Retro Spins: Kiss - Crazy Nights

As recording began for what would become Kiss's 1987 released Crazy Nights, one note of contention still needed to be resolved. That would be how Stanley felt about his co-founder, Gene Simmon's lack of commitment in pursuit of other interests.

"Look," he said. "You're off doing all these other things while still reaping the benefits of this band, and I'm getting screwed. It's not fair for me to put in this kind of time, while somebody else who is supposed to be my partner, is not." Simmons would simply reply, "That's fair."

Not for nothing, Simmon's temporary absences, and limited contributions, gave space to Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick to step forward as writers on some tracks. Stanley would also continue to write with Desmond Child, Diane Warren and Adam Mitchell, among others.

Wanting to find commercial success, Kiss felt it was important to depart from self producing, such as they had with their previous two albums, and bring in someone to help them. They found that in Producer Rob Nevison. Nevison had previously worked with the likes of Heart and Ozzy Osborne, but this type of resume also meant he wasn't immediately available to the band. Things did ultimately work out with the Producer coming onboard, and guiding Kiss through what would become Crazy Nights.

It all opens with the title track, which is a solid starting point. Unlike previously albums which would have seen Simmons and Stanley alternating vocals, track two and three delivered yet another Stanley led vocal, I'll Fight Hell To Hold You, and Bang Bang You. The first of the two is pretty okay, but I admit I don't understand why it would fade out during a ripping guitar solo. As for the latter, that's a hard pass. I don't need a song with Stanley belting he's going to bang bang you (me) with his love gun.

Simmons finally takes the vocals for the fast paced No, No, No., and then again for Hell Or High Water. Both are okay. Nothing to write home about, but also not bad.

From there, I honestly only paid partial attention the album, and this was mainly because, much like prior Kiss efforts, things just feel into generic hard rock territory. Basically, not a lot of hits to really draw me in. Towards the tail end, I did enjoy Turn On The Night, but things wrapped up relatively uneventful.

As 1988 rolled around, Kiss focused their efforts on the double platinum selling compilation album, Smashes, Thrashes, & Hits. The catch to its release was that it wasn't just a gathering of prior hits. Instead, the album contained two new tracks, and thirteen all new remixed versions of classics. The most noteworthy is the complete re-recording of the Peter Criss hit, Beth, which now features Eric Carr on lead vocals (his first for the band). The album received the accolade as Kiss's best selling album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking record sales in 1991.

With that all said and done, I have one final Kiss album to make my way through, 1989's Hot In The Shade. I'll jump into that tomorrow, and from there, who knows where I'll go.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 20, 1984

 

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 133

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 133
Release Date: September 1983

Highlights

• Anna, is brutal - She tells Doctor Faustus that he always fails, and she has no faith in him
• A clumsy Spider-Man trip while walking towards Reed Richards, but that's not like Spider-Man
• A flashback to Faustus's past reveals his mother, who looks strikingly similar to Anna
• It turns out that other than Reed, the Fantastic Four, including his son Franklin, and Spider-Man are all androids created by Faustus 
• Seeing him fail again, Anna abandons him - but was she ever really there? Or a figment of his fractured mind?
• Anna wasn't really there because she's his dead mother

Low Points

• A bit too much of a sadistic mind bender for my liking

Oddities

• This issue is also listed as the first appearance of Anna Fennhoff, even though she appeared in the prior
• Editor's Day Off: In issue 132 of Marvel Team-Up, Reed refers to Every-Man's father as Milton, but in this issue, he refers to him as Josh

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Kiss - Asylum

 

1985's Asylum would be Kiss's thirteen studio album, but would it be unlucky, as the number is often associated with? Or would this continue the upward trend of the band?

Honestly, there's not many details given on the recording process of the album, with exception of noting the new lineup of Gen Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, and Eric Carr. As I noted in yesterday's post for 1984's Animalize, this was the lineup which would finish out the decade.

Instead, information seems to be focused on the album cover itself. It's noted that the lips of each person are colored to mirror the colors of the 1978 Kiss solo efforts, red for Simmons, purple for Stanley, blue for Kulick (replacing Ace Frehley) and green for Carr (replacing Peter Criss). Additionally, the placement of the band members themselves mirror 1979's Dynasty, with Kulick and Carr again in place of the folks they replaced.

