This was the debut solo album from Europe guitarist John Norum. He left them after The Final Countdown album and tour, but would later rejoin them. He was also a member of Dokken for a while when George Lynch left. He is joined by two of Sweden’s rock royalty namely Marcel Jacobs (ex Talisman) on bass, and Goran Edman (ex Malmsteen) on vocals. Norum is a seriously good guitar player in the Yngwie school of widdle. Recorded in ’87, right at the pinnacle of the whole hair metal thing, and it does sound like that, especially with the big chorus and sing a long melodies. All songs about girls and cars. All originals apart from two, Back On The Streets by Vinnie Vincent, and Wild One by Thin Lizzy.
Things start off ok with Let Me Love You and Love Is Meant To Last Forever, both good tunes with some tasty guitar – then the obligatory ballad Too Many Hearts. A very average Someone Else Here follows, and into up tempo Eternal Flame, you would swear this was Malmsteen. Flip the disc over into the VV cover Back On The Streets, which is very lightweight and AOR with a nice solo. Blind follows, which would be my fave track even though you feel as though you have heard this a million times before. Things slowly peter out after, with two fairly typical melodic rockers before final track Wild One, which doesn’t divert too much from the Lizzy original. Overall not a bad album with some killer guitar.
6.5/10 from The Grooveman.
