When I was in high school, I bought a live Scorpions tape called Tokyo Tapes. It was all the earlier stuff from the Uli John Roth era. I don’t remember digging it very much, though my friend Jodi (the second-ranked Scorps fan in the school) and I really liked the part where thousands of Japanese people yelled for an encore by chanting “Scawpions! Scawpions!” over and over.
I just picked it up on disc out of curiosity, and I like it a lot better. I’m bummed “Is There Anybody There?” wasn’t on the set list, and Klaus’ pronunciation was way funnier back in those days. But man, Uli can play his ass off. It’s clear that Yngwie Malmsteen was watching that cat carefully back in the day. He had modern tone and very modern technique, even in 1978.
The songs are still a bit weird and spacey overall. But the boys lock into some monster grooves, and Klaus will always possess one of the most distinct and awesome voices in rock history. And just look at that longevity! They can still pack a stadium, and they bring the rock (even with a substantially changed lineup).
Tags: Scorpions, Tokyo Tapes
