The ”Lost UK Jewels” Vol.11 TORINO ”Customized” +8 *0dayrox EXCLUSIVE*

As requested, here’s in exclusive at 0dayrox another installment from Steelheart Memories Records ”The Lost UK Jewels series”: TORINO – Customized +8”, strictly limited to 500 copies and already out of print.
Finally on CD for the very first time and digitally remastered, “Customized” was the debut album for these British Melodic Hard Rockers, produced by talented Steve Morris (Export, Heartland, Shadowman) and released by the legendary label FM Revolver.
Full of catchy & melodic songs like “Call Of The Wild”, “Can’t Let Go”, “Out Of The Fire” and the AOR ballad “Take My Heart Away”, that might definitely bring a smile on the faces of all SHY, FM and Strangeways fans.
As extra / bonus, we have the unreleased 8-song demo the band recorded under their initial Grand Torino moniker.

With a singer like Stuart Fox, whose style sat somewhere between Jon Bon Jovi and Steve Plunkett (Autograph) and some songs that dripped with the red, white and blue of the American stars and stripes, TORINO were one of the few acts that truly deserved their deal, back in the day.
The commercial potential is there from the start and one cannot stop wondering what could have been done with some major label backing and a decent promo package.

The album starts off in fine style with the hard rockin´“Out of the Fire”, a song that had been a staple at Torino shows since 1984. This is definitely one of the stronger songs on the album and my favourite track. It is followed by the slow rockin’ “Steal My Thunder” a song that reminds me heavily of Bon Jovi – Fox‘s vocals are a little reminiscent of a young Jon Bon Jovi indeed, and the grooving bass line could easily fit on Slippery When Wet. Add a couple of huge backing vocals to the mix, a hook and you have got a great song.

We are then treated to the first ballad of the album entitled “Somewhere”. We are back on the hard rockin’ track with “Can´t Let Go” which starts off with a nice keyboard fill and a melodic acoustic guitar chord. The song has some hit potential through a memorable chorus that easily sticks in your head and a nice melodic solo from Barry MacKeown. This song would have been a potential single off the album.
Spot number five is taken by “Boys Go Wild” which is a straight ahead rock song with a British feel.

The melodic hard rockin´ “Call of the Wild” is another winner. Fox sounds like a dead ringer for Joe Elliot here and it is a song with a strong and steady beat, a memorable and infectious hook. There are plenty of choirs and backing vocals where Tony Mills‘ contribution to the album can be clearly heard. It would have been another contender for a single release off of the album.
Up next is another old cut from the Gran Torino days entitled “Take My Heart Away”. It is a nice, feelgood rock song that starts with the lone acoustic guitar and vocals from Fox but picks up in tempo for the chorus. The chorus has some distinct female backing vocals to support the main voice.

Time for a grittier song with “Dance Crazy” which is the heaviest song on the album. It starts off with a heavy, chugging riff from guitarist Barry McKeown and the song stays in a heavier tone throughout being guitar driven and guitar oriented the whole way through. We get a real vibrato solo and a great and memorable chorus. A great heavy rocking piece!
The last song on the original album is “Never Surrender” which is another mid-tempo rocker with an enticing, driving beat.

On this remastered CD, there are 8 bonus tracks which are all earlier demos from the Gran Torino days. All these make nice additions to the original album, and a must for collectors.
While most of the songs are earlier versions that in the end found their way onto ‘Customised’, we cand appreciate how these evolved. One shining exception is the song “Heaven Will Rock” which is a great and heavy rocking track that surely should have made the cut and been recorded for the album.
The only other unique song in this bonus material is the last song on the CD “Outta Love With You”. There is of course “Break Down the Walls” which is an early version of “Call of the Wild”.

The packaging of this CD is tasteful with press cuttings from different magazines from the time when it all happened. The booklet also contains extensive liner notes from Rob Evans about Torino’s story.
This is an album packed with quality melodic hard rock/AOR and the Brits really knew how to do it! In a flood of similar bands, Torino got lost in the shuffle, but with these reissues some wrongs may be set right.
Undoubtedly, the potential was there and Torino had the songs to make it bigger than they actually achieved.
A MUST have for ’80s UK Melodic Hard Rock / AOR fans.

Only at 0dayrox

01 – Out Of The Fire
02 – Steal My Thunder
03 – Somewhere
04 – Can’t Let Go
05 – Boys Go Wild
06 – Call Of The Wild
07 – Take My Heart Away
08 – Dance Crazy
09 – Never Surrender
BONUS TRACKS:
10 – Out Of The Fire (Gran Torino Demo)
11 – Heaven Will Rock (Gran Torino Demo)
12 – Take My Heart Away (Gran Torino Demo)
13 – Dance Crazy (Gran Torino Demo)
14 – Somewhere (Gran Torino Demo)
15 – Can’t Let Go (Gran Torino Demo)
16 – Breakin’ Down The Walls (Gran Torino Demo)

Stuart Fox: Lead & Backing Vocals
Paul Diamond: Bass & Backing Vocals
Brian Dixon: Drums
Barry McKeown: Guitar & Backing Vocals
Guests:
Steve Morris: Keyboards, add. Guitars
Tony Mills: Backing Vocals

OUT OF PRINT