When it comes to "stadium rock," the blend of heavy metal and pop that feels designed for hearing in large concerts, one of the most recognizable bands is the Scorpions. Active since the 1970s, they've scored numerous hits, awards, and accolades. The Best of the Scorpions: The Millennium Collection is a greatest hits collection that highlights the band's strength and flaws.Naturally, The Best of the Scorpions opens with "Rock You Like a Hurricane," their signature song that has appeared everywhere from sporting events to strip clubs to Aqua Teen Hunger Force. From there it's songs celebrating sex ("Tease Me, Please Me"), love ("Believe in Love"), and even politics ("Winds of Change," probably less known now for its America-Soviet peace message than the whistling that opens and closes the song).
The Scorpions know how to rock, and they show a mastery of guitar and drums that elevate their music beyond simply being loud. Lyrics aren't their strong suit, going from overly simple rhymes to overly raunchy to overly pretentious (The wise man said just walk this way/ To the dawn of the light/ The wind will blow into your face/ As the years pass you by") -- a flaw of much heavy metal/stadium rock. With that in mind, The Best of the Scorpions is a good snapshot of the big hair stadium rock of the 1980s -- and a lot of the songs still hold up well for getting the blood pumping.
Overall grade: B-
Reviewed by James Lynch
The Scorpions know how to
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