Search - Europe :: Definitive Collection

Good compilation of Europe's best!

Stein-Vidar Andersen | Batsfjord, Norway | 09/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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.Add great keyboard playing by Mic Michaeli, thundering drums by Tony Reno and Ian Haugland (who replaced Reno in 1984) and nice bass playing by John Levén, and you've got an excellent compilation from one of the best hard rock bands ever!"