Category Archives: Scorpions
Scorpions – Return to Forever [Review]
Scorpions – Return to Forever [Deluxe Edition]
2015, Sony Music/RCA Records
1. Going Out With a Bang
2. We Built This House
3. Rock My Car
4. House of Cards
5. All For One
6. Rock ‘N’ Roll Band
7. Catch Your Luck and Play
8. Rollin’ Home
9. Hard Rockin’ the Place
10. Eye of the Storm
11. The Scratch
12. Gypsy Life
Bonus Tracks
13. The World We Used to Know
14. Dancing With the Moonlight
15. When the Truth is a Lie
16. Who We Are
Band:
Klaus Meine — Lead Vocals
Rudolf Schenker — Guitar, Backing Vocals
Matthias Jabs — Guitar, Backing Vocals
Paweł Mąciwoda — Bass, Backing Vocals
James Kottak — Drums, Backing Vocals
Producer: Mikael Nord Andersson & Martin Hansen
Much like Van Halen’s Tokyo Dome in Concert, I originally was hoping to purchase this album on vinyl. I think the vinyl version is only available as an import though, thus its cost was pretty high when the album first came out. Still, I ultimately ended up purchasing this album twice! I bought the standard CD jewel case edition and then discovered there was a deluxe CD edition digibook that included four bonus tracks. This version was also an import but I was able to go over to Amazon UK and pick it up for the exact same price that I bought the basic U.S. version for.
I’ve given the album a number of spins. The story behind this release is that the band went looking over all unused material and ideas to help create this album. I know there was some controversy over Van Halen doing that for A Different Kind of Truth but I have no problem with bands doing this as long as the music is good. I would prefer these veteran bands enhance and revamp old unused material that tries to capture their glory days rather than go the Aerosmith route of using a million outside writers in a pointless struggle to sound current and relevant (um… other than “Rollin’ Home” which would sound right at home on a modern pop station).
And it’s not as if the album is made up entirely of old songs. “Going Out with a Bang” and “Rock This House” are brand new and two of my favorite songs on the album. The deluxe edition bonus track “Dancing With the Moonlight” is an electric version of a song that the band debuted in acoustic form on last years MTV Unplugged release. This electric version is much, much more enjoyable. The bonus tracks are all pretty good. Well, “When The Truth Is A Lie” is a bit of filler but I like the rest, especially the ballad “Who We Are”. What’s sad is that what is probably the best song the band recorded for this album, “Delirious”, is exclusive to iTunes supposedly. It’s a shame. It’s a really great rocker that should’ve been on the standard release. Japan has two exclusives: “One and One is Three” and “Crazy Ride”. The very definition of filler tracks, so no loss there.
After the Eye II Eye debacle, the band caught a second wind in the studio beginning with 2003’s Unbreakable. What followed after that was the incredible Humanity: Hour I (2007), Sting in the Tail (2010). Return to Forever fits in right alongside Sting in the Tail but after listening to this album many times, I think it at least ranks above that album if not Unbreakable as well. Obviously, the band isn’t going to fully reclaim their glory days of Animal Magnetism, Blackout, Love at First Sting or Lovedrive but anyone who liked those albums and also enjoyed Savage Amusement, Crazy World, Unbreakable and Sting in the Tail should be able to find more than a few enjoyable songs here.
I don’t know what’s in store for the band after this. I thought Sting in the Tail would have been a good album to go out on and I think Return to Forever is an even stronger album to close their legacy on studio recordings. The thing is, this album is so good I hope the band keeps recording new music!
Highlights: “Going Out With a Bang”, “We Built This House”, “House of Cards”, “All For One”, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Band”, “Rollin’ Home”, “Eye of the Storm”, “Gypsy Life”, “The World We Used to Know”, “Who We Are”
Scorpions – MTV Unplugged [Review]
Scorpions – MTV Unplugged
2013, Sony Music
Buy the album
Disc 1:
1. Sting In The Tail
2. Can’t Live Without You
3. Pictured Life
4. Speedy’s Coming
5. Born To Touch Your Feelings
6. The Best Is Yet To Come
7. Dancing With The Moonlight
8. In Trance
9. When You Came Into My Life
10. Delicate Dance
11. Love Is The Answer
12. Follow Your Heart
Disc 2:
1. Send Me An Angel
2. Where The River Flows
3. Passion Rules The Game
4. Rock You Like A Hurricane
5. Hit Between The Eyes
6. Rock ‘N’ Roll Band
7. Blackout
8. Still Loving You
9. Big City Nights
10. Wind Of Change
11. No One Like You
12. When The Smoke Is Going Down
Band:
Klaus Meine – Vocals, Guitar
Rudolf Schenker – Guitar, Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Guitar
Pawel Maciwoda – Bass
James Kottak – Drums
Sometimes referred to as MTV Unplugged: Live in Athens or MTV Unplugged in Athens, the band’s own website refers to this album simply as MTV Unplugged, so that’s what I’m going with. The concert has been released on DVD/Blu-ray as well.
For a band that was retiring the Scorpions have been very active. They’ve been touring for the past 4 years on a “farewell” tour and MTV Unplugged is the band’s second release since 2010’s Sting in the Tail (which was intended to be the “last” Scorpions album) with 2011’s Comeblack being the other release. And like I figured, just a week or two before writing this review, the band announced they were canceling their retirement plans and going to release a new studio album (of re-worked unreleased “classic” era material à la Van Halen’s A Different Kind of Truth) in 2015.
A lot of older metal-heads and classic hard rock fans often cite the band’s early years with Uli Jon Roth as their best. I’ve never felt that was the case. It’s undeniable that the band delivered some classic material with Uli but I prefer the more commercial hard rock approach the band took starting with 1979’s Lovedrive. No matter. Whichever era you feel is best, they are all represented on this album. Okay, maybe they ignored their techno pop/rock Eye II Eye era, but that’s a good thing!
While they can’t pull songs from every album, Scorpions did a solid job of bringing out the typical big hits for this acoustic occasion as well as mixing in numbers from In Trance, Virgin Killer, Fly to the Rainbow and even Pure Instinct (which is represented by two tracks, if you can believe that)! They also found room to slip in two songs from 2010’s Sting in the Tail. What’s criminal is that Lovedrive, Animal Magnetism and Humanity: Hour I are not represented here. I would’ve loved to have heard acoustic versions of “Love Will Keep Us Alive”, “Holiday” or “Always Somewhere”. “Steamrock Fever” would’ve also excelled in this acoustic setting.
Five new songs were written for the occasion: “Dancing with the Moonlight” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Band” are full songs. These songs are okay, but not highlights from the album and may possibly get full electric studio recordings for the new album. Then there is “Delicate Dance” (solo for Matthias Jabs), “Love Is the Answer” (Rudolf Schenker solo) and “Follow Your Heart” (Klaus Meine solo). The last three are mostly instrumentals and could’ve easily been left off the album, if not the concert.
The tracks that stand out most for me are the ones where the audience participates in singing along. Those songs would be “When Passion Rules the Game”, “Send Me an Angel” and “Wind of Change”. Powerful stuff.
The new stuff isn’t all that impressive but the rest of this show is good mix of the band’s output from the 1970s up to today.
Highlights: “Born to Touch Your Feelings”, “The Best Is Yet to Come”, “Send Me An Angel, “Where the River Flows”, “Passion Rules the Game”, “Still Loving You”, “Wind of Change”, “When the Smoke Is Going Down”
Scorpions – Comeblack
Scorpions – Comeblack (2011, Sony Music Entertainment)
1. “Rhythm of Love” – 3:39
2. “No One Like You” – 4:06
3. “The Zoo” – 5:38
4. “Rock You Like a Hurricane” – 4:15
5. “Blackout” – 3:48
6. “Wind of Change” – 5:08
7. “Still Loving You” – 6:43
8. “Tainted Love” (Gloria Jones cover) – 3:28
9. “Children of the Revolution” (T. Rex cover) – 3:33
10. “Across the Universe” (The Beatles cover) – 3:17
11. “Tin Soldier” (Small Faces cover) – 3:15
12. “All Day and All of the Night” (The Kinks cover) – 3:16
13. “Ruby Tuesday” (The Rolling Stones cover) – 3:55
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead vocals
Matthias Jabs – Lead Guitar, Backing vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Rhythm Guitar, Backing vocals
Paweł Mąciwoda – Bass, Backing vocals
James Kottak – Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals
Producer: Mikael “Nord” Andersson & Martin Hansen
So, even though this album wasn’t released until January 2012 in North America, it was released in Europe in November 2011. This is how it snuck its way onto the 2011 edition of the Metal Excess Awards because I heard the album last year. I’d been putting off doing a review of this album for awhile and now that it’s available worldwide, this is as good of a time as any to talk about it.
