Arena Sweden

1. Take on the World

2. Show Me the Way

3. Heaven

4. Love on the Line

5. You Are the One

6. Don't Be Afraid

7. I Want to Love You

8. Pray for the Children

9. State of Your Heart

10. After the Hurt Is Gone

11. I Believe

Tracks:

The Final Countdown
Rock The Night
Carrie
Danger On The Track
Ninja
Cherokee
Time Has Come
Heart Of Stone
On The Loose
Love Chaser
The Final Countdown (Live)
Danger On The Track (Live)
Carrie (Live)

Customer Reviews:

Yikes!.......2007-05-28

My husband and I come from musical backgrounds and listen ALL types of music. When we first played this (and it will be the LAST time) we couldn't stop laughing at the overblown, derivative 'big hair' sound of this band. This band sounds like they were attempting to copy Queen, the Scorpions, etc. The drumming is boring and basic, the guitar sounds like every band from the 80's: carpal tunnel inducing generic shred. The lyrics sound like they were written using "Formulaic Lyrics That Sound Like They Mean Something 101". And if the singer sang 'WhoaOHOHOHOHOHOaaaaaaa' once, he must have sang it a zillion times. Maybe he was in pain. I know we were after listening to this...

An enjoyable piece of work.......2007-04-17

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.

Still Kickin.......2007-01-17

This album still holds up today because a lot of millenium culture was so similar to the 1980s. It's supposed to be the future, so no 50s teen idols. No teen idols. No Britney Spears. They're queer. These guys are high class. I recognized it was all in Swedish- Swedish lyrics, made in Sweden, recorded in Sweden. Not really the bad taste of the 80s, that was more like the 3 wheeler or Twisted Sister. Cool without being geeky. Cocaine culture was glam and exotic. This album is kind of exotic. On the first side, the first three tracks still hold up and the rest of the album is just as good. Carrie was a big hit. The title track was used in a Pepsi commercial. I know, guys there's a bit of an age differance you should be middle aged now, but this album is still pretty cool.

Remastered Classic.......2006-11-28

Released in 1986, the Final Countdown is the third album from Swedish rockers Europe. To call it a breakthrough album would be a major understatement. The Final Countdown sold millions of copies worldwide and made Europe one of the era's biggest bands. To this day you can't attend a major sporting event without hearing the song "the Final Countdown" in the closing minutes. This is the song and album that made me a Europe fan for life.

It's may also be the band's weakest album.

Hear me out. 20 years after its release it is possible to look at the Final Countdown objectively in comparisons to Europe's other albums. Sales figures aside, the Final Countdown followed what is arguably the band's best album - 1984's Wings of Tomorrow (I say arguably because I sometimes think 1991's Prisoners in Paradise may be the best thing the band has ever released). Instead of a natural progression, the Final Countdown took a sharp turn into hair metal/arena rock territory, amping up the keyboards, power ballads, and of course the hairspray. There's no denying that the move paid off, but musically it resulted in a weaker overall album.

That's not to say it's a bad album. It still has plenty of great songs, like Rock the Night, Time Has Come, Heart of Stone, and of course the Final Countdown, which to this day has to be considered THE Europe song. It also has some weaker, if not downright silly moments, like Ninja, Danger on the Track, and the weepy ballad Carrie. I should probably add Cherokee to that list, but it's so darned catchy I can't bring myself to do it.

The Final Countdown will always hold a special place in my heart, but looking back it's plain to see that the albums released just prior and soon after it are better efforts. It still deserves a 4-star rating for what the album did for the band, and what it meant to me as a kid.

A remastered version of the Final Countdown was released in 2001. In addition to the much appreciated digital remastering, the CD includes three live tracks - The Final Countdown, Danger on the Track, and Carrie. I'm certainly glad there is a remastered version of the Final Countdown available, but I can't help wishing they would give the rest of Europe's back catalog the same treatment.

Sorry, but...........2006-08-22

Europe is just boring, commercial glam rock drivel. They are a very poor representative of the Euro-metal sceen. (I use the term "metal" loosely). The band are OK musicians, while the songwriting is pure, radio-targeted greed.

If you want to listen to some good metal from Europe (the continent, that is) check out King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Children of Bodom or Meshuggah. Final Countdown is just the worst of 80's excess.

