My best bro Jammin’ Jaymz and I have many differences when it comes to music. We have as many differences as we do similarities which is why we are so fucking awesome! One of the big differences we’ve had over the years is The Scorpions. Here’s the deal. I never could admit to “loving” The Scorpions but why in the hell can I not hate them? I think it’s like this hidden, forbidden love that I refuse to admit to having. I can do the best Klaus Meine impressions till the cows come home and make fun of them all I want but damn I just can’t hate this band. Matter of fact, I think I’m kind of… ok… I REALLY LIKE THE SCORPIONS!
I can’t actually say that I “hate” a Scorpions song. Even the cheesiest of songs like “Tease Me, Please Me” I find nodding to and really enjoying. “Rock You Like A Hurricane?” Love it. “The Zoo?” Fucking love it! “No One Like You?” Goddamn I’m all over it and don’t get me started on “Big City Nights!” Seriously. They even did a really awesome cover of The Who classic “I Can’t Explain” that totally kicked my ass. What is is about this band’s songs that have basically had me as a closeted fan all these years? I own ONE full Scorpions album (World Wide Live) yet just about every song I’ve ever heard by them I find myself really liking. When these guys rock they just flat out rock. It’s not pretentious or brainy but it’s just good ol’ Heavy Metal fun. They play their asses off and the production is always stellar.
You know what else I love about The Scorpions? I love it that they are the polar opposite of nearly all Hard Rock/Metal bands. I usually fucking dread “the ballad” when it comes from most bands. The ballad is usually the weakest point of a band. It’s where a band sounds so contrived and fake as they try to show their soft, emotional side but with The Scorpions it’s a completely different story. I almost prefer their ballads over the heavy stuff because the songs are so fucking good. I challenge you to take a song like “Still Loving You” and see if any other Metal band can do better. Their song “Send Me An Angel” from their 1990 “Crazy World” album literally gives me goosebumps and takes my breath away. It’s a great example of a band who can truly write from the heart and produce a beautiful piece of work. Even at their cheesiest, “Wind of Change” captured a very real and sincere emotion of their love of Russia forever in a song. As a songwriter myself, I know that songs like this can be personal statements so even if they come out cheesy, they are still very real and personal emotions.
The Scoprions also seem to have a strong sense of passion to their songs. They can rock, they can be balladeers and they can be passionate. Where bands like Poison, Warrant and the like were all about fucking, The Scorpions were all about the passion, the electricity, the sheer connection of man and woman. Even their album titles such as “Savage Amusement” and “Animal Magnetism” hinted at that. Poison had “fuck me” songs like “Talk Dirty To Me” and “I Want Action.” Warrant had REALLY bad tongue in cheek songs like “Cherry Pie”. The Scorpions have songs like “Lovedrive”, “No One Like You” and “Rhythm of Love.” Goddamn, I challenge anyone to find a song that’s as sexy as “Rhythm of Love.” That song just oozes with passion and it’s such a sonically great song that borders on that fine line of a rocker and a ballad.
So I guess it’s out. I’m a Scorpions fan. It took me many years of fighting off the urge to say so. Why? I’m not sure. None of my friends growing up were Scorpions fans yet I feel like we all liked them and just wouldn’t admit it. Its kind of like when we all bought Winger’s 2nd album “In The Heart of the Young” and wouldn’t admit to owning or liking it yet we all did own it and we all did love it. At 36 years old, I’m just now admitting that I fucking love The Scorpions. It’s never too late to discover that you love and there’s nothing wrong with loving a band even if others you know don’t share your love of them. Life’s too short to hide the love of music.
About The Author
