out to be the most impressive of the lot, showcasing some blistering lead work. Other highlights include the driving Devil's Road (very 'Highway Star' Deep Purple), whilst the hook-laden groove of Missed Your Name harks back to Turner's halcyon days in Rainbow.

The apathy towards anything outside the confines of the current trendy 'nu-metal' means the album won't be a huge seller outside of maybe Japan and Northern Europe. But for those of us with a penchant still for well-crafted hard-rock laden songs with melody, performed by two legends to boot, this is a bona-fide classic.