Average customer rating:

Rockin' Return
A band that was destined to be one of the great... what happened?
Starting over? Yes! ...in the dark? Most certainly.
Like There first album
Suprised!

Start From the Dark
Europe
Manufacturer: Friday Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Secret Society
Europe
Out of This World
Prisoners in Paradise
Live from the Dark

ASIN: B0009ESSW4
Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

Got to Have Faith
Start from the Dark
Flames
Hero
Wake Up Call
Reason
Song No. 12
Roll With You
Sucker
Spirit of the Underdog
America
Settle for Love
Seven Doors Hotel [Live][*]
Wings of Tomorrow [Live][*]
Start From the Dark

Album Description

Europe, the hard rock superstars are truly back with their stunning release called Start From The Dark. Recorded in their native Stockholm, this new offering shows the quintet reaching into their hard rock arsenal, unleashing twelve incredible tracks of definitive Europe for their multitude of fans worldwide.

Their smash "Got To Have Faith" kicks off this brand new album into high gear. Soulful guitar licks and a soaring drum beat provide an excellent stage for Joey Tempest's vocals.. Uplifting lyrics, solid band performance and the fine production from the ever talented Kevin Elson make this new Europe recording their finest in years.

The title track "Start From The Dark" begins with a smooth acoustic guitar section by John Norum. As the song amps up with the thumping bass lines provided by John Leven and the heavy drumming of Ian Haugland, this track really shows how the band effectively utilizes melodic elements throughout while pleasing the heavy metal kid in all of us.

Crowd pleaser "Spirit Of The Underdog" shows the fine keyboard artistry of the talented Mic Michaeli. This beautiful melody soon turns into a rock and roll anthem with the strong vocals of Joey Tempest. Interesting lyrics abound, complete with a wall of searing guitars, Tempest's composition is one of the finer moments of this rewarding fine collection.

In the hard rock music circles, Europe's Start From The Dark was one of the more highly anticipated comeback releases of 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Rockin' Return.......2007-03-31

Reading some of the other reviews for Europe's 2004 comeback album Start From the Dark, I'm reminded of a scene in a Simpsons episode where the hippie running the recycling station (brilliantly named "Uriah's Heap") tells Mr. Burns: "You're living in the past man, contemporize!" That seems appropriate here, as so many people seem to expect the band to break out the Aqua Net and synthesizers and pretend that the past decade never happened.

Instead of trying to repeat past glories, Europe gave us the one thing we had every right to expect: a first class rock & roll album. Sure, the band's style has changed a bit, but this isn't the work of a band trying to glom onto the latest musical trends. Start From the Dark showcases a more mature Europe, who was able to build on the past 2 decades of great music and continue to grow and improve. The most drastic changes are the heavier, crunchier guitar work and the lack of Final Countdown-style stadium anthems. At the heart of it though, you're still getting the same high quality melodic hard rock that the band has been delivering since 1982. And I'll argue that the songwriting on this album is as good, if not better, than any other album the band has released. If it has a more modern sound, then so be it. I'm not the same 11 year old kid listening to The Final Countdown for the first time, so why should I expect the band to remain the same?

Start From the Dark flat-out rocks, people. From the opening riffs of "Got To Have Faith" and the powerful title track, to the laid back "Roll With You" and Thin Lizzy inspired "Hero", right through to the smooth closing track "Settle for Love", Europe has delivered another fantastic album, and the best comeback album since Tesla's Into the Now. It's a shame that so many people will miss it because they are looking backwards instead of forward.

A band that was destined to be one of the great... what happened?.......2006-08-21

Europe was always one of the favorite bands of my childhood. Great rocking tunes, amazing voice of Joey Tempest, excellent, inspiring rock.

Anyway, everybody only seems to remember "Final countdown" as their major hit and "Wings of tomorrow" as their best album. Well, that may be true, but it couldn't be more unfair to one of 80's best hard rock bands to have that as Europe's only achievements . Were not "Out of this world" and "Prisoners in paradise" any good? Those two albums are TRULY UNDERESTIMATED and are gems of hard rock music. If you're an Europe fan or are just curious about their music, go and listen to "Sign of the times", "Lights and shadows" and "Tomorrow" and tell me you're not inspired by them.

