On October 25, Island/UMe will release three vinyl reissues by the Scorpions, still rocking as hard as ever and touring internationally at least through the fall: Crazy World, a single LP; the double-LP Face The Heat on 180-gram vinyl, which also includes a bonus EP; and the Live Bites double LP on 180-gram vinyl. From powerful vocals to searing guitars to thundering bass and drums, each of these albums showcases the Scorpions’ enduring talent for raising the roof and then captivating the heart within minutes.
Earlier this year in Louder magazine, Scorpions founding guitarist Rudolf Schenker named Crazy World, the band’s 11th full-length studio release, as one of his Top 10 all-time favorite Scorpions albums. The RIAA-certified double-platinum Crazy World, originally released in 1990 and co-produced with Keith Olsen (Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Grateful Dead), reached #21 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and heralded global stardom. Described by Rolling Stone as “a soundtrack of sorts to a political and cultural revolution,” the single “Wind Of Change” hit #4 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart and was a slow burning worldwide hit just in time for the collapse of the Soviet Communist regime. Crazy World concluded the Scorpions era with the line-up featuring Herman Rarebell (drums) and Francis Buchholz (bass).
Face The Heat, a double LP originally released in 1993, will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl with the original artwork and a bonus EP only previously available in Greece. Produced by Bruce Fairburn (Bon Jovi, Kiss, Aerosmith), who also provided some of the backing vocals on “Under The Same Sun,” Face The Heat continued the band’s move toward social issues and more pointed lyrics. The Scorpions’ 12th studio album, Face The Heat, reached #24 on the Billboard Top Albums chart.
Previously available only on vinyl in Greece, the Live Bites double LP will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl with the original artwork. Recorded between 1988 and 1994 and originally released in 1995, the double LP captures live performances from Leningrad, San Francisco, Mexico City, Berlin and Munich.
More than 50 years have passed since childhood friends Klaus Meine (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (guitar) and Matthias Jabs (guitar) pulled a barrow carrying their instruments and amplifiers while wandering the streets of Hannover, which was just awakening from post-war paralysis. Today, with more than 100 million albums sold to date, the Scorpions have become Germany’s, and perhaps Continental Europe’s, most successful hard rock band. The newest members, Pawel Maciwoda (bass), who has been in the band for more than a decade, and Mikkey Dee (drums), who joined in 2016 after more than 20 years with Mötorhead, complete the line-up. From appearing at the inaugural Rock in Rio Festival to performing at Roger Water’s The Wall concert in Berlin, the Scorpions 54-year career spans multiplatinum albums, hit records, world tours, iconic performances and has continued to transcend innumerable trends in rock music.
—
Photo Credit: Mikhail Bakunovich / Shutterstock.com