Tokyo Tapes by the Scorpions, if you happened by the Nakano Sun Plaza around April 1978 you would've been in for a very big surprise. Well Dear Readers let's not get into quibbles about 'touched up' live albums because you know my views about this and we all know the score but crikeys vicar wasn't the seventies THE decade for live albums, and more often than not the double live album?!
Honourable exceptions to this is of course the superlative touched up single LP fire of Unleashed In The East by Judas Priest, an album that stands head and shoulders above all and the into the eighties - 1981 to be precise - stand out delight that was No Sleep 'til Hammersmith by you knöw whö.
Tokyo Tapes is an outstanding collection grabbed from Scorpions rocking out in Japan, and it stands out because of some outrageously tasty live versions of the songs Suspender Love (eh!? Oh? Yes!), Polar Nights, Fly To The Rainbow (even if you forgive the Uli Roth vocals croaking out like a bargain basement busker at times), the top rate effort of In Trance and the amazing, words fail me here, the song of the set We'll Burn The Sky.
The disappointing tracks for me are the rock 'n' roll staples Long Tall Sally and Hound Dog. While it might be a crowd pleasing curiosity I'm sorry but the Scorpions had a wealth of back catalogue which could have been bashed out instead of these disappointing novelties. My personal opinion of course.
If I were to describe one of the live albums that changed my life, this would be on the list...put it simply your friend and humble narrator loves it.
PS. The original 'moist, opening rose' cover is heads above the eventual choice of a mediocre live photo shot.
9 comments:
I always had a soft spot for Strangers In The Night; those Schenker boys get everywhere.
"We'll Burn The Sky" is my favourite track on a smashing live album. I'm not really bothered about live albums being enhanced in the studio, even KISS Alive was tweaked with hours of studio time. They are still more "live" and sound brilliant!
Yes John, "Strangers in the Night" is a fine album too.
Let us never forget the excellent Saxon Live album, "THe Eagle Has Landed". Princess of the night still makes me pull out my old air guitar, it's riff-tastic!
John - Strangers In The Night is another gem, and it still stands out today.
Toast - I like the way We'll Burn The Sky drifts straight into the song Suspender Love...priceless!
The traipse to the Satanic Mills of our existence is always made bearable by some choice music... much needed buffers for the soul.
Love the album. It is remarkable that the Scorpions were not that popular here then, while they were already superstars in Japan and the US.
It's still like that for Michael Schenker and the MSG. He plays the small clubs here but causes a riot every time he gets to Japan.
@Toast: Agree 100%
@I'm with you as always.
Stevemusic is what feeds the soul in the face of adversity as it were
Frank Well said!
We'll Burn The Sky is a truly beautiful song.
As for Michael Schenker is an axe genius with few peers.
@Frank: I guess the Japanese fans are more loyal. They didn't even forget Anvil!
@Jimmy: To me Michael Schenker is the greatest of them all.
@Toast: Anvil are still around?
Yes Frank, Anvil are still touring and recording. See the excellent documentary, "The Story of Anvil". Probably the best metal documentary of them all. Quite sad but also uplifting. It was made by a real metal fan, which gives it a real edge. I prefer it to the really quite brilliant Lemmy doc.
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