Steve Turner

Proving that his 2003 solo debut, Searching for Melody, was no fluke, Steve Turner promptly issued a follow-up EP, A Beautiful Winter, and the full-length And His Bad Ideas a year later. But unlike his debut, which was surprisingly un-Mudhoney-like (it largely included singer/songwriter and roots rock compositions), Turner's sophomore full-length sees the singer/guitarist crank things up a notch. This is especially evidenced by such tracks as the album-opening "The Grand Introduction" (which features some very Neil Young-ish, crackling guitar), "Zero on the Scale," and the gloriously titled "I Love the Sound of My Guitar." While it's still not the all-out energy blast that Mudhoney often is, the material here is much more along the lines of what you'd expect from one of grunge's guitar greats. Turner is joined once more by the same cast of characters as his debut (including Mudhoney's Dan Peters and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard) in addition to several new guests, including former Thee Headcoatees member Holly Golightly, who supplies vocals on a few tracks (including the jangly, country-tinged "A Beautiful Winter"). As with his debut, Turner has once more issued a strong album unlike what most longtime Mudhoney fans would expect from him. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide