Scorpions in Heavy Metal Music

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"Another Piece of Metal: Tribute to Scorpions" (03/06/2001) Rock & Pop Various Artists, Dwell MinistriesSometime during the late '90s, Dwell Records became almost exclusively a heavy metal tribute album label; by the end of the decade, pretty much all of their high-profile releases were various-artists tributes to metal legends, mostly assembled with bands who had never recorded a full-length album of their own. That's the modus operandi for Another Piece of Metal: Tribute to Scorpions, which features 13 songs originally recorded by the German rockers, including many of their biggest hits. A few of these largely unknown bands do inject some life into their covers, but for the most part, this album's chief audience will be obsessive Scorpions collectors who don't mind hearing versions that hew very closely to the originals. ~ Steve Huey

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"Essential" (03/24/2003) Rock & Pop Scorpions, EMI Music DistributionThis collection of the best music by popular hard rockers Scorpions features 15 remastered songs, including the hits "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Rhythm of Love," and "Big City Nights." Calling this Essential is far from accurate and slightly misleading. While it does contain some of the Scorpions' brighter moments as a band, it is far from a complete portrait of their signature sound, especially with some of their most well-loved and most recognized songs notably absent ("Winds of Change" being the most prominent). For those looking for a more comprehensive survey of the group's career, 2002's Bad for Good and 2001's budget-line 20th Century Masters compilations are more thorough in scope. ~ Rob Theakston

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"Big City Nights" (03/23/1998) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Universal Special ProductsLike many budget-line compilations, Rebound's Big City Nights is a haphazard blend of hits and album tracks, but this one has something different. It has a block of four live cuts in the middle that screeches the momentum to halt, especially since the two biggest hits, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "Wind of Change," are present only here. The casual fans who are this compilation's target audience will be none too thrilled by this development, but them's the breaks with budget-line discs -- you win some, you lose some. Here, you come to a draw, because there are some good moments amidst the rest of the disc and some audiences may have no problem with the live cuts. It's not particularly satisfying, but it's not a ripoff, either. So, if you buy this, you may not be completely satiated, but you'll come out even-steven -- sort of like Jerry Seinfeld, actually. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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"Face the Heat" (05/24/2005) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Universal Special ProductsScorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker (guitar, sitar, background vocals); Matthias Jabs (guitar); Ralph Rieckermann (bass); Herman Rarebell (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Helen Donath (operatic vocals); Rhian Gittins (spoken vocals); John Webster, Luke Herzog (keyboards); Paul Laine, Mark LaFrance, Mark Hudson, Bruce Fairbairn (background vocals). Recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Scorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs (guitar); Ralph Rieckermann (bass guitar); Herman Rarebell (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: John Webster, Luke Herzog (keyboards). Not even renowned metal producer Bruce Fairbairn could save this disappointing follow-up to the outstanding release Crazy World. Instead of concentrating on melodic tunes, Face The Heat seems to focus on noisy metal and glass-shattering screaming rather than the usual classic and emotional sounds that the Scorpions have put on their previous albums. Especially when compared to their previous recordings, Face The Heat is quite unsatisfactory. ~ Barry Weber

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"Virgin Killer" (02/15/1988) Rock & Pop Scorpions, RCA Records (USA)An early work by the Scorpions, VIRGIN KILER features guitarwork by Uli Jon Roth and nine tracks including "Backstage Queen," "Catch Your Train," and "Hell Cat." Recorded just before the band began cranking out their earliest hits on classic albums like Lovedrive and Animal Magnetism, Virgin Killer is the first of four studio releases that really defined the Scorpions and their urgent metallic sound that was to become highly influential. While there are no tracks recognizable to the casual fan like "Blackout" and "Another Piece of Meat," on Virgin Killer, serious fans of the group treasure this 1977 collection. Some all-time Scorpions standouts like "Pictured Life" and the title cut have all the necessary guitar chops and fierce falsetto melodies to get even the most jaded heavy metal old-timer teary eyed with nostalgia. Perhaps Virgin Killer isn't as focused as the brilliant Lovedrive or as tuneful as either Animal Magnetism or Blackout, but the group's trademark enthusiasm (the single element that separated and defined them, especially during the occasionally over-serious days of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal) and dexterity shines through on this near-historic heavy metal collection. ~ Vincent Jeffries

