I don't know what's going on with me. I thought I would be more into going through the Scorpions 80's discography. Yet, I find myself really unmotivated. I'm putting my best foot forward here and hedging on.
Though they'd been rockin' since their 1972 debut, Lonesome Crow, it wouldn't be until 1979's Lovedrive that they landed on US charts. This was aided by their extensive touring of the US, which they continued to do for their 1980 follow up, Animal Magnetism. However, it would be 1982's Blackout which served as their official breakthrough, garnering their first Billboard Hot 100 hit, No One Like You, which peaked at number sixty-four.
Leading up to the album's recording, singer Klaus Meine found himself undergoing surgery on his vocal cords. This left him, and the band, unsure if he would even be able to sing again. However, to keep the process going, Don Dokken, of the band Dokken, was brought into record the demo tracks. He'd ultimately be credited on backing vocals of the album when Meine recovered and returned to complete his own tracks.
Blackout would go on to achieve gold certification in France, and platinum in the USA and Canada, making it their biggest selling album at the time. It would further reach number ten on the Billboard 200 and also peak in this spot in Germany. Across the remainder of the world, it landed in the top fifteen in four other countries and performed moderately (top 100) in Switzerland and Netherlands.
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The album delivers a solid hard rock / metal sound, and with it comes that familiar Scorpions sound I tried to explain in yesterday's post. Basically, it sounds like a Scorpions album, and depending on your tastes, that's for better or worse.
It was solid, much better than its predecessor, and I can see why it garnered so much positive attention. Though it only has the one aforementioned hit, for me, there were other standout tracks. These included the title track, Blackout, along with You Give Me All I Need, Dynamite, When The Smoke Is Going Down, and China White.
There was a fun fact published in Kerrang! issue 12, where lead guitarist, Rudolf Schenker stated he was unable to choose between two particular guitar solos for the song. As a result, the German and US release are different mixes.
What I will say is that Scorpions are one of the few bands who can make me appreciate a good ballad. Between the slick guitars of Schenker, and haunting vocals of Meine, I can't help but get sucked in.
Ultimately, I'm glad I pressed forward through this one. It not only changed my mood but got me a little psyched up for continue through to the next. That next, however, will not be 1984's Love At First Sting, as I've already played through that one. Instead, I'm off to the tail end of the stinger with 1988's Savage Amusements.
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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!
Yes! Attack Of The Killer Tomatoes and it's even more ridiculous sequels! What's not to love? My dad had the original film way back when it came out on VHS in 1981. Mind you, this was back when tapes cost between $50.00 and $80.00. Mind you, by 2026 standards, that's about $190.00 - $303.00. That's a lot of money for a B-movie.
It quickly became one of my favorites, and the song Puberty Love still lives rent free in my head. Plus, the sequel has a very young George Clooney, and it got the cartoon treatment in the 90's! I mean, come on! It doesn't get any better.
With that said, I don't mess with anything past said cartoon, so I've not seen the two "newer" films.
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