Tears Are Falling was the only track to be released as a single. However, in total there were three music videos produced, which aired on MTV frequently. These were the aforementioned tune, along with Who Wants To Be Lonely, and Uh! All Night. Despite only one single, Asylum would go gold before the end of '85.

Asylum starts with a killer drum intro from Eric Carr, and from there, takes off like a bolt of lightning. King Of The Mountain is a satisfying hard rock song, which sets a solid tone for the album. This level of energy does keep up. However, it also quickly falls into obscurity.

While there are standout tracks for me, the opener noted above, along with Who Wants To Be Lonely, I'm Alive, and Tears Are Falling, overall, Asylum just falls under generic hard rock. Nothing really stands out as a radio friendly powerhouse that would have kept Kiss relevant at this point.

Candidly, that's always been my biggest problem with them. They've been around for decades, yet they really don't have all that many hits to show for it. If you're not a major Kiss fan, or like me needed every single one of their albums in your collection (for whatever reason that was - I still can't figure it out), then this one would be easy to pass on.

After completing the tour for Asylum, Gene would once again depart to pursue further acting gigs, and produce other musicians, forcing Kiss to take a hiatus. However, this remained a point of contention for Stanley, who would eventually confront his partner during the recording sessions for 1987's Crazy Nights. We'll get into that tiff next time.

As for the band as a whole, this lineup would remain in place until the unfortunate and untimely death of Eric Carr in 1991. Bruce Kulick would stick around a bit longer, but depart in 1996 when the original lineup reunited.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 19, 1985

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 132

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 132
Release Date: August 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of Anna Fennhoff, and the Fennhoff Institute
• Reference is made to Captain America 267, The Amazing Spider-Man 243, and Fanstastic Four 256
• Spider-Man makes reference to Reed Richards new Fantastic Four costume
• Every-Man uses his Absorbascann cannon to make everyone equal, but it backfires, leaching the life out of people
• Every-Man runs off, not wanting to cause death and chaos

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• The Baxter Building's defenses auto activate when Spider-Man enters the building to help a downed Reed Richards, and part of those defenses are a missile that launches at him - Really? A missile? Are the Fantastic Four trying to blow up their own home?

• The story just moves on past the missile that Spider-Man dodges - No explosion, no follow-up as to where it went, what it hit, what it blew up, just on with the main plot

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Kiss - Animalize

 

Kiss was at a crossroad in 1984. Their previous album, Lick It Up, reached platinum, and public interest seemed to be leaning back towards the band. However, founding member, Gene Simmons, didn't appear too interested in this. Rather than jump headlong into a new album, he instead redirected his focus on acting, and producing other bands.

Meanwhile, Paul Stanley was left picking up the pieces, trying to salvage the band. He would later say, "I felt abandoned when it came time to make Animalize. After informing me without any warning or discussion that he wouldn't be around for the album, Gene went into a studio and crapped out some demos as fast as he could. Then he was off to do a movie." This left Stanley responsible for songwriting, production and direction of the new album. However, if there's one thing his 1978 solo Kiss effort proved, it was that he didn't necessarily need the other members to make a Kiss record.

With guitarist Vinnie Vincent out, Stanley not only needed a replacement for the strings, but lost a songwriting collaborator. While Mark St. John would fill the slot of guitarist, he clashed with his new bandmates, leading to both Stanley and Simmons warning him to check his attitude. The two also chastised him for his inconsistent guitar playing, stating he was, "just puking notes," and as a result could never play the same thing twice. Eventually, Bruce Kulick was brought in to finish recording tracks for the album. However, St. John would remain with the band until during tour rehearsals he was diagnosed with reactive arthritis which sidelined him. Kulick was once again brought in, replacing him full time.

With the aid of MTV, who pushed the Desmond Child co-penned single, Heaven's on Fire frequently in rotation, Animalize would go platinum. It would also be their biggest selling release for the decade, helping to recapture some of their earlier glory in tour attendance. Kiss was on track for a resurgence, but would it last?

