Glenn Hughes

The volatile union between hard rock castoffs Glenn Hughes (ex-Trapeze, Black Sabbath, Phenomena, and of course Deep Purple) and Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen, and, again, Deep Purple) is surely a marriage made in "where are they now file" hell. Probably a million-seller in Japan, the duo's self-named Hughes/Turner Project is the stuff of mere legend in America -- and not in the good sense. Pulling no surprises, their eponymous 2002 release offers exactly what you'd expect from these wily veterans: bluesy duets of crotch-squeezing vocal gymnastics backed up by typically physical hard rock and metal planted firmly in an '80s sonic aesthetic. Largely co-written by the quasi-dynamic duo themselves, hard-driving rockers like "Devil's Road," "You Can't Stop Rock n' Roll," and "Ride the Storm" pile the rock & roll clichés pretty darn deep while benefiting from the usual cast of guest guitar heroes (John Sykes, Paul Gilbert, et al.) for additional name recognition. And two ballads, Turner's "Mystery of the Heart" and Hughes' "Heaven's Missing an Angel," round out this instantly familiar-sounding set with solo showcases that'll double up nicely as five-minute coffee breaks on-stage. Die-hard fans will at least know exactly what to expect here. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide