Wednesday, April 06, 2005
YEAH, BUT CHECK THE ALBUM ART MEINE HERR
I know a little German...he's sitting right over there. As much of an anglo-eire-phile that I am, I'm mostly German, and I love the Scorpions. I was first introduced to this Cologne (Koln) based quintet when I was in Germany in 1980. I had already discovered UFO and was delighted to find another Schenker to rock out with. (See "A Tale Of Twin Guitars') The album was 'Lovedrive' and the cover said it all to a fiftteen year old male (www.the-scorpions.com). One thing about the Scorpions, they were never ambiguous, and their album covers were the fodder for Spinal Tap's 'sexy vs. sexist/stupid vs. clever' schtick. I've been getting reaquainted mit there catalogue as of late, and as is usually the case, I'm discovering all those songs that I never realized were so fucking awsome when I was fifteen. The Scorpions made a name for themselves with ballads (Still Loving You, Winds of Change) party anthems (Rock You Like A Hurricane, Big City Nights), and perverted rockers (Another Piece Of Meat, He's A Woman She's A Man, Don't Make No Promises Your Body Can't Keep), but their forte are the massive epic mind blasting compositions like China White (Blackout 82), Animal Magnetism (Animal Magnetism 81), Crying Days (Virgin Killer 77), Living and Dying (In Trance 76), and Fly To The Rainbow (Fly To The Rainbow 74), or the just palin damn good songs like Alaways Somewhere (Lovedrive 79), When The Smoke Is Going Down (Blackout 82), and Loving You Sunday Morning (Lovedrive 79). I'm particular to the 74-78 lineup featuring Ulrich Roth on lead guitar, and I urge serious rock folk to get serious about this period of the Scorps. I saw the 80's lineup with Mattias Jabs in the lead guitar spot and they blew my mind, and they blew Rainbow off the stage. It was the first time I ever saw an opening act make a headliner look silly, and I'm sure it was the last time the Scorps opened for anybody. They are still out there, still German, and still ready to rock you like a hurricane.
I know a little German...he's sitting right over there. As much of an anglo-eire-phile that I am, I'm mostly German, and I love the Scorpions. I was first introduced to this Cologne (Koln) based quintet when I was in Germany in 1980. I had already discovered UFO and was delighted to find another Schenker to rock out with. (See "A Tale Of Twin Guitars') The album was 'Lovedrive' and the cover said it all to a fiftteen year old male (www.the-scorpions.com). One thing about the Scorpions, they were never ambiguous, and their album covers were the fodder for Spinal Tap's 'sexy vs. sexist/stupid vs. clever' schtick. I've been getting reaquainted mit there catalogue as of late, and as is usually the case, I'm discovering all those songs that I never realized were so fucking awsome when I was fifteen. The Scorpions made a name for themselves with ballads (Still Loving You, Winds of Change) party anthems (Rock You Like A Hurricane, Big City Nights), and perverted rockers (Another Piece Of Meat, He's A Woman She's A Man, Don't Make No Promises Your Body Can't Keep), but their forte are the massive epic mind blasting compositions like China White (Blackout 82), Animal Magnetism (Animal Magnetism 81), Crying Days (Virgin Killer 77), Living and Dying (In Trance 76), and Fly To The Rainbow (Fly To The Rainbow 74), or the just palin damn good songs like Alaways Somewhere (Lovedrive 79), When The Smoke Is Going Down (Blackout 82), and Loving You Sunday Morning (Lovedrive 79). I'm particular to the 74-78 lineup featuring Ulrich Roth on lead guitar, and I urge serious rock folk to get serious about this period of the Scorps. I saw the 80's lineup with Mattias Jabs in the lead guitar spot and they blew my mind, and they blew Rainbow off the stage. It was the first time I ever saw an opening act make a headliner look silly, and I'm sure it was the last time the Scorps opened for anybody. They are still out there, still German, and still ready to rock you like a hurricane.
Comments:
A couple of years ago, my wife was out of town and the Scorps were playing a small outdoor venue downtown so I decided to pop in and get a good laugh. Instead, I got my ass rocked off. Yeah, they can be silly al la Spinal Tap, but that band can play. Klaus sounded better than he did on the records and Mathias was unbelievable. They moved around like they were 30 year dudes.
Indeed, they cowered to the chick element by releasing ballads, but they were very good ballads sans the "Winds of Change" which I can forgive them for since it was about their own freakin' country for cripes sake.
My personnal fav "Holiday" from Lovedrive. Tremendous harmony overdubs.
Indeed, they cowered to the chick element by releasing ballads, but they were very good ballads sans the "Winds of Change" which I can forgive them for since it was about their own freakin' country for cripes sake.
My personnal fav "Holiday" from Lovedrive. Tremendous harmony overdubs.
# posted by 
: 4:50 PM
: 4:50 PM
How could I forget 'Holiday', that's the song that started my recent Scorps obsession...
'Longing for the sun, joo will come.....
'Longing for the sun, joo will come.....
If Rainbow can ever claim a time when they were great, 82 was not that time. They had the dumbest stage set I've ever seen, and I saw Maiden more than once.
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