Hawk June 70s classics: Scorpions - In Trance

[Hawk]

Intro:

I have been thinking about this for some time. This is the old school forum after all. I do feel sometimes that the 70s are a bit neglected here. Not surprising being that most of you are still teenyboppers

Anyway, I though since I was already around in that decade I could dust of some of the better albums of that period and present them here for you all. I don't presume that you never heard of the albums or that you don't know them, nor that I know all the good 70s album, I'd rather hope you'd see it as a re-introduction And of course as I say so many times; this is all IMHO.

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Scorpions - In Trance 1975

Songs:

01) Dark Lady
02) In Trance
03) Life's Like a River
04) Top of the Bill
05) Living and Dying

Side 2

06) Robot Man
07) Evening Wind
08) Sun in My Hand
09) Longing for Fire
10) Night Lights

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The album roars itself into existence! Guitarist John Uli Roth is an Hendrix freak and is not afraid to show it. "Dark Lady" is an awesome opener. It just rocks in a big, majestic way. Klaus Meine is sharing lead vocals with Uli Roth and is hitting a few high notes that make him sound like Gillan on Child in Time. Roth's solo in the middle of the song is one of his best. Next up is the title song "In Trance" and a great ballad it is. Again Uli Roth and Klaus Meine are competing for a place in the spotlight the winner however is the listener. "Life's like a River" is another ballad but and one of the best songs in the Scorpions catalog. The guitars are literally screaming and so is our Klaus! One of the best ballads of the 70s. "Top of the Bill" is a typical Uli Roth showcase, a fairly good rocker but somehow it lacks the excitement of other Scorpions songs. The last song on side one is "Living and Dying" a very dramatic and good song indeed.

Side 2 opens with "Robot man". A good song but not great. "Evening Wind" is their 3th ballad on the album and its a fantastic song. From its over the top opening chords to the last notes this song grabs a hold of you and never lets you go again. I should know because I heard this song 27 years ago and still love it. The singing on this song is something to be heard! Klaus Meine delivers one of his best performances. Unfortunately
the next song "Sun in my Hand" is a very bad Uli Roth showcase. His vocals terrible. It might be funny except it not! The 2 next songs are great again! "Longing for Fire is a great hard rock song. I always liked the closer of this album "Night Lights". A melancholic instrumental. Very atmospheric, moody and beautiful. A perfect closer to a great album. So there you have it. A real classic. Get it while its hot

 

[Wyvern]

Great post Hawk! I was blessed with the pure luck (for once damnit!) of getting my paws on the Axe Killer (defunct) reissue "The Back To Black Collection", a beautiful digibook with two CDs containing "In Trance" and "Virgin Killer" with "Fly To The Rainbow" (whole album) as bonus tracks. The CDs came with the original (uncensored) artwork the way Scorpions intended and the remastering is superb.

'In Trance', 'Top Of The Bill', 'Robot Man' are instant faves, and the whole delivers from head to toes. Uli Jon Roth guitar is more than amazing, and I surely understand why so many guitar players (including Malmsteen) are influenced by his great skillmanship.

I consider more than anything those three albums and "Taken By Force" the best work by Scorpions ever, before becoming too metal by the 80's and before becoming too soft lately.

 

[Hawk]

Thanks Wyvern!

Yea this belong with their best work. And I agree with you about their 80s albums. Not to speak of their latest

I will do an album every month.

Thanks for reacting

 

[Sinner Rider]

Great Cd!! Virgin Killer is awesome, but spendy along with In Trance, both are my favorite Scorpions albums, along with Blackout.

 

[Hawk]

Great Cd!! Virgin Killer is awesome, but spendy along with In Trance, both are my favorite Scorpions albums, along with Blackout.

Than you have some serious good taste! I did not choose the "Virgin Killer" album because I though more people know and like that album.

 

[Wyvern]

I will do an album every month.

Thanks for reacting

Please do!

I wish people with your experience and age (not that you're old, just with more highway ) post more about classic stuff, especially classic stuff available that we may have skip for any given reason. I've seen people post like these about records that are impossible to get leaving one with a sour taste. But introducing classic albums to the metal collectors, especially the younger ones is in a sense our duty to keep the flame on.

