Customer Reviews

Final countdown

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4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

OK, having lived in the 1980's, this shouldn't come as a big surprise, but despite how this genre of music and style of musicians has been dismissed as kitsch and cheese, I'll come straight out with it: I like hair bands. There, I've said it, and one of the groups that may have served as the classic case was Europe, hailing from Stockholm.

I could not get enough of the title track, which had hit #1 in the UK. The booming bass synthesizer, then the majestic (some might call it bombastic), brass-like synths kicking in, then a voice counting down to 0, before the drums join the anthem-like synths, taking full control. I was slowly dipping my toe in metal at this point and was totally able to handle this, what was derisively called hard metal, or even pop metal. Anyway, the apocalyptic song about leaving Earth because "there is no one to blame" reflects an Earth scorched by WW3. John Norum's blistering guitar solo is also a highlight.

The pounding "Rock The Night" has a beat like some of Survivor's anthems, although its awash with guitars chugging and squealing over the place. The opening lyrics "I've gone through changes/I've gone through pain/.../I'm in a rage up from my head down to my toes" reflected the way I felt then, and I must confess, right now. That John Norum could play!

Yes, Europe did power ballads as well, and I'm torn between the title track and the strained-relationship song "Carrie" as my favorite number here. I'm reminded of other emotional power ballads such as those by Heart and Damn Yankees' "High Enough" for the potency this has. Apart from Joey Tempest's vocals, the rest of the group engage in some Queen-type harmonies.

Another "bombastic" keyboard opening, followed by strong Norum guitar work on "Danger On The Track". The song mirrors a Western story of a man, possibly an outlaw, leaving for the mountains, promising to return to his girl, only to be harassed my other men along the way. A very engaging number.

The pace continues briskly with "Ninja", taking the action to Japan, where Joey wants to learn the stories and legends, the battles, dreaming of being the title figure.

With "Cherokee", detailing the forced relocation, i.e. Trail of Tears, they seem to be taking a page from Iron Maiden's book on social-consciousness of Native Americans, i.e. "Run Through The Hills." "So much to bear/all that pain/left them in despair/they lost their faith/and now they had to learn/there was no place to return." While I really admire this song, they could've put more oomph and anger into this to make it into more a powerhouse.

The archetypal wanderer returning home is the subject of the power ballad "Time Has Come": "Pray for the soldier, who's wounded bad/Pray for the dreamer, he's still so sad." Pray for the dreamer... oh, that's me!

"Heart Of Stone" is a mid-paced number. "On The Loose" boasts snarling guitar opening with thundering drums, a good song to play on the highway. The subject here mirrors me: "He lives from day to day/looking for something to do/he needs to get away/hoping that maybe one day/He could be someone/praying that maybe someday/he could be number one."

"Love Chaser" has a sound kind of mirroring Maiden's "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." And the three live bonus tracks enhance this album.

In answering how heavy or hard Europe is compared to others in the hard-metal genre such as Poison, Winger, Warrant, or Whitesnake, it$B!G(Bs difficult, all because of differing rhythms and guitar work, but they are more polished than say, Bon Jovi or Winger, due to their heavy keyboard-work, which made them unique.

Kevin Elson, who produced Journey's Escape, did his magic on this one, making it harder-edged than Wings Of Tomorrow. I wonder what would've happened if Europe stayed with him for their next album, but the following year, Europe knocked on the door of someone who had revived the careers of Heart, Ozzy Osbourne, and gave life to Survivor. Stay tuned.

Does it get much more 80's sounding than this? The smooth keyboards mixed with the heavy chugs and riffs of the glam-era guitar. The fusion of the two sounds is, in this case, a very polished, fluid sound. And throw into the mix precise drumming and Joey Tempest's soaring, whirlwind vocals and you've got what this album is: an 80's glam metal GEM. A truly amazing piece of work from Europe in '86.

"The Final Countdown" is one of the four most-solid tracks on the disc. With an almost ethereal, rocket-me-to-the-moon feel to the rhythm, the tone, and the sound of the band's instruments playing in perfect harmony, this song reminds me of Dokken's "Unchain the Night" in that while it is a metal song, it has a more commercial sound to it that attracts the female audience very nicely while still appealing to the male taste for edginess in the music. A fantastic song.

And if the dudes out there that pick up this album and wonder who the heck calls this metal at ALL, just get to tracks like "Rock the Night" and "Danger On the Track". "Rock..." is one of my favorite four tracks on this album, and "Danger..." is a cut above many glam-era metal tunes. And "Ninja" rips and rolls right along without pause or lethargy, lemme tell ya-- another great song. All three of these songs have some pretty decent axe work, though at times they are drowned by the keyboards.

If the guys still aren't convinced that any metal --even glam-era metal-- should include keyboards (Judas Priest didn't fair too well with keyboards on their "Turbo" 1986 release), perhaps a last hope for their approval of this album is the power ballad "Carrie", a favorite of my girlfriend, my sister, and a few other women I know. Something about Tempest's powerful vox, the lyrics, and the precise use of the synths just get a lot of chicks all starry-eyed and soft-- and guys, you can use this to your advantage! But "Carrie" is, IMHO, a very good song. It's actually what hooked me on Europe.