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"Gold [Hip-O]" (04/25/2006) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Hip-O RecordsScorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolph Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, Matthias Jabs (guitar); Herman Rarebell (drums). This 34-track, two-disc set provides a definitive overview of the career of Scorpions, the German heavy metal outfit that began gaining steam in the early 1970s and continued on to worldwide stardom through the '80s, '90s, and well into the 2000s. With their lean, aggressive style, twin-guitar attack, and knack for melodic hooks, Scorpions proved themselves worthy of both commercial success and long-term rock credibility. The truly impressive thing about this excellently compiled set is how it spans the band's entire output, reaching back to 1972's LONESOME CROW and continuing to 2004's UNBREAKABLE, with attention paid to nearly every record issued in the interim. Naturally the band's mega-hits, "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Still Loving You," and "Winds of Change" (the latter two show the band's skill with power ballads), are here, but there are plenty of equally strong, lesser-known tracks that represent the band at their best. This release should be required listening for hard rock and heavy metal fans of all stripes.

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"Fly to the Rainbow" (02/15/1988) Rock & Pop Scorpions, RCA Records (USA)This is the Germany import edition of FLY TO THE RAINBOW by hard rockers the Scorpions, featuring lead guitarist Uli Jon Roth. On their second effort, Fly to the Rainbow, the Scorpions begin to establish their trademark hard-rock sound while exorcising the last of their remaining psychedelic hippie tendencies. In fact, the band bursts out of the gate in surprisingly straightforward fashion with the hard rocking "Speedy's Coming" before resorting to the aforementioned bad habits on otherwise promising tracks such as "Fly People Fly" and "They Need a Million"; the first never really gets off the ground, seeming almost like a prelude to the title track, and the second is let down by the weak vocals of guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Uli Jon Roth, who have no business competing against vocalist Klaus Meine. Roth insists, however, on taking center stage for "Drifting Sun," which exposes his shameless Hendrix-isms, down to the opening riff lifted straight out of "Spanish Castle Magic." And while it closes the album in rather schizophrenic fashion, the epic nine-minute title track would become a concert standard -- albeit without its senseless folky intro. Fly to the Rainbow is another growing experience for the Scorpions; and the band would truly hit the jackpot with the following year's In Trance. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

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"Hot & Slow: Best Masters of the 70's" (09/28/1998) Rock & Pop Scorpions, RCA Records (USA)The Blackout and Love at First Sting Scorpions are obviously the best known -- when they ruled the MTV airwaves and arenas worldwide due to such snappy hits as "No One Like You" and "Rock You Like a Hurricane." But as longtime fans will attest, the group was a veteran act by that point, having already released quite a few albums (which had slipped under the radar for many). And for those who aren't aware of this era, these albums were a lot heavier than the more melodic direction the group later specialized in, as evidenced throughout the 17-track import collection Hot & Slow: Best Masters of the 70's. As its title suggests, the band has been splitting its time between rockers and more tranquil fare since the beginning. "Speedy's Coming" (which contains some quite silly lyrics -- "You like Alice Cooper/You like Ringo Starr/You like David Bowie/And friends in the Royal Albert Hall") and "Virgin Killer" represent the "Hot," while "In Trance" and "Fly to the Rainbow" represent the "Slow." Also of note are the exceptional guitar skills of Uli Jon Roth, who was subsequently name-checked by quite a few metal guitarists as a prime influence. Hot & Slow: Best Masters of the 70's is a fine comp of early Scorpions. ~ Greg Prato

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"Classic Bites" (02/11/2002) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Spectrum Music (UK)Few rock bands remaining from the '70s or '80s era can still whip an arena full of metalheads into a frenzy like the Scorpions can (or still have as loyal a following, as well). This may explain why multitudinousScorps collections, anthologies, and live sets have reared their heads throughout the '90s and the early 21st century, long after the group had reached its commercial peak worldwide. One such compilation, the 2002 Euro import Classic Bites, possesses quite a misleading title, since it focuses entirely on their early-'90s period (the albums Crazy World and Face the Heat) and nothing earlier. Included is the Scorpions' last mega-hit single, the power ballad "Wind of Change" (a tribute to the falling of the Berlin Wall), as well as the anthemic rockers "Crazy World," "No Pain No Gain," and "Tease Me Please Me." Interestingly, while most veteran arena rock bands were distancing themselves from the '80s-era bombastic production popularized in the wake of Nirvana/alt-rock, the Scorpions continued to embrace the sound well into the '90s. You get the feeling that this 17-track collection is meant as a companion to 1989's Best of Rockers 'n' Ballads, but by only focusing on the aforementioned two subsequent albums, Classic Bites falls very short. For a much more thorough collection, go with 2002's superior Bad for Good: The Very Best of the Scorpions. ~ Greg Prato

