SCORPIONS — Taken By Force (review)

SCORPIONS — Taken By Force album cover Album · 1977 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Unitron
The peak of late 70's heavy metal, Taken By Force is an oft neglected album compared to the Scorps' 80's classics. I think they had a great run from the debut to Love at First Sting, but this has always been my favorite.

It's a blend of all that makes the band great, and turned up to eleven. I've Got to Be Free and Your Light have a great funky vibe that Uli Jon Roth had a real knack for and would explore further with his later band Electric Sun. We'll Burn the Sky and Born to Touch Your Feelings are two of the band's best ballads, with the end of the latter sounding like they took some influence from fellow German band Eloy.

My absolute favorite is the proto-thrash of He's a Woman, She's a Man, which is a beast with a drilling riff, some of Klaus Meine's most exuberant vocals, and such a hook that keeps it in the mind for days. If that's proto-thrash, The Sails of Charon is straight up neo-classical metal and one of the band's most legendary songs.

Paired with the classic Tokyo Tapes live album, this is German metal heaven.
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Vim Fuego wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Umi... :-D
Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
@UMUR Thanks, can't believe I missed such a dumb typo.

@Voila Yeah, definitely. There isn't a single dud on here.

more than 2 years ago
Umi. Leave it to a Mac to correct what I type when it doesn't need correcting. Let's try again: Umi nope Umi nope Umi nope. Fuck it! Uli!!
more than 2 years ago
This one and Virgin Killer, though I prefer the warmer, less tinny sound of Taken By Force. Umi Jon Roth really shines on both albums, but I like the diversity of this one. The band really achieved something with this line up on this album.
UMUR wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I think it´s "He's A Woman - She's A Man", but otherwise a great review :-)

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