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Rating: One of the first things I noticed arriving at DeBaser was the scarcity of reviews about one of the major groups in the global hard rock scene, I'm talking about the Scorpions. This band, led by singer Klaus Meine and guitarist Rudolf Schenker, achieved great success in the '80s and '90s thanks to the ballad "Wind of Change."
In reality, the Scorpions started producing music back in the '70s, and during this period, they were also known for the provocative album covers, which depicted photos with double meanings (something that still accompanies them now), especially the one for "Virgin Killer," which featured a naked young girl and was replaced in many countries with a photo of the band. But from "Virgin Killer," let's jump in time to 1979, when guitarist Uli Roth found himself at odds with the other members of the band due to the fact that the band had a sound that was too Hendrix-like for Meine & co.'s tastes. So it was decided to embark on a world tour, let's say a "farewell" tour, which led them to Japan, where this "Tokyo Tapes" was recorded. Probably the group did not have a precise idea for the future, whether to look for a new soloist or disband; I say this because before the live performance, a collection of all the Scorpions' hits up to that period was released, which, together with this live album, would suggest a probable breakup.
Now let's talk about this concert, which certainly has much rawer sounds than those obtained in the studio and is therefore much more energetic and more hard rock. However, it must also be said that technically it is not perfect and Meine's voice is rougher and scratchier, which works well on fast tracks but does not perform as well on slow songs. The tracklist is really good, played very fast throughout. Meine, despite not having his voice in the best condition (as mentioned earlier), sings with a powerful grit, and Schenker, along with Uli Roth (in my opinion, the best of the performance), and the entire rhythm section, namely Bucholz on bass and Rarebell on drums, put on a good show.
The powerful riff of "All Night Long" heralds a rocket start, and the trio of hard rock songs formed by the aforementioned "All Night Long" and the two "Pictured Life" and "Backstage Queen" does not disappoint, with Meine shouting over the refrains of Roth and Schenker, making you want to jump. With "In Trance" and "We'll Burn the Sky," things slow down, but the emotion is truly sky-high on the sweet notes that carry you away and the audience applauding so much that it interrupts the execution of the second of the two mentioned. We return to rock with the rhythmic "Suspender Lover," and other exciting moments include the high notes of "In Search of Piece of Mind" and "Fly to the Rainbow." Perhaps the rawest track on the album is "He is a Woman She is a Man," where the guitars and drums make as much noise as possible, and "Speedy's Coming" is much faster and more energetic than in the studio. "Top of the Bill" features a nice drum solo where Rarebell dispels the "mere member" label that was attached to him, proving to be a musician of level as well. The two covers of the moment, performed very quickly one after the other, are "Hound Dog," with a nice guitar solo, and "Long Tall Sally." "Steamrock Fever" I find somewhat unnecessary, while "Dark Lady" is capable of exhilarating with its high notes and screams. A Japanese song executed especially for the occasion, "Kojo No Tsuki," features very high notes over a slow base that builds as it goes on. A not-so-brilliant execution of "Robot Man" closes the live performance.
Fortunately, the Scorpions will continue to produce music, replacing their (let's call him historic) lead guitarist Uli Roth. Two more live albums will be released, "World Wide Live" and "Live Bites," the first of which I consider to be the best of the Scorpions, but the energy present here will no longer be. The band is still active today, and after participating in Gods of Metal, it seems a new album will be released.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Pictured Life (03:47)
Ooh! Dark meditation,
Your second sight can show my light
In a crystal ball.
Sweet are the days, intoxication
Crow-black the nights caging my mind
Behind the wall.
Into the rock through walls of red dreams
Into the rock to find the cream
Into the rock through walls of red dreams
Pictured life from yesterday.
Ooh! Dark meditation,
Deep down inside a stream of light
Begins to flow.
Sweet are the days, intoxication
Crow-black the nights caging my mind
Behind the wall.
Into the rock through walls of red dreams
Into the rock to find the cream
Into the rock through walls of red dreams
Pictured life from yesterday.
Pictured life, pictured life
Pictured life from yesterday ...
