Out Of This World [Import]

 

 

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Europe was riding high after 1986's The Final Countdown which was a very successful album for this band from Sweden. Following a hit album is never easy and chances are that you can never quite replicate yourself. Out of This World doesn't try to be another Final Countdown, Europe does not try to reproduce their hits in a poor manner, it goes further down the pop route and goes for a softer image overall (after it worked extremely well with The Final Countdown). If you don't like Glam/Hair bands with catchy choruses, hooks and keyboard then you won't like Europe. Some people would consider those bands and Europe "guilty pleasures" but I actually like this style of playing. Europe know how to craft a catchy pop-rock song, they can write and they don't sing just only about sex, drugs and Rock'N'Roll which makes them somewhat stand out from other bands (plus I think out of all the 80's bands they had by far the best and most prominent keyboards). They write genuinely great songs that are undeniably catchy and they're good musicians.

"Superstitious" opens the album in nice fashion; it's one of Europe's most popular songs. The album's first single is catchy, melodic and so unmistakably Europe. "Open Your Heart" was first released on the 1984 album "Wings of Tomorrow" and was also a single from that album. It's essentially a more polished sounding version of the 1984 (even if that was one was very pop to begin with, one verse is different), Joey Tempest's vocals sound better on here but the original song rocks a little more and features a better solo. I like both versions but I heard the Out of This World version first so I tend to lean towards this one a little more. It's a highlight of the album and one of my favorite Europe songs, the acoustic opening is fantastic. "More Than Meets The Eye" sounds like it could have been on The Final Countdown, it's a great up-tempo song that's fun and catchy and has a great solo courtesy of Ken Marcello. I love the "Sign of the Times" is I feel an underrated song and is possibly my favorite song here. The keyboard on this song are exceptionally epic and haunting, they provide great ambiance and along with Tempest's powerful voice contribute in making this a great song. What makes "Just The Beginning" work for me are the soft acoustic guitar parts mixed with the melodic keyboards because they blend so well together. "Never Say Die" is a more upbeat track and is very rooted in the 80's with its "Ah Oh Oh" chorus. "Let The Good Times Rock" and "Ready Or Not" are the most guitar oriented songs on the album. "Let The Good Times Rock" is the heavier of the two and was released as a single. "Ready Or Not" has aggressive guitars but they are not the focus here although it's a good song and I would consider it the better of the two. I feel that "Lights and Shadows" and "Tower's Calling" are nothing special, too generic and only take up space but that's only my opinion. I feel like they could have been better songs but something is missing somehow. The album ends on a much more positive note with the beautiful piano ballad "Tomorrow" in which Tempest plays piano and delivers a heartfelt vocal performance.

Guitarist Ken Marcello replaces John Norum who departed in late 1986 not satisfied with band becoming more commercial. Marcello does an excellent job and even though he only played on more Europe album (the other being 1991's Prisoners in Paradise) his playing is solid and constant throughout Out of This World. There are parts where he is overshadowed by the keyboard but he plays some surprisingly neat solos and has some noticeable acoustic parts on "Open Your Heart" and "Just The Beginning". Europe is known for their use of keyboards since The Final Countdown. Mic Michaeli is amazing on keyboards and he proves himself once again here with some fantastic keyboard work. They are often the highlights of Europe's songs and certain passages really stand out. The keyboard sound of Europe is very present and is just as important as the guitars it turns out. Joey Tempest was always one of my favorite singers of the 1980's era and his voice is clear, powerful, distinctive and touching at times. Nothing has changed there. Bassist John Leven and drummer Ian Haugland form a tight rhythm section but are ultimately overshadowed by the rest of the band.

One could make the argument that the band used to play more guitar-oriented material and were heavier in their early days. This is true as Europe went towards a pop direction that so many bands took at that time but they did better than almost anybody. Even if some of their songs are too pop for my liking I will admit they are well crafted pop songs. It could also be said that The Final Countdown was a bit more rocking than this one even if it went for a pop/glam sound. Truth is Out of This World is a soft Glam/Hair Metal album that relies mostly on its (excellent) ballads and softer songs, there are no real heavy or hard-rocking sounds, and this album is really a product of its time which is what it should be enjoyed for. That's the biggest problem on Out of This World, its perhaps a bit too soft and full of ballads but it doesn't rock as hard as Europe's previous offerings.

Out of This World proved that there was still an audience for Europe and despite not being as successful or as good as The Final Countdown (it still managed to earn Platinum status in the U.S.) is still a good album and a worthy follow up. For many The Final Countdown is still THE ultimate Europe album but that doesn't mean Out of This World doesn't have its share of good moments. I personally feel this follow up is a little weaker but it also has some of the band's best and most underrated songs. It rocks a little less than the band's previous album and goes for an even more melodics style of music and it has its fair share of ballads. If you like melodic metal or previously enjoyed Europe I suspect you will find many of the songs on OoTS enjoyable. 3.5/5 stars, an enjoyable yet softer album. Worth it if you're a fan of this type of music, Europe or 1980's ballads.

The voice is excellent and any other instrument sound very good ! Buy it if you wat pure 80's rock ! :)

The best guitar solo on the album is embedded in "More than meets the eye"
Also check the guitar&keyboard duo solo on "Lights&Shadows"
:)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Kee Marcello Showcase...
I appreciate this CD more now than I did when I bought the cassette when it first was released. Back then I listened more for the melodies and catchy hooks than anything. Read more

Published on Feb 15 2004 by J. Piser

5.0 out of 5 stars Great keyboard action
I can't understand the mechanism beyond the "Best Album of The Century" selections. Indeed, listening nearly every well known hard-rock album relesed through 80's and... Read more

Published on Feb 11 2004 by Yuksel Guney Hanedan

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