Europe - Carrie (cover)

This song brings back a LOT of memories.

Europe was one of the bands that somehow made it through the censorship here, in Europe (the continent, not the band)'s asshole hidden eastern part behind the Iron Curtain in the 80's. What is more: I was among those very lucky people who had the ORIGINAL album on cassette. This was more than a great thing. Europe was considered back then as a metal band (I think today they are in the much wider "rock" category only) and as you can imagine, they shocked the public of this isolated, communism-ridden little country with their long hair and their guitar-centered, rock/metal driven music. But their song (and album) "The Final Countdown" was a serious hit even here

though it arrived in this country only 1 or 2 years after the official 1986 release - regardless of being a hit, the mills of censorship still ground slowly, I remember to buy the cassette in 1988 at the music department of a store in the outskirts of Budapest

by the way, I bet that one of the country's leaders (or someone in their closest surroundings) was a Europe fan, that's why the system eventually allowed the album to be released, I can't imagine any other explanation

young people - like this chronicler - were all over them and for many of us at that time Europe was the first rock/metal band in our lives to listen to.

Today I just smile at the "metal" label about Europe, but those times, the mid/late 80's were totally different, especially where I live and grew up. If a song had a distorted guitar, it immediately got the "metal" label and you could expect censorship pouncing on it like a vulture on a corpse. In case members in a band had long hair (in those times "long" meant mid-ear length for men), they were labeled as illegal and were banned. Knowing all this, it was a miracle that Europe could actually have an album released here, behind the gods' back.

I remember how very excited I got when Cygnus revealed in their usual Friday live stream that they covered Europe, especially when they teased that the song would be from the album "The Final Countdown". I don't remember the details anymore that much, but very soon they revealed the cover itself - strictly after guessing it correctly.

My modesty forbids me to tell who was the one who guessed correctly, but be sure it was more solid than concrete. 

I was especially excited, because The Final Countdown is full of great songs. Apart from the title song there is "Cherokee", "Carrie", "Rock The Night" or "Ninja". And well, if I can be this honest - after almost 40 years - there are better singers in rock history than Joakim Larsson Joey Tempest and I was more than curious to see how my favorite Colombians, both with distinctive, powerful, manly voice would perform a Europe-song.

I can happily tell everyone that they made it. They turned this - for my ears a bit corny, bit sentimental - song into a wonderful power ballad full of passion.

The opening keyboard theme already has a tiny bit different flavor than the original, which gives extra butterflies to the stomach of the already excited, overly emotional fan. Reny, with his enormous routine and collectedness plays it as if he was doing it as a morning excersise every day.

And then Deneb starts to sing.

What a great moment for him to show all the flavors, all the colors of his mellow, rich baritone... and he doesn't hold himself back. He is singing, his vocals would melt even a stone. Powerful, passionate, with a myriad of tiny fractions to taste, feel and absorb.

I especially love that Blu appears with a heavy guitar theme right at the bridge before the chorus. This, along with the always (almost always) nuclear bass gives extra power to the drums and generally has a rough, dominant and firm effect to the whole music. 

This is how you make a kick-ass power ballad from a sentimental song!...

Ruxx joins Deneb for the chorus, and these two wonderful rockers once and for all turn the original radio friendly song into something deep and powerful. And the fan who in fact expected something nice and nostalgic is just sitting, with eyes full of tears, heart throbbing, making sure not for the first time, not for the last time that these men are unbelievably creative and talented, and having them in our lives is not just a honor but a special and extraordinary blessing from all those above.

What I find especially beautiful is how the guitar is empowered in this cover. In the original song the keyboard is domineering, here the guitar - and the bass! - gets much more emphasis, yet the instruments blend together in a wonderful harmony. I love this. It gives a certain rawness to the original song, yet it still has that effect (or maybe this way it especially has this effect) to caress the auditory meatuses, to warm up the heart and to bring tears to the eyes. You feel that these talented rockers smile at you, take you by your hand and lead you to a secret little place where a living fire is burning at a fireplace, where they give you a mug of hot drink that tastes like liquid embers and where you feel at home. The guitars so beautifully flow along with the humane voices, the keyboard is distinctive, yet humble, the entire song is full of warmth and subtle intensity that makes you feel alive.

Ruxx is singing the second stanza, and he just lets his voice flow. Beautiful legatos, one after the other, improvisations, all that makes his singing style so unique and beloved. The guitar is still present, elegant but very firm and precise, 

...and I would like to ask here that the little bass arpeggio in this section at the "it all takes time" part... it is as beautiful as it can be, but I don't hear it in the original song, no matter how many times I listen to it. Was it the own idea of this very talented, amazing bass player?...

He deserves all the hugs of the world for this 💓

Ruxx's voice is like a river, with waves, maelstroms and floods, the guitar's velvety sound holds you tight, the bass keeps it all on its rock solid shoulders, and the keyboard is subtly leading them by the main theme.

Blu plays the solo, backed by the intensity and the dominance of the rhythm section. The solo itself is much more raw than the original, and the Cygnus spice

for those who still can't: the Cygnus spice, the secret ingredient of every song made by these wonderful Colombians partly consists of the rhythm section's energy, power and radioactivity. I won't tell the other parts, because if you read this blog regularly, you already found it out. If you don't, then this is the time to open up your poor ears and dust off your brain cells. If you still can't, despite all your efforts, then what about origami instead of music? 😒

makes it even more beautiful.

I especially love that very small part they added to the song before the last chorus; in the original there's only a drum fill, in the cover it's a small catharsis.

Have I mentioned how much I love them? 💓

Liquid fire running through your veins, two beautiful male voices, strong guitars, aethereal keyboard and solid rhythm section. 

Yes, that's what you need.

Now.

On loop.