Anyway, it is true that in most cases it is very difficult for an almost forgotten hair metal band to come back in the XXI century with something "brand new and exciting". The product, mostly ends up being "what they can offer to try to fit in the actual music market", not a unique piece of inspiration. If you don't believe me, refer to Heart's horrible "Jupiter's darling" (lyrics that would probably fit a Lindsay Lohan album, totally ridiculous for a band of ladies over 50, not talking about the boring 16-track long set of uninspired music) or Lizzy Borden's poorly crafted "Deal with the devil".

Europe certainly didn't have it easy if they wanted to come back. Sure it is always a romantic dream for the fans of a long gone band to see their heroes back on stage. But then, dissapointment comes when they discover that much of the magic is gone. "Start from the dark", as its ominous title states, refers to an attempt to rebuild the glory of a band that lost the way in the early 90's. Well, it does not just fail to achieve that, but that positions them exactly "in the dark" without getting our of it. No doubt, Joey's vocals are excellent as always, and some of the tunes offer us a *different* side of Europe, but this album is surely Europe's weakest... the problem is that we have the "Europe" label on it... there would probably not be any problem if the label was "Joey Tempest - Start from the dark".

And I'm not one of those fans that live in the past and would like the band to sound always like Final Countdown, actually I'm very open minded, but I would like to hear them back with something true and unique and not with something to prove they are "still alive" trying to impress an everytime more unimpressionable music world.

Starting over? Yes! ...in the dark? Most certainly........2006-06-08

Europe's first album in over a decade immediately drew my interest because at one time these guys were my favorite band in the world!

OK, I'll admit it. It WAS "The Final Countdown" that first got me hooked, but I did check out the first two albums ("Europe" & "Wings Of Tomorrow") right after thier mega chart-topper was released, and afterwards went on to find the next two releases, "Out Of This World" and "Prisoners In Paradise" to be even better than Countdown to my ears!

Now that you know I have been a huge fan of this group for a long time now, I'll tell you that after hearing a lot of rather ugly reviews for this new CD by fans of the band's old works, I decided to approach it, as best I could, with an open mind. Knowing full-well that what lay within was to be nothing like the Europe of old...the Europe so many, like myself, came to love and enjoy so much.

Truth is that I feel like I was the benefactor of some great albums by bands whose loyalists accused them of selling out to make those very records. Groups like (Jefferson) Starship, Fastway, Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep and many others who wanted to fit in and make it onto the charts in the 80's made albums their die hard fans hated but that I liked very much because of the style. So with "Start From The Dark", now I'm old enough to be on the other side of that equation and I didn't want to be one of those grumpy conservative types who won't even entertain something as hideous in notion as an 80's hair band dominated by keyboards trying to grow up a little and do something different. O.K.?

So what do I think of "Start From The Dark"? It is just that for sure, dark! But one thing becomes clearly evident the minute you start listening to this album. Lead singer Joey Tempest IS this band! He defines every song on this record, and on all the other albums too. His vocals are such a signature and recognizable trademark of the band, that I believe Europe could pump out a death metal album and it would still be Europe. More than just a little even!

That being said, we turn now to the music, which is the most obvious shift in direction from the last album over ten years ago. OK, like we said, it's darker and less "happy" than the 80's material (mostly anyway). The energy is still there it seems, but it has blackened a bit around the edges and matured quite a lot as well, and for me, that's where the real problem lies with this release. All of the fun we had with Europe before is quite simply, and sadly gone!

Actually I didn't find the songs themselves to be all that different from anything else Europe has ever done. The compositions and arrangements are all very similar to the Europe of days past, it's just now the chords of the guitars are way out in front and have a real heavy sound to them. The hooks and melodies are all there I believe, but everything musically gets buried under the clear-cut attempt at just being heavy.

I think the return of original guitarist John Norum had a lot to do with the ball and chain sound on their comeback effort. He left the band while Europe was still touring for The Final Countdown and went on to release a number of solo projects. A couple of which were very good, but all of which were way heavier than anything Europe ever did after "Wings Of Tomorrow".

Personally I always liked his replacement Kee Marcello way better. His style fit the band's sound more cohesively I thought, and I wish he would have returned to this reformation to perhaps breathe some party back into this album's rainy day shut-in sound.

All in all, I didn't dislike the album really. I kept an open mind throughout it's entirety I feel, and at the end of it all wasn't really disappointed. But I certaily wasn't glad they were back all that much either.

