keepers 5
keeper avg .625
The first album with the 'classic' line-up is also one of my new favorite metal albums ever. While Hipgnosis' jokey (bubblegum) cover is goofy in retrospect, the album itself is surprisingly focused and consistent. Opener "Loving You Sunday Morning"***** combines punchy verses and airy chorus seamlessly with melody and memorable riffs into a bona fide Scorpions classic. "Another Piece Of Meat"**** is predictably meat-headed, but with metal attitude to spare. Schenker's instrumental "Coast To Coast"**** could have used some words as it doesn't develop far past the first run-through. The dueling riffs must sound good together though, as the song doesn't seem like almost 5 minutes. Even "Anybody There"**** escapes being just another unsuccessful attempt at reggae by white guys with decent melodies and sheer commitment. The only clunker is "Always Somewhere" - it's boring even for a metal ballad, but is nevertheless a prototype of better Scorpions ballads (maybe metal ballads in general) to come later. And if it's possible to top "Loving You Sunday Morning", the galloping title song***** does it, and places Scorpions squarely in the club of the great NWOBHM bands.
Comments