Before we can find out, we first need to stop and hear 1984's Animalize, and by the time you read that prior sentence, I'll have done just that.

Despite being a platinum seller, personally, I find the album to be forgettable. It feels phoned in, and this in turn mirrors what Stanley was quoted as saying above. It didn't seem like anyone really cared about what was going on the record, with Gene Simmon's contributed songs being some of the most bland I've ever heard from him. Whereas in prior albums I was more so a fan of his songs, this time I leaned more towards Stanely's.

With that said, there weren't many stand out tunes for me on this one. I've Had Enough (Into The Fire), and Heaven's On Fire were all I really took away from it.

Overall, I think my biggest hang up with Animalize is that it doesn't sound like a Kiss album. There were moments where it feels more like a Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Dio, or Def Leppard album. Basically, Kiss were trying to be anything other than Kiss. Intent to mimic what everyone else was doing at the time, vs. standing on their own merit. It doesn't work.

There was, however, some good that came from all of this. The lineup of Stanley, Simmons, Carr and Kulick turned out to be the most stable since the original, and for the rest of the 1980s continued to churn out gold and platinum selling albums, including the popular compilation, Smashes, Thrashes & Hits (1988).

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 18, 1980

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 18, 1986

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 243

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 243
Release Date: August 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of the Universal Liberation Army
• Reference is made to Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 36, 72, and 76
• Mary Jane returns the key to Peter's apartment to him
• Spider-Man is visiting Dr. Curt Connors when Dr. Sloan enters carrying his graded exams - Spider-Man sees that Peter got an "A"
• Lance Bannon and Amy Powell patch things up
• Felicia calls Spider-Man, "Tiger", and it doesn't sit well with him
• Peter realizes he hasn't fully gotten over Mary Jane Watson
• Peter decides not to return to school for his second year of graduate studies

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• Peter lies to Mary Jane, telling her that his place was robbed, but the cops got everything back - While his place was robbed, Spider-Man got the stuff back - But why tell the story at all if you're just going to lie?
• Despite complaining about still not having replaced it, Spider-Man has magically gotten a new camera despite there being no time between the events so far that would have allowed him to do that

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Kiss - Lick It Up

Wow, this post was not timed this way. I never would have expected that when I wrote this one several months ago that it would go live the day after that original guitarist Ace Frehley had passed away. Terrible news. R.I.P., Spaceman.

From 1982 to 1983, the new lineup of Kiss became Gene Simmons (the Demon), Paul Stanley (the Starchild), Eric Carr (the Fox) and Vinnie Vincent (the Wiz). However, Vincent would come, go, come, and then go again, being brought in for the Creatures Of The Night album, fired after the tour, reinstated when a new guitarist couldn't be found on such short notice for the Lick It Up recordings, and then fired again (or quit, depending on who you ask) after the European tour for Lick It Up.

Though Paul and Gene don't seem to be able to admit it, Vincent clearly brought some form of new life to Kiss with his inclusion. He not only ushered in a harder rock sound, but contributed to a lot of the writing. For 1983's Lick It Up, he's credited on eight of the ten tracks. He was replaced in 1984 by Mark St. John.

Prior to its release, Kiss made the biggest change to their personas by removing their makeup for an appearance on MTV. They then embarked on a supporting tour of the album, marking the first time since 1973 that they performed without makeup. Though Lick It Up would become their first gold album in three years (eventually going platinum), attendance at their shows was sparse. Kiss simply wasn't able to capture the essence of their 70's heydays.

A change also came for the label the band were on. While they began their storied career on the Casablanca label, by the early 80's the company was financially floundering. Polygram, who owned both Casablanca and Mercury, opted to close down the fledgling label, and move all its artists to Mercury. This included not only Kiss, but The Village People, Van Morrison, Scorpions, Rush, John Mellencamp, Tears for Fears, Bon Jovi, and Def Leopard. Lick It Up would be Kiss's first release on this new label, and continue through 1998's Psycho Circus.

As I played through their 1984 offering, I immediately picked up on the high energy of their previous album, Creatures Of The Night. Like I said, Vinnie Vincent clearly brought something to the table when he joined the band. I use that term relatively, of course, as he was never offered full membership.