Musicians are funny people for certain. Like all artists it seems, the minute they get successful doing one thing, they all want to do another. That too is what makes "Start From The Dark" a little bit disappointing...the timing! If Joey, John and the rest of the boys needed to get their grunge album out there for us to hear, they should have hung on for a while in the mid and late 90's to do it then! Perhaps they don't realize that there has been a huge resurgance in the interest for the style of music they used to play back in their glory days of the 80's, and purist fans of that genre would have lined up for blocks (o.k., maybe one per hour at least) to get a slice of what Europe did so much better than so many others like them at the time.

I should also mention that, ironically enough, I listened to "Start From The Dark" right after hearing the new release "Detour" by Scandinavian AOR wizards Crystal Blue. I'm doing a review of that album next, and if you were hoping to find a piece of that great Europe sound all over again, I can't recommend you checking out that album enough! For this true blue fan, the ones who have stayed that ever winding and cheesy course like Crystal Blue will get the 5-Star nods from me. While suddenly creative separatists who have self-retired to the bottom of the mountain like Europe will be saddled with a generous three for their latest efforts. (More like 2 1/2 really!)

Sorry guys, I did try....

Like There first album.......2006-04-04

This Europe album is more hevier of what they used to sound back in the 80s. They use more guitarriffs and Norum is a fantastic guitarplayer. In this album they use more inspiration from modern bands like Audioslave and Velvet Revolver. But they still use some from their old material. It's still sounds like the old Europe, but a little bit modern. I heard in interview with the bandmembers that this album is by far the best album they ever made, and i have to admit about that.
But you have to repeat the album over and over again to understand that this really is Europe.Because listen to it only twice, it may became as a chock for you, and you ask yourself "Is this really Europe?". But after a couple of repeatings you understand that this is Europe.

PS: Stay tuned for the next Europe album which will be in stores in Europe in oct-nov 2006. I dont know about the US-release.

Suprised!.......2006-03-31

This release caught my eye when it was first released, but I was reluctant to buy it because I was simply not that impressed with the other Europe releases I owned. Now I could kick myself for not having this around since the release date! This is one of my favorite CD's - PERIOD. I cannot get this one out of my player! It is different from everything else Europe has done, and I like it.

The songs are strong and catchy. The guitar sound is downtuned which is not something I care that much for, but Norum's guitar work and Tempest's vocals have me hooked!

Average customer rating:

Europe rocks the night...and the rest of the world
Hybrid
G.O.B.'s theme
rock da night
4.5 stars - Pop metal, Europe style

The Final Countdown
Europe
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Out of This World
Prisoners in Paradise
Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich
Cherry Pie
Europe

ASIN: B00000265X
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Final Countdown
Rock The Night
Carrie
Danger On The Track
Ninja
Cherokee
Time Has Come
Heart Of Stone
On The Loose
Love Chaser

Customer Reviews:

Europe rocks the night...and the rest of the world.......2006-11-28

Hybrid.......2006-03-29

I love rock music groups like Asia and Journey but I also love new age/jazz like Mangione so "The Final Countdown" is a natural for me. Perhaps I even detect a little of Styx in there too. This is so eighties!

G.O.B.'s theme.......2006-02-11

All you need to know is that "Final Countdown" is the music that plays whenever G.O.B. does one of his magic acts on Arrested Development.

rock da night.......2005-10-09

wow. talk about the ultimate guilty pleasure...but i just don't care! i still get excited whenever the opening keyboard strains of the title track float out of the stereo. there's just something about a hard rock pop song done right! and Europe certainly had the formula down. it didn't hurt matters when you have a terrificly charismatic frontman like Joey Tempest and the amazing guitar work of John Norum. the cheese factor reaches an all time high in the middle of the album where the listener is hit with the dreadful back-to-back punch of "Ninja" and "Cherokee." ouch. but you can't help but sing along with a mixture of humour and self-disgust (because you know all the words...hahah). but the next track "Time has Come" has a killer melody and actually gets stuck in my head more times than i care to admit. this album is probably Europe's most focused (and most succesful) record to date. it contains a bit more of a punch than their previous releases and is easier to listen to than their bloated follow up of "Out Of This World."

4.5 stars - Pop metal, Europe style.......2005-05-18

The Final Countdown (1986.) Europe's third album.

