House of Dreams

House of Dreams is the second album, presenting the appeal of high-quality AOR and melodic rock through fine-grained arrangements. Released on Frontiers in April 2009, with Dennis Ward again on production and bass. Alongside Uwe Reitenauer, Thorsten Koehne takes the guitar solos, Gunter Werno handles keyboards, and Chris Schmidt plays drums. Soft keyboards, lustrous guitar and vocals that arrive without strain give the songs a comfortable flow. The closing “Walk On” is Turner's own version of the ballad he co-wrote with Desmond Child and gave to Jimmy Barnes in 1987. Jim Peterik contributed “Say You Will” and “Gutters of Gold,” while brothers Tom and James Martin wrote four including “Divided” and “House of Dreams.” Turner's own vault songs also see daylight as “Forever Now” and “I Found Love.” Rather than flashy weight, the center of gravity is the beauty of melody and atmosphere, with ballads weighing heavily. A warm, refined record suited to dusk or a night drive.