03 Backstage Queen (03:39)
Hey little Donna, sweet little Donna I know
You wanted my love and I gave it to you
Hey little Donna, sweet little Donna you know
Goodbye is hello, 'cos I'm on the road
Take it easy, don't get me wrong,
Just keep me in your dreams
Take it easy, life goes on
My little backstage queen
Hey little Donna, sweet little Donna so good
My feeling with you was all very true
Hey little Donna, sweet little Donna you know
Goodbye is hello, 'cos I'm on the road
Take it easy, don't get me wrong,
Just keep me in your dreams
Take it easy, life goes on
My little backstage queen
Hey little Donna
Sweet little Donna
Goodbye Donna
05 In Trance (05:31)
I wake up in the morning
and the sun begins to shine
the day did sneak up on the night
I see your face and I see myself
and I get a little taste of life
I try to stand it for a while
But I'm in a trance
Hey baby tell me can't you hear me calling
I'm in a trance
I take too much in the Saturday night
Hey... Hey
Hey baby tell me can't you hear me calling
I'm in a trance
I wanna try to stop this life
I feel so sad I'm feeling down
On the radio the music plays
I'm in love with her and I feel fine
I close my eyes
I think today is getting better with a sip of wine
and I can stand it for a while
When I'm in a trance
Hey baby tell me can't you hear me calling
I'm in a trance
I take too much in the Saturday night
Hey... Hey
Hey baby tell me can't you hear me calling
I'm in a trance
I wanna try to stop this life
I'm in a trance
Hey baby tell me can't you hear me caling
I'm in a trance
I take too much in the Saturday night
Hey...Hey
Hey baby tell me can't you hear me calling
I'm in a trance
I wanna try to stop this life
06 We'll Burn the Sky (08:12)
I'm in love with the sunshine
I'm in love with the fallin' rain
Everything seems to call your name
Yesterday you were leavin'
Leavin' life and all your pain
Everything wants you back again
Wants you back again
Wants you back again
I found myself through you
And there was love in my life
I felt there was nothing to hide
And my love had a home
But now my mind has started to roam
You're my life giving fire
And you carry all my love
Through you I was so inspired
You're engraved deep in my heart
Heart, heart, heart
My dreams recall us being warm
I've searched for you to be free
The force of life you have always been
I feel blue since you're gone
You're breath of life surrounded me
When can I join you to be free?
Join you to be free
Join you to be free
Wait, can this be a dream?
There is a voice in my head
It belongs to you, it says
Don't cry, no need to be sad
There's a way to stay with you again
It's more than you ever had
And though death brings us apart
Our timeless love always grows
Because you are my other part
I know we've never been apart
Your love sets fire to my heart
We'll burn the sky
When it's time for me to die
We'll burn the sky, oh yeah
We'll burn the sky, oh yeah
When it's time, time, time
We'll burn the sky
We'll burn the sky, oh yeah
08 In Search of the Peace of Mind (03:02)
When I'm alone I'm feeling blue
Dreaming a dream of a world that's lovely and true
Faintly the dream of a true and wonderful world
And no one will care as long as the world will turn
Faintly the dream of a true and wonderful world
And no one will care as long as the world will turn
And I know a place to go to find my peace of mind
And I know a place to find my peace of mind
And I try
And I try
And I try
And I try
...
09 Fly to the Rainbow (09:48)
Life is empty, can't remember anytime before,
On a plain lit cold December, see it evermore,
Gliding through this life, and another is a child,
and we're doing games, and losing things,
Always playing gigs.
Somewhere in the sky, where the moon the stars shine bright,
Where the sun is shining, in the night.
I am in disgrace, yet i see a smiling face,
and i hope you let me, share your place.
I don't live today.
Rain in the sky , make the world fly,
Into time, beg me your time.
Sun in the sky, make the world fly,
Into time, beg me your time.
Rain in the sky , make the world fly,
Into time, beg me your time.
Sun in the sky, make the world fly,
Into time, beg me your time.
Rain in the sky , make the world fly,
Into time, beg me your time.
Sun in the sky, make the world fly,
Into time, beg me your time.
I lived in magic solitude,
With cloudy looking mountains,
The lake made out of crystal raindrops.
Run through space, 2000 years ago,
I've seen the giant city of Atlantis,
sinking into an eternal wave of darkness.
Shhh.
Somewhere in the blue distance,
Are those long forgotten trees of gold
Broken lives hidden down in the sand
Darkness everywhere, nothing
Symbols, strange symbols on a cold leaf
Painting torrid colours all sky green.
Candle painted white like the moon,
Faraway children bleed, God save them.
Drifting garish ghosts like shadows.
Save break to catch and kill time.
Echoes one round endless meadow.
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