Europe was one of the many heavy metal bands to emerge from the eighties. However, unlike the vasy majority of these bands who came from America or England, Europe came from Sweden. And this didn't make them any less able to rock and roll. Their first two albums, self-titled and Wings Of Tomorrow, were two of the finest metal albums of the entire decade, but unfortunately, never really gained any popularity. The band realized that if they wanted to gain mainstream success, they were going to have to commercialize their sound. And that's just what they did circa 1986. In that year, the band released their third album, The Final Countdown. The album is the one that made the band popular, but is it the sound we should remember the band for? Read on for my review.

Let me start this review by saying that if this had been Europe's first album (and the two that preceeded it didn't exist), it would have gotten a five star rating. Prior to this album, Europe's sound was heavier and less commercial, and it was definitely a better sound. THAT was the face of Europe that should have been immortalized; the albums after those two have nothing on them. Still, even when Europe commercialized, they remained an excellent band - albeit a very different one from the one that released those first two albums. The band more heavily integrated pop-metal elements, such as keyboards and power ballads, into their sound here. Normally this commercialization kills a band, but it did bring Europe a lot of good. The title track on the album became a classic eighties metal anthem, and the band's biggest hit of all. It's a very good track for the band to be remembered for, and you've gotta love those horn-like keyboards/synthesizers. The other big hit was the band's power ballad, Carrie. This is just a beautiful song, plain and simple. But my favorite song on the album would have to be Rock The Night (arguably my favorite song the band ever did), which harkens back to the band's earlier, heavier rock sound, while at the same time incorporating many of the new commercial elements into the sound. Every song on this album is excellent, and while I was disappointed to see the band change, I won't say that this change is all bad - it gave the band an audience, after all. It's just a shame they didn't last too long after its release, because they really were more than "just another hair band." If you're into eighties pop-flavored metal, this is damn good stuff.

This album was remastered and reissued as a part of the Metal Masters series. In addition to expanded liner notes, you also get three live version bonus tracks! The album is good enough as it is, and these extras only sweeten the deal. I just wish the REST of the band's catalogue would get this treatment, particuarly the first two albums. If you're gonna buy this album, though, be sure to get the remaster.

The Final Countdown is one of eighties pop metal's greatest triumphs. Sure, it's not the face of Europe that I wanted immortalized, but I'm not complaining either. If you're into pop-style metal of the eighties, Europe's most popular album will be right up your alley. This album is far superior to what most American pop-metal acts of the day were shelling out. One listen and you'll agree. Be warned, though - if you DON'T like pop metal, this record WILL NOT change your mind.

Average customer rating:

One-hit wonder? NOT!
continental drift
Don't waste the extra money just for a dance remix!

Best of 1982-2000
Europe
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Hard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004SA4K
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Tracks:

In The Future To Come
Seven Doors Hotel
Stormwind
Open Your Heart
Scream Of Anger
Dreamer
The Final Countdown
On Broken Wings
Rock The Night
Carrie
Cherokee
Superstitious
Ready Or Not
Prisoners In Paradise (Single Edit)
I'll Cry For You (Acoustic Version)
Sweet Love Child
Yesterday's News
The Final Countdown 2000 (Edit)

Album Description

Updated version of 1982-1992 'Best Of' now includes 'The Final Countdown 2000' (Edit) as a bonus track plus the previously unreleased 'Sweet Love Child'. 18 tracks in all. 1999 release. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

One-hit wonder? NOT!.......2006-03-05

Has Europe milked and continue to milk the hell out of "FC"? Maybe, but wouldn't you, too? The song continues to be played at sports stadiums around the world, not unlike "We Will Rock You" and "Rock and Roll, Part 2."

But I've got a problem with anyone calling this band a one-trick pony. "Cherokee", "Superstitious" and of course "Carrie" were all big hits. Did the band fizzle out? Yes, but no sooner than any other band of the pop-metal era (I hate the term "hair band" - it's a silly moniker that VH1 types created about 5 years ago to belittle the era that has nothing to do with the music at all - the Slayer guys, and any other thrash band for that matter, all kept long hair, and most still do, so does that make them "hair bands," too???).

The other complaint is about these bands "glamming" it up back in the day. HELLO... can somebody say STAGE COSTUMES??? Anybody who knows anything about show business (and the music business is show business, folks, face it) is that an EXAGGERATED STAGE PERSONA sells... you need to look no further than the likes of Marilyn Manson and all the goth/glam copycats he spawned. It's just an attention-grabber that adds a little color to the show.

