Joe Lynn Turner
Undercover 2
Shrapnel
As the title of this album hints, this is a set of covers of popular classic rock tunes by legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner, who is known for his stints with Deep Purple, Rainbow, and Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force. I like this record, and I see many merits to it. First off, it’s JLT – his vocals are impressively powerful and highly versatile. Next, the guitarist adds aggression, speed, edge and punch. (Sadly, there is no mention of who the guitarist is, or credits, in the inside sleeve.) Thirdly, the songs covered are popular classic rock, with whose lyrics I am fairly familiar. So this has made a good driving record for me. Highlights include killer renditions of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter,” UFO’s “Rock Bottom,” Deep Purple’s “Lady Double Dealer,” Bad Company’s “Moving On,” and a rocking, chops-heavy version of Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild.” There are also covers of Whitesnake’s “Fool For Your Loving,” Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town,” Derringer’s “Rock and Roll Hootchie Koo,” and Foreigner’s “Waiting For A Girl Like You.”
Despite the age and banality of the original versions of most of these covers, this album won me over because of its discovered newness for re-doing classic rock, and its relentless, astounding guitar work.
Shrapnel Records, P.O.Box P, Novato, CA 94948; http://www.shrapnelrecords.com/