Like most people, whenever I hear that a band is re-recording their signature songs, I just roll my eyes. It’s not really intended for the fans. It’s something that’s done as way to cut old labels/band mates out of royalties by licensing the new versions for commercials purposes instead of the originals. I understand and accept that. Anything that puts the screws to the idiots at the major labels is cool by me. Financial reasons aside, those type of releases are plain filler when it comes to the serious fan.
But I have to give the Scorpions credit for this album. Yes, they re-recorded seven of their biggest hits, and that means virtually nothing to the die-hards but they also added six freshly-recorded cover songs that helped inspired the band during their formative years. That (and only that) is what makes this album interesting and worth looking into as far as I’m concerned.
I will say this, given the modern and slightly beefier production, the classics sound good in their updated form. I won’t even bother listing them in the Highlights section because it’s familiar territory. I could’ve gone without yet another cover of “Tainted Love” but all of the covers are well done with the Beatles, T. Rex and Small Faces tunes standing out.
This supposedly is the FINAL Scorpions release, but you know how that goes… For $9 or so, if you’re a big fan of the Scorps, this is worth picking up.
Highlights: “Children of the Revolution”, “Across the Universe”, “Tin Soldier”
http://www.the-scorpions.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Scorpions
SCORPIONS – Sting in the Tail
Scorpions – Sting in the Tail (2010, Universal Music Enterprises)
1. “Raised On Rock” … 3:57
2. “Sting in the Tail” … 3:12
3. “Slave Me” … 2:44
4. “The Good Die Young” … 5:14
5. “No Limit” … 3:24
6. “Rock Zone” … 3:17
7. “Lorelei” … 4:31
8. “Turn You On” … 4:25
9. “Let’s Rock” … 3:22
10. “SLY” … 5:15
11. “Spirit of Rock” … 3:43
12. “The Best Is Yet to Come” … 4:34
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Paweł Mąciwoda – Bass, Backing Vocals
James Kottak – Drums, Percussion
Additional Musicians:
Tarja Turunen – Vocals (“The Good Die Young)
Producer: Mikael “Nord” Andersson & Martin Hansen
At the time of this album’s release, it has been 45 years since this band was started by Rudolf Schenker, 38 years since their first album (Lonesome Crow) was released and now it may all be coming to an end. This is the group’s seventeenth studio album and this release and its ensuing tour are supposedly meant to be the final chapter in the story of the legendary Scorpions.
I’m not so sure if I believe that. It all sounds well and good and logical that the band would want to leave before they get too old to do this and leave while they can still create new music worth listening to but how many times has a band “retired” only to have a change of heart (if they were ever sincere about it at all)? Once this tour is over, I’m sure the band, if not the members themselves (Klaus has stated he and the Brothers Schenker will be working together at some point) will lay low for a few years but who knows? I wouldn’t be shocked or upset if they decided to give it a go again because they are easily one of my favorite bands.
If this truly is to be the final Scorpions album, the band’s heart was in the right place because as much as I loved their updated sound on Humanity: Hour I (and was actually looking forward to hearing a Hour II) the band needs to exit with an effort that is more in line with their “classic” sound. For those that hated Humanity but loved Unbreakable, you’re in luck. This album is full of the party rock Scorpions are known for and much like Unbreakable, it sounds like it is a lost album from the ’80s.
Sting in the Tail doesn’t come close to matching the band’s best output from the early ’80s but it’s a welcome addition to their catalog and stands as a great release on its own merits. It’s a very polished, commercial effort sounding more like something they might have done in the late ’80s sounding similar to Savage Amusement, Crazy World (“Lorelei” reminds me a lot of “Send Me An Angel”) and Unbreakable. I was hoping for a few heavier numbers but I still can’t complain. Who cares that there’s FOUR songs on this album with the word “rock” in the title when everything is so darn catchy? Funny, if you look at the track listing on the back of the album, there’s a few letters in the song titles that are red. Combine them and you get “it rocks”. And that’s what this album does.
Remembering that it took a few months for Humanity: Hour I to make it to stores in my area after its initial release, I pre-ordered this one from BestBuy.com for $7.99 + free shipping. It was the cheapest price I could find online and thought it was pretty cool there was no shipping charge. They timed the shipping perfectly because the album arrived the day it was released in stores (I’m hearing that once again that the album can’t be found in Best Buy just yet).