Lick features a lot of thunderous drumming, and loud guitar work, which makes it stand out in a year heavily influenced by snyth pop and new wave music. I dare say straight up rock and roll was a rare thing in 1983.

Gene and Paul continue their trend of alternating who is singing lead, and this brings with it a nice variety of gravelly and smooth sounds, depending of course on who is singing. I will say that Gene's tracks definitely stand out as the better, but overall it's a good mix. Though it's good as a whole, stand outs for me were Exciter, Not For The Innocent, Lick It Up, Young And Wasted, All Hell's Breakin' Loose, And On The 8th Day, and A Million To One.

As for the band itself, by 1984, Kiss was down two founding members, had a brand new (unknown) guitarist, and were failing to draw the crowds they once had. Things only seemed to get worse when Simmons dedicated more and more of his time to acting, and pursued producing of other bands.

We have the benefit of hindsight to know now that this wasn't the end of the band. However, back then, the pendulum could have easily swung either way.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 17, 1981

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 17, 1987

Comics Corner: The Amazing Spider-Man 242

   

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man
Issue Number: 242
Release Date: July 1983

Highlights

• Reference is made to Marvel Team-Up 129, 130, Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 76, Fantastic Four 70, and 71
• Peter returns to ESU to see if his grades from last semester were passable for him to continue school
• Dr. Sloan informs Peter that he hasn't graded all of his exams, as he's short handed since Debbie Whitman left
• Peter finds out the Amy Powell and Lance Bannon have an open relationship, and that she's using him to get Lance jealous - He wants no part of it
• A redheaded woman, who we only see from behind approaches Peter's apartment building, only to be told he's not there - It's obviously Mary Jane Watson
• Spider-Man grumbles as Lance Bannon gets photos of him, reminding the readers that he lost his camera when it was damaged during his battle with Doctor Octopus
• Amy Powell brings herself to Peter's apartment, and starts kissing him, only to be interrupted by Mary Jane, who let's herself in

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• Spider-Man blows up the Con-Ed generator, which in turn destroys the building - Who's going to pay for all that property damage?
• Why does Mary Jane have a key to Peter's apartment?

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Europe - Out Of This World

 

Ah, yes, that iconic synth riff of The Final Countdown. Despite not being fully realized until the 1986 album of the same name, it's actually a composition which lead singer Joey Tempest had composed around 1981. The song would be released as the first single from the album, and peak at number one in twenty-five countries, leading the album itself to peak at number eight on the Billboard Hot 200.

Unfortunately, the success of the album brought with it issues for guitarist John Norum. Despite his awesome guitar licks and killer solos, he felt that the success of the album was pointing the band in a direction he didn't want to go. He was quoted as saying, "We became this teeny-bopper, bubblegum band and I hated that whole image, the spandex, poodle-rock type of thing. I was more into the heavier, guitar-oriented stuff and it seemed like the keyboards were taking over more and more, and we were becoming more commercial. So I decided to leave. I just wanted to move on and do something else." Kee Marcello was asked to replace him, and joined the band at its peak commercial success.

Europe concluded their Final Countdown tour in 1987, and by the time it was over had two additional tracks in the top thirty US charts. Carrie would reach number three, while Rock The Night would just make the cut at number thirty. Additionally, Cherokee peaked at seventy-two. The album, as a whole, would go triple platinum in the USA, double platinum in Canada, platinum in France, and gold in the UK, Netherlands, and Germany.

With expectations high, the band returned to the studio to record and release 1988's Out Of This World. Though the album would peak at nineteen on the Billboard Hot 200, and go platinum in the USA, and Sweden, as well as gold in France and Canada. However, it would overall fail to perform as expected, only spawning one Billboard Hot 100 single, Superstitious, which peaked at thirty-one.

Playing through it, the album keeps that all to familiar sound from the band, which is a good thing. Despite this, it's definitely weaker than their prior release, and this is possibly from the loss of Norum. The songs just don't have the energy that typically accompanied them. Mind you this isn't because of the synthesizers taking over. Rather, it's because the band seems intent to focus on several ballads.