 

[Hawk]

Thanks for saying that. I was a bit weary of starting this. I though some would think it arrogant of me to do this.

I have a list of 12 albums so I am covered for a year. I am going to enjoy this. I hope others will as well.

 

[carnut]

This is cool !! I was really into Blackout in the 80's ... the earlier albums were made before I got into metal music I think, so they didn't get my attention, but now I'm interested in hearing them again. My fav record of the 70's was a best of Uriah Heep, played that 'grey' as we say here ... and also Rush was one of the favorits. I tend to listen a lot to that "old" stuff lately.

 

[Hawk]

This is cool !! I was really into Blackout in the 80's ... the earlier albums were made before I got into metal music I think, so they didn't get my attention, but now I'm interested in hearing them again. My fav record of the 70's was a best of Uriah Heep, played that 'grey' as we say here ... and also Rush was one of the favorits. I tend to listen a lot to that "old" stuff lately.

Thats great carnut! There were a lot of albums released in the 70s. I will review 11 more album in the coming months. Thanks for your reaction

 

[Sinner Rider]

Than you have some serious good taste! I did not choose the "Virgin Killer" album because I though more people know and like that album.

The album cover is a little disturbing!! Its like a 10 year old girl! Fly to Rainbow has a harsher sound, but I still like it. That is the first one right?

 

[Hawk]

The album cover is a little disturbing!! Its like a 10 year old girl!

Remember that this was the 70s. Morals were a bit different then. Certainly here in Europe. Actually she was 13. The Scorpions placed a advert in a newspaper that they were looking for a young girl to pose. They informed the parents of their "Virgin Killer" concept and the parents gave their permission. And the girl wanted to do this very much too.

The parents were there when the picture was taken. The album sleeve got banned in the US but everywere in Europe it was available and yes, without a brown bag over it! Of course in certain circles it caused a stir but nothing spectaculair. And while the cover got banned in the US, when the album was released, at the time the Scorpions were hardly known there. I have the vinyl album version with this cover. I bought it when it was released in 1977

The funny thing is, that in recent years child pornography laws were tightend so much that I now could be arrested because the album sleeve falls under the new and expanded definition!

The Scorpions kept releasing provocative sleeves until their breakthough album "Blackout" in 1980. Have a look here:

http://www.the-scorpions.com/english/discography/records/default.htm

Many people considered the sleeves of "Lovedrive" and Animal "Magnitism" also disturbing.

Fly to Rainbow has a harsher sound, but I still like it. That is the first one right?

No the first Scorpions album is called "Lonesome Crow". It was released in 1972 and has Michael Schenker on lead guitar. Its the first album he apears on. On this album they don't play hard rock yet. The style is space rock.

 

[JonnyD]

Hawk! You truely are the HEADBANGING history Teacher!

 

[Greeno]

Cool thread Hawk! Don't know if I can wait a month for the next one though.

 

[delize]

Cool thread indeed! I want more!

 

[Hawk]

Thanks guys and delize! I really appreciate this

 

[Runehammer]

Classic!

 

[Hawk]

 

[Wyvern]

The album cover is a little disturbing!! Its like a 10 year old girl! Fly to Rainbow has a harsher sound, but I still like it. That is the first one right?

Well here comes a disturbing story then
I was into Scorpions like most people my age and late to metal with "Blackout". Nevertheless and for some wierd reason I never were into them properly being my only album for years "The Best Of Rockers'n'Ballads". But being as I am an avid collector of tribute I get in touch with their earlier stuff thanks to 2 great tributes: "A Tribute To Scorpions" (Nuclear Blast) and "Another Piece Of Metal" (Dwell).

So I decided to look upon the albums prior to 1982. Luckily at the time I finally decided this the reissues came aboard and I got quickly "Taken By Force" and "Lovedrive" (original artwork). And then is when the disturbing episode came, I decided that regardless of my ethics and the lines I can draw for myself, I needed to support the artist view of its work. I wanted the albums with original artwork and not the sanitized versions for USA (it that makes me a pedophile and a pervert, so be it). I do believe that the idea of a naked pre-teen as a virgin killer is a striking image. A sweet innocent creature and a death machine at the same time (scary as any horror/sci-fi movie). And the bare breast on "In Trance"...gimme a break is more innocent than any Cannibal Corpse cover. I guess somebody has to clean up their minds and stop looking for sin where is nothing.