If it’s really over– thank you, Scorpions, for your forty-plus years of music and thank you for delivering yet another quality album as the final gift to your fans!
Highlights: “Raised On Rock”, “Sting in the Tail”, “Slave Me”, “The Good Die Young”, “No Limit”, “Lorelei”, “SLY”
SCORPIONS – Love At First Sting
Scorpions – Love At First Sting (1984, Mercury Records)
1. “Bad Boys Running Wild” … 3:53
2. “Rock You Like a Hurricane” … 4:10
3. “I’m Leaving You” … 4:10
4. “Coming Home” … 4:58
5. “The Same Thrill” … 3:30
6. “Big City Nights” … 4:02
7. “As Soon as the Good Times Roll” … 5:02
8. “Crossfire” … 4:33
9. “Still Loving You” … 6:27
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Francis Buchholz – Bass, Backing Vocals
Herman Rarebell – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Dieter Dierks
Another Scorpions album, another fantastic release. It’d really hard to pick my favorite Scorpions album because when they were good they were very good and almost always have zero filler.
Blackout had the classic hit rocker “No One Like You” and Love At First Sting gives us another classic and huge hit for the band: “Rock You Like A Hurricane”. This is a song that is still talked about and ranks high on many best hard rock/metal song lists to this day and also is featured often in commercials, movies and video games. On the back of this song and with support from the follow up singles “Big City Nights” and “Still Loving You” (both minor hits) the album has been driven to sales of 3x platinum and it is the band’s most successful release.
“Still Loving You” is one of the greatest power ballads ever and I always gets a kick out of “Big City Nights” because I usually replace “city” with a popular slang word for a woman’s breast.
This album is a heavy metal classic that in my opinion marks the end of an era for the band. Scorpions would continue to release entertaining albums (for the most part) but the rest of their career would see the band becoming more commercial minded and/or performing a few musical experiments that may or may not have worked depending on your own tastes.
On the cover, I never really noticed until now that the guy is tattooing the woman’s leg. I never closely examined the cover and just assumed he had his hand on her thigh.
Highlights: “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, “I’m Leaving You”, “Coming Home”, “Big City Nights”, “Still Loving You”
SCORPIONS – Crazy World
Scorpions – Crazy World (1990, Mercury Records)
1. “Tease Me, Please Me” … 4:44
2. “Don’t Believe Her” … 4:55
3. “To Be With You in Heaven” … 4:48
4. “Wind of Change” … 5:10
5. “Restless Nights” … 5:44
6. “Lust or Love” … 4:22
7. “Kicks After Six” … 3:49
8. “Hit Between the Eyes” … 4:33
9. “Money and Fame” … 5:06
10. “Crazy World” … 5:08
10. “Send Me an Angel” … 4:34
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Herman Rarebell – Drums
Francis Buchholz – Bass
Additional Musicians:
Jim Vallance – Keyboards
Koen VanBaal – Keyboards
Producer: Keith Olsen & Scorpions
One of the band’s best moments in my opinion is this album which spawned the massive international hit power ballad “Wind of Change”. 1988’s Savage Amusement was slightly disappointing, but Scorpions fired back in 1990 with one of their most infectious albums (it is also their second best-selling release). I can get into every song and sing along each time I play this one.
Scorpions were still in a very polished hard rock mode, but so what? Except for their earliest oddball releases, they’ve always been a commercial hard rock band. Nothing is quite as heavy as “No One Like You” or “Rock You Like A Hurricane” but “Don’t Believe Her” and “Crazy World” come close. The band has always done great ballads as well and the case is no different here — “Wind of Change” is of course an all-time classic and I’ve always been a huge fan of “Send Me an Angel” which is an even more commercial take on the haunting ballads Scorpions are known for.
All told, this is one of my favorite Scorpions albums and definitely light years better than anything else they released in the ’90s.
Highlights: “Tease Me, Please Me”, “Don’t Believe Her”, “To Be With You in Heaven”, “Wind of Change”, “Restless”, “Lust or Love”, “Crazy World”, “Send Me An Angel”
SCORPIONS – Blackout
Scorpions – Blackout (1982, Mercury Records)
1. “Blackout” … 3:47
2. “Can’t Live Without You” … 3:46
3. “No One Like You” … 3:56
4. “You Give Me All I Need” … 3:38
5. “Now!” … 2:33
6. “Dynamite” … 4:12
7. “Arizona” … 3:52
8. “China White” … 6:56
9. “When the Smoke Is Going Down” … 3:49
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead Vocals
Matthias Jabs – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Francis Buchholz – Bass, Backing Vocals
Herman Rarebell – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Producer: Dieter Dierks
This whole album smokes. Amazing rockers and it’s closed with the classic Scorpions power ballad “When the Smoke Is Going Down” (which is one of my favorite songs by the band).