Anyway, I want to add as well that the guitars in this album are very much a force. There are just as many chugs, riffs, chords, squeals, and pings as in Danger Danger's '89 debut or in Whitesnake's self-titled '87 release. So if you're looking for some really quite good guitar work, this album's got lots of it in addition to some very good melodies, some insanely catchy tunes, and vocals comparable to Don Dokken's, David Coverdale's, and Jon Bon Jovi's as far as range, power, and smoothness.

The second half of the album, including the songs "Cherokee", "Love Chaser", and "On the Loose", is certainly not filler material by any means.

Also the whole album seems to flow as one solid unit, the transition from song to song is seamless.

On this version of the album, there are bonus tracks, albeit they are simply live versions of three of the first four tracks. But after hearing the live versions of "Carrie" and "The Final Countdown", I was very pleased that I bought this extended version of this album, rather than the hard-to-find standard studio version. You won't be disappointed with this album-- well worth the twelve smackos.

If you like this group's sound, dynamics, and sytle, I recommend Danger Danger, Whitesnake, and Dokken.

I enjoyed "The Final Countdown" (the song) the first time I heard it back in the '80s. But I didn't fully appreciate its well-crafted, smooth sound until I started listening to most of today's one-dimensional metal bands.

I decided to buy Europe's Final Countdown remastered CD after hearing the band Stratovarious, a group whose sound reminds me of Europe (see me review of Stratovarius' Infinite CD as to why).

What a cool CD! "The Final Countdown" is a lot of fun to hear again. So is "Rock the Night" (track two). John Norum's guitar style reminds me of Dokken's George Lynch. The layered, clean vocals (provided in large part by Joey Tempest) are so refreshing after listening to late '90s through 2002 rock vocalists (like the absymal Matthew Barlow of Iced Earth)! These songs are catchy, upbeat and produced with pristine precision.

I know John Norum is now with Dokken, but what happened to the rest of these guys?

Europe was rock when guitarists were shredders, vocalists were soaring and crystal clear (in other words, they could actually sing) and keyboardists added a lot of atmosphere and finesse.

If you like Dokken and other '80s hard rock/metal bands, you'll like Europe's Final Countdown CD.

The Final Countdown by Europe is a perfect example of a milestone 80's glam-rock album that's just as enjoyable to listen to today as it was back when it was first released. This is atmospheric, melodic hair band rock at its best. And unlike other hair bands from the 80's, The Final Countdown isn't pure cheese. Ok, perhaps there's *some* cheese here and there. But then again that's what made the 80's so fun. I for one won't ever condemn that.

One thing I've always loved about The Final Countdown is the keyboard arrangements and solos, giving the songs a spacial quality. The song that hands-down uses keyboards most effectively is the title track. Who can ever forget that opening keyboard riff. That's quality stuff, folks. And of course there's the power-ballad "Carrie," which has remained one of my favorite ballads from the 80's. I first heard this song when I had my first crush, and whenever I play it these days I remember her and ponder over it's lyrics, "Maybe we'll meet, again, somewhere, again." The perfect song for anyone remembering a lost love and wondering if they're still out there somewhere.

As with other fans who purchased The Final Countdown, I first bought it on cassette and eventually wore it out. It got pushed back in my dusty pile of other cassettes and stayed there for many years. I was one happy person when this great album was re-released on CD, remastered. The sound quality is stunning, and is an immediately noticeable improvement from the first pressing. Even if you still have the cassette and it hasn't been worn out, you would be crazy not to buy this remastered CD version. And if for some reason better sound quality isn't worth a purchase to you, this version offers 3 bonus tracks, live cuts of "The Final Countdown," "Danger on the Track" and "Carrie." Can't beat that. All in all, a superb album.

This isn't their best, but it is their most well-known. Every song on here is a total winner. If you're just getting started into the scene, look for their new album "Start From The Dark" due out 09/23/04. Don't be fooled by looks. They ROCK!!!

Joey Tempest, Mic Michaeli, John Norum, John Leven, Ian Haugland.
Wasn't Europe's first LP, but certainly the one to propel them into worldwide commercial success in 1986, and for a good reason.

There is NOT a single bad song on this CD!! Joey Tempest (real name Joakim Larsson) wrote all the songs; and his ability to come up with a Catchy Commercial Pop tune is simply incredible. And he came up with 10 for this album. Yeah, all 10 are perfect and powerful songs, and nothing less.

The songs are Catchy, Melodic, Emotional, Polished, Smooth, Powerful, and Energetic. They hit you hard in that way. It's nearly impossible to single out any song or group of songs as being "the best". They are All 100% Potential Hits, capable of shooting straight to the top of charts. All have Unforgettable and Powerful melodies that you will sing in your head for a very long time. And the repeat button, well it becomes your Best friend.

Of course this album features the well-known "Final Countdown" with that Unforgettable Intro to it. And of course there is the Power Ballad "Carrie". But the other 8 songs are in no way worse. They will send you flying with their Powerful and Catchy choruses.

