Turner; Joe Lynn: Street Of Dreams – Boston 1985

Recent months have seen a flurry of activity around the Rainbow camp (… I wonder why?), the solo career and more of Graham Bonnet covered in some detail by Cherry Red Records, while Cleopatra have released this little beauty by Bonnet's replacement in the band, Joe Lynn Turner. Having been coaxed back into the Deep Purple fold in 1984, Ritchie Blackmore left his Rainbow band mates somewhat hanging; two of them, drummer Chuck Burgi and singer Joe Lynn Turner, deciding to team up on Turner's first solo album, Rescue You. Long seen as a cult classic in melodic rock circles it's an album packed with the polished, commercial rock Blackmore's Rainbow had gone on to master once a certain Ronnie James Dio had been ousted from the band. Unfortunately it also proved Turner's last solo outing for some ten years, stints with Mother's Army, Yngwie Malmsteen and, of course, the ill fated union with Blackmore in Deep Purple occupying his time.

Street Of Dreams – Boston 1985 is an on stage document of the Rescue You tour, Turner and Burgi joined by the musicians who helped record the album, Barry Dunaway (Survivor, Yngwie Malmsteen), Al Greenwood (Foreigner) and Bobby Messano (Fiona). Long circulated as a bootleg recording, the sound is a little rough; although the true live vibe is a welcome one. Maybe a little surprising given his recent tenure in the band only two Rainbow numbers are on show, however both are excellently presented, "Stone Cold" pulsating exactly as it should, "Street Of Dreams" a truly uplifting burst. Meaning that other than the excellent cover of the Buddy Miles number "Them Changes", the rest is from Rescue You, or rather interestingly, at that stage, unreleased.

From the classic album, "Losing You" really is a wonderful shot of commercial rock, while "Young Hearts" veers effortlessly into pop territory. Messano is fantastic on guitar, the Rainbow songs handled with ease, while the smoother touch of "Endlessly" is given real oomph. However, Turner is the star here and rightly so, his vocals on the money throughout, "On The Run", "Get Tough" and "Young Hearts" showing his power and versatility. For long term fans, the inclusion of opener "I Found Love" – possibly the best thing on show – and "Good Girl Gone Bad" will be the most intriguing. The former turned up some 24 years later on the second Turner fronted Sunstorm album, House Of Dreams, while the push and shove of "Good Girl Gone Bad" still hasn't appeared in an official studio form. Both are excellent and suggest any follow up to Rescue You would have been mighty indeed, however it wasn't to be.

Street Of Dreams – Boston 1985 is an excellent live release and one that really illustrates what an underrated and wrongly maligned performer Joe Lynn Turner has long been. For JLT fans it's a must and the same applies to anyone who counts themselves as a lover of good old fashioned melodic rock. In truth, it doesn't come much better.

Track Listing
1. I Found Love
2. Losing You
3. Soul Searcher
4. Young Hearts
5. Endlessly
6. Rescue You
7. Stone Cold
8. Street Of Dreams
9. Feel The Fire
10. Guitar Solo / Good Girls Gone Bad
11. Get Tough
12. On The Run
13. Them Changes

Added: March 28th 2016
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Joe Lynn Turner online
Hits: 1925
Language: english

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