Though “Rock You Like a Hurricane” and “Wind of Change” had greater chart success, I think “No One Like You” is an even more important and essential Scorpions song. Just an epic hard rocker.
What else can I say about this classic? This is THE Scorpions album to own and is also a must-have for any hard rock/heavy metal fan. The band would slip further into a commercial sound after this release (and for the most part, they kept delivering the goods), but Blackout is the perfect mix of metallic edge and mainstream hard rock.
Highlights: All of it. This is a metal/rock classic! There’s a reason this is considered the Scorps’ best release.
SCORPIONS – Taken By Force
Scorpions – Taken By Force [Remastered] (2002, Hip-O Records)
Originally Release: 1977, RCA Records
1. “Steamrock Fever” … 3:38
2. “We’ll Burn the Sky” … 6:27
3. “I’ve Got to Be Free” … 4:01
4. “The Riot of Your Time” … 4:10
5. “The Sails of Charon” … 4:23
6. “Your Light” … 4:31
7. “He’s a Woman, She’s a Man” … 3:15
8. “Born to Touch Your Feelings” … 7:41
BONUS TRACKS
9. “Suspender Love” … 3:21
10. “Polar Nights (live)” … 6:57
Band:
Klaus Meine – Lead Vocals
Ulrich Roth – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Francis Buchholz – Bass, Backing Vocals
Herman Rarebell – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Produced by: Dieter Dierks
I’ve always been hesitant to try some of the earlier Scorpions albums because I’ve always been told they are somewhat psychedelic, and that’s just no my style. I finally took the chance on this album though because I’ve heard it’s a sign of things to come and is a blue print for the signature sound they would develop fully on albums like Lovedrive, Blackout and Love at First Sting.
Well, it’s true, you can definitely hear where the band was heading in the next decade. In fact, I don’t think any of these songs would sound that much out of place on any of the aforementioned albums. There’s a touch of weird to the album like on “Steamrock Fever” with the kids chanting in the background and on “Born to Touch Your Feelings” with the girls talking near the end, but then again, despite the fact that this band is easily in my Top 10 of all-time, there’s always been something weird about them.
Nonetheless, I have to say this is an essential Scorpions album and like many of their releases, the songs will quickly stick in your head with “The Sails of Charon” easily ranking up there as one of the band’s greatest songs.
The bonus tracks are pretty good. “Suspender Love” I’m assuming was a B-side/unreleased song from the Taken By Force sessions and the live version of “Polar Nights” is from the live album Tokyo Tapes (the studio version can be found on 1976’s Virgin Killer).
Highlights: “We’ll Burn the Sky”, “I’ve Got to Be Free”, “The Sails of Charon”, “Your Light”, “He’s a Woman, She’s a Man”, “Born to Touch Your Feelings”
SCORPIONS – Unbreakable
Scorpions – Unbreakable (2004, Sanctuary Records)
Track Listing:
1. “New Generation” … 5:51
2. “Love ‘Em Or Leave ‘Em” … 4:03
3. “Deep And Dark” … 3:37
4. “Borderline” … 4:53
5. “Blood Too Hot” … 4:15
6. “Maybe I Maybe You” … 3:30
7. “Someday Is Now” … 3:23
8. “My City My Town” … 4:55
9. “Through My Eyes” … 5:23
10. “Can You Feel It” … 3:47
11. “This Time” … 3:34
12. “She Said” … 4:32
13. “Remember The Good Times [Retro Garage Mix]” … 4:24
Band:
Klaus Meine – Vocals
Rudolf Schenker – Guitar
Matthias Jabs – Guitar
Pawel Maciwoda – Bass
James Kottak- Drums
Additional Musicians:
Barry Sparks – Bass
Ingo Powitzer – Bass
Produced by: Erwin Musper & Scorpions
No more techno pop, no more symphonies, no more acoustic sets! Scorpions are back with a vengeance bringing their 80s heyday into the new millennium. Unbreakable is an album done in the classic Scorpions style and it fits right in with all of their 80s material. Had it been released between 1984’s Love at First Sting and 1988’s Savage Amusement, it would’ve been a big hit.
