Europe/The Final Countdown 30th Anniversary Show.(2017)

30 years ago already? Whut? EUROPE unleashed the mega selling The Final Countdown back in 1986 and it’s kinda funny as if we were to talk about my listening curve with Europe back in 1986.

The Final Countdown had some great rock tracks like Cherokee/Danger On The Track and Rock The Night.

Course the song The Final Countdown song and video was played to death (will say that Europe Guitarist John Norum plays a great solo on the track)  as was the ballad Carrie(no comment) but things kinda went south for me when Lead Singer Joey Tempest sang into a Heinz Ketchup bottle on the Rock The Night video( I posted a story about Joesph and The Ketchup Bottle)…

So Europe basically that year 1986-87 flatlined for me. Even when Europe released in 1988 Out of This World it didn’t do it for me(my brother Todd bought Out of This World on cassette tape) even after hearing it. Superstitious was a great track still though….

Than EUROPE closed up shop and then in the year 2000 EUROPE reforms with the same 5 guys and they still continue on to this day which is remarkable as they look  and sound in decent shape. Case in point check the vid below with a recent tune from 2015’s excellent War of Kings album called Nothing To You. Killer track with Norum soloing like a lunatic on  guitar! Norum is an underrated guitarist the guy is a genius on the 6 string….

The first part of this show is the full War of Kings album played in its entirety. A great slick move as Joey and the boys are like keeping it fresh and current and just not relying on some huge nostalgia only rock act….

So here comes in 2017  the actual  release of the Final Countdown show recorded last year and it features a ton of tunes. On the first disc as i mentioned EUROPE plays a bunch of new stuff from the War of Kings release. These new tunes stand up well.

Remember earlier on I was talking about my listening curve with EUROPE?!

Let’s put it this way Joey and the boys have blended on there last few releases  the sonics of Deep Purple and UFO into their music and have become a great straight ahead hard rock act that know the role of the keyboards just as UFO did in their heyday.

Funny how time changes one’s mind in this case whereas I have no problem listening to EUROPE now especially with the recorded output they have recently put out in the last few years.

I cannot say the same about Bon Jovi currently and even UFO for that matter. Now don’t get me wrong folk’s what I mean is when I do listen to UFO or Jovi it’s a certain era. UFO its everything from the brilliant Strangers In The Night to Making Contact. For Bon Jovi it would be Slippery thru to Keep The Faith. Basically anything these bands have put out since than I really couldn’t care less about…

EUROPE on the other hand its a role reversal with Jovi and UFO…

Europe has ramped up there sound/mixed things up sonically(hiring Rival Sons producer Dave Cobb was a brilliant move) and have made it interesting to say the least! Speaking of which EUROPE has a new album coming out this October titled Walk On The Earth. Friggin rights I’m getting it….

I can listen to Europe in 2017  whereas  in 1987 I had issues with them! Haha..

Better late than never!

 

Joey Tempest Vs Heinz Ketchup

Yup Theres The Proof! Joey Clenches Ketchup Bottle! DeKEs Says “Talk To You In 29 Years Time  Joey!

Merry Christmas and all that jazz folks! Thanks for checking back in here at 80s Metal Shatz N Giggles. First order of agenda is a new category here  that I’m calling DeKEs N Rambles. Basically it’s me spouting off on all things music not a normal review but just my observing of course all things music from my 80s Haze Daze!

Thanks for joining along……

Hard rock fans can be fickle and back in 1986 I was one of them in regards to Europe. When Europe hit with the Final Countdown(album and opening number) I didn’t mind the track especially John Norums flashy type guitar solo but for some reason I didn’t take the bait laid by Joey Tempest and crew. The Final Countdown was played a zillion times on MuchMusic and well 1986 Van Halen had 5150,David Lee Roth with Eat Em And Smile,Iron Maiden with Somewhere In Time,Ratt with Dancing Undercover,Aerosmith with Done With Mirrors and many others. Hey my $$$$ could only be stretched so far.

Rock The Night though was the second single and it was more up my alley! It had that big opening riff and even the keys were mixed kinda reminding me of Deep Purple Perfect Strangers style. I had heard Rock The Night on a friends cassette tape at high school and I dug it. It was only a matter of time before it was to become a single and  in no time MuchMusic began playing the video. When I actually seen it  the power of video that ruled with cool Van Halen videos(Hot For Teacher) and Iron Maiden videos (Aces High) fell apart with Europe!

Rock The Night video begins with Europe pulling up to a Hard Rock Hotel Bar and taking a booth over as the song is played in the background Tv. Kee Marcello (guitarist,John Norum plays on the album but than quit before this video was made)makes the first dibs at the Heinz Ketchup Bottle and plays the bottle like its a guitar complete with a attached wang bar! Ah yeah? The good thing is it lasts about 4 seconds.

Joey Tempest than grabs the Ketchup Bottle and basically uses it as a mic for a good half a verse and than in the clip you can see someone’s arm hand Joey a mic and he dumps the bottle! Hahaha….oh man!

Meh!

Course the next video was the syrup ballad Carrie which dripped ick so I just moved on….

I did get a taped copy of The Final Countdown and it had some decent tunes like Cherokee and Danger On The Track so I kinda dumped on these guys pretty hard back in 1986 as the video just irritated me.

1988 Europe released Out Of This World and my brother(Todd) bought this and I listened to it a bit and it was decent. More Than Meets the Eye was a good track as was Superstitious.

Forward to 2015 and like I have posted before(when I reviewed War Of The Worlds) it was fellow  blogger Jon At Cd Festival And Music Guide who slammed down a 10/10 rating on Europe’s latest War Of The Worlds. Jon doesn’t hand out those easy. He’s a reviewer and if you put out Dog Doo he will call it just that.

I gambled and bought War Of The Worlds and Jon was right! Europe 2015 I dig more than Europe 1986 and its the same band as Marcello split and Norum rejoined speaking of Norum his solos just will rip your brain apart! He’s that Good!

It only took me 29 years to come around on Europe…

Better Late Than Never….

Want any Ketchup with those fries?