That's why it took me a lot of effort to hunt down the "Back In Black Collection", getting the albums individually (Japanese versions) was out of my pocket. Besides getting "Fly To The Rainbow" as bonus tracks was also very alluring (moreover because is a highly underrated album with great songs).

Then finally I got "Animal Magnetism" just for completism of an era. I didn't get "Lonesome Crow" because Uli Jon Roth is not yet in it and I still have to get "Tokyo Tapes" (I'm not very crazy about live albums in general).

The more I hear those albums the more I love them and I can't understand why the Scorpions let Roth wnet off. As much as Michael Schenker or Matthias Jabs can play good guitar, the spirit of Scorpions with Roth was a milestone in the story of heavy rock, it should have continued up to this day.

 

[Hawk]

Well here comes a disturbing story then
I was into Scorpions like most people my age and late to metal with "Blackout". Nevertheless and for some wierd reason I never were into them properly being my only album for years "The Best Of Rockers'n'Ballads". But being as I am an avid collector of tribute I get in touch with their earlier stuff thanks to 2 great tributes: "A Tribute To Scorpions" (Nuclear Blast) and "Another Piece Of Metal" (Dwell).

Yea thats how most people start out.

So I decided to look upon the albums prior to 1982. Luckily at the time I finally decided this the reissues came aboard and I got quickly "Taken By Force" and "Lovedrive" (original artwork). And then is when the disturbing episode came, I decided that regardless of my ethics and the lines I can draw for myself, I needed to support the artist view of its work. I wanted the albums with original artwork and not the sanitized versions for USA (it that makes me a pedophile and a pervert, so be it). I do believe that the idea of a naked pre-teen as a virgin killer is a striking image. A sweet innocent creature and a death machine at the same time (scary as any horror/sci-fi movie). And the bare breast on "In Trance"...gimme a break is more innocent than any Cannibal Corpse cover. I guess somebody has to clean up their minds and stop looking for sin where is nothing.

I agree, naked does not equal sexual. Although the VK sleeve is explicit I don't find it "disturbing". Is someone who is 13 years young a *pre*-teen or a teen? I believe the last but english is not my native tongue.

That's why it took me a lot of effort to hunt down the "Back In Black Collection", getting the albums individually (Japanese versions) was out of my pocket. Besides getting "Fly To The Rainbow" as bonus tracks was also very alluring (moreover because is a highly underrated album with great songs).

I in full agreement here. Roth SMOKES on this album.

Then finally I got "Animal Magnetism" just for completism of an era. I didn't get "Lonesome Crow" because Uli Jon Roth is not yet in it and I still have to get "Tokyo Tapes" (I'm not very crazy about live albums in general).

Yea I always thought that album was overrated. But thast jusr me

The more I hear those albums the more I love them and I can't understand why the Scorpions let Roth wnet off. As much as Michael Schenker or Matthias Jabs can play good guitar, the spirit of Scorpions with Roth was a milestone in the story of heavy rock, it should have continued up to this day.

You know what? When I heard the news that Roth had left them I thought it would be the end of the Scorpions. And I was not too crazy about the playing of Jabs. I though he was an very average player compared to M. Schenker and Uli Roth.

Btw their live album turned out to be their breakthough in European hard rock circles. Later Loverdrive made them populair in an even bigger way.

 

[delize]

This is not directed at anyone in particular. Just my opinion as a woman.

What I find disturbing about the VK cover is the fact that the parents took it upon themselves to decide that their young daughter's nude body could be displayed for the world to view. Maybe different time and different morals, but it's not something I would choose for a daughter of mine; (if i had a daughter) then, now, nor in the future. It would be interesting to know how she feels about what her parents did to her back then. I know it was said she wanted to do it, but she was a still a child.