Scorpions - Tokyo Tapes

I've come to this album in my project to rip some of my old vinyl*. It's bringing me so much joy all over again and so I have to write a few words about why it's such a special record.

It marks a milestone in Scorpions' extremely long (and continuing) career. (This is why I'm trying to avoid 'The') At the point that these concerts were recorded, Uli Roth had officially left the band but agreed to play this tour. His replacement as lead guitarist was the more metallic Matthias Jabs who brought a new sound and new style to the band.

They continued to develop their style and popularity, the high point of their powers for me being a few albums later; Blackout and Love at First Sting.

But here we have a collection of the best 'Roth period' Scorpions songs played for the last time by that line-up.

I'm not a huge fan of live albums. Metal in particular doesn't lend itself well to being performed live. Don't get me wrong, seeing a band perform can be awesome but there's a difference between the experience of a live concert and listening at home to a live recording. It's magical to watch people you admire on a stage in front of you performing songs that you know and love. But take everything away from that except the recorded sound and what's left usually sucks compared to the studio recordings of the songs.

I'm sure some people are thinking 'what about xxx, it's a classic album'. It's true that sometimes the magic just happens and you end up with a performance that's really special. (Bear in mind also that a live album may have been overdubbed in the studio later.) But that's the exception rather than the rule. Otherwise we'd all be listening to live albums all the time and bands would only occasionally put out a studio album.

This is one of the exceptions. There are songs here that I'll play in preference to the studio counterpart.

The fact that it's a huge 12" square item makes it all the more special. The front cover is a great shot that really sums up the contents. The big piece of artwork that comes with each album is something I really miss. In this case it doesn't stop there, the gatefold sleeve contains more images from the tour, including this one that I love. Notice the boots (which I'm sure looked really trendy in 1978) - Klaus is wearing monstrous platforms but is still only shoulder-high to the others. (No disrespect Klaus, I'm in awe of every note you've sung.)

** Scorpions are on tour right now

* Who'd have thought that I'd be able to buy a stylus for my 30-year-old Pioneer turntable, and through the Cambridge Audio amp I have now, these records have never sounded so good to me. If it wasn't for the very annoying pops and crackles and the fact that they inevitably degrade slightly every time they're played I'd choose to play the vinyl rather than the digital version.