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"Acoustica" (06/13/2001) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Phantom Import DistributionThe soft rock of Germany's Scorpions is well-suited to a stripped-down acoustic setting, and that's how they perform on this 15-track album of their best songs. Germany's Scorpions waited 'til 2001 to get on the unplugged bandwagon, but then they always were rather unfashionable. Recorded earlier the same year at live shows in Portugal, Acoustica is essentially a greatest-hits package, complete with the mandatory two new songs. It follows on the heels of Moment of Glory, their 2000 collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic. Acoustica's recasting of the band's lite-rock legacy in the language of adult contemporary may be just what the doctor ordered. The track selection encompasses most of the big ballad hits from the post-Lovedrive era, plus a few covers (Kansas' "Dust in the Wind," "Drive" by the Cars, and Queen's "Love of My Life"). The power chords may be missing, but Acoustica is far from stripped down: guitarists Schenker and Jabs can't resist decorating most songs with pretty little acoustic guitar figures; this works in some cases, and it doesn't in others. The same goes for the Latino rhythm stylings, string sections, and lush backing vocals. The final result is a sort midtempo tastefulness. ~ Leslie Mathew Germany's Scorpions waited 'til 2001 to get on the unplugged bandwagon, but then they always were rather unfashionable. Recorded earlier the same year at live shows in Portugal, Acoustica is essentially a greatest-hits package, complete with the mandatory two new songs. Considering that it follows on the heels of Moment of Glory, their 2000 collaboration with the Berlin Philharmonic, it is perhaps slightly disappointing for longtime fans who can't wait for the Scorpions to rock out again. Then again, considering that those longtime fans have all grown old and gotten mortgages, Acoustica's recasting of the band's lite-rock legacy in the language of adult contemporary may just be what the doctor ordered. The track selection is entirely predictable, roping in most of the big ballad hits from the post-Lovedrive era, plus a few covers (Kansas' "Dust in the Wind," "Drive" by the Cars, and Queen's "Love of My Life"). The power chords may be missing, but Acoustica is far from stripped down: Guitarists Schenker and Jabs can't resist decorating most songs with pretty little acoustic guitar figures; this works in some cases, doesn't in others. The same goes for the Latino rhythm stylings, string sections, and lush backing vocals which make the band sound unsettlingly like Enrique Iglesias' backing group on more than one track. The final result is a sort of faceless, mid-tempo tastefulness that is oddly frustrating: You keep expecting the band to break out into the glorious, cheesy excesses they're famous for, but it just doesn't happen. ~ Leslie Mathew

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"Be Aware of Scorpions" (10/29/2001) Rock & Pop Michael Schenker, Steamhammer RecordsMichael Schenker Group: Michael Schenker (guitar); Chris Logan (vocals); Reverand Jones (bass); Jeff Martin (drums, background vocals). Additional personnel: Ralph Pattan (background vocals). Recorded at Michael Schenker Records Recording Studio, Phoenix, Arizona. This spirited, crunchy guitar-driven party is certainly wild enough, but there's a very dated corporate rock feeling, as if guitarist Schenker and vocalist Chris Logan swiped a few outtakes from some old Journey or Bad English sessions. Appealing, sure, but hardly something new. Neal Schon would have a great time listening to the blistering solos on tracks like "Because I Can." One unique twist is that most rock outfits with this kind of intensity don't incorporate the spiritual values these Christian guys do. There's nothing too preachy, just lyrics about positive living in the face of temptations and honest spiritual doubts (about religious rules) on the punchy, rebellious closer "Eyes of a Child." Lots of fun, but only if you're in the mood for time traveling. ~ Jonathan Widran

