The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
280/365
Crazy World - Scorpions
Format: Vinyl
Side 1: Tease Me Please Me/Don't Believe Her/To Be With You In Heaven/Wind Of Change/Restless Nights
The first 90s album from the Scorpions starts off with a concert staple, the cheesy and sleezy Tease Me Please Me, it has a super catchy repetitive introductory riff. Klaus sounds pretty good on the verses and the chorus is easy to sing a long to. That riff is wonderful, the song is pretty commercial but much better as a whole than the previous album's clearly over pop filled tracks. Jabs has a nice solo and together with Jim Vallance he wrote the music for the track and it is a good track. The bridge is a little weaker but it soon fades out for the next track to make entry... Don't Believe Her, another good poppy but still rocking guitar based track with Klaus singing strongly over it all. Catchy chorus and some nice soloing. The track has a nice beat to it and it really makes you question just how the band released something like Savage Amusement a couple years prior and Pure Instinct just a few years later... Although that may be explained by tracks 4 and 11's success. To Be With You In Heaven is the first Schenker and Meine only penned track. Slowing down a little with some strong guitar and drum work for the pacing. Klaus sounds pretty good and his main vocals in the chorus are solid. The backing style vocals not so much. A track which I used to really like, in recent years it hasn't done much for me. It is an enjoyable track which could be quite interesting to see in a live show. Klaus pens one of the Scorpions most well known tracks for Track #4, the mighty Wind Of Change, beautiful from the Whistling Start to his soft and soothing vocals, the power on the chorus is phenomenal and the song flies gracefully above the world below it. I still get goosebumps from this masterpiece even after years of hearing it what many would consider far too frequently. Restless Nights opens up with a heavy drumbeat into a short guitar solo before slowing right down for the verse. Klaus sings fairly well but the slow tempo of what started as a real strong uptempo rocker doesn't really make for the greatest enjoyment. It has lots of references to placed the band has toured which I guess is a nice sentiment.
Tease Me Please Me - 9/10
Don't Believe Her - 9/10
To Be With You In Heaven - 7.5/10
Wind Of Change - 10/10
Restless Nights - 7/10
Side 1 - 42.5/50
Side 2: Lust or Love/Kicks After Six/Hit Between The Eyes/Money And Fame/Crazy World/Send Me An Angel -
Side 2 kicks off with another catchy rocker, Klaus once again sounds phenomenal his unique voice has aged so well in the bands 20 year career at this point. The chorus isn't the greatest vocally or lyrically but the verses are really good as a whole and are delivered in a softer way but still really fitting of the faster style, solo is fairly good as well and the song segues into it in a way which really focuses in on it. Kicks After Six, opens right from the close of Lust Or Love, the song is faster and much more commercial sounding. It doesn't really work as well but the tempo is quite good. Klaus sings a little too high in the chorus which is where the song mainly doesn't work. Verses he sings lower which works quite well and Jabs delivers on the solo. Continuing on the speed increase track another more relevant track from the album Hit Between The Eyes, a driving rocker with some screaming guitars from Jabs and Schenker, I forgot how good the solo is on this track. A killer rocker which is a fair bit heavier than the rest of the album thus far and super strong. Money And Fame is the only song on the album which neither Klaus or Rudolf receive writing credits for and the song isn't too bad but it lacks the catchyness of a typical Scorpions track, in addition to lacking the heaviness Matthias' and Herman's tracks usually have. It does feature some talk box from Jabs which does switch it up a little bit. Crazy World comes in with a strong drum beat and the guitar sound a little heavier here. Klaus sounds really strong as he has for most of the album. A fantastic title track with a strong direct approach with easy vocals for crowds to do. I'm surprised the song isn't played more frequently it also would be good for crowd participation outside of the chorus. The album closes off with Send Me An Angel. A smart choice of ballad to go on an album with Wind Of Change since it stands out in its own right, far more calm and orchestrated than the peace anthem. Klaus sings beautifully once more and he delivers an emotive performance throughout. The calm backing vocals on the chorus are great and the whole song is so uplifting and majestic.
