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Rating:
Disgusting, traitor, poppettaro: you can say what you want about this album, but it remains one of Helloween's most beautiful, deserving reevaluation.
Helloween was at that time (1991) an artist/band that, after a great critical and public success (Keeper II), needed to confirm themselves. The band was almost the same (Kai Hansen out, Roland Grapow in), but not the sound. And here opinions may vary; mine is high because I judge only the album itself, without considering what happened before or after. Moreover, I believe a change of direction by an artist/band is sometimes right, if not advisable. Compared to previous albums, the songs are not just power-metal; there are two ballads, some heavy songs; in short, for power purists, I understand their disapproval of this album, seen as the Metallica's black album is by trash fans, to understand better. It is the first step towards pop by the controversial Michael Kiske. I reiterate that despite the mixture of genres, almost all the songs are beautiful, and the final result is of quality, making this album one of the most underrated in the metal scene. Quality cannot be disputed; the lineup is one of those most remembered by today's metalheads: Michael Kiske - singer (with a miraculous voice, to say the least), Michael Weikath - guitar (today's group leader), and the "historics": Roland Grapow - guitar, Markus Grosskopf - bass, Ingo Schwichtenberg - drums.
A "historic" band, as I said, and perhaps for this reason, many fans felt even more betrayed by the change of course. A separate discussion for the cover judged by many as 'the ugliest in the world', I save it for its originality though...
Now let's get into the details of the songs:
1./ 2. Pink Bubbles Go Ape/ Kids Of The Century
The intro is something you always remember fondly, Pink Bubbles Go Ape starts with a children's song style (remember: "Happy, happy halloween..." from 'Walls Of Jericho'?), but wait, the volume is too low, let's turn it up a bit... This pumpkin joke resolves with the start of Kids Of The Century, which kicks off at full speed and with the volume deliberately recorded higher than the intro to give a powerful effect. Very original indeed. Kids Of The Century is the first single from the album, not a great song, but it’s listenable despite being excessively 'power' given the band in question. Great vocal performance from Kiske (see chorus), but the album's gems are yet to come...
3. Back On The Street
More of a rock song than anything else, very catchy and unpretentious. Easily memorable.
4. Number One
Second and last single from the album. A ballad with some heavy touches with an original result, it has a beautiful chorus and a 100% Helloween-style melody. One of my absolute favorites from the pumpkins. "Now it's time for happiness..."
5. Heavy Metal Hamsters
Style "Metal Invaders" from Walls Of Jericho, an anthology heavy metal anthem complete with choir, fast just right. The solos are beautiful.
6. Going Home
Another hidden gem of Helloween's repertoire, incredibly never performed live. Fast, power, everything in this song is memorable. Beautiful. With "Rise And Fall" from Keeper II, my favorite Helloween song. Fearsome solos. Fabulous.
7. Someone's Crying / 9. I'm Doin' Fine, Crazy Man
Perhaps the most underwhelming songs that prevent a 5-star final rating. Nice fillers, but still just fillers.
8. Mankind
The dark and escalating beginning, instrumentally speaking, we are on high levels, Kiske here is a real phenomenon, only he can sing it like this. A very beautiful song, from verses to chorus, "damn, what a voice!!!" is what comes to mind.
10. The Chance
Here even the most critical of this album change their minds; the song is a true masterpiece. The only one from this album to be performed in concerts and included in the "Treasure Chest" anthology. It speaks for itself.
11. Your Turn
One of the most beautiful pumpkin ballads, serving as a worthy conclusion to this beautiful album. The guitar starts, the melancholy and the wonderful voice of the great Kiske, the second verse features another guitar and drums; in the pre-chorus, there are also electric guitars, and the chorus is beautiful. The magic of this song, a true gem, continues to the end.
To finish, I repeat what I said at the beginning: an album to reevaluate at all costs. Beautiful in many places, not a 5 because the pumpkins' masterpieces are the three albums before, but still a very decent and enjoyable album. Furthermore, my very first metal album ever listened to, and as they say, the first love...
TO REEVALUATE
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Pink Bubbles Go Ape (00:37)
Some people are much too smart
They know everything before it starts
Eating wisdom with the pail
No wonder when it sticks
In your darkest hour I will sing this song for you
Cry and tell
And slander
Yell and grumble well
So loud for heaven's sake
Pink bubbles go ape!
02 Kids of the Century (03:52)
We poison our hearts
We poison our seas
We burn down the paradise
We're stoppin' good waves
We're losin' our trees
The future looks bright ahead
I don't wonder we'll go under in this river of lies
We're lost in this time
We create so fine
The future we already fear
Seems like no way out, seems like there's no doubt
The future looks bright ahead
We're the kids of the century
We're lost in our games
No time for the memories we look in the haze
We're the kids of the century it wasn't our fault
Ev'rything's done mum, we fall
Let's keep on crying
But sometimes I don't wanna fall
Ev'rytime when you look around things will smile at you
Ev'rytime when you turn around you smell the truth
But you run away from the lies you can't say
Don't run away from the lies you can't say
We're the kids ...