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"Face the Heat [Bonus Tracks]" (09/13/1993) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Polygram (Japan)Scorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker (guitar, sitar, background vocals); Matthias Jabs (guitar); Ralph Rieckermann (bass); Herman Rarebell (drums, percussion). Additional personnel: Helen Donath (operatic vocals); Rhian Gittins (spoken vocals); John Webster, Luke Herzog (keyboards); Paul Laine, Mark LaFrance, Mark Hudson, Bruce Fairbairn (background vocals). Recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. FACE THE HEAT by German hard rockers the Scorpions contains the songs "Alien Nation," "Under the Same Sun," and Taxman Woman," among others. The European issue comes with two bonus cuts. Personnel: Klaus Meine (vocals, background vocals); Matthias Jabs (guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, slide guitar, talk box); Rudolf Schenker (guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, sitar, background vocals); John Webster, Luke Herzog (keyboards); Ralph Rieckermann (bass guitar); Herman Rarebell (drums, percussion); Marc LaFrance, Mark Hudson, Paul Laine, Bruce Fairbairn (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Erwin Musper. Recording information: Little Mountain Sound Studios, Ltd., Vancouver, Canada. Photographers: Starr; Joe Giron. Arrangers: Rudolf Schenker; Scorpions; Luke Herzog; Bruce Fairbairn. Not even renowned metal producer Bruce Fairbairn could save this disappointing follow-up to the outstanding release Crazy World. Instead of concentrating on melodic tunes, Face The Heat seems to focus on noisy metal and glass-shattering screaming rather than the usual classic and emotional sounds that the Scorpions have put on their previous albums. Especially when compared to their previous recordings, Face The Heat is quite unsatisfactory. ~ Barry Weber Not even renowned metal producer Bruce Fairbairn could save this disappointing follow-up to the Scorpions' outstanding release Crazy World. Instead of concentrating on melodic tunes, Face the Heat seems to focus on noisy metal and glass-shattering screaming rather than the usual classic and emotional sounds that the Scorpions have put on their previous albums. Especially when compared to their previous recordings, Face the Heat is quite unsatisfactory. [This release of the album contains bonus material.] ~ Barry Weber

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"Classic Bites" (02/01/2002) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Spectrum Music (UK)Low-priced collection of German heavy metal rocker's chrished tracks; contains "Tease Me Please Me" and Alien Nation." 2002, U.K. import. Few rock bands remaining from the '70s or '80s era can still whip an arena full of metalheads into a frenzy like the Scorpions can (or still have as loyal a following, as well). This may explain why multitudinousScorps collections, anthologies, and live sets have reared their heads throughout the '90s and the early 21st century, long after the group had reached its commercial peak worldwide. One such compilation, the 2002 Euro import Classic Bites, possesses quite a misleading title, since it focuses entirely on their early-'90s period (the albums Crazy World and Face the Heat) and nothing earlier. Included is the Scorpions' last mega-hit single, the power ballad "Wind of Change" (a tribute to the falling of the Berlin Wall), as well as the anthemic rockers "Crazy World," "No Pain No Gain," and "Tease Me Please Me." Interestingly, while most veteran arena rock bands were distancing themselves from the '80s-era bombastic production popularized in the wake of Nirvana/alt-rock, the Scorpions continued to embrace the sound well into the '90s. You get the feeling that this 17-track collection is meant as a companion to 1989's Best of Rockers 'n' Ballads, but by only focusing on the aforementioned two subsequent albums, Classic Bites falls very short. For a much more thorough collection, go with 2002's superior Bad for Good: The Very Best of the Scorpions. ~ Greg Prato

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"Animal Magnetism [German Bonus Track] [Remaster]" (10/05/2001) Rock & Pop Scorpions, EMI Music DistributionScorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs (guitar); Francis Buchholz (bass); Herman Rarebell (drums). Recorded at Dierks Studios, Cologne, Germany and Manta Sound Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Personnel: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker (guitar, acoustic guitar); Matthias Jabs (guitar, slide guitar, talk box); Adele Arman, Victoria Richard (violin); Melvin Berman (oboe); George Stimpson (French horn); Herman Rarebell (drums). Recording information: Dierks Studio, Cologne, Germany; Manta Sound Studios, Toronto, Canada. Arranger: Allan MacMillan. Although Animal Magnetism contains such classic songs as "The Zoo" and "Make It Real," the album is somewhat disappointing when compared to its predecessor, Lovedrive. The well-written songs on this album end up saving it from total disaster, and it's obvious the band wasn't sure what to exactly put on this record -- many of the songs sound like the work of some other rock group and simply don't blend together as they should. Singer Klaus Meine, known for his excellent vocal performances, sounds bored and just plain overshadowed. Although far from bad, Animal Magnetism isn't a highlight of the Scorpions' career. ~ Barry Weber Although Animal Magnetism contains such classic songs as "The Zoo" and "Make It Real," the album is somewhat disappointing when compared to its predecessor, Lovedrive. The well-written songs on this album end up saving it from total disaster, and it's obvious the band wasn't sure what to exactly put on this record -- many of the songs sound like the work of some other rock group and simply don't blend together as they should. Singer Klaus Meine, known for his excellent vocal performances, sounds bored and just plain overshadowed. Although far from bad, Animal Magnetism isn't a highlight of the Scorpions' career. [The German release adds one bonus track: the rare single "Hey You."] ~ Barry Weber