That's not to say there aren't hard hitting rock songs here. Personally, I dug Superstitious, Let The Good Times Rock, Ready Or Not, and Never Say Die. I'll even give a nod of approval to some of the ballads / slower paced tunes, such as, Open Your Heart, and Sign Of The Times.

Overall, it's a good album, and I must say, I don't hate my journey through the band Europe. In fact, I rather enjoyed it, and found a lot of good stuff hidden amongst the albums.

The band would release 1991's Prisoner's In Paradise, and once again set out on tour. However, by 1992, they were ready for a break, and to try something new. As such, they put the group on hiatus to pursue other projects, and as a result were dropped from Epic Records.

The core members, Joey Tempest, John Norum, John Levén, Mic Michaeli, and Ian Haugland would reform Europe in 2003, and release six additional studio albums between 2004 and 2017. They would also embark on a 40th Anniversary tour in 2023, which concluded in September of that year. Though they remain active, there's not been much further announced from the band since.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 16, 1982

 

Comics Corner: Marvel Team-Up 131

   

Title: Marvel Team-Up
Issue Number: 131
Release Date: July 1983

Highlights

• First appearance of White Rabbit, AKA Lorina Dodson, and her cronies, the White Rabbit Gang: Joe Face, Chuck, Mel, and Miguel
• The second appearance of the fabulous Frog-Man
• Reference is made to Marvel Team-Up 121, 125, 128, and Daredevil 25
• Spider-Man tells Eugene, AKA Frog-Man that the latter is not a super hero 
• Peter learns his friend Roger Hotchberg is having financial difficulties with his mom in the hospital, and secretly vows to capture White Rabbit for the reward money to help him
• Because of their crushing financial difficulties, Joe Patilio, Eugene's dad, takes a job with White Rabbit
• The origin of White Rabbit is revealed - A spoiled rich girl who's bored
• Eugene goes after the reward for capturing the White Rabbit
• Roger knocks out White Rabbit, earning himself a part of the reward - Only a part because...
• ...Turns out that Eugene's dad was working under cover by joining up with White Rabbit to bring her in

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• Editor's Day Off: Multiple panels with Spider-Man's lenses colored red
• Editor's Day Still Off: Frog-Man says, "You've got another think coming."

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Europe - Wings Of Tomorrow

Eleven months after their successful debut across Sweden and Japan, Europe released their sophomore album, Wings Of Tomorrow. It would be a pivotal release, attracting the attention of Epic Records who would offer them an international contract in 1985.

Singer Joey Tempest would state "I think one of the most important albums for the band was Wings of Tomorrow. We were learning how to write songs and John started playing some really cool stuff on the guitar. We became a better band and that was a good period for the band."

However, this doesn't mean the road was clear of troubles. During the first leg of their subsequent tour, drummer Tony Reno would be fired. The band would state the reasoning was for his lack of motivation, and slacking off during rehearsals. He'd be replaced Ian Haugland. Additionally, Mic Michaeli would step in to provide keyboard support during the tours, eventually joining the band full time.

However, before we get there, we have to pause for 1984's Wings Of Tomorrow.

There's definitely a higher quality to the overall sound of the album. I would also agree with Tempest's statement above that there is a lot of cool stuff on the guitar happening. It also, as a whole, inches closer to the overall sound of the forthcoming The Final Countdown album.

With that said, it's not as strong an album as the band's prior debut. Mind you, I didn't hear anything I would say I didn't like. However, there's definitely fewer tracks which stand out in comparison. For me, these included, Stormwind, Open Your Heart, Wings Of Tomorrow, and Wasted Time.

Overall, I'd call this one another hidden gem of the 80's, and echo what I said about the previous release from Europe. If you're a fan of the band's 1986 album, and / or you dig 80's hair band metal, then this one is definitely worth checking out.

As noted above, Europe would end up signing with Epic Records based on the strength of their sophomore release. However, prior to the release of their breakthrough album, they'd first record some tracks for the Swedish film, On The Loose. It's most prominently noteworthy for having an early version of the hit, Rock The Night, which was re-recorded for their 1986 album. The title track would also be added to that album.

For the soundtrack itself, it was only released on vinyl in Sweden. It's relatively cheap to come by, but you can also check it out below.