The album was an effort to win back fans after their last few lackluster albums which strayed from the rock sound they were best known for. Klaus Meine also said they purposefully set out to do this album just to prove that they still *could* do an album like this. And many times, when a band tries to return to their “roots”, it comes across as forced and not up to snuff, but this album delivers. The band sounds inspired, Klaus is in top form, and the songs and choruses are infectious. “Borderline” and “Someday Is Now” are some really great catchy rockers.
The only song I really don’t care for is “Maybe I Maybe You”, which is starts off as a pretty lame ballad, but builds to more of a rocker, but still can’t be saved.
A must have for Scorpions fans and easily their best release since Crazy World. It was a wondrous return to form, but funny enough, after proving they could still rock us like a hurricane, their next album, Humanity: Hour I, would take a step into the modern era…
Highlights: “New Generation”, “Love’Em Or Leave’Em”, “Deep and Dark”, “Borderline”, “Someday Is Now”, “My City, My Town”, “Can You Feel It”, “Remember The Good Times [Retro Garage Mix]”
SCORPIONS – Humanity: Hour I
Scorpions – Humanity: Hour I (2007, Sony BMG Music)
Track Listing:
1. “Hour 1” .. 3:26
2. “The Game of Life” … 4:04
3. “We Were Born to Fly” … 3:59
4. “The Future Never Dies” … 4:03
5. “You’re Lovin’ Me to Death ” … 3:15
6. “321” … 3:53
7. “Love Will Keep Us Alive” … 4:32
8. “We Will Rise Again” … 3:49
9. “Your Last Song” … 3:44
10. “Love Is War” … 3:20
11. “The Cross” … 4:29
12. “Humanity” … 5:34
BONUS TRACK
13. “Cold” … 3:52
Band:
Klaus Meine: Vocals
Matthias Jabs: Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Rudolf Schenker: Rhythm and Lead Guitar
Paweł Mąciwoda: Bass
James Kottak: Drums
Additional Musicians:
Billy Corgan – Vocals (“The Cross”)
John 5 – Guitar (“Hour I”)
Eric Bazilian – Guitar (“Love Will Keep Us Alive”)
Russ Irwin – Piano (“The Future Never Dies”)
Desmond Child – Backing Vocals
James Michael – Backing Vocals
Jeanette Olsson – Backing Vocals
Jason Paige – Backing Vocals
Produced by: Desmond Child & James Michael
This was my favorite release of 2007. Scorpions are one of my favorite bands, and after 2004’s awesome Unbreakable, I was pumped up for this one. Then I heard the samples online. It’s a bit of a departure from the typical Scorpions sound. A lot of the songs are slow (well, slower than what I was expecting) and plodding, but ended up growing on me.
Unbreakable brought the band’s sound back to their glorious 80s heyday, but Humanity: Hour 1 gives the band a bit of a modern hard rock/metal sound. It’s still Scorpions though. Yeah, the songs are a little darker and lyric matter is different (no more sex songs, says Klaus Meine!), but Klaus doesn’t try to change his singing to fit with the times and songs like “The Game of Life”, “We Were Born to Fly”, You’re Lovin’ Me to Death” and “321” should make most Scorpions fans happy.
This album got pretty good reviews, but I’ve seen a lot of Scorpions fan tear it down because of the band’s attempt to get more serious and grow. I don’t have a problem with the “serious” Scorpions or the silly perverted version. I applaud them for going in a different direction and for making it work.
I waited for MONTHS to get this CD. I’m not an import kinda guy and any album is readily available online for free if you know where to look, but I liked to support bands I’m a fan of so I waited. And waited. And waited. I couldn’t really get a confirmed US release, because I think it was initially May/June, but that turned out to only be the Europe release. FINALLY, the US got it at the end of August and I picked it up at Best Buy. The Best Buy exclusive track, “Cold”, is actually one of my favorites from the album.
The credits are pretty impressive. It’s good to see Desmond Child co-writing/producing this album. I’ve always been a fan of his hard rock collaborations. Also, co-producing (with the occasional writing credit) is SIXX:AM vocalist James Michael (who I’m starting to have a lot of respect for with his legit rock credentials). John 5 and Billy Corgan even lended their talents to this album.
Highlights: It’s not my top pick of 2007 for no reason at all. I can’t find any filler here.
Metal Excess 