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"Big City Nights" (03/23/1998) Rock & Pop Scorpions, Universal Special ProductsLike many budget-line compilations, Rebound's Big City Nights is a haphazard blend of hits and album tracks, but this one has something different. It has a block of four live cuts in the middle that screeches the momentum to halt, especially since the two biggest hits, "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and "Wind of Change," are present only here. The casual fans who are this compilation's target audience will be none too thrilled by this development, but them's the breaks with budget-line discs -- you win some, you lose some. Here, you come to a draw, because there are some good moments amidst the rest of the disc and some audiences may have no problem with the live cuts. It's not particularly satisfying, but it's not a ripoff, either. So, if you buy this, you may not be completely satiated, but you'll come out even-steven -- sort of like Jerry Seinfeld, actually. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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"Deadly Sting: Anthology" (02/22/1995) Rock & Pop Scorpions, EMI Music DistributionScorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker, Matthias (guitar, background vocals); Francis Buchholz (bass, background vocals); Herman Rarebell (drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel: Michael Schenker (guitar); Ralph Rieckermann (bass). Producers: Dieter Dierks, Bruce Fairburn, Scorpions. Compilation producers: Bill Levenson, Bas Hartong. Recorded between 1979 and 1993. Scorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs (guitar, background vocals); Francis Buchholz (bass, background vocals); Herman Rarebell (drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel: Michael Schenker (guitar); Ralph Rieckermann (bass). Producers: Dieter Dierks, Bruce Fairburn, Scorpions. Compilation producers: Bill Levenson, Bas Hartong. Recorded between 1979 and 1993. Includes liner notes by Martin Huxley. It's quite difficult to find a young person who knows about the Scorpions. Even when their careers were peaking in the '80s, they were never widely recognized, existing always as more of an underground band. The lack of hit singles produced by the group is by no means a judgment of its talent, however, as Deadly Sting: The Mercury Years proves. Some may find the fact that Mercury made the compilation a double-disc set surprising -- again due to the band's small following -- but the album is far better than the single-disc collection Best of Rockers 'n' Ballads. Following chronologically from 1979 to 1993 (thus covering the years in which the band enjoyed its most success), Deadly Sting rips through the favorites "Loving You Sunday Morning," "The Zoo," "Blackout," "No One Like You," "Big City Nights," "Still Loving You," "Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Rhythm of Love," "Wind of Change," and "Don't Believe Her," finally concluding with two unreleased recordings from 1995. Though these tracks are far cries from the songs that proceeded them, that doesn't stop Deadly Sting: The Mercury Years from being the most essential album from one of the most under-rated hair bands of all time. ~ Barry Weber

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"Lovedrive [Remaster]" (10/05/2001) Rock & Pop Scorpions, EMI Music DistributionScorpions: Klaus Meine (vocals); Rudolf Schenker, Matthias Jabs (guitar); Francis Buchholz (bass); Herman Rarebell (drums). Additional personnel: Michael Shenker (guitar). Recorded at Dierks Studios, Cologne, Germany between September & December 1978. LOVE DRIVE is an eight-track, 1979 release by German rockers, Scorpions, featuring "Loving You Sunday Morning" and "Coast To Coast." Prior to Lovedrive's recording, the Scorpions' lineup had a major change when their lead guitarist, Uli Jon Roth, quit the group (not to mention, the rock genre was rapidly changing). With this in mind, the band not only highlighted the album with the licks and riffs of three guitarists (Rudolf Schenker, Michael Schenker, Matthias Jabs), but they also dramatically changed their style to sound more like that of Van Halen. This change is quite welcome; not only are the performances more unpredictable, but the lyrics and melodies are better written. In fact, some of the Scorpions' most classic songs, such as "Loving You Sunday Morning," "Holiday," and "Coast to Coast" are found on Lovedrive, which makes it one of their finest. ~ Barry Weber

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