Crazy World - Scorpions

...perhaps reached its' apex with Crazy World, the 1990 release by Scorpions, a band whose pedigree has provenance without question. You see, Rudolf Schenker, guitarist for Scorpions, is the brother of metal guitar maven Michael Schenker, the tremendously talented lead guitarist for the seminal Euro-metal band UFO. In fact, after Michael mysteriously left UFO back in the early days, he surfaced with Scorpions for a brief time, before returning to the ...
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10. Crazy World--The title track, of course, and the big power chords set up an irresistable riff that the other players cavort off of. Klaus Meine's lead vocals are particularly arresting, and the lead guitar licks remind me a little of Randy Rhoads.

11. Send Me An Angel--Sort of a restrained ballad--it has a little of a gloomy tone, but the vocals are beautiful, and the keyboards by a sessions player really compliment ... more

Euro-metal perhaps reached its' apex with Crazy World, the 1990 release by Scorpions, a band whose pedigree has provenance without question. You see, Rudolf Schenker, guitarist for Scorpions, is the brother of metal guitar maven Michael Schenker, the tremendously talented lead guitarist for the seminal Euro-metal band UFO. In fact, after Michael mysteriously left UFO back in the early days, he surfaced with Scorpions for a brief time, before returning to the UFO fold.

The Scorpions brand of Euro-metal is not as raw and elemental as the early UFO material--it's more than a little bit slicker, and the music has a big arena sound that makes it very distinctive. It's also a little more pop-oriented, much more commercial than their early days, when it was more or less "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" Even so, the metal purist shouldn't have too much of a problem with this album--while it doesn't sacrifice the melodies, it still has plenty of edgy lead guitar and a nice mixture of raw vocals and harmonies to intrigue the listener.

Scorpions are:

Klaus Meine, vocals
Rudolf Schenker, guitars, lead guitars
Matthias Jabs, lead guitars, guitars
Francis Bucholz, bass guitar
Herman Rarebell, drums

The songs on this album and my comments about each are as follows:

1. Tease Me Please Me--Thundering guitars kick off the opening track, and a fine riff is immediately set up by the lead guitar. The pop flavor is apparent, but the producers, Keith Olson and Scorpions manage to capture the arena feel with a vast expanse of sound. This one is a nice, high energy note on which to open the album.

2. Don't Believe Her--An "attack" guitar starts this one, and the frenetic intro dissolves into an even, smooth tempo. Unlike most metal bands, Scorpions appreciated the value of good vocal harmonies, even though all the singing is done by Klaus Meine by way of overdubs. Either Rudolf Schenker or Matthias Jabs plays a searing lead guitar part, and Scorpions roll out a tight sound without sacrificing that arena feel.

3. To Be With You In Heaven--Syncopation is the key to this song, with some hard interplay between drums, bass guitar and the thunderous electric guitars. This one doesn't have the energy of the previous two tracks, but it also stops way short of being a ballad. A track like this is done well enough, but it leaves you wanting something more to flesh it out.

4. Wind Of Change--This was a monster hit for Scorpions--it addresses the downfall of the Communist regime in the Soviet Union and the ultimate "democratization" of Russia. It's a really beautiful ballad, in addition to its' political message. Klaus Meine wrote this one, and does a nice job of handling a delicate vocal performance. The lead guitar solo is melodic and arching--this song delivers a message of hope, both lyrically and musically.

5. Restless Nights--This tune is a little heavier than the usual brand of Euro-metal pumped out by Scorpions--it sort of grinds away in the best heavy metal tradition. The lead guitar work is really extraordinary, and Klaus Meine really puts some feeling into his vocals, at times restrained and at other times rough and uncontrolled. This one is really one of the hidden gems of this album.

6. Lust Or Love--That big arena sound is again present in this rocker--it has all of the elements, from screaming guitar riffs to drums that fill out the beat. The vocal harmonies continue to be perfect, sort of out of the ordinary for a metal band.

7. Kicks After Six--This one really moves, with an uptempo, frantic beat that gets the blood flowing. Klaus Meine's vocals are intense, and the guitar work by the two guitarists fits in perfectly with the frenetic rhythm. That pop touch that characterized Scorpions' brand of Euro-metal is ever present, and the squealing guitar solo is done well.

8. Hit Between The Eyes--Sounds like the title to an AC/DC song, huh? It's much smoother than that type of music, even though it still rocks pretty good. The stop-start music provides a nice deviation from the usual forms of Scorpions music, giving Klaus Meine plenty of room to express himself. The guitar solo is white-hot!

9. Money And Fame--This track has a ponderous, relentless beat, and is one of the heaviest efforts on the album. The bass guitar line and the drums set up the framework, and the guitars alternate between big power chords and slide licks to ornament the beat. This one sounds a little like Scorpions' "brother" band, UFO.

10. Crazy World--The title track, of course, and the big power chords set up an irresistable riff that the other players cavort off of. Klaus Meine's lead vocals are particularly arresting, and the lead guitar licks remind me a little of Randy Rhoads.

11. Send Me An Angel--Sort of a restrained ballad--it has a little of a gloomy tone, but the vocals are beautiful, and the keyboards by a sessions player really compliment the sound of Scorpions. I think this album would be a little more even had it closed on a more upbeat note, but as this song progresses, the tension builds, and it eventually rocks pretty good.

Any fan of metal should own this album--the metal purist might think it a bit "fluffy", but the album should be listened to with the idea in mind that it's a different form of metal, one that's a little more melodic, but still with plenty of those metal ingredients.

 

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