The point is bands like this can still go out on the road and get fannies in the seats, without having to resort to having 20 bands on the bill to be able to fill the venue.

That said, this is pretty good compilation. There's some b-sides, some acoustic and all the essential tracks if you're not looking to go buy the full albums or you're just trying to get a taster.

\soapbox now turned off\:)

continental drift.......2003-08-30

A minor hit during the heady days of hairspray heavy metal (1986's Final Countdown) is a flimsy excuse to try and sell this flamboyant flop of lipstuck apocalyptic axe-abusers as 18 year veterans of the biz, rather than the footnote in `80s trivia cheese they really are. To be sure, make-up kit metal posturing never got much worse than this; a one-hit wonder bucket of buffoonery long on shellacked mullets and glittery glovies but desperately short on brains, balls and tact. This 18 track debacle of constipated lung flapping, pedal-effected riffing and pompously inflated apocalypsyncing (Final Countdown, Scream of Anger, Rock the Night, Carrie) works only as a nice reply to lead leather n' bouffant boy Joey Tempest's screeching query `Who will survive, in the future to come?' It's a relief to report that future is here and Europe aren't. Sorry we missed the funeral boys.

Don't waste the extra money just for a dance remix!.......2001-12-13

Europe released five studio albums, but there are over 20 "Best of" albums by them!
Sony Music sure knew to make money on this band;
Ironically, they are probably the main reason for Europe splitting up in 1992...

So in 2000, Sony decided to re-release the OFFICIAL "Best of" album "1982-1992", this time with the VERY original and creative title "1982-2000"...

So, what's new? Well, there are two things:
A new front cover and the radio version of "The Final Countdown 2000".
That's it! EVERYTHING else is the same as on "1982-1992"!
The inside booklet is the same as before, and so are the 17 other tracks.

Originally Europe wanted to put two previoulsy unreleased songs on "1982-2000": "Here Comes the Night" and "Mr. Government Man".
Rumours say that there were two more tracks too, and "Break Free" was supposedly one of them.

But money talks... Sony said "no" and included "TFC 2000"...
How *** is that, choosing a well-known (and ***) dance remix over studio material never released before??

BUT! Back to the album: This compilation has a good (but not perfect) choice of songs from the studio albums, as well as a couple of songs previoulsy only used as B-sides for singles.
If you've just got to know Europe, then this could be something for you.

But even though it's great, I have to say: Don't buy it!
Buy the original "1982-1992" instead! "TFC 2000" is NOT worth the extra money!
And while you're at it, buy the re-release of "Prisoners in Paradise" too.
There you'll find two bonus tracks: "Mr. Government Man" and "Long Time Comin'".

Tracks:

Final Countdown
Rock the Night
Carrie
Cherokee
Time Has Come
Heart of Stone
Love Chaser
On Broken Wings
Superstitious
Open Your Heart
Let the Good Times Rock
Sign of the Times
Tomorrow
Prisoners in Paradise
I'll Cry for You
Halfway to Heaven
Break Free
Sweet Love Child

Album Description

1997 Sony release, an 18 track hits retrospective with allof their U.S. hits: 'The Final Countdown', 'Rock The Night','Carrie', 'Superstitious' and 'Cherokee'.

Album Details

Limited edition 2CD includes all their greatest hits.

Customer Reviews:

A true Greatest Hits collection!!.......2004-11-04

There is no better collection of this band's music in one place. Not only do you get the first disc of the hits and such, but the second disc has some of the best early music of their career. If you like them and want to know more about them, this is for you. If you're a die-hard collector, like me, you just have to have it.

Good compilation of Europe's best!.......2002-09-23

The cover art is an excellent mix of every Europe studio album cover ever. Fitting for a "best of" album, don't you think?

And the album is also a good mix of every Europe studio album ever. The first CD kicks off in 1986, with seven tracks from their breakthrough pop-metal album "The Final Countdown". It includes all the big hits, like the anthem "The Final Countdown", the fun "Rock the Night" and the ballad "Carrie", and also some album tracks. The B-side of the "Final Countdown" single, "On Broken Wings", is included too.

After that it goes over to 1988 with four tracks from the "Out of This World" album. "Superstitious" with its rocking verses and melodic chorus, all with fantastic vocals, is here together with tracks like the party song "Let the Good Times Rock" and the touching ballad "Tomorrow". The track "Open Your Heart" was on the "Out of..." album too, but the version included here is actually the first version, from "Wings of Tomorrow" in 1984.