03 Back on the Streets (03:23)
I've been told in the name of something
I've got to know what it means to play the game
Too many faces around they're talking
They play their parts oh, so well but who's to blame
Back on the streets, that's where we are
Building a fortress of power, yeah! We're coming
You know better than me the rules are:
Getting better or fat in the mania
It's good to know who is who in our game
The speed is faster, it's harder to see where we are
Back on the streets ...
Please Mister Know-how just bring me the news
I'm waiting so long for you telling me all you can tell
There's one thing about you, you're dying to prove
The master plan is yours and living with knowledge is hell
Back on the streets ...
04 Number One (05:13)
(M&L - Weikath)
Each time when one more year was over
You refused to hear heaven's bell sounds
And the hapiness in your heart's been set lower
You're searching for friends
But no one seemed to be 'round
You merely should think of the good times
'Cos there are so many ways you can go
Take a look at yourself
You're still very young
And big aims always take very long
Now it's time for happiness
Stay hard and trust your fate
Don't forget you're something else
You'll never be to late
Trust your father's mighty spell
You'll never be alone
Fate will always turn out well
And you'll be number one
Shout at the world don't care what they say
'Cos your life is now, here and today
Luck is there, ev'rywhere
Go on reap it's goods, that's the way
You wanna have truth relief from your pain
But life takes its tool again and again
Don't fear the night
Your future is pay
And the tracks to your aims are laid
Now it's time for happiness
Stay hard and trust your fate
Don't forget you're something else
You'll never be to late
Trust your father's mighty spell
You'll never be alone
Fate will always turn out well
And you'll be number one
Now it's time for happiness
Don't forget you're something else
Trust your father's mighty spell
Fate will always turn out well
06 Goin' Home (03:51)
You think I could be the one to look inside your mind
I don't think we'll have the time, so let us get in line
Another town another bed, another thing to go
By now I learned to take it cool, but I don't wanna know
My head is empty, all the stories that I've known I've told
The situation I escaped from, now it looks like gold
Anyway and anyhow we did it, it was good
But now I take the time to think 'bout ev'rything I should
'Cause after this I'm gone, the show is done
No other town or bed that lies ahead
I'll go home to what I know
I'll go home, home to you
By the time that you think 'bout it twice no spotlight makes you stay
By the time that you feel you don't know, you have to go
[solo]
The plane is ready in my head, so many things to do
A few more hours till it's over I reach out for you
A kind of peace inside is growing, thinking 'bout the shows
Until the next time I'll be so much better, yes I know
Now this is it I'm gone, the show is done
No other town or bed that lies ahead
I'll go home to what I know
I'll go home, home to you
I'll go home. . .
08 Mankind (06:18)
Here is all mankind so proud of their achievements
There is a stone that is warmer than you
Look how we stand in the stream of illusions
No one says a word
Here you laugh and there you cry
All that makes you move
There's no fear for anything
Anything but you
Animals dying for our vanity
Our world is a beautiful place to be free
Drinking the blood of the weak, it's so easy
No one hears them cry
Here you cheat and there you lie
All that makes you gain
One day we will face His throne
There's nothin� we can say
Prosperity, luxury, fast food is rising
It's the rainforest that dies
Here you laugh and there you cry
All that makes you move
Here you cheat and there you lie
All that makes you gain
10 The Chance (03:47)
We're living in a constant fight
Too much pressure everywhere
And all around
Don't let it pull you down
Hold on tight
Cling to your dreams
Don't you depend on someone else
Think for yourself and win the race
The chance you got comes never twice
Do your best, and do it right
Time will come but don't you hide
You are on your way
You're led by God but you're not a pawn
Should live your life, don't care 'bout any scorn
Just let them fool around
No need to cry
Don't give up
Try to be as smart as you can be
I know you own so much ability
The chance you got comes never twice
Do your best, and do it right
Time will come but don't you hide
You are on your way
SOLO
The chance you got comes never twice
Do your best, and do it right
Time will come but don't you hide
You are on your way
The chance you got comes never twice
Do your best, and do it right
Time will come but don't you hide
You are on your way
11 Your Turn (05:38)
Now there is this day, a lot of things are changing
Can't just kick it away, got to get things right
Sometimes it happens fast and nothin' seems to last
The thing that I once started isn't mine anymore
I guess now it's my turn
You've got a face like a child, got a mind like a woman
Your smile is warm and tender
I hear the people say that I should stay away
From you and all the problems you might bring
They'll never know--you
Nobody ever knows what to do
They'll never see you cry
They'll never know why
Now it's your turn to break free
When you want it all you've got to see
Now it's your turn to break free
Don't you know when you want the life,
you've got to see what it means
See the little boy holding mama's hand
His eyes can see the things we've long forgotten
The world is easy now--and somehow
He's right
Until there is this day when Mickey Mouse must go away
Now it's your turn to break free
When you want it all you've got to see
Now it's your turn to break free
Don't you know when you want the life,
you've got to see what it means
SOLO
This world is crying to be free
This world is dying can't you see
We need a turn to do it right
We need a mind-revolution
To get away from this selfishness
Stop playing blind, break free
Now it's your turn to break free
When you want it all you've got to see
Now it's your turn to break free
Don't you know when you want the life,
you've got to see what it means
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