Sweden would also bring its artists together to record their own We Are The World event, and it would be Joey Tempest who took up the challenge of writing the song. Their contribution, Give Love A Helpin' Hand, was released under the banner, Swedish Metal Aid. Much like the above noted soundtrack, it too was only available on vinyl, but you can check it out down below too.

As noted many times in this post, and the previous one, Europe would have their breakthrough in 1986 with The Final Countdown. However, I've already reviewed that album as a Retro Spin. As such, tomorrow we'll be diving into their final album of the decade, 1988's Out Of This World.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 15, 1983

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 15, 1988

Comics Corner: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man 80

   

Title: Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man
Issue Number: 80
Release Date: July 1983

Highlights

• A rare Spider-Man issue starring, and from the flashback perspective of J. Jonah Jameson, who is presently narrating as he types out his story on a typewriter at his desk
• The origin of how Jameson started working as a reporter, and eventually bought the Daily Bugle
• An older J. Jonah Jameson sets off to prove he's still got the chops to pound the pavement, and be an effective reporter
• Jameson takes a risky meeting with Kingpin, trading extortion secrets of the Kingpin for information
• Spider-Man works in the shadows to keep Jameson safe from the numerous thugs and attackers that come after him as the owner of the Bugle chases down his story
• Jameson gets his hands on the file he needs to crack the story, but then drops it when attacked
• Spider-Man only reveals himself to Jameson by way of a web strand which returns the dropped file to him - Jameson is not amused to have been helped by the web spinner
• A perfect story

Low Points

• None

Oddities

• None

Rating (based on a 1 through 5 Stans grading system)

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Retro Spins: Europe - Europe

Who got their introduction to Europe with their 1986 powerhouse album, The Final Countdown? I know I did. Did any of you hear anything before that from them? How about after? They were kind of like Falco in a way. Came out of nowhere, hit hard with one big album, then disappeared completely.

The bands roots began in Upplands Väsby in 1979, when Joey Tempest, John Norum, Peter Olsson, and Tony Reno formed the group, Force. Initially, they served only as a cover band, using this to learn their instruments, and how to perform together. However, it would be Tempest who would suggest they start writing their own material, and present the first few songs for consideration.

Despite sending demos to various record companies, they seemed to receive the same feedback. In order to be successful, the members would told they'd have to cut their hair, and switch to singing in their native Swedish language.

Olsson would leave the band in 1981, and be replaced by John Levén. However, after just a couple months, Levén would leave, but keep up for a bit. He'd join the group, Rising Force, and Marcel Jacob, who was serving as their bass player, would take his role in Force. However, shortly after, the two would switch back, with Levén returning to Force, and Jacob returning to Rising Force.

In 1982, Tempest's girlfriend entered them in the Swedish Rock-SM contest, and prior to it, formally changed their name to Europe. They not only went up against 4,000 other bands, but won, with the grand prize being a recording deal with Hot Records. Additionally, Tempest would win a separate award for best vocals, while guitarist, Norum, won an award for his instrumentation.

Europe released their self titled debut in 1983, and found it selling well in both Sweden and Japan. It would chart at number eight in the home country, while the single, Seven Doors Hotel, became a top ten single in Japan.

Playing through it, I have to wonder where this album has been all my life. It's fantastic! I would highly suggest that if you like their opus, The Final Countdown (the album), you'll enjoy hearing the roots of where it all started.

It's really no surprise that its sounds echo that of their 1986 release, as Tempest is credited as the main writing on the majority of all the tracks across their four albums released in the 80's. If nothing else, you find familiarity in that, and the ears, I've found, like that.

Re-Issue Cover

Europe's debut is definitely a hidden gem. Though I found it enjoyable from start to finish, I'll highlight the tracks, In The Future To Come, Farewell, Seven Doors Hotel, and The King Will Return, which I feel are the strongest of the bunch.

With a good start under their belts, the band would return to the studio to record what would become their sophomore album, Wings Of Tomorrow. It would be pinnacle to the group's forthcoming worldwide breakthrough. But, we'll get into the details of that tomorrow.

For now, I urge you to check this one out. If you're a fan of Europe's 1986 album, or simple dig good 80's hair band rock, then I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 11, 1989