Now, Mr. West invites you deeper into the guy inside. With “To The Moon” we find him describing the battle to achieve, and the realization that he already has all he's been fighting for. Moving on to “Standing On Higher Ground” Leslie confirms his better place today than yesterday revelation. Again with a bow to Mrs. West, he avows that someone has changed his life throughout the CD. In covering Eddie Boyd & Willie Dixon’s “Third Degree”, we get the perfect dirty blues expressing how you can be twisted by people’s false impressions, of which Leslie has had his share. “Legend” is a welcome song of humility with the lyric, “Don’t call me legend, I came here to play." Here West shows the person deep within, the person he’s been protecting for a lifetime, the hard shell now removed. In “ N o t h in g ’s Changed” West casts off demons both internal and external with fierce attitude and ferocity. A rejoiceful rendition of Lennon/ McCartney's “I Feel Fine” along with the songs “Love You Forever” and “My Gravity’ find West playful and humble about his life with Jenni. With open honesty he declares, “I finally like the way I am, ‘cause I never liked the way I was before”.
Heavy stuff indeed from a guy known for his tough guy persona. “The Party’s Over’ closes this chapter of the book, declaring “I was born ready.” This is the story so far, this song sums up West's goodbye to yesterday and welcomes gratefully his tomorrows. Oh, and “I Don’t Know (The Beetlejuice Song)” is well, I don’t know. Leslie West has never been a bigger man than at this moment. Unusual Suspects is a CD his fans will not only welcome, but relate to in their own lives. Bravo Mr. West. And Congratulations.