Best Scorpions Album

I voted Animal Magnetism, but I haven't listened to any of them in quite a while. It was just a gut reaction.

In Trance, but I love all the Uli Roth era and straight through till Blackout. 7 straight must-haves (8 if you count the also essential live Tokyo Tapes) is pretty special. I only ended up voting for one on the heavy poll, but I tried not to duplicate too many artists (only four got two albums, nobody more than that).

all i have is tokyo tapes. can't overemphasize how much it rocks.

Wow, yes... everything up to and including Blackout is essential metal listening (except for the debut). Love at First Sting ain't bad either. Regarding my vote, in doubt between the deliciously weird Fly to the Rainbow and the hard rocking In Trance.

Seriously torn between In Trance and the underrated Taken By Force, but voted the latter for "Steamrock Fever" and "Sails of Charon."

I rank the classic records thusly:

In Trance
Taken By Force
Fly To The Rainbow
Tokyo Tapes
Virgin Killer
Animal Magnetism
Lovedrive
Blackout

But there isn't a ton of difference between first to last, and couldn't argue with anyone who ranked them differently. Unless they put In Trance last because that would be a lie.

I'm surprised I don't see In Trance mentioned more often as the first modern metal album. Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny often gets that honor, but I think the Scorpions met that criteria a year earlier.

I looked for Tokyo Tapes at FYE but they didn't have it. I got Painkiller instead. I had possibly the only available copy (used) in Chicago transferred from the Wicker Park to Broadway Reckless.

Wow, yes... everything up to and including Blackout is essential metal listening (except for including the debut).

fixed

I'm not even a metal fan but I used to own and like Fly To The Rainbow. It kind of reminds me of an Amon Duul II album in some weird way.

Of course I haven't heard anything past about 1990 but I voted Fly To the Rainbow. Everything they did in the 70s is pure magic.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

FLYYYYY TO THE RAINBOWWWWWW

followed by a three-way tie of Lonesome Crow/In Trance/Virgin Killer.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

oh my dear lord

Some serious closet krautproggers, it would seem.

1990 Crazy World 2

I have to review the Scorpions show here in town next week. Should be interesting.

Ridiculous results.

Most diehard Scorps fans have never even heard OF Lonesome Crow. I mean, I like it quite a lot, but if you own that and any other 70s Scorps, it will not be your favorite. Someone tell me how it's possibly better than Fly to the Rainbow, please.

It's not better than any of the next seven. It isn't bad, but is a different band doing a different thing.

Funny, everything I ever read about Lonesome Crow was it's at most a valiant effort, but mostly a piece o' crap. Guess I should take a listen. Hard to imagine it's as good as their next 7.

Hard to imagine it's as good as their next 7

It isn't it. It is an unfocused effort, by a band searching for a style. Charming in and by itself, but pale in comparison to what lay ahead. And totally forgotten by now if not for what came ahead. Even as a standalone kraut rock album it isn't remarkable.

The Scorpions disbanded after their debut. Meine and Schenker joined Uli Roth and his band. This led to a totally different group, in sound, attitude, everything really. They chose to use the Scorpions name again because it was already known and would make getting gigs easier.

I would love to get a couple of paragraphs from one of the Lonesome Crow voters, explaining how and why this is the best album.

well as you say it's just a different band, and so it's definitely not 'their' best album. but it is the one produced by Conny Plank -- as EZ said, we have krautproggers in force on this board. and I do honestly feel it's a more interesting, stranger record than what they became once they regrouped, although the results of this poll were so batshit that I now promise to check out 'Fly To The Rainbow', because it sounds like they got themselves a bit more together on that record while retaining a weird vibe.

the only later records I know by them are Blackout and First Sting and I haven't heard them since high school

Start with Fly to the Rainbow and you'll want to follow it through to Blackout; the 80s band with Matthias Jabs is not the Uli Roth band, and the evolution into that 80s monster is incredibly engaging.

My vote for best Scorps/Uli track ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9GKFZ-Slqk

just got Fly to the Rainbow and love it. already had Blackout, which is great (manages to have an arena rock hit without loading the album with too many of em). picked up Virgin Killer and now d/ling Taken By Force.

I really feel like Klaus's vocals were better in the earlier days pre-arena anthems (and I know he almost lost it during Blackout). more dynamic, less 'i'm just wailing like a rockstar'.

the way his voice recovered was incredible though. Still sounds great!

Lovedrive>Blackout>LAFS for me

yeah, recovering from one vocal surgery is hard enough, two is unbelievable, and usually there's something lost afterwards, but he sounded great still.

underrated vocalist in the whole 'best rock vocalist' conversation

Face the Heat is an underrated one that's worth your time. Lovedrive just has too many great songs, there's no other choice. I thought these guys retired from touring last summer are they still going?

Lovedrive is p sweet. I prefer the Uli stuff but this is hooky as fukk.

the "uhh...ahhhhh" part of Lovin You Sunday Morning such a great chord progression

I would have voted In Trance in this poll. That's the one I remember liking the most. Haven't listened to them for a few years.