Search - Scorpions :: Best of

A solid overview of their early material

John Alapick | Wilkes-Barre, PA United States | 11/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 1984 at the height of their popularity, Best of Scorpions compiles the best songs from their albums Fly to the Rainbow through Taken by Force. These albums, while popular in Japan, were seldom heard in the U.S. before the band broke through with their 1982 album Blackout. What you hear on Best of Scorpions is a band polishing their sound. The songs are rawer and heavier overall with a large emphasis on Uli John Roth's Hendrix-like lead work, which while impressive, occasionally clashed with the band's more melodic material. While Klaus Meine's lead vocals were very powerful, his command of the English language was limited which led to many of their songs to sound disjointed. However, Rudolf Schenker's gift of writing memorable melodic riffs show their fruition here and would sound awesome once the band retuned their sound starting with 1979's Lovedrive, which would be the band's first release with lead guitarist Matthias Jabs.



Every track here is very solid. Tracks like "Pictured Life", "Backstage Queen", and "Steamrock Fever" are excellent arena rockers even if you can't understand Meine's vocals most of the time. Songs like "He's A Woman-She's A Man", "Virgin Killer", and "Dark Lady" are furious rockers featuring menacing riffs and Roth's wild lead work. While the tracks "Robot Man" and "Speedy's Coming" have great riffs, the lyrics are pretty weak, something they'd improve on their future albums. However, "In Trance" is an excellent power ballad, their best next to "Still Loving You" from Love at First Sting. Roth's "Hell Cat" sounds like one of the heavier tunes off of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland and is also very good if you can get used to his lead vocals. Finally, "The Sails of Charon", which Testament later covered on Signs of Chaos, is one of the great early epics of heavy metal history. Like how "Victim of Changes" is to Judas Priest, it has become one of the Scorpions' defining tracks. All told, while not as polished as their more popular albums from the '80s and '90s, Best Of Scorpions shows that the band was a formidable force years before they broke the mainstream. While this compilation is now out of print, it's worth seeking out. And if you like what you hear, all of their '70s albums are pretty decent.



"

Esta bien chingon este album

jesus de la cruz | USA | 06/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the vynil album but right now i want it in CD, where can i find it???????"

Best of the early years

B. P. Hanks | 07/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How this (vinyl) album rocked me through my college years. I believe I was the only one who had it in 1980. Mine has a different cover (scorpion on a woman's thigh). Scorps got no airplay then. This is a cult classic along with UFO's Strangers in the Night. Schenker Brothers Rock!"