Europe Almost Unplugged CD - Import

One thing about most hair metal bands of the '80s -- they were not necessarily known to be "proficient" at their respective instruments. But one such group from the genre that certainly had the chops to back up their pretty boy looks was Europe, which prove this theory once again on their 2008 live CD, Almost Unplugged (which was issued as a DVD a year later). Recorded at a venue in Stockholm (called Nalen) on January 26, 2008, Almost Unplugged sees the group joined by a string quartet as they balance originals with a few classic rock nuggets, including Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here," Thin Lizzy's "Suicide," and UFO's "Love to Love," among others, as well as a still-bombastic rendition of "The Final Countdown." Surprisingly, there is no rendition of their power ballad, "Carrie," included here, which you'd think would have fit in well with all the other stripped-down tunes here -- especially when overbearing cheese such as the song "Hero" is included (although admittedly, the song's meaning is heartfelt -- it's a tribute to the late, great Phil Lynott). The histrionics may be toned down a tad here, but Almost Unplugged serves as further proof that Europe remain arena rock kings throughout...Europe. ~ Greg Prato

Europe's singer Joey Tempest: In Stockholm in January 2008 we added a very special concert to our Secret Society tour. We had long talked about doing a 'one off' gig with a string quartet in a more intimate setting. We had also talked about adding songs from artists we admire to our own set-list. After some debating we settled for 'covers' by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy and UFO. Four bands that had influenced us one way or another. The concert venue we'd chosen was the legendary 'Nalen' in Stockholm. The concert was broadcast live over the internet. We performed brand new re-worked versions of songs like The 'Final Countdown,' 'Rock the Night,' 'Superstitious' amongst others. We also added songs that we seldom play live on our tours. This evening turned out so special that we decided to release it both as CD and DVD. Please enjoy this unique show and we'll hope to see you soon on the road.

Europe: Joey Tempest (vocals, acoustic guitar); John Norum (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); John Leven (acoustic guitar, bass guitar); Mic Michaeli (keyboards, background vocals); Ian Haugland (drum, background vocals).

Audio Mixer: Andreas Bauman.