Eddie Turner – The Turner Diaries (NorthernBlues Music).

It’s been a while since I reviewed Eddie’s last album, Rise, and it has been a wait with baited breath for this latest offering. Eddie shows that he has lost none of his power with the opener, Dangerous. Turner likes to push the boundaries and this chugging blues rock with its undercurrent of menace is what I imagine Jimi Hendrix would have been playing nowadays. This is followed by So Many Roads, a sleepy blues with echoed vocals, offset drums and a funky solo. Eddie returns to blues rock for Cost Of Freedom, a busy song in the classic style before turning to acoustic guitar for I’m A Man I’m A Man. Eddie Turner is not your classic bluesman but does like to be an innovator. However, the traditional style is still in his mind and he builds this song up so well. He turns all mean and moody again for Save My Life, a blues based rocker with wailing guitar. Confessions is a slide guitar laden instrumental packed with fuzz and distortion that cements Eddie Turners reputation as one of the finest blues guitarists around.

The mood of euphoria with what has gone before is slightly changed with the somewhat disappointing New Day. It is weak and wishy-washy and not like Turner at all. He’s back on form with the hypnotic Shake 4 Me and it’s full of blues innuendos – how does he keep it up! Pomade is a slowish blues instrumental with Eddie’s trademark guitar and Jody, a medium paced R&B with insipid female backing does not set the heather on fire. The eponymous title track starts off as a samba then goes into a blues rock but the samba drums remain in the background throughout. He closes with a swinging version of the classic I’m Tore Down and this is the highlight of the set and goes to show that it’s the simple ones that often go down best. Eddie Turner is certainly in the premier league of modern blues guitarists.

http://www.northerbluesmusic.com/
http://www.eddieturnermusic.com/

David Blue.