Scorpions: my new guilty pleasure

[cramx3]

I'd go to that tour but it's not coming close enough to me and the closest shows don't have Whitesnake as support.  Just saw Scorpions so no need to travel for it.  I'm going to guess Whitesnake will come around again before calling it quits.  I know Coverdale isn't really performing at a high level these days but I still enjoyed the Whitesnake shows I saw over the last few years.  That will be a fun show for those who see it.

I know the Connecticut date doesn't have Whitesnake; does the New York date? 

It does, although it's technically closer than AC it would take a bit longer to get there with typical long island traffic.  Funny enough, the guys who sat next to me on Friday were talking about that arena and how it's new and very good place to see a show.  It's just not going to be that show if I do go. I'd rather see Iron Maiden for a 2nd show of that tour instead if I were to make that journey. 

[RodrigoAltaf]

I interviewed Mikkey Dee!! We spoke about the new Motorhead reissue (Bad Magic), the touring plans of Scorpions, King Diamond and much more!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ILsG4zq3o&t=85s

[TAC]

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[bosk1]

If we are discussing putrid Scorpions albums, then Eye II Eye must get a mention. That album is a complete abomination.    I recall Michael Schenker mocking it as Scorpions dance music, and he wasn’t far off base with that comment.

Yeah, that album was awful.  I remember buying it and Nuclear Cowboy from John Sykes at the same time.  That was the first time I ever bought albums and promptly took them back to the store to demand a refund. 

I'm somewhat selective when it comes to Scorpions.  When they hit for me, they hit pretty hard.  But they have a lot of material, and I am just not interested in a lot of it. 

For me, the run of Blackout through Savage Amusement was magic. 

I don't own anything prior to Blackout and don't really have any desire to.  There are a number of good songs scattered throughout those early albums, but I don't have a desire to own the albums themselves.

After Savage Amusement, it's hit and miss.  Crazy world was okay, but seemed like a generic, "let's just follow the Scorpions radio hit formula" album from start to finish.  Face the Heat was GREAT.  Pure Instinct wasn't bad.  I don't remember anything on it being a real standout, but it sounded like Scorpions and had some pretty consistent mid-tier Scorps tunes.  After that, the only ones I bought were Eye II Eye and Humanity.  Hated the former; LOVED the latter and put it up there with their best material. 

Haven't heard the other albums and never really had much desire to.  Honestly, I'm perfectly content with my Scorpions collection consisting solely of Blackout, Love at First Sting, Savage Amusement, Face the Heat, and Humanity, with the addition of a 2-disk hits album, World Wide Live, and Live Bites.  I feel like that collection is giving me just about everything I want to listen to from them when I want a good Scorpions fix. 

[Stadler]

If we are discussing putrid Scorpions albums, then Eye II Eye must get a mention. That album is a complete abomination.    I recall Michael Schenker mocking it as Scorpions dance music, and he wasn’t far off base with that comment.

Yeah, that album was awful.  I remember buying it and Nuclear Cowboy from John Sykes at the same time.  That was the first time I ever bought albums and promptly took them back to the store to demand a refund. 

I'm somewhat selective when it comes to Scorpions.  When they hit for me, they hit pretty hard.  But they have a lot of material, and I am just not interested in a lot of it. 

For me, the run of Blackout through Savage Amusement was magic. 

I don't own anything prior to Blackout and don't really have any desire to.  There are a number of good songs scattered throughout those early albums, but I don't have a desire to own the albums themselves.

After Savage Amusement, it's hit and miss.  Crazy world was okay, but seemed like a generic, "let's just follow the Scorpions radio hit formula" album from start to finish.  Face the Heat was GREAT.  Pure Instinct wasn't bad.  I don't remember anything on it being a real standout, but it sounded like Scorpions and had some pretty consistent mid-tier Scorps tunes.  After that, the only ones I bought were Eye II Eye and Humanity.  Hated the former; LOVED the latter and put it up there with their best material. 

Haven't heard the other albums and never really had much desire to.  Honestly, I'm perfectly content with my Scorpions collection consisting solely of Blackout, Love at First Sting, Savage Amusement, Face the Heat, and Humanity, with the addition of a 2-disk hits album, World Wide Live, and Live Bites.  I feel like that collection is giving me just about everything I want to listen to from them when I want a good Scorpions fix.

I'm a lot more into the early years - I LOVE Tokyo Tapes, and Taken By Force is a great album - and my "magic period" is "Lovedrive" through "Savage Amusement" (maybe just through "Love At First Sting") but conceptually, I'm in agreement with this.  They very much are a band of eras or sections.   I have Humanity Hour (it IS good) but I think they fell into a sort of trap after SA of having the "epic hit" (Winds Of Change) and have been sort of chasing that ever since.  Scorpions for me aren't a world-changing band with deep social and cultural issues being addressed in their music, and sometimes I think that's how they see themselves.  They are to me just good old fashioned high energy hard rock.

