Wednesday, November 6, 2019

"Hour 1" by The Scorpions

The German hard rock band The Scorpions formed back in the late 60s and slowly rose to fame through the 70s. In the US, their first chart appearance arrived in 1982 when "No One Like You" reached #65. The follow-up single, the now classic "Rock You Like A Hurricane," performed better by reaching #25.

Despite getting massive airplay and boasting a bevy of well-known songs, the band rarely saw chart success until their fourth decade of existence. In 1991, their power ballad "Wind Of Change" soared to #4. After one more blip on the chart radar with "Send Me An Angel," which stalled at #44, the band hasn't seen the chart since.

As for many hard rock bands, The Scorpions struggled through the 90s, experimenting with new sounds and styles, failing to win new fans and losing some of the old ones. Then out of nowhere in 2007, they dropped their 16th record called "Humanity: Hour 1." 

Unusual for the band, this was a concept album about a civil war between humans and artificial life. A rather risky turn for the band, but the record gave the band some of the best reviews they've received in years. It is a personal favorite of mine from their extensive catalogue, as it represents a rejuvenating update to their sound and vision. And pulling in hit songwriters like Desmond Child, Eric Bazilian (Hooters), and Marti Frederiksen made every song sound like a single.


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