Lust Or Love - 8/10
Kicks After Six - 7.5/10
Hit Between The Eyes - 10/10
Money And Fame - 7/10
Crazy World - 9/10
Send Me An Angel - 10/10
Side 2 - 51.5/60
Overall 86%
Crazy World - Scorpions
Format: Vinyl
Side 1: Tease Me Please Me/Don't Believe Her/To Be With You In Heaven/Wind Of Change/Restless Nights
The first 90s album from the Scorpions starts off with a concert staple, the cheesy and sleezy Tease Me Please Me, it has a super catchy repetitive introductory riff. Klaus sounds pretty good on the verses and the chorus is easy to sing a long to. That riff is wonderful, the song is pretty commercial but much better as a whole than the previous album's clearly over pop filled tracks. Jabs has a nice solo and together with Jim Vallance he wrote the music for the track and it is a good track. The bridge is a little weaker but it soon fades out for the next track to make entry... Don't Believe Her, another good poppy but still rocking guitar based track with Klaus singing strongly over it all. Catchy chorus and some nice soloing. The track has a nice beat to it and it really makes you question just how the band released something like Savage Amusement a couple years prior and Pure Instinct just a few years later... Although that may be explained by tracks 4 and 11's success. To Be With You In Heaven is the first Schenker and Meine only penned track. Slowing down a little with some strong guitar and drum work for the pacing. Klaus sounds pretty good and his main vocals in the chorus are solid. The backing style vocals not so much. A track which I used to really like, in recent years it hasn't done much for me. It is an enjoyable track which could be quite interesting to see in a live show. Klaus pens one of the Scorpions most well known tracks for Track #4, the mighty Wind Of Change, beautiful from the Whistling Start to his soft and soothing vocals, the power on the chorus is phenomenal and the song flies gracefully above the world below it. I still get goosebumps from this masterpiece even after years of hearing it what many would consider far too frequently. Restless Nights opens up with a heavy drumbeat into a short guitar solo before slowing right down for the verse. Klaus sings fairly well but the slow tempo of what started as a real strong uptempo rocker doesn't really make for the greatest enjoyment. It has lots of references to placed the band has toured which I guess is a nice sentiment.
Tease Me Please Me - 9/10
Don't Believe Her - 9/10
To Be With You In Heaven - 7.5/10
Wind Of Change - 10/10
Restless Nights - 7/10
Side 1 - 42.5/50
Side 2: Lust or Love/Kicks After Six/Hit Between The Eyes/Money And Fame/Crazy World/Send Me An Angel -
Side 2 kicks off with another catchy rocker, Klaus once again sounds phenomenal his unique voice has aged so well in the bands 20 year career at this point. The chorus isn't the greatest vocally or lyrically but the verses are really good as a whole and are delivered in a softer way but still really fitting of the faster style, solo is fairly good as well and the song segues into it in a way which really focuses in on it. Kicks After Six, opens right from the close of Lust Or Love, the song is faster and much more commercial sounding. It doesn't really work as well but the tempo is quite good. Klaus sings a little too high in the chorus which is where the song mainly doesn't work. Verses he sings lower which works quite well and Jabs delivers on the solo. Continuing on the speed increase track another more relevant track from the album Hit Between The Eyes, a driving rocker with some screaming guitars from Jabs and Schenker, I forgot how good the solo is on this track. A killer rocker which is a fair bit heavier than the rest of the album thus far and super strong. Money And Fame is the only song on the album which neither Klaus or Rudolf receive writing credits for and the song isn't too bad but it lacks the catchyness of a typical Scorpions track, in addition to lacking the heaviness Matthias' and Herman's tracks usually have. It does feature some talk box from Jabs which does switch it up a little bit. Crazy World comes in with a strong drum beat and the guitar sound a little heavier here. Klaus sounds really strong as he has for most of the album. A fantastic title track with a strong direct approach with easy vocals for crowds to do. I'm surprised the song isn't played more frequently it also would be good for crowd participation outside of the chorus. The album closes off with Send Me An Angel. A smart choice of ballad to go on an album with Wind Of Change since it stands out in its own right, far more calm and orchestrated than the peace anthem. Klaus sings beautifully once more and he delivers an emotive performance throughout. The calm backing vocals on the chorus are great and the whole song is so uplifting and majestic.
Lust Or Love - 8/10
Kicks After Six - 7.5/10
Hit Between The Eyes - 10/10
Money And Fame - 7/10
Crazy World - 9/10
Send Me An Angel - 10/10
Side 2 - 51.5/60
Overall 86%