Tempest try to catch up with the times
L. B. Ivarsson | Rock City | 03/06/2003
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Joey Tempest was the front man in Europe ("The final countdown"!) as you probably know. After the band quit, Tempest released a great solo album, "A place to call home", which featured more pop oriented music, not too far from Tom Petty. Then came "Azalea place" which wasn't quite as good. After many years of silence, he's back with a self titled (third) album that is rather good to say the least.The material is strong but since the production is modern, or even fashionable, it takes time for an old traditional guy like me to really appreciate it. At first I was rather disappointed and I thought it sounded like a slightly better Coldplay. But once you get beyond the first impression, you'll find that the album holds a lot of strong songs, which I believe are even better live without the synthetic wall of sound. I can't help but wonder - how will this album be regarded as time goes by and this "modern production" becomes just time typical? I think Tempest should have gone for a more traditional production (at least if he want this record to have a chance to stand the test of time), but that's non of my business."
Content as original as its title
eveoflove | North York, Ontario Canada | 01/07/2003
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Made in EU in 2002, Serial# 066-244-2, Playing Time 43:14Lyrics enclosed.I never thought I'd say this about a Joey Tempest album, but this one comes short, wayyyy short of his 2 previous releases.Of course, long gone is the hysteria caused by EUROPE; Joey Tempest proved, both on "A Place To Call Home" and "Azalea Place", that he could write great songs and some thoughtful lyrics, not as "superficial" (but perhaps not as sonically ear-candy) as the EUROPE stuff.However, with "Joey Tempest", the man seems tapped out; the vocals are bland, the arrangements basic and, dare I say, redundant. I've listened to the album 4 times, and I keep mixing up 5 of the songs because they sound and feel so similar. Not that it's bad, but simply displays little depth, compared to his 2 earlier efforts.While the lyrics were often somewhat inspired, this album is full of un-interesting (and perhaps mis-contructed) sentences, to the point where one has to wonder if they were written in a different language and then translated into english.Unfortunately, this won't be a career-breaking album... at least, not in the positive sense; that's unfortunate!And because the disc is copy-protected through "copy control", I won't be able to make a copy for my car; another reason while this album won't make it far in my "fave" list.Approach with caution: not a bad effort, but simply un-memorable..."
This is a real grower!
scottydog | USA | 01/31/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As a long time fan of Europe, I have great appreciation for Joey Tempest's solo work. While it may not be every fan's cup of tea, Joey's solo albums have all showcased great songwriting skill and richness of character. His first two efforts, "A Place To Call Home" (1995) and "Azalea Place" (1997), were very laid back and inspired by American pop artists like Jackson Browne and Tom Petty. Both were excellent. "Joey Tempest" (2002) might be the best of the three and is darker and has more weight than the previous two albums. It takes at least 3 listens to begin to really appreciate this album and the effort is largely rewarded.
There is a definite English pop vibe throughout this album (Joey has lived in England for many years). This album reminds me somewhat of "Standing on the shoulder of giants" by Oasis. The guitar sound is strong, but not too heavy. Keyboards provide comforting melody, but without being too much in the forefront. Joey's voice sounds in great form and the production quality is SUPERIOR (Joey produced the album himself). "Forgiven", "Superhuman", "Always on the run" and "Every Universe" are the album's gems, but all songs are good.
There is an introverted and lonely feel to this album, as the album cover would suggest (Joey alone, sitting at a table-for-one). I get the feeling Joey was looking forward to the coming Europe reunion while he made this album and was missing his friends, and that sense of loneliness is what makes this music better suited to personal listening and is not something you'd have all your friends and guests listen to with you. LET'S BE CLEAR: A Joey Tempest solo album is not the same as Europe, however all fans should give his work a try (and most probably have). "Joey Tempest" has its place and will be appreciated by those with the flexibility to try something different.
"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1