Then we've got the three singles from the heavier and final studio album, "Prisoners in Paradise", released in 1991. The first two are actually shorter radio versions, earlier only included on the singles. It would have been better if other tracks like "Girl from Lebanon" and "Seventh Sign" had been included instead, but it's nice to listen to anyway...

Finally, there are two rare tracks: The rocking "Break Free" and the ballad "Sweet Love Child". They were excluded from the "Prisoners..." album, and instead used as B-sides for the singles.

The second CD has only five tracks; two from their debut album "Europe" (1983) and three from the second album "Wings of Tomorrow" (1984), their greatest hard rock album ever. Tracks like the spooky "Seven Doors Hotel", the fast and furious "Scream of Anger" and "Stormwind" show that Europe, above all, truly are a hard rock band.

This is one of the best Europe compilation albums to buy, combining excellent hard rock with emotional ballads and, of course, that bubbling 80s pop metal that thrilled the whole world so many years ago.

Joey Tempest has always been an excellent and gifted vocalist and songwriter. Listen to the change of his vocals from the early days to the hit albums! John Norum's fabulous, fiery guitars shreds through the tracks of the three first albums, while his replacement, Kee Marcello, amazes with his melodic and beautiful playing.

Tracks:

Got to Have Faith
Start from the Dark
Flames
Hero
Wake Up Call
Reason
Song No. 12
Roll With You
Sucker
Spirit of the Underdog
America
Settle for Love

Album Details

Scandinavias Biggest Rock Band Ever Reunited in 2004 for a World Tour, Album and Dvd. The Band (Joey Tempest, John Norum, Mic Michaeli, John Levén and Ian Haugland) have Long Talked About Getting Back Together. Haugland Says, "after the First Band Jam in Years it Felt So Right, Like We've Just Been Away for a Lunchbreak". Mic Michaeli Adds "also, Touring Has Always Been a Big Part for the Band and We Look Forward to Some Hard Work Again". Norum Says, "ever Since We Started There Has Been Something Magic About this Band…". "the New Stuff Sounds Fresh and Hard but Still with the Typical Europe Melodies in Focus" Says Joey Tempest, ".. And Extremely Organic" John Norum Finishes.

Customer Reviews:

classic Europe.......2007-05-15

Considering the saturation and monotony of today's rock scene, Europe have done a good job of composing hard and soft melodies for every fan of hard rock, as some call it.
Anyway, love listening to it and the combination of rock and ballads. Worth the money.

Rockin' Return.......2007-03-31

Like there first album.......2006-04-04

Europe for me have always been my favorite band since i've been a little boy. I remember when The Final Countdown came out in 1986, i was About 5-6 years old. I became hysteric everytime i listned to it. I grown up listen to Europe.
year 1992 they decided to take a big break after 10 years in a road, as a band, alot of people thought that it was the end of the band, including me. Joey's gone solo and his music is far away from what Europe used to sound, his alot more softer as a soloartist.

After 12 years of a long break Europe is finally back in the road again as you problably have mensioned by now. This album is alot more heavier of what they used to sound back in the 80s, they use more guitarriffs. I heard on a intervew that this album is the best album they ever made, and i think i have to admit that they are right about that. In this album they use some inspiration from other modern bands like Audioslave and Velvet Revolver. But they still use a little bit inspirations from there old material. it still sounds like Europe.
But you have to repeat the album over and over again to understand that this is a very good Europe album. Because the first time you listen to it you may me shocked and ask yourself "Is this really Europe?". But after a couple of repeatings you hear that this is Europe.
Stay tuned for Europe's upcoming album coming out in october-november 2006.

One of the top 5 Albums of the 21 century so far.......2006-03-19

Hero is awesome, stands out right away. This is not an album that jumps out at you right away, but after 4-5 times in the cd player, you're hooked. I was for sure. The album is better than 99% of all the other albums that are coming out these days- and that's b/c these guys have talent! Don't expect total 80s style, but do expect a great album. You can tell it's Europe, and I have to say it's nice that they didn't try to rehash their old songs or try to make their new songs sound totally like their old stuff.

This album rocks, everybody that's heard it (even those who wrote reviews on here) said you have to listen to it a few times before you really get it. It was good the first time I heard it, but now I think it's a great album!

