Classic Rock Bottom

Artist: Europe

Genre: Heavy Metal

Country Of Origin: Sweden

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Secret Society

Released: October 25, 2006

Producer: Europe

Song Of The Week: Forever Traveling

Since Scott has been taking us through some of our favorite band's earlier material, I'm gonna spend a few weeks (not counting First Friday of course, which is reserved for a classic from 1983) moving in the opposite direction.  I'm gonna cover some albums released at some point since 2000 by bands that have been going for a long time now.  You may not even realize these bands are still making new music.  I have Europe for you this week.  I know what you are thinking...The Final Countdown, Carrie, this band sucked in the 80's and was a two hit wonder.  Maybe that's the case, but if you feel that way and you haven't heard anything from Europe since that time, you will not realize this is Europe and you will be pleasantly surprised.  I guarantee it.  There is very little info about the album on Wikipedia, but this is what I've got:

Secret Society was a number 4 album in Sweden, but did not even scratch the U.S. charts (Wikipedia).

Always The Pretenders was the only single released from the album.  It was inspired by a phone call that Joey Tempest received on 9/11/2001 (Wikipedia).

Like I said earlier, you will not believe this was the same band that ruled MTV in the late 80's.  This is heavier with better riffs that are guitar driven.  

Tempest is an excellent vocalist without over singing one bit.

This is one of the band's last 4 studio albums (Start From The Dark, Secret Society, Last Look At Eden and Bag Of Bones) that are all very good rock albums.

I don't agree with the band's genre listed on Wikipedia.  It says Heavy Metal.  Definitely not heavy metal, but at least hard rock with some heaviness to it.

1. Secret Society

2. Always The Pretenders

3. The Getaway Plan

4. Wish I Could Believe

5. Let The Children Play

6. Human After All

7. Love Is Not The Enemy

8. A Mother's Son

9. Forever Traveling

10. Brave And Beautiful Soul

11. Devil Sings The Blues

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Wow that vocal on the first track is really strange.  Not sure I like the vocal performance here, uh ... yes I'm sure I don't like that vocal... but the tune is cool.  Cool bass line in track 2, but then albums just starts to sound like they are trying to fit into the modern music scene.  Vocally this not very impressive, and musically it feels forced until you get to track 9 (Forever Traveling) which is really very good.  Very melodic and it feels more natural for the band to play it.

 

Cool bass lines throughout, yet there's only one melodic "Europe-like" track.  Kind of explains why these guys fell off the radar so quickly and havent been able to get back on it. 

 

Classic rock bands that try to fit into a music scene that's not who they were/are, doesn't work!  Haven't we seen enough classic rock bands trying to do exactly that in the last 20 years?

 

But...  This post make me think about other European bands that start with the letter "E"...  Maybe its time to resurrect some...

ooooooh. ELOY!

Wow. This is the second time in the last year or so I've been impressed with something from (gulp) Europe.

I must disagree with Scott on this. I'm liking the vocals performance here, it's not the shrieking Final Countdown crap (even though he ALMOST goes there with "Devil Sings The Blues"). I like it in the lower key. And to borrow one of my favorite phrases again, the axework here positively carves.

The one song that really stood out was "Let The Children Play", awesome geetar and I've always dug child choruses in rock for some reason. Just makes the song sound that much more special and meaningful. Another good thing is the absence of heavy keyboards on this whole album.

I must also disagree with Scott again with this not being who they are. Luckily, another month is coming up which means another first weekend of the month which means another album from 1983 which means I'm going to change things around and post something I was holding off on. Hmmm, what could it be?

One thing I do agree on is that the time is coming up for more

since you can't go wrong with that.

Really good choice on AOTW, Rjhog. I'll give you a teensy weensy onesie bit of credit.

Writing about Europe and thinking of that one song, I must now watch "Arrested Development".

Good thing Europe doesn't look like this anymore

Oops. NOT Europe.

Glad to finally hear this, and I like it. It's on my list to get at some point, along with "Eden" and "Bones". "Start From The Dark" is the only "newer" Europe I have, and I like it as well. John Norum is a great guitar player.

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