[bosk1]

Scorpions for me aren't a world-changing band with deep social and cultural issues being addressed in their music, and sometimes I think that's how they see themselves.  They are to me just good old fashioned high energy hard rock.

That's a really interesting take.  I hadn't thought about it in those terms before, but I think that's probably pretty accurate.  But then again, as one of the drivers on that show in Russia and the coming down of the Wall, having Winds of Change, being active participants in Stairway To Heaven/Highway To Hell, I think there's maybe something to how they see themselves as doing important cultural things, at least more than we might be willing to give knee-jerk credit for if we don't stop for a moment to think about it. 

Back to Eye II Eye, I just remembered the band photo that was either on the back cover or inside the booklet (I forget which).  The expression on Rudy's face says it all--it is along the lines of, "I...I find it hard to believe we are putting this out under the Scorpions banner, but...hey, it's the '90s, and the entire music scene is a circus right how, so..." 

[Stadler]

Scorpions for me aren't a world-changing band with deep social and cultural issues being addressed in their music, and sometimes I think that's how they see themselves.  They are to me just good old fashioned high energy hard rock.

That's a really interesting take.  I hadn't thought about it in those terms before, but I think that's probably pretty accurate.  But then again, as one of the drivers on that show in Russia and the coming down of the Wall, having Winds of Change, being active participants in Stairway To Heaven/Highway To Hell, I think there's maybe something to how they see themselves as doing important cultural things, at least more than we might be willing to give knee-jerk credit for if we don't stop for a moment to think about it. 

I probably could have worded that better, but I wasn't passing judgment on them for thinking that.  They were in many ways at ground zero, having grown up in a country divided.  I'm just saying FOR ME, having grown up with the sort of tortured English of some of their mid-period songs, some of the shall we say, "misunderstandings" of their early album covers, and some of the criticisms from both Uli Roth and Michael Schenker (the latter of which you should admittedly take with a grain of salt) I opted to not spend too much time on that stuff.  Later when they wanted me to, it was hard to make the transition.

[jammindude]

Bosk, I will admit that pre-Lovedrive has a very 70s feel to it and people will either love it or hate it. But if you love the Blackout era stuff, then Lovedrive is a MUST.

[bosk1]

Bosk, I will admit that pre-Lovedrive has a very 70s feel to it and people will either love it or hate it. But if you love the Blackout era stuff, then Lovedrive is a MUST.

Yeah, that's actually a part of it.  Something about '70s rock often just doesn't do it for me.  It's like a lot of bands from that era were kind of finding their way to the stuff I liked about a lot of similar stuff in the '80s, but hadn't gotten there yet.  So there are quite a few bands from that era that are in the same vein as later bands I like, but those earlier ones just don't do it for me.  Or bands that lasted through both decades where I don't really care for a lot of their earlier material.  Not a big deal.  I don't hate it.  It just doesn't grab me like the stuff I really like. 

As to Lovedrive specifically, I've heard it.  The hits or more well-known songs are on albums like World Wide Live and the hits album that I have, and the deep cuts don't really move the needle for me in terms of making me buy the album proper.  In other words, I feel like I already have what I like from it.

[TAC]

As to Lovedrive specifically, I've heard it.  The hits or more well-known songs are on albums like World Wide Live and the hits album that I have, and the deep cuts don't really move the needle for me in terms of making me buy the album proper.  In other words, I feel like I already have what I like from it.

Yup, 5 of the 8 tracks made the Worldwide Live album, with only Is There Anybody There, Always Somewhere, and the title track not making it.

I actually consider Lovedrive's title track, the best song on the album.


I always thought them going from Holiday right into Still Loving You was magnificent.

[bosk1]

I didn't realize it was 5 of 8.  So, in addition to that, I have the title track on the hits compilation and Anybody There on Live Bites.  So I guess I actually have every song but one (Always Somewhere). 

EDIT:  BTW, Deadly Sting is the compilation album I have. 

[TAC]

I didn't realize it was 5 of 8.  So, in addition to that, I have the title track on the hits compilation and Anybody There on Live Bites.  So I guess I actually have every song but one (Always Somewhere). 

EDIT:  BTW, Deadly Sting is the compilation album I have.

Nice!



And even though Lovedrive is technically a 70's album (1979), it is the first album for the Scorps with a new style that they would further develop into the 80's. It's not the Uli Roth spacey style. It's the first album with Matthias Jabs, with Michael Schenker playing on half the album as well.