Amazing CD. Swedes truly know how to write those perfect harmonies! This is pure ear candy from track 1 to track 10..... plus the 3 bonus Live versions on this CD.

The Final Countdown is a solid album from Europe. All ten of the tracks are listenable, cohesive, and melodic. I remember first getting the cassette of this release in 1987. I used to listen to it incessantly. I also have the CD now. "The Final Countdown" is a very impressive and spirited tune. I still admire the song after all of these years. The keyboard line is catchy and memorable. John Norum's guitar solo is also great. The album's production, songwriting, and musicianship are tight. The songs are in a hard rock pop direction. Joey Tempest does an impressive job with the vocals. His voice is clear and likeable. The album sports a nice combination of guitar and keyboard work. I used to think that the keyboards somewhat crowded out the guitar work, but I don't think so now. Mic Michaeli does a nice job with the keyboard playing. Ian Haugland also does well with the drums. Joey Tempest wrote all of the songs himself except for the ballad "Carrie." He wrote that song with Mic Michaeli. John Norum's guitar work is skilled and respectable throughout. Every song has a cool guitar solo. His guitar solos are well-constructed and fit in nicely with each song. I don't have any particular favorite songs. All of them are good and satisfying. Europe did a nice job with this album. It's worth a listen.

I don't necessarily own the Bonus tracks version of this album, but I do have the original. Just to clear up any confusion.

I have to say that not only are the songs on this album great to listen to, but they also sound best when you actually turn the volume WAY up and let the Tempest roar.

This may sound hard to believe, but this song has become something of a big motivational tool to me. Now, yes, I was born in the 80s, and some people would think that I'd be more into todays stuff. That is not the case, however, and when I look back at that decade, I had wished that I were alive back then. This album is probably the chief reason why. It had everything. Soaring vocals by Joey T., massive 6-string chops by John Norum, thundering bass by John Leven, hard-banging drum-tech by Ian Haugland, and ever-be-nimble fingrwork by Mic Michaeli. It is just such a pleasure to be able to listen to a song that truly defined a generation, and that was as big as the decade itself. It's just too bad that the North American audience never gave Europe that type of respect originally, though. Oh well. Still, this album, and the title track, will remain a HUGE 80s cornerstone of musical achievement forever. I STRONGLY urge anyone who wants to start an 80s collection, or those looking to expand upon existing collections, to give this disc a try. It might just turn into your personal 80s collection cornerstone. Well, that's all I have to say about that. I'm outta here. And remember Joey's immortal words;

'Nothing is constant, except change.'

This album is what 80's music ia all about. Strong vocals, screaching guitars, and synthesizers. This was really the only BIG album Europe had but what a way to go. The Final Countdown is still played at countless sporting events. The ballad Carrie is a classic 80s ballad. Songs also off the album worth mentioning are, Cherokee and Rock the Night. Both strong singles. Sometimes compared to Bon Jovi the only resemblance is the hair. You could go and get Europes greatest hits CD but as far as I am concerned this is it. This CD has been said to saound like everything else produced from the 80's but it's more like everything else was produced to sound like this.

In general, The Final Countdown--from the Swedish band Europe--is one of my favorite albums. Back in early 1987, I was captured after being exposed to the impressive video for "The Final Countdown." Later, I was given the cassette, then got the CD, and finally procured this remastered CD edition (which was put out in 2001). Originally, The Final Countdown--Europe's third full-length album--was released in 1986. It displays regal-sounding, finessed qualities. It is obvious that the group put a lot of time into the creation of this piece of work, with its catchy hard rock. Pleasing songwriting, solid musicianship, and polished sound quality are in evidence. In addition to the original ten tracks, this remastered CD version sports three extra bonus live cuts which come from a concert at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England during 1987: "The Final Countdown," "Danger on the Track," and "Carrie." One of the things that I like about this album is how well the guitar and keyboard playing work in combination. John Norum's guitar work is skilled, and his guitar solos are nicely tailored, melodic, and memorable. Keyboardist Mic Michaeli lays down some nice sounds on the proceedings, too; also, he provides keyboard solos on "Danger on the Track" and "Cherokee." A notable singer, Joey Tempest provides tenor vocals that are not only soaring and engaging, but also industrious. The songs that I favor are "The Final Countdown" and "Carrie." Endowed in stateliness, "The Final Countdown" is a special composition because of its majestically great keyboard line, supplied by Michaeli, and Norum's sprightly, never-to-be-forgotten guitar solo (one of my favorite guitar solos, in general). "Carrie" is a pretty power ballad exhibiting expressively smooth vocals from Tempest and Norum's passionate-sounding, indelible guitar solo. "On the Loose" is an example of another track that I enjoy; it is a rousing hard rocker that contains a meticulous, fleet-fingered guitar solo from Norum. When it comes to the CD packaging, the CD booklet includes various photos of the group--except for a color one, the rest are black and white--an informative essay, and the song lyrics. The back of the CD jewel case displays a color photo of the band in concert and a snippet of the essay that is featured in the CD booklet. The run time of the CD is just over 54 minutes. The original material makes up just over 40 minutes of this, and the bonus live songs amount to almost 14 minutes. The Final Countdown is a recommendable album.