It's not as cheesy and fluffy as most of their old stuff, which I love, but it's good stuff. Even those that hate Europe still can't deny they are great musicians!
I can only recommend buying this album.

They're back and on the right track.......2006-03-17

OK, there are plenty of other reviews about this album on Amazon so I'll be brief there with a few simple for and against points that I feel the need to make.

For;

* This mob are back. And that's gotta be a good thing. They are a working band - you don't put this much effort into an album as went into this one if your not serious. Which is good to see as they were missed and still deserve a niche in todays market place.
* The sparkling guitar work of John Norum. See also my review for Johns latest album Optimus, though it would of been nice to hear those songs sung by Joey Tempest in a band environment. Some of these riffs really crank in a way Europe hasn't for around two decades.
* They can still play and Joey definitely has his voice still. And they do have a bit of a sense of humour, I mean listen to the song Sucker - there is an extra helping of cheese here!

Against;
* It's not an album that blows you away. They didn't really nail it as the heaviness factor disappears once Joey starts to sing and even if he did let rip a bit, well the lyrics are a touch naff.
* Despite a few fun tunes, I couldn't really pick a singe here whereas having been such a huge fan of the band for years, was a little surprising, nothing quite jumped out at me.
* The band still seem a little gunshy - a little too scared to really let rip which would of been great on at least a few tracks, I mean whenever they look at their set list and say to themselves 'hey we need a heavy rocker about here' they are going to have to trawl back to stuff like Superstitious and even that's stretching it, more like the stuff of The Final Countdown album.

A middling release - I hope for greater things in the future from one of the bands that first got me into hard rock.

Average customer rating:

Extended Versions
Europe
Manufacturer: Sbme Special Mkts.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rockin' Return

Start from the Dark
Europe
Manufacturer: Seoul Records Kr
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0006Q2TSY
Release Date: 2004-12-13

Tracks:

Got to Have Faith
Start from the Dark
Flames
Hero
Wake Up Call
Reason
Song No. 12
Roll with You
Sucker
Spirit of the Underdog
America
Settle for Love
Seven Doors Hotel [Live][*]
Wings of Tomorrow [Live][*]
Start from the Dark

Album Description

The last studio album from Europe was Prisoners in Paradise, which was released in 1991. After a 13-year recording hiatus Europe is back with Start From The Dark. This Asian exclusive edition features 3 bonus tracks 'Seven Doors Hotel' & 'Wings Of Tomorrow' (live at Sweden Rock Festival 6/12/04) plus Documentary 'Start From The Dark' (enhanced part). Seoul Records. 2004.

Album Details

Asian Release featuring Two Bonus Tracks: 'seven Doors Hotel (Live at the Sweden Rock Festival 2004)', and Wings of Tomorrow (Live at the Sweden Rock Festival 2004). Includes an Enhanced Multimedia Documentary Titles 'start from the Dark'.

Customer Reviews:

Rockin' Return.......2007-03-31

Average customer rating:

Rockin' Return

Start From the Dark
Europe
Manufacturer: Sony/Columbia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00062ZE5S
Release Date: 2004-10-04

Tracks:

Got to Have Faith
Start from the Dark
Flames
Hero
Wake Up Call
Reason
Song No. 12
Roll With You
Sucker
Spirit of the Underdog
America
Settle for Love
Seven Doors Hotel [Live][*]
Wings of Tomorrow [Live][*]
Start From the Dark

Album Description

2004 album from Sweden's biggest ever rock band. The group's first collection of new material since 1991's 'Prisoners In Paradise' was produced by Kevin Elson (who had previously worked with Europe on their multi-platinum 1986 release, 'Final Countdown') & is said to feature a 'heavier' direction, in the vein of the group's earlier albums. Details TBA. Columbia.

Customer Reviews:

Rockin' Return.......2007-03-31

Average customer rating:

Start From the Dark
Europe
Manufacturer: Platinum
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

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Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0006J0HUI
Release Date: 2004-11-22

Tracks:

Got to Have Faith
Start from the Dark
Flames
Hero
Wake Up Call
Reason
Song No. 12
Roll With You
Sucker
Spirit of the Underdog
America
Settle for Love
Seven Doors Hotel [Live][*]
Wings of Tomorrow [Live][*]
Start From the Dark

Album Description

First album in 13 years from the enduring Euro-metal act. 12 tracks. Sanctuary. 2004.

Rock Music:

Rock Music